Source: Radio New Zealand

• NZ Transport Agency memo to minister says braking system linked to six deaths not inherently unsafe
• Father of man who died due to a brake failure says he’ll keep pushing for more action
• Driver had to jump to safety in latest rollaway incident
• Truck firms won’t import vehicles with cardan shaft parkbrakes

The New Zealand Transport Agency has doubled down on its stance that a braking system linked to six deaths is not inherently unsafe.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop asked for a briefing from the transport agency, after a coroner’s report into the death of Graeme Rabbits at an Auckland worksite in 2018 blamed a failing cardan shaft parkbrake.

Coroner Erin Woolley determined that these brakes, found in about 70,000 vehicles in New Zealand, could not be relied upon as a sole braking system, because even a well-maintained brake could fail without warning.

Despite this, the NZTA told the minister it didn’t accept the coroner’s views on the brakes being inherently unsafe nor did the agency accept the coroner’s criticisms of its attitude.

RNZ can reveal another instance of a cardan shaft brake failing and a Checkpoint investigation has found trucking firms have long since stopped importing vehicles with cardan shaft parking brakes, because of their problems.

Officials ‘playing Russian roulette’

Bishop refused to be interviewed about cardan shaft brakes, calling it a complex issue.

A memo sent by transport agency officials, obtained by RNZ, said it didn’t accept the coroner’s view on the brakes or that it lacked an open mind about safety concerns, but Graeme Rabbits’ father, Selwyn Rabbits, said that was exactly what he saw.

He’s spent almost eight years urging the agency to take firmer action, such as banning imports of vehicles fitted with cardan shaft parkbrakes.

“These things are just not fit for purpose, but NZTA continues to stonewall us,” Selwyn Rabbits said.

“I can’t recall anyone I’ve spoken to, any knowledgeable person outside NZTA, who doesn’t say these things are dangerous.

“It’s only within NZTA, who have taken this absolutely entrenched and dangerous position, and it’s basically playing Russian roulette with people’s lives.”

The agency said it continued to monitor data on the brakes and go through Coroner Wolley’s findings, before considering if further regulations were necessary.

It already required warnings stickers and recommended the use of ‘chocks’ – blocks – on wheels to prevent vehicles rolling away on slopes. It also points to campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the brakes’ limitations.

Rabbits said those measures were not enough.

“I saw a comment from the minister saying this is a technical and complex issue. The thing is it’s not.

“Even with a lay person, you give me 5-10 minutes and I can explain why these things are dangerous.

“A driver has no idea how much braking power they’ve implied and how much they need, and then you load it up and it runs away, so it’s really simple.”

This week, the transport agency told RNZ: “Since 2020, NZTA has undertaken a significant programme of work to understand the risks involved with [cardan shaft parking brakes], and to introduce a range of regulatory changes and interventions.

“This programme of work was initiated following Mr Rabbits’ death, and has since expanded to incorporate broader regulatory interventions and operational improvements across the heavy vehicle sector.

“NZTA will also be undertaking further action, focused on continuing to increase the understanding of the correct use, testing and maintenance of [cardan shaft parking brakes] amongst drivers, owners, vehicle inspectors and mechanics.”

Meanwhile, Rabbits isn’t giving up.

After NZTA chairman Simon Bridges declined a meeting with him, he has accepted yet another with the agency director to call for firmer action.

Another brake failure

RNZ has spoken to a North Island businessman, whose company’s been affected by another cardan shaft parking brake failure recently, where a vehicle’s driver had to jump to safety.

The man asked for anonymity, while he worked with his insurer for the vehicle’s recovery.

“The driver was climbing into the truck, when the handbrake failed,” he said. “The truck was laden and ready to shift, but just the weight of him climbing into the truck was enough for the handbrake to fail.

“It bounced over two wheel chocks and he wasn’t able to control it, before it gained enough velocity and he had to evacuate, and the truck careened off the end of the driveway.”

The vehicle involved was a small 4×4 truck.

The man said, most of the time, the brakes weren’t a significant issue, because his company’s main fleet of trucks could be parked in gear, with chocks applied on slopes.

“Something has to change. We have heard many stories of people who have lost their lives, due to an unreliable brake.

“I am not so mechanically minded as to offer an alternative, but whatever replaces it has to fail shut and fail safely, instead of simply releasing.

“A braking mechanism that locks the wheels is inherently more safe than one that only controls the wheels.”

Cardan shaft parkbrakes are cheaper than other braking systems, as they use a single mechanism at the gearbox, rather than at the wheels.

Trucking firms take stand on brakes

Southpac Trucks in Auckland doesn’t import trucks with the cardan shaft brakes.

Chief executive Marteen Durent said the recommended safety measures for the brakes, including using chocks on the wheels to prevent rollaways, were inadequate.

“It’s really quite ridiculous that you would park a vehicle and consider using wheel chocks.

“That’s the sort of thing you would have done with a horse and cart in Queen Street 100 years ago. It’s really quite third world.”

The NZ Transport Agency had probably done everything it could with the current fleet of vehicles, but it could act further, Durent said.

He even contacted the agency in 2020, saying the brakes should be banned.

“Why don’t we take a new standard and effect it from a date, set some time in the near future, do a course correction and opt for a brake system that is considered to be of a higher standard?

“I think that’s what Selwyn was talking about, and I don’t disagree with that or what the coroner says.”

Chief executive of trucking importer and distributor Foton New Zealand Roger Jory said he stopped importing vehicles with cardan shaft brakes nine years ago – well before the transport agency’s awareness campaign.

“They have severe limitations and I’m well aware of that,” he said. “Through our exposure with Foton and having a full airbrake system on a light-duty truck, we know there’s a superior system.

“For us, it was a natural step to take with our supplier to try and get an alternative to the cardan shaft parkbrake.”

Jory said he was particularly concerned about them in light trucks, which could be driven by people with no experience of braking systems that required more than simply pulling a handbrake in place.

He said Foton New Zealand had delayed introducing an EV truck to the New Zealand market, because it had a cardan shaft parking brake.

“It meant we missed out on sales. We weren’t the first to market with an EV truck.

“A lot of our competitors beat us, but for us, it was a compromise to have a cardan shaft parkbrake back in our light-duty truck range.”

Jory wasn’t prepared to make that compromise.

Foton then came back to its New Zealand distributor with a similar vehicle that had a full airbrake system.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

National MP Catherine Wedd has branded e-scooter rules “outdated”, and is spearheading a campaign to take them off the footpath and into dedicated bike lanes wherever possible.

Accident Compensation Corporation figures show claims for e-scooter injuries have almost doubled in five years, with 7257 reported so far this year at a cost of almost $14 million.

The Member of Parliament for Tukituki in southern Hawke’s Bay claims regulations around the use of e-scooters have not moved with their increased use around the country and hopes to drive change by the middle of 2026.

NZ Transport Agency says e-scooters can be used on the footpath or the road – but not in designated cycle lanes that are part of the road, which are designed for the sole use of cyclists.

“I believe it is outdated and dangerous, and we have work underway to change it by the middle of next year,” Wedd told RNZ’s Checkpoint.

“This would mean, where there is a cycle lane available, e-scooter users can use the cycle lane, instead of the footpath, which should made footpaths safer and should incentivise more people to use cycle lanes.

“We want to make the footpaths safer, but we want to make everyone safer and we’re seeing an increased number of e-scooters out there. If there’s a cycle lane, e-scooter users should be able to use cycle lanes.

“At the moment, that’s not the rule. This would mean we’re bringing e-scooters into the realm.”

The NZTA website sets out the following guidelines for e-scooter safety:

• Ride in a careful and considerate manner. Keep at a safe speed at all times and slow down when you’re near people. It’s illegal to ride at a speed that’s hazardous to people.
• Always give way to other people on the path. You might have to come to a complete stop or dismount, if the path you’re on is busy.
• Keep left unless you’re passing. Only pass people if it’s safe to and pass them on their right.
• Be aware of who’s around you – people move unpredictably and may not know you’re there. Always leave a safe distance between you and other people.
• We strongly recommend that e-scooter riders wear helmets.

“I think, generally, we’re seeing people who are responsible, but we’re seeing a lot of irresponsible users as well,” Wedd said.

“E-scooters can go very, very fast, and I’m hearing a lot from concerned parents and elderly using the footpaths and worried about there safety.

“Of course, we want to encourage e-scooter use, as it’s becoming a more popular way to get around, but our current rules are outdated and we need to take a commonsense approach.

“This is a commonsense approach – if there’s a cycle lane, use it.”

Wedd admitted some of the responsibility for safety lies with the operators.

“They’re very powerful, they go very fast and they can be dangerous, if they aren’t used properly,” she said. “If they’re used recklessly, that’s a problem.

“We just need to make sure we have some commonsense, practical rules that are going to work.”

Wedd admits the proposed rules would rely on the availability of bike lanes.

“We don’t want to be creating blanket rules across the entire country, because, in Hawke’s Bay, we have less cycle lanes than, say, Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington.

“We need to be practical about this. If there is a cycle lane use it, but if there isn’t, there’s the footpath, but be responsible. If you’re on a quiet street, that’s OK too.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The first phase of the coronial inquest looking into the 2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption has drawn to an end.

Twenty-two people died and 25 people were injured, most of them seriously, after they were on the island when it erupted on 9 December 2019, sending ash 3.6km into the air.

The bodies of two victims were never recovered.

Phase one of the inquest, which began in October 2025, focused on the emergency and medical response.

Counsel for bereaved families and survivors, Anna Adams said while the first phase had been valuable, for the bereaved families and survivors to properly understand the events that day, questions still remained.

“Was it ever appropriate to run tours to White Island during volcanic alert level 2, where the best rescue that could be achieved in the event of an eruption was an 83 percent civilian rescue?

“Was the official civil defence and police plan that after an eruption tour operators would self-evacuate ever appropriate given how heavily this relied on people who may or may not have had rescue and first aid training?”

Adams said it was acknowledged the plan to have the operators self-evacuate was in practice the fastest way to get everyone off the island and to medical treatment that day.

“However, the bereaved families and survivors continue to express surprise and disappointment that this plan was considered acceptable by government agencies because it relied so heavily on people who may not be trained or available.”

Adams said she’d submitted that the Coroner could make a recommendation regarding the manner in which scientific or technical advice was communicated to the emergency services in connection with high-risk volcanic activities in New Zealand.

Phase two of the inquest would start next year and explore the events the day before the eruption and whether victims had enough information about the risks of a potential eruption.

“Many of the families and survivors continue to hold the view that they should not have been present walking in the crater of the Whakaari Island volcano that day,” Adams said.

“Or at least they should not have been as under-informed about the risk, under-prepared for an eruption, and under-protected by the clothing and equipment as they were.

“It is the families’ hope that New Zealand learns from this experience, so that we better protect the people who tour this country, especially when engaging in adventure activities, and so that we do not have another tragedy like that which befell the 47 people visiting Whakaari,” Adams said.

While giving their closing submissions, counsel representing numerous agencies admitted there were communication issues experienced in the emergency response.

It’s been clarified many of these technical communication issues had since been fixed and updated.

One of the issues on the day which was explored at the inquiry was an InterCAD notification failure between the police and St John.

InterCAD was a system that allowed essential information provided by 111 callers to be shared immediately between police, the fire service and ambulance.

The Coroner’s inquiry heard issues caused an approximately seven-minute delay in the notification of the eruption to St John.

There was also evidence of a 13-minute delay between police communications receiving the 111 call about the eruption and transferring the job to InterCAD.

Other communications related problems included the lack of a police radio at The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Whakatāne which also dealt with cellphone reception and wifi internet connectivity issues.

Counsel for police, Anna Pollett, said they’d support a recommendation that a plan for an emergency response, multi-agency or otherwise, ought to be one plan.

“So rather than have multiple plans for every eventuality, having a knowledge of what expertise may be required and what is available in each circumstance may be beneficial in the future.

“This would allow consistent training of all personnel within all agencies nationwide to be more streamlined and consistent to allow for a unified approach.”

It was established during the inquiry, that Civil Defence was considered the lead agency during the emergency response, but police would be the lead agency in the search and rescue operation.

Examples of “double handling” and key information not being communicated between agencies in the crucial first hours after the eruption was highlighted.

“Defined layers of decision-making and control may be beneficial in the future. It also highlights the need for personnel to be designated for high-level communications, both upwards and downwards,” Pollett said.

“Immediate responders were challenged by the information requests being made while they were all feet on the ground to be responding to everything going on to rescue those from the island.”

Counsel for Bay of Plenty Emergency Management Amanda Gordon said they had submitted similar recommendations to the Coroner.

Gordon said evidence showed there was confusion about the terminology used in the response to the eruption.

“It’s clear that there was some confusion about who was the lead agency and the different terminologies of incident controller or local controller.

“From the group’s point of view, it’s not suggested, and the evidence doesn’t bear this out, that the confusion had any impact on the response.”

Gordon said there was a strengthening emergency management legislative reform process going on as a result of the North Island severe weather event inquiry.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A power pole and lines are blocking State Highway 36 near Tauranga after a crash.

A car hit the power pole between Taumata Road and Oropi Road Friday afternoon.

Police say the driver was not serious injuried.

The highway will be blocked until at least 6pm and people were asked to find an alternative route if possible.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An estimated 7,000 health workers are striking across the country renewing their calls for increased staffing levels and better pay.

In Auckland, hundreds of striking workers picketed outside the central hospital.

Social worker Margaret Colbrough waved her sign as supportive motorists tooted in solidarity.

“The offers that are on the table at the moment are quite insulting, and given the pressures and the lack of resources that we’re working under, there’s very good reason to come out and strike today,” she said.

“I’m always up for a good fight. I’m a social worker … It’s what we do.”

Jeff Heywood, a worker at Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua, was visiting Auckland and decided to join the picket line in solidarity.

“Whether you are in Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, the provincial centres, these are people trying to do a professional job and supporting others, looking after others,” he said.

“The least we can do is make sure they are paid and supported professionally, it’s as simple as that.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins joined strikers and pledged his party’s support

“This is a crisis of the National government’s creation,” he told media.

“They’ve taken our health system, they’ve made things worse, they’ve put workers under so much pressure, and all [workers] are asking for is decent working conditions and an opportunity to provide decent care to the people of New Zealand.”

He said the government was deliberately antagonising health workers.

“Unfortunately they’re more interested in picking a fight than actually doing the right thing,” he said.

Hipkins challenged the government to settle the dispute by the end of the year.

“I want to see their collective agreement settled before [the election]. It would just be absolutely wrong for the government to allow this dispute to continue into the new year.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown’s office has been approached for comment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A series of documents reveal how police discovered about 130 staff “falsely or erroneously” recording more than 30,000 breath tests and the fallout that resulted.

RNZ can now reveal that the investigations began after a new mapping feature identified a police officer recorded 11 breath tests over a five-minute period over a distance of 3.5km.

There was no recorded traffic stop, checkpoint operation or call for service logged by or assigned to that officer during that period.

Police then audited all breath testing that took place from 1 July 2024 using 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.

It found more than 30,000 tests, with more than 80 per cent of the staff under investigation belonging to dedicated road policing roles. Some of the irregular breath tests were recorded against staff who were rostered off duty, indicating the devices were used by colleagues without changing the logins.

RNZ earlier revealed about 120 staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.

The results were only discovered after police built a new algorithm to analyse the data, as the devices themselves could not distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate tests.

On Friday, following an Official Information Act request from RNZ, police released 150-pages of information in relation to the breath screening tests investigation.

Anomaly identified

On August 18, the director of road policing, Superintendent Steve Greally, emailed Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson following a discussion they had about the discovery.

Greally said that since creating the algorithm police had identified “several large-scale data anomalies that have the potential to cause NZ Police the same degree of criticism”.

Greally said that while it was potentially a “very small proportion of tests”, it was “a matter of absolute integrity”.

“Therefore, it is my strong view that these more persistent offenders (as determined by the decision maker) are held to account decisively.”

The following day Johnson forwarded the email to Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers.

On August 27 senior police held an “urgent” meeting to discuss the “significant data issue”.

A second meeting was held two days later.

A Breath Test Analysis document, classified as “restricted” said the National Road Policing Centre had created a new performance dashboard utilising a new data source.

While using the new mapping feature “an unusual pattern became evident”.

The analysis isolated tests by the staff’s QID – a six digit ID assigned to each staff member that was registered to the device.

This identified 11 tests that had been recorded over a period of five minutes over three kilometres all by the same staffer. There was also no recorded traffic stop, checkpoint operation or call for service logged by or assigned to that officer during that period.

This led to the wider audit of tests dating back to 1 July 2024.

A summary said police could be “confident” that over 99.4 per cent of the tests performed were valid.

“Examination of the patterns depicted by these 26,599 in-motion breath tests suggest it is almost certain that most of these tests are not legitimate, and that some staff have ‘simulated’ additional breath tests to increase their statistics.”

Where the in-motion tests were fewer than 10, it was “possible” there could be explained by user error, training or legitimate activity.

An executive summary said the activity “calls into question the integrity of the data and police actions with our partners, leading to potential long-term implications for performance reporting and funding for police”.

All the country’s police districts were identified in the data. The Waitematā, Wellington, and Canterbury districts together made up two-thirds of the total irregular tests identified.

On 11 September, a staffer for Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he requested a briefing on the matter and for the briefing to be shared with the Minister of Transport.

“The Minister also requests that engagement with partners is deferred until after Ministers are briefed.”

The briefing, released on Friday, said a sanction model had been developed.

The model said misconduct may include logging in to another QID to obscure identity or avoid accountability or directing or pressuring another officer to perform pretend tests or misuse the device.

Serious misconduct included trust and confidence in police negatively impacted by the employee’s activity and data manipulation used for financial gain or other advantage.

“Police remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and recognises the seriousness of this issue, particularly in relation to the integrity of our partnership with NZTA.

“In addition to addressing individual conduct, Police will also focus on the culture and practices that may have contributed to this behaviour.”

The briefing said police would engage with sector partners following the briefing.

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.”

Included in police’s response to NZTA’s request for information they said they had identified some instances where irregular breath tests were recorded against QIDs belonging to officers who were rostered off duty at the time.

This suggested some devices were used by others without changing the QID.

The communications plan

Also included in the documents is a communications plan dated 30 September.

Included in the plan is the strategy in terms of audiences including internally with a recommendation to send an internal memo to staff with an overview of what happened and articulating expectations to staff.

The plan said “given the high likelihood” of internal comms being sent to media, it was preferred to manage external communications through “proactive media”.

“The recommended approach would be to have a proactive reactive statement.”

Johnson would be the primary spokesperson, however “if the issue becomes elevated and uncontrolled in the media” consideration should be given to the appropriate Deputy Commissioner or the Commissioner to front.

The plan identified several risks including the issue leaking prior to internal or external comms, internal comms leaking prior to external comms, and the minister/ Prime Minister “unhappy with behaviour”.

‘Must stop immediately’

On 9 October, Greally emailed the country’s road policing managers following a hui he had been unable to attend.

He said he understood the managers were waiting for the NRPC to inform them as to what communications they need to send.

Greally said the main message was simple: “the practise of simulating breath tests must stop immediately”.

About 4000 further tests were discovered after the algorithm looked at tests between 17 August and 30 September.

On 31 October RNZ revealed that 120 staff were under investigation.

That same day the Road Safety Executives Group met to discuss the breath testing data.

The agenda item said the distribution of irregular tests over the 2024/24 year showed a sharp rise from July to October, followed by a gradual decline through to June, indicating a “concentrated period of higher activity in the first half of the reporting year before tapering off”.

“Approximately 82 percemt of the QIDs referred for further investigations belong to staff who were in dedicated road policing roles when the irregular testing was recorded.

“The remaining 18 percent were QIDs belonging to staff who were in non-dedicated roles.”

Disciplinary process

Johnson told RNZ last week police had progressed disciplinary processes for 130 staff members.

“Outcomes of the process vary between a finding of misconduct or serious misconduct depending on the particular circumstances.

“A case is more likely to be serious misconduct where the misconduct was repeated a number of times, or the officer involved was of more senior rank.”

Johnsons said no employees have been stood down for this matter alone.

“There has been a small number of employees stood down for additional misconduct issues.”

RNZ asked police if they could be more specific about the number of staff stood down, what sort of additional misconduct was involved and what rationale staff had given for their behaviour.

Police replied: “We will not be supplying these further details as we do not want to risk identifying individuals who are engaged in an active employment process.”

In relation to what was happening to the staff who committed serious misconduct, Johnson said that was an employment matter and would most likely be a “formal warning of varying lengths, starting from six months”.

Johnson said none of the cases were considered to be criminal.

Johnson said a third had already been “addressed and closed”. Those cases were managed as “misconduct/employment conversation” with a mix of outcomes, he said.

The remainder were ongoing.

“In most cases the officers have accepted the warning and have acknowledged their behaviour as unacceptable.

“For all employees clear expectations from the organisation have been set through organisation wide messaging and updated refresher training specifically on this topic.”

Following RNZ’s coverage every police officer across the country was ordered to do an online training module for alcohol breath testing

Johnson said more than 70 per cent of staff had completed their “refresher training”.

The Defence Lawyers Association earlier said the revelations called into question the integrity of their current and past work, including prosecutions they’ve been involved in.

Te Matakahi Defence Lawyers Association New Zealand co-chair Elizabeth Hall said there needed to be a criminal investigation launched following the “unprecedented” revelations and support a “full, independent audit” of historical data.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Professional Firefighters’ Union says four trucks broke down or were out of action in Dunedin yesterday.

High winds and heat fanned nine fires across Otago and Southland.

The union’s Dunedin branch secretary Mike Taylor said a command unit lost power and ended up coasting down State Highway 1 after being called to a blaze near Balclutha.

Mechanical problems meant two volunteer trucks could not respond straight away and a truck in Roslyn was unavailable, he said.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it was only aware of the command unit breaking down.

It was being fixed and the problem did not affect fire fighting efforts, FENZ said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have suspended their search for a Tokoroa teacher who has been missing for two months.

Jayleb-Che Dean, 36, went missing from a swimming spot on Waiotapu Loop Road in Rotorua on 30 September.

Earlier this month police ruled out foul play and said they weren’t looking for anyone in relation to his disappearance.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark van Kempen said police had conducted aerial and ground searches but hadn’t been able to find him.

“This is an incredibly difficult situation for Jayleb-Che’s family, and we are offering them ongoing support.”

He said police were still committed to bringing the man home, but the physical search had been suspended.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two prison guards have spoken for the first time about a prisoner’s confession that Ross Appelgren was not responsible for the 1985 murder of Darcy Te Hira in the kitchen at Mt Eden Prison.

The RNZ podcast Nark hosted by Mike Wesley-Smith has been investigating the Appelgren case. In today’s episode, former Paremoremo prison guards Mark Anthony and Dominic Malcolm reveal that in November 1990, the prisoner told them he knew Appelgren wasn’t involved in the murder, because he had ordered the attack himself.

“He said he organised it,” Anthony says.

RNZ has decided not to name the prisoner, because doing so could put him and the Appelgren appeal at risk. He is instead referred to as “Danny” in the podcast.

Appelgren was twice convicted of murdering Te Hira but died in January 2013 still proclaiming his innocence. His widow, Julie, is seeking to overturn his conviction in the Court of Appeal and have his name cleared posthumously.

Appelgren, who only learned about Danny’s confession after he was convicted, successfully petitioned the Governor-General in 1994 to refer his case back to the Court of Appeal. Acting on the advice of then-Justice Minister Sir Douglas Graham, the Governor-General’s referral stated the prosecution’s failure to disclose Danny’s confession to Appelgren’s lawyers at his retrial meant “a miscarriage of justice might have occurred”.

However, Appelgren’s failing finances and health meant his appeal hearing never went ahead, so no judge or jury have ever heard the guards’ evidence of Danny’s confession. Both Malcolm and Anthony say they believe Appelgren was innocent and that the police failed to properly investigate Danny’s confession.

Dominic Malcolm remembers Danny coming to talk to them on a stormy day in November 1990, shortly after Appelgren had had his first conviction overturned.

“What [Danny] did say was, was that Ross Appelgren had been convicted for using a paddle out of the kitchen to kill Darcy and Danny stood there categorically and said Appelgren didn’t do it”.

His former colleague Mark Anthony remembers the same thing.

“[Danny] immediately said that it was nothing to do with Appelgren… And then just opened up and nominated the inmate that he said actually did do it, and [Danny] said that he was part of it, and then he revealed that Darcy Te Hira was supposed to have only taken a warning shot to the back of the head.”

Anthony says Danny told them he had another prisoner hit Te Hira with the paddle because they had been dealing drugs in Mt Eden and Te Hira “was taking a bit for himself”.

Malcolm and Anthony say they reported this to police at the time. Police records suggest that after interviewing Danny and Anthony, the claims were dismissed as not credible and were not passed on to Appelgren’s lawyers.

Danny’s conversation with the guards only came to light in 1993 when Anthony mentioned it in passing to Appelgren himself in Paremoremo prison.

TV3 journalist Keith Davies asked investigation head Chief Detective Inspector Peter Jenkinson if it cast doubt on Appelgren’s conviction. “I don’t. I don’t personally think so,” he replied.

Others have also poured doubt on Danny’s claims. Another inmate who knew him in prison said “he couldn’t order bloody fish-n-chips at a takeaway, let alone a hit”.

Veteran defence lawyer Marie Dhyrberg KC interviewed Danny at the time and got him to sign an affidavit in which he acknowledged having a conversation with two prison officers about the Te Hira murder. He said it involved two other people, not Appelgren. However, he did not admit to taking part in the killing.

“I found him credible enough that there was nothing I could point to that showed was inconsistent, outrageous, couldn’t be believed. So, in my view on the balance of probabilities, it was reliable enough for me to take the affidavit.”

Dhyrberg says the claims would have been “gold” in the hands of Appelgren’s lawyers at his previous trials.

Police insisted at the time that they had handed details of what they knew about Danny over to Appelgren’s lawyers, Simon Lockhart QC and Bob Hesketh, but both men denied having seen it. The Governor-General, in referring the case back to the Court of Appeal, accepted the information was not made available to Appelgren or his counsel.

“It seems to me to be a miscarriage of justice,” Dhyrbeg says, “that was such potent evidence that should have been made available and was not, and could easily have brought about a different verdict.”

Her concerns are echoed by both Malcolm and Anthony, who are unimpressed with how the police handled the information they provided.

“They were trying to make a conviction,” says Anthony. “And regardless of whether the guy did it or not, they were going to get that conviction anyway.”

“I thought it was justified for the police to take it further and because they didn’t, then I’d have to say that the police are culpable and not doing the job properly,” Malcolm believes.

RNZ asked Police to respond to these issues in a list of more than 150 questions sent to them as part of the podcast investigation. In an email, Detective Inspector Scott Beard, Auckland City CIB, wrote: “We are aware there is an ongoing Court of Appeal process which remains in the early stages at present. As this process is ongoing and has not been heard by the Court, it would be premature for Police to engage in detail at this point”. Beard promised Police would comment further “once we are in a position to do so”.

Asked if they think Appelgren was wrongfully convicted, Anthony and Malcolm are of the same mind.

“Absolutely wrongfully,” Anthony says. “It was, I believe, common knowledge within the staff there [Paremoremo] that the wrong person was got”.

Malcolm says he felt powerless to do more than he did to right the wrong, but he “felt the guy was innocent of what he had been convicted of”.

The latest episode of Nark is out now at rnz.co.nz/nark or wherever you get your podcasts. The series airs 7pm Sundays on RNZ National.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Gwenaёlle Chollet, Journalism Student

Some pets will be allowed on public transport at off-peak times in Christchurch and the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts from Monday.

Small pets will need to be in a carrier that fits on passengers’ laps or under the seat in front of them, while small dogs can be on a lead with a basket-type muzzle.

Pets will not be allowed on seats and only one carrier or dog will be permitted per person over the age of 16, along with several other conditions.

Off-peak hours are weekdays between 9.00am and 3.00pm and after 6.30pm, and all-day on weekends and public holidays.

Canterbury Regional Council public transport general manager Stewart Gibbon said people travelling with pets might be refused entry or asked to get off a bus if their pet was a nuisance or safety risk.

“Our drivers do an incredible job of keeping our services running and we ask customers to be respectful to our drivers as they navigate this change,” he said.

Pet-owners were responsible for any mess and were obliged to clean it up before getting off the bus.

Aucklanders had been allowed pets on public transport under similar regulations since 2023 following a three-month trial on trains in 2019, and shorter trials for small and large dogs on buses in 2022 and 2023.

Wellington has allowed pets to travel on buses, trains and ferries since 2018.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Friends fishing in Northland’s Bream Bay were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, when a huge humpback whale leapt from the sea just 50 metres from their boat.

Michele Adams, her husband and another couple were returning from a morning’s fishing trip at the Hen and Chicken Islands last Sunday, when they saw the water churning.

They pulled in their lines and were motoring closer to investigate, when the whale burst from the sea in a mighty leap.

“He was enormous, at least twice the size of the boat,” she said. “He was jumping out of the water and flapping his fins all over the place.

“He was showing off and putting on an amazing performance.”

The boat was seven metres, making the whale about 14 metres long – the size of an adult humpback.

“It was amazing, awesome and unforgettable,” Adams said. “It was so cool – that’s the only way to explain it.

“We were lucky enough to have been able to take pictures.”

After the breaching display, the whale cruised slowly away down Bream Bay.

Adams, who had a home at Langs Beach, said she had visited Bream Bay for more than 40 years.

While dolphins and smaller whales were often seen in the bay, this was the first time she had seen a humpback.

Adams said the humpback sighting highlighted her concerns about a proposed sand-mining project off Bream Bay.

Auckland company McCallum Brothers have applied for consent, through the fast-track process, to dredge more than eight million cubic metres of sand from the Bream Bay over the next 35 years.

A decision on the consent has yet to be made.

Adams said her family was concerned sand mining could drive away the seals, large stingrays and dolphins she was used to seeing in the Bay.

“We’re all into diving and fishing,” she said. “My son’s a dive instructor, so we understand the value of the ocean and we respect it.”

She had shared the photos of her humpback encounter with the Bream Bay Guardians, a group campaigning against sand mining, to highlight what she saw as a serious threat to the bay’s natural environment.

Humpbacks were once a common sight, as they migrated past New Zealand’s east coast twice a year – northwards in winter to breed and give birth in the tropics, and southwards in October to December to feed in rich Antarctic waters.

The whaling industry of the 18-20th centuries turned humpback sightings into a rarity.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Waikato police are seeking information from the public after an alleged shooting left a man with serious injuries.

Police were called to a property on Sapphire Place in Chartwell, at about 11.50pm on Thursday to reports a man had been shot.

Police said they found a 37-year-old with gunshot wounds, who was taken to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition.

He remained in hospital in a stable state, police said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Reece Durston said police believed it was a targeted incident.

They were asking the public for any information about the incident and for any CCTV footage from the area around Sapphire Place from Thursday night.

The investigation team were currently looking for two cars – one red and one white – that were in the area at the time of the incident, Durston said.

“We believe they may have been travelling in convoy in the area and can assist us in our enquiries.”

A scene examination remains ongoing, and there would be additional police in the area around Sapphire Place, he added.

Information can be sent to police either online or over the phone on 105 by quoting the file number, 251128/8530.

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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 wife of a guide who died while climbing Aoraki Mt Cook says his death has left an ache in the hearts of those who knew him.

Wānaka-based guide Thomas Vialletet and American lawyer Kellam Conover were roped together climbing from Empress Hut to the summit when they died on Monday night.

Two other members of the climbing party who survived were flown from the mountain early on Tuesday morning, while the bodies of Vialletet and Conover were recovered later in the day.

Danielle Vialletet said her husband was a kind, steady and deeply genuine person whose love for the mountains was matched only by his devotion to his family.

“Thomas fell deeply in love with Aotearoa’s mountains and culture, carrying them alongside his strong French heritage. He brought the best of both worlds into his guiding: the warmth and humour of his French roots, and the deep respect he developed for the New Zealand backcountry.

“His high standards, professionalism and the craftsmanship of his French guiding style enriched the New Zealand guiding scene and left a mark on everyone who had the chance to work or climb with him.”

The couple owned mountain and ski guiding company Summit Explorers and have two young children.

Vialletet and the Summit Explorers team said he touched countless lives with his generosity, warmth and quiet strength.

A Givealittle page set up to support the family has raised more than $110,000 dollars.

Conover was a Stanford Law School graduate who lived in Washington DC and worked for international law firm King & Spalding.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have made further arrests in attempts to dismantle an international organised crime syndicate smuggling Class A drugs through Auckland Airport.

Twenty search warrants were carried out across the Auckland region on Thursday by the National Organised Crime Group and Customs, with eight associates from the Brotherhood 28 MC gang arrested – including its president.

They were charged with 170 separate drug offences.

Detective Inspector Tom Gollan said since the beginning of the year, police had seized two consignments of drugs, totalling 630kg of methamphetamine worth $220 million, and 112kg of cocaine worth $50.4m, as part of Operation Matata.

During Thursday’s warrants police also seized $50,000 in cash, multiple rounds of ammunition, along with jewellery and electronic devices.

None of those arrested in this week’s search warrants were baggage handlers, but facilitators and controllers sitting over the top of the syndicate, Gollan said.

Since February, there had been 43 arrests in total, 20 of which were baggage handlers employed by baggage handling companies operating at Auckland Airport.

Police have been working in collaboration with.. Homeland Security Investigations in the US, police liaison officers in other countries, and NZ Customs.

Customs investigations manager Dominic Adams said the operation sent a strong message that attempts to exploit positions of privilege would be targeted and stopped.

“New Zealand’s high volume of legitimate trade and travel creates opportunities for criminal infiltration,” he said.

“This is not a new method used by transnational syndicates – it has been an issue around the world for several years – we are not immune to it.

“Every day, our teams work nationally and internationally to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen New Zealand’s border.”

Auckland Airport head of terminal operations Richard Deihl said: “These latest arrests demonstrate the strong and effective collaboration between police, Customs and the airport community to disrupt the global drugs trade and prevent harmful substances from reaching our community.

“Everyone in the airport system, from airlines to ground handlers and the airport company itself, is united in our commitment to stamp out drug trafficking at the border.”

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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 year after criticising the government’s rushed procurement process for the Gumboot Friday mental health initiative, the auditor-general now says the contract is being managed properly and in line with good practice.

The public spending watchdog on Friday released its response to Labour MP Ingrid Leary, who last month asked it to investigate whether the Ministry of Health’s deal with the I Am Hope charity was delivering value for money.

The auditor-general said its recent audit work had concluded that the ministry’s handling of the contract was sound.

“Overall, the review found that the contract was being managed appropriately against its terms and in accordance with good practice.”

Under the arrangement, those aged 25 and under can book free counselling services through the Gumboot Friday platform run by I Am Hope, founded by comedian Mike King.

The audit found the ministry had developed a contract management plan, was receiving regular reports on counsellor numbers and sessions delivered, and had clearly defined payment milestones.

No complaints about the service had been lodged with the ministry to date.

Both the mental health minister and director-general of health also received a full review of the scheme’s performance before deciding to renew the contract in July.

As a result, the watchdog said it would not launch a further investigation unless new information came to light. It had, however, advised the ministry to consider using an independent probity auditor for any future major procurement.

The auditor-general’s office also noted that it could not examine the internal practices – such as remuneration – of I Am Hope itself, because the charity was a private organisation.

Leary was advised she could raise any further questions with the ministry at its annual review during Parliament’s Scrutiny Week in the first week of December.

In October 2024, the auditor-general issued a highly critical report on the way the government awarded $24 million to I Am Hope over four years, describing the procurement process as “unusual and inconsistent with good practice”.

The Ministry of Health had invoked an special opt-out provision to bypass a competitive process, given the National-NZ First coalition agreement had already committed the funding.

But the auditor-general found no clear justification for invoking the clause, and said the analysis appeared aimed at retrospectively justifying a decision that had already been made.

It warned the approach created risks for transparency, accountability, and value for money, and said it intended to closely monitor the initiative.

At the time, officials accepted the process had been carried out at pace and lacked adequate documentation, risk analysis and proper timing.

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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 man who saw police officers taser an armed man who had trapped a woman and her baby in a Wellington bus stop has praised their efforts during a life-threatening situation.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found officers were justified when they tasered a man who then sustained a serious head injury after falling onto the road.

Police were called to reports of a man armed with a blade from a pair of hedge trimmers, who had trapped a woman and her baby in a Wellington bus-stop in January.

Police tasered the man when he refused to drop the weapon while standing within metres of the officers.

Judge Kenneth Johnston KC said they acted in genuine fear for the safety of the woman, the child, and themselves.

A man who saw what happened, who RNZ has agreed not to name, said he was at home that day when he heard a child and could not tell whether they were crying or laughing.

“Then I heard a male voice in a different tone, and it … didn’t sit well with me, and I thought, that doesn’t sound right.”

When he went outside and saw the man had a weapon, he called the police.

“It was clear that he was violent and not rational,” he said.

“He was basically waving that around belligerently, kind of seemingly at nothing, but also in a threatening manner … deliberately hacking away at the bus stop whilst the woman and child were inside that bus shelter, I guess trying to stay as far away from him as they possibly could.”

Once the man was tasered, he hit the ground hard, the witness said.

“I distinctly remember the sound of him hitting the road, [I’ll] never forget that.

“It was basically just a large slap.”

He was impressed with officers’ actions, saying it was, at maximum, one minute between their arrival and disarming the man.

“I thought their response was fantastic … they’re doing what they’re there to do, which is to protect the community, and they did it swiftly.”

If they had not, the situation could have been a lot worse, he said.

“It was an appropriate response, given that there was … at least the way it appeared to me, a life-threatening situation.”

The IPCA report said the child was uninjured and the woman suffered a deep cut to her thumb after pushing the man’s weapon away from her.

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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

Paid firefighters are walking off the job for one hour again today over their deadlocked contract negotiations with Fire and Emergency.

About 2000 members of the Professional Firefighters’ Union will strike between 12-1pm.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said calls to 111 would be answered during that time and it will respond to fires in strike-affected areas – but there could be some delays, as callouts would be covered by volunteers.

“We have notified Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance that, for the one-hour strike, our volunteer crews won’t be able to respond to medical calls outside their patch.”

While the strike was “putting public safety at risk”, it would not affect most of the country, she said.

“The vast majority of communities are served by our more than 11,000 volunteers in nearly 600 stations across New Zealand who will respond as usual.”

Meanwhile, FENZ was urging people and businesses in towns and cities usually covered by professional firefighters to be “extra careful”, and avoid any work practices that could spark fire, and ensure tenants understood evacuation procedures.

Its offer to the union was (6.2 percent over three years) was “a fair and sustainable increase”, Stifler said.

“The Employment Relations Authority is currently considering our application to provide facilitation to bring the parties together and work constructively towards a resolution.

“We don’t see the point in putting the community at risk with this strike while that process plays out. The NZPFU’s recent settlement proposal is three times more than our offer, which was fair, reasonable and in line with other settlements across the public service.”

Union responds

The union’s national secretary, Wattie Watson, said the union had worked hard to get a settlement – but FENZ has refused to return to the table.

“FENZ has refused to adapt its position and last week refused to agree to new bargaining dates on the basis they only want to meet in facilitation. The Employment Relations Authority only received the final legal submissions yesterday and a decision is pending.

“Instead of actually trying to reach settlement and address the systemic failings of the fire service, FENZ has pushed on with an application for facilitation, attempted to present distorted information in the pursuit of that application, dropped a 260-page restructure document that culls about 160 jobs without consulting with the NZPFU or the PSA, refuses to address serious asbestos risks in Auckland, and continues to fail the community with a failing fleet and replace closed stations or those under extremely poor earthquake ratings.”

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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 and Customs are set to reveal the latest in a crackdown on staff helping import drugs at Auckland International Airport.

Operation Matata has been focused on a transnational organised crime syndicate working with local gangs who are alleged to have imported significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine into New Zealand.

The briefing will be livestreamed at the top of this page from about noon.

Police have identified the syndicate was allegedly smuggling Class A drugs through unattended baggage on international flights, primarily through Auckland International Airport.

Officers arrested people across two phases in June and July.

In total, 15 current and former baggage handlers working for airline baggage handling agencies at Auckland International Airport have been charged.

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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 Zealand skipper died after being pulled into a faulty winch in the UK.

British authorities released on Friday the findings of their investigation into 74-year-old Lyall Babington’s death.

Babington had set off from New Zealand about three years earlier, intending to sail Mollie around the world.

Babington lived on the 17-metre yacht, recruiting crew members at various ports.

One crew member had been with the vessel for approximately five months, two others had only joined the day prior to the fatal accident.

On 5 August, Mollie had reached the Western Solent on its way to Poole in England when Babington’s hand became caught in a rope as he tried to raise the sail.

“As the winch continued to turn the skipper was progressively pulled tighter onto the winch drum, causing severe injuries to his arm and hand, trauma to his head and chest, and pinning him around the winch,” the report into his death said.

The crew tried to stop the winch using the control switch.

“After a number of attempts the winch stopped turning and the crew assessed the skipper for signs of life. The skipper was unresponsive and tightly wound over and around the winch,” it said.

The crew then raised a ‘Mayday’ and a lifeboat and rescue helicopter were sent to the yatch to try and free Babington from the winch.

“As they did so, and without warning, the winch activated and released the skipper and he fell onto the deck.”

Despite their efforts to revive Babington, he could not be saved.

A post-mortem examination of the skipper was carried out, the results of which are pending.

A preliminary investigation found the wench had a known defect which sometimes caused it to continue to operate after the control switch had been released.

The powered winch had likely been installed by a small boatyard, and the installation was not mass-produced.

No further action was undertaken by authorities.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Much of the country will continue to experience warm temperatures over the coming days, but thankfully, a reprieve from the warm nights is coming, MetService says.

[embedded content]

It was a sweltering day across much of the country on Thursday, with temperatures also exceeded 30°C at Christchurch Airport for a second consecutive day while 33.0°C in Hastings was the day’s hottest spot.

MetService said Auckland recorded its highest November temperate on record of 27.1°C at their Auckland Airport station.

A thunderstorm brought a burst of rain at 5:30am for western parts of the North Island. This will push eastwards but clear up in time for Saturday, MetService said.

If you were woken by thunder at 5:30am, here’s what the radar looked like…

A decent burst of rain in the early hours of this morning for western parts of the North Island. This will push eastward today but will clear up in time for Saturday.

Here are some of the bigger peak… pic.twitter.com/7WalbWwmqP

— MetService NZ (@MetService) November 27, 2025

MetService head of weather Heather Keats said “we’ve got summer knocking on our door”.

She told Morning Report a heat alert was in place for Napier, which has seen temperatures in the high 20s to early 30s, but are also experiencing warm nights.

“When we issue heat alerts from this time on, for not just warm days, but when it’s really warm over night and you don’t get much of a reprieve.” Keats said.

“… Prolonged heat, especially with the humidity, it makes sleeping very difficult. We know how important it is for temperatures to be at a low level for sleep to be healthy. So, it’s an indication for people who are vulnerable to heat exposure and heat-stroke, to keep them hydrated [and] a good indication to check on elderly… [and] pets.”

Keats said Hastings and Christchurch were close to heat alerts. She said we are still seeing massive swings in weather, for example Christchurch was 15°C on Monday and on Wednesday it was 30°C degrees.

She said Auckland on Friday will be slightly cooler with high of 25°C.

“November has been warm. We’ve seen some very high temperatures, especially out in the eastern side of the country. We’ve had these increased northerly flows, we’ve got humid air masses coming down from the tropics,” Keats said.

“But, we’ve also got warmer then normal sea-surface temperatures to the north and west. We are looking already at like 21 degrees in the Firth Of Thames – that’s around what we’d expect in summer – so, that fuels the temperatures as well.”

Keats said it will continue to be warm for the next few days.

Monday will be the first day of summer, and what that will bring is “anyone’s guess at the moment”, Keats said.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) declared a La Niña event is officially underway in the Pacific for the first time since 2023.

Keats said in New Zealand, we will see more difficult La Niña conditions as we move into December such as warm sea surface temperatures. La Niña, for New Zealand, typically sees more north-easterly winds, moist and rainy conditions for eastern North Island, and reduced rainfall for the lower and western South Island.

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