The Vega (formerly Aratera) is currently in Nelson Harbour.Supplied / Jason Grimmett
Former Interislander ferry Aratere is still in New Zealand waters despite being retired in August and sold for scrap in October.
So why is it still here?
It was taken out of service to make way for port infrastructure needed for the arrival of two new rail enabled ferries which are due to be delivered in 2029.
In October, Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy said it was not suitable to be used for most ferry operators due to its age and the fact it would require significant modification or specialist port infrastructure.
“Therefore, we have pursued a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible recycling option.”
Since then, the ship has been bobbing around Wellington Harbour, and at the time of reporting, was in Nelson Harbour.
It had a new name, Vega, and all its Interislander logos removed – including the ferns on its exhausts which had been painted over.
Why has it not left New Zealand yet?
The reason the ship was not on a beach in India right now was because of the Basel Convention – an international treaty which controls the movement of hazardous waste.
For New Zealand, the Environmental Protection Authority makes sure the country met its obligations to the convention.
One of those was ship dismantling which the convention noted does have sustainability benefits through recycling materials.
But the practice has had a history of taking advantage of developing countries and exposing people to health and environmental risks such as asbestos and oils.
Supplied / Jason Grimmett
For the Aratere (now Vega) to be released under this practice, its new owners had to complete an application with the EPA.
The authority said it was now complete but its counterpart organisation in India had not given permission for the ship to enter India yet.
“We cannot finalise the export application until the Competent Authority in India has granted consent for import.”
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The tino rangatiratanga haki (flag) outside Parliament on the day of the Treaty Principles Bill introduction.RNZ / Emma Andrews
The country’s largest education union, NZEI Te Riu Roa, is backing a claim by Northland iwi and hapū for an urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into the government’s decision to remove school boards legal obligations to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
A statement of claim was filed on 19 November 2025 on behalf of Ngāti Hine and Te Kapotai, alongside a joint application for urgency.
The claimants say amendments to the Education and Training Act, and the reset of the New Zealand Curriculum – Te Mātaiaho, undermine Māori rangatiratanga, partnership, and equity in education.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said at the time that Te Tiriti was the Crowns responsibility and not schools.
“School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.
A map of schools across the country who have reaffirmed their commitment to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi despite the government removing schools boards legal duty to do so.Supplied / Google Maps / Chris Abercrombie
NZEI President Ripeka Lessels said principals and school boards were frustrated the change was made without any engagement.
“It seems to be the preferred pathway of this government to not consult about a whole lot of things,” she told RNZ.
“Not consulting shows this government is absolutely hell-bent on dismantling the Treaty of Waitangi in every aspect of the law.”
Lessels said the move risks weakening commitments to tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori within school plans and the local curriculum, “preventing ākonga Māori from ever seeing themselves or their culture reflected in what they learn.”
“The education system has under-served ākonga Māori, and this move to remove Treaty obligations from school boards is a regressive step that can only lead to further systemic disadvantage.”
She said the effects would be wider than just Māori learners, and the issue was ultimately about ensuring all ākonga see their language and identity valued in the place they spend most of their day.
“Language, culture and identity matter. They absolutely matter for children, irrespective of whose language, culture or identity it is. And in Aotearoa today, the Treaty of Waitangi is our founding document.”
NZEI President, the head of the country’s largest education sector union.NZEI supplied
In the last few weeks, Te Rārangi Rangatira, the list of schools who have reaffirmed their commitment to continue giving effect to Te Tiriti, has drawn criticism from government MPs.
Education Minister Erica Stanford previously told media she had heard from principals who felt “very unfair” and “nasty” pressure to sign the statements.
At that same standup, Stanford also reinforced her commitment to “fight for our kids.”
“My message to schools is what we expect is achievement to improve, especially for our tamariki Māori and if those schools are doing all of the things that we’re asking of them in section 127, including offering to being culturally responsive and ensuring that tamariki Māori have equal outcomes, and then if they wish to… honour the treaty or uphold the treaty over and above that, then they’re absolutely welcome to do that.”
In a Facebook post, National MP for Tauranga Sam Uffindell also described the statements from schools as “frankly disgusting” and alleged that unions were “standing over principals” to pressure them to sign what he described as “an anti-govt pledge.”
Lessels rejected claims that schools were being “pressured.”
“I think both of those MPs are out of touch with how schools operate,” she said.
“Schools are independent, autonomous bodies, and they’re self-managing … I don’t know a principal or a board that would ever let anything happen that they didn’t believe was right.”
A growing number of schools across Aotearoa are reaffirming their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, despite the government removing school boards’ Treaty requirement from the Education and Training Act.Supplied
Many schools had shifted their practice since the Education and Training Act was introduced four years ago, Lessels said, integrating Māori language, culture and identity into teaching and school planning.
“Since 2020, schools have understood the importance of children’s culture, identity and language …They can see there is value in endorsing the Treaty of Waitangi in their schools or working towards it.”
Evidence showed that centring children’s identity improved outcomes a particularly for Māori learners in kura kaupapa Māori – and that removing the legal duty to honour Te Tiriti went against that evidence, she said.
“It’s not rocket science. This removal is definitely not based in sound educational policy or even educational evidence at all. It’s an ideological political move.”
If the Tribunal granted urgency, the claim sought intervention preventing the repeal from taking effect.
The outcome they wanted was for the government to “reverse the policy,” and she encouraged whānau to remain strong through the process, Lessels said.
“Our schools genuinely want to make a difference for their children, and honouring Te Tiriti is the foundation of that.”
The Education Minister declined RNZ’s request for comment.
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RNZ earlier revealed about 130 staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.RNZ
The New Zealand Transport Agency has halted $6m worth of funding to police until it’s satisfied police have met their breath test targets.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says it’s a “prudent decision” by NZTA which he welcomes, calling the breath testing issue “very concerning”.
RNZ earlier revealed about 130 staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.
Following an Official Information Act request from RNZ, police released 150-pages of information in relation to the breath screening tests investigation.
On October 7, after an initial request for information from police, NZTA sent several follow-up questions to police including details as to other avenues police were investigating to detect further irregular breath tests outside of the existing algorithm.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
The 30,000 breath tests related to an algorithm that determined if a second test took place within 90 seconds of the first, whilst the distance between the two indicated a speed of more than 20 km/h.
Police have released 150-pages of information in relation to the breath screening tests investigation.Supplied / NZ Police
In response, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mike Johnson said while the algorithm had “proven effective” in identifying tests conducted while the device was in motion, “there remains limitations in detecting all forms of irregular testing, including those undertaken in specific locations”.
“Work remains underway to identify what, if any, options exist for removing these limitations.”
Then, on 16 October, NZTA’s Road Policing Investment manager Neil Macrae emailed several people including Johnson and director of road policing, Superintendent Steve Greally.
In the email Macrae referenced the government’s $1.3 billion Road Policing Investment Programme (RPIP).
The programme includes increased alcohol breath tests with a target of 3.3 million roadside alcohol breath tests per year and a focus on high-risk items, with a requirement that 65 per cent of breath tests are done at high or extreme alcohol risk times.
Macrae said while NZTA recognised “current limitations” in detecting all forms of irregular testing, they supported and “encourage” police to identify what, if any, options exist for removing the limitations and to look beyond current detection methods “to ascertain the true scale of irregularities”.
He said that while the police’s investigation into irregularities continued, NZTA’s reporting was “on hold”.
“NZTA’s reporting includes the RPIP Quarterly report to Minister(s), assessment of RPIP Q1 (2025/26) delivery dependant funding and the Annual Assurance report to the NZTA Board that was due to be presented 23 October 2025.
“Delaying the assurance report to the board also delays the approval process for variations to the current programme including the ‘open roads speed measure’.”
Macrae said the decision to delay the assurance report was taken at chief executive level. NZTA would also meet with Audit NZ to discuss implications on their public statutory reporting.
In response to questions from RNZ, an NZTA spokesperson said they had requested police provide assurance that delivery numbers for breath screening tests and the wider road policing activity measures for the 2024/25 financial year were correct.
“We are working with police to verify the final results. We paused our usual end-of-year reporting to the NZTA Board and the Minister of Transport until we are satisfied that the final results are a full and accurate record of police delivery during the 2024/25 financial year.”
The bulk of funding for road policing activity (of $103 million per quarter) continued to be available to policePolice
Each year, $24 million of funding from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) for the RPIP is dependent on the successful delivery of all speed and impairment activities to agreed specified annual levels, known as delivery dependent funding (DDF).
“Delivery against these measures is assessed on a quarterly basis, and a pro-rated amount of DDF is available to be authorised to spend ($6 million per quarter).
“Until the current issue with reporting on breath testing is resolved, NZTA has paused assessment of the $6m in delivery dependent funding for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.”
The spokesperson said any funding from a quarter where DDF was not met remained available for subsequent authorisation in the same financial year, if targets are met.
“Any funding not authorised to be spent at the end of the financial year is required to be returned to the NLTF.”
The bulk of funding for road policing activity (of $103 million per quarter) continued to be available to police, the spokesperson said.
In a statement to RNZ, Bishop said “this is a prudent decision by NZTA and I welcome it. The breath testing issue is very concerning and it is important it is resolved.”
Transport Minister Chris BishopRNZ/Mark Papalii
NZTA warns of ‘clear breach’ of no surprises expectation
On 25 September, more than a month after the tests were identified, NZTA’s group general manager Richard Forgan wrote to Johnson and said they were notified of the matter on 22 September.
Forgan said that given NZTA’s role as investor and providing monitoring and assurance in relation to the Road Policing Investment Programme (RPIP) the integrity and accuracy of the delivery against the measures was “paramount”.
Forgan instructed the Road Policing Investment team in NZTA to look further into the data integrity issue with “urgency” and requested a series of information from police.
Forgan also took issue with the length of time it took NZTA to be notified.
“In addition to the issue regarding the data irregularity, the memorandum of understanding between us clearly states a ‘no surprises’ expectation.
“The fact this issue was first discovered in late August, the Minister of Police was briefed on 12 September and NZTA only informed via the Minister of Transport’s office on 22 September is a clear breach of this expectation. I reinforce NZTA’s expectation that we are to be advised of such matters early.”
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The most popular search topics in New Zealand in 2025 on Google included Kiwi sports stars and celebrities like David Parker, Liam Lawson and Lorde, overseas celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne and Jimmy Kimmel, and notable news stories like the death of Charlie Kirk.File / RNZ / AFP
Labubu. Viral ice cream. Tom Phillips, wind warnings, and how to make butter.
Google has announced the top trending searches for New Zealand in 2025, and it’s a snapshot of the wild, weird year that’s nearly over.
The single biggest search term in Aotearoa this year had little to do with New Zealand – it was the American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was not well known here before his death in September.
But right up there in the top ten were also the death of Tom Phillips after a four-year search for the missing man and his children, weather events like Cyclone Alfred and the long-dead American serial killer Ed Gein, subject of a popular Netflix series.
Oh, and the All Blacks. There’s always the All Blacks.
Google New Zealand’s communications and public affairs manager Carrie Jones told Morning Report the results provided interesting data about what Kiwis are thinking about.
“This list of top trending searches spanned pop culture, lifestyle, sports, news – and they’re the queries that had the greatest spike in interest this year as compared to last year.
“So they give us a really good insight into what Kiwis were curious about.
“This year the searches paint a picture of a population that was pragmatic, hyper-vigilant and digitally aware.
“One thing that is consistent year on year is we are sports mad and the All Blacks are actually the most-referenced search term of the past five years.”
With a new album out, Lorde remained a top search topic in New Zealand this year.Supplied / Universal Music
When it came to Kiwi searches, boxer Joseph Parker, ACT Party deputy leader Brooke van Velden, former Green MP Benjamin Doyle, singer Lorde and F1 driver Liam Lawson were among the top queries.
Celebrities who passed away in 2025 were also frequently searched, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Hackman and Diane Keaton.
Another hot spot in the top 10 was health searches.
“Interestingly in our overall searches list we saw searches for COPD treatment and osteoporosis treatment, perhaps showing Kiwis taking health matters into their own hands,” she said.
Jones said Google has also seen a sharp increase in people using search as a real-time safety tool for events like cyclones, tsunami warnings and storms.
“Our desire for information about these immediate weather hazards has never been more pronounced.”
“Kiwis are searching for urgency around local matters such as wind warnings, rainfall warnings and tsunami warnings and also showing interest in engagement and political processes. So we saw searches for how to make a submission for the Treaty Principles Bill, for example.”
Jones said that last search showed a desire to participate rather than just gather information.
“We see a shift from lots of reading, maybe just looking for headlines, moving more to actionable paths to engagement. So, ‘how to make a submission to the Treaty Principles Bill’ shows Kiwis’ interest and a desire to be involved, rather than just participate and read.”
“I think there is a natural scepticism of new technology. I think there is real excitement around the opportunity that AI can present and how it can make a real difference in our society, whether it’s through health care or across different industries.”
And with food, “There were two main flavours that came through our searches this year,” Jones said.
“So we had Dubai chocolate, pistachio cream and matcha coming through, people wanted to know how to make Dubai chocolate, how to make pistachio cream. That was sort of the unexpected flavour duo of 2025.”
Courtesy of Google, here’s the full lists of trends in New Zealand for 2025:
Slain American political commentator Charlie Kirk was New Zealand’s top overall search in 2025.ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Overall searches
Charlie Kirk
COPD treatment
Osteoporosis treatment
Tom Phillips
All Blacks vs France
Ozzy Osbourne
Cyclone Alfred
Iran
Ed Gein
Club World Cup
Kiwis
Joseph Parker
Benjamin Doyle
Lorde
Liam Lawson
Daniel Hillier
Kai Kara France
David Nyika
Brooke Van Velden
Chris Wood
Stuart Nash
Deaths
Charlie Kirk
Tom Phillips
Michelle Trachtenberg
Gene Hackman
Hulk Hogan
Diane Keaton
Val Kilmer
David Lynch
Robert Redford
Jane Goodall
People
Belle Gibson
D4vd
Diogo Jota
Pope
Andy Byron
Luke Combs
Jimmy Kimmel
Tyler Robinson
Kendrick Lamar
Prince Andrew
Local moments
Wind warning
Rainfall warning
Tsunami warning
Thunderstorm warning
Cyclone Tam
Treaty Principles Bill Submission
Metallica Auckland
Tongariro Fire
Measles
Sail GP Auckland
Global moments
Cyclone Alfred
Iran
Day of the Dead
LA Fires
Labubu
Russia Earthquake
KPop Demon Hunters
Bianca Censori Grammys
67
Air India Crash
How to…
How to make butter
How to invest money in shares
How to make buttermilk
How to get rid of bed bugs
How to screenshot on Macbook
How to watch All Blacks vs France
How to soft boil an egg
How to say Happy Matariki in te reo Maori
How to clear cache on Chrome
How to calculate a tax refund
Definitions:
Plancha
Taki
Parens
Loris
Hubris
Atria
Ziti
Ouroboros
Orgo
Seitan
Internet trends/memes
Action Figure Trend
Mango Ice Cream
Barbie AI Trend
Revenge Saving Financial Trend
Peach Ice Cream
What is the 6 7 Trend
Squishy Toy Trend
Polaroid Trend
Starter Pack Trend
Sports events
Club World Cup
India vs England
Auckland FC
India vs Australia
Champions Trophy
New Zealand vs Pakistan
Super Rugby Fantasy
All Blacks vs Australia
New Zealand vs West Indies
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Johnathan Tamihana was sentenced to preventative detention with a minimum non-parole period of five years at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday.RNZ / Simon Rogers
A man has been sentenced to preventative detention following two sexual attacks against women nearly a year apart.
The two women were both indecently assaulted at the Ōtara Creek Reserve, one in February 2023 and the other in February 2024.
In the first incident, police said a French national was indecently assaulted at the reserve in broad daylight.
“The woman was understandably distraught by what had happened on her visit to New Zealand,” Detective Senior Sergeant Dean Batey said in a statement.
At that time police identified a suspect on a BMX bike using CCTV footage, but despite an investigation and a public appeal they were unable to identify the unknown male, he said.
Nearly a year later, on 18 January 2024, a local woman reported to police that she had been indecently assaulted by a man.
“The woman was out jogging at around 6.30am when a man had followed her into the Ōtara Creek Reserve.
“He subjected her to a disturbing indecent assault.
“Our team was conscious of the previous incident and were determined to stop him from committing any further harm.”
Investigations managed to identify Johnathan Tamihana as the offender in both attacks.
Tamihana has since pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault, threatening to kill and assault with intent to commit sexual violation.
On Wednesday, the 33-year-old Ōtara man was sentenced to preventative detention with a minimum non-parole period of five years, at the Auckland High Court.
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No seriously, what are you wearing to bed? Because it can affect the quality of your sleep.
“What you sleep in can alter the temperature, [that] is the main thing in terms of how it may affect your sleep,” explains Kathleen Maddison from the Centre for Sleep Science at The University of Western Australia.
“Temperature change is super important in helping us fall asleep and then helping us stay asleep.”
Preferences are very much climate dependent, says Kathleen Maddison, from the Centre for Sleep Science at The University of Western Australia. (file image)
Finance Minister Nicola Willis.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The government’s finances are slightly worse than expected, as the tax take fell more than expenses.
Treasury figures, which exclude ACC finances, showed a deficit of $4.9 billion for the four months ended October – about $700 million higher than forecast in May’s Budget.
The deficit including ACC costs was $5.2b, $400m above forecast.
The tax take was down $600m because of lower company and provisional tax receipts.
The Black Caps face the West Indies for day three of their first test of the summer from Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
New Zealand has played just two Test matches so far in 2025, beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in Bulawayo in August.
Since then they’ve played 17 white-ball games against Australia, England and West Indies.
“The team is clear in their test match identity, they’ve done incredibly well as a unit, so just to fall back into that,” coach Rob Walter said on the eve of the three match series.
New Zealand is ranked fifth in the World Test rankings, with West Indies eighth.
First ball is at 11am.
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Michael BracewellAndrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd 2025
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Rajinder was on trial at the High Court in Dunedin.RNZ
A man has been found guilty of murdering Gurjit Singh in his Dunedin home.
The jury retired to consider its verdict at the High Court in Dunedin on Wednesday morning and returned on Thursday.
The 35-year-old, known only as Rajinder, killed Singh at his home in January last year.
In summing up, Justice Rachel Dunningham told the jury there was no dispute that Gurjit Singh was attacked and it was up to them to decide if Rajinder was responsible or not.
Rajinder’s defence lawyer said he had no motive and the evidence against him was flawed.
In closing arguments on Tuesday, prosecutor Richard Smith asked the jury to apply their common sense, saying it was not “rocket science”.
“His blood and hair in the scene. His hair in the victim’s hands, his injury and the thumb of the glove left at the scene. Him buying a murder kit. Him saying he didn’t even know where the victim lived yet here he is searching out a route to the victim’s house on the night of the murder,” he said.
A forensic expert had testified that the blood samples taken from the murder scene were 500,000 million times more likely to be Rajinder’s than a random person, he said.
Defence lawyer Anne Stevens KC said Rajinder had spoken to police in two interviews voluntarily and had consistently denied murdering Singh, describing the other man as honest and hard working.
While the numbers sounded large, DNA presented a degree of likelihood, she said.
“The numbers do not make certainty, however large. Numbers go to infinity. Don’t be misled by high numbers being a certainty, that high enough is good enough,” she said.
During the more than two-week-long trial, the court heard of a complicated love triangle involving Singh, his widow Kamaljeet Kaur and Rajinder.
The Crown said Kaur rejected Rajinder’s proposal through a marriage broker in 2022, while his lawyer said it was Kaur’s family who had approached Rajinder’s family twice about marrying the man and he was not upset to find out she had instead married Singh.
Singh also rejected Rajinder’s plan to marry his sister, saying she was too young.
The Crown said the rejections were motive for murder, while the defence called it a “fantasy of the Crown’s”.
The night of Singh’s death started with a pizza party with friends in Helensburgh on 28 January 2024.
His friends said he was in a good mood, with his wife soon leaving India and moving to New Zealand to live with him. Singh had planned a three-day trip to pick her up from Christchurch.
They last saw him alive at 10.30pm when he left the party.
Dhruval Aery testified that he went to Singh’s home after receiving multiple panicked messages from a mutual friend because he could not be reached.
He found Singh’s bloodied body on the lawn.
“I can tell that he is no more,” Aery told the court.
Singh’s widow Kamaljeet Kaur said her bags were packed for her move to Dunedin when she found out her husband had been killed.
Videos from officers at the property showed blood stains on the ground, hand rail, furniture and wall, a broken large window and signs of a struggle inside.
Rajinder will be sentenced in April.
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Invercargill City Council confirmed the gear was owned by arborist Treetech and was essential to the ongoing efforts to restore the park after extensive storm damage.
Treetech managing director Chris Walsh said the company would need to bring in replacement equipment to get the job done.
“If someone has intentionally set fire to our trucks and equipment, that would be devastating for our team. It’s more than a million dollars’ worth of damage, but we’re pulling out all the stops to keep going.
“We’re a resilient bunch, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Council parks and recreation manager Caroline Rain said the fire would very likely delay the reopening of the final section of Queens Park.
It was incredibly lucky that the fire did not spread further beyond the maintenance yard, she said.
“It’s distressing to think that someone would deliberately destroy the tools we need to reopen the rest of this beloved park.
“Our staff and contractors have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to ensure Queens Park is safe for the community.”
Anyone with information relating to the fire was encouraged to contact police.
Counsel for MPI said the company faced a penalty of around $50,000-$55,000.
At the time the charge was laid, New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said Woolworths had failed to ensure a significant rodent infestation was promptly identified and escalated in accordance with its food control plan.
Woolworths New Zealand is due to be sentenced in March next year.
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Dairy giant Fonterra has increased its first quarter profits to $278 million, $15m more than a year ago.
Key numbers for the quarter ended 31st October:
Net profit $278m up $15m
Forecast FY earnings unchanged at 45-65cps
Midpoint milk price forecast $9.50 per kgMS
Lactalis gains OIS approval to buy Mainland
Chief executive Miles Hurrell said earnings were in line with last year on the back of higher commodity prices, and first quarter profits were the equivalent of 17 cents per share.
“When excluding the costs associated with the Consumer divestment, Fonterra’s normalised earnings per share are 18 cents, up slightly on last year.”
“We maintain our full year earnings range for continuing operations of 45-65 cents per share,” Hurrell said.
Fonterra said it is making good progress implementing its strategy to become a global B2B (business to business) dairy provider after it completes the sale of its consumer Mainland Group.
“We are firmly focused on delivering the commitments we’ve made, not least our target to lift earnings back to FY25 levels by FY28, offsetting the impact of the divestment of Mainland Group,” Hurrell said.
Fonterra intended to invest $1 billion over the next three to four years in projects to generate operational efficiencies.
Mainland sale and capital return
Fonterra said the sale of its consumer brands remained on track and the French based buyer, Lactalis, had secured approvals from the Overseas Investment Office.
Separately, Fonterra said it was continuing to work through other regulatory approvals.
The co-operative expects the sale to close in the first half of 2026 after its farmer shareholders vote on the capital return in February.
Shareholders are set to receive $2 per share tax free from the sale, equivalent to $3.2b.
Last week Fonterra lowered its forecast farmgate milk price to between to between $9.00 and $10.00 a kilo of milk solids as increasing global milk production sent prices lower.
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Mobile network company 2degrees says it is aware some customers are experiencing issues with connecting, receiving, or making calls on their mobile devices.
2degrees’ website says a nationwide fault was under repair since about 4am on Thursday morning.
The company said it was sorry for the inconvenience and their technical team was working to resolve the issue quickly.
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It’s been a great year for feet, particularly toes.
If you followed the fashion of the Northern Hemisphere summer, a predictor for what might be cool for New Zealand’s summer, you likely saw shoes that might typically be categorised as offensive to the eye.
I’m talking about styles such as the Vibram FiveFingers shoe (think of a glove but for your feet) or the split-toe shoe, where the big toe is singled out from the others with its own compartment. There were a lot of clunky, wilderness-style shoes that are a continuation of Gorpcore, where you mix sports or outdoor wear with something not sporty or outdoorsy (think floral dress with hiking boots).
FiveFingers running shoes from Vibram.
JOE RAEDLE
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The store opens at 11am, while the carpark was opened to shoppers at 8.30am.RNZ / Melanie Earley
A handful of eager shoppers have begun to gather outside the new IKEA store at Mt Wellington in Auckland.
Drivers are being warned to expect 40-minute queues today, with traffic analysts expecting crowds of up to 20,000 a day to visit the store – IKEA’s first in New Zealand.
They’re predicting a 40-minute crawl on the nearby motorway and another 40 minutes to find a car park.
The store opens at 11am, while the carpark was opened to shoppers at 8.30am.
An RNZ reporter at the store estimated around 200 people to have gathered outside.
“We chose to open at 11am so that we avoid the morning traffic,” IKEA’s NZ manager Johanna Cederlöf said.
Google Maps shows traffic currently flowing fairly freely around the area, with a 16-minute trip from Auckland CBD.
RNZ spoke to Bernie who had driven over two-and-a-half hours from Papamoa specifically for the opening, saying he and his wife had waited six years for it.
What will the roads be like?
Auckland Transport and NZTA have encouraged road users to plan ahead for the day and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.
Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) Manager Claire Howard said substantial crowds were expected at IKEA for weeks or even months which would have a substantial effect on the transport network across Auckland.
“Surrounding streets in Mt Wellington will also be busy, with forecast delays of up to 40 minutes on Mt Wellington Highway in peak traffic.”
ATOC – a joint Auckland Transport and NZTA venture for managing the network in real time – has been working with the retail giant to ensure their traffic management plan minimises the traffic impact as much as possible. It would be actively managing light signals and diverting traffic where possible as congestion levels increase.
Congestion was expected to be at its worst during peak hour during the week and on Saturdays between 1 and 4pm – particularly heading northbound from South Auckland toward Mt Wellington.
Staff would be on the ground at Sylvia Park Train Station to help direct people to the store who were travelling by train.
IKEA’s NZ manager Johanna Cederlöf, said for anyone who wasn’t in Auckland or who wanted to avoid the opening day crowds, they could shop online from midnight as a way to beat the crowds.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed.X / NZ Transport Agency
A person is dead after a fuel truck collided with a building on Lower Hutt’s Rutherford Street.
At 9.15am Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, was still closed after the single-vehicle crash about 5.30am on Thursday.
The Melling Bridge was earlier closed due to the accident but police said it had now reopened.
Fire and Emergency told RNZ they were no longer in attendance, but they had assisted with removing the driver from the truck.
SH2 MELLING – CRASH – 6:55AM, THU 4 DEC
Due to a crash, access to and from the Melling Link Bridge is now CLOSED. Road users are advised to use an alternate route and take extra care. ^JP pic.twitter.com/JMQP2k2Our
— NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi – Wellington (@nztawgtn) December 3, 2025
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts.RNZ / Nick Monro
The government has rejected all of the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
The move comes despite the Commission warning the effects of climate change are hitting New Zealand sooner and more severely than expected, and that New Zealand can and should be doing more.
The coalition had already indicated it would reject recommendations to strengthen the 2050 targets for methane and carbon emissions.
Earlier this year it announced it would amend the law to set a weakened methane target, down from a 24-47 percent reduction by 2050, to a 14-24 percent reduction instead.
It indicated it had also rejected the commission’s advice to strengthen the target for carbon dioxide and other long-lived gases, from a 2050 net zero target to a 2050 net-negative target.
Thursday’s formal response confirmed both decisions, and rejected a recommendation to include international shipping and aviation emissions in New Zealand’s targets.
It also dismissed the commission’s advice to keep lowering emissions after 2050.
The government acknowledged strengthened targets would help with efforts to limit global warming.
There also would have been co-benefits from a stronger target, including greater energy security and improved health outcomes, the response said. However, its analysis showed that would come at an economic cost to New Zealand.
“Modelling indicates that GDP would be 0.4 percent lower than the status quo in 2035, and 2.2 percent lower in 2050.”
In its advice to the government in November last year, the commission said since the 2050 targets were first set, the global outlook had worsened.
“The impacts of global warming are greater in both severity and scale than was understood in 2019. Research has found that greater impacts are being felt at lower temperature levels than previously expected.”
The country could and should do more, the commission advised.
“Significant changes since 2019 all point to Aotearoa New Zealand moving further and faster to reduce emissions than the current 2050 target provides for.”
Doing so “would reduce the risk of a harsher and costlier future transition”, that would push the costs of both climate change and the transition onto future generations.
“Not only are they likely to face more severe climate impacts, it is likely they will also have to do more to reduce emissions.”
The commission said that although there were upfront costs from faster decarbonisation, its recommended targets were “compatible with ongoing economic growth”. Many of the changes would deliver cost savings over time.
The government’s response rejected that, saying shifting to stronger targets “would entail economic costs and is substantially less feasible than alternative pathways.”
“Implementing the Commission’s recommended target would also require major policy reform and private sector action.”
The government said it took into account concern from rural communities about land-use change and food production loss if it strengthened the methane target.
“We considered the views of industry to ensure a practical target was developed that protects food production while also reducing emissions.”
That was despite the Commission pointing out the lower end of a strengthened target could already be achieved with implementation of existing technologies and farm management systems.
Most submitters on its consultation around the targets supported doing so, it said.
However, the government said that was ” likely to involve higher economic costs than the status quo”.
Emissions from international shipping and aviation would continue to be addressed through global cooperation mechanisms instead, it said.
In rejecting the advice to continue decreasing emissions after 2050, the government said: “It is our view that a detailed framework for post-2050 reductions and removals is best developed closer to 2050.”
Spotify has just released Spotify Wrapped, its annual end-of-year viral promotional exercise. For New Zealand musicians, however, there was little to get excited about.
Spotify Wrapped aims to reflect users’ listening habits back to them, revealing their most listened to songs, artists, podcasts and more.
It’s meant to be fun and lighthearted, but you don’t need to look closely at the 2025 list of the top 100 streamed songs in Aotearoa to notice there are only five New Zealand songs featured.
Global Korean-Kiwi superstar ROSÉ comes in at sixth for her collaboration with Bruno Mars, APT (released 2024), followed by Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over (1986), Hori Shaw’s Back In My Arms (2024), L.A.B.’s In the Air (2019), and Te Wehi’s Unaware (2024) in 60th, 72nd, 73rd and 78th respectively.
In Aotearoa, well-known artists Tiki Taane and The Bats have removed work from Spotify, and the grassroots group Boycott Spotify NZ encourages other musicians to do the same. Green MP Tamatha Paul has also publicised those artists’ decision to remove their music from Spotify and left the platform herself.
The low turnout of local artists on Spotify Wrapped is part of a larger, worrying trend. New Zealand artists are featuring less on annual top 40 charts, and radio stations seem to be playing less local music, with only two nationwide commercial stations meeting the voluntary 20% target in 2024.
As we have argued previously, the lack of incentives for streaming platforms to promote local music through their algorithm-driven discovery features is giving established international artists an unfair advantage.
It’s not just about visibility and New Zealand’s unique musical and cultural identity. The low share of streaming means less money flowing into the local music industry, with the most recently available data showing only 9% of retail revenue, which includes streaming, is earned by New Zealand musicians.
Strategies for the streaming age
New Zealand has previously taken steps to address market failure in the local music and broadcast sectors. In the 1980s, commercial stations were reportedly playing less than 2% local music, yet by the mid 2000s this had increased to over 20%.
Researcher Michael Scott attributes that growth to deliberate government intervention that provided a counterbalance to the newly deregulated broadcast sector.
A lot has changed since then, and while NZ On Air has evolved to incorporate aspects of the digital environment, the blueprint for intervening on behalf of local audiences and artists remains rooted in a market from another time.
Other countries are actively modernising policy. France and Canada have variations of a music streaming levy, which feed money back into opportunities and outcomes for their local sectors. Australia is addressing similar issues in its screen industry, requiring video streaming giants to contribute financially to the sector.
While Spotify Wrapped is supposed to be a fun way for customers to reflect on their last year of listening, it’s also a reminder of how the current market – and our current interventions – could do better to encourage audience engagement with local music.
As we watch other countries take action, Aotearoa is saddled with out-of-date legislation, risking the ability of future generations to find their own Shihad, Bic Runga, or Supergroove.
Jesse Austin-Stewart has completed commissioned research for NZ On Air and participated in focus groups for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. He has received competitive funding from Creative New Zealand, NZ On Air, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage, and the NZ Music Commission. He is a writer member of APRA AMCOS and a member of the Composer’s Association of New Zealand and Recorded Music NZ.
For more than 30 years, residents on Auckland’s Franklin Road have decked out their properties with Christmas decorations for the rest of the city to enjoy.
Despite prevalent rumours and conspiracy theories that the popular street-wide display is “funded by the electricity companies” or “organised by the council”, Roscoe Thorby – the man who started it all – says no household is forced to participate and it’s a “gift for the people from Franklin Road”.
What started as a bit of fun betwen neighbours slowly spread up (and down) the street – and now more than 80 percent of the households between Ponsonby Road and Wellington Street take part.
“The idea that it is individual households that make a decision to fund the lights and in many cases, pay for their installation, seems a little alien to some,” says Franklin Lights coordinator Eric Wilson.
“The cost of the electricity itself is relatively minor in comparison, especially with LED lights.”
There are now even displays appearing down the lower end of Franklin Road, as well as some houses in neighbouring Wood and Arthur streets.
“It’s not about how much you spend or the effort you put in,” Thorby says. “Just taking part is the culture of it.”
Have you seen an impressive Christmas display? Share your pics with us iwitness@rnz.co.nz
Wilson, who has lived on the street for 13 years and took over from Thorby last year, credits Thorby’s enthusiam with growing the event to where it is today.
“Why do we continue to do it? Very simply, it’s seeing the joy it brings to children and families.”
One of Wilson’s most memorable displays was a light sculpture of Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’. He also fondly remembers a few years ago where one house simply had the words ‘Ditto’ in lights and an arrow pointing to the house next door.
In 2023, council officers began patrolling the road and moving on street vendors who weren’t meant to be there, after residents complained about hawkers selling food, inflatable toys and light-up accessories, and who refused to leave when asked.
Patrols will continue this year, with organisers keen to preserve the community spirit by keeping those trying to use it for profit away. Organisers want to keep the event free for families to enjoy because “times are tough”, Thorby says.
The lights stay on from 7pm to 10pm every night until Christmas Eve.
RNZ will be livestreaming from 9pm Thursdayas we walk Franklin Rd with Eric Wilson and Rosco Thorby, to bring you the lights – and meet some of the residents and revellers taking part.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed.X / NZ Transport Agency
A fuel truck has collided with a building on Lower Hutt’s Rutherford Street, seriously injuring one person, RNZ understands.
Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed after the single-vehicle crash about 5.30am on Thursday.
Motorists heading into Lower Hutt cannot turn left off the Melling Bridge, police said.
Police said the bridge is expected to be closed until about 9.30am and drivers are asked to avoid the area.
Fire and Emergency told RNZ they were no longer in attendance, but they had assisted with removing the driver from the truck.
SH2 MELLING – CRASH – 6:55AM, THU 4 DEC
Due to a crash, access to and from the Melling Link Bridge is now CLOSED. Road users are advised to use an alternate route and take extra care. ^JP pic.twitter.com/JMQP2k2Our
— NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi – Wellington (@nztawgtn) December 3, 2025
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A microelectrode array covered with neurons.Bram Servais
As prominent artificial intelligence (AI) researchers eye limits to the current phase of the technology, a different approach is gaining attention: using living human brain cells as computational hardware.
But the excitement is fuelled by three converging trends.
First, venture capital is flowing into anything adjacent to AI, making speculative ideas suddenly fundable. Second, techniques for growing brain tissue outside the body have matured with the pharmaceutical industry jumping on board. Third, rapid advances in brain–computer interfaces have seen growing acceptance of technologies that blur the line between biology and machines.
But plenty of questions remain. Are we witnessing genuine breakthroughs, or another round of tech-driven hype? And what ethical questions arise when human brain tissue becomes a computational component?
What the technology actually is
For almost 50 years, neuroscientists have grown neurons on arrays of tiny electrodes to study how they fire under controlled conditions.
A newly fabricated microelectrode array. Bram Servais
By the early 2000s, researchers attempted rudimentary two-way communication between neurons and electrodes, planting the first seeds of a bio-hybrid computer. But progress stalled until another strand of research took off: brain organoids.
In 2013, scientists demonstrated that stem cells could self-organise into three-dimensional brain-like structures. These organoids spread rapidly through biomedical research, increasingly aided by “organ-on-a-chip” devices designed to mimic aspects of human physiology outside the body.
Today, using stem-cell-derived neural tissue is commonplace – from drug testing to developmental research. Yet the neural activity in these models remains primitive, far from the organised firing patterns that underpin cognition or consciousness in a real brain.
While complex network behaviour is beginning to emerge even without much external stimulation, experts generally agree that current organoids are not conscious, nor close to it.
‘Organoid intelligence’
The field entered a new phase in 2022, when Melbourne-based Cortical Labs published a high-profile study showing cultured neurons learning to play Pong in a closed-loop system.
The paper drew intense media attention – less for the experiment itself than for its use of the phrase “embodied sentience”. Many neuroscientists said the language overstated the system’s capabilities, arguing it was misleading or ethically careless.
A year later, a consortium of researchers introduced the broader term “organoid intelligence”. This is catchy and media-friendly, but it risks implying parity with artificial intelligence systems, despite the vast gap between them.
Ethical debates have also lagged behind the technology. Most bioethics frameworks focus on brain organoids as biomedical tools – not as components of biohybrid computing systems.
Meanwhile, despite front-page news in Nature, many people remain unclear about what a “living computer” actually is.
A fast-moving research and commercial landscape
Companies and academic groups in the United States, Switzerland, China and Australia are racing to build biohybrid computing platforms.
Swiss company FinalSpark already offers remote access to its neural organoids. Cortical Labs is preparing to ship a desktop biocomputer called CL1. Both expect customers well beyond the pharmaceutical industry – including AI researchers looking for new kinds of computing system.
The coming years will determine whether organoid intelligence transforms computing or becomes a short-lived curiosity. At present, claims of intelligence or consciousness are unsupported. Today’s systems display only simple capacity to respond and adapt, not anything resembling higher cognition.
More immediate work focuses on consistently reproducing prototype systems, scaling them up, and finding practical uses for the technology.
Several teams are exploring organoids as an alternative to animal models in neuroscience and toxicology.
Much of what makes the field compelling – and unsettling – is the broader context.
As billionaires such as Elon Musk pursue neural implants and transhumanist visions, organoid intelligence prompts deep questions.
What counts as intelligence? When, if ever, might a network of human cells deserve moral consideration? And how should society regulate biological systems that behave, in limited ways, like tiny computers?
The technology is still in its infancy. But its trajectory suggests that conversations about consciousness, personhood and the ethics of mixing living tissue with machines may become pressing far sooner than expected.
Bram Servais formerly worked for Cortical Labs but holds no shared patents or stock and has severed all financial ties.
Myanmar’s military regime has announced elections will be held in three phases, starting on December 28 and concluding in January.
Two outcomes are certain: first, the military-aligned party will be recorded as winning and, second, the government in exile – the National Unity Government – will fade even further into the background.
In the close to five years since the military seized power in February 2021, the country has been engulfed in a civil war, with the military pitted against People’s Defence Forces and numerous ethnic armed organisations. Thousands of resistance protestors, fighters and politicians, including President Win Myint and the ever-popular leader Aung San Suu Kyi, remain imprisoned.
The military controls the levers of government and holds all the major population centres. But its brutal air, artillery and drone attacks have failed to crush the resistance. The resistance has captured large swathes of territory, restricting the upcoming elections to only 274 of the nation’s 330 townships (constituencies).
Inside and outside the country, the elections are seen as a sham. The military-stacked Union Election Commission has deregistered political parties for failing to meet criteria it has set, such as having a certain number of party members or offices. It has also dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.
Citizens criticising the election on social media have been sentenced for up to seven years in prison with hard labour. For some offences, the death penalty applies.
The elections are an attempt to gain the legitimacy, at home and abroad, that currently eludes the military regime. They are designed to demonstrate authority and give an impression of effective control. By simulating compliance with international democratic norms, the regime hopes to promote a sense of normalcy, consolidate power and open the door to greater international engagement, all the while preserving the status quo.
The National Unity Government living in exile and a myriad of its international supporters are calling on the international community to not send election observers. Instead, they want the world to denounce the sham election.
ASEAN leaders are insisting that a cessation of violence and inclusive political dialogue precede elections. They have rebuffed an invitation to send observers.
The best the regime could hope for is that some individual ASEAN member states join Russia and Belarus in sending observers. However Thailand, the most ambivalent ASEAN member, which has argued the election should serve as a foundation for a sustainable peace process, is now saying it will be difficult for ASEAN re-engage with Myanmar. China is believed to be supportive of elections, but has not committed publicly to sending observers.
Continued Western ostracism won’t matter to the junta, for whom regional legitimacy is more important than either domestic or Western legitimacy.
Neighbouring countries are concerned about peace and stability on their borders, high levels of irregular migration, the impact of unregulated mining that pollutes rivers flowing through their countries, the flourishing production and trade in heroin and methamphetamine, and the proliferation of cyber scam centres enslaving and defrauding their citizens.
Citizens of these countries demand their governments address these issues, and the elections will make contact with the regime more defensible. It won’t be a case, as it was before, of competing views on whether engagement or isolation is the better way to bring about reform in Myanmar.
This time, there will be no delusions about reform. Rather, neighbours will be concerned with their national interest agenda, and will ride out any accusations of appeasement and complicity in atrocity crimes. After all, authoritarian elections and dealing with authoritarian regimes is not unusual in Southeast Asia.
It would be a mistake to see the elections in 2025–26 as a re-run of the 2010 elections. Those elections were held under the 2008 constitution, which ushered in a reformist government led by a former general.
The elections will not be a transition to civilian or parliamentary rule. Nor will they be an exit ramp for coup leader Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. To ensure his own safety, he will want to remain in a role where the apparatus of the state will protect, not prosecute, him.
The elections will be a sham, but they will usher in changes to the military line-up. The current commander will no doubt become president and choose a compliant military officer as his replacement as commander-in-chief. The parliament will be dominated by the military and military-aligned parties.
In the immediate aftermath of the election, it will be hard to see any change in the fear and violence that are the tools of choice for regime survival.
However, under Myanmar’s tattered constitution, the military commander is not answerable to any civilian authority, even the president. Min Aung Hlaing’s replacement might at some point become his own man and favour a negotiated end to the conflict.
That is, the elections open the possibility of some diffusion of power. Although this seems unlikely now, it may be better to have this (albeit remote) possibility rather than no election and a continuation of the status quo – a brutal military dictatorship and relentless war of attrition.
The National Unity Government in exile needs to engage with the reality that elections will be held, bringing the junta greater regional engagement, rather than wishing for some imagined day of meaningful international support. Otherwise, it could fade even further into the background.
Nicholas Coppel is affiliated with the Australia Myanmar Institute, a not-for-profit group, and is a former Australian ambassador to Myanmar.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Medical Science & Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute; Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney
Summer’s here and after a wet spring in many parts of Australia, mosquitoes are out in force. Insect repellent has become a routine requirement for time outdoors.
But how safe are they? And do we really need them?
The swelling and itchiness usually resolves in a few days. But scratching can result in secondary infection, especially for young children, if dirt and germs from underneath the fingernails get into the sore.
A mosquito bite can also cause disease. Not all diseases are life-threatening but they can be severely debilitating.
These diseases are a risk in most parts of Australia. Even cooler regions such as Victoria and Tasmania have mosquito-borne diseases which can be seriously debilitating.
Australian health authorities regularly review the recommendations for insect repellent use. But the range of formulations filling our supermarket shelves can change from summer to summer.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) assesses insect repellents for their safety and effectiveness. Packaging should clearly display an APVMA registration number, along with directions for safe use and any required warnings, on their label.
Products sold as mosquito repellents in Australia must be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology & University of Sydney), CC BY
What’s in popular mozzie repellents?
The most widely available active ingredients are diethyltoluamide (DEET), picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE).
Research and reviews from scientists and health authorities show mosquito repellents are a safe and effective way to prevent mosquito bites if used as recommended.
Scientists investigate each active ingredient to determine whether it’s safe. DEET has been the subject of many studies. Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus haven’t been used for as long and haven’t been as thoroughly studied as DEET, but remain among those recommended by health authorities in Australia and overseas.
However, even if a product has been deemed safe, it is important to follow the directions for use on label. There will always be a risk if products are ingested in large quantities or intentionally misused.
What about babies and young children?
Most mosquito repellent formulations in Australia are registered for use on children over 12 months of age, although not all formulations list a specific age restriction.
International studies have shown that DEET and picaridin are safe for children. Recommended age limits for some mosquito repellents vary between countries and product type. In the United States, for example, there is no age limit for the use of DEET, while oil of eucalyptus is recommended only for children over three.
A 2024 study reviewing reports of adverse outcomes from mosquito repellent use concluded DEET was the preferred insect repellent for children, as it was the safest and offered long-lasting protection against biting mosquitoes when used as directed. The researchers noted other active ingredients may provide similar protections but more assessments were required to determine their safety.
Mosquito bites can be annoying but also lead to illness. A/Prof Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology & University of Sydney)
Tips for parents of babies and young children
Always be guided by the current recommendations of the APVMA and limit the use of DEET-based repellent from 12 months. Check the label before using mosquito repellent on children.
When you’re applying repellent, ideally apply it to your hands, then rub it on their skin. If you’re using a spray, apply it carefully and never directly onto a child’s face.
Unlike sunscreens, which have a SPF rating, there isn’t a single measure with which to compare the different formulations of mosquito repellents and their effectiveness.
“Heavy duty” or “tropical strength” formulations often contain the same active ingredients as those known as “kid friendly”, but in higher doses that last longer.
Lower concentrations still offer good mosquito bite protection, they just need to reapplied more often.
The secret to getting the best protection is to ensure mosquito repellents are applied correctly. Whether you use a cream, lotion, gel, roll-on, pump-spray or aerosol, make sure all exposed skin is covered. Reapply after swimming, sweaty exercise, or if it has rubbed off.
Cameron Webb and the Department of Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology and University of Sydney, have been engaged by a wide range of insect repellent and insecticide manufacturers to provide testing of products and provide expert advice on medically important arthropods, including mosquitoes. Cameron has also received funding from local, state and federal agencies to undertake research into various aspects of mosquito and mosquito-borne disease management.
Around Australia, music festival season is once again kicking into high gear. Yet behind every headline act is a vast and often invisible workforce of stage crew, sound engineers, lighting techs, riggers, truck drivers, backup singers, dancers and other support staff.
Many of these workers endure precarious conditions – dealing with inconsistent contracts, long hours and excessive travel. These issues aren’t confined to Australia’s arts scene, it’s a similarstory around much of the world.
It’s a multifaceted problem, with no easy solutions. But an emerging influence – led by global artists such as Taylor Swift – could help move things in the right direction.
A workforce under strain
Recent assessments of Australia’s live music workforce paint a troubling picture.
A 2024 report from not-for-profit organisation CrewCare surveyed 292 members and found 45% of crew reported working excessive hours, while 53% said their hours prevented a healthy work-life balance.
It found 47% of respondents relied on income earned outside the industry just to make ends meet.
Behind the scenes of Australia’s arts scene is a huge – but often unseen – workforce. Arthur Debons/Unsplash
A separate recent survey of more than 550 musicians by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, the union representing music industry workers, found half of them earned less than A$6,000 in 2023.
And a federal government-led study released earlier this year found problems with labour shortages, untrained staff managing dangerous equipment, and increasing reliance on “amateurs” and interns – all of which weaken safety and professional standards.
In short, the “machine” behind live music is under strain, and too often the people powering it are undervalued.
The ‘Taylor Swift effect’
Charities such as Support Act and CrewCare highlight the often ignored workforce of production crew and are advocating for fairer conditions.
But could artists themselves now be playing an increasing role?
Consider Taylor Swift. Headlines about her recent global Eras Tour highlighted not only record-setting ticket sales, but also her decision to distribute very large bonuses to her crew.
Swift reportedly awarded US$197 million (about A$300 million) in bonuses to lighting and sound technicians, caterers, dancers, security personnel and others at the end of the tour.
On earlier tour legs, she reportedly gave bonuses of US$100,000 (about A$150,000) each to her production truck drivers.
Such gestures do more than reward the team. They send a clear message that the labour behind the tour matters centrally to the business of the star.
Putting wellbeing first
When a big artist publicly values their entourage, it changes expectations. When fans observe how how supporting artists and crews are treated by a star like Swift, promoters and partners feel pressure to match standards, and emerging artists may adopt different norms.
It isn’t just Swift. Signs are emerging internationally that other major artists are beginning to lead on crew wellbeing.
Beyoncé’s tours have incorporated increased wellness resources for support artists and crew, signalling a shift in touring logistics toward increased care.
For her Renaissance World Tour in 2023, this reportedly included banning alcohol and drugs and having the crew undergo “MeToo” background checks for any prior sexual misconduct allegations.
Reliance on internships and volunteers
A related but often overlooked issue is the reliance on unpaid internships and student volunteers behind many live-music events.
Young people often fill roles in production assistance, stage management and technical support under the promise of “experience”. In Australia, 26% of festival staff are unpaid volunteers.
Yet such arrangements can perpetuate low levels of pay, unstable pathways and workforce casualisation. When superstars treat their own paid crew well, but those on the periphery remain unpaid or undervalued, inequality remains.
The festival labour shortages in Australia – often filled by volunteers and unpaid interns – reveal both structural risk and ethical gaps.
With the festival calendar heating up, the Australian music scene has a window of opportunity. Artists, promoters and venues can adopt a model of valuing the entire team.
When an act arrives and publicly says “we support our performing artists and crew, they’re paid, they’re rested, they’re valued”, it gives a competitive edge and moral capital.
It also builds sustainability as a result of fewer burnout resignations, richer talent pipelines in regional areas, safer operations and stronger reputation.
The live music industry has long been powered by invisible labour. But when someone like Swift uses her platform to reward that labour visibly, it shifts norms.
That ripple can reach Australia’s festivals, crew training programs and production companies. If more artists, promoters and fans begin to see crew wellbeing as integral to the show, then the labour behind the magic might finally get the recognition – and conditions – it deserves.
Scott Harrison receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Deanna Grant-Smith and Jessica O’Bryan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
I was recently watching a scene from the 2025 film Weapons for a monograph I’m writing and noticed a familiar sound: a low, unsettling drone as a character walks down a hallway.
It’s the same kind of sound used in recent horror films such as Together (2025). You can also hear it throughout the trailer for the 2025 film Shelby Oaks, where sound throbs like an invisible threat.
We never see what’s making this sound or where it comes from within the film’s world, which only makes it more disturbing.
It’s become so common that, in The Filmmaker’s Guide to Horror, Danny Draven advises aspiring directors that if a terrified character is creeping through, for example, a dingy basement, they can create atmosphere with “a low drone or rumble”, and so on. “You can be very creative with these situations”, he writes.
This approach is now so embedded in the genre that film scholar William Whittington argues horror uses music and sound effects “far more aggressively and conceptually” than any other genre.
So why do horror films sound like this?
From silence to sound
Horror existed well before synchronised sound arrived in the late 1920s. Films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922), made during the German Expressionist period, unsettled audiences through distorted sets, eerie lighting and stylised acting.
Once Hollywood transitioned to sound, the horror genre as we know it took shape.
Dracula (1930) and Frankenstein (1931) marked the true beginning of modern horror. Both were cheaply made and contained no musical score. They relied entirely on diegetic sound – the creak of a door, a scream, a character’s footsteps.
As sound technology improved and budgets increased, non-diegetic music (sound not originating in the story world) began to be used more often. This introduced an ongoing tension in horror sound: objective realism versus subjective emotional perspective.
Too early!
The origin of horror films is linked to the origin of cinema itself. According to legend, at the premiere of the Lumière brothers’ 1895 film The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, audiences panicked, ducking and fleeing as the train on screen seemed to surge toward them.
The film isn’t a horror movie, but the reaction resembles the kind of startled fear horror aims to provoke.
Early audiences had not yet learned how to watch films – when the train appeared too suddenly coming at them, their bodies reacted before their minds could catch up.
This “too early” sensation – events occurring before we are ready for them – became a defining feature of horror.
In Cat People (1942), often cited as the first true jump scare, a young woman walks alone at night, hearing what she believes is a stalking presence. When the sound of a bus suddenly hisses into the scene, it startles both her and the audience.
The scare works not because of what we see, but because the sound arrives too soon, breaking the tension in a shock of noise – a modern echo of that onrushing Lumière train.
Film theorist Linda Williams describes horror as structured around the anxiety of not being ready, the problem of things happening “too early”.
Where melodrama deals in tragic lateness – arriving too late to save someone – horror delivers the opposite: the terror of being unprepared.
Music that stings
Sounds that arrive too early are not limited to horror. Classical Hollywood frequently used the “stinger”: a sudden burst of music to underline a dramatic moment.
In Ben-Hur (1959), when Judah declares to Messala, “I am against you,” a sharp orchestral shock of brass and strings announces the rupture between the two friends.
In 1960, Psycho changed the function of the musical stinger forever.
In the famous shower scene, Bernard Herrmann’s shrieking violins don’t highlight a plot point – they stab. The music becomes the attack. Audiences were stunned, not only because of the brutal sound but because the protagonist was killed so early in the film.
From that moment, horror split into classical and modern eras. Stingers in films like Halloween (1978) signal the killer’s sudden, unexpected entry from an offscreen space. The shock is now the point.
By the late 20th century, sound had become horror’s most powerful tool.
The power of the off-screen
After Psycho, stronger sound technology allowed horror to exploit the off-screen space more fully. The boundary between sound and music blurred: a low drone or rumble might be musical, or it might be part of the film world.
Draven gives another tip to aspiring horror filmmakers:
[it is] often what is happening off screen that can be the scariest – and great, well-planned sound design can take us there.
The first half of Jaws (1975) remains so terrifying because, though we hardly see the shark, its presence is rendered through music – we feel what we cannot locate.
Jump scares increased dramatically in the post-Psycho era.
Paul Schrader’s remake of Cat People in 1982 contains eight jump scares compared to only two in the 1942 original. On the website Where’s The Jump?, the vast majority of films listed in the “High Jump Scare Movies” category are from the 21st century. None were released before the 1980s.
This reflects the “hypersensationalisation” of post-Psycho horror – a genre now driven by sound as much as image.
Contemporary horror still relies on the same principles: anxiety thrives not in what we can see, but in what we can’t.
Low drones, off-screen noises and sudden stingers all work by activating our imagination before we’re ready – inviting us to anticipate the moment when we’ll inevitably think, once again, “too early!”
Will Jeffery 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.
Emergency services rushed to the campground in Dudding Lake on Wednesday after a tornado ripped through it at 12.36pm.
A fire truck was sent to the scene alongside ambulance staff who assessed four patients.
The campground’s caretaker, Lance Phillips, told Morning Report the man, Bill, was having a coffee with him just minutes before returning to his caravan and the tornado ripping through.
The weather was “quite fine” until it came over “really black” and a rumbling sound began, Phillips said.
“There was just this rumble … you could hear it before it hit. Then all hell broke loose,” he said.
“There was just this rumble, I suppose you could call it a rumble, you could hear it before it hit and then all hell broke loose. It’s really hard to describe, it’s just something out of the blue, it just hit. Like I said, all hell broke loose, chaos struck.”
Phillips said he was called by another camper who told him there was some damage in the campground and he was “dumbfounded” at the destruction that had occurred when he managed to get down there.
Trees fell from the tornado.Supplied / Rangitikei District Council
He said Bill was sitting in his caravan at the time the tornado hit, causing the vehicle to flip twice. Bill crawled out a window, dazed, before being taken to hospital.
Phillips said he was back at the campground now but had not had any sleep.
“He’s going to be traumatised for a little bit and I don’t blame him.
Phillips said he was “coming right” and he had a lot of support around him, but it would play on his mind for some time.
The weather was still “pretty gusty” but nothing like yesterday.
“I can handle this wind,” he said, “I couldn’t handle that tornado”.
The rain radar as of 6am Thursday morning.Supplied / Metservice
Heavy rain and powerful winds swept through Te Ika-a-Māui overnight.
MetService says the wettest areas included parts of Tai Rāwhiti, including Wharerata which has seen 57 millimetres of rain fall over the past 12 hours.
Rain is continuing to fall in Gisborne which has seen downpours of almost 40mm.
Strong gusts have also jolted exposed parts of Northland, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Waiarapa and Wellington.
A much more settled day of weather today for most of us. However, still a windy one up the east coast this morning. https://t.co/4ELbMjDO7A
Applications for information about a partner’s history of violence have fallen by nearly 75 percent in the last five years.123RF
A UK criminologist is labelling New Zealand’s scheme to allow the disclosure of a partner’s history of violence as a missed opportunity to protect vulnerable people from family harm.
Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou’s report has shown applications for information from police under the Family Violence Information Disclosure Scheme (FVIDS) had fallen by nearly 75 percent in the last five years.
Police said they were considering improvements to the scheme in response to the report.
Clare Wood’s murder inspired disclosure schemes across the globe
The then-National government put the scheme in place in 2015.
FVIDS was designed to allow people – concerned for their own or their family’s safety – to be made aware of a person’s history of family violence.
Police officers could also instigate disclosure to a person of concern using the scheme.
It followed similar initiatives in England and Wales, which were put in place in response to the murder of Clare Wood by her ex-partner – a man known to police as a dangerous and serial offender – in 2009.
Hadjimatheou, a researcher for Essex University, had been canvassing disclosure schemes across the globe for nearly six years.
She said police often knew a lot about the dangers presented by perpetrators of domestic abuse – because they were serial offenders.
“But somebody who is in a relationship with that person very well may not. Or – if they are familiar with elements of that history – it’s likely to have been twisted into a self-serving narrative by the perpetrator,” Hadjimatheou said.
Hadjimatheou said New Zealand’s scheme was being hamstrung by a lack of awareness, an overly complicated application process, strict eligibility criteria and a focus on protecting privacy.
“It’s not only that it’s not being used, but it’s in serious decline. Compared to other countries the disclosure scheme is used much, much less relative to the population. And when there is an attempt to use it, it’s not very successful,” Hadjimatheou said.
Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou’s report ‘The New Zealand Family Violence Information Disclosure Scheme Study’ shows use of the scheme has declined by nearly 75 percent since 2020.Supplied
She said – despite most applications being instigated by police – only 22.5 percent were approved.
Hadjimatheou said when victims and family violence support workers attempted to apply for the information, they were being turned away by police who seemed unaware of the scheme’s existence.
“The police officer at the desk is saying ‘I have literally no idea what you’re talking about’. They will go to the website and the officer will say, ‘I’m really sorry, I have know idea, I don’t know where to find the forms. Let me get a pen and paper and write some things down’ and that’s in the best case scenario. In the more typical scenario they’ll be told to go away and just to Google their partner,” Hadjimatheou said.
Have you applied for information using FVIDS? Email Bill.Hickman@rnz.co.nz
Hadjimatheou said the panel tasked with approving applications consisted primarily of a senior police officer and a legal advisor.
One officer interviewed for the report described how the police focus on reducing risk of family harm was regularly overridden by privacy concerns and the risk of litigation following a disclosure.
“It sits in law designed to protect the privacy of civilians against other civilians and against the state. The whole process for making a disclosure is seen through that lens unfortunately. It is a hugely sceptical lens, ‘Why do you want this information, what do you want it for?’ and the bar is very high for police to persuade the panel that authorises disclosures that this is not a violation of privacy.
“So the process becomes a legal process designed to protect the police against litigation by perpetrators of domestic abuse unhappy that their criminal histories have been shared,” Hadjimatheou said.
There was no online portal to enable people to apply for the scheme – subsequently a successful disclosure process could require up to three visits – in person – to police.
FVIDS process can add to victim’s risk
Principal policy advisor for the Women’s Refuge Natalie Thorburn said victims should never be expected to put immense effort into a process that is likely to be unsuccessful.
“For every time that they do it, it’s more likely to be detected by the person who might be monitoring their behaviour and their actions and their locations. Taking that action – in of itself – is a risk so what the outcome is will either make things worse or make things better. If most of the applications are being declined then overall it’s making things worse,” Thorburn said.
Dr Hadjimatheou’s report was published and supplied to police in June.
Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou’s report ‘The New Zealand Family Violence Information Disclosure Scheme Study’ shows use of the scheme has declined by nearly 75 percent since 2020.Supplied
Police respond to report
National manager of family harm prevention, Inspector Natasha Allan said the annual Family Harm Co-ordinator’s Course had been enhanced in response to the report.
She said the 250 people taking the course – from police and community agencies – would now gain a clear understanding of the purpose, processes, and benefits of the disclosure scheme.
Allan said police were establishing a working group to review the report’s recommendations and were considering a plan to improve their response to applications.
“FVIDS is a tool that puts potentially life-saving information in the hands of those at risk. But we acknowledge people can’t use it if they don’t know it exists. This research will help us strengthen how and when we use the scheme,” Allan said.
Proposed improvements included allowing online applications, increasing awareness of the scheme among police as well as those in the community working with families and reviewing the structure of the panel which assessed applications.
Allan said any improvements should begin to be put in place early next year.
Where to get help:
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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Another impressive performance by captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright has given the Breakers their second successive win in the NBL and edged them closer to a place in the final of the Ignite Cup.
Jackson-Cartwright hit 24 points as the Breakers beat the Sydney Kings 95-90 in Hamilton.
The Kings were up by as many as ten points in the third quarter before Jackson-Cartwright made his mark.
He hit a three just inside half-court on three quarter-time to bring the Breakers back within six and then in the last minute hit the game clinching three which kept them top of the in-season Ignite Cup tournament.
Coach Petteri Koponen admits they gave away too many turnovers in the first half, but fortunately his captain came to the rescue in the second half.
“Parker first half he was in a bit of foul trouble and was resting, but second half he took over and won us the game, an unbelievable performance,” Koponen said.
Twenty-one of Jackson-Cartwright’s 24 points came after half time including six three-pointers.
The Breakers were without the injured Izayah Le’Afa and his replacement Tai Webster is not yet available to play.
Karim Lopez had 18 points and six rebounds, while Izaiah Brockington had 17 points.
Lopez, 18, who is projected to be an NBA lottery pick, had Charlotte Hornets scouts on hand to watch him.
The Breakers sit seventh in the NBL standings with six wins and 10 losses.
The Breakers return to Auckland for the first time in over a month to host the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday in what is their last home game until early January.
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One person is seriously injured following a crash in Lower Hutt.
Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed as a result of the single-vehicle crash that occurred around 5.30am on Thursday.
Police said the road is expected to be closed “for some time” and motorists are asked to avoid the area.
Motorists heading into Lower Hutt cannot turn left off the Melling Bridge, police said.
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A new report from recruitment website Seek showed 64 percent were happy at work, unchanged from the year before, with 12 percent saying they were unhappy.
Other top reasons included people were happy where they worked, the people they worked with, and work-life balance, but that was tempered by concerns about job security and some dissatisfaction with direct line managers.
Seek country manager Rob Clark said the maintenance of happiness was encouraging even with tough economic times.
“What stands out is that even with these pressures, New Zealand workers remain remarkably resilient and clear about what matters most.”
However, he said a mixed bag of factors affected sentiment, with more than a third least happy with career progression, and less than half content with company commitment to ESG (environment, sustainability, governance), salary, stress and senior leadership.
Clark said employers and senior managers should be aware of the changing factors in workplace mood.
“Happier employees are more likely to be engaged and productive, and far less likely to be looking for another role. By focusing on wellbeing, purpose and supportive management, employers can make a meaningful difference to how people feel at work.”
Gen Z least happy
The least happy group at work was Generation Z (those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) with 58 percent saying they were happy, up from 45 percent in the previous survey.
Notably 40 percent of Gen Z workers dreaded going to work, were more likely to feel burnt out and exhausted.
Clark said Gen Z workers were most likely to have just joined the workforce and be at the bottom of the employment ladder and pay scale.
But the survey showed satisfaction among them for ESG issues, recognition, and feeling listened to or valued.
“In many instances they’re probably being asked to go the extra mile because of the current tough conditions and there’s less resource to go around … and that cohort is most likely to feel the cost of living pressures.”
Clark said the survey did not go into whether economic good times made for happier workplaces, but he suspected it probably did.
“I would say yes, simply because if we’re seeing wage growth and people are getting paid more over time then there’s more resources, and roles and responsibilities they have are a little better, their work is more enjoyable and that drives happiness.”
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New Zealand F1 driver Liam Lawson.MPS AGENCY / PHOTOSPORT
Analysis: New Zealand driver Liam Lawson can probably afford to sit back and take a couple of deep breaths following the 2025 Formula 1 season, but he won’t have long to relax.
If the 23-year-old thought he was under pressure in his first full season in the sport’s elite competition, the intensity will climb to another level next season.
Lawson’s job is far from secure even in 2026.
Red Bull have not revealed the length of the new contracts for Lawson, Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad, while Max Verstappen’s deal runs until the end of the 2028 championship.
It is likely that Lawson is on a one-year deal again, meaning he has to more than prove himself to stay beyond the end of next year.
He is now also the senior driver at Racing Bulls and therefore needs to be the one leading the team on the points table, anything less and his Formula 1 career will be over.
“Liam Lawson has got to get a result next year,” F1 commentator Alex Jacques said following the Red Bull driver line-up announcement.
“It is really well put from Alan Permane, (Racing Bulls team principal) peaks and troughs will not cut it in a second full season.
“He is going to have to find consistency that is higher and make the most of this brilliant opportunity that has been given to him.”
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson of Visa Cash App RB F1 Team.Eric Alonso / PHOTOSPORT
Red Bull obviously see something in Lawson and they are now hoping to nurture it.
“Liam is talented, he’s very talented, and my mission will be to get him to operate at the level he can operate at when things are all working for him,” Permane told F1.
“In some of the most difficult situations we’ve had this year such as Vegas Qualifying or Baku Qualifying, he’s excelled – and he’s having some really strong races. I know he’s capable of that and he knows he’s capable of that and I just want to work with him to get him at that level every single time he goes in the car.”
Lawson struggled early on in 2025 driving the first two rounds with Red Bull before being demoted to Racing Bulls.
It wasn’t until the eighth round in Monaco that he picked up his first points and while he finished fifth in Azerbaijan and sixth in Austria, there were plenty of times where he was unable to make an impression on the top ten.
That won’t be acceptable in 2026, but what car Racing Bulls is able to produce next year will be a key.
New regulations come into force with the cars smaller and lighter with different aerodynamics and there will be an increase in electrification in the power unit.
Commentators are expecting the Mercedes powered cars (Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Alpine) to get up to speed quickly in 2026 but there is a question mark surrounding Red Bull who will leave Honda and will produce their own power units with the help of Ford.
It is also worth noting that Red Bull kept Yuki Tsunoda on as their test and reserve driver for 2026 meaning they have someone who is capable of stepping back into one of their cars at short notice if any of the other three (Hadjar, Lawson and Linblad) have any problems.
Liam Lawson during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix in Doha.AFP
The championship will be decided this weekend in Abu Dhabi with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri all in contention.
For Lawson it is another opportunity to pick up points and thank the bosses for putting faith in him.
“I’m very excited to finish off the season in Abu Dhabi, after a strong finish in the points at the weekend.
“It’s a hugely enjoyable track which I raced at for the first time in Formula One back in 2021.
“We had strong race pace in Qatar, which we hope to take into the final race as we continue our fight for P6 in the Constructors’.”
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Heavy rain and powerful winds swept through Te Ika-a-Māui overnight.
MetService says the wettest areas included parts of Tai Rāwhiti, including Wharerata which has seen 57 millimetres of rain fall over the past 12 hours.
Rain is continuing to fall in Gisborne which has seen downpours of almost 40mm.
Strong gusts have also jolted exposed parts of Northland, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Waiarapa and Wellington.
Winds of 142 kilometres an hour have been felt at Cape Turnagin.
“Many parts of Northland copped winds of over 100km/h,” Metservice said.
The strong wind watch for the upper North Island is due to expire at 7am, and Wairarapa’s at 8am.
A much more settled day of weather today for most of us. However, still a windy one up the east coast this morning. https://t.co/4ELbMjDO7A
Health New Zealand has confirmed five new cases of measles.123rf
A paediatrician is worried that a new wave of measles cases means the disease is spreading undetected.
Health New Zealand (HNZ) confirmed five new cases on Wednesday – one person in Dunedin, one in Waikato and three people in Auckland.
It said it brought the number of reported infections since 8 October to 27, with 22 people no longer infectious, and expected there could be more.
The new cases were as yet unlinked to others, with HNZ’s public health medicine specialist Dr Matt Reid saying they were currently being investigated to establish any links to previous reports or locations of interest.
Chairperson of the Immunisation Taskforce Dr Owen Sinclair said the new cases were concerning, as measles was a deadly disease.
“We should be really worried, as I think this is a sign that this is spreading.
“This would be highly unlikely to be spontaneous international visitors [that’s] occurring, this is transmission that’s happening within our community.”
It was fortunate that sick children weren’t flooding hospitals, he said, but he maintained it was only a matter of time if the spread continued.
“There is no specific cure for measles once you get it, so the only way to stop the spread is to ensure that we have extremely high rates of measles vaccination.”
Sinclair said if cases were being seen in highly vaccinated populations, the spread could just fizzle out, but cases in Waikato and Auckland were a worry.
“The last outbreak was centred in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) – it started in west Auckland and then moved to south Auckland so those populations are vulnerable.
“And there are also high numbers of, particularly Māori, in Waikato that have very low rates of immunisations.
“It’s a great concern, we really don’t want it affecting those populations.”
Dr Nikki Turner, Immunisation Advisory Centre principle medical advisor, said while disappointing, the new cases were unsurprising.
“It’s not totally unpredictable, but it’s a bit of a bummer.
“The health services have put a huge amount of effort into trying to contact trace around the previous cases, but of course you have to wait for the next two weeks, the next four weeks to check that they haven’t infected somebody else.”
Turner said the spread was likely driven by domestic and overseas travel.
“I think the general problem is that New Zealanders travel, and we travel a lot.
“So these cases could either be new ones that have come in internationally – because there’s a lot of measles internationally – or they’re just caught from people travelling around the country who were unaware they were incubating measles.”
She said children were at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill with measles, so the priority was to raise vaccination rates in young children and infants.
But she said there were also unknown numbers of mid-life adults who missed out on being immunised when they were younger.
“It’s a call to action for everyone.
“If you’re not sure you’ve had two vaccines and you’re under the age of about mid-50s, then go and check. Basically, we’re all just travelling around a lot and you can carry this virus before you know you’ve got it and you can spread it.
“It is so virulent.”
Sinclair urged people to view vaccination as positive.
“Please just make a little bit of effort to do it. You could save your life, your child’s life, and someone else’s life.”
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Wild deer can be found in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand on public conservation land and private property.Supplied
In a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winning.
It’s nearly 100 years since deer were first declared a pest in New Zealand and we are no closer to coming up with a resolution, says hunter and conservationist John Bissell.
While we procrastinate and argue, the ngahere is suffering, he says.
“There’s a wide range of views on deer, in particular, from absolute hatred to highly valued,” says Bissell. “No matter what people like myself say, we’re going to upset or offend somebody or some people.”
There are estimates of 1.8 million deer across the country. They cost farms hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and repair bills every year and they are now invading the most precious corners of our native bush.
Bissell runs Backblocks Environmental Management in Wairarapa, specialising in pest and predator control. He says he’s increasingly getting calls from farmers to control the deer on their farms.
“It’s hitting them in the back pocket more and more on a larger and larger number of properties around the country,” he says.
Until now, deer have been “totally mismanaged” and the only way to bring them under control is for people with different interests and different solutions to work together, he says.
‘Every landowner has a responsibility’
Today The Detail looks at the decades-long debate on deer control, new measures by the government to work with interested parties, and the controversial legislation that would see some deer breeds protected and managed.
Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins says the explosion in numbers has not been helped by a slump in venison prices that put off commercial hunters.
Prices have picked up but not to the same level as the boom and bust days in the 1970s and 80s.
Dawkins has experienced the ravages of deer first hand on his farm near Blenheim, when deer ran amok through a forestry block.
“When trees are young, just been planted, they are very susceptible to browsing damage. Unfortunately we had about five hectares chewed out,” Dawkins says.
The grass was knee-high but the pests came through and picked out the seedlings.
“We had to do a full replant but that’s reflective of what I’m hearing from my Meat and Wool Council nationwide and whether it is damage to farm forestry or pastures or crops it is certainly a theme that’s been going on for a few years now,” he says.
A Federated Farmers survey found that the damage and repair costs to farms amounted to $200 million a year.
Dawkins says no solid data has been collected on deer but based on population estimates of 1.8 million, numbers need to be culled to 500,000 to 800,000.
“Everyone has a part to play in this. Pointing fingers isn’t really a pathway forward and we think every landowner has a responsibility,” he says.
‘Deer everywhere’
Cromwell journalist Jill Herron was motivated to write a series for Newsroom about pest problems in the southern region after her own experiences hunting, tramping and walking her dog.
“You just keep hearing the same thing, about the level of damage that’s happening quietly out in the bush.
“I think it doesn’t really hit you until you see it yourself.”
Herron’s noticed a significant increase in numbers in the last 10 years around the Southern Lakes and Southland.
“Deer everywhere,” she says, from the backcountry to the outskirts of towns.
“Where I live in Central Otago I see deer pretty much every second day when I walk my dog down the river or on the council reserve.”
She says that the biggest concern that shocked her was the damage to native bush that leads to canopy collapse, when deer strip out the understorey of native forest so there is nothing left for the birds to eat or for insects to live in.
“What it means is that the whole forest falls down and dies.”
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Associate Education Minister David Seymour.RNZ / Mark Papalii
The Education Ministry says the English and maths curriculums introduced by primary schools this year have had a bigger impact than expected.
Appearing before Parliament’s Education and Workforce Select Committee, the ministry’s chief executive, Ellen MacGregor-Reid, said she was thrilled for children.
“The results have exceeded my expectations. We’d been working for some time on structured literacy as an approach, we’d identified for some time we had issues in mathematics teaching. The investment that has been made in recent years has outstripped my expectations in terms of what we are now seeing coming through for children,” she said.
Asked why it did not move faster, she said: “We took a while working with people, working with the sector getting buy-in. My reflection in hindsight is while that worked, a short amount of time in the life of an adult is a long time in the life of a child. So that’s my overall reflection is we need to get the right balance between getting changes to occur in the classroom but making it manageable for the teachers and leaders.”
Asked if introducing the new primary school English and maths curriculums quickly had been the right decision, MacGregor-Reid said “For maths and literacy, yes, it was the right decision and I think our teaching profession has done themselves proud”.
MacGregor-Reid said she had heard anecdotal reports of children telling their teachers and others that maths was their favourite subject.
“That’s a big thing for this country,” she said.
MacGregor-Reid held out some hope for schools and early childhood services facing big bills for cleaning up asbestos contamination from colour sand.
She said the ministry was looking at “some options” but had not made any decisions.
Questions overs free lunch scheme
Later in the hearing, Associate Education Minister David Seymour appeared before the committee and Labour Party education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime challenged him over complaints about the cut-price free school lunch scheme.
Labour Party education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“At what point after a child has been burnt, another has bitten into plastic, bugs have been served up in lunches, will you concede that this programme has been a flop,” she asked him.
“About the same time as you get an Oscar for that performance,” Seymour responded.
Prime suggested Seymour bullied people who criticised the lunch programme.
“This is supposed to be an exercise in evaluating value for taxpayer money, if you’re looking for another career as an actor then I don’t like your chances,” Seymour said.
That prompted Labour’s Phil Twyford to interject.
“Give it a rest. Jerk,” he said.
Education Minister Erica Stanford also appeared before the committee and was challenged over the government’s decision to cancel schools’ legal obligation to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi.
Education Minister Erica Stanford.RNZ / Mark Papalii
She denied the 1500 schools that had since publicly affirmed their commitment to the treaty was proof the government got it wrong.
“We always said it is up to schools if they wish to confirm that. As long as they are doing the things that we ask of them which are very clearly laid out – raise Māori achievement, offer te reo Māori, and be culturally responsive. Over and above that, if schools wish to uphold the treaty as many have reconfirmed their position, then they are free to do so,” she said.
Stanford said the government’s reforms were having a positive effect and the biggest improvements were among Māori and Pacific students.
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But there remains some bad news: Any fall in the price you see at the supermarket is not likely to be as fast, or as large, as the increase you experienced when prices were on the way up.
The price of butter has been one of the big consumer issues of this year.
In October, Stats NZ said the average price of a 500g block of butter was $8.50, up from $6.67 a year earlier and $4.83 in 2024.
But butter prices fell about 12 percent in the most recent global auction and are down a third from the peak.
Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said that meant that retail prices were likely to fall, “but likely not nearly as quickly as they went up”.
He said Stats NZ data already showed a flattening of prices. In August, 500g was $8.58.
“You’ve started to see the early effects of the price boost coming off. The difficulty is you’ll have a whole range of factors coming in there.”
He said some butter contracts would have been locked in when prices started to increase.
“They now need to get through that stock that was already in there … there will be a whole lot of contracting elements, I expect, that were in there. That’s often why you find it easier for prices to go up but not come down quite as quickly.”
Foodstuffs said that was the situation for its supermarkets. “Changes in global prices don’t flow through to the checkouts immediately. There is a lag because we lock in butter supply contracts on a quarterly basis. These help create certainty for suppliers and stability for customers, avoiding week-to-week price swings. As each contract rolls over, any shifts in commodity prices are then reflected in the prices customers see on shelf.
“The biggest part of the price customers pay at the checkout is the price we’re charged by suppliers and we work hard to buy well and run our business efficiently so we can keep prices as low as possible.”
Monika Grabkowska for Unsplash
He said New World and Pak’nSave in the North Island had been selling Pams butter at a loss for the last two-and-a-half years.
But he said there was also more dairy available now than previously, which should mean downward pressure on prices. “It’s not huge, but you are now seeing the largest increase in global dairy supply, at least from major exporters, in about three years. So there is a bit more of expansion coming through there.”
He said it would also be challenging for prices to fall because people had become accustomed to the higher price.
“So that does sort of set a bit of a new normal for what people are clearly willing to pay. I guess it depends on how much people have changed their consumption. Another data point that isn’t butter, but potentially gives you a bit of a view on it is what’s happened in the last couple of years to olive oil prices, which of course skyrocketed quite a bit.
“They’ve now started to pull back quite a bit as well, nowhere near back to what they were before the big spike, but they are definitely on the downward decline. That did seem to take quite a bit after you started to see olive oil future prices start to pull back for retail prices to then follow. And it does suggest sometimes some of the changes on the pullback side can take sort of up to six months to really start to show through just because of all of those contracts that are locked in and sort of pricing changes that will happen.”
A spokesperson for Woolworths said the global dairy trade auction was only one factor that went into the price of butter.
“We are also seeing the NZ dollar weaken versus the USD. This affects pricing as the GDT auctions are conducted in USD. These factors are reviewed quarterly by suppliers, therefore our retail price is set quarterly.
“We did see some global price relief on butter last month and this meant we could pass on lower prices to Kiwi customers across all major brand butter. We know it’s a tough time for Kiwi households and we’re working hard to keep butter prices as low as possible, for as long as possible.”
Auckland and Wellington remain the parts of the country with prices furthest from their peak – but one property investor says one is looking more undervalued than the other at the moment.
Cotality has released its latest data, which shows a 0.1 percent lift in values for New Zealand in November.
The national median now sits at $806,551, which is 17.4 percent below the early 2022 peak and only 1.1 percent higher than June 2023’s trough.
But within that data, the picture is mixed.
Auckland is 22.9 percent below its peak, down 2.2 percent year-on-year and down 0.2 percent in the month.
Hamilton is down 11.4 percent from peak but up 0.3 percent year-on-year and 0.7 percent in the month.
Tauranga is down 15.2 percent from the peak and up 1.2 percent year-on-year.
Wellington is down 25.1 percent from the peak and down 1.8 percent over a year but up 0.1 percent for the month.
Christchurch is only 3.8 percent below its peak and up 2.6 percent over a year.
Dunedin is down 10.8 percent from its price peak and up 0.2 percent in a year.
“Property values across the country were patchy over May to August as households and firms remained in a cautious mood,” Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said.
“September and October brought a few signs of life for values, but November just eased off a little bit again Clearly, the falls in mortgage rates we’ve seen lately would point to a bit more upside for property values as we get into 2026, not least because a range of housing affordability measures have also improved back closer to their long-term averages. But the subdued November property value data suggests that this process continues to take a bit of time to get started.”
He said the number of houses for sale remained higher than normal for this time of year.
“Many buyers will still be feeling that they’re in the box-seat when it comes to price negotiations. At the same time, while the economy is showing some encouraging signs, the unemployment rate is still a concern and jobs growth is yet to kick into gear. On balance, the fundamentals seem to be moving towards growth in property values next year. But right now, we remain in a holding pattern.”
Davidson said if Auckland was removed from the national figures, there would have been increases in value in recent months.
“The flatness of the national figure is sort of an Auckland story – Auckland lagging behind everyone else.”
He said November was the eighth month in a row that Auckland’s property values had declined.
“That’s after a smaller, cumulative rise of 1.6 percent in the seven months to March this year. In other words, Tāmaki Makaurau continues to lag many other parts of the country, and this is weighing on the national median. Buyer caution and a relatively high supply of property are relevant factors here,” he said.
He said economic confidence in Auckland was a bit slower to improve.
“It doesn’t have the same lift from things like farming and agriculture, it’s more service-based so that’s going to be a bit of restraint on Auckland’s housing market.
“Then also the supply factor, there’s a decent pipeline of townhouses coming on to the Auckland market – listings are still in favour of buyers… I think these things help explain the slight lag in Auckland’s market. There just seems to be a bit of a malaise around Auckland at the moment. Will we see it come back? At some stage for sure. It’s the biggest economy, it’s where a lot of job creation comes from and I guess a lot of our economic growth really through parts of the cycle. It’ll come back but it does show you that supply and demand can play a role
“And we’ve seen Christchurch over the years has had a good rise in supply, and it’s kept a bit of a lid on housing affordability or house price growth. And we’re seeing the same in Auckland now.”
He said most other main centres were up more significantly, as well as many provincial markets. “We see continued growth in Invercargill and that next tier down of towns and cities.”
Property investment coach Steve Goodey said he thought Auckland as probably undervalued.
Many Auckland properties were selling with good rental yields, he said, and falling interest rates gave investors more room to buy.
“I’m not ready to start saying there’s FOMO in the market but there’s certainly a lot of upward pressure on some properties. Well presented stuff is moving and moving quite quickly.”
He said Wellington was different.
“It’s very depressed. There are heaps of listings and rents have been dropping, they’ve stopped dropping as hard but they’ve dropped quite some way. Wellington has an awful lot of problems at the moment, there are so many issues that aren’t being addressed, aren’t being fixed, it’s creating a lot of opportunity but anyone who bought in 2021 has massively overpaid and is probably stuck with that property.
“Wellington I don’t think has been overdeveloped, it’s just been abandoned to a degree. Tourism we’re not getting any more, immigration we’re not getting any more, students we’re not getting anymore. Property is available and it’s become a buyer and renter’s market.”
Investors had started to come back into the market in the capital, he said.
