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The under-16s social media ban will damage young people’s political education. Teachers need better support

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, School of Social Sciences, Monash University

From this week, Australians aged under 16 will not be able to hold an account on many social media platforms. In anticipation of the ban, some social media companies have already begun disabling accounts they believe are held by under-16s.

While the nation’s social media ban is hoped to safeguard young people from the dangers of the online world, it also has the potential to inhibit the development of their political knowledge.

At a time when civics education has been found to be seriously inadequate, this could have major implications for our democracy.

Importance of political knowledge

Engaging with political debates and understanding how the political system operates are important characteristics of what is often known as political knowledge.

To build the political knowledge of young people, and to ensure they become “active and informed members of the community” for the whole of their lives, Australian governments have invested in civics and citizenship programs in schools.

The Australian federated system, however, poses a challenge to these aspirations. Each state and territory, for example, can have different approaches to teaching young people about civics and citizenship. The class time that is devoted to the subject also varies, as do teaching methods across, and within, jurisdictions.

Since 2004, national testing has been undertaken every three years to identify the proportion of young people achieving a reasonable level of proficiency in civics and citizenship.

The latest round shows record low results. Nationally at the Year 6 level, just 43% of students achieved the proficient standard. This is the first time in the test’s history the rate has been less than 50% for this year level.

Even more bleak is the result at the Year 10 level. Just 28% of students nationally achieve the proficient standard. Furthermore, unless students enrol in a specialist elective unit such as legal studies, they may never engage with content about democracy, or their rights and responsibilities as citizens in class again.

By the time young people finish Year 12, they are either able to vote or on the cusp of being able to vote. It should be a matter of enormous concern that their civics education is so poor. The social media ban may well make this worse.

Listening to the voices of teachers

While governments may pursue ambitions to build the political knowledge of young people, the responsibility to design and deliver civics and citizenship classes is with teachers.

As part of my E.G. Whitlam Research Fellowship, I have been speaking with teachers from New South Wales and Queensland to understand their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities to build young people’s political knowledge.

For some teachers, social media was an important way of allowing young people to be exposed to political debates and issues around the world.

As one teacher put it, students

[…] are actually getting more engaged because of what they see on social media, and so I love them going off and debating in my class about what they feel. It’s just fantastic.

Similarly, according to another teacher, students often don’t know who to ask about matters concerning politics, “so many of them go to social media for information”.

Indeed, the Parliament of Australia’s From Classroom to Community Report published this year noted the significance of social media on political knowledge. Recommendation 20, for example, sought to “develop guidance, resources and tools that support the delivery of education on media and digital literacy” that “should cover social media, misinformation and disinformation, and artificial intelligence”. The same recommendation also called for “consistent teacher professional development resources”.

Enhancing support for teachers

Students who may have relied on social media for their political development will have to find new sources. While other platforms may pop up, and some content may still be visible, the implementation of the ban presents the ideal opportunity to better support teachers.

For example, many teachers I spoke with did not remember having opportunities to undertake professional development in civics and citizenship education. Others felt they needed additional resources and support to build their own confidence to teach the content effectively.

While the Parliament’s report recommended investing in professional development for teachers, there must be greater urgency to do more to support teachers now.

The online political world of young people may be about to be extinguished. It’s time to ensure that teachers have the capacity and confidence to build young peoples’ knowledge through effective, and accessible, professional development and helpful resources.

The Conversation

Zareh Ghazarian was awarded an E.G. Whitlam Research Fellowship for 2025 (https://www.whitlam.org/publications/2025-eg-whitlam-research-fellowship-appointment).

– ref. The under-16s social media ban will damage young people’s political education. Teachers need better support – https://theconversation.com/the-under-16s-social-media-ban-will-damage-young-peoples-political-education-teachers-need-better-support-271389

Boil-water notice lifted for Bay of Islands holiday hotspot

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Paihia wharf and marlin statue, Bay of Islands. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

A boil-water notice in a Bay of Islands holiday hotspot has been lifted.

Residents in Paihia – as well as nearby Waitangi, Ōpua, Haruru and Te Haumi – were warned last Thursday to boil their tap water for at least a minute before drinking it or using it for cooking.

A Far North District Council spokesman said the notice has now been lifted because tests three days in a row came back clear of E. coli bacteria.

The council is investigating what caused Thursday’s test result showing bacteria above the permitted level.

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

Wellington Phoenix women face injury concerns for star striker Sabitra Bhandari

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Phoenix striker Sabitra ‘Samba’ Bhandari faces a race against time to recover for Wellington’s next match against Perth Glory. Masanori Udagawa

The Wellington Phoenix women are closely monitoring the fitness of Nepal international Sabitra ‘Samba’ Bhandari after an injury scare in Melbourne.

Bhandari limped off the field during Wellington’s 1-0 A-League loss to Melbourne City yesterday in the Phoenix’s first match on the road in their A-League season.

Wellington’s import striker returned from a knee injury to the starting XI.

Bhandari’s comeback however was short-lived as she went down clutching her lower leg in the 58th minute.

She was assisted off the field with an apparent lower leg problem.

Wellington headed into the match brimming with confidence after beating heavyweight’s Melbourne Victory last round.

The Phoenix held Melbourne City until the 86th minute when City captain Rebekah Stott unleashed the game-winning goal for the reigning premiers.

Phoenix coach Bev Priestman told media her side dominated in the box but was unable to break City’s defence.

“I’m frustrated and I think the team are but this game can’t define us. We did a very good job against a very good Melbourne City team and now we have to grow from this,” she said.

“We have to put the ball in the back of the net and that’s a different game.”

The Wellington Phoenix will stay on the other side of the Tasman to prepare for Friday night’s match against Perth Glory.

The Phoenix, sitting 8th on the standings after four games, will be looking to rebound from their first loss of the season.

The experienced Football Fern CJ Bott said she will continue to lead by example for Wellington after she was confirmed before the last match as the team’s fulltime captain.

– RNZ

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

What our missing ocean float revealed about Antarctica’s melting glaciers

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Rintoul, CSIRO Fellow, CSIRO

Pete Harmsen, CC BY-ND

Sometimes, we get lucky in science. In this case, an oceanographic float we deployed to do one job ended up drifting away and doing something else entirely.

Equipped with temperature and salinity sensors, our Argo ocean float was supposed to be surveying the ocean around the Totten Glacier, in eastern Antarctica. To our initial disappointment, it rapidly drifted away from this region. But it soon reappeared further west, near ice shelves where no ocean measurements had ever been made.

Drifting in remote and wild seas for two-and-a-half years, the float spent about nine months beneath the massive Denman and Shackleton ice shelves. It survived to send back new data from parts of the ocean that are usually difficult to sample.

Measurements of the ocean beneath ice shelves are crucial to determine how much, and how quickly, Antarctica will contribute to sea-level rise.

Argo floats are autonomous floats used in an international program to measure ocean conditions like temperature and salinity.
Peter Harmsen, CC BY-ND

What are Argo ocean floats?

Argo floats are free-floating robotic oceanographic instruments. As they drift, they rise and fall through the ocean to depths of up to 2 kilometres, collecting profiles of temperature and salinity. Every ten days or so they rise to the surface to transmit data to satellites.

These floats have become a mainstay of our global ocean observing system. Given that 90% of the extra heat stored by the planet over the past 50 years is found in the ocean, these measurements provide the best thermometer we have to track Earth’s warming.

Little buoy lost

We deployed the float to measure how much ocean heat was reaching the rapidly changing Totten Glacier, which holds a volume of ice equivalent to 3.5 metres of global sea-level rise. Our previous work had shown enough warm water was reaching the base of the ice shelf to drive the rapid melting.

To our disappointment, the float soon drifted away from Totten. But it reappeared near another ice shelf also currently losing ice mass and potentially at risk of melting further: the Denman Glacier. This holds ice equivalent to 1.5m of global sea-level rise.

The configuration of the Denman Glacier means it could be potentially unstable. But its vulnerability was difficult to assess because few ocean measurements had been made. The data from the float showed that, like Totten Glacier, warm water could reach the cavity beneath the Denman ice shelf.

Our float then disappeared under ice and we feared the worst. But nine months later it surfaced again, having spent that time drifting in the freezing ocean beneath the Denman and Shackleton ice shelves. And it had collected data from places never measured before.

The Denman Glacier in east Antarctica.
Pete Harmsen, CC BY-ND

Why measure under ice?

As glaciers flow from the Antarctic continent to the sea, they start to float and form ice shelves. These shelves act like buttresses, resisting the flow of ice from Antarctica to the ocean. But if the giant ice shelves weaken or collapse, more grounded ice flows into the ocean. This causes sea level to rise.

What controls the fate of the Antarctic ice sheet – and therefore the rate of sea-level rise – is how much ocean heat reaches the base of the floating ice shelves. But the processes that cause melting in ice-shelf cavities are very challenging to observe.

Ice shelves can be hundreds or thousands of metres thick. We can drill a hole through the ice and lower oceanographic sensors. But this is expensive and rarely done, so few measurements have been made in ice-shelf cavities.

The Denman and Shackleton glaciers.
NASA, CC BY-ND

What the float found

During its nine-month drift beneath the ice shelves, the float collected profiles of temperature and salinity from the seafloor to the base of the shelf every five days. This is the first line of oceanographic measurements beneath an ice shelf in East Antarctica.

There was only one problem: because the float was unable to surface and communicate with the satellite for a GPS fix, we didn’t know where the measurements were made. However, it returned data that provided an important clue. Each time it bumped its head on the ice, we got a measurement of the depth of the ice shelf base. We could compare the float data to satellite measurements to work out the likely path of the float beneath the ice.

These measurements showed the Shackleton ice shelf (the most northerly in East Antarctica) is, for now, not exposed to warm water capable of melting it from below, and therefore less vulnerable.

However, the Denman Glacier is exposed to warm water flowing in beneath the ice shelf and causing the ice to melt. The float showed the Denman is delicately poised: a small increase in the thickness of the layer of warm water would cause even greater melting.

What does this mean?

These new observations confirm the two most significant glaciers (Denman and Totten) draining ice from this part of East Antarctica are both vulnerable to melt caused by warm water reaching the base of the ice shelves.

Between them, these two glaciers hold a huge volume of ice, equivalent to five metres of global sea level rise. The West Antarctic ice sheet is at greater risk of imminent melting, but East Antarctica holds a much larger volume of ice. This means the loss of ice from East Antarctica is crucial to estimating sea level rise.

Both the Denman and Totten glaciers are stabilised in their present position by the slope of the bedrock on which they sit. But if the ice retreated further, they would be in an unstable configuration where further melt was irreversible. Once this process of unstable retreat begins, we are committed. It may take centuries for the full sea-level rise to be realised, but there’s no going back.

In the future, we need an array of floats spanning the entire Antarctic continental shelf to transform our understanding of how ice shelves react to changes in the ocean. This would give us greater certainty in estimating future sea-level rise.

The Conversation

Steve Rintoul receives funding from the Australian Government as part of the Antarctic Science Collaboration Initiative, through
the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership.

Esmee van Wijk receives funding from the Australian Government as part of the Antarctic Science Collaboration Initiative, through the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership.

Laura Herraiz Borreguero receives funding from the Australian Government as part of the Antarctic Science collaboration initiative, through the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership.

Madelaine Gamble Rosevear receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. What our missing ocean float revealed about Antarctica’s melting glaciers – https://theconversation.com/what-our-missing-ocean-float-revealed-about-antarcticas-melting-glaciers-271201

Most people with disabling mental health conditions can’t access the NDIS. Here’s a better way to provide support

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director, Grattan Institute

The pathway to reforming the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is littered with obstacles.

Among the biggest challenges is the federal and state governments agreeing on responsibility and funding for “foundational supports”. These are disability-specific services for people who don’t qualify for individual NDIS funding.

There has been some progress on foundational supports for children with developmental delay and autism. The federal government’s Thriving Kids initiative is due to begin mid-2026.

But there has been no progress on non-NDIS foundational supports for people with “psychosocial disability”. This is disability that can result from mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, major depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, affecting the person’s ability to function.

Our new Grattan Institute report shows how Australia can build a national system of psychosocial supports within five years without spending any more money. This will require a clear vision, smart design choices and strong commitment from all governments.

What does psychosocial support look like?

Psychosocial supports are non-clinical supports that help people with mental health challenges live meaningful, independent lives in the community.

They include programs that help people to build social connections, learn skills, or maintain stable housing.

The personal, social and economic costs of not getting this support are significant – including reduced quality of life, fewer opportunities for community participation and lost productivity.

What’s the problem?

Almost 223,000 Australians aged 25–64 had a significant psychosocial disability in 2023.

Of those, almost 58,000 received psychosocial supports from the NDIS, with the scheme providing more than A$5.8 billion to support this group in the past year.

However a majority of people with significant psychosocial disability are below the NDIS eligibility threshold. And around 130,000 adults receive no support.

Graph showing most people with significant psychosocial disability miss out on support.
Almost 60% of adults with significant psychosocial disability have unmet needs.
Grattan Institute

Access to non-NDIS supports is patchy

Federal, state and territory governments all fund small psychosocial support programs through their mental health systems. These are outside the NDIS.

Coverage is insufficient in all states and territories. The extent of support available depends far more on where you live than on your level of need.

Our analysis shows this variation is dramatic. There is a seven-fold difference in the proportion of people who receive psychosocial support outside the NDIS between Queensland (the highest) and Tasmania (the lowest).

There are also huge differences in the intensity of services offered. Queensland, for example, provides small amounts of support to relatively high numbers. In New South Wales, services reach very few people but provide more than ten times the number of hours per person.

A plan for more widespread support

Our new report proposes a new national program of psychosocial supports, which reflects evidence of what we know works. Examples of evidence-based services include:

How would the program work?

Our proposal is simple: fund a tier of psychosocial supports for people outside the NDIS.

Primary Health Networks (PHNs) are 31 health organisations across Australia that plan services to meet the needs of their local communities. They should be tasked with commissioning psychosocial supports, in collaboration with local providers, non-government organisations, state local hospital networks, and consumer and carer organisations.

Rather than perpetuating a postcode lottery, where access to psychosocial supports depends on where you live, a PHN-led approach could provide a clearer pathway to national consistency and equity.

A continuum of supports

This program would not replace the NDIS, which has an important ongoing role supporting people with the most intensive support needs.

A key feature of a more flexible and integrated system should also be the ability for people to “step down” from the NDIS to lower-intensity psychosocial supports outside the scheme – and to step back up again if their needs increase again.

We propose the use of “zero-dollar plans”, where a person is still in the NDIS system but doesn’t receive any funding. This would enable NDIS supports to be paused without affecting a person’s ongoing NDIS eligibility status. They could resume supports at a later stage without the need to reapply.

Why it doesn’t have to cost more

Previously we’ve shown the problem isn’t a lack of enough money in the system, it’s how it’s distributed.

Governments can fund a new program of psychosocial supports using the existing NDIS funding pool, which both the federal government and state/territory governments contribute to, rather than needing to spend more money.

Delivering these supports through the NDIS budget would ensure stable funding, provide a more equitable distribution of resources, and give all governments a stake in building a more balanced system.



Read more:
How to reform the NDIS and better support disabled people who don’t qualify for it

In order to do this, governments would need to carefully redirect a small proportion of funding from NDIS supports that lack an evidence base towards the new program.

Success would reduce pressure on the NDIS: if psychosocial supports outside the NDIS help people live well, they could prevent, reduce or delay the need for an individualised package in future.

Governments should pivot from the current plan. This aims for federal and state/territory governments to commit to new funding for foundational supports, including psychosocial supports. Requiring new funding has led to two years of unnecessary delay.

A more practical approach is to spend existing NDIS funding better to meet the needs of more Australians with significant psychosocial disability.

The Conversation

Grattan Institute’s Disability Program has support from the Summer Foundation.

– ref. Most people with disabling mental health conditions can’t access the NDIS. Here’s a better way to provide support – https://theconversation.com/most-people-with-disabling-mental-health-conditions-cant-access-the-ndis-heres-a-better-way-to-provide-support-270957

Active zones and mini retreats – how to build preschools suitable for neurodivergent kids

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fatemeh Aminpour, Research Fellow, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney

Natalia Lebedinskaia/ Getty Images

An estimated 15–20% of children are neurodivergent, with diagnoses rising each year. They may have a neurodevelopmental condition such as autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

We know many neurodivergent children experience sensory information differently from their peers. So the spaces they learn in can strongly influence their comfort, participation and inclusion in education.

Most research on inclusive educational settings has focused on primary or high schools. Our new research examines how preschools can be designed to better support neurodivergent children. What features help or hinder inclusion in the early years?

Our research

We conducted a “Delphi study”. This is a method designed to gain consensus among a diverse range of experts.

We brought together experts from both education and built-environment design. We did a focus group with five Australian experts and five individual interviews with both Australian and international experts.

Sensory overload hotspots

Experts consistently emphasised how sensory overload is the biggest challenge neurodivergent children face in preschools. Previous research on school environments has noted noise in classrooms is the major issue. Our study found preschool playrooms filled with materials, and walls and ceilings covered in displays are visually distracting.

Also, kitchens, dining areas and circulation zones (including corridors, hallways and open-plan spaces) can often be overwhelming. These areas are noisy, busy and filled with unpredictable activity. And because kitchens and dining areas are often integrated into learning spaces, the effects extend beyond mealtimes.

We also found smell is an under-examined sensory stressor. Strong kitchen and food smells can trigger distress for children who experience multi-sensory processing challenges. If possible, preschools should consider how they can separate kitchen and dining spaces from learning spaces.

Overcrowding intensifies sensory stress

Some neurodivergent children require greater interpersonal distance than their neurotypical peers. But high adult to child ratios in preschools can lead to overcrowding, with adults dominating the space. This is particularly the case if there are assistants for children with extra needs.

While safety regulations mean a certain number of adults per child is required, experts said preschools should consider the room sizes in use. As one noted:

we’ve got just nine children in a space, but still with three adults, that’s a lot of bodies in a room […] those adult bodies can dominate the smaller spaces.

Open-plan spaces are tricky

While previous research criticises open-plan classrooms for poor acoustics, our experts identified a different issue. Open plans without any visual structure can feel confusing and overwhelming for children.

Our experts said design features can help. This includes storing materials in cabinetry to reduces visual clutter, sight lines to allow children to see what’s ahead, and colour cues. For example, the reading zone has a blue mat, the blocks zone has a green mat. Age-appropriate signs (for example, with pictures or symbols) can also help children understand what a space is for.

Children jump on a yellow mat in a classroom.
Colour coding can help children understand which activity belongs in which space.
StockPlanets/Getty Images

The need for micro-retreats

Neurodivergent children vary widely. Some are hypersensitive, some are hyposensitive, and some have a mixed sensory profile. This means preschools need a range of spaces to choose from.

This could include active areas for running, jumping and climbing, and quiet zones for reading, drawing or daydreaming. This allows children to choose settings that match their current sensory needs and gradually expand their comfort zones.

As an architect told us:

you create a whole [range] of classrooms, some that have […] more control for those with more needs; and then other classrooms that are more typical. And you move through that gradient, and the hope is that we all want our students to be able to generalise the skills that they learn in the classroom outside in the real world.

Experts in our study cautioned against creating rooms exclusively allocated to neurodivergent children. They can create “bubble” environments that risk fostering over-attachment to specific supports or spaces. They can also unintentionally reinforce stigma.

They noted “micro-retreats” (small, accessible places where any child can withdraw briefly from the main group) support self-regulation for all children, to normalising their use and promote inclusion.

These retreat spaces (such as small terraces or courtyards) could incorporate elements of nature and spaces that encourage movement to calm children down. If this kind of landscaping isn’t available, a simple nook, an open cubby, bean-type chairs and window seats can also be helpful.

A child sits in a reading nook in a library.
A reading nook can provide a space for children to relax on their own.
Sanjeri/ Getty Images

Transitions need careful planning

Research suggests preschoolers spend 20–35% of their day transitioning between activities.

Our study found unnecessary transitions between high- and low-stimulation zones, with a change in light or temperature (such as when moving from inside to outside), can create distress.

Locating similar-sensory activities together and providing clear visual cues can help smooth these movements. When children move between indoors and outdoors, a veranda or sheltered transition space can provide a pause point where they can regulate their senses before entering a new environment.

Co-design is essential

Finally, our experts told us designing for neurodiversity must involve educators, children and families, who have vital knowledge about what works. As one of the participating architects put it:

architects are an egotistical lot. And there’s this idea that we know it all – and we don’t at all.

Many inclusive features identified in our study are considered “good practice” but not mandated in design codes or licensing guidelines. Embedding minimum spatial and sensory standards into policy would help ensure these practices are not sidelined by budget or time pressures.

Inclusive preschool and daycare environments are crucial for supporting children’s engagement in learning and for ensuring a smooth transition into mainstream schooling. And when we design preschools to be neuroinclusive, we’re not designing for a minority, but we are creating calmer, clearer and more supportive spaces that benefit every child.

The Conversation

Fatemeh Aminpour does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Active zones and mini retreats – how to build preschools suitable for neurodivergent kids – https://theconversation.com/active-zones-and-mini-retreats-how-to-build-preschools-suitable-for-neurodivergent-kids-271390

If you’re pregnant, do you have to tell your boss? And what are the rules for employers?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominique Allen, Professor, Business Law & Taxation, Monash University

A Sydney warehouse worker fired by text message within two weeks of telling her employer she was pregnant has won her job back, along with A$15,000 in backpay.

The recent Fair Work Commission ruling about an Adecco contractor working at an Amazon warehouse highlights how employers and employees can interpret the rules on pregnancy and workplace discrimination very differently – sometimes leading to disputes.

Whether you’re newly pregnant or you’re a boss trying to look after your staff, these are the legal rights and obligations you need to know about.

I’m pregnant and applying for work. Do I have to mention it?

No, you don’t. As the Sex Discrimination Act makes clear, an employer can’t ask you about it either.

Even indirect questions – “Are you planning to have a baby in the future?” – are not allowed.

I’ve found out I’m pregnant. Do I have to tell my boss?

No. When you tell them will depend on your job, your pregnancy and your preferences.

But you might want to tell your boss if you need some adjustments for the pregnancy, such as if you do a lot of physical work or travel that’s not possible in your particular circumstances.

I’ve had fewer opportunities since telling work I’m pregnant. Is that allowed?

Under the law, employees can’t be discriminated against because they’re pregnant.

But discrimination often isn’t as obvious as being fired or demoted.

In a 2022 study, we found about 14% of calls to a Victorian employment rights service were about pregnancy and breastfeeding discrimination.

We found pregnant women felt they had to leave work because their jobs weren’t being modified, even when they weren’t asking for much – such as reduced travel during periods of bad morning sickness.

But things have changed for the better in just the past few years.

Can I ask for flexible work?

Yes – and that’s new.

Since June 2023, pregnant women have been able to ask for flexible work arrangements, after an update to the Fair Work Act.

You have to have worked for your employer for 12 months and you need to put your request in writing, detailing what you’d like to change and why. Then your employer has to reply within 21 days. They can only refuse on reasonable business grounds after a discussion with you.

That’s a significant change and applies right across Australia.

Can I ask for my job to be modified?

Yes, you can ask for a “safe job” or “no safe job leave”. That’s true for casual workers too.

A pregnant employee who’s generally fit for work, but can provide evidence that they can’t do their current role because of illness, risk to their pregnancy or hazards at work can ask to be transferred to a “safe job”.

Your employer can ask for evidence, such as a medical certificate. And that’s reasonable: the employer has workplace health and safety obligations to meet too.

If there’s a safe alternative role, the business has to transfer you to it.

But if none is available, you can ask to be placed on paid or unpaid “no safe job” leave.

Check if there’s an enterprise agreement in place at your work; that may include other requirements on how you document any requests.

The challenge for employers – especially smaller businesses

There are lots of good employers wanting to do the right thing. But especially for smaller businesses without a human resources department, it isn’t easy.

Our 2022 study not only found pregnant women were struggling to understand the law; they told us their employers weren’t always sure either.

The following are two common questions employers ask.

My employee’s told me they’re pregnant. Do I have to do anything now?

The Sex Discrimination Act now contains an obligation known as a “positive duty”. It came into force in late 2022.

It means employers need to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination – including discrimination because of pregnancy.

Now you need to be proactive and look for ways to eliminate potential discrimination and accommodate a worker’s pregnancy. This may well change as the pregnancy progresses.

Start by asking yourself if you need to modify the job so your employee can continue to work.

What if I’m worried my worker can’t safely do the job while pregnant?

In the recent Adecco unfair dismissal case, the warehouse worker told her employer she was newly pregnant because she had safety concerns after getting dizzy on a ladder.

Her job required her to be able to lift 12kg. Her doctor recommended she lift less and not use a ladder, but gave her a medical certificate saying she was otherwise “fit to work”.

She did two light-duties shifts. Then she was told no other light-duties shifts were available and her future shifts were “on hold” – including shifts to train to work in a different position. No one from Adecco responded to her subsequent text or email.

If you’re an employer, even if you have genuine safety concerns you can’t unilaterally decide a pregnant worker can’t do their job.

Many jobs can be adjusted for pregnancy. Employers need to work with their employees to figure out the best solutions.

The Conversation

Dominique Allen receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. If you’re pregnant, do you have to tell your boss? And what are the rules for employers? – https://theconversation.com/if-youre-pregnant-do-you-have-to-tell-your-boss-and-what-are-the-rules-for-employers-271184

The Ladykillers at 70: how one film turned British whimsy into a darkly comic masterpiece

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) lives alone in a rickety Victorian house near London’s King’s Cross railway station. She rents a room to Professor Marcus (Alec Guinness), who claims to be a musician, and asks to use the room for practice sessions with his string quintet.

But wait. Professor Marcus and his four associates are in fact plotting an armed robbery and plan to use Mrs. Wilberforce in their dastardly scheme.

What a pleasure it is to revisit The Ladykillers (1955) – a jet-black, peculiarly subversive marriage of genteel English manners and anarchic criminality.

With its cast of eccentrics, dry wit and distinctively British whimsy, this film from London-based Ealing Studios perfectly zig-zags between kind-hearted and creepy. And 70 years on, it is fondly remembered as the closing flourish of the golden age of Ealing comedies.

A comic institution

Ealing Studios, based in the west London suburb of the same name, was founded in 1902, making it the world’s oldest continuously running film studio.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, under the leadership of Michael Balcon, the studio became known for producing a series of comedies that reflected British values, class tensions and post-war anxieties, often in a light-hearted or ironic way.

Films such as Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), Passport to Pimlico (1949) and The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) portrayed a particular brand of British humour: ironic, restrained and, above all, socially observant.

These films gently poked fun at the British class system while celebrating quirky individuals and tight-knit neighbourhoods. As Balcon himself later said:

We made films at Ealing that were good, bad and indifferent, but that were indisputably British. They were rooted in the soil of the country.

Earlier successes depicted criminal protagonists whose schemes were both ingenious and only slightly morally dubious. The Ladykillers took this tradition to its logical extreme: the criminals were no longer charming anti-heroes, but grotesque figures, hapless in their execution of the robbery.

The film’s delicious central irony, in keeping with the Ealing ethos, is that the one person capable of undoing the criminal plot is the least likely: a frail old woman with a kettle and a parrot.

A colourful illustrated poster for the 1955 film The Ladykillers, showing cartoonish drawings of five characters above the film title.
The Ladykillers poster art from 1955.
LMPC via Getty Images

Making a masterpiece

The Ladykillers was written by William Rose, who allegedly dreamt the plot and awoke to write it down. This dream-like provenance makes its way into the film.

Scottish-American director Alexander Mackendrick, who had previously worked for Ealing on Whisky Galore! (1949) and The Man in the White Suit (1951), gave the film its distinctive atmosphere of part-grotesque fairy tale and part-suburban farce. As Mackendrick once remarked

the characters are all caricatures, fable figures; none of them is real for a moment.

Mrs. Wilberforce’s house, where most of the action is set, was constructed on an Ealing backlot – a convincing reminder of the sooty urban geography of post-war London.

Prague-born cinematographer Otto Heller used shadow and deep contrast to lend a macabre quality to a comedy that often flirts with horror. A perfect example is when Mrs. Wilberforce opens the door to the professor for the first time.

Alec Guinness’s performance is a revelation. His waxen features, exaggerated false teeth and vulture-like gestures are a far cry from Obi-Wan Kenobi and George Smiley. He turns Professor Marcus into a grotesque parody of a criminal mastermind.

Guinness is abetted by stalwarts such as Herbert Lom and Danny Green. And Peter Sellers gives a nervy performance as Harry, in a role that would mark the beginning of his rise to Hollywood stardom.

A profoundly moral tale

Professor Marcus and his band of misfits mock the pretensions of criminal sophistication, contrasting them with the quiet rectitude of an old woman who represents a vanishing Britain.

They brilliantly capture the contradictions of 1950s London: the post-war optimism laced with paranoia, social deference mingled with subversion, and a genteel facade barely concealing the chaos beneath. It’s little wonder some critics see this Ealing output as deeply political.

Without spoiling the plot, The Ladykillers concludes with a restorative, comic sense of moral order. The criminal enterprise collapses, not due to law enforcement or clever detection, but because of the gang’s own ineptitude and Mrs. Wilberforce’s stubborn innocence and moral clarity.

A beloved film, then and now

The Ladykillers was a critical and commercial smash in the United Kingdom. Critic Penelope Houston applauded its “splendid, savage absurdity”. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won Katie Johnson a BAFTA for Best British Actress, aged 77.

The film was remade by the Coen Brothers in 2004, this time with Tom Hanks as a Southern gentleman crook. But this version was widely panned, illustrating just how specific the tone of the original was.

Its reputation has only grown since December 1955, with the British Film Institute ranking it among the best British films of the 20th century.

At one point in the film, Professor Marcus cries out

We’ll never be able to kill her. She’ll always be with us, for ever and ever and ever, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Just like the stubborn, indomitable spirit of Mrs. Wilberforce, The Ladykillers isn’t going anywhere.

The Conversation

Ben McCann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Ladykillers at 70: how one film turned British whimsy into a darkly comic masterpiece – https://theconversation.com/the-ladykillers-at-70-how-one-film-turned-british-whimsy-into-a-darkly-comic-masterpiece-250781

Gorse fire flares again up in North Canterbury

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

About 45 firefighters and two helicopters are battling a gorse fire near the Waimakariri River in North Canterbury.

Crews were called to the vegetation fire off the end of Poyntz Road about 5.10am on Monday.

The fire measured roughly 300 by 200 metres and was a flare-up from a fire on Sunday, Fire and Emergency said.

Eleven appliances were at the scene.

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Heat alert for Hastings as 34C day looms

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hastings is under heat alert, set to reach 34 degrees. RNZ/Alexa Cook

Hastings is set to hit 34 degrees today as the region swelters under a heat alert, following a hot weekend.

Health New Zealand is warning residents to keep cool and hydrated over the next week as the mercury soars on the East Coast.

Temperatures between 26 and 34 Degrees Celsius are forecast out to Thursday in Hawke’s Bay.

Hawke’s Bay’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Matt Radford, said while kiwis may welcome a run of hot weather, the heat can affect everyone and overheating can be fatal.

“It’s especially important to stay out of the sun where possible, avoid extreme physical exertion and ensure pets and people are not left alone in stationary cars.

“While we are all vulnerable to hot temperatures, some people are particularly at risk. This includes the elderly, infants and children, women who are pregnant, people suffering from chronic, acute and severe illness,” he said.

On Sunday in Tauranga and Whitianga new maximum December temperatures were set – Whitiangaclimbed ot 30.9 degrees, smashing the previous December record of 28.8 degrees which was set in 1998, by 2.1 degrees celsius. And Tauranga reached 31.2 degrees celsius. Rotorua also had its 4th hottest December day on record, of 28 degrees.

[embedded content]

A heat alert from MetService has been issued for Hawke’s Bay, warning residents to take care – especially babies, infants and older people.

“International research shows that extreme heat and heatwaves can cause illness and death, but effective planning and actions can readily reduce its effects on health,” MetService said.

Tips for managing in hot weather events

    [L1]If you feel dizzy, weak or have an intense thirst or headache you may be dehydrated.

    [L2]Drink water and rest in a cool place. Seek help if symptoms persist.

    [L3]If you are experiencing painful muscle cramps, your body may need electrolytes as well as fluid.

    [L4]Drinking oral rehydration solutions or zero sugar sports drinks may help.

    [L5]Seek medical advice if heat cramps last for more than one hour.

Keeping yourself and others safe in hot weather

    [L1]Drink plenty of water – try to drink two litres per day

    [L2]Stay out of the sun

    [L3]Have plenty of cold drinks

    [L4]If you need to be in the heat, stay in the shade where possible

    [L5]Avoid drinking alcohol, caffeine, and hot drinks

    [L6]Use sunscreen and wear a hat

    [L7]Dress yourself and children in light clothing, cool cottons and natural fabrics are best

    [L8]Avoid extreme physical exertion

    [L9]People and pets should not be left in stationary vehicles

    [L10]Take a cool shower of bath

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Rugby Sevens: Black Ferns beaten by Australia in final, All Blacks fifth

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s Jorja Miller looks to secure the ball for the Black Ferns Sevens. © Alex Ho / World Rugby 2025

The Black Ferns Sevens have been crushed by Australia in the Cape Town World Rugby Sevens series decider, unable to back up their victory in Dubai.

After tasting success in the opening round last week, New Zealand were beaten by Australia overnight, with their green and gold rivals leading 19-0 at halftime.

Heidi Dennis, Teagan Levi and Isabella Nasser ran in three tries for Australia in their emphatic 26-12 win.

In the overall standings the Black Ferns Sevens are second on the leaderboard after the opening two rounds.

In the men’s decider, South Africa secured back-to-back titles on home turf beating Argentina 21-19.

Early in the second half, Argentina looked to have the gold-medal match sewn up to complete a remarkable turnaround after finishing eighth in Dubai last round.

But the Blitzboks hit back with two tries in the last four minutes as the excited crowd ramped up the volume.

Like the New Zealand women, the All Blacks Sevens also failed to follow up their win in Dubai last round, slumping to fifth.

The New Zealand men missed the the semi-final stage after a heavy 35-5 loss to Fiji.

They rallied back to beat Australia 28-21 in the 5th place semifinal and then overcame Great Britain 27-12 to secure fifth behind Fiji and France.

The All Blacks Sevens are third overall behind South Africa and Fiji after two rounds on the leaderboard.

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When buying cheaper puts child safety in danger

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Parents have been alarmed after a variety of sand products for children were recalled, over asbestos fears. Supplied

How to shop for your kids this Christmas, in the wake of the asbestos-contaminated sand, toy recalls, and children’s products failing safety tests

After a string of headlines about toy recalls, including kinetic sand contaminated with asbestos, shopping for the kids this year seems harder than ever.

And with the cost of living sky-high, it can be tempting to turn to cheap international e-commerce sites. But Gemma Rasmussen, Consumer NZ’s head of research and advocacy, has one piece of advice on that: don’t.

“We would say don’t buy from these cheaper online marketplaces like Temu and Shein. I get that cost of living is really tough and there might be other things you want to buy from there, but when it comes to kids’ products, don’t do it.

“There’s a really high failure rate in safety testing and we don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

But as we’ve seen with the asbestos-contaminated sand from Kmart, just because it’s purchased in New Zealand doesn’t automatically mean it’s safe.

“There is a massive trust model in New Zealand and how effective that is, is questionable,” says Rasmussen.

“We are relying on the honesty of suppliers and a lot of our standards are voluntary.”

There are various laws in New Zealand to protect consumers: The Fair Trading Act, the Consumer Guarantees Act, and “we have specific mandatory product safety standards for higher risk product categories, and this is things like toys, children’s nightwear, cots, things like that, and that’s because there has been this historic risk in this space.”

But when it comes to actually enforcing some of these standards, products can fall through the cracks.

“Often it’s that the enforcement and recall is happening once something’s landed on our shelves, so we’re sort of in a model where until something goes wrong there’s not really a lot that’s happening and that’s quite a dangerous model because it means potentially someone is getting hurt.”

“In short our government hasn’t prioritised putting the resources into ensuring that we actually have a system that is really reflective of the retail experience in New Zealand.”

She says the EU is the leader in this space.

“They’re sort of trying to create a marketplace where the guardrails are on and there’s the assumption that the shopper can really shop with safety.

“They have things like government certification schemes, they’ve expanded what chemicals are regulated, they have a greater focus on imports and online marketplace surveillance and they really have a focus on traceability.”

She says that means when a product that has a problem is identified, it’s easily trackable and can be recalled.

“I think that we [in New Zealand] really do need to be taking it far more seriously. I see risk on our horizon with the way that our marketplace is now operating. I think in the instance of the asbestos sand, it is disappointing to see that the buck has been passed a little bit.”

Beyond the laws, reputational damage and the resulting economic risk may be a bigger force for keeping retailers in line.

“It’s not good business practice for a retailer to do whatever they want because of the reputational risk they face if something does go wrong.”

“With this kinetic sand asbestos issue, what really surprised me was that it was a retailer like Kmart because often these really big retailers have quite rigorous systems because they know that the reputational and economic risk is so major to them.”

While it’s impossible to completely avoid risk, Rasmussen says that products like slimes, sands, dough and face paints are likely to carry more risk. (Consumer NZ has previously tested face paint, which contained lead.)

In this episode of The Detail, Rasmussen explains the laws designed to protect us, and why they’re not fit for purpose, and Mareta Hunt from Safekids Aotearoa spells out the ‘Six S’s’ to look out when shopping for toys – size, surface, string, supervision, sound and swallow.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detailhere.

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

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A 60 percent cut to the Wellington maritime police means they will no longer be responding 24/7

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wellington police boat RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Wellington’s maritime police are no longer responding 24/7 to help boats in trouble or to respond to crimes on the water.

The team has had a 60 percent cut to their operational hours and will now only be available from 9am to 6pm most days.

Police said it will save money, but critics like Geoff Marsland said it will cost lives.

Marsland has sailed the world and seen all sorts of conditions but said the worst seas to be found weren’t far from his doorstep.

“You leave Wellington you turn right, and you go three miles to the west and there’s Kiroroi rip,” he said.

It was off the southern shore of Wellington when his engine filters failed, and he needed the maritime police.

“It was just getting dark, I had two little kids on board… the nor’ west got up to about 30 knots and by calling the Lady Liz within like twenty minutes they were there and took me into a tow into the wharf. The next day I cleaned the filters, and I was fine,” he recounted.

A version of the police boat Lady Elizabeth, nicknamed ‘Lady Liz’, has patrolled the shores of Wellington and rescued boaties for over 80 years, including finding missing diver Rob Hewitt, brother of ex-All Black Norm Hewitt, who’d been lost at sea for three days before the Lady Elizabeth crew found him in 2006.

Marsland said the decision to pull back the police maritime service was crazy.

“It’s ridiculous, this is Cook Strait and Wellington! Within not long there will totally be casualties,” he said.

Know something about this story? Email libby.kirkby-mcleod@rnz.co.nz

Wellington Acting District Commander Inspector Nick Thom said in the last two years, police had needed the service during the night only once.

He thought the new hours had things covered.

“We looked at a range of data and when the Liz was being deployed to incidents, and the main demand picture has told us it’s that 9am to 6pm time,” he said.

However, a sworn police officer involved with the maritime unit said when they are called it’s usually life or death.

He questioned whether the money saved is really worth it.

“There’re managers within the organisation who go ‘well look, we are willing to wear the risk.’ And it’s like ‘well, are you? Are you going to stand up in front of the media and the public and say ‘yep, that person died because we saved $90,000 this year,’?”

When the maritime police officers were asked for feedback, they overwhelmingly rejected the decrease in hours.

“Staff expressed concern that the proposed changes would negatively impact public safety and erode trust in police,” the decision report said in a summary of feedback.

“The perception that the unit may be unavailable during emergencies could damage its reputation and reduce community confidence,” continued the feedback.

Paul Gubb had been boating around Wellington commercially for 40 years. He said he always felt safer on the water knowing the Lady Elizabeth and her crew were there.

“When you are a water person, and a lot of Wellingtonians are, this is something we pay for and they can cut something else but don’t cut our wharf police,” he said.

Several officers gave feedback that they would consider leaving the maritime unit or the police entirely due to the changes.

“I would acknowledge the submissions raised a range of concerns but ultimately it’s been determined that those concerns are not outweighed by the need to prioritize our resources and where they will have the biggest impact,” said Thom.

Outside of operational hours search and rescue will be the responsibility of Coastguard.

Thom said this comes at a cost to police as if police deploy Coastguard, they pay Coastguard to do that work.

But Thom still believed it was an overall saving for the police, which he put at around $130,000 annually.

“What the data has told us is there have been 1% callouts for the night standby period over the last 12 months which would indicate its going to be a very low callout percentage for Coastguard.”

A Coastguard spokesperson told RNZ they remain on-call 24/7, ready to respond and assist those on the water whenever needed around Wellington with 70 active volunteers and two dedicated rescue vessels – Reremoana and Spirit of Wellington.

“Our crews often leave work, family, study, or other commitments when a call for help comes in, which means our response times may be slightly slower than those of the Wellington Police Maritime Unit,” they said.

But Coastguard was confident it could provide an effective search and rescue response across the region.

John Bryant was in the Wellington police maritime unit for 24 years, nine as an officer in charge.

He saw the change as a cut to frontline policing.

“The history of these constables is that they are frontline police, they wear the blue. They are policeman first and mariners second,” he said.

He thought the Wellington public should be concerned about what they have lost.

“For decades police have [been there], and as a result there are many many people who are alive today because of that level of service.”

The current police officer involved with the unit said the crew did many frontline policing duties on the water.

“It’s not just search and rescue, we work with customs, and MPI, and the defence force and the local harbourmaster; we’ve worked with immigration before, mental health… any kind of incident on a ferry or another vessel that requires a tactical response, other agencies won’t take tactical teams.”

A Coastguard spokesperson confirmed that as a volunteer-powered charity, Coastguard’s sole purpose was to save lives on the water.

“We do not carry out any Police work or act as law enforcement of any kind. In this regard, we cannot provide the same operational scope as the Wellington Police Maritime Unit. While we work closely together, our focus is solely on search and rescue.”

Police told RNZ the decision will be formally reviewed in a few months’ time to see the effect of the changes.

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‘It just needs to stay’ : Uncertain future for 100-year-old sports club

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Bowling club president Simon Munro says generations have enjoyed the beloved green space in the central west suburb. RNZ / Jessica Hopkins

The Hallyburton Johnstone Sports Club – home to lawn bowling, croquet, and tennis in Auckland’s Point Chevalier – has used the same block of land for almost 100 years, but there are now fears for the future after an Anglican Trust raised questions about who owns that land.

Members of the community sports club, including Kiwis head coach Stacey Jones, have said it is an important space for the entire community.

Bowling club President Simon Munro said the land was donated by farmer Hallyburton Johnstone in 1927.

A New Zealand Herald article from 3 August of that year spoke of the “generous gift of Johnstone’s fine old home and over four acres of property”.

Bowls Club president Simon Munro points out Hallyburton Johnstone, who donated his land in Point Chevalier in 1927 to be used for community sports and recreation. RNZ / Jessica Hopkins

Munro said the farmer wanted the land – where he once lived – to be used as a community sports area, administered by a public club.

Since then, generations have enjoyed the beloved green space in the central west suburb.

“It’s not just playing bowls, playing croquet, playing tennis, even though we’ve got about 1000 members across all three clubs, but it’s the wider benefits that we’ve been providing the community,” said Munro.

“Since the local RSA closed down a few years ago, their members now use our club rooms for their veterans days, committee meetings, and we hold the Anzac Parade every year as well.”

There was also a volunteer-run community garden at the site, which was used by local schools.

The community garden at the Hallyburton Johnstone Sports Club in Point Chevalier. RNZ / Jessica Hopkins

So he was shocked to learn the Anglican Trust for Women and Children, which he said was a beneficiary of Hallyburton Johnston’s estate, was questioning whether it was also entitled to the sports club land.

He believed the trust was considering developing the land, which had a council capital value of $5.15 million, for a purpose other than community sports.

“It was a big shock. You know, you go through all of the emotions, and anger is certainly one of them.

“What we now know is that the Anglican Trust for Women and Children potentially wants to develop the land for housing, which goes completely against what Hallyburton Johnstone intended for this land to provide, which is the benefits of sports and recreation.”

He said Johnstone also gifted part of his Point Chevalier land to the Anglican Church, which sold it in 2017.

The sports bar at the Hallyburton Johnstone Sports Club in Point Chevalier. RNZ / Jessica Hopkins

New Zealand Kiwis head coach Stacey Jones was a frequent flyer at the club, coming most weeks.

He supported keeping the site the way it was.

“I just enjoy the social part, I go down there and watch the sports. I like to have a quiet beer. I don’t have to go down there with any friends or ring them up, I can go on my own and just enjoy a quiet space.

“It’s such a wonderful place and creates a really good vibe for the community. Every generation of people can enjoy that space, not just the bowlers and the older people, but the young ones.

“It just needs to stay.”

The croquet field at the Hallyburton Johnstone Sports Club in Point Chevalier. RNZ / Jessica Hopkins

Long-time bowling club member 75-year-old Kevin Morris said the club was a popular place for families as well.

“In terms of the bowling club, we’ve got a huge social membership because it’s the hub of the community.

“The demographics of the area have changed in recent years, with families coming in with young children. We’re a welcoming club with a children’s playground, and we never ban children. We’re more likely to ban adults generally because of intoxication, but that doesn’t happen very often.”

Long-time bowls club member Kevin Murray. RNZ / Jessica Hopkins

The bowling club’s hospitality manager Krystal Stevens said knowing they could lose their space had been difficult.

“It kind of hits you more in the heart because you know how much this place means to the locals, to the community.

“To see that being threatened is quite sad because there’s nowhere else in Point Chev or the surrounding areas quite like this.”

The Anglican Trust declined RNZ’s request for an interview, but confirmed it was “seeking clarification on the ownership of the land”.

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‘Total nonsense’: Police Minister hits back at former commissioner’s claims he knew about McSkimming allegations

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he wasn’t aware of a complaint against Jevon McSkimming until November 6, 2024. (File photo) RNZ / Mark Papalii

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the former Police Commissioner’s claims he knew about allegations being made about Jevon McSkimming “absolute total nonsense”.

Mitchell said he was first informed of concerns regarding former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming on November 6, 2024.

Last month Mitchell said 36 emails containing allegations about McSkimming were sent to his office but he never saw them.

A protocol in place meant police staff in Mitchell’s office forwarded those emails directly to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster’s office.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted, including the then Minister of Police Chris Hipkins and Mitchell.

He disputed Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year, and claimed it had been discussed “informally” between the two throughout 2024.

Mitchell told Morning Report, he did not know anything about the allegations before November 6, 2024, and he would’ve taken action sooner if he did.

“Had Mr Coster brought forward to me the fact that Jevon McSkimming had entered into an affair that involved a big age gap, a big power imbalance, that involved creating a job for this person in the police and then her butting up against the power of the state I would have done what I did on the sixth of November.

“[It’s] absolute complete nonsense.”

Mitchell said as McSkimming was the Deputy Commissioner at the time it would not be something he would have a “causal conversation” with Coster about.

“It’s a very serious matter. I take really seriously my job about protecting people…”

More to come…

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Nightmare finish for Liam Lawson in Abu Dhabi as Lando Norris crowned F1 champion

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Source: Radio New Zealand

British driver Lando Norris celebrates his first Formula One title. GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP

McLaren’s Lando Norris sobbed tears of joy and relief as he won the Formula One championship for the first time and ended Max Verstappen’s four-year reign with a nervy third place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Verstappen, who ended the campaign with the most wins (eight), triumphed in the season-ender with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri second and 12.5 seconds behind at the chequered flag.

Norris, Britain’s 11th Formula One world champion at the age of 26, took his points tally to 423 with Verstappen on 421 and Piastri third with 410.

McLaren, who secured the constructors’ championship in October for the second year in a row, won both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998.

New Zealand Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson finished 18th, his worst result of the season when finishing a race and the worst result of his F1 career.

After starting 13th on the grid, the New Zealand driver made up a couple of places but was handed a 5 second penalty for erratic driving which dropped him to the back of the field.

Liam Lawson suffered the worst result of his F1 career. Eric Alonso / PHOTOSPORT

He finished just behind his Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar who is moving up to Red Bull next season.

Lawson finished 14th in the Drivers’ Championship and Racing Bulls sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Speaking to media after his victory, Norris said “I’ve not cried in a while. I didn’t think I would cry but I did,” said an emotional Norris in a post-race interview, after also shedding tears inside his helmet on the slowing down lap around the floodlit Yas Marina circuit.”

“It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit.

“I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both,” he added.

No five titles in a row for Verstappen

Norris’s mother Cisca gave Piastri a consoling hug while both Verstappen and the Australian congratulated the new champion in a show of sportsmanship.

The victory denied Verstappen the achievement of five titles in a row, something only Ferrari great Michael Schumacher has managed so far.

“The way we fought back in the second half of the season, we can be really, really proud of that,” said the Dutch driver, who was 104 points behind then-leader Piastri at the end of August, over the radio to his team.

“So, don’t be too disappointed. I’m definitely not disappointed. I’m really proud of everyone for not giving up.”

Charles Leclerc finished fourth in Sunday’s race for Ferrari with George Russell fifth for Mercedes and Fernando Alonso sixth for Aston Martin.

Esteban Ocon was seventh for Haas, ahead of Ferrari’s seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton — who failed to stand on the podium all year in a career low for the 40-year-old who joined the Italian team this year from Mercedes.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg was ninth in the German’s 250th race and Lance Stroll 10th for Aston Martin.

Verstappen, who needed to win with Norris off the podium, led away from the start with Norris fending off Piastri to retain second while Russell dropped from fourth to sixth.

Piastri, the only driver apart from Tsunoda in the top 10 to start on the hard tyres with the rest on mediums, overtook Norris on lap one to drop the Briton into jeopardy with Leclerc close behind.

Norris appeared to be managing his tyres, and pulled out of DRS range, before pitting on lap 19 at the same time as the Ferrari driver.

The championship leader rejoined in ninth with Tsunoda leading a train of traffic and posing a threat to Norris, with Leclerc again closing in, but the McLaren driver overtook four cars in quick succession.

Esteban Ocon’s Haas then peeled into the pits, leaving the Japanese next.

“(Do) all you can when he catches,” Red Bull told Tsunoda, who replied “I know what to do, leave it to me.”

Norris ran wide, Tsunoda handed a penalty

Lando Norris secured his maiden F1 title in Abu Dhabi. ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP

Norris scythed past, running wide onto the dirt as Tsunoda moved twice in defence — a move that earned the Japanese a five second penalty with the Briton cleared of gaining an advantage by leaving the track.

Verstappen pitted on lap 24, immediately after Norris passed his teammate, to hand the lead to Piastri.

Leclerc pitted for a second time on lap 40, followed in by Norris for a second set of hards, with Piastri ending his mighty opening stint to switch for mediums on lap 42.

The Australian rejoined in second, 24.5 seconds behind Verstappen who passed him just before the stop, with Norris third.

“It’s not just this year or the last seven or eight years I’ve been with McLaren, but the last 16 or 17 years of my life trying to chase this dream,” said Norris afterwards.

“Today we all did it, so I’m pretty happy.”

– Reuters with additional reporting from RNZ

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Riding electric bikes on great ride trail ‘technically illegal’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Trail builders on the Timber Trail. Supplied / Timber Trail

Thousands of electric bike riders are taking to a central North Island great ride trail – even though e-bikes are illegal on it.

Bike trail builders and operators on the Timber Trail say it is a classic example of the tangled rules and hurdles that faces an industry worth more than $1.3 billion a year.

Rider numbers on the 85km Timber Trail – which goes through massive rimus and over long swing bridges in Pureora Forest Park – topped 20,000 two years ago and are still rising.

Paul Goulding has run Epic Cycle Adventures, which offers glamping, shuttle and ebike hire, for 12 years.

“Two years ago was the first time, the first year, that we… hired out more e-bikes than normal bikes. And since then it’s just that percentage is increasing every year,” he told RNZ last month.

“Just as an example, two weeks ago, we sleep 36 people at our Camp Epic and 32 people were on e-bikes.”

But while most trails nation-wide allow e-bikes – which are meant to be under 300 watts power, although many bikes now exceed this – the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) rules are tougher in Pureora.

“It’s a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, but that does make some things a little bit difficult,” said Lynley Twyman, who helps promote the trail as part of the Central North Island Great Rides.

DOC acknowledged e-bikes were not allowed under the Waikato Conservation Management Strategy, but said this was “very challenging” to monitor and enforce.

A law change next year may fix this, it said.

Goulding said the occasional person rang to ask about the ban, but “I just tell them, you know, that’s not a problem”.

“Even though it’s illegal, DOC aren’t sort of policing it or anything.”

While it has not had an impact on Epic’s business, Goulding thought it might help if the trail could be promoted for e-bikes.

The 85km Timber Trail in central North Island goes through massive rimus and over long swing bridges in Pureora Forest Park. Supplied / Timber Trail

But Twyman is not allowed to do that, or to put out safety messages that were specific to the heavier bikes.

“We are just silent on it, which is not really where we want to be,” she said.

“We can’t officially promote e-bikes. However, all of our commercial partners, you know, rent e-bikes. And probably 60, 70 percent of our customers are using them because they’re a great way to travel on the Timber Trail. They work perfectly.”

The ban originated when the area’s unique Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) was drawn up. The CMS remained relevant even though it recently expired, Twyman said.

“I know that the team in the Waikato are grappling with that.”

New Zealand Cycle Trails acting chair Pete Masters said DOC could not possibly police e-bikes.

He said DOC had been behind the times when it opposed the first mountainbike trails on conservation land in a project Masters was involved with years ago, and was again behind the times on e-bikes, thinking that both were passing fads.

“The Timber Trail’s the classic, in that e-bikes are illegal on the Timber Trail, according to their CMS, which is a prescriptive CMS, but 90 percent of the users of that trail are e-bikers,” he said.

The accommodation providers had battery chargers, and all the concessionaires hired out e-bikes.

“And it’s all good. It’s fantastic,” said Masters. “We’ve got people out riding them. It’s not a problem, but technically… technically, they’re all illegal.”

He is hoping for a common sense approach in an overhaul of the Conservation Act, which the government has promised for next year.

“The train’s left the station on e-bikes and the department is 10 years behind where e-bikes are. So that should be addressed by the Conservation Act review.”

The Timber Trail lodge – which offers beds and e-bike charges at the halfway point – had not been impacted, said Guy Whitaker, who helped set it up.

“But it’s certainly not ideal. It’s just crazy that they can’t sort it out because they have known about it for years.

“DOC know what’s going on so surely… they are guilty themselves,” Whitaker said.

Trail builders on the Timber Trail. Supplied / Timber Trail

E-bikes can make a difference to how trails are designed. They can be made a bit steeper than for regular bikes, and sometimes might need more camber on the downhill corners as e-bikes are heavier.

DOC said the trail was meant for walkers and regular mountainbikes, and the more powerful e-bikes could do more damage and compromise the trail for other users

Riders should stick to the rules, but: “The isolated nature of the Pureora Timber Trail, and its length, make it very challenging for DOC to carry out compliance and monitoring activities in response to trail damage with the small number of suitably trained and available staff to do this work”, it said.

Trail riding is a growing tourism sector, but a disjointed one.

“Every area is different,” said Twyman. The Timber Trail comes under one set of rules, while trails she promotes around Tongariro under others.

“Whether we’re working on conservation land… Kiwirail land… LINZ land or private land or road reserve, there’s a basket of rules and regulations,” she said.

“It’s just really hard to know where to go. It can be very complex and expensive to navigate your way through that.”

DOC said the proposed conservation law reforms should streamline things and get rid of outdated restrictions, and give it greater flexibility to update guidance and respond to changes in biking.

“We acknowledge e-bike technology has evolved significantly since the guidelines were drafted,” said DOC director of heritage and visitors Cat Wilson.

The CMS rules in various regions mostly predate the upsurge in e-bike use globally since about 2020; e-mountain bikes are an even more recent phenomenon.

Another old rule that is also being flouted on trails and on the road is NZTA’s limit on e-bike power, set at a maximum 300 watts. Many e-bikes now exceed this which officially classifies them as motor vehicles (on conservation land, the law considers all e-bikes as motor vehicles).

“No final decisions have been made yet, but this is an area we expect to be able to modernise in future,” said Wilson.

Catching up can not come soon enough, said Masters. “E-bikes have saved in some ways cycle trails because we’ve got a whole new demographic of people riding,” he said.

“You know, 70, 80 year olds out riding every day, it’s just fantastic. You know, the health benefits alone must be worth a fortune.”

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ACC ‘breaking promise’ of flexible work arrangements – PSA

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Source: Radio New Zealand

ACC needs to stick by its original commitment to its workers ,says the union. File photo. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

The public service union wants the Commerce Commission to investigate whether ACC breached the Fair Trading Act with its job ads.

The Accident Compensation Corporation recently told staff it wanted them in the office three days a week, rather than two.

But the Public Service Association (PSA) said this was in contradiction to job advertisements which ran from June 2023 until at least July 2025 that “explicitly promoted working from home up to three days a week as a key benefit of working at ACC”.

It has written to the Commerce Commission, seeking an investigation into ACC for breaching the Fair Trading Act.

“ACC deliberately advertised flexible work arrangements to attract staff, and is now looking to break that promise – this is exactly the kind of misleading conduct the Fair Trading Act is designed to prevent,” said PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.

“The job adverts from ACC are very clear. They say you can have a work-life balance, no late nights, and up to three days a week working from home.”

She said workers made major life decisions – resigning from jobs, relocating, arranging childcare – based on ACC’s advertised working conditions.

“Many feel deceived and betrayed with the proposed change to its remote working policy.”

She said ACC needed to stick by its original commitment to its workers.

“The Commerce Commission needs to investigate whether ACC breached the Fair Trading Act, which applies to employment advertising. Job seekers deserve accurate information about working conditions, which employers are obliged to honour”.

The PSA also lodged legal action with the Employment Relations Authority following ACC’s proposed WFH policy change, to which it said ACC agreed to pause the changes and consult with staff, with implementation delayed until early next year.

“While we welcome ACC’s decision to finally consult staff, the consultation proposal is the same and doesn’t change the fact that they misled job applicants about working conditions in the first place,” Fitzsimons said.”

ACC was approached for comment, in response chief executive Megan Main said: “We have consulted with our people on our working from home proposal and are considering their feedback. We will share the outcome of the consultation shortly.”

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Meet Auckland’s 11-year-old beekeeper keeping the community sweet

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Aidan Thompson says one bee produces 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey over their entire lifetime. Ke-Xin Li

Buzzing behind a tall fence in the inner city suburb of Green Lane in Auckland are Aidan Thompson’s bees.

At the age of 11, Aidan already has years of beekeeping and business experience, with the help of some neighbours.

“My beekeeping journey started when I was seven years old. I was looking for a job to earn money, and Mrs Parker had an idea that I could sell their honey and earn a little profit.

“I started off with buying 10 of them, and then I sold them on the side of the road, and I soon had to keep going back on my bike to get 10, and then at the end, I was getting 30 at a time, that my sisters had to help me with. And then I had enough money to buy my own beehive, and Mrs Parker and Mr Parker helped me look after it and harvest honey from it, and then I got to sell my own honey.”

Eleven-year-old Aidan Thompson’s bees are working hard for the summer harvesting season. Ke-Xin Li

By spring, the bees have waxed down the lid onto their hive boxes, and Aidan uses a hive tool – a metal that looks like a set square – to crack open the box and check on his bees.

“One bee makes one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime,” Aidan said. He finds the little creatures’ productivity fascinating.

Last season, Aidan harvested about 150kg of honey.

His sister Emma did the maths and found it would take about 360,000 bees to make that much.

With a master’s grasp of the subject, Aidan explains how the honey is made.

Apart from extracting honey, Aidan also makes beewax candles and sells them at markets. Ke-Xin Li

“So the bees have pollen on it, they put it into cells, and then they use fluids from water, and then they eat the pollen, then they vomit it back up. So when you eat honey, you’re basically eating vomit.”

A fact that doesn’t bother Aidan.

“I didn’t really care. It tastes good, even if it’s vomit.”

It took Aidan about a year selling honey on the roadside to save the $300 for his own hive.

And now, he’s saving his money for grander plans.

Aidan Thompson’s bees help him save money towards a bee farm, and help him support the dreams of others. Ke-Xin Li

“I’m going to save up for a house or a bee farm in the future. That’s what my bank has as my goal, $999,000. Don’t have that yet.”

But Aidan is serious, and he’s thought it through.

“I want to have a bee farm, but then sometimes I’m like, I might just have that as a little side hobby and just have two hives.

“Because I’ve found out that if you make 2,000 or 5,000 pots of honey a year, it’s quite hard to sell. So if I did get a farm, I’d probably be selling quite a lot overseas.”

By saving for his dream, Aidan is supporting others both locally and abroad.

“So I sponsor the Ellerslie Women’s First team. I give them ‘player of the day’, honey, so whoever gets the player of the day gets a little bottle of honey. I was sponsoring Brighton in Tanzania.

“Every $100 I made, I gave him $10. We lived over there for a year, and my mum [suggested it], because we were friends with some of them over there, so we help them now.”

With the help of his sister Lara, Aidan is growing his business and has an Instagram page called “thekidbeekeeper“, where he advertises a free honey delivery service on his bike.

But the busy beekeeper said there’s still lots to learn about running a buzzing business.

“I really like harvesting honey from the beehive, scraping off the wax on top of the honey and spinning it to get out the honey. But I’ve learnt that selling honey on the side of the road is a lot harder than getting it out from the beehive.”

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Critically endangered wētā thriving as breeding programme numbers surge

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Mahoenui giant wētā come in two colour morphs – dark brown and a speckled gold. Robin Martin / RNZ

A captive-breeding programme that helped bring the critically endangered Mahoenui giant wētā back from the brink is expecting a bumper breeding season this summer – in more ways than one.

Not only is the purpose-built lab at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House expecting to hatch more wētā than ever before, but they are likely to be bigger than ever.

Ōtorohanga Kiwi House wildlife manager Matthew Ronaldson is busying himself in the reserve’s Mahoenui giant wētā maternity centre.

“We’ve got about 30 egg fields or what we all egg fields here waiting to hatch again here this January.

Ōtorohanga Kiwi House wildlife manager Matthew Ronaldson. RNZ/ Libby Kirkby-McLeod

“Basically, it’s an ice-cream container with some soil in it that the female adult Mahoenui giant wētā can lay her eggs in after breeding.”

Then it’s a waiting game.

“Eggs can take anywhere from 10 months to two years to hatch, so we put a 10-month time limit on them and put the date when we expect them to hatch, and the last lot we actually had hatch right on time.

“You end up with hundreds and hundreds … I think we were just over 400 juveniles or wētā that hatched last time, and that was from half of the egg fields we have in here now.”

A critically-threatened Mahoenui giant wētā, at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House. Robin Martin / RNZ

Ronaldson is expecting up to 600 Mahoenui giant wētā to hatch this summer.

The wētā are thriving too.

“I guess having a greater food source, these animals have grown bigger than what either iwi or DOC have seen at the Mahoenui Reserve.

A very young critically-threatened Mahoenui giant wētā, in a milk-bottle cap. RNZ/ Libby Kirkby-McLeod

“Even when we brought in our second cohort of adults in, they came in a younger age, eighth and ninth instar, and they have grown bigger than the previous cohort, and we even had offspring that were bigger than the mother [when adult].”

Fully-grown wētā have been through 10 development stages or instars.

Adult females weigh in at about 25g and are about the size of a mouse.

Wētā handler Danielle Lloyd said that’s a far cry from where they start.

Mahoenui giant wēta handler Danielle Lloyd explains how juvenile wētā are released inside a bamboo tube. Robin Martin / RNZ

“If you do have hatches in there, they are really, really small – they hatch from an egg the size of a grain of rice.

“They are bright, fluorescent green when they hatch, so if you’ve got grass in, there as well, it can be a bit hard to find them, so we have torches, magnifying glasses if we need them.

“We have to search through the entire thing to see what’s in there, and because they are in an ice cream container, they like to hide just under the rim on the outside.”

A female Mahoenui Giant Wētā lays her eggs in a container of soil. Ōtorohanga Kiwi House

She’s trying to wrangle a female going by the name of Bugg-Tsunade.

“Generally, in the eighth instar, we’ll give them a name more often than not based on their little personalities, so this one’s Bugg-Tsunade.

“I actually named her after an anime I like because she’s quite feisty, and I named her after a feisty character.

A Mahoenui giant wētā nymph. Robin Martin / RNZ

“One was called Bugg-Wonky. She had a wonky leg that she was able to fix through her instar changes, which they can do.

“And then we’ve had a Bugg-Chunky as well, and that was because she devoured all the food we put in there almost every day.”

Lloyd used to be terrified of giant wētā, but not anymore.

A Mahoenui giant wētā that is about five months old. RNZ/ Libby Kirkby-McLeod

“Their feet are, I guess, quite prickly, is the kind of word, on your skin, but they’re really light, and you don’t really feel them on you.

“You can kind of feel them digging into you with their tarsus [final segment of their leg] when they walk.

“But it doesn’t really faze me anymore, but I guess if you’re not used to it, you probably would be a bit freaked out because it can feel like it’s stabbing into you a little bit.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldson said there’s nothing to fear.

Ronaldson gives a male Mahoenui Giant wētā a health check. Ōtorohanga Kiwi House

“I actually find them extremely gentle. Once you get the hang of them and they get used to being handled, as long as you’re gentle and calm with them, they’re generally calm and gentle with you.

“You may actually catch us talking with them, calling them sweetheart and all sorts of cute names, but we do become quite attached to them, our animals, and they’re just like little puppy dogs really.”

The Ōtorohanga Kiwi House is aiming to eventually hatch 3000 Mahoenui giant wētā and see them come off the critically endangered species list.

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ASB confident economy will turn around in 2026

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Chief economist Nick Tuffley said consumer spending is up especially for big-ticket items like cars and electronics. 123RF

  • Economy in recovery mode for 2026 – ASB Bank
  • Lower interest rates, exports, tourism, consumers drive growth
  • Growth forecast to average 2-3 pct over next couple of years
  • Inflation back at 2 pct target mid-2026, unemployment above 5 pct all year
  • Official cash rate starts rising end of 2026.

ASB Bank has raised a flag of confidence over the economic outlook for next year, driven by a mix of lower interest rates, solid exports, and consumer spending.

Chief economist Nick Tuffley said the economy has turned the corner after recession.

“We’re seeing clear signs that the recovery is gathering pace. Consumer spending is up, especially on big-ticket items like cars and electronics, and rural incomes are holding strong despite global uncertainty.”

He said the benefit of falling interest rates would continue to be felt as households refix their mortgages, which would likely support consumer spending.

Tuffley said the rural sector would retain strong incomes even as milk prices eased from highs, Fonterra shareholders had the added bonus of a $3.2 billion capital return, and beef producers were currently exempt from US tariffs.

He said the growth outlook for country’s main trading partners was still below average, which had been caused by the US tariffs, but New Zealand has been diversifying markets, while tourism had shown only slight growth.

“Continued tourism recovery will be linked to improvements in global growth and confidence, which will both take time to come through.”

Inflation, unemployment down, rates up or down

Tuffley expected the slack in the economy would keep pressure on prices, which would see the annual rate fall from the current 3 percent level, at the top of the Reserve Bank’s target zone, towards the 2 percent midpoint around the middle of next year.

Unemployment, currently at 5.3 percent, was forecast to take longer to recover, not falling below 5 percent until 2027.

“The jobs market is also stabilising after a period of overall job losses … Job ads are on the way up, and 2026 should bring strengthening employment prospects.”

A modest lift in the housing market from lower borrowing costs, plenty of listings, and still relatively flat prices.

“Mortgage rates are about as low as they are likely to go. People who have been waiting for interest rates to reach the lows before acting have nothing further to wait for.”

Prices are expected to rise 3-4 percent.

Tuffley doubted there would be any more rate cuts by the Reserve Bank unless the recovery stalled.

“The RBNZ has very likely done enough to get the recovery going sufficiently strongly, even if it has taken longer than anticipated to show through.”

ASB forecast the official cash rate to be held at 2.25 percent through next before a couple of rises in early 2027.

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Questions remain on unity in Te Pāti Māori following long-awaited AGM

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Te Pāti Māori’s leadership is adamant the annual general meeting was a “magnificent day for” the movement, despite issues around the decision to expel an MP and the party presidency remaining unresolved.

The meeting showed the party was “anything but a party in disarray” says Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere as he batted away suggestions he should stand down, with one person in attendance calling for everyone to “eat a humble kumara.”

During the pōwhiri, the party leadership was asked by Ngira Simmonds whether they were the right people to unify the party.

Another member asked Tamihere during the AGM whether he would be willing to step down if it was for the good of the party.

In attendance were Māori leaders such as Dame Naida Glavish and Taame Iti. Expelled MP Tākuta Ferris was not at the meeting.

Speaking to reporters after the AGM, which ran much later than expected after general business was opened up after all, Tamihere said he’d stand down if there was a “good reason” to stand down.

“If it’s a reason that a few people don’t like me, that doesn’t cut the mustard.

“You got to have reasons about policy, about program, about politics, not personality. Just because you don’t like somebody doesn’t mean to say you should guillotine them.”

The last minute reinstatement of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a member to the party, following her expulsion alongside former member Tākuta Ferris, meant remits and resolutions in relation to the court ruling were unable to be discussed at the AGM.

MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. File photo. VNP / Phil Smith

That included the decisions to expel two MPs, as well as the party presidency. Those issues will be addressed in substantive hearings in February, on the eve of Waitangi Day celebrations.

In terms of welcoming Kapa-Kingi back to the party, Tamihere said it was an issue of trust, which had been “so badly broken” that it was a difficult issue in his mind.

“It might not be in others.”

Newest Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara greeted Kapa-Kingi warmly on the day and both stood to sing in support of Simmonds after he spoke.

But Tamihere maintained the party didn’t want to welcome Kapa-Kingi back into the fold.

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi wouldn’t be drawn on whether it was nice to see Kapa-Kingi on the day, “it was nice to see everybody”.

He said the AGM was about the “people,” and the people “turned out today”, and we’re “really pleased” with the outcome.

Ngarewa-Packer added they thrive in face-to-face spaces.

“We had up to nine hours with our people. Some of the busiest people in their marae turned up to make sure their movement heard them,” Ngarewa-Packer said.

Tamihere said the party didn’t file the proceedings, but as someone who was experienced around litigation, “we just go with the system.”

Instead, the AGM reset the “confidence” of the majority of the electorates he said.

“Because they’re the ones that turned up in big numbers, and they felt that they were being adversely impacted by not the leadership, but by the conduct of others.”

In response to Simmonds’ criticism, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said Simmonds had come up to her and Waititi after the meeting and told them he had 100 percent confidence in their leadership.

“That’s a strong position, and I think that’s the significance of today, is actually being able to eyeball each other and ask the hard questions.”

A resolution was passed during the meeting in support of the co-leaders.

TPM co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. File photo. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Kapa-Kingi told RNZ it had been a great day to “show face” as the Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau “who never left”.

She said her electorate reaffirmed the resolutions settled upon by people in Te Tai Tokerau at their Kohewhata hui “some weeks ago.”

But there was a sense of frustation by some as they made their way out of the hui that it had been a waste of time, given key issues couldn’t be discussed.

Hemi Piripi from Te Tai Tokerau told RNZ he believed there was still a lot of division.

“There’s a lot of ‘he said, she said thing’.

“Everyone just needs to eat a humble kumara.”

He said there was a generation who were watching the “waka go down” and he wanted to float the waka and relash it so Māori could come together.

He wanted the president to step down, for the executive to be looked at and for a rotation in leadership roles to be considered.

“He does need to go for the waka to start rising again.”

The AGM was closed to media, but over a number of hours there was intense discussion, with cheers and boos heard at various times and many members leaving as the day went on.

Te Tai Tonga also raised the expulsion of Tākuta Ferris. The electorate had invited the leadership to meet this coming weekend, but Tamihere said he was unavailable due to the family memorial for his son who had passed.

During the AGM, Tamihere gave a speech which Waatea news obtained a copy of.

In it he said “no MP is above the Party. No MP is below the Party.”

“Without discipline – we descend into anarchy. With discipline – we ascend into power,” he said.

Tamihere said he wasn’t concerned at how this would impact the party at the next election, and dismissed suggestions not reinstating the expelled MPs would risk losing support for the party.

There was “time on our side” to repair something based on feelings and personality as opposed to good process, policy and programming.

“It’ll be definitely sorted out before the election.”

Furthermore, Ngarewa-Packer spoke of those who turned up to “make sure their movement heard them, their movement saw them.”

“Their movement felt their absolute unity in going forward and taking this government out.”

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Better reading, maths results but two new curriculums a massive job – principals

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Some teachers are still “unpacking” the new English curriculum and are focused on maths. File photo. Supplied / Ministry of Education

A Dunedin primary school says the new English and maths curriculums have changed the way its teachers teach.

In South Auckland a school says it has noticed big improvements in children’s maths.

And in Tauranga, a principal says the core of the new curriculums brings focus to things teachers already know and do.

The principals of all three schools told RNZ introducing two new curriculums in one year was a massive job and one that was far from complete.

They said they deliberately focused this year on one or other of the new documents, not both, and they had more work to do next year.

At Rowandale School in Auckland, principal Karl Vasau said teachers were still “unpacking” the new English curriculum and had focused on maths.

He said they had already seen significant improvements in children’s results, but that was due at least in part to improvements in basic literacy thanks to the school’s adoption four years ago of a structured literacy approach for teaching children to read.

“If you’re strong in literacy you can understand the questions, you can understand the context and so when we have delivered some standardised tests to our kids, our children have made massive gains,” he said.

Vasau said teachers were finding the maths curriculum helpful.

“Teachers are finding teaching mathematics a little bit easier because it’s prescribed as to what you are to deliver,” he said.

“If maths is not necessarily their strength, having a structured numeracy programme allows for teachers to not really struggle with their gaps because it’s very clear what they need to teach and then they’ll probably be teaching themselves as they go to get stronger with their own content knowledge.”

Vasau said he was a fan of the structured approach to learning, but he was concerned about the “knowledge-rich” focus of the curriculums.

It was great for children to learn about Ancient Egypt as proposed in the draft Social Sciences curriculum, but they also needed to know where they came from, he said.

Vasau said the school wanted to retain its localised curriculum because that was how it engaged children.

It also wanted to continue integrating different curriculum areas together.

“If we’re doing a wonderful unit on floating and sinking of course you want to write about that, you want to read about that… so integrating wherever possible the topic into literacy and numeracy is always going to have a benefit for the learning for the kids. That makes sense.”

A change in approach

At Dunedin’s George Street School, principal Robyn Wood said the maths and English curriculums changed not only what the school taught, but also how.

“I guess the whole thing I need to probably put across with the English and maths is that it’s a whole new teaching pedagogy. It’s not just a curriculum, it’s a pedagogical shift and we’ve done a huge amount of work in the way that we are now teaching,” she said.

Wood said the pedagogical changes involved “high-leverage” teaching practice, high expectations, and gradual release of information to students as they were ready to learn it.

“A lot of teachers have changed their rooms so that every child is now looking at the teacher when the teacher is teaching. Because with this new curriculum, you’re meant to teach the whole class and all of that sort of thing. So you’ve actually got that real engagement,” she said.

Wood said in some classes pupils used mini whiteboards to write answers so teachers could quickly scan the room and see what children had understood and what might need to be re-taught.

She said the whiteboards worked well and the school was introducing them school-wide next year.

“It’s quite a big shift from where we’ve been,” she said.

Wood said the school of nearly 430 pupils from Years 0-6 was well-placed to introduce the new maths curriculum having focused on teacher training in the subject in the previous three years.

She said it was retaining techniques it previously adopted, such as using a lot of problem-solving and asking students to discuss their methods for solving maths questions.

Wood said it was hard to introduce the curriculum without a matching assessment tool – something that had been promised for this term but would not now be available until next year.

But she said the maths curriculum had clearly had an effect.

“I’ve just been going around gathering student voice around the school, and one of the things that children are really talking about now is their times tables. Before this new curriculum, you would get to your times tables in due course when you got to multiplicative thinking and things like that. Now, I believe it’s being taught younger and certainly it’s on top of the heads for our children,” she said.

“I think the expectations are quite a lot higher and it kind of assumes that children might have some background knowledge before they get to school, and that’s not necessarily the case these days with children. So there’s a lot of work to be done right at the junior level and to move kids really fast.”

Wood said she had not even looked at revisions to the maths curriculum – announced in October – because she had simply not had time.

She said her school focused on the English curriculum this year looking at structured literacy in “huge depth” and it had a big effect.

“We’re seeing a huge engagement with our children,” she said.

“We’ve noticed a big, big uptake in vocabulary with our children. So our children now talking around words, asking questions, learning, our older children are talking grammatically – prefixes, suffixes, subordinating conjunctions things like that – grammar terms that they’ve not had before.”

Wood said some teachers worried older students would be bored by the structured literacy approach, but an “ah-ha moment” came when they saw that children in Year 3 and above were better prepared to engage with “authentic texts” thanks to their prior focus on decoding words.

“As a teacher when you’re doing the decodable stuff – the letters and the sounds of phonemic awareness and all of that – for older children you’re going ‘Oh my goodness, this is getting boring’.

“But once children have learned how to read and to decode and encode, as in writing out the sounds and exploring vocab, once they’ve got that foundation and they are able to do that then you get to choose whichever text… it’s not until they get to that that it actually starts to make sense for teachers.”

She said prior to the use of structured literacy, some children had gaps in their knowledge of letters and sounds and how to put them together.

“So now that that gap has been essentially closed they can fly on the authentic texts and it’s making sense to people.”

She said it was especially helpful for children for whom English was a second language and for its dyslexic learners.

Wood said she did not like everything in the new curriculums, but she liked a large part.

She also said the government was trying to introduce too much too fast.

“It’s a really hard balancing act trying to do two new curriculums in one year,” she said.

“We’re kind of flying the plane and building it all at the one time.”

“My big concern is that it’s just going to get tipped over because it’s too fast. There’s a large number of things I do like. I’m not saying I like everything, so please don’t quote me on that, but there are a large things a number of things I really do like.”

Pace of change

At Tauranga’s Tauriko School, principal Suzanne Billington said the new curriculums provided a lot more detail about what teachers should teach at each year level.

She said teachers had been asking for that, but introducing two new curriculums had been a massive undertaking and the school concentrated on English this year.

“A lot of the new learning has been around structured literacy, so staff are utilising that so they stick to the recipe and ensure that they are delivering that with fidelity,” she said.

“Next year we’re looking more at the writing side of things… we will start with things like where are we at with structured literacy and handwriting and then we’ll move beyond that to writing and the quality of the writing and the types of writing that our children are exploring at different age levels.”

Billington said one of the biggest changes in the English curriculum was the use of structured literacy through to Year 8, the final year of primary school.

“Structured literacy is around the phonetic component of learning, so that isn’t a rich English curriculum, but it’s a really good base to build from. So we’re also aware of the need to look at what our whole English curriculum looks like with that as a strong component in it,” she said.

Though Billington said there was a lot of work involved, much of the content was not new.

“Teachers have always used phonetics, but they’ve got a deeper understanding of it because it’s been explicitly outlined and they understand it in more depth and probably more professionally than they did before,” she said.

“When you look at the science of learning many, many aspects of that, we have already been doing… like knowing that it’s important to work out what kids’ prior knowledge is, that they have time to practise, that we use explicit teaching… all those aspects we have always used before, it’s just that they’ve all been brought together in the label of science of learning.”

Billington said teachers had put in a lot of work this year but she felt like they were going “back to the drawing board” because the government changed the curriculums in October.

On top of that, they were expected to provide feedback on draft curriculums for six other learning areas by April.

“That won’t happen here and in many schools around the country,” Billington said.

“Our teachers have to have time to get their heads into stuff, trial it and practise in classrooms, understand how it works.”

She said the government risked undermining the improvements it was trying to make.

“The pace of the change is what I think needs to really be looked at,” she said.

“If we rush this, we’ll be doing some surface learning with staff that won’t shift their practice enough to bring about the improvements that we all acknowledge need to happen.”

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Do you know what to do in these emergencies?

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Source: Radio New Zealand

If you’re at the beach and a child gets in trouble in the water or someone collapses near you, would you freeze or would you know exactly what to do?

St John’s Three Steps for Life delivery lead Mia Noyes shares life-saving actions for when the unexpected happens — from allergic reactions and cardiac arrest to choking and drowning.

Why your credit card might offer you less generous rewards

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Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. 123RF

Credit card reward schemes are predicted to continue to become less generous, as the Commerce Commission clamps down on card fees.

Since 1 December, domestic Visa and Mastercard payments have been subject to new caps on interchange fees, which are paid to the card issuer for each credit or debit card transaction processed. Caps for foreign-issued cards come in next May.

It is the second stage of changes to the rules for these fees. The first step, in 2022, led to a reduction in credit card rewards schemes and this latest move is already having similar effects.

BNZ said it had reviewed its credit card rewards programme to ensure it was sustainable under the new interchange fee caps. Customers will have to collect more points to redeem rewards.

From 3 February, its cashback rate drops from $1.28 per 200 points to 94c.

Kiwibank also dropped its Airpoints partnership this year. It said increased costs and changes to the interchange fee regulations affected the value and viability of the reward programme.

“The alternative to closing the products would be to reduce the rate at which points are earned or to pass on increased costs through higher interest rates – options we believe are neither fair nor in customers’ best interests, as it would mean that customers who do not repay their balance in full every month would further subsidise rewards for those who do,” said Kiwibank’s chief customer officer of retail, Mark Stephen.

Claire Matthews, a banking expert at Massey University, said she expected more pressure to come on credit card rewards.

“The rewards have to be paid for from somewhere, and the interchange fees have been the primary source – to an extent, the rewards were a reimbursement of a portion of those fees to cardholders. If the fees are lower, the funds available to cover the cost of rewards will be lower, and therefore the rewards have to be reduced.”

David Cunningham, chief executive of Squirrel and former chief executive of The Co-Operative Bank, said the biggest problem with credit cards was that interest rates were still high and had not moved a lot compared to the OCR.

“Those who pay off their balance every month are subsidised by those who don’t. The best option is a low-rate card if you use it as a debt instrument, but those cards don’t have rewards.

“Having a low-rate card if you don’t pay off your balance, or a rewards card if you do pay off your balance, is the best option. Sometimes you have both – one for each purpose.”

Consumer NZ said its analysis showed that credit card reward schemes were only benefiting big spenders who used their cards frequently and paid off the balance in full every month.

“People would generally need to spend $25,000 on their cards over two years, and not pay interest on it, to make a rewards scheme worth the fees that the cards charged.

“Low spenders, and those with interest-bearing debt, don’t benefit from rewards and are effectively subsidising high spenders. We don’t think this is fair, so we have supported the regulation of interchange, knowing this would likely result in card issuers scaling back rewards programmes, increasing card fees or cancelling schemes altogether,” a spokesperson said.

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Australians see AI as leading threat to people and businesses: survey

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Threats relating to technology, disinformation, economic security and foreign interference are overshadowing traditional security concerns in Australians’ minds, according to data released by the Australian National University National Security College.

More than 12,000 people were asked across two surveys, in November last year and July this year, to rate the seriousness of 15 potential threats over the next decade.

Combining the categories of “major” and “moderate” the five most serious concerns were rated in July 2025 as:

  • the use of artificial intelligence to attack Australian people and businesses (77%)

  • a severe economic crisis (75%)

  • disruption to critical supplies due to a crisis overseas (74%)

  • the deliberate spread of false information to mislead the Australian public and harm their interests (73%), and

  • a foreign country interfering in Australia’s politics, government, economy or society (72%).

Climate change rated sixth (67%), although a high proportion of people (38%) rated it as a “major” threat. This was second only to threats relating to AI (40%).

The possible threat of Australia being involved in military conflict came in seventh (64%).

Anxiety about security issues is increasing. In July half the respondents agreed with the statement “I am worried about Australia’s national security”. This was an 8% rise between November 2024 and July.

Over that time, threat perceptions increased across all 15 possible threats that were asked about.

The table below shows the threat perceptions of about 6000 Australians in July.

Threat Perceptions July 2025

The November 2024 research also asked, from a list of four, what Australians want to nation to prioritise in the next five years.

The leading priority was safe and peaceful communities, nominated by 35%. When second preferences are included, this rises to 64%.

This priority ranked top across a wide range of demographics, including age, gender, cultural background, education , income and location.

The survey found three other national priorities rated in this order:

.. increasing Australia’s economic prosperity (26%)

.. upholding Australia’s democratic rights and freedoms (23%)

.. strengthening Australia’s security (15%).

The research also included more than 300 interviews across Australia.

The consultations found national security was “consistently framed as being about the peaceful continuity of everyday life”.

National priority for the next 5 years (%)

NSC head Professor Rory Medcalf said: “On the one hand, Australians know what they want to protect, especially in terms of peace, safety, community, democracy and prosperity, On the other hand, they recognise that a complex set of rapidly emerging threats can put these cherished priorities at risk.”

The full research results will be released early next year.

The ANU National Security College is a joint initiative of the federal government and the university.

The College undertook the community consultations as an independent research initiative.

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Australians see AI as leading threat to people and businesses: survey – https://theconversation.com/australians-see-ai-as-leading-threat-to-people-and-businesses-survey-270794

Australia beat England by eight wickets in second Ashes test, lead series 2-0

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Australia beat England by eight wickets in the second Ashes test in Brisbane on day four on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Australia, who won the series-opener in Perth by eight wickets, need only draw the next test in Adelaide to retain the urn.

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Joe Root and Ben Stokes DAVE HUNT

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Walking 144 kilometres in impeccable vintage

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Artist Jacqui Madelin is walking 12km a day to raise money for Project Island Song, a pest-free wildlife sanctuary spanning seven islands in the eastern Bay of Islands.

But there’s a twist, Madelin is completing each day’s walk, for the first 12 days in December, dressed head-to-toe in pieces from her extensive vintage wardrobe.

One outfit is an Edwardian swimming suit, she says.

Jacqui Madelin has been walking 12 kilometres every day to fundraise for Project Island Song, a charity working on pest eradication in the Bay of Islands.

Supplied

Suzanne Vega after Covid: ‘A very tempestuous time to be alive’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Folk-rock luminary Suzanne Vega, now 66, has just released her first album in eleven years, Flying with Angels.

New York has yet to recover from the Covid lockdowns, she tells RNZ’s Sunday Mornings.

Singer/songerwriter Suzanne Vega performs at RNZ’s Auckland studio, Tuesday 7th Auckland 2018

RNZ/Luke McPake

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Kiwi Daniel Hillier shares sixth place at Australian Golf Open in Melbourne

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Daniel Hillier. GIUSEPPE CACACE

Danish golfer Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson has claimed the Australian Open, winning by just one shot over home favourite Cam Smith.

Kiwi Daniel Hillier shared sixth place with rising Spanish golfer Jose Luis Ballester.

Neergaard-Peterson, 26, carded a final-round 70 to prevail in a tight finish at Royal Melbourne.

Smith was denied a maiden title with a bogey on the last hole, while Neergaard-Peterson sank an impressive up-and-down putt to secure victory.

Hillier came within touching distance of the leaders during his final found, sitting just two shots back on the 16th.

The Kiwi unleashed four birdies in his Sunday round and looked poised for a strong payday, but a double-bogey on the 18th proved costly.

He had started the day in sixth, four shots off the lead, and finished five back on 71.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was further down the leaderboard in 14th.

– RNZ

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Four injured after vehicle hits tree in Whatatutu

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Four patients were transferred to Gisborne Hospital. St John

File photo.

Four people have been taken to Gisborne Hospital, after a vehicle crashed into a tree in Whatatutu.

Police said they were notified of single vehicle crash on Mangamaia Road at about 3.40pm Sunday.

The crash occurred on private property, with police on site reporting the vehicle hit a tree.

St John said two patients in a moderate condition and two patients in a minor condition were transferred to Gisborne Hospital.

Four ambulance vehicles responded to the crash.

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Government urged to ditch second military-style boot camp

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Source: Radio New Zealand

This story has been updated to include additional comment from Oranga Tamariki.

The Green Party is calling on the government to abandon boot camps, after ‘Scrutiny Week’ questioning revealed another intake of the controversial programme is planned for early next year.

During their appearances at Parliament’s Scrutiny Week committees, Minister for Children Karen Chhour and Oranga Tamariki officials were asked if they would move forward with another boot camp or military-style academy (MSA), before the law making it a sentencing option was passed.

The minister denied decisions had been made, but officials later said another camp with a new design was planned for the early new year.

Oranga Tamariki confirmed to RNZ it planned to run a further voluntary programme in March 2026.

The Responding to Serious Youth Offending Amendment Bill, introduced in November last year, would give judges the sentencing option of a MSA for repeat serious offenders.

The discrepancy between the minister’s statements and those of officials was “what Scrutiny Week is actually about – digging into what ministers and officials are saying, compared to what they are doing, and this was a big red flag”, Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter said.

Green MP, Kahurangi Carter speaking in the House.

Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

While passing the legislation may take another six months, job vacancies for the next iteration of the MSA were already advertised, she said.

Carter accused the government of putting the cart before the horse.

“We have a minister and ministry officials saying there are no definite decisions being made, but they are actively recruiting before legislation is in place.”

The “tough on crime” rhetoric came amid rising poverty, hefty cuts to community programmes working with youth and other policies affecting vulnerable families, she said.

“We’ve got a government who is pushing through with cancelling emergency housing, cancelling access to emergency food parcels and bringing in benefit sanctions. All of these things are key indicators of outcomes for children.”

The minister was using young people as a political football to push a tough-on-crime rhetoric, Carter said.

The next boot camp appeared to have been devised without strong evidence on the success of the pilot.

The minister had “cherry-picked” information from the independent evaluation and Carter believed another review was pending.

“My understanding is that the review has been commissioned, but they’re moving forward without it being complete, which just looks like one failed boot camp experiment to the next, without legislation, without making the changes that are needed, without investing in the communities and the people who have been doing this mahi for decades.”

An Oranga Tamariki spokesperson said it had not commissioned any other evaluations or reviews of the MSA pilot.

The move also conflicted with the wishes of survivors of abuse in care and recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission, Carter said.

The Green Party wanted to see the plan ditched in favour of more funding for programmes that worked with young people in their communities. Boot camps were a failed experiment, she said.

“History has shown us – like in the royal commission of inquiry – that doesn’t work. What works is wrapping support around those kids and making sure we’re taking a holistic view of their lives.

“That’s where things like housing, poverty, having food on the table, education, vocational training, comes into it – where [there are] opportunities for them to participate fully in society.

A ministry evaluation of MSAs held in 2009 and 2010, and sent to Oranga Tamariki staff in March 2024, before the pilot programme, underscored many of the same criticisms found in the independent evaluation of last year’s pilot.

The earlier camps were found to have insufficient screening of staff and participants, lack of clarity around roles, inadequate information, training and resources, and required better engagement with whānau and a need to involve iwi services.

ACT MP, Karen Chhour speaking in the House.

Minister for Children Karen Chhour. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

The evaluation of last year’s pilot noted “meaningful and positive change” for the young people, but named challenges like rushed implementation, challenging transitions, a lack of continuity around therapeutic support, a lack of capacity in the residential phase, the need to engage with mana whenua earlier and belated support for whānau.

It also found the pilot was too small to provide any meaningful data.

During the pilot, participants ran away, one was kicked out of the programme and another was killed in a three-vehicle crash. Seven of the 10 young men involved re-offended, according to Oranga Tamariki.

Critics said the government was recycling old failures, pushing ahead with an already failed model, but Oranga Tamariki said it had integrated lessons from the earlier programmes.

Groups, including Save the Children, the Law Society and the Children’s Commissioner, have urged the government to abandon the scheme.

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Biosecurity puts Aucklanders on alert for yellow-legged hornets, as more are found

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Source: Radio New Zealand

More yellow-legged hornets are being found in Auckland. Biosecurity NZ

Biosecurity New Zealand urges Aucklanders to be on the lookout for yellow-legged hornets or nests, as numbers of the pest keep climbing.

Thirty-three Queen Hornets have so far been found in the Glenfield and Birkdale areas of the North Shore – two more since Friday – 21 with developed nests or signs of nests.

Biosecurity NZ north commissioner Mike Inglis said the hornets had not spread yet from Glenfield and Birkdale.

Officials have put up signs within one kilometre of where the hornets were initially found, including in the suburb of Milford, alerting people to the invasive insect.

Biosecurity NZ north commissioner Mike Inglis. RNZ/Marika Khabazi

Inglis said that was just to raise awareness of the issue, rather than to signal the hornets had spread.

“All we are doing is continuing to engage the public, get some signage up.

“If you spot one, take a picture of it – if it’s a nest, take a picture of it. Don’t disturb it, contact our hotline and our expert staff will be out to deal with it.”

Inglis said teams had set more than 617 traps to eradicate the invasive insects, which were nearly twice the size of the common wasp and could wipe out bee colonies.

Trapping has already been extended out to 5km from the hornet detections, with a combination of carbohydrate and protein traps.

Inglis said staff would consult the technical advisory group overseeing the issue over extending further.

The insect traps hanging from trees around some locations in Auckland. RNZ/Marika Khabazi

He said tracking technology from the Netherlands had arrived, which focused on worker hornets and tracked those hornets back to the nest.

There were signs of worker hornets operating and more were likely to appear over the next 4-6 weeks, he said.

“We’ll start to find some worker hornets as well, in terms of they’re going out and building a secondary nest, they go foraging generally within the same area.”

He said Biosecurity NZ had received more than 4860 messages from the public so far about the hornets.

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Man charged with murder after Mt Wellington stabbing

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police cordon off the scene on Harris Road, Mt Wellington, after launching a homicide investigation. RNZ / Felix Walton

A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder, after the death of a man in the Auckland suburb of Mt Wellington on Friday.

The injured man turned up at a medical centre on Lunn Avenue with critical stabbing wounds.

He died in hospital. Police said he had earlier been involved in a fight.

One man faces murder and other charges, and will appear in court tomorrow.

Police are still looking for others they believe were involved.

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Measles outbreak: Auckland bars included in new locations of interest

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Several locations of interest are located on Karangahape Road in central Auckland. Google Maps

Several new locations of interest in the spread of measles have been identified – including two central Auckland bars – and anybody who may have been exposed is asked to urgently contact Healthline.

There were no new cases of measles reported over the weekend, but Health New Zealand is concerned about several new locations, where people are considered close contacts and are at higher risk of infection.

The new locations include two bars on Karangahape Road in central Auckland and several Queenstown retail outlets:

  • BP Connect Richmond, Queen Street, Nelson: 16 November, 1.15-2.15pm
  • Eagle Bar, Karangahape Road, Auckland: 29 November, Midnight-2.30am
  • G.A.Y Club, Karangahape Road, Auckland:  29 November, 1.15-2.45am
  • Eagle Bar, Karangahape Road, Auckland: 30 November, 1.45-3.55am
  • G.A.Y Club, Karangahape Road, Auckland: 30 November, 2.45-4.25am
  • Hikari Teppanyaki, Grant Road, Frankton: 1 December, 6-8.45pm
  • Dunedin Public Hospital, Emergency Department: 2 December, 1-2.30pm
  • OPSM, Grant Road, Frankton: 2 December, 2.10-3.40pm
  • Chemist Warehouse, Queenstown: 2 December, 7.50-9pm
  • Carters, Glenda Drive, Queenstown: 2 December, 2.45-4.15pm
  • The Ballarat, Queenstown: 2 December, 8.05-10.30pm

    • Health NZ said anybody who was at those locations on the days and times listed must call Healthline urgently on 0800 611 116.

    “You could be at risk of developing measles and spreading it to others.

    “Attendees at those locations or events that occurred on or before 30 November could be at risk of spreading measles to others from today, so these people also need to stay at home and avoid seeing others, until they’ve phoned Healthline and received advice.”

    Thirty cases of measles have now been reported in New Zealand in recent weeks, including 11 in Auckland and eight in Wellington.

    Vigilance encouraged ahead of the holiday season

    Health NZ said with retailers, events, travel providers and airports all identified as recent locations where people could have been exposed to measles, it continued to urge everyone – especially people travelling or attending busy public places or large events – to protect themselves and others as we head into the busy holiday season.

    It encouraged anyone with overseas travel plans over the holiday period to check their immunisation status and to catch up on any missed MMR vaccination as soon as possible before leaving New Zealand. 

    “Measles can have a long incubation period and is highly contagious, so anyone planning to travel, either internationally or within New Zealand, is strongly encouraged to check their immunisation status and get vaccinated if needed.”

    Public health specialist Dr Matt Reid said, in the 50 days since 18 October – the first case of this outbreak – 60,808 MMR doses had been delivered, compared to 22,000 in the 50 days before the outbreak.

    “Immunisation is the best protection against measles,” Dr Reid said.

    “The more people who are immune to measles, the better, as high community immunisation coverage protects those people in our whānau who can’t be immunised – babies under 12 months of age, people who are pregnant or people who are immunocompromised.”

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One person injured after Waikawa housefire, north of Picton

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Source: Radio New Zealand

FENZ also attended a fire in a paddock and along a hedge-line in Broomfield, near Amberley. RNZ / Rob Dixon

One person has been injured in a housefire just north of Picton, near Waikawa.

The fire was reported just after 1pm Sunday.

Fire and Emergency said the fire was contained to the top floor of the two-storey house.

The fire was extinguished later in the afternoon, with one appliance kept on site to dampen any hot spots.

A FENZ spokesperson said they understood one person was injured.

FENZ also attended a fire in a paddock and along a hedge-line in Broomfield, near Amberley.

The fire was understood to be a burn-off that got out of control.

A FENZ spokesperson said the fire was reported just before 3pm Sunday.

Two helicopters and crews from six stations attended to get on top of the fire fast, given the hot windy conditions in the area.

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Two people injured after jetboat crash in Wairarapa

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A boat flips at the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship in Wairarapa Jeremy Ward

Two people have been hospitalised, after a crash at the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship in Wairarapa.

The NZ Jetsprint Association confirmed the crash happened during the opening round in Featherston on Sunday morning.

The event was being held at Tauherenikau Racecourse.

Two people were transported to Wairarapa Hospital following the collision Jeremy Ward

Wellington Free Ambulance said two patients were transported to Wairarapa Hospital in a moderate condition, after the incident in the Tauwharenīkau River on Sunday morning.

The event was being held at Tauherenikau Racecourse. Jeremy Ward

Police said they received reports of a crash at the river, near Tauherenikau Racecourse Road, at about 10.45am Sunday.

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Ngira Simmonds challenges Te Pāti Māori leadership at AGM

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Kiingitanga spokesperson Ngira Simmonds challenged Te Pāti Māori’s leadership at the party’s AGM in Rotorua. File photo.

Former Kiingitanga spokesperson Ngira Simmonds challenged Te Pāti Māori’s leadership, questioning whether they were the right people to unite the party.

He referenced Parliament as the house of lions, but queried who the real lion was, attacking certain members of the party.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi reminded those listening that there was only one enemy – the government.

The pōwhiri at Waiatuhi marae in Rotorua concluded and a slimmed-down version of Te Pāti Māori’s AGM had about 200 people in attendance on Sunday.

On Friday evening, an email was sent to members highlighting the high court ruling temporarily re-instating Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a party member and stating how it would impact the AGM.

The email said, to uphold the court ruling, the AGM would be limited to receiving reports from the leadership and electorates. It said no other matters would be addressed or resolved, including any resolutions or motions outside of the reports.

The closed-door AGM comes after months of turmoil that led to the expulsion of two of their six MPs – Tākuta Ferris and Kapa-Kingi – the latter of whom attended, following the court ruling.

During the pōwhiri, many speakers addressed the issue of disunity within the party and spoke of the need to stop biting each other’s backs – “ngau tuara”.

Simmonds said he stood up to speak because of the depth of his sadness and frustration, as well as the depth of support the late Māori king had for Te Pāti Māori.

In te reo Māori, he spoke of the pain the membership felt, along with te ao Māori more widely, at the turmoil that had taken place this year.

He spoke of Kiingi Tuheitia’s call for kotahitanga (unity) in 2024 and the way meetings were then held around the country, and the call was picked up by Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po.

Simmonds said he travelled to Parliament recently and spoke to the six MPs, and the party president and found the party wasn’t of one mind.

He asked who should unite the party now.

Simmonds referenced the saying that Parliament was the house of lions – “ko taua whare te whare o ngā raiona” – but said, if they were being honest with themselves, the question was who the lion was that had “ngau” (bit or attacked) Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, Tākuta Ferris and Oriini Kaipara.

He said the truth was the party was attacking them, but as he made the comments, he acknowledged he was staunchly still in support of Te Pāti Māori.

Simmonds said everyone was responsible for what had taken place – there was no single person at fault.

He challenged party president John Tamihere, and the party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, asking if they were the right people to unite the party and the people.

Simmonds said he had huge belief and support in the co-leaders, but the people were hurting and the party was hurting too.

He questioned who determined there were now only four Te Pāti Māori MPs and challenged the news that Tāmaki Makaurau had supported the decision.

Simmonds, who has been supporting the newest Te Pāti Māori MP, said she never agreed to expel party members, despite her Tāmaki Makaurau electorate voting in favour of the motion.

His final comments addressed how the pōtiki (the youngest) had been the leader through all this and acknowledged Hana-Rawhitit Maipi Clarke.

He said many people had voted for Te Pāti Māori and the support was available to them, but they felt the supporters weren’t being heard.

There was one pathway forward. He called for the party to hold meetings around the country and hear from its constituents.

He finished by echoing Kiingi Tuheitia’s final declarations around kotahitanga and mana motuhake.

Kaipara then rose to start his waiata tauotoko, Purea Nei, where Kapa-Kingi stood too, along with Naida Glavish, Selwyn Parata, Potaka Maipi (Maipi-Clarke’s father) and John Tamihere.

Waititi responds

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi was the final speaker and he began by acknowledging Te Arawa for hosting the event.

He then referenced the AGM during 2024, where only 20 people arrived, but this year, now there were issues, everyone came along, he said.

He said he heard the comments that had been made during the pōwhiri. He asked how they might all soften their hearts.

He agreed with Simmonds, acknowledging that it wasn’t only six MPs paddling the waka – everyone must help by picking up a paddle.

He acknowledged the pain te ao Māori were feeling, particularly in terms of the cost of living or homelessness, and yet here the members were biting at each other – “e ngaungau nei i a tatou”.

He said the focus must be turned to the correct enemy, which wasn’t each other, but the government.

He called for people to stop taking their gripes to social media and was frustrated that people wrote on Facebook, but didn’t speak to them face-to-face.

This meeting was called for the people, not for the six MPs to debate each other. It was for the people to decide, he said.

The load was heavy for the six MPs at Parliament, then they returned to their people, and they were attacked by Māori and Pākehā alike.

He said it was a “double whammy” – the government was attacking the party and Māori were attacking the party.

His comments weren’t to disparage or criticise Māori, but to awaken them.

The media and the courts weren’t going to resolve this – they had to resolve it themselves, he said.

He called for supporters to be strong and to look ahead to the future through working together. He concluded by acknowledging those who had passed in the various electorates.

Party leadership was expected to address the media at the end of the AGM.

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

Police confirm emails about Jevon McSkimming weren’t shown to police minister

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Jevon McSkimming. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says he had “absolutely no idea” about allegations staff were instructed to redirect emails about Jevon McSkimming from the Minister of Police’s office.

On Wednesday, RNZ revealed Coster had resigned as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, after the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s damning report into police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Coster has not responded to several interview requests from RNZ.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster was asked about comments made by Police Minister Mark Mitchell, who earlier said 36 emails containing allegations about McSkimming were sent to his office, but he never saw them.

A protocol had been put in place for police staff in Mitchell’s ministerial office to forward the emails directly to then-Commissioner Andrew Coster’s office, and not share them with Mitchell or his political staff, he said.

On Sunday, Coster said the first he heard of the allegation was after the IPCA report was released.

“I had absolutely no knowledge of that whatsoever. I can’t validate whether that was, in fact, a protocol that was in place, but what I can say is there’s no way in the world that agency employed staff in a minister’s office are able to prevent the minister or the minister’s staff from seeing email coming in on the minister’s email address.

“The role of the agency staff is to have emails given to them by the minister’s own staff to prepare responses for the minister through the agency, there’s just, there’s just no way that police staff in Minister’s office could, could somehow intercept.”

Coster said he had seen a file note that was prepared by police in recent weeks, which said there was a conversation between the head of ministerial services – who is not in the minister’s office – and the director of Coster’s office about emails that came through in late 2023 and early 2024.

“It was ‘there are these emails. What do I do with them?’… the file note says the direction was send them through to Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura, who was overseeing the process.”

Coster did not know why the “retrospective note” was created.

“I imagine there will have been some concern across more than one Minister’s office about … where did all these emails go, and who saw them and and I assume that this paperwork was created in response to those conversations.”

On Sunday, chief operating officer Andrea Conlan said police could confirm a handwritten file note was made at the time of a discussion with the director of the office of the former commissioner on 17 January, 2024, regarding the processing of emails to the minister’s office.

The manager of Ministerial Services was asked to speak with the minister’s office staff on 11 November, 2025, to outline how the emails sent to the office were handled.

“The handwritten file note was typed up by the manager after that conversation (and some detail added from memory). This was to make a digital record in parallel with the email the manager was asked to provide the minister’s office confirming the earlier conversation (and the process followed) in writing.

“Nobody asked for the file note to be prepared, but a confirmation email was requested by the minister’s office following the conversation on the morning of 11 November.

“Following the 17 January, 2024 conversation, at the request of the director of the office of the (former) commissioner, the manager of Ministerial Services provided hard copies of the emails to the (former) commissioner’s office.”

Mark Mitchell. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The manager also spoke to the staff member in the minister’s office to convey the director’s instruction.

“This was not included in the file note, but these actions corroborate what was documented in the manager’s original handwritten file note.”

Mitchell had previously also defended the police staff in his ministerial office, saying they were put in an “awful situation” by the protocol, which he was unaware of.

Coster fronts

On Wednesday, RNZ revealed Coster had resigned as Social Investment Agency chief executive, after the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s (IPCA) damning report into police response to allegations of sexual offending by McSkimming.

Coster has not responded to several interview requests from RNZ. In a statement on Wednesday, he said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the IPCA’s report.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted.

He said he briefed the then-Minister of Police Chris Hipkins in 2022, as he felt it was important Hipkins knew what he knew.

Andrew Coster. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Coster said he told Hipkins that McSkimming told him he had an affair with a “much younger woman” and that the relationship “soured badly”, and she was now emailing “all sorts of people with allegations about him”.

He said the briefing was in the back of a car, while the two men were travelling in the South Island. He said he was unable to prove the conversation occurred.

“It’s simply my account.”

He said a big reflection for him was to take better notes, adding he wrongly assumed people would not “run for the hills”.

He also disputed that Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year.

“There is no way I was only just telling him about this in my last couple of weeks in the job,” he said. “We had discussed this informally through 2024.”

He did not have the exact date, but said it was an “informal conversation” in the same terms as his conversation with Hipkins.

Asked why Hipkins and Mitchell would deny that, he said: “You would have to ask them. All I can say is no-one wants to be close to this.”

Coster said he was not saying others acted inappropriately, but that they knew more than they have admitted.

“There doesn’t appear to have been a full disclosure of the conversations.”

Asked why he should be trusted, Coster replied: “I acted honestly, I acted in good faith. My judgements were wrong, and I accept that.”

Chris Hipkins. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Politicians reject Coster’s claims

Responding to Coster’s allegations, Mitchell said it was “disappointing that, following his resignation, that came with an apology to police less than a week ago, Coster is trying to deflect and relitigate matters”.

“I firmly stand by all my statements and facts presented in relation to the IPCA report. Coster’s recollections are wrong.

“I want to make very clear that Coster never briefed me, either formally or informally, about Jevon McSkimming and [the woman had had an affair with] prior to 6 November, 2024. I would note his recollections of disclosures in the IPCA report were often found to be inconsistent and unreliable.

“If Coster’s focus is on relitigating matters, there are legal resources available to him and, if he truly believes what he is saying, nothing prevents him pursuing those.”

Mitchell said that, as a government, the focus was on “implementing the recommendations of the IPCA report to ensure this cannot happen again”.

Hipkins also denied Coster’s allegations.

“I was never briefed on Jevon McSkimming’s relationship with [the woman] during my time as minister of police or prime minister. Had I known what has now been detailed in the IPCA report, Jevon McSkimming would never have been appointed to the role.”

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

The Ashes live: Australia v England – second test, day four

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Source: Radio New Zealand

England face an uphill battle to avoid defeat, entering the fourth day of the second Ashes test against Australia at Brisbane’s Gabba.

Chasing the Aussies’ first-innings lead of 177 runs, the tourists are staggering at 134/6, needing another 43 runs to make their opponents bat again, with just four wickets in hand.

Captain Ben Stokes is at the crease, unbeaten on four runs, with allrounder Will Jacks also on four. Opener Zak Crawley compiled 44, before gifting bowler Michael Neser a return catch.

First-innings centurion Joe Root could manage only 15 in his second dig, while England lost three wickets for just seven runs in their middle-order collapse.

Australia lead the five-test series 1-0 and have not lost to England at the Gabba since 1986.

First ball on day four is scheduled for 5pm NZT.

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Joe Root and Ben Stokes DAVE HUNT

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

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