Source: Radio New Zealand

People in New Zealand with family in Sri Lanka are describing the widespread devastation caused by severe flooding from Cyclone Ditwah.

The extreme weather system has destroyed homes, leaving thousands displaced A state of emergency has also been declared.

There are also reports that entire villages have been washed away in landslides and many villages have been completely cut off.

Statistics from the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre [DMC] showed 212 people had died and 218 people were missing as of Sunday evening.

Aucklander Sachindra Amarasekara grew up in Sri Lanka and has family in Hanwella near the capital of Colombo.

“They are surrounded by flood water. Fortunately, their house itself has not been severely damaged, but they are in complete isolation.

“And also, the electricity lines are destructed [damaged], leaving them without power, and all internet connections are down due to damage to the service providers.

‘We heard reports that the flooding has affected the main water treatment plant in Colombo at the moment, which means they may soon lose access to drinking water as well, unfortunately.”

Amarasekara said it is a really hard time for many people.

“I’m very sure many people have seen their entire lives swept away in a single night. There’s a sense of helplessness, that’s what I felt from my father when I last I spoke to him.

“And also most of my friends and families, when I speak to them or when they’re receiving the text messages, I felt like they are quite feeling like hopeless.

“I’m sure many of them are mentally scattered, trying to understand what comes next.”

Amarasekara said many communities are isolated due to landslides, making it hard to get supplies and rescue teams to some areas.

“All three forces and the police are working really hard to reach the affected areas and get people out, and communities are also stepping to collect dry food and preparing warm meals to distribute.

“Unfortunately, most of the places, they can’t reach still because of the severe landslides, and also, the roads are not there some places and there is still floods going on.

“So many people trapped inside, so many people missing at the moment.” she said.

She said it is hard to see, as her country had already been through so much recently.

“I feel so sorry for my people because we’re just coming out from the economic crisis and we’re just about to stand on our own feet, and this is the worst we faced so far.

“We have faced wars, we have faced tsunamis, we have faced so many things, we lost so many people along the way.”

Amarasekara said as a nation, the country always comes back stronger but: “This is the very first time in Sri Lanka, I have seen that we are seeking for international help,” she said.

Samith Hettiarachchi lives in Mulleriyawa, and was told to evacuate, leaving everything behind, and said water would reach up to 20 feet and was rising 1 foot an hour.

Hansana Yaddehige also told RNZ his friends entire village was flooded, causing homes to collapse, power to go out, with no access to water.

Nipun Fernando said it was hard to get access to food.

“There is a shortage of grocery supply due to transportation issues. Devastation is pretty bad.

“Access to some areas totally blocked due to landslides and bridges been damaged. No more rain but as a result of all that rain rivers are overflowing, this is the worst ever flooding in the recent past,” he said.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is providing consular assistance to a family travelling in Sri Lanka.

There are 200 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel in Sri Lanka.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The death of a Dunedin woman who shot herself while deer hunting in an Otago forest was a terrible accident, a coroner has ruled.

Kate Aynsley, 48, died in Beaumont Forest’s Blue Mountains Conservation Area in June 2023 after being shot in the head by her own rifle.

In findings released on Monday, coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale said Aynsley’s gun likely went off by accident as she either fell or fumbled in steep, slippery terrain.

While no-one saw what happened, Aynsley had likely removed the safety catch while preparing to shoot a deer, the coroner found.

Aynsley had gone hunting with her fiancé but the pair had split up after hearing a buck deer barking.

Borrowdale said her body was found in an area that presented “a significant trip and slip hazard”.

She ruled out Aynsley intentionally taking her own life or any third-party involvement, saying it was a reminder to hunters to know their weapon and chamber a cartridge only when they were ready to fire.

A driven and focused mother

The report said Aynsley worked as an administrator at Target Accounting in Dunedin, where she was held in very high regard.

She had one son and was due to marry in February 2024.

Borrowdale described her as a very competent, precise and energetic person with a high level of fitness.

“She was very driven and focused, having previously become proficient at motorcycling, mountain biking and bodybuilding,” she said.

Aynsley took up hunting after meeting her fiancé four years earlier and became proficient, even publishing articles about women’s hunting, she said.

“She also participated in instructing members of the NZ Deerstalkers’ Association and mentored women’s tahr hunts,” the coroner said.

Many witnesses attested to her safety-conscious hunting methods and her fiancé confirmed she only took her firearm safety catch off when she was about to fire.

The day of the hunt

On 3 June 2023 Aynsley and her fiancé were in the Tramway Block of the Blue Mountains Conservation Area where they had won a ballot to shoot on Department of Conservation land.

Borrowdale said the area consisted of moderately steep, beech-covered hills with several streams.

Both Aynsley and her partner had previously hunted the block but not the eastern skid site where they went that day.

Aynsley had a Marlin 336 lever-action 30/30 rifle, which she had bought six months before the outing.

The pair was equipped with Garmin GPS communication devices, bum bags and packs, and were accompanied by their gun dogs.

Borrowdale said they were pursuing a buck deer when Aynsley told her fiancé she was going to wait to see what the animal did across the creek, while he moved on.

“About 20 minutes later, he heard a shot. He could see on the GPS that Ms Aynsley’s last location was 350 metres away. [He] could not get a response from Ms Aynsley on the radio, despite repeated efforts,” she said.

Aynsley’s fiancé followed her gun dog and eventually found her body 10 metres above a creek on a damp and slippery slope.

Emergency services found the gun three metres above her with the scope cover up and three rounds of ammunition in the magazine.

Aynsley’s cap was one metre away, with a gunshot wound through the right temple.

The police officer who led the scene investigation described the slope as steep and “very difficult to walk without assistance while holding onto something such as tree trunks or branches”.

Rifle could fire if hammer was knocked

Police confirmed each hunter’s movements through their GPS devices at the request of the coroner.

A police armourer also undertook ballistics analysis to determine whether and how Aynsley’s rifle could have fired accidentally.

Borrowdale said the gun was working correctly without mechanical fault and could not accidentally discharge while the safety catch was on or if it was dropped.

However, the armourer found it was possible for the rifle to accidentally discharge by a knock to the hammer with the safety catch off.

The Mountain Safety Council later found if Aynsley had sighted a deer and moved into position for a shot, she could have been reluctant to return her firearm from the “instant state” to a safe “load state” for fear of startling the animal.

The council noted that Aynsley was left-handed and the safety catch was awkwardly positioned for left-handed people.

The council also found that the safety catch could have bumped against her waist and inadvertently moved into the “fire” position if she had the rifle slung over her left shoulder, which was likely.

Three possible scenarios

Police found three possible scenarios for Aynsley’s death – two of which involved her losing her balance and one in which the hammer was knocked with enough force to fire the weapon.

Borrowdale said she had no basis for finding a most-likely scenario of the three, but was convinced Aynsleys death was accidental.

“I am persuaded by the evidence that Ms Aynsley was hunting in very difficult terrain, uneven, wet, slippery and with trip hazards in the form of roots and broken branches. Ms Aynsley was likely to have been preparing to shoot a deer and had likely removed the safety catch, which allowed for the rifle to be fired accidentally as she fell or fumbled with the weapon,” she said.

“Ms Aynsley did not intentionally take her own life and I am satisfied that there was no third-party involvement in her death.”

The coroner’s recommendations

Borrowdale urged hunters to always follow the seven basic firearms safety rules.

She said hunters should remember to chamber a cartridge only when they were ready to fire and should always have an empty chamber when crossing an obstacle of any kind, including dense bush.

“Even in a hunting area where you are expecting to see game, your firearm must be in either a ‘load state’ or an ‘unload state’ until you are ready to fire,” she said.

Hunters should also know their firearm and ensure the safety catch could not be easily switched into the “fire” position.

Borrowdale offered her condolences to Aynsley’s family and to all of those who felt her loss.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A woman whose brother was killed by a group of Mongrel Mob members says she feels revictimised, after a judge stopped her from reading out all her pre-approved victim impact statement.

Paula Beilby was not only stopped, but was also chided by Justice Mary Peters, after suggesting the defendant was given special treatment, because he had a separate trial from his nine co-accused.

“My apologies,” Beilby replied, “I’m only reading what I’ve got.”

“I don’t care what you’re reading, it’s totally unacceptable for you to say that,” the judge responded, before telling her to sit down at the back of the court.

Eventually, after a second victim impact was given by another person, the courtroom was put into chambers. When it was re-opened, Beilby was told she was not allowed back in.

The move left Beilby feeling frustrated and revictimised.

“I felt being pulled aside and made an example of… it was a bit rich, considering why we were there, and I feel like justice has not been served in this case.”

Beilby’s brother, Mitchell Te Kani, was killed, after being struck with a crowbar, during a brawl at their family home in Tauranga in 2023.

Nine people stood trial last year and were sentenced in relation to his death earlier this year.

At a separate trial, a 10th person – Hamiora William Jack-Kino – was found guilty of manslaughter, and four other charges relating to the serious assault of the victim’s brother and father.

He was tried on his own, because there was doubt over his fitness to stand trial, along with his cognitive issues, which would have caused delays, due to an increased number of breaks required each day.

He was then deemed mentally fit and given a communication assistant throughout his trial, which was held in the High Court at Rotorua earlier this year.

‘I feel we’ve been further victimised’

Beilby was the first of two people to read a victim impact statement at Jack-Kino’s sentencing in the High Court at Hamilton on 16 October.

After Justice Peters invited Beilby up to the front of the court to read it, she told the judge she wanted to read the parts that had been redacted before the hearing.

“I felt the whole justice system… and the way it’s worked, it’s just further victimised our whole family,” she told the judge, explaining why she had wanted to read the unredacted version. “I felt it was just something that needed to be said, that wraps up the whole of the trial and what we’ve gone through.”

Justice Peters then explained to her how victim impact statements were permitted under the Victims’ Rights Act.

“It’s got very clear controls on what can be said and what cannot, and I’m not in charge of that. I can tell you what the law is, but I don’t make it.

“If the redactions were made, they weren’t made by me, but they will have been made because that’s what needed to happen if they were to be read.”

Justice Peters said she could read the full statement herself or Beilby could read the redacted version out loud.

She then asked her what she wanted to do.

“I’d prefer it if I was able to read the whole statement, but since you have set that precedent for us…” Beilby said.

Justice Peters replied: “I haven’t set any precedent for you, I’ve told you what is in the legislation.”

Beilby then started reading her approved statement, but when she mentioned how Jack-Kino had a separate trial, “at the taxpayer’s expense, because you or your counsel deemed you special enough to warrant one”, the judge stopped her.

“That’s actually not correct, so I don’t want those kinds of offensive remarks made in court,” Justice Peters said.

“I’ve listened to you politely, you don’t know the first thing about why Mr Jack-Kino had a separate trial and I’m not prepared to have you say those things.

“They are incorrect and [Crown prosecutor Daniel Coulson] should have corrected it for you. If he didn’t, the detective should have.”

Beilby apologised, saying she was only reading what she had in front of her.

Justice Peters replied she didn’t care what she was reading and it was “totally unacceptable” for her to make that comment.

Beilby was responding, when the judge interrupted her and told her to sit at the rear of the court, and she would finish reading her statement on her own.

Bebe Hewitt, whose son was a victim in the brawl, then read her statement, before Justice Peters closed the courtroom, ordering a chambers discussion.

Shortly afterwards, Justice Peters decided to take the rare move of not letting Beilby back in.

‘I almost expect it out of the system now’

When approached by NZME outside court, Beilby said she did understand why there had to be two trials, but her point was that didn’t serve them as a whānau for those involved to have to give evidence again.

“To have my 74-year-old father sit and recall everything of those horrific events of the night, you know, that’s why you see so many of us here, because we are all affected.

“I felt being pulled aside and made an example of, it was a bit rich considering why we were there, and I feel like justice has not been served in this case.”

She said, when she wasn’t allowed back in, she was led into another room and given the option of watching proceedings from there, via an audio-visual link.

She turned it down and instead waited outside, as Justice Peters jailed Jack-Kino for nine years and issued a minimum non-parole period of four years.

Beilby said she wasn’t threatening or physically attacking Jack-Kino or his family, like he and his co-offenders did to their whānau that fateful night.

“They have no idea how they made my family feel.”

Upon hearing Jack-Kino’s sentence, Beilby said she felt it wasn’t a deterrent.

“It’s laughable. I’m past actually feeling offended, because I have almost expected it out of the system.”

Beilby said she felt “a bit hard done by, but I’m just not surprised”.

‘The hearings are often tense and emotional’

In a statement, a spokesperson from the Office of the Chief Justice confirmed that it was the responsibility of the prosecutor “for putting victim impact statements before the court”.

While redactions were not expressly addressed in the Victims’ Rights Act, they were not uncommon.

They could be used, because of abuse being directed at the offender, references to unrelated matters or offending other than that before the court.

A judge must approve the reading of a statement in court.

Asked whether it was normal practice for a judge to read a victim impact statement before a sentencing hearing, the spokesperson confirmed it was, but she was unable to comment on specific cases.

However, the statement didn’t address Beilby specifically being removed from the courtroom. Instead, the spokesperson said sentencing hearings “are often tense and emotional”.

“The presiding judge is responsible for managing proceedings in court in a way that is orderly and safe for the people in the courtroom.

“To do this, judges are required to make decisions in the moment, consistent with what they consider necessary to ensure a hearing proceeds in a safe and orderly way.”

The spokesperson said judges increasingly saw victim impact statements that contained material outside the scope of the legislation, including comments directed at offenders and abuse.

‘I have significant concerns’

Ruth Money, chief victims adviser to the government, said while she couldn’t comment on an individual case, she did have some concerns.

“I am certainly very concerned when any victim and whānau are asked to leave a courtroom.

“Not only does it go against open and transparent justice, it’s not how anyone, let alone victim survivors, should be treated.”

Money said she’d heard of victims being warned “for going off-script and discussing justice issues, as opposed to the impact of the offending, but in my 13 years I have never had a victim removed from a courtroom”.

“I have significant concerns for any victim who is asked to leave a hearing.”

Speaking generally, Money said she expected victims to be spoken to with respect and any issues to be explained well.

The writing of a victim impact statement involved either a victim support person, a court victims adviser or a police officer sitting down with the victim.

Once drawn up, it went to the prosecutor to be checked, before it was edited or approved by the sitting judge.

She said it was then returned to the victim, who was told why certain portions may have been changed or edited out.

Money said there was no consistency around the country about what was acceptable in a statement.

“What one prosecutor or judge will allow is completely different to another.”

Money said she was currently working with the Ministry of Justice on making improvements to the Victims’ Rights Act.

“It does need to be improved in terms of responsibilities and process.”

This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Raglan woman orchestrated a horrific attack on a group of local teenagers, after a righteous road-rage interaction on the seaside town’s one-lane bridge.

While Te Hina Rehua-Whare may not have laid a hand on the five victims, a judge has laid the full blame of the assault at her feet.

At sentencing in the Hamilton District Court this week, Judge Philip Crayton told the mother-of-two that the attack would never have happened had she not involved her partner, 25-year-old Kaedyn James Broughton Lee Wiremu Barber-Salvation.

The pair were both sentenced to home detention for their roles, although two others, who also unleashed punches and kicks on the victims, have still not been identified.

Judge Crayton said it was pure “luck” that nobody died that night.

‘Get f*****, I’m not moving’

The somewhat unusual incident began after the group of teenagers decided to drive to the Ngarunui Beach lookout at 9.30pm on Friday, 9 August, last year.

At the same time, Rehua-Whare, 27, was heading to pick her partner up from Primrose St.

When the victims were a third of the way along the bridge, Rehua-Whare drove her Toyota onto the bridge from the southwest, ignoring the give-way rule.

Both vehicles stopped in the middle of the bridge.

Two of the victims, who were in the backseat, got out of the car to talk with Rehua-Whare about who had the right of way and asked her to reverse off.

“Get f*****, I’m not moving,” she replied.

One of the victims said they were legally in the right, but she replied, “Get f*****, you don’t know who you are messing with”.

The argument was witnessed by a person walking on the bridge, who also told Rehua-Whare to reverse off the bridge.

Rehua-Whare refused, forcing the victims instead to reverse off the bridge, along with other road users.

She then drove off the bridge and the victims headed to the Ngarunui Beach carpark.

‘I think I’ve found them’

Shortly afterwards, Rehua-Whare arrived and parked behind the victims’ car, before leaving again.

At 9.42pm, she sent a series of texts to her partner, saying, “I think I’ve found them” and “I’m at the reserve”.

Having seen the same vehicle and with the main gate to the carpark being due to close, the victims became concerned and decided to leave.

However, by the time they got to the gate, it was shut and Rehua-Whare was parked in such a way that it blocked them from leaving.

The victims got out of their car and had another chat with Rehua-Whare, who told them they had to stay there until morning.

They then tried to drive through the gate, after unwrapping a chain, but Rehua-Whare cut off their path using her vehicle and forced them onto the grass verge.

The victims drove around the corner onto Ngarunui Beach Rd, only to find their way blocked by another vehicle. Rehua-Whare drove up behind them.

Three large men got out of the second car, including Barber-Salvation, who approached them aggressively, before hitting the bonnet of the vehicle with his fist and yelling something.

He opened the driver’s door and asked, “Are you the ones on the one-way bridge?”, before punching the driver with a closed fist.

The victim lost consciousness, causing him to slump forward in the car, which then started rolling forward down the hill.

However, Barber-Salvation kept hitting him on the back of the head, as a rear-seat passenger yelled at him to stop, because he had a previous head injury.

“I don’t give a f***,” Barber-Salvation replied, as he continued punching the victim.

Barber-Salvation then demanded that another victim get out. He complied, putting his hands up, and was punched in the back of the head.

After walking him over to his partner to apologise, Barber-Salvation punched him to the jaw, causing the victim to fall down a bank.

Rehua-Whare then told her partner the victims had a video recording of the earlier incident, so Barber-Salvation walked a victim back to his car and demanded he delete it.

At this time, one of the unknown men opened a cardoor and punched another victim several times in the face and head, while the other opened the other door and said, “Who do you think you are, doing this shit in our town?”

He then demanded “all your cash, drugs, everything”, before throwing a bottle of soft drink at him and saying, “I will teach you not to do that shit around here”, and bashing him more than 10 times.

He then held the roof, and kicked and stomped the teen victim repeatedly. The victim eventually lost his vision.

As Barber-Salvation left, he returned to the driver’s door and said, “If any of you tell the police, I will find you and kill you”.

The victims were too scared to call police, but a concerned mother rang them the following day.

The victims suffered injuries, including concussion, a broken eye socket, bruising and pain.

When spoken to by police, Rehua-Whare said she was “in a mood” before she left home that night and admitted refusing to move off the bridge, but denied any involvement in the attack.

‘She should have let it go’

Rehua-Whare’s counsel, Mark Sturm, said his client had struggled to accept some of the charges, because she didn’t take part in any of the violence.

However, he had explained her role in the bridge confrontation and then texting her partner.

“She does contend that the young victims were a little more confrontational than the prosecution presented its case, but be that as it may… the reality is the defendant, as the older person… had the option of just letting it go and moving on, and she didn’t and that’s led to the charges that she faces, and indeed charges that her partner faces.”

Neither his client nor Barber-Salvation had appeared in court before.

Sturm said her offending “appears to be an aberration, out of character”.

She was highly thought of, not just by her work colleagues and whānau, but the wider community, he said.

‘It should have been a non-event’

Judge Crayton accepted that, were it not for his partner, Barber-Salvation would never have got involved.

On charges of injuring with intent to injure, assault with intent to injure, threatening to kill and intentional damage, he was sentenced to 11 months’ home detention.

Barber-Salvation also offered $8000 in emotional harm reparation, which the judge ordered be paid.

Judge Crayton said Rehua-Whare put herself “in a situation where you couldn’t take a breath”.

“From what should have been a non-event became a nuclear option. The only fortune… is that nobody died.

“One of those young men had a significant head injury. It’s luck that he didn’t die, another one was knocked unconscious.”

She was sentenced to nine months’ home detention.

This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Plymouth residents are warned to not swim at Waiwhakaiho River and Bell Block Beach, after an overflow of the council’s wastewater system.

New Plymouth District Council said the overflow was discovered at 11am Saturday and was stopped 15 minutes later.

“Our team has responded, and are correcting and monitoring the situation.”

Although the volume of the overflow was small, it had the potential to reach an unnamed tributary of the Waiwhakaiho River, it said.

“Permanent warning signs east and west of the Waiwhakaiho River mouth and at Bell Block Beach have been changed to warn against swimming, and will be in place for 48 hours.”

The cause of the overflow was a blockage in the line coming into the wastewater treatment plant, the council said.

The location of the signs and other current water quality warnings can be viewed on New Plymouth District Council’s Can I Swim? page.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The British Fashion Council has named a New Zealander Kiwi Kate Hawley as its inaugural Costume Designer of the Year.

The Fashion Awards will take place in the United Kingdom on 1 December, where Hawley has flown from Wellington to attend.

Hawley has been recognised for her work as a costume designer for the Netflix film Frankenstein, which was released last month.

“It feels more than a little fabulous and, admittedly, a little overwhelming,” she said.

Hawley studied at the Wellington School of Design, before being trained at London’s esteemed Motley School of Theatre Design.

“I will always be grateful to New Zealand for the opportunities that were afforded me that might not have been so easily created elsewhere.

“I have a long list of those to thank, but it has also been many years of learning, being inspired by so many wonderful people around the world – and through my working life.

“Every experience, individual, culture… every project shapes my approach to costume design.”

Before Frankenstein, Hawley had worked for director Guillermo del Toro on Crimson Peak and Pacific Rim.

She was also a costume designer for the television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and worked for director Peter Jackson on The Hobbit trilogy, as well as The Lovely Bones.

She worked for director Doug Liman on Chaos Walking and Edge of Tomorrow, director Chris Sanders on The Call of the Wild, director Christian Rivers on Mortal Engines and director David Ayer on Suicide Squad.

“Although this is the first time a costume designer has received this award from the British Fashion Council, I am very conscious of the legendary director-designer partnerships that came before and impacted our culture in the past – and indeed have inspired me greatly.”

The British Fashion Council said Hawley was acclaimed for her innovative, narrative-driven approach to costume design.

“Her ability to create costumes that define character, elevate story and resonate beyond the theatre are especially visible in Frankenstein, where she blends historical authenticity with a contemporary eye, and incorporates technical research to inform custom patterns and fabrics.”

Hawley was also awarded the Special Achievement in Costume Design Award at the Middleburg Film Festival in the United States last month and has been nominated for Best Costume Design at next year’s Astra Film Awards in Los Angeles.

She told RNZ that Frankenstein was director del Toro’s passion project.

“All of us are elevated under his vision and artistry. He wanted to push each and every department to their maximum – to elevate the craft of filmmaking – so we did.”

Hawley said del Toro was her inspiration for the costume design in the film.

“It’s all there in the script – themes of religion, mythology, nature unbound.

“If every part of the process has the same intention and energy of what you’re trying to do, then it’s working, and that’s how Frankenstein always felt.

“With Guillermo [del Toro], there was love in every part of the process.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Another yellow-legged hornet queen has been found in Auckland’s North Shore, as Biosecurity New Zealand escalates its attempts to eradicate the invasive insect.

To date, 27 queen hornets, seven workers and 17 nests have been successfully located and removed from the Glenfield and Birkdale areas, Biosecurity NZ said.

Genetic testing indicated the hornets were closely related, suggesting a small, contained population.

Biosecurity New Zealand North commissioner Mike Inglis said the fact they were finding more hornets showed surveillance efforts were working.

The organisation had further expanded its surveillance and on-the-ground search operations across the North Shore.

“In recent weeks, we’ve put in five times as many traps – now more than 600 – across a 5km radius from detection sites, and property-by-property searches under way within 200m of confirmed finds,” Inglis said. “We are adding additional traps, as more hornets are found.

Biosecurity teams had so far searched more than 2100 properties and continued to search across the region.

“Those ground searches are paying dividends, with many of the nests and queens being detected through those intensive ground sweeps.”

Teams from Auckland Council, Pest Free Kaipātiki, Plant & Food Research and Kiwifruit Vine Health had joined in the search.

Electronic tracking gear had also been purchased from the Netherlands to aid in the hunt, following advice from countries that had successfully managed hornet incursions.

“That technology arrived in New Zealand this week,” Inglis said. “Under the guidance of a UK expert, we plan to use the technology to trace nests, if worker activity increases over summer.”

The trackers would be attached to captured free-flying worker hornets, so that on release, they could be followed back to the hive.

Other recent Biosecurity response activities included:

• Using different trap designs and lures (sugar and protein-based)
• Ongoing inspections of beehives close to detection sites, along with ground surveys in reserves and residential areas
• A national advertising campaign launched this week, urging the public to report suspected sightings
• Continuing to raise public awareness by visiting markets, schools, local businesses, libraries and community centres

Biosecurity stressed that ongoing vigilance by the public and beekeepers was the best detection method.

“We’ve had more than 4000 public notifications so far – an incredible contribution – and we’re very keen for this to continue,” Inglis said.

Biosecurity New Zealand wanted to hear from anyone who had a suspected hornet specimen, had located a possible nest or taken a clear photo.

Sightings could be reported:

• Online at report.mpi.govt.nz
• By calling Biosecurity New Zealand’s exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66
• More information can be found at mpi.govt.nz/yellow-legged-hornet-2025

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Health New Zealand has confirmed one new case of measles in Wellington, which it says is linked to an earlier case.

This brings the number of known measles cases to 22 since 8 October 2025, with 21 no longer infectious.

New locations of interest have been identified in Wellington.

Wellington locations of interest

[L1]Saturday, 22 November – New World Wellington City, Wakefield St (6.05-7.35pm)

[L2]Monday, 24 November – BP 2Go, Berhampore (12.40-2.10pm)

[L3]Thursday, 27 November – New World Newtown (8.55-10.20am)

Any new locations of interest will be updated on the Health New Zealand website, as they are confirmed.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Air New Zealand’s Airbus A320 aircraft are returning to normal operations, after receiving software updates during a global recall.

About 6000 aircraft from the Airbus A320 family were affected, after a recent incident revealed that intense solar radiation could corrupt elements of the planes’ flight control systems.

Air New Zealand chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said 27 flights were cancelled during the weekend and thanked customers travelling over the weekend for their patience.

“We know changes to travel plans are frustrating and we are grateful for the understanding shown to our teams, as they worked to minimise disruption, complete the updates as quickly as possible and keep people moving wherever they could,” he said.

McGraw said the airline expected no “ongoing impact” from the weekend’s disruption.

Jetstar cancelled about 90 flights, but confirmed earlier today that all software upgrades had been made and the planes had returned to service

Air New Zealand’s affected customers are able to make one free change within seven days of their original travel date, hold the value of their fare in credit for 12 months or request a refund, including for non-refundable fares.

Jetstar said their teams were working on options and were contacting affected customers directly.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A torrential downpour has literally rained on the Auckland’s parade, as MetService issued a raft of alerts, including a severe thunderstorm warning for the region.

As thousands headed home from the annual Santa Parade in Queen Street, they had to dodge a downpour that may have even greater implications around the city.

The thunderstorm warning applied to Auckland City, Kaipara, Waikato, Hauraki, Waitakere, Franklin, Rodney, Gulf and Albany, and was expected to settle in between 4.30-5pm, MetService said.

The thuderstorms were also expected to be accompanied by heavy rain.

“Torrential rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous,” MetService warned.

Parts of the lower South Island were also due some rain and strong winds.

A heavy rain watch was in place for areas in Tasman, Canterbury, Otago, Southland and Fiordland from earlier on Sunday and into the evening.

A strong wind watch was also in place for Wellington, parts of Canterbury and areas of Southland into the evening, and in some areas, into the early hours of Monday morning.

More to come…

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A new billion-dollar-plus system to better ensure cellphones get through in emergencies is being opened up to a raft of community groups.

About 25,000 frontline responders are already using the Public Safety Network’s (PSN) cellular service, which extends coverage and gives extra back-up. It shows cellphone outages in real time.

The government has now opened up the service to central and local government entities, not-for-profit organisations, and infrastructure and lifelines companies.

“They all need to use their mobile phones and other tools to get good information to do their jobs, co-ordinate with each other and stay safe,” said Steve Ferguson, who heads up the Next Generation Critical Communications unit delivering the PSN.

“We can now help them with that,”

The expansion is timed to begin from the middle of next year, via a new limited liability company.

“With top-tier emergency communications in place, New Zealand will be better prepared to respond to the variety of disasters we have seen over the past few years, such as Cyclones Gabrielle or Tam,” said Emergency Management and Recovery Minster Mark Mitchell.

Another leg of the $1.4 billion PSN system to roll out digital radios is still being worked on.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Lifeguards will start patrolling Tauranga waters a week early, due to a spike in serious accidents.

Surf Life Saving warns that the warm weather has created a perfect storm of hidden hazards, such as rips.

A man drowned at Mount Maunganui beach on Wednesday evening.

Regional manager Avan Polo said the hazards had prompted Surf Life Saving to approach the Tauranga City Council to start paid lifeguard patrols on 1 December, rather than 8 December, as originally planned.

“We’re experiencing quite a different type of water movement than we’ve had in a number of years, which is creating a number of rips and channels, all forming and moving the water around,” he said.

“It may look calm on the top, but water moving underneath is just creating a lot of problems.”

He said the hidden risks were catching swimmers by surprise.

“We’ve already seen multiple serious incidents in the past few days alone, including one fatal drowning,” he said. “Bringing the service forward will help save lives.

“Given the rising number of people heading to our beaches and the serious incidents already occurring, early coverage from surf lifeguards is both necessary and urgent.”

Polo said Surf Life Saving would deploy three mobile patrol teams every afternoon from Mount Maunganui to Papamoa.

He said the patrols usually continued for 11 weeks, but this season would last 12 weeks, given the early start.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A survey of more than 30,000 of New Zealand’s Year 10 students has indicated that the perception of vaping is changing.

The number of teenagers who vaped regularly – once a month or more – had tripled between 2019 and 2021, peaking at 20.2 percent.

But the latest Action on Smoking and Health survey has found that number has halved since then.

“Vaping is not as cool as it used to be,” chairperson Emeritus Professor Robert Beaglehole told RNZ.

The number of teenagers who vape on a daily basis has also dropped to 7.1 percent, down from “peak vape” of 10.1 percent in 2022.

Fewer than a third had ever tried vaping too, Beaglehole said, “which is great news”.

He believed regulation had also made an impact – vaping products were widely available for teenagers until 2020, when the government banned the sale to those under 18 – but feared that overregulation could push people back to smoking.

“Vaping helps adult smokers quit and is much, much less harmful than smoking.”

Beaglehole said the country was raising a smoke-free generation, with a “negligible” number – about 1 percent – of young people smoking on a daily basis since 2021.

“This is a major global success which we should be celebrating … we are leading the way.

“Youth smoking has almost disappeared, and vaping continues to fall.”

However, Beaglehole has called for more to be done to address the vaping rates for rangatahi Māori.

There was a significant decrease within the last year, he said, but 16.5 percent of Māori teenagers still vaped on a daily basis.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A record number of Christmas Boxes have been packed this year with around 2500 volunteers packing more than 35,000 boxes for the charity initiative.

Each Christmas Box has $70 worth of food and can feed a family of four to six.

Head of Community Response Rebecca So’e said Christmas was supposed to be about celebration, but it puts some families under more pressure to figure out how they’re going to pay for the presents and treats that most families have during the Christmas season.

She said this year had been even tougher than last year for people in the communities they work in.

So’e said it was also harder this year for them to raise funds due to government cuts, but they were able to just exceed their target packing a record breaking 35,269 boxes.

“We’ve designed the box with a Christmas breakfast of pancake mix and maple syrup, things that they can take to a Christmas lunch and dinner, and then stuff that will just last through the week, all the essential items.”

She said many of the items in their box wouldn’t have gone into people’s trolleys this year because they couldn’t afford it.

“Because of what’s inside [the box], the essential items, the treats, it’s actually helping families to take the pressure off their financial stress so that they can have these extra things this Christmas.”

In Auckland alone almost 20,000 boxes were packed, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and son William, former All Blacks Pita Alatini and Eroni Clark, and MasterChef judge Michael Dearth joining volunteers to help on Saturday morning.

“One of the great things about New Zealand is the way we roll up our sleeves and help out our fellow Kiwis. It was heartwarming to see so many people give up their Saturday to share goodwill with their neighbours at Christmas, and it was a privilege to help out alongside them,” Luxon said.

“I love the community. I love New Zealand, and you know no one should go hungry on Christmas Day,” Dearth said.

“For me, food is my universe. I love food. It’s a way that we connect as a people, that we’ve always connected as a people. So food is at the centre of it all really.”

Christmas Box, which is marking 25 years, began in 2001 with the simple idea of providing gift-wrapped food to neighbouring families in need at Christmas.

It was now one of the largest Christmas charity initiatives, partnering with more than 500 organisations to deliver food essentials and festive cheer to more than 30,000 Kiwi families every year.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have arrested a man after a gun was fired near a popular swimming hole in Thames, Coromandel.

Police were called to the scene on Kauaeranga Valley Road at about 5pm on Saturday, after reports that a man had threatened members of the public and fired a shot into the air.

Detective Sergeant Mark Leathem said the 20-year-old allegedly threw the gun into some bushes before leaving in a vehicle with another person.

The police Eagle helicopter was sent to chase down the vehicle, and police arrested the pair a short time later.

The firearm was also found in the bushes at the initial scene, Leathem said.

The man who was alleged to have fired the gun is due to appear in Hamilton District Court on Monday, with charges including unlawfully possessing a firearm and discharging a firearm to intimidate.

Police would like to hear from anyone who might have information about the incident, either online or over the phone on its 105 service with the reference number 251129/4740.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two new high security units are set to be built at Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison adding an additional 316 beds.

Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said the construction would begin next month and finish up by early 2027.

He said the new units would expand the capacity of New Zealand’s prison system.

“With the prison population increasing due to the government’s strong measures on law-and-order, these two new units will add more capacity and resilience to our prison system.

“The design and build agreement was signed on Friday 31 October 2025 with contractor Naylor Love…”

Mitchell said additional projects underway at Waikeria Prison and Christchurch Men’s Prison would further increase the country’s capacity by more than 1000 beds in 2029.

He said the prison population had increased by 2000 since October 2023 to 11,000.

Corrections is self-funding the new units through the department’s existing budget.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland’s annual Santa Parade is expected to draw 150,000 people into the city centre to see dozens of floats make their way down Queen Street.

The parade begins at one 1pm on Sunday on the corner of Mayoral Drive and Cook Street, with all inner-city roads closed until 4.30pm.

Auckland Transport’s (AT) general manager for public transport operations Rachel Cara said buses and trains were the easiest way to get to the Santa Parade.

“We’re expecting up to 150,000 people will head to the city centre to see Santa up close this Sunday, so we’re encouraging people to make the most of AT’s frequent buses and trains to navigate the road closures and avoid traffic and parking stress,” she said.

“To help people get to and from the city safely we’re adding a handful of extra ferries, extra double decker buses for the Northern Express routes and six-carriage trains on our rail lines.”

AT will also have extra trains on standby at Waitematā Station to help people get home.

The agency also has a Christmas themed double-decker bus in the parade, to celebrate the role its bus drivers play in providing 65 million trips this year.

Meanwhile, organisers are hoping the weather won’t rain on their parade.

MetService forecasts rain, with some heavy downpours from 3pm – the parade finishes at 2.30pm.

The Santa Parade starts on the corner of Mayoral Drive and Cook Street, heads down Mayoral Drive, left into Queen Street, and right into Customs Street East, ending at the corner of Customs Street East and Britomart Place.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

ACC has disbanded its toxicology panel that firefighters take their cancer claims to.

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) says the corporation did not tell it about this, but it was pleased to see the back of the panel.

But the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) – which represents volunteer firefighters – said it was a “blow” to advancing the cause of getting cover for volunteers and of “great regret” ACC did not consult it.

ACC said it was disestablishing the panel due to retirement and bereavement, and would use individual advisors instead like it did in other clinical cases. The panel had several specialists on it.

Cancer claims now were assessed by an occupational doctor registered with Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM), who could call in extra expert advice from its clinical services team or further afield, said acting chief clinical officer Dr Dilky Rasiah.

NZPFU national secretary Wattie Watson said it would be nice if ACC had talked to them first, and they wanted to know more about the new approach.

“They don’t tell us how they are going to manage them,” Watson said. “We went backwards with the toxicology panel, so I am pleased that the toxicology panel is gone.

“But we still have not resolved the underlying issue about recognising, on a scientific basis, firefighters’ occupational cancer.”

The union has been fighting for years for an approach like in Australia, Canada and US where certain specified cancers are presumed to be work-related so firefighters face fewer hurdles in proving it.

A firefighter or former firefighter who developed cancer may be covered by ACC under work-related gradual process injury/disease legislation.

“To date everyone’s still going through the same process but without the toxicology panel,” said Watson, who argued it should instead be streamlined, with the onus on Fire and Emergency (FENZ) to lead that change.

Volunteer firefighters can only take the ACC approach if they fight alongside paid firefighters at a fire with proven toxic fallout – but could not claim over prolonged exposure.

UFBA chair Peter Dunne said it was possible the new doctor-centric assessments would be advantageous, nevertheless they had seen the panel as a bit of a “lever”.

“There’s still the problem of the legislation that excludes volunteer firefighters from coverage in certain circumstances.

“And the toxicology panel was seen as a bit of a way, a bit of hope, if you like, as a way of getting this issue resolved.

“I’m very surprised, given the interest and coverage of volunteers, that it’s been done without any consultation. This is news that’s come through just on Saturday.

“It will be seen as a blow for advancing the cause of getting coverage for volunteer firefighters in some circumstances.”

ACC told a select committee the cost to cover volunteers might be just $250,000 a year but it feared a precedent would be set for having to cover surf lifesavers and other volunteer responders, Dunne said, despite not being exposed to the same toxicities.

“The response that we’ve had all along on this issue has been, look… this is the thin end of the wedge.”

Also, new toxic threats – such as lithium battery fires – had to be taken into account, he said.

Whangārei firefighter and career union local secretary Maurice Tipene went to a lithium battery fire at the city’s port earlier in November.

“We were not so keen on putting people in ’cause of what was in there,” he said.

So they called in a long-ladder truck from Auckland two hours away. In the end, it was not needed.

They went back in later days because the batteries kept blowing up in small explosions, he said.

His crew had just done a case study at work on lithium battery fires when they were called out. Asked if the case study was scary, Tipene said: “One hundred percent. One of the lines in it was ‘this smells like cancer’.”

They had the right gear and personal gas metres, he said.

‘So-called values’

A FENZ letter to ACC in 2023 said out of 45 cancer claims, 35 were accepted for cover by the toxicology panel.

But Invercargill firefighter Brent Wilson’s ACC claim for thyroid cancer in 2020 was rejected and he also lost on appeal. But a mediator then upheld his claim based on international expert input, so that some of his expenses and lost earnings were covered.

“I’m not the only one at this station who’s gone through this,” Wilson told RNZ.

“Another guy on another shift [has] gone through the same process. The organisation has these so-called values – manaakitanga – but it’s all empty words. They have these values but they don’t stick to them.”

FENZ deputy chief executive of people Janine Hearn said they had kept working on this with the union.

“With or without the toxicology panel, the claims assessment process is hard to navigate for people who are unwell and stressed, and we are committed to making it simpler while still meeting the requirements of our Accredited Employer Agreement with ACC,” Hearn said in a statement to RNZ on Friday.

A working group was set up in September, including Watson, to help people get information and access to medical advice.

“This work we are doing with the NZPFU is focused on streamlining and simplifying the claim process for our firefighters.”

In 2023, FENZ told ACC: “We know firefighters have an increased risk of certain types of cancer due to their exposure to cancer-causing toxins (carcinogens). It is an issue fire services around the world are grappling with and many countries have introduced presumptive legislation as a means to address these risks.”

The agencies have looked at adding types of cancer to the schedule of accepted occupational diseases under the Accident Compensation Act. However, the schedule does not exclude firefighters from having to argue their case.

Most firefighter claims accepted so far have been for prostate cancer, but others, too, for multiple myeloma, intestinal tract, oral/ tongue, kidney, testicular and bowel/colon cancer.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Airbus A320 software updates have been completed on all New Zealand based Jetstar aircraft, while some of Air New Zealand’s fleet remain grounded with further flight cancellations possible.

About 6000 Airbus A320 aircraft around the world are affected by a recall for a software upgrade.

Airline passengers around New Zealand have been caught up in cancellations. Disruptions will likely continue as airlines deal with a backlog of flights.

Air New Zealand’s chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said about 20 flight cancellations were expected, with the flight schedule expected to return to normal on Monday.

Jetstar’s chief pilot and head of flying operations Tyrone Simes said on Saturday swift action had been taken by authorities and the manufacturer.

“I think the authorities in Europe and the manufacturer have done a great job in identifying this issue very promptly, they’ve issued a directive within 24 hours of the anomaly being identified.”

Jetstar have already cancelled approximately 90 flights.

Air New Zealand’s affected customers are able to make one free change within seven days of their original travel date, hold the value of their fare in credit for twelve months, or request a refund, including for non-refundable fares.

While Jetstar said their teams were working on options and were contacting affected customers directly.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

• KiwiRail to pay about $250,000 in fines and reparation over worker’s 10-metre fall
• WorkSafe finds ‘fundamental failures’ in KiwiRail’s introduction of new communications poles
• Worker says some good has come out of the situation
• KiwiRail commits to doing better.

KiwiRail has been fined more than $200,000 for breaching health and safety laws when an employee fell 10 metres while installing a communications pole.

WorkSafe says the fall was preventable and KiwiRail admitted a charge of breaching the health and safety at work act.

The employee who fell, senior telecommunications technician Myles Dyeming, suffered a torn artery, a torn liver, a broken sternum, a punctured left lung, fractured vertebrae, and five fractured ribs.

Dyeming was in a coma for days in hospital and later developed blood clots, which required groundbreaking surgery to remove.

Dyeming fell in October 2023 near Whanganui. He was flown to Wellington Hospital and later transferred to Palmerston North Hospital.

In the Whanganui District Court this month KiwiRail was fined $220,000 and ordered to pay Dyeming $28,500 reparation.

‘Fundamental failures’

WorkSafe said the incident was a reminder to all businesses that do work at height to check their safety systems.

When he fell Dyeming was installing a new type of Oclyte pole, which was different from the wooden poles previously used.

WorkSafe said its investigation uncovered “fundamental failures” in how KiwiRail managed the introductions of the new poles.

KiwiRail didn’t do a detailed, specific risk assessment; no dedicated procedures were developed; and workers lacked training in “risk assessment for complex work at height”.

A fall arrest system was installed but not in use at the time; climbing pegs in the pole were not installed correctly; and KiwiRail didn’t provide safer methods for the job, such as a mobile, elevated work platform.

“When you introduce new infrastructure, you can’t assume existing procedures will be adequate. Businesses need to step back, conduct a full risk assessment, and consider the changes required,” said WorkSafe central regional manager Nigel Formosa.

“Businesses must first ask whether the job can somehow be done from ground level. If you can’t eliminate the need to work at height, consider using an elevated work platform or scaffolding.

“Fall arrest systems should be the last line of defence – not the first option.”

WorkSafe said Dyeming’s recovery took 10 months.

It said falls from height were a leading cause of workplace deaths and serious injuries, but were entirely preventable.

‘Five days missing’

Dyeming said he still had no memory of his fall or the immediately aftermath until he woke in Wellington Hospital’s intensive care unit.

“I’ve basically got five days missing from my life.”

He said he wanted to acknowledge KiwiRail’s support of him since the fall, and at the time for providing accommodation for friends and family in Wellington as they stayed by his bedside.

“Obviously I’d rather not have fallen [but] a lot of good’s come of out. No one should ever fall again.

“KiwiRail’s supported me to develop a whole lot of health and safety tools.”

Dyeming said his employer had taken the incident seriously and was genuinely horrified at what happened.

Two years on he’s fully functional at work, although he’s not back to full fitness away from the job.

Dyeming is a keen runner, but can now only run for about 1 to 1.5 km at a time. He hopes to work his way to longer distances.

KiwiRail commits to doing better

KiwiRail chief infrastructure officer Siva Sivapakkiam said the rail operator deeply regretted the injuries Dyeming suffered.

“We have worked hard since the incident to ensure care has been provided to him, including meeting his expenses and providing compensation, along with ensuring his re-integration into our workforce,” Sivapakkiam said.

“KiwiRail accepts that it could have better assessed the specific risks involved in constructing the mast and done more to ensure that workers used safety equipment.”

Since the incident it had put measures in place, including tightening requirements for teams working at height and design changes to telecommunications poles so workers could move freely without disconnecting from the mast.

“At the same time KiwiRail has committed to a substantial safety programme to continuously improve safety outcomes.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

• KiwiRail to pay about $250,000 in fines and reparation over worker’s 10-metre fall
• WorkSafe finds ‘fundamental failures’ in KiwiRail’s introduction of new communications poles
• Worker says some good has come out of the situation
• KiwiRail commits to doing better.

KiwiRail has been fined more than $200,000 for breaching health and safety laws when an employee fell 10 metres while installing a communications pole.

WorkSafe says the fall was preventable and KiwiRail admitted a charge of breaching the health and safety at work act.

The employee who fell, senior telecommunications technician Myles Dyeming, suffered a torn artery, a torn liver, a broken sternum, a punctured left lung, fractured vertebrae, and five fractured ribs.

Dyeming was in a coma for days in hospital and later developed blood clots, which required groundbreaking surgery to remove.

Dyeming fell in October 2023 near Whanganui. He was flown to Wellington Hospital and later transferred to Palmerston North Hospital.

In the Whanganui District Court this month KiwiRail was fined $220,000 and ordered to pay Dyeming $28,500 reparation.

‘Fundamental failures’

WorkSafe said the incident was a reminder to all businesses that do work at height to check their safety systems.

When he fell Dyeming was installing a new type of Oclyte pole, which was different from the wooden poles previously used.

WorkSafe said its investigation uncovered “fundamental failures” in how KiwiRail managed the introductions of the new poles.

KiwiRail didn’t do a detailed, specific risk assessment; no dedicated procedures were developed; and workers lacked training in “risk assessment for complex work at height”.

A fall arrest system was installed but not in use at the time; climbing pegs in the pole were not installed correctly; and KiwiRail didn’t provide safer methods for the job, such as a mobile, elevated work platform.

“When you introduce new infrastructure, you can’t assume existing procedures will be adequate. Businesses need to step back, conduct a full risk assessment, and consider the changes required,” said WorkSafe central regional manager Nigel Formosa.

“Businesses must first ask whether the job can somehow be done from ground level. If you can’t eliminate the need to work at height, consider using an elevated work platform or scaffolding.

“Fall arrest systems should be the last line of defence – not the first option.”

WorkSafe said Dyeming’s recovery took 10 months.

It said falls from height were a leading cause of workplace deaths and serious injuries, but were entirely preventable.

‘Five days missing’

Dyeming said he still had no memory of his fall or the immediately aftermath until he woke in Wellington Hospital’s intensive care unit.

“I’ve basically got five days missing from my life.”

He said he wanted to acknowledge KiwiRail’s support of him since the fall, and at the time for providing accommodation for friends and family in Wellington as they stayed by his bedside.

“Obviously I’d rather not have fallen [but] a lot of good’s come of out. No one should ever fall again.

“KiwiRail’s supported me to develop a whole lot of health and safety tools.”

Dyeming said his employer had taken the incident seriously and was genuinely horrified at what happened.

Two years on he’s fully functional at work, although he’s not back to full fitness away from the job.

Dyeming is a keen runner, but can now only run for about 1 to 1.5 km at a time. He hopes to work his way to longer distances.

KiwiRail commits to doing better

KiwiRail chief infrastructure officer Siva Sivapakkiam said the rail operator deeply regretted the injuries Dyeming suffered.

“We have worked hard since the incident to ensure care has been provided to him, including meeting his expenses and providing compensation, along with ensuring his re-integration into our workforce,” Sivapakkiam said.

“KiwiRail accepts that it could have better assessed the specific risks involved in constructing the mast and done more to ensure that workers used safety equipment.”

Since the incident it had put measures in place, including tightening requirements for teams working at height and design changes to telecommunications poles so workers could move freely without disconnecting from the mast.

“At the same time KiwiRail has committed to a substantial safety programme to continuously improve safety outcomes.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government is trialling new technology to better control possum populations as part of its push to eradicate bovine tuberculosis.

The disease in cattle and deer herds is spread mainly by possums and can cause serious production losses and animal welfare issues.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said drone and thermal imaging technology was being trialled in central Otago by disease eradication agency OSPRI to detect possums in rugged, hard-to reach terrain.

“New Zealand farmers and taxpayers have invested millions of dollars in the control, and eventual eradication of this disease, but we must finish the job, it all comes down to controlling and monitoring possum numbers. This new technology is expected to give a major boost to this work,” he said.

“This drone technology represents a real step-change in how we approach possum control in some of New Zealand’s most challenging terrain.”

Hoggard said the Central Otago trial site was selected because it was considered a hot spot for TB eradication, and was known to have a higher-than-average possum population.

Drones allowed teams to access remote areas, detect possum populations and pinpoint exactly where people needed to be deployed, he said.

“To eradicate bovine TB, we have to eradicate enough of the possums for the disease to be unable to exist in a possum population.

“Many farmers today may not remember the terrible situation that existed back in the late 70’s through to the early 90’s where thousands of herds had TB infections, I remember as a child the anguish and cost this caused my parents whenever an infected cow was found in our herd,” he said.

“We only need to look across to the UK and Ireland nowadays to see how much this matters, particularly the mental strain this disease can cause on farmers. That’s why it’s so important that we finish the job.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Airbus A320 software updates have been completed on all New Zealand based Jetstar aircraft, while Air New Zealand’s fleet remain grounded with further flight cancellations possible.

About 6000 Airbus A320 aircraft around the world are affected by a recall for a software upgrade.

Airline passengers around New Zealand have been caught up in cancellations. Disruptions will likely continue as airlines deal with a backlog of flights.

Air New Zealand’s chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said about 20 flight cancellations were expected, with the flight schedule expected to return to normal on Monday.

Jetstar’s chief pilot and head of flying operations Tyrone Simes said on Saturday swift action had been taken by authorities and the manufacturer.

“I think the authorities in Europe and the manufacturer have done a great job in identifying this issue very promptly, they’ve issued a directive within 24 hours of the anomaly being identified.”

Jetstar have already cancelled approximately 90 flights.

Air New Zealand’s affected customers are able to make one free change within seven days of their original travel date, hold the value of their fare in credit for twelve months, or request a refund, including for non-refundable fares.

While Jetstar said their teams were working on options and were contacting affected customers directly.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand