Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellingtonians are divided over the government’s planned tunnels and highway extensions, according to a report by NZTA.

The plan to revamp the state highway corridor from the Terrace Tunnel through to Kilbirnie is expected to cost $2.9 billion to $3.8 billion, and is an attempt to ease congestion.

The project involves the construction of second tunnels at the Terrace and Mt Victoria, refurbishments of SH1 across the city, especially in Te Aro, Hataitai, Kilbirnie, and an upgrade of the roads at Basin Reserve.

NZTA has gathered public opinion in surveys, online and during community information sessions, and released the findings on Thursday.

Residents appeared split over the changes.

Proximity to the works influenced public perception.

Residents in southern and CBD suburbs – those nearest to the road works – were more likely to say the changes would be worse for them and the city.

But those further away from proposed changes, in northern suburbs and outside of Wellington city, were more likely say the changes would be better for them and the city.

People were most vocal about the second tunnel at Mt Victoria which attracted the most amount of online feedback of all the proposed changes.

Opinion was divided over whether cycle and pedestrian lanes were wide enough to be safe.

Those in favour of the second tunnel also cited easing congestion as a benefit.

Others complained of the tunnel’s impact on the loss of housing and the safety of children walking to school with more cars on the roads.

‘I am also disappointed that houses will be demolished along the route when housing is under such demand in Wellington,” read one comment.

The most popular change was the second tunnel at the Terrace, which locals hoped would boost investment in the city and fight bottlenecks.

One respondent wrote: “This will help grow our city as better infrastructure will encourage investment.”

The least popular changes in the project were the widening of Ruahine Street and Wellington Road to provide two lanes in each direction.

Residents expressed concerns that traffic from a wider road would overflow into smaller side roads.

The design’s lack of right-turns from Ruahine Street and Hamilton Road and limited entry and exit points attracted concern.

“You’ve only given us one on-ramp from Hataitai which is just going to back traffic all up the main street.”

Arguments in favour of proposed changes cited the need for better transport through the city, such as to the airport, to stimulate economic growth.

“This is a long overdue project …. a once-in-a-generation opportunity to futureproof the area.”

But others worried these benefits would be undermined by the costs.

“The cost of $3.8 billion is an extraordinary sum to spend for minimal time savings – the benefits are not worth it,” said one comment.

The project is estimated to save up to 10 minutes from travel times during peak journeys from the Wellington region to the CBD, hospital, and airport.

Some respondents focused on how the changes might ease congestion. One comment read: “The current situation is terrible for cyclists/walkers … I particularly like the cycle and walkway through the tunnel.”

The project’s environmental impact caused concern to residents, and some were happy NZTA was taking it into consideration. But others argued the changes were necessary. “We need growth, we need people. This will make all city suburbs better.”

Detractors complained that construction and the improvements themselves would result in more noise and pollution, worrying the changes would attract more cars on the road, worsening congestion in the area and possibly undermining public safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

“Induced demand will inevitably result in future congestion, bringing us back to the same bottlenecks,” said a respondent.

Another contentious issue was that of parking, as the project might remove up to 200 parking spaces.

“The removal of car parking by WCC has already impacted the central city, the removal of further carparks from Vivian Street will exacerbate the difficulties that locals, tradies, and shoppers encounter when accessing homes and businesses,” argued a local.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Food stalls will be banned from the Queenstown lakefront after the district council voted on measures to deal with public health concerns, litter and traders blocking footpaths.

The decision extends and expands a year-long trial ban that was only partly successful because of persistent breaches and resistance from some stallholders, according to council staff.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) monitoring showed there were often between six and 22 stalls on a 150m stretch of the lakefront despite a requirement for stalls to be 50m apart.

Traders were also a nuisance because of smells, litter and clutter, staff said.

All nine pop-up food stalls inspected by the council last year had issues with basic safety requirements, such as a lack of hand-washing facilities, poor temperature control and inadequate food storage.

During the last New Year’s Eve celebrations, council staff said police were called after several traders showed “severe and unnecessary aggression” in refusing to vacate event zones.

Business leaders gave the council evidence of fat residue and oil stains damaging the street, while the Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce and Hospitality New Zealand argued that unregulated stalls were unfair competition for fixed-premise businesses.

Under the trial ban that began in April 2025, the council stopped issuing new permits but let existing traders run stalls until their permits expired.

Council staff said unlawful trading continued, including new operators with no permission to trade on the waterfront and existing traders who took no notice of the ban.

Stallholders push back

At a council meeting on Thursday several stallholders urged the council to rethink the ban.

Oyster stallholder Poppy Prentice said it would have a significant impact on traders.

“Some of the current rules, like the 50m spacing and moving around every hour, are simply not workable in practice. This isn’t about refusing to follow rules. We’re asking for practical, fair ones that can realistically be met,” she said.

“We’re also prepared to pay fair market value and an appropriate permit fee. We want to operate within a system that is fair, transparent and sustainable for everyone.”

Long-serving restaurateur and food-stall operator Graeme McCarthy said food carts had been part of the town for decades and the ban was unjust.

His said his food cart was promoted on YouTube and TikTok to well over one million subscribers.

“They come to Queenstown because they see the beautiful scenery behind our cart,” he said.

“Food vendors do create jobs in Queenstown and spend money locally. Removal of waterfront vendors just adds to this increasing commercialisation and loss of local character in the town,” he said.

Councillors all in favour of ban

Councillors unanimously supported the ban.

Heath Copland said while he enjoyed the vibe that the stallholders brought to the lakefront, he backed the council staff.

“I like the entrepreneurial spirit they bring. That notwithstanding though, I do have to trust the staff here,” he said.

Councillor Samuel “Q” Belk said some businesses were paying rates, insurance and other charges to operate on the waterfront while pop-up vendors were not.

“I think we need to look at the equity between the two business models,” he said.

Councillor Niki Gladding said she supported the ban as a way to “solve a problem that has not been solved by any other means” but the council should take some ownership of the problem and work towards a better long-term solution.

“The issues down there are not going away. This does temporarily relieve us of them. We have the review of the [activities in public places] bylaw coming up, which I think we know needs to be looked at,” she said.

The new measures extend the temporary ban beyond the lakefront and into nearby streets, as well as prolonging it.

They take effect on 17 April and will remain in place until the next formal review of the activities in public places bylaw, which was scheduled for July.

The number of valid registrations for the lakefront was falling, with only nine traders set to be operating there by next month, council staff said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

HPV self-tests increase screening rates, with a new study finding 10 percent more coverage at clinics which offer it.

Self-testing for human papillomavirus was rolled out nationally in September 2023.

The study period for this newly-published research took place before that change – between February 2022 and September 2023 – but it compared screening rates at clinics which offered self-testing, to those which didn’t.

It found screening coverage was 10.8 percent higher at practices offering self-testing, and higher for all groups, including Māori – a historically undeserved group.

Published on Thursday in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women’s Health journal, it included 22,511 people enrolled in 14 GPs in Te Tai Tokerau Northland.

Half the practices offered HPV self-testing and half offered a vaginal speculum exam by a doctor or nurse, the standard screening method before self-testing was introduced.

Professor Bev Lawton, lead author of the study and director of the University’s Te Tātai Hauora o Hine-National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa, said the study proved self-testing was a game changer.

“We know from our previous research the HPV self-test is acceptable and accessible for under- and never-screened wāhine Māori,” she said.

HPV causes 95 percent of cervical cancers. According to Health NZ, since HPV self-testing was introduced in 2023, 81 percent of those being screened have opted to self-test – in the two years to July 2025, screening coverage rose by 7.4 percent.

It was important to understand how changes to the kinds of test on offer would affect the overall coverage, or number of people being reached by the programme, Lawton said.

“If you’re going to change it and offer a self-test, you don’t want to lose your coverage,” she said. “Because the more people that the programme screens, the more likely that you’re going to save lives.”

Speaking from Austria, where she and her colleagues were discussing the study findings at the international conference EUROGIN, an international congress on HPV infections and associated cancers, she said the study could have worldwide ramifications – millions of people around the world could be spared an invasive vaginal speculum exam.

“We believe all national cervical screening programmes should urgently consider a universal offer of HPV self-testing through primary care,” she said.

“If you have an organised screening programme, as you do in high income countries… it really means that millions of women do not need to have a speculum.”

The research was funded by the Health Research Council, the Ministry of Health, and Mahitahi Hauora.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Warning: This story discusses sexual abuse.

A Dilworth survivor says a $90,000 redress offer is insultingly small.

Hector, whose real name RNZ cannot use, was a school boy when he was abused by Dilworth housemaster Alister Harlow in the 1990s.

Harlow was sentenced in 2022 on charges of attempted sexual violation, indecency with a boy, and indecent assault.

Since then Hector has gone through the redress process, which he described as degrading, and he wanted to know whether anyone would take responsibility for what had been done to him.

When Hector was offered the redress, more than 30 years after being abused, he felt marginalised.

“I’ve always known that the redress programme from Dilworth was a face-saving exercise,” he said.

“I’ve heard from other guys that have gone through the process that the wording in the redress offers is not a genuine apology, no one from Dilworth has or is going to take responsibility for what happened to me and others.”

He was unsure whether or not to take the money.

“No amount of money is going to make up for what happened, but it does seem insultingly small considering how much it affected my life, that Dilworth has known about what has happened to me since at least 1996.”

Hector said he was not told how the compensation panel arrived at the $90,000 figure, but the offer was essentially take it or leave it.

The whole process had been humiliating and degrading, he said.

“I have told my story to lawyers, judges, police officers, journalists. But the thing that really pissed me off and made me really angry was that I had to go to talk to three strangers and let them put a monetary value on it, on my trauma – and they thought it was worth very little.

“It’s possibly the angriest I’ve been over this whole process.”

Dilworth’s redress programme began in 2023, with 261 survivors having accepted and settled their applications for redress by the end of 2025.

The school said financial redress offers were not in themselves apologies, but survivors could receive a direct apology from the school or trust when they receive one.

The school said many had done that, while others had declined the offer.

Board chair Jonathan Mason said in a statement the school understood the impact the abuse had and continues to have on survivors and that no amount of redress can make up for what happened and the harm it has caused.

“Dilworth’s response has been to front up and acknowledge what happened to survivors of abuse at the School, to sincerely apologise to those who were impacted including their families, and to assist survivors of abuse to access the redress programme and other support services,” he said.

“The redress programme’s independence from Dilworth is a critical feature of the programme, with the independent redress panel assessing claims brought forward by survivors and its expert determinations binding on Dilworth.”

The terms of reference for the programme stated any level of financial redress would have regard to the nature and extent of abuse suffered by the survivor, as well as the impact it had, the survivors vulnerability, the degree of failure from Dilworth, and any aggravating factors.

Neil Harding was another Dilworth survivor and advocated for others. He raised concerns about the consistency of the redress process.

“There’s 300 guys at least going through the process, what are they doing to determine consistency between the first guy and the 300th,” he asked.

There were others who had not accepted offers, Harding said.

“From my perspective, compensation is part of the process.”

“In terms of redress, you’re looking at recognition that it happened, remorse that it happened, putting in place policies to stop it happening again, recompense, and then restitution is the restoration of mana,” he said.

“It’s actually a journey, and the financial compensation is just one part of that.”

Harding believed the process was wrong.

“They have failed to budge and failed to listen at any step of the way.”

The redress panel operated independently of Dilworth.

The maximum amount of financial redress awarded to any survivor is $200,000 or $300,000 in exceptional circumstances.

Where to get help

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as petrol prices rises amid fears of rapidly jumping prices and potential shortages.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis have been addressing the latest on the fuel crisis, warning that NZ is now preparing for a possible ‘prolonged’ Iran conflict.

“Hope is not a plan,” Luxon said.

It comes in the wake of a global rise in oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran’s response has included the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transportation channel for Middle Eastern energy exports.

Strikes overnight hit Iran’s part of the world’s largest gas field. Iran has vowed revenge, listing energy targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as potential targets.

The Automobile Association here has warned further price hikes are likely.

There have been reports of service stations running out of fuel as motorists rush to fill up.

New Zealand has several weeks’ supply in storage or on the way, the government has said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A major fire at an automotive shop in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby has been extinguished.

Assistant Commander Kenton Rusbridge said crews are dampening down hotspots.

Earlier, the fire caused concern due to it’s proximity to a Z petrol station.

Photos from St Paul’s College, on Richmond Rd, showed smoke rising in the distance.

Do you know more? Share your pictures and stories with us at: iwitness@rnz.co.nz

The Domus apartment complex and several nearby businesses were evacuated.

Residents reported hearing explosions and said the air smells acidic and metallic.

Firecrews from as far away as Otara attended the scene.

Auckland Pet Hospital on nearby Pollen St was also evacuated.

In a post to their Facebook page, staff said “all our animals are safe and have evacuated with us.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Black smoke can be seen over the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby.

Photos from St Paul’s College, on Richmond Rd, show smoke rising in the distance.

Do you know more? Share your pictures and stories with us at: iwitness@rnz.co.nz

It is understood Ponsonby Automotive on Williamson Ave is well involved in fire.

Explosions had been heard coming from the scene, Stuff reported.

Auckland Pet Hospital on nearby Pollen St has been evacuated.

In a post to their Facebook page, staff said “all our animals are safe and have evacuated with us.”

Fire and Emergency has been approached for comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as petrol prices rises amid fears of rapidly jumping prices and potential shortages.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis have been addressing the latest on the fuel crisis, warning that NZ is now preparing for a possible ‘prolonged’ Iran conflict.

“Hope is not a plan,” Luxon said.

It comes in the wake of a global rise in oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran’s response has included the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transportation channel for Middle Eastern energy exports.

Strikes overnight hit Iran’s part of the world’s largest gas field. Iran has vowed revenge, listing energy targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as potential targets.

The Automobile Association here has warned further price hikes are likely.

There have been reports of service stations running out of fuel as motorists rush to fill up.

New Zealand has several weeks’ supply in storage or on the way, the government has said.

Luxon and Willis will be speaking to the media at Parliament from 1.30pm. Watch it live at the top of this page. RNZ will also be blogging the developments as they happen.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Faith Fomai from Southern Cross Campus says Polyfest is about “learning your roots, staying cool, also just be connected and be one”.

Indian students Pierah Kohli, Aashritha Vathsavaya and Sonam Chaduvula of Maclean College

Lauryn Wattam and Hingano Hill-Willis of Wesley College, representing the Cook Islands

A Samoan dance performance by Alfriston College

Metua-Ani Raea-Araitia and Hillary Tiro, visiting from the Cook Islands, attended with a group from Tereora College

A group from Manurewa High School, including Ayveah Mizziebo, who says Polyfest is “a way to learn about my culture outside of my home, my church, my family, and to embrace other people’s cultures as well”.

Bailey li, a Korean student from St Cuthbert’s College, says Polyfest is an opportunity to learn about “other cultures and their beauty”.

Breona Nassau and Joseph Tulua from Tangaroa College say Polyfest is an opportunity to see many cultures in one festival

A group from Otahuhu College

A group of Chinese students from St Cuthbert’s College say Polyfest is a celebration of cultural pride and diversity

Fijian students from Baradene College of The Sacred Heart

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wellington GP clinic has stopped uploading consultation notes to patient portal MyIndici as an extra layer of protection for patients’ data.

MyIndici said it hasn’t been compromised, but there have been two high-profile security breaches involving health data at other companies in the past few months – ManageMyHealth, and then MediMap.

Newlands Medical Centre, in response to questions from RNZ, said: “Whilst we have no concerns re Indici security, we made a decision to discontinue open notes as an added layer of protection for the security of our patients’ data. We will not be providing any further comment.”

But Valentia Technologies, the company behind patient portal MyIndici and the associated practice management system Indici, said it had not experienced any breach or security issue.

A spokesperson said the ability to control access to patient notes at either a practice-wide or individual patient level had been a long-standing feature of the Indici system, and prior to the news of the ManageMyHealth breach, some GPs already had their systems set up so patients wouldn’t see their notes on the portal.

Has your GP stopped uploading notes to its patient portal? Email me on kate.green@rnz.co.nz

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Students performing at this weeks ASB Polyfest say the festival is a celebration of their diverse identities.

More than 11,000 performers from 73 schools are set to grace the stage over the next three days.

Polyfest is the world’s largest secondary school Pasifika cultural festival held annually since the late 1970s.

For Baradene College students Izzy Porter and Marlo O’Hagan representing Fiji, the event means “sharing our cultures” and “being able to represent our families and our ancestors on the stage”.

For Manurewa High School’s Ayveah Mizziebo, “It’s a way to learn about my culture outside of my home, my church, my family, and to embrace other people’s cultures as well.”

AUT student representative Lolomanaia Filia’i said Polyfest was all about identity.

“Finding who you are through culture, through food, through dance, through music.”

Tangaroa College student Breona Nassau said “regardless of whether or not you are the culture that you’re performing for, just representing that, and you know doing your best”.

Southern Cross Campus student Faith Fomai said the event was about “learning your roots, staying put, like, stick to your roots, our voices and our culture”.

St Cuthbert’s College student Bailey Li said Polyfest meant cultural diversity.

“It allows everyone to perform their culture, represent other cultures, as well as be aware of other cultures and their beauty.”

For Iris Wen it was about “getting together and celebrating different cultures with different causes”.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Serious Fraud Office is evaluating a scathing Auditor General report into spending by former Chatham Islands boss Paul Eagle.

The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable and misleading, after costs blew out by more than $250,000.

A spokesperson for the office said it was assessing the report to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to open an enquiry or criminal investigation into the issues raised.

“At this stage, no further information can be given, including whether the SFO will open an enquiry or investigation.”

The council has referred concerns raised in a scathing Auditor General’s report to the Serious Fraud Office.

In a post on its Facebook page this week, the council said it had formally received the report and had unanimously resolved to refer it to the appropriate authority for consideration.

“We are committed to responding responsibly, transparently, and in the best interests of our community,” Mayor Greg Horler said.

The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Paul Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable, after costs blew out by $250,000.

Eagle’s handling of documents was misleading and showed exceptionally poor judgement, the report said.

It said the former Wellington MP edited or created quotes and contracts for the project, and did not make “moderate” or “conservative” funding choices.

The original budget was set at $200,000 and blew out to $460,001.65. Another $37,739.19 was also spent on rent to house Eagle and his family as the work went ahead.

“We saw little sign of any consideration of containing costs during the project. We also consider that the chief executive made spending choices that were not moderate and conservative,” the report said.

“Purchasing expensive appliances for the kitchen and carrying out extensive electrical work that suppliers working on the project widely considered to be excessive were particularly questionable.”

The report also uncovered “serious integrity questions” for the council to contend with, including its policies relating to procurement, conflicts of interest, staff expenses and fiscal reporting.

It said Eagle had sole oversight over the project, and because the cost of the upgrade could be perceived as benefiting Eagle, his family should have instigated approval by the council, mayor or deputy mayor, in line with council policy.

The report was tabled in Parliament last Thursday.

“We have not reached a view on the legality of the chief executive’s actions. In this case, we consider it sufficient to draw the council, Parliament, and the public’s attention to the matter.”

In a letter included in the report findings, Eagle, who resigned last month, apologised and said his actions did not meet the standards expected of himself and his role.

“I started as chief executive of the council in late 2023, three months earlier than planned and, because of the illness of the outgoing chief executive, did not receive a formal, structured induction process covering the policies, processes, systems and documentation expected of the role.

“I wholeheartedly accept now that I should have sought clarity and support for this process.”

Interim council chief executive Bob Penter declined to be interviewed.

Paul Eagle has been contacted for comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as petrol prices rises amid fears of rapidly jumping prices and potential shortages.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis are set to talk about the latest on the fuel crisis.

It comes in the wake of a global rise in oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran’s response has included the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transportation channel for Middle Eastern energy exports.

Strikes overnight hit Iran’s part of the world’s largest gas field. Iran has vowed revenge, listing energy targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as potential targets.

The Automobile Association here has warned further price hikes are likely.

There have been reports of service stations running out of fuel as motorists rush to fill up.

New Zealand has several weeks’ supply in storage or on the way, the government has said.

Luxon and Willis will be speaking to the media at Parliament from 1.30pm. Watch it live at the top of this page. RNZ will also be blogging the developments as they happen.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police searching for a missing man in Lake Manapouri over the past week, have recovered a body on Thursday.

Last Saturday, around 6.15pm, police were told a man had fallen overboard from a vessel 1km offshore in Lake Manapouri.

While formal identification is yet to take place, police believe it is likely to be the missing man.

Police Search and Rescue and the Police Dive Squad, assisted by the Royal New Zealand Navy, conducted extensive searches of the lake and surrounding areas over the last few days.

Today, the Police Dive Squad and the New Zealand Navy recovered the man’s body from the lake.

Sergeant Alun Griffiths said officers have offered their condolences to the man’s family.

“I would also like to thank all those involved in the search – we are especially grateful for the assistance of the New Zealand Defence Force in providing specialist expertise that allowed this extended search to be concluded,” he said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A multi-agency Search and Rescue training exercise is scheduled this weekend, police said, in the Tekapo region.

Lake Tekapo will host Operation Oasis between Friday and Sunday, “a complex, multi-phase scenario designed to test search techniques, field skills, and fatigue management in realistic conditions”.

It will involve more than 200 specialists from across Canterbury, including members of Police, Coastguard, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Land Search and Rescue, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, Alpine Rescue Canterbury, Hato Hone St John, and the Defence Force.

“Members of the public will see increased activity in the area, with use of helicopters, boats, and Search and Rescue personnel and equipment,” police said.

“This is a planned, routine training exercise and the public should not be alarmed.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A transport consultancy firm says analysis of traffic data reveals the total cost of a crash is up to 70 percent higher that previously calculated.

The Ministry of Transport currently calculates the social cost of a road fatality at more than $15 million, which includes elements such as the road closure, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost.

But Abley Principal Transportation Planner Chris Blackmore told Nine to Noon data analysis shows that the impact of a crash on the overall road network is not factored into that calculation.

“There’s a lot of big immediate costs that we see when you look at the impacts of road trauma – be that FENZ, hospital admission, recovery costs.

“We do occasionally take into account any easily visible impacts of closing a road … but at the moment that’s only really included at a high level, and it ignores a lot of the secondary and following impacts.”

Councils and the Transport Agency had traditionally relied on physical equipment such as pneumatic road tubes to measure traffic data.

“That’s really what has prevented, up until now, having a more holistic view of the impacts of what we call network disruption.”

But a system called TomTom Area Speed enabled the analysis of more information, and more sophisticated data about the wider impacts crashes had, Blackmore said.

TomTom takes information from sources such as Apple, data from the cars themselves, and other apps motorists might be using to show exactly how widespread the congestion is, for how long, and what activities might be affected.

Blackmore provided the example of a crash between a bus and a car on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive, which closed the significant connection between the eastern bays and the city centre for more than 24 hours.

“What we could see with TomTom was that as that link closed, people had to find their way around.

“Say five O’clock, six O’clock in the morning, that’s all right … but what happens when you get into the peak hour … we see all of the other connections from the eastern bays massively overloaded.

The TomTom data showed exactly how people reacted to road closures, he said.

“Some people do u-turns, some people turn of earlier and try and get through some back roads, some people try to tough it out in the queue.”

When the data was added up, it revealed the overall impact the crash had on travel times, and the total disruption to the road network.

Crashes on rural roads also could carry a heavy unseen cost, Blackmore said, using the example of a crash on State Highway 6 near Kington in Otago.

“What we saw there was that travel time increases weren’t as significant because there’s not a heap of congestion. People could figure out that there’s a crash before they started driving down State Highway 6 and make their choices.

“But we did see hundreds of thousands of extra kilometres that people had to travel, and that has impacts on people’s lives and their routines as well.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A transport consultancy firm says analysis of traffic data reveals the total cost of a crash is up to 70 percent higher that previously calculated.

The Ministry of Transport currently calculates the social cost of a road fatality at more than $15 million, which includes elements such as the road closure, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost.

But Abley Principal Transportation Planner Chris Blackmore told Nine to Noon data analysis shows that the impact of a crash on the overall road network is not factored into that calculation.

“There’s a lot of big immediate costs that we see when you look at the impacts of road trauma – be that FENZ, hospital admission, recovery costs.

“We do occasionally take into account any easily visible impacts of closing a road … but at the moment that’s only really included at a high level, and it ignores a lot of the secondary and following impacts.”

Councils and the Transport Agency had traditionally relied on physical equipment such as pneumatic road tubes to measure traffic data.

“That’s really what has prevented, up until now, having a more holistic view of the impacts of what we call network disruption.”

But a system called TomTom Area Speed enabled the analysis of more information, and more sophisticated data about the wider impacts crashes had, Blackmore said.

TomTom takes information from sources such as Apple, data from the cars themselves, and other apps motorists might be using to show exactly how widespread the congestion is, for how long, and what activities might be affected.

Blackmore provided the example of a crash between a bus and a car on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive, which closed the significant connection between the eastern bays and the city centre for more than 24 hours.

“What we could see with TomTom was that as that link closed, people had to find their way around.

“Say five O’clock, six O’clock in the morning, that’s all right … but what happens when you get into the peak hour … we see all of the other connections from the eastern bays massively overloaded.

The TomTom data showed exactly how people reacted to road closures, he said.

“Some people do u-turns, some people turn of earlier and try and get through some back roads, some people try to tough it out in the queue.”

When the data was added up, it revealed the overall impact the crash had on travel times, and the total disruption to the road network.

Crashes on rural roads also could carry a heavy unseen cost, Blackmore said, using the example of a crash on State Highway 6 near Kington in Otago.

“What we saw there was that travel time increases weren’t as significant because there’s not a heap of congestion. People could figure out that there’s a crash before they started driving down State Highway 6 and make their choices.

“But we did see hundreds of thousands of extra kilometres that people had to travel, and that has impacts on people’s lives and their routines as well.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Public transport is nearly half the price of driving to work in Auckland as fuel prices surge amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East

It comes amid huge uncertainty on the price of petrol in New Zealand following Israel’s attack on the world’s largest natural gasfield in Pars overnight, AA is warning.

The attack has increased uncertainty and seen Brent Crude prices surge to $US110 a barrel by 11am on Thursday (NZT).

Auckland Transport said before the Iran conflict began late last month, the cost of public transport was roughly the same as the cost of driving a vehicle with single occupancy in Auckland.

It’s now costing people nearly double to drive their own cars.

“The cost of petrol has risen at least 50 cents per litre since then, with a 15-kilometre single person commute now costing roughly 80 cents per kilometre, which is equal to about $12 for the total trip.”

AT said this did not include any parking costs.

“On public transport, that same 15-kilometre trip would typically cost $4.90 and would be a significantly faster journey due to congestion and the availability of bus lanes, frequent rail and ferry services.”

“We can confidently say that the cost of driving 15-kilometres in or out of the city is now roughly double the cost of travelling the same distance by public transport.”

AT said the first week of March was the was the busiest for the public transport network this year with 2.217 million trips on bus, train and ferry services – up from 2.174 million trips, the same time last year.

It said this was likely just a result of more people using public transport rather than concerns over the cost of fuel.

However it expects the trend will continue upward as the fuel crisis developed.

Auckland Transport said despite big numbers of travellers, it has plenty of capacity across the network.

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