was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court on a raft of sexual offending charges WARNING: This story contains details of sexual offending A drunk man with sex on his mind got what he wanted from a young woman by taking her to an isolated area and persuading her to play a game of truth John Paul Smith, of Hāwera, south Taranaki “commanded” her to take part in sex acts and warned her she was not allowed to back out The woman, in her early 20s, was left shaking and crying after being sexually assaulted and raped during the game by Smith The March 11, 2022, incident was the focus of a judge-alone trial in New Plymouth District Court in March arguing all sexual activity with the woman was consensual He was found guilty on all charges by Judge Russell Collins the woman said she had been a victim of similar offending before and this incident had exacerbated her trauma PTSD and her relationships had suffered as a result it’s just messed with me mentally and emotionally.” The woman said the court process had taken a toll and she now just wanted to “feel safe again” and move on with her life Crown prosecutor Holly Bullock said Smith’s case featured a high degree of premeditation given he wanted to have sex with the woman that night and started the game She said other aggravating factors included him taking her to a remote location and the scale of the offending comprising several assaults over one evening Bullock submitted a starting point of eight to 10 years in prison was appropriate Defence lawyer Julian Hannam argued for a start point of nine years and pointed to Smith’s admitted alcoholism and that he was affected by alcohol at the time of the offending Hannam submitted it affected Smith’s decision-making and his culpability Judge Collins took a starting point of nine years and found intoxication could not be used as a mitigating factor he said the fact he suffered from alcoholism could be a factor as there was a causative link between the illness and his ability to make good decisions Because Smith was prepared to address his addiction the judge reduced his sentence by one year He also credited him for “streamlining” the trial process by accepting much of the facts leaving the judge only to consider whether there was consent Smith was then sentenced to seven years and six months in prison Judge Collins said the victim had looked to do an act of kindness for Smith by driving his car for him that night She quickly realised she was “out of her depth” The woman had not physically resisted from fear of what would happen if she did While he found Smith had not set out to rape and sexually assault the woman he chose to continue the sexual encounter despite her making it clear through her words and actions that she did not consent who had drunk the majority of an 18-box of Codys bourbon and cola met at a location in Hāwera to have a cigarette together They planned to walk to Smith’s vehicle and the woman would drive they drove to the town’s cemetery and parked for another cigarette Smith then asked if she wanted to play a game The woman understood that “you do whatever they want you to do” and “there’s no backing out” and Smith asked her if she agreed that “whatever happens in the car which saw the woman take off her jacket and hoodie and Smith perform a “funny” dance the pair drove to a nearby house so the woman could use the toilet with Smith taking her to the “back roads” of the town and parking the car and Smith “commanded” the woman to perform a sex act She broke down and cried because she did not want to do it but believed she could not say “no” because it was a command the sex assault continued and culminated with rape The woman said she did not know where they were parked She said Smith later apologised because he felt he may have hurt her She said she did not want any of the sexual activity to take place and repeatedly told Smith to stop during which he denied the woman had told him to stop at any point and said he believed it was all consensual He claimed he had asked the woman if he could have sex with her before he proceeded Smith said he could not recall the woman crying during the sexual activity but said she was shaking and crying after He acknowledged later apologising to the woman and said it was because she was upset When asked at trial to explain the game the pair played Smith said: “You can’t back out of a command” Judge Collins accepted the woman’s evidence for several reasons and said her narrative was “real memories from real events” She was also vulnerable with a history of trauma and was incapable of constructing the narrative she reported 'This is not something we’ve seen before.' After almost 130 years Hāwera has a new $20.1 million library incorporating a visitor information centre Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga was officially opened on Monday 128 years after the original Hāwera Library was built in 1896 South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon said the facility's completion was a milestone in the council's Town Centre Strategy and public toilets will provide residents and visitors with a wide range of services and bring more foot traffic right into the heart of Hāwera." Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga means the beacon or signal fire of Ruapātahanga a legendary wahine toa who would light a beacon as a signal for iwi to meet to talk Nixon said the name perfectly symbolised the new centre's purpose as a place for the community to come together "Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga will not only be a community and visitor hub increasing investment - both social and economic and will completely transform the town centre." A glass bust of Ruapātahanga stands sentinel at the High Street entrance of the facility The Lysaght Watt Gallery was also located in the building and its inaugural exhibition Tuata'i/First featured a showcase of contemporary artists from across South Taranaki Nixon said key financial contributors to the project had been the Regional Development Fund "Thanks to substantial external fundraising and by using the council's long term investment fund and other reserves rates were not raised to build the facility." Nixon said it had been quite a journey since the building was first mooted in December 2014 - under the leadership of former mayor Ross Dunlop - through to its completion in partnership with the Hāwera Business Association developed and adopted the Hāwera Town Centre Strategy a suite of actions which would create a more vibrant and economically sustainable town centre "One of the key goals underpinning the strategy was that it would be a catalyst to drive change and to encourage private investment in the town centre - and that is what we have seen and are continuing to see happen today." Nixon pointed to the development of Campbell Lane the extension of car parks on Victoria Street the Woolworths redevelopment in the Nelson/Victoria/Union Street precinct the Foundry-Te Wanake co-working space and restoration work on heritage buildings in the town centre as evidence of this Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga was designed by Daniel Thompson (of Warren and Mahoney Architects) who grew up in Hāwera and it was built with environmental sustainability in mind Nixon said this had the added benefit of keeping ongoing operational costs to a minimum Some of the key aspects were the use of solar energy with an array of panels on the roof - which have made use of the north-facing saw-tooth roof design - and a former milk tank (donated by Fonterra) designed to collect water from the roof which was re-purposed for flushing toilets in the building There will be months of disruption for the public and 95 staff Two week's after Stratford's much-loved Glockenspiel fell silent Romeo and Juliet are once again emerging on the clock tower balcony New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News South TaranakiBuyer Enquiry Over $799,000312163m²2,097m²GRAND HOME - PARKLIKE SETTING...A timeless beauty set on an expansive 2097 sqm (approx.) of private Brimming with charm and lovingly maintained this home effortlessly blends heritage features with modern comforts Step inside and discover three spacious bedrooms and a well-appointed bathroom generous-sized lounge perfect for relaxing or entertaining and a light-filled open-plan kitchen and dining areas beautifully renovated in 2017 by One-Off Design to stay true to the home's heritage complete with modern appliances and a handy walk-in pantry Seamless indoor/outdoor flow to a welcoming front porch an ideal spot to unwind with a wine and enjoy your private sanctuary The colour steel roof was replaced in 2019 and features copper spouting an infinity gas hot water system (new in 2022) Ceiling insulation is in place-a top-up may be considered for added comfort you'll love your private park setting - perfect for garden weddings or simply soaking in the birdsong under mature trees There is plenty of space for kids and pets to roam a workshop or hobbies room - perfect for weekend projects This is not just a drive-by; you truly must see it to appreciate all the charm and potential this property holds Call today to arrange your private viewing and experience the magic of this grand Character Home based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event Taranaki Singer Songwriters - Hāwera 2nd season! Welcome to the second season of Taranaki Singer Songwriters event in Hāwera ?After 20 enchanting years in New Plymouth we're thrilled to bring our beloved event back to the Hawera Repertory Theatre for 2 nights of mesmerizing music and raw talent Join us as we celebrate the art of songwriting and the power of music in connecting hearts and minds.7pm doors7:30pm startVenue: Hawera Repertory Theatre HāweraFree Entry with a koha being collected!Licensed Bar operatingAbout the Event:After a very successful first season of Singer Songwriters events in Hawera during 2024 we are back for more!Nearly two decades Singer Songwriters has been a cornerstone event for musicians in New Plymouth offering a platform for artists to share their original music with an appreciative audience we're expanding our horizons and inviting the Hāwera community to experience the magic.For Performers:Whether you're a seasoned performer or stepping onto the stage for the first time The event is structured to showcase one song per artist some may be invited to grace us with additional pieces.If you'd like to perform:Ready to make your voice heard Sign up now to secure your spot in the lineup Visit https://www.taranakisingersongwriters.com/oureventsWhat to Expect:- A night filled with original music from talented singer-songwriters.- A professional production setup to ensure the best sound for your performance.- An engaging host to guide the evening's festivities.- An attentive and supportive audience The Hāwera LibraryPlus will close on November 7 to move to its new location at Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga Hāwera’s library and visitor centre will close as its shifts into its new $15.5 million building South Taranaki District Council arts and culture manager Cath Sheard encouraged people to stock up on library books “As well as ensuring you’ve got enough to last you over the two weeks the LibraryPlus will be closed it will also help us because we’ll have less books to shift.” The i-Site visitor centre – including the AA service centre – will close on November 20 Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga is a part of the South Taranaki District Council’s Hāwera town centre revitalisation strategy Beth McKenzie and Helen and Phil D’Ath will run a new cafe called The Gathering which will utilise local producers Hamilton-based company Livingstone Building has been in charge of the construction of Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga The new centre is estimated to have cost $15.5 million, with plans and funding established back in 2020, including $3m in “shovel-ready” funding from the previous Government and $2.8 million from the TSB Community Trust The library and the visitor centre – on the corner of High and Regent streets – is expected to open on November 25 at 1pm Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week A person has been taken to hospital by helicopter in a serious condition after a milk tanker went off the road in Taranaki on Saturday morning Emergency services were called to the scene on State Highway 45 near Hāwera just after 1am In 2023, two people died in a two-vehicle crash involving a milk tanker at the intersection of State Highway 57 and Kara Road in Shannon Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Fonterra has confirmed one of its milk tankers was involved in a fatal crash south of Palmerston North on Wednesday An investigation has been launched into the smashing of a milk tanker's windscreen and milk being tipped onto a road at the weekend John Paul Smith raped a woman during a game of truth And while that was what the game eventually led to, it was not consensual John Paul Smith, of Hāwera, South Taranaki that the rules of the game meant she was not allowed to back out not really understanding the game or Smith’s intentions was left shaking and crying after being sexually assaulted and raped by Smith “I couldn’t pull out ‘cause it was a command,” she told a police detective The March 11, 2022, incident was the focus of a judge-alone trial held in New Plymouth District Court last week Smith was defending seven charges - two of rape and three of unlawful sexual connection - relating to the woman He argued that all of the sexual activity was consensual In a recorded interview with police detective Pat Montagna-Hay that was played to the court the woman said she and Smith met at a location in Hāwera to have a cigarette together that evening They planned to walk to Smith’s vehicle parked nearby and the woman would drive it they drove to the town’s cemetery and parked up to have another cigarette The woman explained to Montagna-Hay that command meant a person commanded “you to do whatever they want you to do” “And what happens if you don’t,” Montagna-Hay asked “There’s no backing out,” the woman responded She said in the first round of the game she chose truth and Smith asked her if she agreed that “whatever happens in the car “I said ‘yeah’ ‘cause I didn’t really understand the game.” The woman said Smith then chose truth and she asked him if she was safe She explained that the game resumed and he ‘commanded’ her to perform a sex act “I broke down and cried ‘cause I didn’t wanna do it But I couldn’t pull out ‘cause it was a command.” She said Smith asked if she was okay and she shook her head The woman said she didn’t know where they were parked and it was too dark to run “I went home after that and I just cried myself to sleep.” She said she did not want any of the sexual activity to take place and repeatedly told Smith to “stop” “He didn’t say anything but he also didn’t stop.” defence counsel Julian Hannam suggested that if she did not want to partake Smith opted to give evidence in his defence during which he denied the woman had told him to stop at any point and he believed it was all consensual He also could not recall the woman crying during the sexual activity but said she was shaking and crying after Smith acknowledged apologising to the woman at that point and said it was because she was upset but he was unsure why He went home to his wife following the encounter with the woman When asked in court to explain the game the pair played “I explained the rules to her and she agreed to the rules.” Smith also claimed he had asked the woman if he could have sex with her before he proceeded and she had agreed I would have stopped because I’m not that type of person.” Smith said he saw the woman the following day and she “seemed fine” Smith had drunk the majority of an 18-box of Codys He described himself as an alcoholic and becoming “possessed” and “a different person when he drinks” Crown prosecutor Holly Bullock said it was convenient Smith had managed to recall every detail of that evening He accepted he had sex on his mind when he met up with the woman and that he instigated the game and turned it sexual But he refuted he made up that he got the woman’s permission before having sex Judge Collins considered the evidence and returned with guilty verdicts to all seven charges The judge accepted all of the woman’s evidence for several reasons including: that she was not intoxicated; there was no discernible reason why she would make up the allegations; she stayed firm when challenged; most of the narrative she gave was not disputed; and it was full of admissions against her interests such as she never alleged physical resistance Her narrative was “real memories from real events” adding she was vulnerable with a history of trauma and questioned if she was safe with the accused The judge believed she was incapable of constructing the narrative she reported He rejected Smith’s evidence on the matters in dispute finding the woman had been crying during the sexual activity and that Smith was indifferent to her feelings and carried on Smith only played it to manipulate matters leaving it implausible that he would ask for her consent “He set out this night to have sex with this young woman.” Smith was remanded into custody ahead of his sentencing on April 14 Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice South Taranaki District Council staff and services are to be relocated for up to six months while its Hāwera headquarters is earthquake strengthened Chief executive Fiona Aitken said the building currently met the minimum earthquake standard which is 34 percent of the New Building Standard but because it was the district's Civil Defence emergency operations centre it was required to meet higher structural requirements and be 80 percent of the NBS "We need to make sure that in the event of a major disaster we are able to use this building as our base of operations as well as continue to deliver our business-as-usual activities to our communities," Aitken said "We have gone out to tender and anticipate that physical work will start early in the new year This means we'll have to relocate staff from the main administration building for approximately four to six months." The earthquake strengthening was estimated to cost up to $700,000 but a final figure would not be known until after the tendering process closed Aitken said there would be disruption for the public and up to 95 staff affected but it was nothing council could not accommodate "Since Covid we've learnt to be very flexible with how we do things and with the pending completion of Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga space would become free in the old LibraryPlus and i-site where most of the staff will be based "Some staff will also be based at the TSB Hub where all ordinary council meetings will be held." Aitken said from November members of the public with council related issues to resolve would be directed to Te Ramanui "The biggest challenge will be how we accommodate customer enquiries with staff based in different buildings but we've got a good amount of time to plan for that before the end of the year," she said Families have been left in the cold as they "just can't justify" the expense All four Taranaki councils oppose the government's decision to block Māori wards by public referendums The tongue-in-cheek sign - which mimics NZTA information boards - suggests diggers might be about to return Fire crews responded to a fire in a Hāwera school at 4.28am on Friday Soggy books and burned walls are the aftermath of a fire in the library of a Hāwera school that was started by an air ventilation fan Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Chris Dalton said firefighters were called to reports of a fire in Ramanui School at 4.28am on Friday The school is on Fairfield Rd and is close to the Hāwera Playcentre Ramanui School principal Debbie Drake said the fire started from an electrical fire in an air ventilation fan in the wall of the library “It [the fan] hasn’t been used for a long time so goodness knows why it happened,” she said “It burned through the ceiling and down the wall There’s quite a bit of smoke and water damage with the books and carpet in the library.” No one was at the school at the time but the alarm system alerted fire services The library is in a separate building from the main school block Most of the damage was repairable but Drake said if the fire had lasted longer it “could have been a whole different story” She said it was lucky the fire brigade was “not far down the road” and was very quick to the scene The call escalated to a higher alarm with crews from Hāwera Ngaio and New Plymouth being asked to respond Most crews were stood down before reaching the scene but the Hāwera Brigade extinguished the small fire “They thought it was a bit bigger than it was but it turned out to be a smaller fire.” The school now faces a library clean-up job with some of the collection of books wrecked horrible books so we’ll see what happens with that .. Drake said the Ministry of Education was sending assessors to determine the extent of the damage to the library Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news Kiri Erb says the Te Matatini catering gig is the biggest undertaking of her career By Emma Andrews, RNZ Kiri Erb has a “natural” gift of cooking for crowds; now she and her kaimahi are gearing up to feed thousands at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga Erb, the owner of Hāwera’s Tika Restaurant said it was an honour to be one of two catering companies dishing out kai at the upcoming event probably the biggest undertaking I’ve done in my career one on Nelson Street and the other on Glover Road Erb tapped into her smaller cafe to make a “couple of thousand” pies while the restaurant was making muffins Her staff will increase from 36 to 50 for the week of the kapa haka nationals satisfying various rōpū such as volunteers and kaumātua with revolving canapes and continuous refreshments “This is a team collaboration across Taranaki - it’s not just one business - it’s all of us and we’ve all got to do our part,” she said “This is not just about upholding us as a business Erb spent quality time with her grandmother in the kitchen She left school young and fell into part-time work at a little pizza cafe in Lower Hutt she got into administration but said it was not her “thing” “I just took a bit of a leap of faith and started my own thing Erb started out making kai for one school out of the Hāwera racecourse kitchen and Campbell Mason allowed her to have a small cabinet of food She successfully applied to be a school lunch provider for six schools and at the end of the year she took on the established created menus and got the restaurant in full operation in less than four weeks and we’ve been running ever since.” The birthdate of her business was also the date her first mokopuna was born “I was busy falling asleep on the hospital floor waiting for my granddaughter to be born.” The business was whānau oriented - nine kaimahi were related to Erb and she supported kaimahi who embarked on their own journeys So to have an opportunity to create a space where everybody is celebrated for their uniqueness Previous staff member Josh Guttenbeil-Smith just left Tika to start his own coffee business but occasionally returned to teach people the art of coffee making Guttenbeil-Smith shut his business early to help train new staff “I’m sad he’s not with us any more but I’m proud that he’s established his own thing and walking his own path,” Erb said - RNZ Fire crews are currently at the scene of a house fire in Hāwera; one person was airlifted to Waikato Hospital as a result of the incident A person in a serious condition was airlifted to Waikato Hospital after a gas explosion in a Hāwera home on Thursday Fire and Emergency NZ specialist fire investigator Andrew Cotter said the cause of the fire was a gas leak from a 9kg gas bottle which had ignited “There was an explosion with the gas igniting “It caused a bit of structural damage to the house.” There was not much burning or fire damage after the initial explosion “It’s certainly not something we’d see regularly,” Cotter said A Hato Hone St John spokesman said they were notified of a fire incident in Hāwera at 5.51am “Two helicopters and two ambulances responded “One patient is currently being airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition.” Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Belinda Beets said fire crews were called to the fire about 5.47am “One person suffered minor burns to their legs and arms Beets said fire crews were still at the scene mid-morning on Thursday Fire and Emergency Taranaki assistant commander Clive Lennox said it was “an incident in the rear of the house” Two fire engines from Hāwera and an operational support unit Cotter said people should get any problems with gas appliances checked by a gas fitter It was also possible to check for a gas leak by using soapy water around connections for gas cylinders or appliances “If you spray a little bit of dishwashing liquid mixed with water on to a connection Households with working smoke alarms had a far better chance of being alerted in a fire Almost 700 cars will travel through Taranaki for the American car festival South Taranaki’s annual Americarna event sees people line the streets to check out hundreds of classic Hāwera businesses have banded together to put on the first Mini Car Derby hoping it will become an annual addition to Americarna wanted a way for the businesses to debrief but also get more involved in the festivities and have some fun “So that’s how it started and now it’s flourished into this mini car derby where we’re racing cars against each other,” he said Each participating business must create a non-motorised miniature vehicle which will race down a track one-on-one until a winner is crowned the vehicles will be displayed in shop windows with the community able to vote for their favourite in the people’s choice category “It’s been an incredibly tough few years so it’s good for the businesses to get together,” Mason said The business owners were aware that some potential customers were struggling with financial issues so the focus was on building connections rather than pushing spending “We try not to put that pressure on individuals to spend “It’s not necessarily that primary day-of spending it’s the secondary; they want to come back.” Other Hāwera businesses involved include The Burnt Place Bar and Kitchen Curly Beards has created a custom trophy to award to the grand winner Although currently limited to Hāwera businesses the organisers hoped the Mini Car Derby would continue to grow with entries possibly opening to schools and individuals in the future “We’re a small town but we need to think better and work together,” Mason said There will also be a market, music from Nana & Petal and Nikki Rei South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon said the longevity and consistent popularity of the event was rare “Some of these events that keep coming back year after year end up dwindling but we don’t see that with Americarna,” he said which Nixon believed contributed to its ongoing popularity was that it travelled through the district “Our retailers get behind it and decorate in an American style – it’s a real carnival atmosphere.” Americarna vehicles will be on display in Hāwera from 1.15pm to 5.15pm on Friday. The acceleration display will take place at 2.30pm on Albion St and the Mini Car Derby will be at The Burnt Place Bar and Kitchen from 5.15pm. Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui. Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week. Police are making inquiries after a fire in public toilets on Little Regent St, Hāwera. A fire in a South Taranaki public toilet is being looked into by police, who say there are “limited lines of inquiry”. Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Alison Munn said fire services responded to reports of a fire in the public toilets in Hāwera, in the centre of town, about 1.20pm on Sunday. “When we got there we found there was a small fire at the rear of the toilets. “It was quickly extinguished by our crews.” Munn said fire crews had notified police as “that’s not a normal thing to happen”. Police said they had made inquiries into what happened at the public toilets on Little Regent St. “At this stage, there are limited lines of inquiry.” Anyone with any information that might help police can call 105 and quote file number 241208/5331. Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023. Emergency services responded to the scene after a truck collided with a power pole in Hāwera on Tuesday morning. Emergency services had to shut a section of SH3 on South Rd, Hāwera after a truck crashed into a power pole on Tuesday morning. Police were advised at 10.40am a truck had collided with a power pole on South Rd. “The truck driver was uninjured but the power pole is broken.” Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Shannon Lucas said fire services were currently on-site. “We are on-site just for scene protection, because the power pole is on quite a dangerous lean. There was one fire crew and another support crew at the scene, she said. A Powerco spokesman said one customer was affected by the damage to the power pole. “Our crews are working as quickly as they can to restore power.” A Kiwi family moves to Perth for better opportunities. From police work in NZ to FIFO mining in Perth, they share their journey. Video / Carson Bluck. Police said emergency services were called to a Mahia Rd property just before 10am after a report of a person seriously injured. Christchurch, Mairehau house fire: Firefighters battle two-storey house blaze 10 patients were assessed and treated by our crews in total. Video | George Heard Auckland commuters face a chaotic morning after two highways leading into the central city have been majorly disrupted by crashes. Video \ NZME NZ film industry faces uncertainty over US tariff, ongoing decline in livestock numbers and questions over longer sentences reducing reoffending. The moa might be extinct, but they’ve left an imprint! Reporter Sierra is at Magnificent Moa Day where experts are revealing their incredible 3.6 million year-old find. Emergency services are attending the fire at a McDonald's on Pakuranga Rd. Video / Supplied, Te Rina Triponel Christopher Luxon holds a post-Cabinet press conference A memorial tree has been planted at the entrance of St John’s bush in honour of slain American entomology student Kyle Whorrall. Video \ Jason Dorday Victim of abuse is wanting a judicial review Goodman Group is upgrading Highbrook Crossing to add retail, dining and public space to New Zealand’s largest business park in East Tāmaki. Video \ Jason Dorday Reporter Angelina is in Auckland, where hip hop crews from all over the world are battling to see who’s the best. Aotearoa group En-Locked is in the house, let’s see how they do! $2b for NZ Defence helicopters, Trump’s influence on global elections, and Parliament tackles alcohol and mental health. The Coleman family has been melting down precious metals for more than 40 years. This is the first time they've shared inside their multi-million dollar gold and silver operation. The Prime Minister joins Mike Hosking in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big politicial issues. Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin. Video / Sky Sport Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined by Deputy PM Winston Peters and Minister of defence Judith Collins to make a pre-budget defence announcement. Video / Alex Burton Albanese wins Australian election, Kiwis worry about wild weather, and 3D-printed limbs help child amputees in Gaza. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to be joined by Defence Minister Judith Collins and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters make a pre-Budget defence announcement. Neighbours heard explosions as a fire ripped through a Mt Roskill house. 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Fire and Emergency NZ said it responded to more than 30 callouts overnight, mainly in the Wellington area. The worst of the weather is over, more Kiwis turning to methamphetamine and Drs are back at the negotiating table. NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander speaks about CEO pay in 2024. Video / Dean Purcell Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking', looked up, and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm. Video / Julie Paterson Heather Keats updates the powerful system battering New Zealand, bringing floods, snow, extreme wind and widespread disruption. Video / NZ Herald, MetService, Vanessa Weenink MetService Head of Weather News, Heather Keats, breaks down why Wellington is under a rare red warning with extreme winds, heavy rain and dangerous high tides. Hon Mark Mitchell, Deputy Mayor Malcolm Lyall, and Local MP Hon Nicola Grigg speak to the media on the local state of emergency in Selwyn Gisborne locals and health workers marched to Heipipi Park, where speakers highlighted what they say is a regional health crisis. NZ Herald Live: Simeon Brown talks to media It costs a lot of money and time to affect change in a health system that has long been under pressure. Recent reforms, increasing costs, and a global shortage of medical skills are all factors contributing to ongoing problems in the health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. Over the past year, the provision of health services in rural communities have been in the spotlight. Rural patients in many areas face long waits to see a GP due to chronic shortages. Patients also often have to travel long distances for specialist services not available close to home. To find out what healthcare delivery is like for affected staff and patients, 1News visited Hāwera Hospital in South Taranaki. Hāwera Hospital has a 12-bed, 24-hour Emergency Department and a 15 bed in-patient ward. It serves a population of 30,400 people which includes increasing populations of Māori and elderly patients. "If you’re in an urban area, I don’t think people appreciate the psychological distress that it causes to not have help ready at hand; for the nearest doctor to be an hour away, sometimes longer, especially for whānau who don’t have the petrol money to make that hour-long trip," Hāwera Hospital head of department Dr Marek Lang told 1News. Transferring patients requires a high level of organisation and co-operation between Hāwera and Taranaki Base hospital staff. There are often long waits for an ambulance to become available, and ongoing roadworks across South Taranaki can extend travel time considerably. Helicopter transfers are also subject to availability. Hāwera is now an established teaching hospital for medical students interested in rural medicine. Rural hospital medicine specialist Hannah Lawn has returned to the hospital where she was born to work and raise her family. "It's pretty special to be able to come back and practice medicine in the community I grew up in," she said. She hopes the rural medicine training on offer will encourage more medical students to specialise in rural practice. "I think there’s a lack of understanding of what I do as a rural hospital doctor, even with my colleagues in other hospitals," Lawn said. "Having students come through more frequently and understanding what we do will help people come into rural medicine." The Government has recently announced $20 million in frontline funding for 50 new senior doctors, additional specialist nurses, and health professionals. In a statement, Health Minister Shane Reti's office told 1News there has been an ongoing focus on the provision of services in the regions. A spokesperson added that Reti "absolutely acknowledges the challenge of sustainable health services in rural areas and difficulties rural communities face in accessing healthcare as a result". The Government said it also has a number of other initiatives underway to grow Aotearoa's rural workforce, including: Challenges include staff shortages, long surgical wait times, and reduced hours at some rural EDs. (Source: 1News) The Government is working to address a rural health workforce shortage amid a sector under strain nationwide. 1News reporter Nicole Bremner visited Hāwera Hospital to find out what healthcare delivery is like for affected staff and patients. Hāwera Hospital in South Taranaki. (Source: 1News) A stuffed bear with a daffodil pin sits on a counter at Hāwera Hospital. (Source: 1News) The Emergency Department at Hāwera Hospital. (Source: 1News) Govt announces funding for 50 new senior doctors more specialist nurses Frontline funding will enable the employment of 50 new senior doctors as well as additional specialist nurses and other health professionals Health Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister Te Ao Māori WWII Home Guard rifle pits discovered during SH3 roadworks Two Home Guard rifle pits were found on the outskirts of New Plymouth New Zealand Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare Life-saving heart transplant technology a 'game changer' Doctors at Auckland City Hospital have been using a HOPE box for heart transplants – and they're showing promising results New air ambulance unveiled for Auckland and Northland The Leonardo AW169 swept into action as a welcome service for Auckland and Northland as one of nine new or near-new choppers to replace the ageing fleet Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' 5 mins ago Arrest after person assaulted, robbed at Palmerston North Hospital 8 mins ago Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain 17 mins ago Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 44 mins ago More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ 48 mins ago Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand 2 mins ago 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon The Government is working to address a rural health workforce shortage amid a sector under strain nationwide 1News reporter Nicole Bremner visited Hāwera Hospital to find out what healthcare delivery is like for affected staff and patients It costs a lot of money and time to affect change in a health system that has long been under pressure and a global shortage of medical skills are all factors contributing to ongoing problems in the health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand the provision of health services in rural communities have been in the spotlight Rural patients in many areas face long waits to see a GP due to chronic shortages Patients also often have to travel long distances for specialist services not available close to home To find out what healthcare delivery is like for affected staff and patients 1News visited Hāwera Hospital in South Taranaki 24-hour Emergency Department and a 15 bed in-patient ward It serves a population of 30,400 people which includes increasing populations of Māori and elderly patients I don’t think people appreciate the psychological distress that it causes to not have help ready at hand; for the nearest doctor to be an hour away especially for whānau who don’t have the petrol money to make that hour-long trip," Hāwera Hospital head of department Dr Marek Lang told 1News Transferring patients requires a high level of organisation and co-operation between Hāwera and Taranaki Base hospital staff There are often long waits for an ambulance to become available and ongoing roadworks across South Taranaki can extend travel time considerably Helicopter transfers are also subject to availability Hāwera is now an established teaching hospital for medical students interested in rural medicine Rural hospital medicine specialist Hannah Lawn has returned to the hospital where she was born to work and raise her family "It's pretty special to be able to come back and practice medicine in the community I grew up in," she said She hopes the rural medicine training on offer will encourage more medical students to specialise in rural practice "I think there’s a lack of understanding of what I do as a rural hospital doctor even with my colleagues in other hospitals," Lawn said "Having students come through more frequently and understanding what we do will help people come into rural medicine." The Government has recently announced $20 million in frontline funding for 50 new senior doctors Health Minister Shane Reti's office told 1News there has been an ongoing focus on the provision of services in the regions A spokesperson added that Reti "absolutely acknowledges the challenge of sustainable health services in rural areas and difficulties rural communities face in accessing healthcare as a result" The Government said it also has a number of other initiatives underway to grow Aotearoa's rural workforce The Government says a funding boost announced today will enable the employment of 50 new senior doctors as well as additional specialist nurses and other health professionals to help fill "critical" workforce gaps The funding announcement made this morning by Health Minister Shane Reti would "help fill critical workforce gaps and support the health workforce to deliver on the Government's health targets particularly in regional or provincial hospitals" enhance patient safety and support vulnerable specialties like dermatology,” Reti said "Our senior doctors are key to keeping our hospitals functioning well and delivering quality care for New Zealanders Health New Zealand anticipated the cost of 50 new senior doctors would be approximately $20 million depending on the specialties of the new doctors and their level of experience This comes in addition to $10 million for senior specialist nurses and allied health professionals and a $12 million fund for minor improvements to hospitals to make the daily lives of frontline staff and patients easier "While Health New Zealand has made significant progress recruiting nurses in the last 12 months there are critical shortages in rural areas and particular specialties maternity and critical care," Reti said "Setting aside funding specifically to employ senior specialist nurses and allied health professionals will help sustain services that are struggling because of a lack specialist skills.” The fund for make small improvements in hospitals was designed to improve the experience of patients and staff is aimed at making small improvements that make a big difference for our highly valued frontline staff replacement appliances for patients or staff new books or toys for children undergoing treatment." "It's up to each region how they make use of this funding but I expect them to be able to access it quickly and easily so they can get recruitment and minor repairs underway." Sarah Dalton from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists told 1News the announcement was "a drop in the bucket" when it came to filling nationwide healthcare gaps "It's just an announcement really There's very little — if any — work that has been done to fill significant vacancies around the country It's just another number to add to the missing doctors list as far as we can tell," she said "It's absolutely a drop in the bucket there's no detail about where they'll go how they'll be recruited and how they'll [be] supported once they're here." She said Medical Council data showed that nearly 50% of New Zealand's senior medical workforce were "overseas trained" and said "about 70% of those doctors leave within 10 years" "So where's the work to retain the people we have To reward the work they're doing and to make sure recruitment is sensible and appropriate to the conditions that we face." Dalton said a lack of funding and ongoing pay negotiations over the past four years had been a barrier to finding and retaining doctors particularly Kiwi doctors who had previously left New Zealand but we aren't seeing anything from the employer or the Government to make that an attractive proposition." but they'll be coming home to significant pay cuts and a significant workload because of vacancies all across the country." The sister of Juliana Bonilla Herrera wants her memory to be "honoured through firm actions and just decisions that prevent similar tragedies" Saray Bonilla has taken part in the Coroner's inquest into the 37-year-old's death remotely from California It came to a close in Christchurch this afternoon was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Joseph Brider who had been paroled from prison just 72 days earlier He'd been serving time for serious sexual offences including rape Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame has heard evidence from various Corrections Department workers about their interactions with Brider prior to the murder the rehabilitation agency supporting Brider in his reintegration into the community Juliana's sister has had the opportunity to question those who appeared in court and a victim support worker shared a statement from her 1News was not allowed to film Saray Bonilla but she watched online as her words were read and to every person whose safety depends on a just and responsible system and to never again allow preventable failures to cost innocent lives may this be the moment we stop repeating avoidable mistakes and start building a system that truly protects" she said Coroner Cunninghame also addressed Herrera's family "What happened to Juliana was horrific being attacked by a stranger in our own home must be every woman's worst nightmare.. she made the most of what New Zealand has to offer And I'm profoundly sorry that her last moments were so horrifying could have responded if they were aware of concerns is a relevant issue for the inquiry But it's important that this question is not framed in a way which suggests that Juliana should be criticised for not having done more The burden should never be on women to keep themselves safe from men" she said She explained there would now be a period of time before her findings were finalised and made public A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air A piece of Second World War history has recently been uncovered during safety upgrades of State Highway 3 in Taranaki Two Home Guard rifle pits were found to the north of the intersection of SH3 and De Havilland Dr in Bell Block on the outskirts of New Plymouth The Transport Agency said they were likely to have been constructed between 1941 and 1942 as a defensive position to protect the Bell Block Aerodrome on Te Arei Rd which was being used as a Royal New Zealand Air Force training base from a potential invasion by Japanese forces The Home Guard was formed in 1940 in response to the potential threat posed by the Empire of Japan during the Second World War Membership was initially voluntary but became compulsory from 1942 for men aged 35-50 "These are textbook Home Guard pits," SH3 Waitara to Bell Block project archaeologist Daniel McCurdy said one of them conforms exactly [within a few inches] to the standard set out for the Home Guard instead of an optional drainage trench at the base likely reclaimed from the local farm." There had been a number of archaeological finds since physical works began in 2023 Te Ara Tūtohu project manager Calvin Rorke said his team worked closely with archaeologists and cultural monitors in these instances andm depending on what was found the find may be removed or documented and left in place "The area we are working in is historically significant It's important that whenever we come across a potential archaeological find in the course of our work that we take the time necessary to investigate have learnt a lot about the history of this area through our work on the project." Tonight's Good Sort is Dr Warren Nicholls a retired GP from Feilding who never quite stopped being a doctor Dr Nicholls took his skills on the road as part of a mobile medical service aimed at increasing access to healthcare There are no appointments needed – people just show up the team checks basic information like weight "There's a huge need for it," Dr Nicholls said The service began with local farmer Dean Williamson who wanted farmers to get more than their tractor checked up "To be able to book a health check in with the doctor you're looking at four or five weeks in advance and goodness knows what the weather's going to be like or what they're going to be doing on farming," Williamson said "I've signed a thousand death certificates but I've also delivered a thousand babies so the ledger of life is balanced," he said One caravan has now turned into a three and they've seen over a thousand patients He said one in four patients need further help "We've got a person who's probably a diabetic with a sugar of 12 and they don't know it." A mental health survey always finishes the visit it's their first doctor's visit in years "I haven't retired yet," Dr Nicholls said he wants to expand his operation into Northland "It's become my glorious obsession now." Taylor Keepa was like every other teenager full of plans for the future beyond the walls of Rototuna Senior High School But undergoing a heart transplantation was never one of them Taylor was in his final year of school in 2023 working a real estate internship and a part-time job at McDonald's when he began experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue "I would have to take a break on my walk to school and even just doing nothing I would struggle to breathe," he told 1News What followed was a frustrating series of visits to the doctors and Waikato Hospital where he was initially diagnosed with pneumonia Taylor and his mother Michelle were given a devastating diagnosis – left and right ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy a rare condition which was causing his heart to fail that's when we were getting a chopper from Waikato Hospital to Auckland Hospital and then the very next day he was put on life support; he was put on an ECMO machine that took over the function of his heart," Michelle said And I just had to watch it all happen." Taylor was now facing the biggest battle of his life What followed was a series of surgeries to keep the teenager's heart beating as he awaited transplantation Just days after being rushed to Auckland Hospital doctors inserted a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) – a mechanical pump that helps circulate blood from his heart to the rest of his body "It's kind of like having two satchels and they both cross over you and you kind of wear them like bags There are two wires that attach to your heart and sort of come out of your stomach area and funnel into these batteries," he said including a portable mode which has a 12-hour battery life Taylor would have to plug the batteries – still attached to him – into a power outlet while he slept "They definitely did not make it easy You would constantly be thinking about them Did I charge them correctly?" he said Taylor was eventually put on the urgent donor list "When you're put on the urgent list that's basically saying there isn't much longer we need this now" But seven months later on New Years Day 2024 during an intense card game in the hospital cafeteria with his dad 'I don't want to get your hopes up "It was kind of like a 'finally' type moment a heart was transported from Australia using a Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion box A Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion box – also known as a HOPE box by staff at Auckland City Hospital – is a specialised device used in organ transplantations The technology helps preserve oxygen and blood flow to a heart keeping the donor organ viable for longer than other traditional methods "It's basically like a really fancy version of a chilly bin It has a cooling device that keeps the heart at 8C and then it is perfused with blood and nutrients to provide exactly what the heart needs," said Dr Jamie O'Loughlin clinical lead for the Auckland Heart and Lung Transplant programme "The cool temperature keeps the metabolic demands low but providing oxygen and blood keeps the heart in the best condition that we can prior to transplant." The device was part of a clinical trial at Auckland City Hospital from March 2021 to December 2022 and has been used for 18 transplantations in New Zealand – five of those involving donor hearts flown in from Australia Dr O'Loughlin described the HOPE box as a "game changer" "We're not up against a time frame knowing that the donor heart is deteriorating over time so it gives us a lot of leeway in terms of how fast we're progressing the operation and the surgeons can take their time and do it really carefully," she said But this type of technology doesn't come cheap The technology is currently funded through donations given to the Auckland Hospital Foundation which means patients must meet strict criteria to qualify Advocates hope the Government will one day help fund the device so more people can access it "It's enabling the teams to build the capacity enabling the teams to build the care pathways and then for it to be adopted in government budgets," said Candy Schroder the director of the Auckland Hospital Foundation The last thing Taylor remembers before his heart transplantation was fist-bumping the surgeons and anaesthesiologists "He'd become quite popular in there," his mum said Taylor had received what he calls "the gift of life" "I remember waking up a couple of days later and I was really high," he laughed "People were coming in and saying hi to me and I was like After surgery he was transferred to Greenlane Hospital's Hearty Towers for recovery and rehabilitation and to connect with other New Zealanders who had also received heart transplants "I'm doing pretty awesome," he said "I'm studying again and I'm working now" When asked about the donor who gave him his heart "I like to think their life continues on in me" His gratitude is echoed by his mother and his wider whānau I wake up and I'm just like 'I still have my son' I'm thankful for everything I have," Michelle said I don't think there are enough words to describe how grateful I am," Taylor added "It's really hard to describe this feeling." Auckland and Northland's emergency medical response capabilities have been boosted with a new air ambulance helicopter Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello and ACC Minister Scott Simpson unveiled the new helicopter as part of a national fleet upgrade designed to improve aeromedical services across the country Speaking at Northern Rescue's Ardmore base where the aircraft was now stationed Costello said the helicopter represented a "major advancement" in aeromedical service delivery "We are pleased to see it become operational in this part of the country." the first of its kind to enter service under this initiative important for missions in remote or challenging weather conditions The Auckland/Northland chopper is the third aircraft to be rolled out under the national Emergency Air Ambulance Helicopter Service renewal programme would deliver nine new or near-new helicopters across the country in 2024/25 Ageing helicopters were to be replaced in Auckland "It's great news that this helicopter will support people living in these regions as part of the Government’s investment to upgrade some of New Zealand’s air ambulance fleet." Simpson said the service played a "critical role" in time-sensitive care for people in urgent need particularly in regional and rural communities this is the first helicopter purchased using ACC Investment debt financing which has enabled the ageing helicopter replacement programme to progress at a faster pace "This financing arrangement has contributed to savings of around $500,000 per year." The next helicopter would enter into service in Auckland/Northland in July 2025 A person is in custody after an alleged theft which left a person injured on the grounds of Palmerston North Hospital Police said officers were called to a Ruahine St carpark about 1.30pm on Tuesday Police said the alleged offender left the scene and was found a short time later "Police would like to thank the members of the public who witnessed the incident and intervened to assist the victim," a police spokesperson said A nurse leaving her shift last month was held up at gunpoint outside the grounds of the hospital That same night a staff member was knocked unconscious Staff have been calling for security improvements Health NZ MidCentral operations group director Sarah Fenwick previously told RNZ it was committed to making staff feel safer She said these included a security escort to vehicles increasing security services on hospital grounds and "opening up" access to the staff carpark for people working afternoon and night shifts "Lighting has been audited in all outside carparking areas to ensure it is well maintained," she said "Interim access to well-lit parking onsite with dedicated security for staff working afternoon and night shifts while a more permanent solution for out-of-hours carparking is developed." rnz.co.nz Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations "The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority "The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that they identified that it was culturally significant to us all." Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated "The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours "And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations." Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read When Sequoia Hill lived in Aotearoa she was “constantly worried” her husband Blair would one day not return from his police shift Now, despite Blair working in a mine The couple moved to Perth with their two children about two years ago to help their small family get ahead financially Sequoia said they weren’t broke but the cost of living was “pretty tough” They had been rejected from getting pre-approval for a first home loan twice I was working fulltime and hubby was working fulltime They tried again after having kids but were knocked back two years into their life in Perth (with an extra baby in tow) the couple have pre-approval for a home loan moving to a whole other country was wild.” fly out) across the Tasman for more than a decade and I was always like ‘nah I’m not moving there it’s too hot’.” Other friends who had made the move also told her it was a great place to raise a family “It got to a point where I’d just had enough the financial freedom was the big picture.” and 32-year-old Blair gave up his law enforcement job to pursue a career in mining “That was also a big thing for us to make the move now it’s kind of a now or never for us because our kids were nearly at the age to go to school and we didn’t want them to start school in New Zealand and have to move them.” Blair is also making double what he was earning in Aotearoa “He knows that he could have been a policeman here so I just thought we didn’t move all this way to be on the same as back home.” Blair said being a police officer was stressful and he had to deal with everyone on their “bad days” you can go get stuck in for a couple of weeks long hours and difficult work police officers endured in New Zealand could be driving some staff to Australia Sequoia found the time Blair spent away difficult But I got used to it and now I’m just like ‘when is it time for you to [go]?’,” she joked he was working two weeks on and one week off but after their third baby came along he switched to “one and one” “We moved into the house on Thursday and I flew into work on Friday as we adjusted there were a few tears and stuff.” Blair told the Herald it was tough at the start but leaving the police and becoming a Fifo mine worker has worked for their family “With the Fifo job I had no idea what I [was] going into .. Sequioa said a lot of their family back home believe it’s crazy Blair works Fifo ‘why wouldn’t you want to go home to your family every night?’,” she told the Herald he would leave just before the kids woke and arrive home right before their bedtime “That’s cool and that’s a lot of people’s reality he’s away for a week and we don’t see him for a whole week we just communicate via FaceTime and then when he’s home he’s present and he’s home for the whole week so he’s able to drop the kids off to school “When we were leaving everyone was just so upset about it and they see the life we’ve created and they’re pretty happy about it,” Sequoia said She had expected the cost of living in Australia to be significantly cheaper than it turned out to be I hate it when it’s time for our rego because it’s $1000 to rego our truck for a year.” according to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) a one-year registration for a private passenger vehicle is between $107 and $174 in Aotearoa she said their weekly grocery shop was about $300 for a family of four Now their family of five spends about $500 or $600 a week but it just comes down to we get paid more so we’re able to afford that kind of grocery [bill].” Although much of Sequoia’s family already live in Australia so unfortunately for us to make the move to better our lives we had to leave our supports,” Sequoia said she believes they have been able to accomplish more in their two years living in Perth than they had in all their years back home Their only regret is not making the move earlier This story was made possible through University of Canterbury’s Robert Bell Travelling Scholarship in Journalism Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Angela Kerehoma says Ōkahu Inuāwai doesn't want to buy into an unknown level of liability for asbestos and lead at Tokaora School A hapū due to reclaim a Hāwera school site wants the Crown to remove asbestos and lead from the building but the government landlord is refusing A leaked survey of the Tokaora School site by environmental scientists found asbestos throughout the buildings which are coated with lead paint hiding under layers of acrylic Gardens and an area in the playground might also be contaminated so vegetation should not be disturbed until further assessment Neither the hapū nor the school were given the survey report by the site’s current landlord Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Around 40 children attend Hāwera Christian School The experts from engineering contractor WSP recommend leaving the hazardous materials in place and using full protective work procedures when they are disturbed or damaged - by accident or during building work Ōkahu Inuāwai hapū co-chair Angela Kerehoma said that was unacceptable The hapū will get Tokaora School back once a deal is struck with LINZ: It’s a Deferred Selection Procedure (DSP) property in the Treaty settlement of Ngāruahine Kerehoma said Ōkahu Inuāwai did not want to buy an unknown future liability of toxic materials “Our hapū does not want to take - and should not have to take - that mess “It’s a property that’s a part of our iwi settlement On the wide map of prime land confiscated from Ngāruahine Tokaora School is the only dot of whenua due to come back to Ōkahu Inuāwai as a DSP: most is in private hands which the Crown rules strictly off-limits Kerehoma said Hāwera Christian School should be temporarily moved and LINZ should clean up the site as a condition of sale as the inspectors did not know how much more asbestos lay hidden in the buildings “Children are constantly moving through here Asbestos has tiny fibres that remain unchanged in the environment for years If the fibres are released and inhaled into lungs they can cause the lung disease asbestosis learning disabilities and behavioural issues in children All buildings have asbestos materials except a sports shed and the swimming pool changing room and all but the latter are covered with lead paint under acrylics Inspectors only checked easily reachable spaces and “inaccessible areas should be assumed to contain asbestos” and managed until properly assessed They did not know where four pieces of asbestos fibre cement came from before being found in a garden Kerehoma said the duty of Ōkahu Inuāwai to care for people in their area wasn’t taken with the land Kerehoma said LINZ failed to ensure the site was fit for purpose they say it’s not a problem: they’re not doing anything saying they could not speak due to negotiations with Ngāruahine In a statement LINZ head of Crown property Sonya Wikitera said they regularly commissioned asbestos and lead surveys when asbestos is left in place and is in good condition it does not pose a health and safety risk to people using the property.” Wikitera said LINZ supplies tenants the survey results and discloses them in settlement negotiations LINZ was “now preparing to share [the leaked report] with interested parties the information is not materially different from the previous report” The property is overseen by the Hāwera Christian Education Trust whose chairman Sam Stewart said they had seen no surveys before Ōkahu Inuāwai shared the leaked report “We were very surprised that we’ve never received a report for the whole time since we moved into the school Stewart said the Crown has been an absentee landlord as HCET spent $400,000 bringing the abandoned school up to scratch “with no assistance from LINZ” He said the lead paint was covered by several coats of acrylic paint and Hāwera Christian School had safety rules for working on the known areas of asbestos “It’s only when you start drilling through it or disturbing it that you will generate asbestos fibres would we love LINZ to remove all the asbestos Would we want them to remove all the lead paint The post-settlement trust Te Korowai o Ngāruahine negotiates alongside hapū and tumu whakarae Te Aorangi Dillon said while some government departments worked constructively with Māori LINZ was stuck in the Crown’s system of confiscation “They come from a framework of muru me te raupatu (plunder and confiscation) We don’t see that ending any time soon and we’re experiencing it at the moment.” She said Te Korowai relied on LINZ to work better within government and with hapū to help achieve their ambitions in housing and education Kerehoma said her whānau never lost connection with Tokaora through a century and a half of dispossession some of my nieces and nephews in the last few years LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu a body representing the region's eight iwi died following a two-vehicle crash near Mokoia Rd A young New Zealand soldier has been named as the victim of a fatal two-vehicle crash in the central North Island Rohaan Thomas, 20, from Palmerston North, died following the accident near Mokoia Rd, southeast of Hāwera in South Taranaki The New Zealand Army has paid tribute to the private saying “he was at the very start of his career” “Private Thomas was a soldier at the very start of his career with the New Zealand Army having volunteered to serve in February 2024 before joining the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in June “He linked up with his new unit in Linton just before Christmas and at just 20 years of age had a bright future in the Army ahead of him “Our thoughts and aroha go out to Rohaan’s whānau his friends and his community as they come to terms with such a sudden loss and we continue to support them where we can.” Thomas left his mark on their collective story and would be remembered by those he served alongside take your place amongst the stars along with your ancestors that adorn the sky.” Thomas’ father Regan called him “our beautiful son” which was evident through his relationships with others in all the different areas of his life,” he said “We are so grateful for the time we had with him We ask for prayer for our family during this difficult season.” Police said inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing Business and Professional Women (BPW) Hāwera president Toni Hunt presents Mya Watkins with the scholarship Studying sports nutrition has been made easier for Mya Watkins thanks to a Business and Professional Women (BPW) Hāwera grant She was the recipient of this year’s Women’s Education Scholarship receiving up to $1000 and 12-month membership to BPW allowing her to access support and mentorship from members The scholarship is for women aged 21 and over who live in South Taranaki BPW Hāwera president Toni Hunt presented the scholarship at the club’s dinner meeting on November 18 Mya said she is passionate abut ensuring people have access to reliable information about nutrition “I decided to commence sports nutrition studies to become a fully accredited and registered sports nutritionist Growing up there has always been misinformation online and I never really knew who to turn to about nutrition or who to trust.” Mya is a keen sportwoman who is currently ranked third in the BMX 17-24 20″ women category and recently won the North Island title She plays in the Federation League for women’s football for Rangers AFC in New Plymouth and spends her free time running or at the gym She said she hopes to help people have a positive relationship with food “It breaks my heart hearing young teenagers talking about food negatively as it reminds me of the negative relationship I once had with food My mission is to share insight and help others create healthy eating habits how to fuel their bodies correctly and how to have a positive relationship with food overall.” To find out more about BPW Hāwera visit their Facebook page Stratford Press prints last issue as NZME closes 14 community papers nationwide By Ruth Hill of RNZ Hāwera GP Keith Blayney earns less than his receptionist these days – but claims it is better than relying on the Government’s “flawed” capitation funding system Under capitation, practices are paid an annual fee by the Government for every enrolled patient – no matter how many times they visit the doctor – and patient fees are capped. When the system was introduced back in 2001 he and his wife Shirley – the practice manager – decided against joining He said this was because they could see it was “doomed to failure” due to the ageing population with ever-growing health needs “The determinants of health are outside a lot of what we do so predictably it blew out the number of people [needing care] but some practices took on a lot of patients they weren’t able to manage.” Blayney is free to charge patients whatever he likes But it was quite a small number because most wanted to keep the GP they had seen for ages and have that continuity of care.” He did not want to say what his standard consultation fee is – that is commercially sensitive – but confirmed it was cheaper than a cut and colour at his wife’s hair salon or your lawyer or your accountant or your hairdresser or your vet I’ve been earning less than the living wage and now I’m earning less than the minimum wage “We’ve had to constantly re-invest in the practice to keep it viable so that means my superannuation and my wife’s superannuation both go to support the practice it would have closed years ago – but what do you do when you retire I might as well volunteer for my own charity It is generally accepted that funding for general practice is woefully inadequate Act and New Zealand First all pledging – before the election – to boost funding A briefing by Te Whatu Ora to the previous Health Minister Dr Shane Reti just over a year ago found primary care needed between $353m and $1.36b to treat unmet need In an interview with RNZ last year – the National Clinical Director Primary and Community Care said Health NZ was re-weighting capitation funding to better match the actual cost of treating patients the weighting doesn’t really push the money where the need is so we need to make sure all the money is going to the right places.” Royal NZ College of General Practitioners medical advisor Dr Luke Bradford said Health NZ was trying to make those “adjustments” without increasing total funding so if you then take away some money from some of those practices because they have fewer elderly patients or similar then they will be even more underfunded “What we need is to bring everyone up to a level that’s sustainable.” RNZ asked the new Health Minister Simeon Brown whether he planned to increase funding to GPs as promised by all three parties in the coalition Government he said he was “aware of the significant challenges patients are having trying to access GPs” “This is a key priority for me as Minister of Health I am focused on ensuring all New Zealanders can access timely and quality primary healthcare which will also take pressure off emergency departments.” A “peach” of a drive by Harrison Orange helped Blenheim harness racing trainer Tony Thomas and his mare Boudica (Sportswriter) take out the DTS Hawera Cup at Hawera yesterday She tries so hard every time she races,” said Thomas Boudica settled back of midfield early from their 10 metre handicap Orange then elected to move around the field with eyes on the lead at the 1200m From there the pair staved off all challengers It was a 10 out of 10 drive by Harrison Orange but the junior driver penalty free was the carrot that got us up here.” Thomas reflects on Orange’s drive as a “peach” while reminiscing on the fact Harrison’s father Blair drove Thomas’ first winner back in 1998 with Rich Jem at Hokitika It was part of a winning treble by Orange – he also won with Tina Ace and Golden Line Boudica has been clocking up the kilometres with racing recently up and down the country The seven-year-old Sportswriter mare has now won 10 from 90 starts “We will go to the Addington mares race this Friday Then we may go up to Palmerston and back up to Auckland for the Northern Country Cups and the Northern Breeders stakes.”  Thomas has now trained 35 winners with over $340,000 in stakes Other highlights on the card included a double and 500th winner for trainer Derek Balle (Rewiri Hill and Conrad H) and Michael House (Golden Line and State Trooper) trained a double while Crystal Hackett had a driving double with Kourtney Kardash and High Energy For complete race results, click here by Mike Love Harnesslink.com is the only harness racing website dedicated to covering news and events in the Standardbred Industry world-wide © 2024 Harnesslink | All Rights Reserved | NV © 2024 Harnesslink | All Rights Reserved | NV From left in front of the building's entrance former South Taranaki Mayor Ross Dunlop TOI Foundation chief executive Maria Ramsey and Whanganui MP Carl Bates isite visitor information centre and art gallery was officially opened today The $15.5m facility, is part of the council’s Town Strategy for Hāwera and Nixon said its completion is a milestone for South Taranaki The building’s key stakeholders contributed about 35% including the Government’s Regional Development Fund ($4 million) and Toi Foundation ($2.8 million) “Thanks to substantial external fundraising and by using the council’s long-term investment fund and other reserves there was no impact on rates to build the facility.” the building includes solar energy panels and a milk tanker to catch rainwater for flushing the building’s toilets The building’s journey started in 2014 under the leadership of former mayor Ross Dunlop in partnership with the Hawera Business Association – Bizlink Hāwera developed and adopted the Hāwera Town Centre Strategy – a suite of actions which would provide Hāwera with a more vibrant and economically sustainable town centre.” He said the plan’s key goals were driving change and encouraging private investment in the town centre who had the foresight to embark on this bold plan and see it through.” Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga means the beacon or signal fire of Ruapūtahanga who would light the beacon as a signal for iwi to meet so they could talk Nixon said the name perfectly symbolises the new centre’s purpose as a place for the community to meet to share information and gain knowledge “Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga will not only be a community and visitor hub increasing investment – both social and economic and will completely transform the town centre." The district’s Lysaght Watt Gallery is also located in the facility displaying its inaugural exhibition Tuata’i/First a showcase of contemporary artists from across South Taranaki stands at the High St entrance of the facility Superintendent Dion Bennett (Ngati Paoa and Ngati Hako) is the new Central District police commander A pōwhiri will be held next week to welcome the new Central District police commander Superintendent Dion Bennett (Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Hako), who began his role as Central District commander last month, will be formally welcomed at Taiporohenui Marae in Hāwera on Monday Central has more than 800 police staff working from 44 locations and covers a geographical area that stretches from the North Taranaki Bight south to Ōtaki and across to the Tararua ranges The district is split into three areas – Manawatū Bennett has been a member of the New Zealand police for 27 years After graduating with Recruit Wing 175 in 1997 Bennett spent 15 years in Hamilton before moving to Wellington He has worked in local and national roles including CIB Special Tactics Group and the Armed Offenders Squad he was appointed Māori responsiveness manager for Wellington District Bennett took up the role of Te Awa Kairangi Hutt Valley area commander Two key pieces of work that he is proud of during his time in this position were leading a review of critical incident procedures and collaborating with Te Āti Awa on Te Taupā Ruru – a co-ordinated and planned approach to supporting Mana Whenua and all iwi who reside within the area during the Covid-19 pandemic Bennett relieved as the Northland District Commander for nine months with one of his highlights overseeing police support for Waitangi celebrations he was appointed director of the Major Operations Group and the New Zealand Police Contingent Commander for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being hosted in Apia “An enduring priority for Dion throughout all his roles is ensuring police interactions with everyone they engage with are mana-enhancing,” a police statement said healthy and robust culture is key to preventing crime and harm Dion has a strong commitment to strengthening relationships and partnerships that ultimately reduce the input into the justice sector pipeline Cherol Filbee and Louisa Bouzaid in Hawera Repertory's production of Joyful and Triumphant Hāwera Repertory present Joyful and Triumphant by Robert Lord as one of the characters states in the play “supposed to be a family thing… Everyone’s miserable” which was commissioned and first performed in the early 1990s takes the audience on a trip through five different decades showing casing the life and times of a Pākehā middle class family - the Bishops in Aotearoa and is focused around the ritual and expectation of the all important Christmas dinner through to the final table clear at the end of the day moments in the Bishops’ family life are captured through this one tradition the set designer team have created a brilliant stage design with the family dinner table as a centre-point along with a sideboard and a Christmas tree It’s well thought out and deceptively simple to look at One thing that was never going to be simple in this play was the challenge the time line sets for the actors going from 27 to 67 in the case of Carole Hosie’s character Not only do the backstage crew rise to this challenge admirably they all manage to age convincingly in front of the audience tone and volume of voice to achieve their changing stage ages throughout From a mousy 27-year-old still mourning the loss of her sweetheart in the war through to an older wiser but also perhaps more bitter version in her later scenes she keeps the audience’s sympathy with her throughout gets plenty of deserved laughs from the audience especially in later scenes where his unexpected (by his parents at least) success comes with an expanding bank balance matched by a expanding belly especially in his scenes with Kate Paris who plays Ted’s wife Brenda Paris gives an elegantly nuanced performance as Brenda letting the character swing between moods with real emotion She knows how to understate as opposed to overstate a bit of hand-wringing and careful posture choices she lets her actions speak as loudly as her scripted words bringing energy and great stage presence throughout we are able to fully step back into time and see the underlying issues and prejudices at play in middle class New Zealand over the years He doesn’t allow the character to become someone to mock drawing out a softer side in Dad than the script alone might have allowed From the moment she strides onto the stage / into the Bishop home While her character is rebellious and angry the skilled actress works hard to ensure Raewyn isn’t reduced to just that on stage Kathryn van Gameren faces some of the toughest acting challenges in later scenes Describing exactly how she rises to those challenges risks spoiling the plot but be prepared to see some brilliant stagecraft at work with van Gameren absolutely shining in those scenes As well as covering four very different decades the play covers some big topics such as sexism and racism but does so in a gentle yet funny way With talented actors all holding their own on stage the overall feeling is truly of joy and triumph as the final curtain falls What: Hāwera Repertory present Joyful and Triumphant by Robert Lord Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the lower North Island Fire services responded to a well-involved house fire in Hāwera on Thursday morning Fire services responded to a well-involved house fire in Hāwera on Thursday morning with the cause of the blaze under investigation Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Jan Wills said two fire crews and a van from Hāwera station attended the fire on Waihi Rd Wills said fire investigators were heading to the house to determine the cause of the fire A long lunch charity fundraiser featuring best-selling cookbook author Margo Flanagan will be held in Hāwera this month Charity Meat the Need has partnered with the Dairy Women’s Network to organise a series of long lunches to raise funds to help families struggling with food insecurity “Collaborating for the greater good of our sector is essential,” Dairy Women’s Network chief executive Jules Benton said and the long lunches are a fantastic opportunity to unite and make a meaningful impact where it’s most needed.” The long lunch event will provide a space for women to network and learn, with guest speaker Margo Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters The company was 100% women-owned and operated and they enjoyed giving back to the community it was a bit of a no-brainer to get on board.” She will speak on being “intelligently lazy in the kitchen” based on the sisters’ new cookbook More Salad which follows their 2021 best-seller Salad Flanagan will present two dishes from the book “Doing it in front of them makes them realise how easy it is and how all you need is 45 minutes on a Sunday and I’m sorted in the food department for the week,” she said “A lot of people can think of food as being difficult or time-consuming and it can quite often take the back seat and it helps people become inspired and motivated to get in the kitchen and make food a priority for themselves.” the guests will be treated to a buffet lunch with Silver Fern Farms meat Meat the Need is a farmer-led charity that “connects the dots between farmers who want to donate some of what they produce and families in need” NZ Pork celebrated its 50th anniversary by donating the meat of 50 pigs One of the many charities that Meat the Need supports is Whanganui City Mission which uses the donations for food parcels The Dairy Women’s Network helps connect and provide information to rural women in the dairy industry with events all over the country such as webinars Q&As and activities such as pottery classes All proceeds from the $75 long lunch tickets will go to Meat the Need “This is an opportunity to empower communities to connect and make a meaningful difference for those struggling with food insecurity,” Meat the Need general manager Zellara Holden said The Hāwera event is on November 21 at Tairoa Lodge Tickets can be bought at blog.meattheneed.org Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui Details of a new rural medical immersion programme were announced at the South Taranaki Council Chamber in Hawera on October 29 at an event to which key partners and supporters of the programme were invited Three medical students will spend a full year undergoing rural medical undergraduate training at Hāwera Hospital next year The initiative is part of the Rural Medical Immersion Programme (RMIP) designed to enhance healthcare services in rural New Zealand Hāwera has been selected as one of four rural training sites in the North Island in collaboration with the University of Auckland and Health New Zealand The programme is supported by the Taranaki Foundation will be able to gain some valuable insights into regional health said the programme aligned with the Taranaki Foundation’s vision of increasing regional impact through community support “Students in the Rural Medical Immersion Programme will gain valuable insights into local industries in Hāwera and develop a deeper understanding of regional health disparities marks the beginning of many more impactful initiatives in South Taranaki Dr Hannah Lawn said the programme was a significant one for the Taranaki region as a whole who is the lead academic co-ordinator managing the student placements and delivering their training curriculum said the students would engage in a hands-on approach to learning working closely with health providers to learn what it is like to care for patients in a rural setting like Hāwera “By investing in training for our rural communities we not only enhance healthcare access but also foster a sense of belonging that encourages health professionals to remain in rural health.” She said when it comes to the retention of health professionals in rural communities key factors included a familiarity with the rural healthcare system exposure to the rural lifestyle and the opportunity to build strong relationships within those rural communities The three medical students will arrive in Hāwera in January 2025 a couple of weeks before their placement begins and they will be provided with a fully furnished house The wider Taranaki community will be called upon to help support the programme with a call to action going out soon asking for donations of high-quality furniture She said a key factor in the programme’s success would be ongoing community engagement “The students’ experiences during their 12-month period are important not only during their time at Hāwera Hospital but also in their downtime and being able to enjoy and experience what the region has to offer.” The details of the programme were formally announced at the South Taranaki Council Chamber in Hāwera on October 29 at an event involving key partners and supporters of the programme Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs.