Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome Representing New Zealand and serving her country are the driving factors behind Aircraftman Kodi Barlow’s decision to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force She has just completed the 12-week recruit course at Base Woodbourne and was awarded the Pat Goddard Memorial for the best female recruit in Physical Education and Recreational Training She will now complete her security forces trade training “My family have always inspired me to want to join the forces and serve my country so I feel proud knowing I am following in their footsteps “I decided to join the Air Force as it is a career that will enable to travel while also working as part of a team,” she said Aircraftman Barlow moved to the United States straight from high school on a rugby scholarship and studied criminal justice while travelling the country playing rugby “Although it was daunting moving to the other side of the world at such a young age I am thankful for the life experience I gained from taking this opportunity “I hope my experiences during that time will help in my career within the Air Force.” Aircraftman Barlow hopes one day to work with the military working dogs unit so one of my biggest goals and the reason why I chose security forces is for the dogs “I grew up with dogs and previously worked with dogs on the farm so I would love to experience working with them here in the military.” Aircraftman Barlow said the mental element had been the hardest part of the course the first few weeks were hard as we all were getting used to how life works in the military Everything we have experienced together on this course the highs and lows have brought everybody together I have created some awesome lifelong friendships “I also loved the physical aspect of the course and enjoyed pushing myself to the limit.” She said to anyone wanting to join to back yourself 100 percent “It can be daunting not knowing what you are signing yourself up for but from my experiences so far I have enjoyed the process Waiuta is an abandoned mining town on the West Coast generations of New Zealanders have been embarking on road trips across our beautiful backyard But even if you think you know what’s out there there are plenty of destinations even the most knowledgable of locals may have missed One man who knows New Zealand’s hidden tourist spots better than most is Peter Janssen He has travelled the length of the country 15 times and written a number of books about hidden spots to find This week, he joined Lorna Riley on the NZ Herald’s travel post, Trip Notes to share some of his top tips for different parts of the country we all think of it as a bit of a dirty old harbour where there’s a sort of odd grubby river here and there It’s one of the biggest enclosed harbours in the world “It’s over two and a half thousand kilometres of shoreline and the whole atmosphere is quite different “And it has more shipwrecks than anywhere else in New Zealand even the original shipwreck was actually a waka called the Mahuhu in the 14th century And that started a long tradition of being wrecked in the kind.” Rocky Hideaway Te Puna Quarry Park and Gardens " So they formed a little society and they turned it into the most amazing garden And then there are tiers as you go up the quarry “And they’ve got the most amazing sculptures And particularly what I love is the mosaic family - and this is a family “And there’s another place where there are old metal pipes and things all just hanging " You go down this little farm track and there’s this big farm shed “I think there’s about 2000 items altogether who knows everything and everything in there And he’s got a lot of the birds under glass so they don’t get dusty You will learn whether you have no interest in taxidermy at all [but] you cannot help but enjoy his enthusiasm." Remember that unexpected issues like cancellations accidents and emergencies can happen even when travelling in our own backyard  It was one of the largest gold towns in the country - half the gold in the West Coast came outta this area “But what was more incredible is if you lived in that area and you wanted a shed or a little house you just went to Waiuta and helped yourself it’s got stuff that couldn’t move like the swimming pool and there’s a big concrete building with a big chimney “And what makes it really interesting is you can walk around this vanished town and every now and again there are photos - there’s one photo in particular where you stand on a lookout point You stand exactly where the photographer stood and you are looking at what Waiuta was and what it is today.” “[People] probably not heard of the Ashburton Lakes and they are part of the Hakatere Conservation Park “But all around you surrounded by mountains and in particular it is preserving the Great Crested Grebe or the Puteketeke which was made very famous a few years ago with Bird of the Year - and they’re beautiful and they’re often easy to see ‘cause they’re quite striking and they’re not shy birds “And then you get to the lake and then you do a walk maybe takes half an hour to walk up onto this hill and you have a 360 view with mountains all around Listen to the full episode for more tips from Peter about New Zealand’s hidden road trip spots Trip Notes is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by Lorna Riley a keen travel writer and enthusiast and host of Coast Days Make your next girls' trip one to remember with Paris’ best eats Police say a 16-year-old who went missing on Friday in New Plymouth has been found An amber alert was issued overnight for Inara Caldwell who left her house on Mangroei Rd about 1.30pm yesterday Police said she has autism and described her as having dark hair and brown eyes She was last seen leaving on foot wearing a backpack black high top converse shoes and black headphones With the weather warnings and lack of adequate clothing and unfamiliarity of the area police said they had serious concerns for Inara's safety Police said She had been found "safe and well" onn Saturday and they thanked members of the public who came forward with information Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Netball New Zealand are firming plans for next year’s ANZ Premiership - despite a broadcast deal still not being in place. The governing body claim to be planning for the retention of a six-team Kiwi competition in 2026. The current broadcast deal with Sky - which upholds the pay model - expires this year. Without one, the ANZ Premiership as we know it will cease to exist. Just three weeks ago, NNZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie refused to confirm all six franchises will survive beyond this season. Players and coaches have since been assured there will be a competition next year, after Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson voiced concern over the lack of communication. Wyllie has been asked by Newstalk ZB if there is any update on the broadcast deal. “We’re still in commercial negotiations. All of that is sort of unfolding at the same time so it’s all go at the moment.” Head of high performance Stephen Hotter has been asked when the new deal will be finalised. “I have absolutely no idea - I can’t answer that. That’s a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ type question. It’ll happen when it’ll happen, unfortunately. Can’t give you any clearer answer than that one.” Hotter has also been quizzed on whether the value of the new deal is expected to be similar to this year’s. “Look, I don’t know. I can’t answer what the value or anything is going to be. That’s really just guessing at this point.” The ANZ Premiership was reduced in length by a third this year after Sky tabled a cheaper, one-year contract extension. Wyllie said they are planning for a similar, two-round format for next year. “Commonwealth Games is in 2026 in July and so in order to be able to fit ANZ Premiership in prior to Commonwealth Games, that same timing looks to be the most optimal.” Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio said it is comforting to hear Netball New Zealand reassure the players and coaches of the competition’s future. “It’s been quite up in the air for however long it’s been. It is quite strange to feel like you have no idea what’s happening with your job. It definitely is a relief to know that it’s being worked through right now and that six franchises will be going ahead.” Ekenasio said it is important for the Silver Ferns that the country’s top players are given a reason to stay in New Zealand. “We’ve got a great competition. I think this two point shot could totally change the way our competition goes. It could mean games will swing in the last couple minutes. We need that competitiveness at a Ferns level and ANZ level.” Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event Earlier police issued an amber alert after the teenager left her house yesterday afternoon. The teenager has since been located safe and well. "Police would like to thank the members of the public who provided information that assisted in locating them," a spokesperson said. Police have found a 16-year-old girl who was missing in New Plymouth overnight. 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 'Oh hell no': Crash survivor on stretch of SH3 speed limit increase Almost 40 years since he was involved in a head-on crash a Waitara community board member was angry about plans to reinstate a 100km/h speed limit between Waitara and New Plymouth Politics Four killed in Easter Weekend crashes: 'Any death is one too many' The official Easter holiday road toll period was from 4pm on Thursday to 6am this morning Easter road toll: One dead three injured in two-vehicle Taranaki crash State Highway 3 is closed between Wharekauri Rd and Mangamaio Rd following the crash reported to police at 2.30pm on Monday Large fire at Waitotara Hotel in South Taranaki extinguished Around 80 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze which began in the building's kitchen shortly before 6pm yesterday Blues veteran Bryce Heem announces retirement from rugby 27 mins ago Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 34 mins ago New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 10:54am Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 10:49am Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 10:33am National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s 2 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Erin Patterson shared love of mushrooms in online group 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 fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. 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 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon Police have found a 16-year-old girl who was missing in New Plymouth overnight Earlier police issued an amber alert after the teenager left her house yesterday afternoon The teenager has since been located safe and well "Police would like to thank the members of the public who provided information that assisted in locating them," a spokesperson said 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." Trevor Dodunski understands the consequences of a head-on crash better than most the car he was travelling in collided with another vehicle that had crossed the centre line on a stretch of State Highway 3 between Waitara and Urenui "I was driving along the road on a nice day happy as Larry and came around a corner and there was a car in front of me going flat out on my side of the road "It's hard to live with I tell you I couldn't read or write when I came out of hospital my whole life changed," said the former engineer who was trapped inside his wrecked vehicle for three hours the Waitara community board member was angry about a plan to reinstate a 100km/h speed limit on SH3 between Waitara and New Plymouth Mine was probably an 80km/h crash head-on and you're doing 160km/h when they're coming the other way You feel all your bones breaking and your teeth and everything are gone "Everything changes in a matter of seconds." who suffered a brain injury and has not worked since helped campaign for the construction of four roundabouts between Waitara and New Plymouth He reckoned the lower speed limit should remain in place "This should stay at 80km/h because if you're going to go up to 100km/h back to 80km/h and up to 100km/h again all the way through to New Plymouth "It's a hell of a lot safer at 80km/h than it is at 100km/h and I for one have had an experience I never thought I would have in my life and wouldn't wish that on anyone." The government's new Speed Limits Rule required lower limits set on some roads in 2020 to revert to their previous limits by July 1 The Transport Agency could retain the 80kmh limit on SH3 from Waitara to Bell Block if the public supported the lower speed But only 43% of those who took part in an online consultation process backed keeping the lower limit New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom found the consultation method curious "Having an internet-based opinion poll to set a State Highway speed limit is certainly an interesting legislative approach "But any local person will tell you the road is a patched-up and potholed shambles with significant work needed to be done "There's no doubt once they've thrown a bit of money at it it could go back to a 100km/h speed limit but right now it's simply not safe." who described the stretch of highway as a "shooting gallery" "Since we dropped the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h we've seen a reduction of serious injury accidents of around 60% and given that we've had 11 people die on this section of highway in the last 12 or 13 years we don't think they should increase the speed limit to 100km/h until all the safety upgrades are done." New Zealand Transport Agency director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said for the speed-limit reinstatement process the consultation result was the only factor NZTA could take into account in its decision-making the majority of respondents submitted in opposition to retaining the lower speed limits which is why this Waitara to Bell Block stretch makes up some of the 43 locations which will return to its previous higher speed limit." Stewart said typically consultation feedback was only one factor used by NZTA to help inform the outcome of a speed review are normally weighted alongside consultation feedback to determine the outcome of a speed review "For a full speed review in the future themes from both the local community and key stakeholders from consultation will be considered alongside safety and technical data including a cost benefit disclosure statement Stewart said safety remained a key priority for NZTA and was a factor in decision making around road design She hoped new roundabouts being constructed at the intersections of Princess Street along with flexible median barrier and other improvements would improve the safety and efficiency of the highway "But we appreciate the speed change will come into force ahead of the completion of the entire project." On Waitara High Street there were mixed views on the speed limit change Bulk carrier driver David did not think putting up the speed limit was a good idea they do dumb enough shit at 80km/h let alone if you put it back up to 100km/h again I don't think it's a good thing." "I think the accidents that happen are usually through poor driving not so much the speed." Jeremy could not see the reasoning behind changing the speed limit "They've gone and put all these roundabouts in so what's the point of sticking the speed limit back up to 100km/h You're just going to get to a roundabout faster "I reckon it should go back to 100km/h because you're slowing traffic down and it's piling up and with the road works in the meantime it's just pathetic trying to go to town." rnz.co.nz Police have urged safer driving after four people were killed in crashes across the North Island over the Easter long weekend Inspector Peter McKennie of the National Road Policing Centre said four road deaths over the Easter was a "relatively low number" but the reality was "any death on the road is one too many" "Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who died Their lives will never be the same again," he said in a media release "Police will continue to work hard to target those behaviours on the road that contribute to serious injury or death: speeding The first victim of the Easter road toll died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 12 in Ruawai in Northland on Good Friday On Saturday, one person died in a crash involving a car and a cyclist at Haumoana in Hawke's Bay. On Easter Monday, a person was killed and three others were injured in a two-vehicle crash east of New Plymouth in Taranaki Later that afternoon, a person died in a two-vehicle crash at Mangakino the highest since 2021 when the toll reached nine people One person has died and three others have been injured after a two-vehicle crash in Taranaki east of New Plymouth this afternoon which has closed State Highway 3 near Urenui one rapid response vehicle and one first responder attended the scene "Two patients in a serious condition were transported by road to Taranaki Base Hospital One person was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition." SH3 MIMI, TARANAKI - CRASH - 3PMDue to a crash the road is BLOCKED between Mangamaio Rd and Pukeruhe Rd. Follow directions of emergency services on-site and expect DELAYS. ^EH pic.twitter.com/6x6TJdytlU NZTA said the road was closed between Wharekauri Rd and Mangamaio Rd "Road users are advised to use an alternative route or avoid the area Continue to follow emergency services on-site or delay your journey," a spokesperson said The Taranaki crash brings the preliminary Easter road toll to three One person died in a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 12 in Northland on Friday, while another died following a collision between a car and a cyclist near Hastings on Saturday The official Easter holiday road toll period was from 4pm on Thursday to 6am on Tuesday seven people died on New Zealand roads during the same period A large fire which broke out at the Waitotara Hotel in South Taranaki last night has been extinguished this morning A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said crews were called to a kitchen fire at the Waitotara Hotel shortly before 6pm yesterday they said the large amount of smoke coming from the building prompted a 'second alarm' response The FENZ spokesperson said the fire had spread from the kitchen to the upper levels of the building New Plymouth were working to contain the blaze It was contained shortly before 10pm and later extinguished with crews remaining on site overnight to dampen hot spots A fire investigator would be at the scene today to determine the cause but it was not being considered as suspicious the Blues' veteran midfielder whose rugby journey took him from the All Blacks sevens Toulon and back to New Zealand with the Blues has retired from the game at the age of 36 who helped the Blues win the Super Rugby championship last year He is turning his professional attentions to facts and figures in his new role as a mortgage broker it’s the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made that stand out the most I’m grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special.” “I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love none of this would have been possible,” he said known as "uncle" at the Blues due to his age said the franchise had helped extend his playing career “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches and everyone who’s played some part in my career,” he said “You’ve all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life I’ve learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me.” “A special shout-out to the medical staff.. you’ve worked wonders on my body as I’ve gotten older..." Heem said he had been working towards becoming a mortgage broker as part of his professional development at the Blues “I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot during my time at the Blues and I’m eager to bring that knowledge and discipline to the world of finance,” Heem said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers rnz.co.nz 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 The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." 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 A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Erin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington The 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue today 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 Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album This proposal is about deciding on the best option for delivering water wastewater and stormwater services that will meet the needs our community and the Government’s new requirements We are proposing that the best way to deliver safe reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to New Plymouth District residents over the next 30-plus years is through a council-controlled organisation that we would jointly own with the South Taranaki and Stratford district councils The Consultation Document sets out why that is and how you can have your say about the options Make sure you get your submission in by 5pm Friday 30 May 2025 Check out the fact sheet for the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Go to the consultation document for detailed information and analysis on each of the options (from page 12) and financial information (from page 22) Jointly owned Taranaki water services council-controlled organisation with Stratford and South Taranaki district councils A council-controlled organisation owned by New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) This is the Government’s plan to address the country's water infrastructure challenges It emphasises local ownership and decision-making and replaces the previous Three Waters reforms and focuses on ensuring safe and environmentally sustainable water services It aims to let local councils choose how they will provide reliable and safe drinking and wastewater services to their communities over the next 30 years and beyond a council could choose to continue to deliver these services by itself or join with other councils under a formal delivery agreement NOTE: Stormwater services will remain with individual councils which may choose to contract out some or all of its stormwater-related services including to a future jointly owned water services organisation We are required to have a Water Service Delivery Plan outlining our approach to delivering water services submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs no later than 3 September this year Stratford District (SDC) and South Taranaki District Council (STDC) have worked closely to investigate the options for our communities It outlines how we will deliver drinking water and must include financial and asset information and any investment required The plans are a way to demonstrate our commitment to provide services that meet regulatory requirements All three councils have separately decided on the joint Taranaki WSCCCO as their proposed model Stratford and South Taranaki district councils are consulting on providing services through an in-house business unit Investing in water services is crucial for securing a safe and sustainable water supply for future generations moving to a different model will come at a cost to residents What is clear is that with growing communities and increasing expectations the current model is financially difficult for many councils this investment is essential for several reasons: how we propose our WSCCO would be governed our next preferred option is to establish an NPDC water services CCO We didn’t look further afield because we have a strong history of working with neighbouring councils on a range of issues and projects so it made sense to work together to investigate the options on this project Working with other councils outside the region is something that could be considered in the future if there was a need the way we bill for water and wastewater will change you will receive a separate water and wastewater bill rather than the current method of having the charges itemised on your rates bill Who you pay it to will depend on the service delivery model chosen Legislation requires we make this change to ensure the money collected for water services is ring-fenced for maintaining and improving these services This means that councils or a WSCCO cannot make a profit from charging for water services It also provides greater transparency and accountability of finances and operations NOTE: NPDC will be consulting on proposed options for water charges in June ahead of mock billing starting from 1 July 2026 We’ve included some financial information in the consultation document to show how the various options compare It’s difficult to provide exact numbers so what you will see throughout the document and graphs are assumptions based on information we have at this time. What it does show is that with the cost of providing water services increasing, there are benefits of scale in a regional CCO versus an in-house option. See pages 22-24 in the consultation document for more detail on this One of the benefits of Local Water Done Well is that it introduces the ability for a separate water services organisation to borrow more money than a council can This is particularly helpful in a case where a council is at or near its borrowing limits Taranaki’s three district councils are not in that situation - we have sufficient borrowing capacity to meet forecast water infrastructure investment needs and moving existing debt for drinking water and wastewater off the council balance sheet would improve each council’s ability to service debt – a bit like a mortgage interest rate cut would leave more money in the household budget See more about debt on page 25 of the consultation document We’ve called on the experience and expertise of GHD Consulting which undertook early analysis to inform our water service delivery model options The efficiency and establishment cost assumptions are derived from New Zealand experiences What about water meters and stormwater services We are not consulting on or revisiting the topic of water meters, with installation at around 81 per cent completed (at the end of March 2025). Water meters are an important tool that will be used to measure how much water people use and to charge accordingly We will be consulting options for water charges in June They are dependent on and influence many other council services activities and relationships including roads They are very different between each council At this stage we believe they are best delivered under each council; however the option is available to contract this service to the new water CCO is available Council decision on Water Services Delivery Plan Water Services Delivery Plan due to Government including the personal information we collect about you on this website The personal information we collected on this website is held and protected in accordance with our Privacy Policy, and the Privacy Act 2020.For details how we, NPDC, collects and protects your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Statement. 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Sign up today We will send you instructions to reset your password Back to Log in Creating an account helps us better understand your needs and the needs of the community Completing the questions below helps us better understand the diverse range of people who contribute their ideas Would you like to follow this project to receive email updates A woman involved in a late-night brawl on a city street got into her ute and drove towards the group she’d been fighting with before ploughing into a woman and crushing her against a concrete wall accepts she seriously hurt Saraphine Hoyle and should be punished she maintains she did not intend to harm her Following the September 3, 2023, incident, Castle unsuccessfully defended charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and threatening to kill at a judge-alone trial before Judge Russell Collins in New Plymouth District Court in March Today, she returned to court to be sentenced on the charges as well as an admitted count of excess breath alcohol causing injury Several other charges laid against Castle relating to the incident were withdrawn with significant injuries to her hips and ankle and she still struggles with mobility and pain and spent more than three months away from her young daughter while in hospital In her victim impact statement read to the court Hoyle spoke of the toll the incident had taken on her – physically She said it had also significantly affected her daughter and her family who have supported her through her recovery Hoyle did not believe she would ever get justice for what they had endured “Although Castle may be sentenced to prison for what she has done to me I feel there would never be justice in the world to cover my pain caused to not only me but my daughter as she has had to watch me live through all of this “But it will be some sort of comfort to know that she will finally be held somewhat accountable.” Crown prosecutor Rebekah Hicklin submitted a starting point of six years’ imprisonment was appropriate and grievous injury as aggravating factors Hicklin said that despite the offending being found to be deliberate She said a presentence report noted she continued to deny it was intentional Defence lawyer Julian Hannam argued for a starting point of three years and six months and said Castle was truly sorry for what occurred He submitted Castle should receive credit for her remorse and also to recognise Hoyle’s provocation Judge Collins accepted Castle was remorseful but not that there was provocation involved you formed a fleeting intention to cause Ms Hoyle really serious harm “The difficulty with the whole process since is your inability to come to terms with that’s what you intended Judge Collins said Castle had instigated the altercation Even if it was a situation where Castle had been provoked the judge said he still would not allow a discount because her reaction was disproportionate to “whatever provocation there may have been” The judge took a starting point of five years’ imprisonment before giving credit for her remorse and the impact her sentence would have on her children He also ordered Castle to pay Hoyle reparation of $4464 and disqualified her from driving for one year and one day At the trial, Judge Collins heard it was around 2.30am when Castle stopped at the Liardet St and Devon St East traffic lights in central New Plymouth and began yelling through the window at a young man on the street Castle eventually got out of her Nissan Navara and confronted him about allegedly drugging someone she knew at an earlier party She said she wanted to make sure the woman was okay and to warn her against the man did not go in her favour as the then 38-year-old arguing with Castle and ran to him to prevent matters from escalating Hoyle told the court she “fought back” and “pummelled” Castle pinning the young mother to the concrete wall and crushing her pelvic area and ankle in the process while Hoyle was picked up from the ground and moved away from the ute and others phoned emergency services seeking help Castle described herself to police as “seeing red” and being “so angry and so worked up” at the time she later back-pedalled on that part of her statement during which she said she did not recall feeling angry after the fight and could not remember her interview with police Castle said she could not recall threatening Hoyle She said she did not intend to drive on to the footpath or to hurt Hoyle who was considered the main aggressor against Castle in the earlier fight who said she had five drinks during the night But Judge Collins rejected that and found Castle intended to seriously harm Hoyle and had also threatened to kill her He said Castle got out of her ute and “acting out of her own sense of vigilantism” provoked an altercation with a group of much younger people Her violence was mostly directed at Hoyle and The judge ruled that while Castle’s intention to hurt Hoyle may have been brief she still had “the necessary intent at the critical time” 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 The toxic relationship ended with the defendant and his now ex both needing surgery Police are asking for witnesses after a cyclist died in a New Plymouth crash on Saturday Emergency services were called to the scene - at the intersection of Powderham Street and Mt Edgecumbe Street - at about 12:35pm The cyclist was taken to hospital but died later on Tuesday Police are asking for anyone who was in the area at the time or may have dashcam footage to get in touch They said the male cyclist was carrying fishing gear at the time of the crash The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) announced today it would increase the price of an adult passport from $215 to $247, and the price of a child's passport from $125 to $144. The urgent service fee would increase from $215 to $247, bringing the total cost for an urgent passport to $494 for adults and $391 for children. The after-hours call-out fee would increase from $656 to $754 - bringing the cost to $1,001.00 for adults and $898.00 for children, DIA said the increase was a result of the rising costs of passport production. "These costs are linked to increasing costs of wages, systems and technology, insurance and the materials that go into making a passport," it said. Briget Ridden, acting deputy secretary of regulatory and identity services, said: “New Zealand operates a user-pays system, as the cost of delivering this service has increased, we need to adjust the application fee. “We are conscious of putting up fees only where necessary and are already taking steps to increase efficiency and minimise costs. This includes better use of technology and scaling back on non-essential system upgrades.” The revenue collected from passports goes directly to the delivery of passport services and "maintaining the passport’s reputation globally, which allows New Zealanders to travel to over 185 countries visa-free or visa on arrival". A New Zealand passport. (Source: istock.com) From tomorrow it will cost more to get a New Zealand passport. NZ citizenship pathway in Australia appears safe amid electionAccess to Australian citizenship and its associated benefits was a long-running bugbear for Kiwis living in Australia until changes were made in 2023 Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December Business Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email There are multiple examples of Stanford using her personal email for ministerial business Man's cigarette smuggling attempt stubbed out Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was "an attempt to defraud Customs revenue" Crime and Justice Wellington Airport's giant eagles to depart terminal "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them." TranzAlpine carriages separated while rolling after coupler failed - report when attempting to move through staff-only carriages Chief Human Rights Commissioner: Muslim immigration a threat to Jewish communities Documents obtained by 1News show Dr Stephen Rainbow raised concerns about the threat to the Jewish community posed by an increase in Muslim immigration to New Zealand in a recent meeting 3 mins ago From tomorrow it will cost more to get a New Zealand passport The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) announced today it would increase the price of an adult passport from $215 to $247 and the price of a child's passport from $125 to $144 The urgent service fee would increase from $215 to $247 bringing the total cost for an urgent passport to $494 for adults and $391 for children The after-hours call-out fee would increase from $656 to $754 - bringing the cost to $1,001.00 for adults and $898.00 for children DIA said the increase was a result of the rising costs of passport production "These costs are linked to increasing costs of wages insurance and the materials that go into making a passport," it said acting deputy secretary of regulatory and identity services said: “New Zealand operates a user-pays system as the cost of delivering this service has increased “We are conscious of putting up fees only where necessary and are already taking steps to increase efficiency and minimise costs This includes better use of technology and scaling back on non-essential system upgrades.” The revenue collected from passports goes directly to the delivery of passport services and "maintaining the passport’s reputation globally which allows New Zealanders to travel to over 185 countries visa-free or visa on arrival" Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." Wellington's famous eagles will take flight from the airport this week after 12 years in the terminal They will be replaced by a new display that is currently being kept under wraps Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said that the departure of the birds (and their passenger Gandalf) will be emotional for staff "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest “We’re working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique locally themed replacement to take their place." The eagles were created by Wētā Workshop as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies and unveiled in December 2013 Each bird weighs 1.2 tonnes and has a 15-metre wingspan Wētā Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Richard Taylor said it's a "bittersweet moment" saying goodbye to them "There are many more stories to be told and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life."  The eagles will be taken down and disassembled on Friday May 9 and placed into storage with long-term plans for them still yet to be decided "We’ll unveil what’s next later this year so keep watching the skies," Clarke said Tolkien fans will be relieved to know that Smaug the Magnificent will remain in the check-in area Two carriages of the TranzAlpine scenic train separated by about one metre while pulling into Arthur’s Pass Station due to a broken coupler component a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report has found was discovered as a crew member walked between the carriages which were used for luggage storage and a kitchen the train’s second front locomotive suffered a fault causing a “sudden jolt and temporary loss of power" and the train continued to Greymouth with one working locomotive two extra locomotives were added at Otira to help power the train through the steep Otira Tunnel the engineer applied several brakes and reduced throttle which led to a coupler component with a pre-existing "It is virtually certain that the train’s configuration of four locomotives operating in throttle position three while applying the train’s brakes to their full capability caused the weakened coupler component to break," the TAIC report found when the engineer went to disconnect the two front assisting locomotives they lifted air pressure levers that unintentionally prevented a brake pressure drop from triggering an alert to train control The parting caused "significant damage" to the carriage chassis and coupler connection A crew member discovered the parting when they went to move between the two carriages alerting other staff and making a recovery plan to move the parted portions of the train back to Christchurch separately The Transport Accident Investigation Commission identified inadequate inspection and maintenance of carriage-coupler connections and the train alarm system failing to alert the crew of the parting KiwiRail said the incident had been treated seriously even though no one had been injured and only crew were authorised to enter the carriages which parted Chief operations officer Paul Ashton said changes were made to the way the state-owned enterprise operates because of the incident "Those changes include improved eye bolts in the coupling system we will complete a review of the train alarm system and introduce improvements to it by the end of the year to ensure onboard crew are properly alerted when an incident occurs." Train inspection regimes have been changed and the operating procedure if a train parted has been being updated Documents obtained by 1News show the Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow raised concerns that rising Muslim immigration to New Zealand poses a threat to our Jewish communities Dr Rainbow and Race Relations Commissioner Melissa Derby met with Alternative Jewish Voice's Philippa Yasbek and discussed matters including social cohesion Yasbek and The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand complained that Rainbow had expressed Islamophobic views and made racist comments about Muslims during the meeting Rainbow acknowledged causing offence and said he would work to repair the relationship "I have read the statement by FIANZ and wholeheartedly publicly apologise to our Islamic communities," Rainbow said in a statement But Rainbow also rejected several claims made by Yasbek — denying that he described Muslims as the biggest threat to the Jewish community and that he had called the Afghan community in West Auckland anti-Semitic 1News has obtained notes that officials took during the meeting They show that "Stephen [Rainbow] raised increase in Muslim immigration as threat to Jewish community" The notes also showed Yasbek questioned this in the meeting saying particular communities should not be scapegoated and the biggest threats to Jewish communities were white supremacists Yasbek now called Rainbow's comment "deeply Islamophobic" he's echoing these views that we see on the far right in places like Europe and North America — this idea that Muslim people pose a threat either to the wider community or specifically to the Jewish community." Labour's justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said the Chief Human Rights Commissioner's job was to defend minorities "This statement looks like an Islamophobic attack on one of our most vulnerable communities and that is really concerning to me." The notes also showed Rainbow did talk about the Afghan community one official said they would follow up on his comments The Human Rights Commission said Rainbow was referring to rising tensions in some Muslim communities Rainbow refused to be interviewed by 1News about his views on Muslim immigration but the Human Rights Commission said "he has apologised for statements made during the meeting in question He stands by the apology and regrets the harm caused." The Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand tonight said it was “untenable” for the Chief Human Rights Commissioner to make such remarks chairperson of advocacy for the federation said the latest comments raise "a pattern of behaviour which is certainly alarming" and should be looked at seriously by the Minister of Justice "We know that the Hon Paul Goldsmith is a person of high principle and we ask that he reappraise whether Dr Rainbow is the right person for the position of Chief Human Rights Commissioner," Razzaq said Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran inside the newly-renovated Dreamliner cabin this morning Some big sources of in-flight aggravation are out and the world’s biggest economy class entertainment screen is in on Air New Zealand’s Dreamliner retrofit He said every class had tailor-made features after the years-long retrofit project Each aircraft cost $35 million to retrofit and it’s the airline’s first new on-board product in almost 15 years allowing passengers to move their chair back without impacting people behind them And the economy class has 13.3-inch screens four all-new seats in the front row have a retractable screen Foran said there’d been a focus on more comfort to better encourage sleep not just with mattresses or seats but with attention to lighting and cabin sound “We focused on sleep and we’ll back ourselves to provide the best sleep you’ll get anywhere on a plane,” Foran told the Herald But the airline hopes the new Dreamliner features will entertain people too “It’s got a sensational on-board entertainment system,” Foran said Foran said nearly all the international fleet was Wi-Fi enabled now “A really interesting development just literally weeks away is we’ll be trialling Starlink on an Airbus “We’ll be the first in the world to actually have Starlink operating in a turboprop plane.” Business Premier has sliding privacy screens and a 24-inch entertainment screen And the plane has an integrated system allowing passengers to use their devices to watch movies you’ll be able to use your mobile phone to actually operate as a remote,” Foran said Business Premier also offered full “lie-flat” reclining with a headrest lift Premium Economy seats have more storage than before which the airline said would provide more privacy with a bird-themed decoration on a type of wallpaper known as lavatory laminates will fly from Auckland to Brisbane and back in a fortnight The court has previously ruled it did not have jurisdiction to make a decision *Correction: This story has been updated to better reflect the circumstances of the crash One person has died at the scene where a car crashed into a New Plymouth home Police said they received a report of a vehicle crashing into a house on Riversdale Drive in Merrilands about 9.15am They said the person in the vehicle died at the scene A person inside the house was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital with moderate injuries Fire and Emergency said it took several hours to pull the car out with a fire truck due to the position of the car It confirmed power lines were knocked down during the crash and power was off in the area A spokesperson said the fallen lines also made it difficult for them to get to the driver A police spokesperson said the road has been closed while emergency services respond "Motorists are to avoid the area if possible and expect delays." New Plymouth District councillor for the Kaitake-Ngāmotu ward it's all about whānau and family and preparing for the special day and to have a tragedy in a suburban area like that Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Customs says the work is being done by organised crime groups who are importing “large quantities” of tobacco into the country using “sophisticated smuggling tactics that mirror those used for drug smuggling.” We frequently come across other serious crime types when we investigate illicit tobacco On Wednesday 30 April Customs officers intercepted a 35-year-old Indonesian man who had packed five bulk cartons of cigarettes onto his body According to Customs he had arrived off a flight to Wellington from Jakarta via Sydney The man’s visa has now been cancelled and he has been refused entry to new Zealand A total of 1,620 cigarettes were seized with revenue of $2,447.38 Last month, four people involved in an elaborate illicit tobacco-selling operation were sentenced The operation involved 132 packages of undeclared cigarettes and tobacco sent from Asia to six addresses in Gisborne and Napier throughout 2023 and 2024 More than half the packages arrived at a Napier shoe shop and cigarettes and tobacco were sold on 539 occasions at Asian Food House in Gisborne The offending defrauded New Zealand of about $541,240 Chief Customs officer fraud and prohibition Nigel Barnes told the Herald there was nothing to suggest managers of the shoe store were aware that the packages contained illicit goods “There was a person employed at the shoe shop who took those mail items and supplied them to the person they were working for “It is a proven smuggling method: that you send goods somewhere that is not connected to the primary place you are conducting your business as an effort to disguise the true destination of the goods” he said Barnes told the Herald tobacco smuggling like this is increasing in New Zealand “The trend is for larger and more organised smuggling methods,” he said “Last November we seized more than two million cigarettes “It’s part of the trans-national organised crime ecosystem representing at least $1.56m in tax evasion The bust also discovered machinery used to manufacture individual cigarettes and cigarette branded labels - ingredients for an unlicensed cigarette factory New tobacco industry research claims almost one in four cigarettes smoked in New Zealand is sourced illegally The research was commissioned by tobacco producers British American Tobacco NZ and Imperial Brands and carried out by independent researchers FTI Consulting It found the use of illegal tobacco grew 37% in New Zealand in 2023 and estimated the annual consumption of illicit products in New Zealand had grown to 332 tonnes of tobacco Data released by KPMG in 2023 said one in eight cigarettes smoked in New Zealand came from the illicit market Other studies estimate the lost excise tax from the sales of illegal tobacco at between $194 million and $330 million annually customs seized a single shipment of 2.2m cigarettes imported by a Malaysian organised criminal group Customs later discovered the operation had managed to smuggle five other shipping containers into New Zealand undetected Outlets for illegal tobacco have included bars on the West Coast community groups and online including Facebook marketplace Customs received a $10.3m increase specifically to target tobacco smuggling operations It has found that tobacco-smuggling busts often lead them to more serious crimes and other illicit commodities during our tobacco investigations,” Barnes said Customs officers have found sophisticated cannabis-growing operations a floor above an illegal cigarette factory Barnes said almost half of all seizures originated from China and the Middle East is rising as a “significant” source of illicit tobacco into New Zealand Barnes said Customs wanted to do a lot more than just seizing the smuggled product They want to arrest people “and ideally seize their assets too then there’ll be more consignments en route,” he said and the yields in New Zealand are quite high We frequently come across other serious crime types when we investigate illicit tobacco.” Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The New Plymouth mayor has described compulsory changes to speed limits outside schools as "ideologically-driven nonsense" that will cost ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement and jeopardise child safety The government is requiring streets outside schools with permanent 30kmh speed limits revert to variable speed limits allowing speeds of 50kmh outside pick-up and drop-off times by July 2026 Rural roads that were outside schools would be required to have variable speed limits of 60kmh or less New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom told an extraordinary council meeting the move was baffling "This is a bit of policy that is ideologically driven nonsense There is no scientific basis for these moves whatsoever." councillors voted to "consider" variable limits outside 15 schools at a cost of $287,000 - on the condition new electronic signage and road markings were 100 percent transport agency funded A council report said implementing variable speed limits outside all 27 affected schools in the district would cost $920,000 Not complying with the law could result in council facing an unspecified penalty which could involve being fined NPDC currently had no budget for the changes in its annual plan and as yet NZTA had not committed any funding for installing the new speed limits Holdom said the council's decision would put the ball back in the government's court "It's really a message to the minister that it's your move Minister Bishop If this is something you believe in then you can pay for it and we will begrudgingly comply because we take our role as governors seriously." Holdom said the fear was that potentially the safety of some of the district's most vulnerable people was being compromised said reversing the speed limits was gut wrenching "My stomach turns at the thought of having to roll back the changes we made with 89 percent community support "I resent that a government which campaigned on localism is making us go against the wishes of the vast majority of our community "I resent that this government is forcing us to do something that is not supported by any data or any evidence or any experts "I resent that so far this government is making us and our community pay for the privilege Clinton-Gohdes said just because it was a law did not make it right Under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule signed by previous Transport Minister Simeon Brown in September 2024 NZTA and councils were required to reverse all speed limits lowered since January 2020 on several categories of specified roads back to their previous limits the current Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the new rules around schools would prioritise those times when children were most vulnerable - drop off and and pick up periods 50kmh is used as the right speed limit to keep urban roads flowing smoothly and safely The evidence on this is clear - comparable countries with the lowest rates of road deaths and serious injuries have speed limits of 50kmh on their urban roads Principal of Inglewood Primary Juliet Vickers wrote to each councillor ahead of today's decision urging them to maintain the current 30kmh speed limit outside the school and reject the proposed variable limit "We are deeply concerned about the increased risk to student safety consistent messaging crucial for student safety Variable limits create confusion and uncertainty increasing the likelihood of drivers exceeding safe speeds and putting children at greater risk of accidents Vickers said the proposed change was already causing anxiety amongst the school community "The current fixed limit provides a sense of security that a variable limit undermines potentially discouraging active travel to school A report prepared for councillors said initially changing only 15 schools was "best practice" and would have the least impact "These schools are unlikely to have vulnerable road users walking to school outside of peak times," council transport and safety engineer David Brown said "Changing these schools to variable would allow for the free flow of traffic outside of peak times while not increasing the risk to vulnerable road users." Some of these schools were on streets that had traffic calming in place meaning motorist were already travelling at 30kmh Brown's report said if variable speed limits were introduced outside all 27 of the district's schools there would be an increased safety risk there is a potential increase in risk to vulnerable road users who visit or access schools outside of the variable times on a road that has a higher speed limit than what is currently in place." 38 sections of the state highway network are heading back to higher speed limits and more are being mulled Minister of Transport Simeon Brown says the government is reversing Labour's blanket speed-limit reductions from next year The West Coast regional transport committee has been forced to withdraw its draft regional speed management plan after Transport Minister Simeon Brown signed a new rule that overrides it Tasman District Council is currently re-consulting on changes that would primarily lower the speed limits on high-risk rural roads and around several rural schools More hurdles have appeared for Tasman District Council as it continues to try and lower speed limits after being forced to restart the process by the government The man behind a plan to build a rough sleepers' shelter at New Plymouth's YMCA says it won't be an overnight solution to problems with homelessness in the city YMCA strategic advisor Gareth Jones told an extraordinary meeting of council on Tuesday when homeless people had a safe place to sleep food security and professional help for trauma their behaviour tended to improve over time "It will be a gradual process as people build themselves and build their own integrity The New Plymouth District Council last night approved contributing $350,000 towards establishing the shelter and a further $450,000 towards running costs over three years It's estimated the shelter - Whare o te Tapatahi a Taranaki - would cost $600,000 a year to operate Jones told the packed council chamber that the Lemon Street shelter was a community-based solution and the YMCA had consulted with its neighbours including Central Primary School to develop a safety plan "They are going to be part of our advisory committee and part of that is to ensure we put the right mechanisms in place About 20 homeless men and between four and six women were sleeping rough in the New Plymouth CBD with many more believed to be doing so around the district Their presence had become more visible over the past two years prompting complaints from retailers and intimidated shoppers the council threatened to impound rough sleepers' belongings that had begun piling up on footpaths in the CBD only to ditch the idea at the eleventh hour which would also include 22 secure lockers to store personal belongings during the day Arrival and departures would be supervised by staff and security personnel with security positioned permanently outside the entrance Overnight stays would follow a detailed 12-step process Not all those who gave deputations at the meeting were in favour of the YMCA proposal Mark Coster had a decades-long career in the probation service He feared the council had a naive vision of the people it was dealing with "If it wasn't readily apparent to some of you before it should be now Some of these people just do not want to behave "That is the message some people out in the community struggle to understand and accept." Coster did not believe the homeless was core council business somehow believing you can house these people in isolation to all the other baggage that comes with them "Just because the relevant government agencies are ambivalent and reluctant that should not be a cue for council to try and fill that gap." who worked with the homeless in her role as a defence lawyer praised council for attempting to fill that void "I think council should be commended for looking at solving a problem that really is a central government issue." She said it was a myth that people chose to live on the streets "You and I are only two degrees from the person on the street We could have poor health that we weren't expecting that means we can no longer pay for the roof over our head let alone access healthcare." "I used to be one of these guys on the street Twenty years ago I used to sleep under that bridge There was about 30 of us we were in the paper everyday and what I hear here is people giving up." who turned his life around with help from the social agency Waves "How many homeless do there need to be before the marae are open who worked as a cleaner in the city starting at 3am "We need more people to go out onto the streets and tell these boys Mayor Neil Holdom criticised government agencies for their lack of action on homelessness "We have to come together to make something work because it's us or nobody The problem will not go away without a coordinated effort "I do not believe it is the role of this council to be funding health welfare and housing for our most vulnerable but the reality is that if it is not us stepping in "Doing nothing may well mean one or two people of these people in our community may well be dead before winter ends." Philanthropic foundation Toi had also committed $390,000 towards the project including seed funding to get planning under way and begin the fit out of showers and laundry services in the YMCA space The Taranaki Foundation had also set up an online fund page through their website to allow members of the public to donate to the project The YMCA has offered its central city building as a shelter location for the growing number of people who are homeless in New Plymouth The exchange between Neil Holdom and regional public service commissioner Police and Ministry of Social Development staff are going from business to business asking them whether they feel safe or if they have been the victims of crime View this post on Instagram A post shared by Air New Zealand ✈️ (@airnz) Air New Zealand is gifting 10 free flights to fellow 85-year-olds Air New Zealand turns 85 this month and is running a competition for people the same age to celebrate the airline will gift 10 lucky winners flights at home and abroad so they can reunite and celebrate their own birthday with their loved ones for reunion celebrations to take place over the next 24 months Air NZ chief executive Greg Foran said the airline’s birthday is an excuse to do something extra special connection has been at the heart of everything our airline does,” he said “Our history has been shaped by those who have flown on us for over eight decades “It feels very fitting to reconnect 10 85-year-olds with their whānau and provide an opportunity for them to talk about what has shaped their lives Foran said: “While much has changed since our first flight back in 1940 what hasn’t changed is the joy we get from bringing people together.” The airline was established as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (Teal) on April 26 Its first flight was on April 30 of that year carrying 10 passengers from Auckland to Sydney The New Zealand Government bought full ownership of Teal in 1961 and the airline was renamed Air New Zealand in 1965 New Plymouth is pushing on with the installation of dedicated cycle lanes despite funding cuts and ongoing resistance from some businesses and residents New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) was committed to taking steps to encourage more adults and children onto bikes by making cycle lanes safer on Devon Street West and South Road said major projects and planning delivery manager Andrew Barron Concrete cycle lane separators would also start to be installed early in April between Barrett Road and Morley Street "This is a state highway and it services six schools along this section," Barron said "We've seen in other cities that physically separated cycle lanes are safer to use than ones that are marked with paint only and also that they encourage more people onto bikes "More people cycling means fewer cars on the road so traffic moves more freely and we're a generally healthier community overall." An NPDC fly-over concept video shows the cycle lane separators planned for South Road and Devon Street West Graphix Design and Print owner Shane Devlin organised a petition against dedicated cycleways and the subsequent loss of car parks He was back in front of the NPDC building this week calling for the project to be canned "My best guess driving the new section is 100 car parks are being removed This stage is almost all about removing car parking The businesses next door to us that relied on-street parking have already left," Devlin said "Hopefully all the work that [has] been done so far has done more good than harm around all the schools but there is no way this next stage is positive "It's all about removing car parks for the sake of cyclists who already have clearly defined cycle lanes Please take another look at the plan and find a way to undo this terrible decision." The dedicated cycle lanes are stage two of a larger Transport Choices project to improve the safety on Devon Street West/South Road which was approved by council in December 2023 The full project includes 1km of shared path between Barrett Road and Belair Ave and safety improvements at 11 intersections Its $3.8m budget came via the government's Climate Emergency Response Fund But it's a far cry from a $17m project approved in 2023 which was [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/504966/business-cycling-groups-question-scrapping-of-let-s-get-wellington-moving] when the new government cut funding for cycling and walking initiatives Devlin was not the only one to take a shot at the cycle lanes councillor Max Brough tabled a motion seeking to reinstate three car parks near the intersection of Calvert Road and Devon Street West Brough believed there was an alternative route for cyclists and that it was about listening to the community The majority of his colleagues had little time for his position arguing the change would require another round of public consultation on a project that had already gone out to the public twice putting construction timelines - and therefore NZTA funding - at risk Councillor Anneka Carlson Matthews sympathised with residents but said there was a bigger picture at stake "This is a corridor we want to make accessible for all of the community What about the community that benefit from these cycleways the kids who want to ride the main route to school." Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes said reinstating three car parks would be an example of piecemeal and poor decision-making "What we need to be doing is making a decision about this project as a whole Brough had a supporter in veteran councillor Gordon Brown "This is a bit of a protest against the whole project but a lot of people are going to be affected far beyond what was ever envisaged and we are getting an entree of people who are affected by our decision." Murray Chong and Gordon Brown voting in favour Barron encouraged road users to be patient as they got used to the new infrastructure "Please drive with care while you adjust to the separators being on the left side of your lane." The installation would start at Barrett Road and work towards Morley Street until the end of June with priority given to areas around schools and at pinch-points where there was a greater chance of vehicles drifting into cycle lanes The cycleway separators would be spaced so that vehicles could cross cycle lanes to access driveways and intersections and low enough for most cars to carefully pull over into a cycle lane to let emergency vehicles pass by or they could pull into gaps between sections of separators until the emergency vehicle had passed them More details at npdc.govt.nz/LetsGoYourWay A state house offered to a disabled New Plymouth man over a year ago is still sitting empty and only now has building consent for modification work been granted the first phase of which was due to be complete in late 2027 would operate alongside New Plymouth Raceway An engineering company is hoping an multi-million dollar contract is a sign of things to come It would've prohibited anyone occupying a space in the CBD for two hours or more after dark A proposal to create $17 million worth of safe walking and cycling routes in New Plymouth is dividing the city Rough sleepers whose belongings are obstructing footpaths in the New Plymouth's CBD are being warned to remove them or risk them being them impounded in accordance with the district's Public Places Bylaw Mayor Neil Holdom said council staff have begun telling rough sleepers they have to remove their belongings and structures within seven days "The response comes in the wake of growing concern about the increase of rough sleepers in the city centre and the impacts of that activity intimidation of members of the public and generally making the area look untidy and feel unsafe." the council had received 30 calls in relation to rough sleeping including obstructing access to properties was a breach of NPDC's Public Places Bylaw and the Local Government Act 2002 gave authorised council staff the authority to remove any offending items if the owner ignores requests to do so Holdom said while council was currently considering how it could support the establishment of an emergency shelter provision of food and social services to help some of the most vulnerable people in the district it could not stand by and allow the blatant breaches of bylaws to continue unchecked "We are doing our best to come up with solutions and working with local philanthropists and charities on a solution that will provide food and shelter for these members of our community while at the same time making it clear we will not accept ongoing breaches of the bylaw and obstructing access to properties," he said Holdom acknowledged some may see this move as heavy handed towards a vulnerable community "The challenge we face is that the issues in the CBD are escalating and I have real concerns that unless we enforce our laws and bylaws now more disorderly behaviour and the corresponding negative impacts on our law-abiding people Holdom said council was still finalising a process for dealing with any seized property which under the Local Government Act 2002 must be stored for 14 days before any unclaimed property could be disposed of More than 30 people have been trespassed from a pedestrianised space in New Plymouth's CBD that has become notorious for trouble A New Plymouth emergency housing provider says a council survey asking what can be done about the city's housing crisis feels like a cruel joke Tonight’s $6 million Lotto Powerball draw has gone unstruck The potentially Lotto Powerball life-changing total will now jackpot for Wednesday’s draw The biggest winner on the night goes to three players who each shared first division’s $1m prize; taking home $333,333 each The couple who won $23m via Lotto Powerball celebrated their newfound wealth with a simple meal of fish and chips on the beach The couple, who are from the upper North Island and bought the winning ticket online bagged the mega-rich prize from last week’s midweek draw They said seeing “$23,333,333″ on their MyLotto ticket was “mind-boggling” and I don’t think it will start to feel real until we see it in the bank,” the winners the man went to tell his wife the good news “She could see I was tearful and asked what was wrong I just blurted it out – ‘we’ve won $23.3 million!’ so of course she didn’t believe me … until I showed her the ticket on MyLotto.” They celebrated with fish and chips on the beach and chatted about their family’s future “We live a simple life and will continue to – but what we can now do for our children and our grandchildren – that’s what’s life-changing.” The couple are the eighth Powerball multi-millionaires this year and their win comes after $5.3m was won by an Otago player last month All up the pair won $23,333,333 – made up of $23m from Powerball and $333,333 from a split first division prize on April 23 The win was the largest Powerball prize won since December 2024 when a man from New Plymouth won $23.3m there have been major Powerball wins across the country with a Taranaki player also snagging $8.3m in the same month A Hamilton player and Waihī player both picked up $10.5m from Powerball wins in February There were three lucky Powerball multi-millionaires in March with wins in Christchurch The trial system sits 10-15 metres below the surface By RNZ Air New Zealand says an item inside a passenger’s carry-on luggage is to blame for a flight grounded in New Plymouth this evening The Blenheim to Auckland flight was diverted to New Plymouth with a passenger telling RNZ they could smell fuel coming through the air vents inside Air New Zealand head of flight operations Hugh Pearce says they are working to get passengers to their destination Sign up to The Daily H The New Plymouth District Council will vote on Tuesday on whether to provide funding of up to $800,000 to help set up a shelter for rough sleepers in the city The YMCA had offered its central city building on Liaradet St as a shelter location for the growing number of people who are homeless in New Plymouth Provide $350,000 towards setting up the shelter plus $150,000 for running costs in year one or provide $350,000 for the set up with an additional $450,000 over three years for running costs council could chose to provide no funding at all It was estimated it would cost $600,000 a year to operate the shelter A report prepared for councillors recommended council provided funding for the first three years of the project "The shelter will provide support and interim accommodation for people who are homeless "It will have a positive impact both for the individuals who use it and for the city centre where homelessness is increasingly an issue." This would enable council to make a tangible contribution towards ensuring those without shelter in New Plymouth had a safe place to sleep and access to support while efforts continued to secure central government support and funding to address the challenges faced by the homeless community long term Philanthropic foundation Toi had committed $390,000 towards the project - Whare o te Tapatahi a Taranaki - including seed funding to get planning under way and begin the fit out of showers and laundry services in the YMCA space Chief executive Maria Ramsay said Toi believed every individual deserved dignity and support "Whare o te Tapatahi aims to create a safe and nurturing environment that addresses the immediate needs of rough sleepers and empowers them on their journey towards recovery and reintegration into society." The council report said about 20 men and about four women were believed to be sleeping rough in the city centre alone with many more doing so around the district "People who are homeless and sleeping without shelter experience many barriers to accessing the support they need as individuals including long-term housing solutions and supportive services tailored to each person's needs - such as trauma support A shelter could play a vital role in providing immediate relief to those experiencing homelessness The YMCA New Plymouth had developed a detailed plan for construction and operation of a shelter for 20 rough sleepers within its existing premises on Liardet St One complicating factor could be its proximity to a primary school The report said the YMCA had a long history of providing social support both in New Zealand and internationally helping people overcome challenges and move forward positively "It holds social services accreditation to deliver a range of programmes for the community including both recreation and social support provision and has both local and international experience and expertise to draw from." The shelter would have 22 secure lockers available for people to store their belongings during the day with security positioned outside the entrance which was not directly next to any residences Their belongings are obstructing footpaths in the New Plymouth's CBD Global country music stars will feature alongside homegrown New Zealand talent when dedicated country music station iHeartCountry New Zealand launches next Friday New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) today announced the new station NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley said the company was excited to launch iHeartCountry New Zealand filling “a significant gap” in the local audio landscape “Country music is experiencing a massive surge in growth globally with mainstream audiences embracing the genre like never before NZME is proud to be a trailblazer in introducing a dedicated country music station to the market and I have no doubt it’s going to be hugely popular.” Kim Boshier from Sony Music New Zealand said country music had always had an audience in Aotearoa but in recent years it had gained mainstream popularity “We’re seeing local artists like Kaylee Bell achieving remarkable success while international country stars are drawing bigger audiences than ever before “Having a dedicated platform for country music in New Zealand will further fuel this momentum and provide a home for both established and emerging country artists.” The station will be available via NZME’s digital audio app iHeartRadio and broadcast across FM frequencies in Auckland The launch of the dedicated station also offers an enticing incentive for touring artists “I’ve been telling anyone who will listen for a couple of years now that someone should start a country music station in NZ and it makes me feel all warm inside that it’s finally being done,” said Eccles Entertainment’s Brent Eccles “Lots of great country artists are coming down to New Zealand and Australia now and this will be compelling reason to have them play here Add to this our amazing local country talent and it all adds up to a bloody good idea.” NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said the launch of iHeartCountry New Zealand aligned with the company’s strategic priorities to grow its audiences “This addition to our audio portfolio strengthens our position to be the country’s leading audio company and allows us to connect with new audiences while offering our advertising partners access to an engaged and passionate listenership “By identifying this gap in the market and responding to changing listener preferences we’re demonstrating our commitment to delivering content that resonates with New Zealanders.” Listeners can tune in to iHeartCountry New Zealand from May 9 on iHeartRadio Fashion's biggest names are donning "Superfine" styles for the glitzy gala Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app between Mangorei and Hydro Road is currently closed after a tomo  (small hole) formed at the Mangorei Stream Bridge At this stage the southbound lane will be closed until approximately 8pm while crews work onsite A detour is in place for southbound traffic The northbound lane remains open as normal Traffic is being diverted via Mangorei Road and we encourage road users to use SH3A/SH45 as an alternative routes south.  Crews are currently completing an urgent repair to the site and expect to have the road open by approximately 8pm The site may remain under a temporary speed limit over the weekend NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport The chainsaws are being primed for a swathe of mature trees which line the streets of downtown New Plymouth The 15m-high Italian alders have been blamed for damaging footpaths and causing people to slip and fall when they drop their leaves and woody catkins or cones during autumn Three of the trees - which were planted about 30 years ago - were removed in December and signs have appeared on 11 more warning of their imminent demise A further eight are due for the chop next year They are being removed as part of the first phase of a $10.3 million city centre makeover Mayor Neil Holdom said the alders were past their use-by date but we've got to a point where we've encountered a problem and we're trying to encourage commerce in the CBD and the business owners have asked for help so what we're doing is we're not going to mow them all but we are going to get the chainsaws out and knock a few of them over and replace them with species that will cause less problems." Holdom said the trees would replaced by a variety of local plants "I think they'll be New Zealand natives and if people want to go to our website there's details of that "I see that there's been nikau palms used in other areas and things that are providing less of a slip hazard and kind of aligning with our focus of planting significant natives around the district." He was aware not everyone would be happy to see the alders go Look everything we do will be supported by some people and opposed by others "What we've tried to do is find a middle ground where we are removing the trees that are creating problems and eliminating those problems and putting in something new and contemporary in its place." Rahul Kumar - who runs the restaurant El Abrazo on Devon Street - did not think the trees needed to come down because you can say it's environmentally friendly and they look quite nice also "I think you should be kinder to the trees." But the manager of Ballentynes Fashion Central "No one wants to see trees getting cut down but problem is they are not the right type of trees for our main street "Unfortunately the amount of leaves and debris [that] fall down "I've physically have had to help several ladies over the years who have hurt themselves On Devon Street there were mixed feelings about the decision to swing the axe so I just feel desperately sad that they are going to be murdered and chopped down." Anthony appreciated the size of the alder trees but I like trees that are already existing more "I just like looking at trees that have a decent size already "Especially for people who use walking sticks I just avoid coming into town when it's wet and leaves are falling The council said there were 60 alder trees in the CBD in total It cost $41,000 to bring down the first three trees and put in new plantings but due to the phased nature of the project the total cost for replacing the trees facing the axe was not available Neighbours of Wellington Girls' College say the culling of the trees will ruin the character of their suburb Hastings District Council says it is taking action again saying most of the damaged trees "won't survive" An Auckland couple say they are lucky to be alive after a large tree smashed into their house as a fierce storm battered the city Top Stories RSS Homes have been evacuated tonight in Christchurch because of landslides after torrential rain sparked widespread flooding And a rare red wind warning in Wellington has been downgraded tonight but residents remain on alert for high tide amid fears of coastal inundation Some residents in the capital have been urged to self-evacuate as monster waves pound the city’s south coast Severe winds of up to 150km/h have smashed Wellington today closing roads and sparking more than 100 emergency callouts With high tide expected about 8pm increasing the risk of coastal inundation Wellington City Council said some residents are advised to leave their homes and seek safety “Wellington City Council is strongly advising residents of the south coast to consider staying somewhere else tonight if possible please be aware you may not be able to access your property by vehicle after 5.30pm tonight.” Christchurch has been placed under a state of emergency after torrential rain triggered widespread flooding with some people rescued from water-logged cars The announcement was made by Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell who travelled to Canterbury this afternoon to survey the damage A local state of emergency has also been declared for the Selwyn district MetService upgraded Wellington’s wind warning to a rare red level with destructive gales and a threat to life from flying items and falling trees “Stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees Be ready for power and communication outages.” This was later downgraded with an orange strong wind warning and heavy rain warning currently in place Flights have been cancelled for the rest of the day at Wellington Airport with warnings of more wild weather and further disruptions in coming days Follow the latest updates from the wild weather in our blog below Sign up to The Daily H The parking meters have an in-built 10 minute courtesy period for you to arrange your payment for parking If you’re going to be less than 10 minutes then by all means duck in and out free of charge – just be sure to return before the 10 minutes is up There is no grace period for time restricted spaces (e.g The easy-to-use PayMyPark app lets you pay for parking via your smartphone receive an alert when your paid parking is about to expire or use the start/stop function and pay for only the parking time you use Council-managed parking areas are available seven days a week 24 hours a day (unless otherwise stated below) and are free after 5pm and on Sundays and public holidays P60 and P10 parks) apply between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday unless otherwise stated on the sign $1.50/hour, 8am-5pm Monday to Saturday until 30 April 2025. Outside these hours it is free.Find out about leasing options Enter your vehicle’s number plate into the machine before selecting your length of stay Credit/debit card payments available on all machines but only a limited number of meters have the coin payment option Make sure you have entered the correct registration number and you’re aware of the time limits Park for free up to 11am, Mondays to Saturdays in all Council paid-parking spaces providing a SuperGold card or an alternative Council parking card is displayed on the dashboard. This does not apply to time-restricted parking spaces, e.g. P30 parks. Contact us for an alternative Council parking card our handheld devices will register that you have paid beyond 11am For example there is a two hour time limit on Devon Street this time limit applies to SuperGold cardholders You must still activate the meter but whatever time you pay for will be doubled as long as you display your mobility card on the dashboard Mobility Card holders have double time in all time restricted parking spaces.Please make sure your mobility card is clearly displayed Current international mobility cards can be used in New Zealand You can use the PayMyPark App to pay for your parking so you can take as long as you like without having to return to your car Would you like our customer service team to get in contact with you by email 84 Liardet StreetNew Plymouth {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/04/30/new-zealands-shifting-seasons-explained/"},"datePublished":"2025-04-29T22:57:09.966Z","dateModified":"2025-04-29T22:57:09.966Z","headline":"New Zealand's shifting seasons who experienced one of the capital's worst weather starts to the year on record used more colourful phrases: "A buzz kill" this is one of the longer runs of below average daily temperatures that we've had in the summer months," meteorologist Clare O'Connor told RNZ at the time But autumn was expected to be warmer and drier for parts of the country Even though they were all a bit spring-like to start with We experience seasons thanks to Earth's tilted axis its north and south poles sit at an angle rather than straight up and down As NIWA explains on its website: "This tilt means that the sun's rays don't hit Earth equally The half of the Earth tilted toward the sun receives much more light energy than the half tilted away from the sun." The half of the Earth tilted toward the sun is experiencing summer The seasonal effects are different at different latitudes on Earth The four-season year is typical only in the mid-latitudes Places near the equator see little seasonal variation winter has periods of continuous darkness and summer brings 24-hour daylight which are based on Earth's position relative to the sun when one of its poles is closest to the sun When the Earth's axis is tilted neither towards nor away from the sun It marks the start of astronomical spring and autumn we tend to use meteorological or calendar seasons: three-month groupings based on the annual temperature cycle January is the country's warmest month on average Fill in the gaps to get the shoulder seasons Some Scandinavian countries refer to "thermal seasons" is defined as when the temperature rises above a certain threshold for several consecutive days "There's no right answer," climate scientist Professor James Renwick told RNZ "It's somewhat arbitrary how these seasonal boundaries are defined." "seasons aren't used so explicitly" New Zealand's maritime climate is known for being unpredictable with severe alpine conditions in the mountainous areas "Four seasons in one day" is a common observation about the country's weather particularly among visitors from the more settled Northern Hemisphere "The fact there's a big continent over the south pole keeps the weather a bit spring-like all year," Renwick said so westerly winds die off and you tend to have calm there's a lot of natural variation in the seasons: "There are all these definitions but in a given year there's a long-term trend towards longer summers and shorter winters Global average temperatures have increased by about 1 degree Celsius in the past century The average annual temperature in Aotearoa increased by 1.26C between 1909 and 2022 Warmer temperatures are expected in all parts of the world The impact will vary by location; some places will experience more wildfires and others more rain data suggests a range of extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity GNS principal scientist Dr Nick Cradock-Henry said in the past 15-20 years there's been a noticeable change in the seasons "Multi-generational farmers will tell you they remember walking on frozen puddles as a child it's rare to get any significant freezing event over the winter." drier conditions are impacting plants as well as animals "We're really only just beginning to understand the implications of changing management systems to deal with [these things]." "The distinct transition between seasons is becoming increasingly muddled," Cradock-Henry said Key development stages of plants and animals are tied to seasonal features such as rainfall "If you've got lower than usual soil temperatures in February your ryegrass and clover is behind where it should be which in turn impacts milk production." "is messing with all of those rules of thumb you've relied on" Farmers are having to change to accommodate these new conditions About 90% of Kiwifruit is grown in a single area The vines need a period of cool temperatures to produce fruit an increasing number of avocado orchards around the country and macadamia nuts have been identified as having potential in Hawke's Bay Updating our "collective understanding" of seasonal markers is important there has been a revitalisation of ngā taka o te marama Maramataka guided many activities in the lives of iwi such as planting There was variation among tribes depending on where they lived This approach can help communities navigate the changing climate through a deeper understanding of the environment said Te Kahuratai Moko-Painting (Ngāti Manu Māori curriculum developer and teaching fellow with the Centre for Pūtaiao at Auckland University "That we decide when the seasons change is not implicit in Maramataka," he told RNZ you look for tohu [environmental indicators]." the mid-winter rising of the star cluster that signals te Mātahi o te Tau Matariki became the country's first indigenous public holiday "If the stars are spread out or bunched together that's a tohu for the coming climate and harvest," Moko-Painting said "But that's just one tohu of this increasingly unpredictable climate and weather." Māori traditionally had a restful period mid-winter "It could be a longer period of time," Moko-Painting said of the public holiday He stressed the importance of multigenerational knowledge and observation "I think of tohu as words in a sentence You can't know what's being said if you only hear one word Ngā taka o te marama has always allowed for seasonal variation: "It was something our tupuna [ancestors] brought to Aotearoa They adapted this framework to the environment "That's one of the strengths of Maramataka rnz.co.nz Rainy weather (file image). (Source: istock.com) Summer was a "mixed bag" this year, according to NIWA. Wellingtonians, who experienced one of the capital's worst weather starts to the year on record, used more colourful phrases: "A buzz kill", "crap", and "pretty trash". "Digging back into our records, going back to 1980, this is one of the longer runs of below average daily temperatures that we've had in the summer months," meteorologist Clare O'Connor told RNZ at the time. But autumn was expected to be warmer and drier for parts of the country, NIWA said. Even though they were all a bit spring-like to start with, our seasons are changing, scientists say. What does this mean for spring, summer, autumn, and winter as we know and define them? We experience seasons thanks to Earth's tilted axis. Because of the tilt, as Earth orbits the sun, its north and south poles sit at an angle rather than straight up and down. As NIWA explains on its website: "This tilt means that the sun's rays don't hit Earth equally. The half of the Earth tilted toward the sun receives much more light energy than the half tilted away from the sun." The half of the Earth tilted toward the sun is experiencing summer, and the half tilted away, winter. The seasonal effects are different at different latitudes on Earth. The four-season year is typical only in the mid-latitudes. Places near the equator see little seasonal variation. Meanwhile, in polar regions, winter has periods of continuous darkness and summer brings 24-hour daylight. We hear a lot about astronomical seasons, which are based on Earth's position relative to the sun. Summer begins on the summer solstice, and winter on the winter solstice. Earth has a solstice every six months, when one of its poles is closest to the sun. When the Earth's axis is tilted neither towards nor away from the sun, that's called an equinox. It marks the start of astronomical spring and autumn. But in New Zealand, we tend to use meteorological or calendar seasons: three-month groupings based on the annual temperature cycle. January is the country's warmest month on average, and July the coldest. Summer is December, January, February. Winter: June, July, August. Fill in the gaps to get the shoulder seasons. Some Scandinavian countries refer to "thermal seasons", based on mean daily temperatures. The beginning of summer, for example, is defined as when the temperature rises above a certain threshold for several consecutive days. "There's no right answer," climate scientist Professor James Renwick told RNZ. "It's somewhat arbitrary how these seasonal boundaries are defined." When it comes to climate forecasting, "seasons aren't used so explicitly", he said. Rather, analysis is done month-by-month. New Zealand's maritime climate is known for being unpredictable. It varies from warm, subtropical in the far north to cool, temperate climates in the far south, with severe alpine conditions in the mountainous areas. "Four seasons in one day" is a common observation about the country's weather, particularly among visitors from the more settled Northern Hemisphere. "The fact there's a big continent over the south pole, keeps the weather a bit spring-like all year," Renwick said. "In the Northern Hemisphere, the pole warms up a lot in summer, so westerly winds die off and you tend to have calm, dry weather." Of course, there's a lot of natural variation in the seasons: "There are all these definitions but in a given year, you'll get something different." Despite this natural variation, there's a long-term trend towards longer summers and shorter winters, Renwick added. Global average temperatures have increased by about 1 degree Celsius in the past century. The average annual temperature in Aotearoa increased by 1.26C between 1909 and 2022. The warmest year was recorded in 2022, with an average temperature of 13.76C. Warmer temperatures are expected in all parts of the world. The impact will vary by location; some places will experience more wildfires and others more rain. In New Zealand, data suggests a range of extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity. In turn, these affect agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, forestry, and tourism. GNS principal scientist Dr Nick Cradock-Henry said in the past 15-20 years, any farmer will tell you, there's been a noticeable change in the seasons. "Multi-generational farmers will tell you they remember walking on frozen puddles as a child, and now, it's rare to get any significant freezing event over the winter." The shorter winters, fewer frosts, compressed springs, and hotter, drier conditions are impacting plants as well as animals. "The distinct transition between seasons is becoming increasingly muddled," Cradock-Henry said. Key development stages of plants and animals are tied to seasonal features such as rainfall, temperature, and day length. "If you've got lower than usual soil temperatures in February, your ryegrass and clover is behind where it should be. Then you've got hungry animals, which in turn impacts milk production." The shifting seasons, he continued, "is messing with all of those rules of thumb you've relied on". Farmers are having to change to accommodate these new conditions. That can mean planting earlier, split calving, and even shifting location. About 90% of Kiwifruit is grown in a single area, in the Bay of Plenty, Cradock-Henry explained. The vines need a period of cool temperatures to produce fruit. Many growers are now moving south, or into the hills, chasing those cooler temperatures. Others are identifying alternative crops. There are now peanuts in Northland, an increasing number of avocado orchards around the country, and macadamia nuts have been identified as having potential in Hawke's Bay. Updating our "collective understanding" of seasonal markers is important, Cradock-Henry said. In recent years, there has been a revitalisation of ngā taka o te marama, the repeating cycles of the moon. Traditionally, Maramataka guided many activities in the lives of iwi such as planting, harvesting, fishing, and hunting. There was variation among tribes depending on where they lived. This approach can help communities navigate the changing climate through a deeper understanding of the environment, said Te Kahuratai Moko-Painting (Ngāti Manu, Te Popoto, Ngāpuhi), Māori curriculum developer and teaching fellow with the Centre for Pūtaiao at Auckland University. "That we decide when the seasons change is not implicit in Maramataka," he told RNZ. "Instead, you look for tohu [environmental indicators]." A key tohu is Matariki, the mid-winter rising of the star cluster that signals te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year. In 2022, Matariki became the country's first indigenous public holiday. "If the stars are spread out or bunched together, that's a tohu for the coming climate and harvest," Moko-Painting said. "But that's just one tohu of this increasingly unpredictable climate and weather." Maratriki "is just one day", but like many societies, Māori traditionally had a restful period mid-winter, and families spent time together. "It could be a longer period of time," Moko-Painting said of the public holiday. He stressed the importance of multigenerational knowledge and observation. "I think of tohu as words in a sentence. You can't know what's being said if you only hear one word. Or even every fourth word." Ngā taka o te marama has always allowed for seasonal variation: "It was something our tupuna [ancestors] brought to Aotearoa. They adapted this framework to the environment. NZ's sunniest wettest and warmest places in 2024 This morning NIWA released its Annual Climate Summary for 2024 which gave insight into how last year compared to previous ones Parts of NZ could have 20% more rainfall by end of century – NIWAAtmospheric rivers expected to deliver a much greater proportion of the country's total annual rainfall Environment Extreme weather in Australia the 'new normal' scientists sayTemperatures across the ditch have already risen by 1.51C since 1910 World rnz.co.nz State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there were still a "couple of issues in Banks Peninsula that we need to keep an eye on" Council defends management of Lake Ellesmere during storm Environment Canterbury is being criticised for its management of Lake Ellesmere Main road to Akaroa still blocked days after flooding The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) Publican of damaged inn says scale of flooding worst in 50 years Publican Sarah McFarland of Little River Inn is hopeful it would be back up and running soon Wellington wind warning at 'red' level MetService issues red warnings when there is extreme weather which is likely to have a significant impact or disruption 29 mins ago 36 mins ago 4 mins ago Summer was a "mixed bag" this year NIWA has released its Annual Climate Summary for 2024 providing an insight into last year's weather 2024 was the 10th warmest since records began – not as hot as 2023 The nationwide average temperature was 13.25C Temperatures were above average for much of Northland These were the second and third times since 2017 that New Zealand saw below-average temperatures The spot with the highest average temperature was Leigh The highest air temperature of the year was 37.0C in Hanmer Forest The lowest air temperature recorded in 2024 was -11.8C at Lake Tekapo on August 3 This was followed by -11.1C at Mt Cook Airport on August 3 and 4 and -10.9C at Lake Tekapo on August 4 NIWA principal scientist Chris Brandolino told 1News it was part of a continuing trend of warmer weather out of the 10 warmest years in New Zealand While 2024 was not as hot as in recent years Brandolino stressed that it was part of a trend that was “not good” “That trend is for increasing temperatures year on end,” he said and that is congruent and aligned with what we’re seeing globally Australia announced its second warmest year on record.” ECMWF and NASA give their annual global climate summary it’s expected to be the hottest year on record the second or the 10th warmest year on record it’s part of a larger trend that is not the trend we want to be on.” Much of the country experienced mixed rainfall with some regions experiencing more than average rainfall while others saw less and Northland experienced below-normal rainfall (50% to 79% of the annual normal) The lowest rainfall totals for 2024 were seen in Alexandra with 354 mm It was above normal (120% to 149% of the annual normal) for Western parts of Otago and inland and western parts of Southland The wettest locations in New Zealand were Cropp River at Waterfall (West Coast Six locations in the South Island experienced near-record one-day rainfall totals during the year equivalent to 18% of its average annual total which saw several regions experience extreme rainfall events “2024 certainly still had its big rainfall events These were seen in the upper and central parts of the South Island during April; Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay during June where 400 properties were impacted by flooding; Otago during October where heavy rain caused flooding that red and yellow-stickered several homes; “persistently wet conditions” in the five weeks before October in Southland and Clutha; and flooding and slips in the Southern Ward of Westland The highest confirmed wind gust was 198km/h at Cape Turnagain on September 20 with many parts of the country getting a fair bit of sunshine Blenheim experienced the country’s highest annual sunshine total for the year This was followed by the wider Nelson region which saw 2760 hours of sunshine recorded at Richmond Bay of Plenty with 2734 recorded at Tauranga Brandolino described a “fluttering” El Nino event during Summer and Autumn which caused westerly and southwesterly winds These brought “some pretty dry conditions” for eastern and northern parts of New Zealand which both observed their driest year on record Another factor in the year’s weather was sea surface temperatures which were “unusually cool” between February and May Temperatures fell as low as 0.9C below average off the west of the South Island Brandolino said that because New Zealand was an island nation air and sea temperatures were “joined at the hip” “It’s no coincidence that in March and in May those two months were colder than average from a national perspective “When ocean temperatures are unusually warm it certainly increases the odds for warmer than average air temperatures Warm ocean temperatures increase the water vapour NIWA’s daily carbon dioxide measurements continued to rise to 420 parts per million (ppm) Brandolino said this was another factor behind the increasing temperature not only are you more likely to have extremes but also that affects how precipitation occurs “You’re more likely to have extreme rainfall on both ends of the spectrum." climate change is expected to cause more extreme weather events “What climate change does is make those things more likely to occur He described climate change as a “steroid” for extreme weather Brandolino said that while he could not give a one-year weather outlook the first three months will see above-average temperatures for the North Island He said there may be individual days and weeks that don’t match that outlook but “our expectation is that for the North Island the theme will be above-average temperatures.” Brandolino said: “If there are areas that are not warmer than average He said there would be “equal chances” for temperatures to be average or above average Australia is being hit by extreme weather events on all fronts Across the ditch there's been flooding in North Queensland cyclones in the Western Australia and heatwaves fuelling bushfires across Tasmania But climate scientists say this isn’t just an unusual summer – this is the 'new normal' "We see these events coming sometimes in clusters," said Professor Kris Helgen "The reason it seems like they are piling on top of each other is because they are A warming world fuels all extremes – stronger cyclones The Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s latest State of the Climate report paints a grim picture Australia's temperatures have already risen by 1.51C since 1910 and the warming rate of the Tasman Sea is twice the global average "Our normal is changing," said Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines more significant bush fires are coming as well." New Zealand is also feeling the impact – 2024 was the 10th warmest year on record according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) While both sides of the Tasman have always experienced heatwaves scientists say climate change is making these events more severe and frequent bush fire seasons and heavy rainfall," said Dr Frederik Saltre research scientist at the Climate Solutions Centre in the Australian Museum Research Institute "But climate change takes those events and puts them on steroids We’ve been observing this for decades – it makes these disasters more dangerous and more intense." Australia has battled a deadly mix of disasters Tropical Cyclone Kirrily battered Queensland record floods swamped Townsville earlier this month while ex-tropical Cyclone Zelia barrelled through Western Australia last week Extreme heatwaves also shut down infrastructure in Sydney all while bush fires raged across Victoria and New South Wales Climate scientists say extreme weather isn’t just getting worse – it’s also shifting and I think people can see this happening in their lives," said Helgen "You realise that some of the things we've come to rely on in the calendar how we can imagine the temperature or the weather Helgen warned that will impact everything from food security to urban planning The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on" "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed Most roads across Christchurch were now open Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours A temporary pump installed has now stopped wastewater entering Akaroa Harbour but residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system The Canterbury Regional Council says there was an agreement to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea last Tuesday but sea conditions prevented it from happening before the rain storm hit with people in Selwyn telling RNZ they are frustrated the lake was not opened to the sea earlier Taumutu farmer Tim Sanson said there had been good warning that a fairly serious weather system was on the way He was expecting around 80 millimetres of rain but received more than 150mm on Thursday which was "a fairly significant chunk of rain in a short period of time" "That is a lot more than what we were expecting from the forecast but to get more than sort of two inches in one hit here Sanson said the decision-making around opening Lake Ellesmere was a long-running "bugbear" for many locals "It's a bit like having a bucket that's full of water and potentially we should be doing that with the lake with a bit more management," he said which required heavy machinery and hard work "It did seem crazy to me watching the bulldozers head down there at high tide I think it was yesterday morning or the morning before to start preparing for opening with the southerly roaring in," he said said he thought the lake should have been opened sooner He woke at 4am on Friday to find six inches of water through his home after a nearby creek overflowed "If the council had opened the lake last weekend when it was nice and sunny then there would have been far less room for the water to move to the lake and travel on its way out to the sea," he said also questioned why officials did not act earlier to open the lake before the heavy rain caused widespread flooding She said she struggled in vain to get officials to open Lake Ellesmere to help the rising floodwaters drain away on Thursday evening She rang the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Regional Council after she got home to find water lapping on neighbours' doors The regional council told her it was after hours to call again in the morning and that the lake's opening was out of staff hands Adams said her property was a disaster zone with a repair bill estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars The council used diggers to create a channel between the lake and sea at certain times governed by a 1990 water conservation order and resource consents held jointly with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu ECan general manger of hazards Leigh Griffiths said consultation for a lake opening began on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon a joint decision had been made to open the lake "We can only open the lake once a joint decision has been made and the lake height reaches a minimum of 1.13m (from 1 April to 15 June) The lake conditions were not met until Tuesday 30 April," she said Griffiths said earthworks had begun to open the lake but in current sea conditions it would not be successful because the cut would fill in and it was unsafe for people to operate machinery in the surf zone "We are watching conditions closely and the lake will be opened to the sea as soon as weather and sea conditions allow This is likely several days away at the earliest," she said Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said he was confident officials had made the right call not to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea earlier Mitchell met Environment Canterbury staff and mana whenua on Friday about the lake "It is very apparent there is a lot of work and focus on how they manage Lake Ellesmere and the fact that there was a request to put in to widen that access," he said "All the information that they had in relation to that was what informed their decisions and they're all united in the fact that they've done the right thing and they've made the right decisions and they've done what they could." Mitchell said he had full confidence in that decision but he was prepared to hear more about the community's concerns over the the lake's management rnz.co.nz The main road to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is still blocked days after intense rainfall flooded State Highway 75 and extreme caution is still advised on the remainder of the route to Akaroa Photos and videos shared by residents on social media show fallen trees and other major damage on the highway which is the only road connecting communities like Akaroa to the rest of Canterbury Aerial footage captured by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday evening showed farmland submerged below floodwaters across the peninsula and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell noted the full extent of the damage would not be clear until the water subsided The council also reported large cracks on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa "The assessment found there [is] no immediate danger to the evacuated properties or other properties in the vicinity," the council posted on its Facebook page we may require houses further down to evacuate at short notice." Contractors opened Lake Forsyth to the ocean on Friday afternoon allowing the lake to drain excess water over the next seven days rnz.co.nz A publican on Banks Peninsula says for the first time in 50-odd years businesses on the main road of Little River have been flooded Follow updates with 1News' live blog A state of emergency remains in place in Selwyn Canterbury's civil defence and emergency management says rain is easing in the region and they will be spending the day assessing the damage Publican Sarah McFarland said a breached stream ran through the entire lower level of her Little River Inn on Thursday as well as a couple of other businesses on State Highway 75 and that sort of flooding has not been seen for half a century and farmland in the area has also borne the brunt of heavy rain and floodwaters McFarland said she was hopeful the inn would be back up and running soon A Banks Peninsula business owner says Little River is no longer an accurate description for the village there's lots of little bridges and you see the water rushing through like 20 times at the level The river is 20 times the size of what it normally is "A little river is no longer a little river." Fowler said it was the third time the settlement has flooded since he moved there in 2010 Volunteer firefighters had been flat-out trying to divert the water rnz.co.nz Wellingtonians have been urged to prepare as MetService warns "destructive" gusts of up to 140km/h may hit this afternoon with a rare red warning issued for the capital Hundreds of homes in the region are currently without power and flights have been cancelled out of the city's airport this afternoon Victoria University has suspended teaching activities from midday and urged students to get home safely Follow 1News' live updates for the latest on the severe weather impacting NZ and be prepared for possible power and communication outages "Wellington is no stranger to high winds but this is an extraordinary day in the capital," meteorologist John Law told AAP Law said the "combination of wind direction and rainfall and higher tides" prompted the warning escalation The highest gust was recorded at Mt Kaukau at 150km/h with the airport on the south coast registering 115km/h A 17-hour strong wind warning is in place from 10am today to 3am tomorrow An orange heavy rain warning is also in force until midday Friday Severe gale southwesterlies with damaging gusts would peak this afternoon especially about the south coast and exposed hilltops "Winds are expected to pick up from 10am but continuing into the afternoon," a spokesperson for Wellington Emergency Management said "We are advising people to stay indoors where possible and avoid unnecessary travel If you need to travel this afternoon or evening plan ahead as strong winds can make driving hazardous." Official warnings state there is a threat to life from flying items and falling trees with destructive winds expected to cause damage to powerlines and roofs Disruption to transport and electricity is also anticipated The official forecaster issues red warnings when there is extreme weather which is likely to have a significant impact or disruption Hunker down Wellington 💨The wind is expected to peak this afternoon and an escalation to Red Warning means there's a real risk to life.Stay home if possible and prepare for power outages.Winds are forecast to ease into the evening.https://t.co/HZ2TSD5rV7 pic.twitter.com/WRuONHWKOr The high winds are also causing travel havoc across the region Most arriving and departing flights at Wellington Airport have been cancelled this afternoon Most flights until 6pm have been cancelled "Conditions are expected to continue impacting our network throughout the day so we encourage customers travelling to check the Air New Zealand app or the arrivals and departures page on our website for the latest updates," a spokesperson said Cook Strait ferry crossings have also been cancelled this afternoon and Interislander and Bluebridge sailings face cancellations well into tomorrow as well An orange heavy rain warning for the Wellington region is also expected to bring about disruption but there is a "minimal" chance the warning will be upgraded to red "Expect 90 to 110 mm of rain about the eastern hills and ranges Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h expected mainly about the ranges," according to MetService Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously," the forecaster advised unreliable parking meters - with one-hundred new units with a wider range of payment options Up to half of council's existing parking meters had at times not been working properly causing motorists frustration NPDC's acting infrastructure manager Helen Gray said the parking meters had reached the end of their operational life "We've made a conscious effort to have a mix of units so that people have a range of payment options - some units will take coins and others electronic payments only." Gray said 60 of the new units would be on-street parking meters 30 of which would accept coins as well as electronic payments Another 40 would be Touch N Go machines where users touch their electronic devices to the screen and follow prompts to got to the PayStay Guest website to make a payment The surcharge for people using a credit or debit card to pay at an on-street parking meters was being reduced from 50 cents to 10 cents per transaction Other charges imposed by the service providers might apply Parking charges would remain the same at $3 an hour between 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday Parking was free Sundays and public holidays Gray said the meters were being leased for $800,000 meaning council had made a saving on the $2 million set-a-side in the long-term plan for parking meter replacements The service provider would be responsible for the meters on-going maintenance district council was replacing the pay-by-bay system with pay-by-plate for all its on-street metered carparks meaning motorists would enter their vehicle's number plate rather than the parking bay number This system would allow people to move to another on-street metered car park without having to pay another fee providing they still had time left on their paid parking session Pay-by-plate systems were currently installed at New Plymouth Airport and Centre City and also used by several councils across New Zealand including Auckland The new system would not affect NPDC parking lease holders; as their details would be updated in the council system as per their lease agreement The new on-street meters would be installed from February 17 and were expected to be fully installed by the end of the month The Touch N Go machines would be installed between 3-7 March The fees would apply seven days a week and are expected to generate almost $2.1 million in annual revenue The council has released details to help drivers make the switch when parking in the city Drivers in New Plymouth are crying foul over the council continuing to issue parking tickets in the central business area despite almost half its meters not working correctly I am a pragmatic, energetic person who focuses on solutions and getting things done. Integrity, community, and family mean everything to me. I live in New Plymouth with my wife Leasa and together we have three adult children whom we are very proud of. I’ve been privileged to represent my communities in a range of roles, as a Director of Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW), Fonterra and Port Taranaki, and as Chair of the Taranaki Regional Council, and Predator Free 2050. Please get in touch with me, I am always keen to hear what matters most to you. By clicking subscribe you agree to receive emails from New Plymouth and the National Party. What an incredible few months activity across the region! I hope you all have managed to enjoy the summer season of events: Americarna, Te Matatini and... Welcome to 2025! I hope you managed to spend some quality time with your friends and family during the summer break and are recharged for the... Greenpeace activists remain on the roof of an Agrifeeds palm kernel storage warehouse in Port Taranaki despite police intervention to remove other protestors inside the facility Two orangutans have attached a 70-metre banner reading ‘Anchor Rainforest Killer’ to the roof and have locked themselves to the building They are now entering their tenth hour on the roof of the building Greenpeace is also suing Fonterra for misleading claims on Anchor Butter packaging The packaging claims that the butter is ‘100% New Zealand grass-fed’ a Fonterra dairy cow’s diet can be composed of up to 20% palm kernel – a product linked to rainforest destruction in Indonesia Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn said “Fonterra markets its Anchor butter as ‘grass-fed’ dairy cows in New Zealand are fed almost two million tonnes of palm kernel imported from Southeast Asia and rows of palm trees are being planted in their place to feed Fonterra’s oversized dairy herd “This facility here in New Plymouth has been linked to illegal palm plantations in Indonesia connecting Anchor butter and other Fonterra products with the destruction of lush rainforests and the wildlife that depend on them “As more and more evidence emerges of New Zealand’s link to destructive palm kernel Fonterra must ban the use of this blood-soaked animal feed on all their farms across Aotearoa.” The damage caused by Canterbury floods is yet another reminder of the risk of continuing to ignore the intensive dairy-fuelled climate crisis Your toast and your porridge might soon have an unwelcome new ingredient Let the Government know what you think of raising the Roundup/glyphosate limits on food Greenpeace Aotearoa says a new investigation revealing that the world’s largest meat company will fail to meet its deforestation-free commitment is yet more proof of false promises from the… What New Zealand city is known for hosting the annual World Buskers Festival Test your general knowledge with the Herald‘s morning quiz Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for today’s afternoon quiz To challenge yourself with more quizzes, CLICK HERE. My Raw Pet offers nutritionist-designed pre-portioned paddock-to-plate dog food and nibbles A new pet food shop will open in New Plymouth next month My Raw Pet’s flagship store on the corner of Devon and Morley streets New Plymouth will open in what was previously the old Down to Earth shop Dog owners will be able to purchase nutritionist-designed pet food while their canine friend has a weigh-in photo taken and sample some pre-portioned paddock-to-plate dog food and nibbles the company offers an online subscription for dog owners to purchase pre-portioned and packaged fresh dog food delivered to their door said she was hugely committed to using locally sourced meat Tapara is no newbie when it comes to dog food her father had a dog supplement business which she worked at and for eight years she has been running her freeze-dried business (NRG Plus) “We are in a competitive market,” Tapara said “One of My Raw Pet’s points of difference is that it has an in-house animal nutritionist.” Her French bulldog Mojo is somewhat of a mascot to her business as it was his gut problems that led her down the path to My Raw Pet in his dreams) as well as living the idyllic life on a lifestyle block along with a horse My Raw Pet is looking at planning to expand into the South Island and also cater for our feline friends in the future For further info: https://myrawpet.co.nz/ Whanganui-based forestry company Forest360 has switched to transporting its logs by rail In late January, a Whanganui forest management company switched to transporting its logs by rail taking eight truck and trailer loads off the road to New Plymouth each day Forest360 director Marcus Musson said the decision was purely financial as fuel and repairs and maintenance were all contributing to spiralling cartage costs a train will use 10% of the fuel per tonne “The switch to rail means there is less exposure to increasing fuel costs.” Forest360 provides harvesting and full forest management services to large and small forest owners throughout New Zealand The cost of transporting logs to port falls on the forest owner and Musson said it represented a significant portion of the harvesting cost structure He said rail was a more efficient method of moving logs The switch to rail provides a buffer for times when there is a hold-up at Port Taranaki (in New Plymouth) This means there is no need to pause harvesting while the port clears The company manages 12 logging crews operating around the Whanganui district and more than 50 nationwide Musson said there was potential to scale up the number of logs carted by rail the logs are transported with other cargo on the regular freight service There is a limit on the rail capacity available with the eight truck and trailer loads fitting onto six rail wagons we hope to secure more wagons so we can send a logging train to the port in New Plymouth,” Musson said The new loading operation in Whanganui East was rebuilt on an existing site in Eastown Rd with Forest360 aiming to recoup its investment in three years Musson said the setup cost had been funded by Forest360 making it more attractive to prospective forest owners Two key factors in the rail vs road economic equation are the distance to port and hilly terrain Musson said the matrix needed to be long rail cartage and short truck cartage (to the rail handling facility) Forest360 has access to multiple rail handling facilities around Whanganui and Musson said many forests were within a 30km range “It doesn’t make sense to cart logs by rail if it is less than 180km to port and rail is more efficient if there is a geographical issue like the Remutakas.” Musson said forest owners also appreciated the logs being off the roads “The biggest benefit to trucks being off the road will be to the people living and driving through the main arterial routes in Whanganui The reconfigured rail handling facility has a new and modified 20-foot container weighbridge supplied and outfitted by Container Space NZ The new shipping container workshop office is secure with two separate compartments for an office and the weighbridge “Container Space NZ transported the modified 20-foot shipping container to our Whanganui location and then HIAB-ed it into place,” Musson said Musson said the new rail yard offered supply chain efficiencies and created work for local businesses “It’s just another positive forestry story.” Find out more about the Tiaki Promise and Camping with Care Freedom campers who do not comply with the Freedom Camping Bylaw will be liable to a $400 fine Click on a spot on the map to find out where freedom camping is restricted or banned Freedom Camping Bylaw 2024 Self-contained freedom campers can stay a maximum of three nights in any 30-day period at any single location Self-contained camping means your vehicle shows a self-containment certificate to show that you meet the NZS self-containment of motor caravans and caravans standard, as per the Bylaw Non self-contained freedom campers may stay for a maximum of one night in a 30-day period at any of the restricted areas listed below and must freedom camp in the marked spaces The available spaces will be filled on a first come first served basis Restricted areas - areas where non self-contained freedom camping is allowed: Camping in tents and other temporary structures on public land is banned in New Plymouth District If you want to stay in a tent you can find a range of fantastic camp sites on the Venture Taranaki website The CamperMate app has maps of campgrounds and accommodation as well as locations of dump stations Grey water = Water from your sink and/or showerBlack water = All the waste from your toilet Waste from campervans can be disposed of free of charge at the following locations: Pukekura Park Puke Ariki Govett-Brewster Art Gallery Todd Energy Aquatic Centre Coastal Walkway Bowl of Brooklands Documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) reveal growing tension between the mayor of New Plymouth and the regional boss of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) over the city's struggles with rough sleepers An exchange between Neil Holdom and regional public service commissioner culminates in a letter and series of emails in 2024 where the mayor pleads for MSD to show leadership on the issue Holdom estimated there were more than 200 rough sleepers in the district but that the actual number could be much higher "Winter approaching makes urgent action necessary and I urge you to advocate with MSD to deliver funding for emergency shelters and interim accommodation as well as contracting local support providers to navigate health welfare and community support systems to address mental health Holdom said while local initiatives such as funding out-reach services were commendable they were insufficient without central government support "Investing in social work and homeless shelters will save costs on policing "I'm concerned about the lack of leadership from central government on this issue which impacts taxpayers and the well-being of our homeless population." Holdom asked for Campbell to meet with regional leaders to discuss a way forward the mayor forwarded emails from businesses concerned about rough sleepers and asked again what central government could do The businesses' emails were considered outside the scope of the OIA and redacted She said it was "important to remember that this homeless issue does not fall solely into the Ministry of Social Development's domain" the path to a solution is best obtained through collaborative means." Campbell said as an initial step police and MSD were considering visiting retailers to understand their concerns and would welcome a council representative joining them Holdom took about and hour to consider his response "My takeaway from our meeting was that you were very clear in what you wouldn't do and continually referred to council being the most appropriate agency to lead what is essentially a combination of welfare "From my perspective it was very clear your focus in that meeting was not to take any material ownership of these issues which ultimately fall primarily in central governments areas of responsibility - health By this time New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) had set aside $120,000 to fund a social worker working directly with rough sleepers and committed $12 million over three years to increase its affordable housing stock Holdom said from his perspective government represented 92 percent of taxation with council accounting for just 8 percent "My objective in the meeting we called was to get you to commit to investing time and resources into solutions to help these people and address the concerns of the business owners and employees and the properties owners who pay us and are experiencing material adverse outcomes from the growth of homelessness." "So in terms of a meeting - I don't want a repeat of the last meeting - that would be pointless "We want to see an agenda and an indication you have identified people and/or resources to help find solutions "If you have made no progress with any resources on these matters at your end I'm not sure what the point of meeting would be." The exchange between Holdom and Campbell began in 2022 with an email where the mayor asked the regional commissioner to "advise [on] the number of people in emergency housing in New Plymouth and Taranaki" and to organise for a quarterly update to be emailed to the Taranaki Mayoral Forum Campbell replied with a lengthy outline of government housing policy and provided a link to regular MSD reporting on emergency housing - "noting that the MSD region of Taranaki also includes territorial authorities in King Country and Whanganui" In September 2023 Holdom and Campbell met and in a follow up email the regional commissioner requested a regular get together with the Taranaki Mayoral Forum and asked the mayor about progress finding a new home for the Taranaki Men's Shelter which was about to close "In recent meetings with [shelter chairperson] Peter Coles he is adamant that the NPDC will be funding a permanent property for the Taranaki Men's Shelter to use once they have the appropriate social service status." In his reply Holdom set the tone for further communications pushing back on the implication council would be funding a solution for the New Plymouth-based men's shelter "From council's perspective we have been disappointed with the Public Service response to this growing need in our community and your constantly referring to needs outside of our region being more significant and the lack of visibility of any Public Sector led initiative to address this issue in New Plymouth." Gloria Campbell said she appreciated Holdom's advocacy for New Plymouth She said her role was to bring the various parts of government together to discuss what communities needed and coordinate resources Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (the lead agency for responding to homelessness) and other government and community agencies to help people facing homelessness find somewhere to stay." Campbell said planning and funding of housing support was delivered across multiple agencies "When there are different perspectives on what to do or how to do it it can take time to work through this - but we all want the same thing." MSD's role was to provide financial support to meet the cost of short-term accommodation for people who would otherwise be homeless while people search for more permanent housing and willing to search for more sustainable housing." Campbell was not able to say how much MSD had committed to funding a solution to the roughsleeper issue in New Plymouth without know what specific services were being referred to we use the funding we've been allocated by government to support people with their housing needs in many different ways the government invested $83.477 million with MSD to help people with emergency housing support services including housing navigation and brokerage services so that we can continue to support people with an unmet housing need into suitable accommodation the Taranaki Daily News reported that the YMCA had put forward a potential solution for New Plymouth's rough sleeper issue It told a council workshop it had received $90,000 from the Toi Foundation for phase one of a facility where rough sleepers would be able to shower Phase two would be to build a overnight shelter with the third phase a multi-agency approach to finding rough sleepers a permanent home Council would decide on 18 February whether to use up to $550,000 from its Housing Reserve Fund to partially fund the project and its operating expenditure over the next few years The YMCA wanted the government to contribute to finding a solution for rough sleepers echoing Holdom's previous call for more help New Plymouth readers have escaped into novels and New Zealand non-fiction titles this summer according to Puke Ariki and community libraries The Women by Kristin Hannah was the top summer read in physical and eBook categories along with perennial favourites such as Lee Child Breakout best-seller Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry also featured in the fiction top 10 the last surviving special operations agent in France to get out alive after its liberation in WWII was by far the most frequently issued non-fiction title and rugby start Ruby Tui also proved popular as was Atomic Habits by James Clear - an indication of people's inclinations toward new year resolutions Summer had also been busy with more than 61,800 visits counted across New Plymouth's libraries and to the Mobile Library Te Waka Pukapuka Libraries manager Angela Jowitt said novels and self-improvement books resonated with readers right now "Our readers appear to be loving escapes into other worlds and finding support and motivation for their New Year's intentions in our shelves and digital resources," Jowitt said "It is also fantastic to see Aotearoa authors featuring in the top lists 150 children were also taking part in Puke Ariki's Summer Reading Programme which encouraged youngsters to explore a reading journey through Te Waonui a Tāne - the forest of Tāne The summer's popular children's picture books included The Dinky Donkey by Craig Smith Lynley Dodd's Zachary Quack Minimonster and King of the Swamp by Catherine Emmett Teenagers were picking up fantasy author Rick Riordan more than any other writer targeting young adults with Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters and The Battle of the Labyrinth taking first and third most-issued spots In second place was mystery series A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson whose popularity spiked after the release of the TV series on Netflix in 2024 "A Puke Ariki library card unlocks hundreds of thousands of books "Readers of all ages and stages are always welcome at the central and community libraries where they can browse an incredible range of stories and knowledge." Work's out for summer and it's time to dig into a page-turner has exploded and many new readers are young women A romance readers' book club in Auckland meets each month to break down a steamy novel pick New Plymouth councillors have voted down a move designed to clear the central city of rough sleepers During debate on a proposed Activities in Public Places Bylaw first-term councillor Max Brough moved an amendment targeting the homeless camped out in the central city It would've prohibited anyone occupying a space in the CBD for two hours or more after the hours of darkness Councillor Brough told a full council meeting there was no simple answer to the city's growing problem with rough sleepers if the Government is not going to step up that we've got the ability to take some action and then go after the Government for the money." The explanatory note to the amendment outlined that if a person about to be removed from the CBD was homeless council would engage social services to find them accommodation If social services didn't act promptly and in a positive manner they would be seen as being in dereliction of their duties and council would claim any costs incurred from the Government Despite being advised the amendment was likely in breach of the Bill of Rights Brough said it was at least an attempt do something about the issue "The whole thing is we have got a problem downtown and no-one is doing much about it we've set some expectations that the community thought we were going to deliver on and we haven't done it." council recently gave roughsleepers notice it would confiscate and impound any bedding personal belongings or structures found to be obstructing footpaths or entrances in the CBD It didn't go through with the threat citing improved behaviour from the roughsleeping community Brough's amendment found little favour among his fellow councillors and was voted down 8-3 Amanda Clinton-Gohdes recognised the intent of the amendment was to provoke Government into action but said it "had no heart" "What this amendment is doing is using those individuals who have found themselves homeless for various reasons - ie our most vulnerable - as a pawn in a game of chess against central government and it's not acceptable Councillor Bali Haque said the amendment was wrong and depressed him "What we a doing here is dehumanising our most vulnerable people by putting in an amendment which is directed specifically at them Even if you dragged people away in the middle of the night they will come back It's not something you can slam a rule on - an illegal rule I might add - and fix the problem." "I think we can have more beefed up bylaws showing our intent and we can fund the wraparound [services] "I've been with councillor Max Brough and others looking at venues for potential wraparound services and I perceive that councillor Brough has a big heart and is philanthropic that's how I call it and I will be supporting this going out to consultation." An council officer's report on the new Activities in Public Places Bylaw - which brings together a number of bylaws under one umbrella - said existing provisions including the Summary Offences Act alcohol bans and bylaws covering unruly behaviour and obstructing footpaths etc gave council the tools to deal with problems linked to rough sleepers Over the past five years council had received 40 complaints about people sleeping in cars and rough sleeping in the CBD was increasing The report said to be homeless was to be "excluded from one of our basic human rights the right to adequate shelter" and rough sleeping was a complex issue requiring local and central government and local community and local service provider input "People sleeping rough are drawn to highly visible public spaces for their own safety and well-being and they experience a wide range of barriers to accessing support." Rough sleeping itself was not prohibited under existing bylaws and it was not proposed to ban it under the new bylaw The report warned tougher action on roughsleepers risked being in breach of the Bill of Rights Act "Case law demonstrates there are limitations to using punitive measures for issues of homelessness and rough sleeping and council may risk litigation if it seeks to consider rough sleeping as an antisocial/offensive behaviour." It recommended a non-regulatory approach was taken to managing homelessness and rough sleeping and pointed out council was working with local service providers and government agencies to look at options for support and accommodation for rough sleepers Councillors voted to put the proposed Activities in Public Spaces Bylaw out for public consultation A building manager in downtown Auckland says safety measures put in place in the central city are not working and that a brick and mortar police station is the key to making a difference Auckland council says crime in the central city is dropping but a Queen Street building manager is questioning the figures