Ngāpuhi is calling for police to round up drug dealers in Northland using the same strong tactics they used in drug raids on Ōpōtiki last year Leader of the country’s largest iwi, Mane Tahere said he asked the Police Minister for decisive action after recently seeing a group of youngsters smoking a meth pipe in daylight in the main street of Kaikohe just down the road from the police station staunch kind of hate for the police is not the future” he said Other locals have told the Herald teenagers openly sell and smoke drugs in the streets Northland has the highest consumption of methamphetamine in New Zealand with nearly 2000 milligrams per day consumed per 1000 people In April Tahere met with Police Minister Mark Mitchell Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and list MP Shane Jones local government and central government could collaborate Mitchell told the Herald police can’t solve the issue by themselves and the Northland community needs to take control staunch kind of hate for the police is not the future “We will do what we can to support the community,” he said community and strong iwi leadership to get at the heart of the social issues that are driving this.” Mitchell said tactics police used in Ōpōtiki in 2024 could be deployed to Northland Last year, police simultaneously raided 15 homes in Ōpōtiki Twenty-two people from Ōpōtiki were charged with a variety of charges including possession of methamphetamine for supply and participating in organised criminal groups Police copped criticism from people who believed its National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) took a heavy-handed approach Some in the Ōpōtiki community complained of strip-searches and very young children watching parents being taken away by police A Police spokesperson said at the time they were acutely aware that there were children at some addresses ”At one address where both parents were being arrested we were very mindful that two children would need alternative care While whānau members were identified and contacted the children’s father placed them in the back of a police vehicle to stay warm and safe while they waited ”At no point were any children left unattended for any period of time alone at a property.” Mitchell said Mane knows his community and applauded him for being proactive “Mane could probably point to the whānau where the issues are coming from,” Mitchell said “He would like see a big push in Northland like we did in Ōpōtiki That is an operational matter the police will have to work out but I have told Mane we need to be doing the same thing.” Tahere said his meeting with the ministers was just the start The view by some Māori that you can’t trust police must be wiped aside instead of fighting politically let’s come together and take on these real issues “Our marae are telling the stories of whānau becoming dependent on drugs.” Some people won’t believe asking the police to crack down is the right action “[A crackdown] isn’t the solution to all problems in Northland but its a major part “Some people won’t believe asking the police to crack down is the right action “We have to take the lessons of Ōpōtiki and be prepared on the after match but the major part of this is the crack down of supply “Ngāpuhi are some of the staunchest in our ways but our population is a young population A lot of police are our whānau now anyway” he said Jones said he would stand up for Kaikohe and wanted Kaikohe to stand up for themselves “In the event there is a delivery akin to Ōpōtiki in the future stand up for the rule of law and stand up and support the police,” Jones said Joseph Los’e is an award winning journalist and joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night The chair of Te Runanga nui o Ngāpuhi said nothing is off the table including "Ōpōtiki-style" drug raids to crackdown down on methamphetamine use in his rohe Mane Tahere met with Police Minister Mark Mitchell yesterday to discuss how police will respond to a methamphetamine crisis fuelling violent crime in the region Mitchell told RNZ's Morning Report programme gang crackdown similar to those in Ōpōtiki would be used to tackle the issue and we're going to start a targeted programme," he said Mane Tahere said methamphetamine use was becoming "normalised" in the North and some residents had "turned a blind eye" whānau [and] I see it myself on the streets." "I think what is called for here is some sharp disruption raising of the consciousness and some action on all fronts iwi and Māori-led [because] no one is immune." Last year, Ōpōtiki-based iwi Te Whakatōhea made claims children were left to fend for themselves in the aftermath of the raids and called on police and government to work closer with Māori should similar police activity take place again were mentioned in the meeting and said Ngāpuhi and the minister would meet over the next few weeks to "throw everything on the table" "What is important here is the recognition that meth is desecrating our whakapapa speak out and reclaim our future [because] meth has no place up North." whatever solution came out of talks with the police would be "multi-faceted" and needed to fit the short "We're rangatira people and [meth] aint a rangatira kaupapa These are the disruptive strategies that we have to deploy we know who's doing it and who's behind it He said the community would have a big role to play in stamping out addiction and distribution and it's a hard conversation when you have to stand up to your own there is kindness and manāki that needs to be deployed," Tahere said Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A drugs and social crisis afflicting Northland is deepening Northlanders are consuming the most methamphetamine in New Zealand while Otago and Southland are more into MDMA The Police Minister Mark Mitchell has responded to iwi calls for a crack down on methamphetamine in Northland Police have arrested 28 people in Ōpōtiki and around the North Island as part of Operation Highwater Leader says government intervention is needed and has organised a meeting with Police Minister Mark Mitchell New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Fishy smells have been hanging over Ōpōtiki over summer, but Bay of Plenty Regional Council says at least one source of the odour has been rectified. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) A smell described as like rotting fish or a dead animal has been haunting Ōpōtiki over the past two months and Bay of Plenty Regional Council is investigating. The regional council says it has identified one source of odour complaints but is not revealing what it is until it has completed its investigations. Compliance team leader Trudy Richards said the regional council had received seven odour complaints to its Pollution Hotline for the Ōpōtiki area since December 18. However, community Facebook administrator Maude Maxwell says she has heard from closer to 60-to-80 people complaining about the smell, through Facebook comments, private messages or phone calls. "It’s important that people don’t just complain about these things on Facebook but report them to the relevant authorities," Maxwell said. She has posted details of how to do this on the community page. "But not all of our whānau are on social media," she said. She said many of the complaints seemed to be generated from the southern end of town, past the cemetery, though there were also reported issues around the Princess Street and wharf area to the north of town. The smell was worse at certain times of day and when the weather was hot. She had collated these comments into a letter to Mayor David Moore and Ōpōtiki District Council chief executive Stace Lewer. Moore told Local Democracy Reporting the issue with the odours had been "horrendous". "I have voiced concerns over the community (Facebook) page and shared with them the Pollution Hotline number." He said Lewer and his team had investigated from the council side whether there was anything they were doing that could be causing it, and it was not the town’s resource recovery centre or sewerage system, or White Island, as some had suggested. He said he had been in town on Sunday, and it had been very evident the smell was still a problem. Richards said reports were intermittent and spread over different times, locations and wind conditions, suggesting multiple sources, rather than a single cause. The compliance team made several visits to the area to follow up complaints during December and January. "So far, we have confirmed one odour source, but investigations are ongoing." She said the one confirmed source had since been rectified and no further odour issues were anticipated. The regional council would not reveal the source of the odour it had identified at this stage, but confirmed there had been no associated discharge to land or water. "It was an odour from a contained substance," Richards said. "We’re still in the early stages of our investigation, and while one of the sources has been identified, it wouldn’t be appropriate to name it at this point. "Given that the investigation is ongoing, identifying the source now could place unfair blame before all the facts are established. We want to ensure a fair and thorough process before making any determinations." Kawerau logging workers nauseated by worm farm odoursIndependent commissioner Gina Sweetman heard about the odours endured by logging yard employees near the Kawerau worm farm over the past 10 years New Zealand Businessman bought red zoned land — asked to leave a month laterThe purchase of Category 3 land in Pākōwhai from Hastings District Council looked like a good deal for Ross Lamborn Business No decision has been made yet regarding enforcement action. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. How this city is bucking the national trend for new home builds More than 500 homes were built in the city last year about half of them social housing or affordable rentals Minister 'cautiously optimistic' broken Whaakari tech can be fixed soon Scientists have previously been denied entry by the island’s owners Environment Lake Tarawera locals push for lower sewerage costs Residents' group has three non-negotiable funding conditions Owners on edge after spate of cat maulings in Whakatāne Whakatāne-Ōhope ward councillor Nāndor Tanczos said roaming dogs were an ongoing problem not only in town but in other parts of the district Tauranga Marine Precinct sale finalised after court dismisses injunction The settlement comes two weeks after a High Court judge dismissed the interim injunction that had halted the sale Severe weather to lash both islands 'unusually strong' winds for Wgtn A low pressure system deepening and moving across the country today and tomorrow has sparked a huge amount of weather warnings and watches Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Independent commissioner Gina Sweetman heard about “nauseating odours” endured by logging yard employees near the Kawerau worm farm over the past 10 years held at Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Whakatāne office was to hear submissions and reports on Ecocast’s application for resource consents from the regional council and Whakatāne District Council to expand its worm farm operation on the outskirts of Kawerau The worm farm has been operating since 2008 but increased the amount of biosolids it received from council wastewater plants as it took on waste from more Bay of Plenty councils including Rotorua in 2011 and Tauranga in 2022 said it took approximately one year from the time the raw material arrived on site until it was able to leave as fertiliser used in the horticulture industry He said the expansion of the site would increase the amount of land to a greater degree than the volume of raw material received and would allow operating practices that would significantly decrease odours Manulife Forest Management environment manager Sally Strang spoke to her submission on the effects of the vermicast business on workers at the neighbouring log yard “The objectionable nature of these odours ranges from very unpleasant to nauseating and unbearable.” but on other occasions the odour has occurred daily.” Attending the hearing with Strang was Kajavala Forestry owner Jacob Kajavala who has 25 staff working at Manulife’s Kawerau Processing Yard Kajavala said when the odours became severe they found it more useful to communicate with Ecocast directly rather than make a complaint to the regional council because by the time someone from the council arrived on site this meant there was no record of complaints to the council,” he said To give a sense of the frequency of issues and level of impact and frustration it caused example screen shots from Thompson’s phone were provided to Sweetman The texts revealed smells so bad that staff weren’t able to eat during their breaks It would linger inside buildings and vehicles Strang’s original submission asked the commissioner to decline the submission she and Kajavala had met with Ecocast staff who took them on a site visit showing them proposed changes to biosolids deliveries to a bunker further from the log yard They were shown that covering the raw materials with wood chip immediately after it was unloaded from the trucks significantly reduced the odour “Which then gave me the impression that the odours in the past had been just because of them not having good work processes that ensure the solids that are dropped off are covered immediately – not five minutes or half an hour later.” She sought consent conditions that ensured this happened all the time Kajavala said he was amazed on visiting the site to experience the effectiveness of mixing human waste with bark It’s a good thing for the community if it works well but it tramples our mana when we’re trying to have lunch Ngāti Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust kaumatua were unable to attend the hearing but trustee Sandie Rota and former trustee spoke on their behalf to support the iwi request for cultural consideration She said the conversation with Ecocast at which the iwi first shared its concerns had been four years ago The main concern of the iwi had been with blood being present in human waste being trucked into the rohe from other areas “Our kuia had real concerns that the tension is that the western science and Māori maatanga do not always meet in the middle “One size does not fit all in te ao Māori and there is some location specific practices that need to be respected and understood a little bit more Tunui said there was a willingness among the settlement trust to meet with Ecotrust to discuss a way forward After some private discussion during an adjornment Ecocast’s lead planner Simon Banks expressed the company’s commitment to better operational practices to reduce odour and willingness to carry out and pay for cultural induction training for employees under the guidance of the settlement trust Sweetman said once she had made a decision on the next steps she would let all the parties know in writing Rotorua has hit its highest number of new build homes in 14 years It comes as a new assessment finds the city has more than enough future housing capacity Rotorua Lakes Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston told an April meeting many of the 522 houses were built in the central and western areas Net new homes reached 483 after accounting for homes removed to make way for developments It was the third year in a row that new home numbers peaked since 2011 and another 600 homes were in the pipeline for the next couple of years Data provided to Local Democracy Reporting showed 304 of the new houses were built in Rotorua's western and central areas: The council had a goal of building 3000 new homes in those areas by 2032 Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said improving housing options for the city remained a top priority for the council as it would have "huge benefits for our community" "These housing developments are not just public homes including affordable rentals and retirement options for our older residents "I know the economy has been uncertain but despite slower markets elsewhere we've got a strong number of building consents coming through in Rotorua." Tapsell said the council would continue to work to unlock land and opportunities for new homes Local Democracy Reporting wrote that $259 million worth of new residential and commercial buildings were consented in Rotorua in the year to September — more than double the $112.2m of consents issued in 2023 new dwelling consents nationwide in 2024 were down 9.8% on 2023 Gaston wrote in the meeting’s agenda the city avoided the national decline in building numbers because of multi-year investment by Kāinga Ora and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development support for Māori affordable rental development and significant staged developments such as Freedom Village The recent fast-track consenting of a new Summerset lifestyle village in Fairy Springs provided additional future certainty of 260 housing units within the short/medium-term Other projects included the first 16 homes in the Ōwhata Kōhanga Rākau iwi-led housing development on the east side of Rotorua which opened in November and will eventually have 93 homes including 38 affordable rentals and kaumātua housing A council spokesperson said it knew of 262 among last year's 522 new builds that were social housing or affordable rentals Among these were 17 two-bedroom and three three-bedroom homes on Lake Rd A Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga — Ministry of Housing and Urban Development spokesman said 101 homes were built as part of MHUD housing programmes including 80 iwi-led Māori affordable rentals Kāinga Ora added 104 new social housing places to its stock in Rotorua The spokesman said Rotorua's housing shortage resulted from a rapid increase in the resident population from 2013 and too few houses being built to meet the demand The rental market tightened and rents rose relative to incomes leading to more households on the Housing Register and large numbers in temporary or emergency accommodation This peaked at 699 households in December 2021 The ministry partnered with others including iwi and the council to make a plan for Rotorua including short-term and more permanent housing solutions The number of households in temporary and emergency housing had dropped to 96 as of March "This is a result of the Government's significant investment in Rotorua." The city remained a priority for the Ministry with a "strong pipeline" of additional housing places to be delivered — 170 state homes by mid-2025 and another 72 by July 2026 The Government was criticised for using Rotorua's motels as a "dumping ground" for the country's homeless during peak pandemic years but consistently denied actively bringing in out-of-towners The last Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment in 2021 projected the city was heading for a 10,000-home shortage in the long-term An updated assessment from 2024 presented to a council meeting on Wednesday found an overall surplus of 300 — 1600 dwellings short-term This turnaround was broadly credited to work identifying and preparing new greenfield (undeveloped) land for housing "This puts the district in a good position to respond to what the community needs as it grows and to make adjustments if needed," Gaston said in a statement LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air the Emergency Management Minister's "cautiously optimistic" scientists will get back on Whakaari / White Island soon to fix broken technology They have previously been denied entry by the island's owners to repair the gear after the 2019 eruption killed 22 people The monitoring equipment was drastically damaged and eventually stopped working Te Herenga Waka Victoria University researcher Dr Finn Illsley-Kemp told 1News: "We're relying on seismometers that are on the mainland and they're just too far away to record the signals." when the island has erupted in bad weather or darkness "Eruptions have occurred and we didn't notice until we saw damage on solar panels," Illsley-Kemp said it's very strange to not be able to know anything about it." Normally our most active volcano has instruments showing shaking for experts watching 24/7 to help keep people in nearby boats planes and the mainland safe from hazards like ashfall University of Auckland geology professor Phil Shane said with the current blackspots "It doesn't really seem rational or logical to restrict access by scientists to volcanoes when it's part of our role." One of the complications was court action involving the Buttle family who were initially convicted of health and safety breaches which was then quashed Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has been upping the urgency to now reinstate the technology "It's something that is complicated and I didn't anticipate that it would be," he told 1News "I'm cautiously optimistic that we're going to get equipment on there." The Buttles told 1News they met with government representatives in March from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Department of Internal Affairs the family wants to negotiate a formal licence instead of the verbal licence that existed previously They are waiting for further communication from the government on the proposed formal licence." They also said: "The Buttle family has always supported the activities of GNS [Science] in their monitoring and research on Whakaari." GNS Science would do the hands-on work to install the new gear A Lake Tarawera residents’ group says lowering sewerage scheme costs for homeowners at the lake is non-negotiable and unaffordability is "not a trivial matter" A member suggested homeowners not sign off on allowing connection works on their properties until they have funding certainty Rotorua Lakes Council is considering three funding options for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme in its Annual Plan consultation The scheme connects lake properties to Rotorua’s reticulated sewerage replacing septic tanks blamed for declining lake water quality The most recent cost estimate is $32.2 million The council has said protests and court action added expense Tarawera ratepayers would need to fund $20.9m The council would borrow the money and households would pay it back over time Under the first funding option — the status quo — the lump-sum cost was $50,315 each it would be $3899 a year — including covering the cost of the council holding the debt one for the main pipeline and the other for connecting to the scheme with the latter only charged to households that connect About 446 existing properties and 104 more to be built in the future could be connected The figures reflected a $5286 discount if households agreed by June 1 to having installation work on their properties 65 properties have given approval for this Households that missed the deadline would need to pay for the connection themselves Any who refused to connect may have few options with the council previously saying septic tanks alone would be non-compliant and upgrades to be compliant were unlikely to get consent with reticulation available nearby The two other funding options reduced Tarawera households’ costs by increasing rates paid by all other Rotorua ratepayers Option two added $2.80 a year to all ratepayers’ bills for 25 years raising $1m and reducing Tarawera households’ contribution to $47,737 Option three raised $4m by increasing rates $11.20 per year the Lake Tarawera Sewerage Working Group recommended attendees support option three Group member Duncan Evans told the meeting option three did not "go far enough" He said the group had told council staff many could not afford the scheme and proposed three non-negotiable conditions These were to set the maximum cost for Tarawera ratepayers at $36,600; exclude all cost escalations from their bills; and ask Bay of Plenty Regional Council to increase its funding to $1.485m to match Rotorua Lakes Council’s contribution He advised attendees not to sign off on installation plans until they had certainty and a capped charge was agreed Evans suggested that if the group’s maximum was agreed then homeowners would agree to sign plans within two weeks of that decision In a statement to Local Democracy Reporting group chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden said the council must negotiate with the Tarawera community before the rates are struck Many community members simply cannot afford to pay for the options council is proposing." Submissions on the Annual Plan are open until May 5 The council’s infrastructure and assets group manager encouraged people to make submissions for elected members to consider "We continue to have discussions with Tarawera property owners and have continued to explore additional funding options to reduce the cost to ratepayers as much as possible." The council hosted a webinar on the scheme options last week Council chief executive Andrew Moraes answered questions including what happened when someone could not afford the 25-year rate "The council has a range of policies that address hardship for people who struggle to make rates payments." He encouraged people to reach out before making "significant life decisions" about their property Moraes said the council intended to seek more funding from the regional council and suggested people write to it for the same The owner of a cat fatally mauled by roaming dogs this week has been horrified to learn that her pet Stormy is not the only victim of this group of dogs in Whakatāne Whakatāne District Council dog control officers say they have impounded eight dogs over the past 10 days and are encouraging people to make formal complaints when they see roaming dogs rather than post about them on social media Trinaka Godsmark-Tawa's cat Stormy was found dead on Monday morning The James Street resident had been getting ready for work just after 5am when they heard loud and aggressive barking that lasted five minutes A neighbour told them he had just chased three dogs away outside his house and one of them had a cat in its mouth she went in search of Stormy and found him mauled to death about six houses away She posted about the attack on social media and soon learned that just minutes before Stormy was killed a nearby Riverside Drive resident had chased three dogs from their property where they had been terrorising their cat The dogs - one described as a husky and another as light-coloured - had been seen coming from Awatapu lagoon Local Democracy Reporting [The Beacon] has verified that at least four other cats have been attacked by dogs in Whakatāne this year One incident in Whakatāne south three weeks ago was witnessed by the cat’s owner and her two preschool children who did not want to be named for fear of repercussions said her two-year-old daughter had been feeding the cat when it was grabbed by two dogs She describes one as a liver-and-white husky-type dog and the other as a tall “It could have been [my daughter] they attacked,” she said It happened just before 7am while the cat waited for his food on the front doorstep “I opened the front door to let my two-year-old put the food down and all of a sudden “I quickly ushered [the girls] back inside and shut the door They watched out of the window as I chased after the dogs they were watching as [the cat] was being ripped by two dogs "He has some very big lacerations on his back." The children remain frightened to go outside their front door “They’ve only ever known this cat as their baby Now I’ve had to carry them to and from the car They won’t go out on the front porch anymore.” She urges people to call dog control as soon as they see these dogs roaming A dog control officer told her there have been multiple reports of the same dog Local Democracy Reporting [The Beacon] also heard from a Hinemoa Street resident whose cat was attacked by dogs a few weeks ago Two other cat owners have posted on social media that their cats were killed by dogs in January Godsmark-Tawa would like to see more dog control officers patrolling the area as it’s not the first time it’s happened in the area “It’s unfair that we have had to bury our cat because someone can’t keep their dogs in their own gate.” The council is currently advertising for a dog control officer on its careers website we voted for more staff for animal control One of the difficulties is that staff can’t be everywhere all the time .. so it does rely a lot on people contacting the council when they see it happening Any help with identifying the dogs is encouraged “Often the animal is gone by the time staff get there It’s not very easy to identify individual dogs and I think they are genuinely trying to do their best with the challenges that they’ve got,” he said He said most dog owners were responsible but a few owners needed to stop their dogs escaping He said other issues were whether dog control officers had the powers they needed under the council’s bylaws and how many dog control staff were needed but also people complain that there’s too many staff at council but people have to say how much extra they are prepared to pay in rates for that to happen." Council animal control team leader Verna Kinney said the council had received one formal complaint regarding a dog attack on a cat in the James Street area “As this matter is under active investigation it has received 20 service requests about roaming dogs in the Whakatāne township with several reports relating to the same incidents She urges people to report sightings of roaming dogs as soon as possible but Further severe weather is forecast to impact both islands tomorrow unusually strong winds for the capital and more disruption to transport A low-pressure system is deepening and moving across the country over the next 48 hours sparking a large number of weather warnings MetService has issued orange heavy rain warnings for Bay of Plenty east of Ōpōtiki Canterbury between Amberley and Timaru including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula An orange strong wind warning is in place from tomorrow for both sides of Cook Strait coastal areas of Wairarapa and coastal Marlborough south of Blenheim Gusts of up to 130km/h could hit the capital and further disruption was expected to Cook Strait ferry services NZTA has warned motorists of possible lane closures on the Auckland Harbour Bridge tomorrow SH1 would be blocked in Northland at the Mangamuka Gorge overnight into Thursday morning Damaging wind is a real concern for parts of the lower North Island, including Wellington, later today & Thursday.Gusts may reach 120+ km/h.Likely impacts include:🌬️ Damage to trees🌬️ Risk of power cuts🌬️ Difficult travelStay on top of weather warnings from @MetService. pic.twitter.com/E4OPApFHoQ Orange heavy snow warnings were in force overnight for the Canterbury High Country with 12 to 20cm of snow expected to fall above 800 metres including heavy rain watches for the eastern Bay of Plenty Strong wind watches were also forecast for Auckland MetService's Heather Keats said the storm was "very widespread" "It's covering almost the entire country," she said "Most of us will get at least a little taste of this system." There was a "large amount of impactful rain" forecast for the east coast of the South Island including a high chance of a red warning for Canterbury north and about Amberley which was "not to be ignored" but she said it was at "unusual levels even for them" with southerly gusts approaching 130km/h alongside high sustained wind speeds possible "When the wind is combined with the swell there will be elevated impacts from this weather coastal inundation and erosion just to name a couple," Keats said It’s about to get properly windy for parts of the country over the next day and a half💨In the capital, this looks like more than just a typical Windy Welly day - unusually strong southerlies could bring gusts of 130 km/h, making trees and structures more vulnerable to damage pic.twitter.com/KotAHrhoFa She said it had been a "really wet and warm April" "We did have a relatively quiet start to 2025 so it does feel like all the rough weather is now pushing over us but we are well into autumn now and we can expect the weather to become unstable at times." Forecast swells of up to seven metres have forced a large number of cancellations on both the Interislander and Bluebridge over the coming days SH1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has been closed since yesterday due to a slip NZTA said the road would remain closed overnight "Contractors will be on-site with specialist machinery tomorrow morning to remove loose material above the slip site in a safe and controlled manner," a spokesperson said the agency said contractors were monitoring the movement of the hillside following recent heavy rain and another slip was expected "The geology and varying terrain through the Mangamuka Gorge mean it will always be susceptible to some movement during severe weather like what we’ve seen over the past two to three weeks." NZTA has warned drivers to prepare for the possibility of short-notice lane closures or reduced speeds on the Auckland Harbour Bridge "Wind gusts of 75-89 km/h are forecast for the bridge between 4am and 9am tomorrow potentially triggering a red alert," a spokesperson said "Wind gusts of 75-85km/h are forecast for between midday and 7pm The bridge will remain in a four-by-four configuration during peak traffic tomorrow speed limits may be reduced and some lanes on the bridge may close we close all lanes because it’s unsafe for any vehicle to be on the bridge and the bridge structure is vulnerable to vehicle impacts." Drivers of high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists were urged to travel around the harbour using the Western Ring Route via State Highway 18 Bay of Plenty east of Ōpōtiki – 29 hours from 10am Wednesday to 3pm Thursday Canterbury about and north of Amberley – 35 hours from 10am Wednesday to 9pm Thursday including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula – 32 hours from 10am Wednesday to 6pm Thursday Kaikōura coast and ranges – 44 hours from 10am Wednesday to 6am Friday Wellington – 21 hours from 3am Thursday to midnight Coastal areas of Wairarapa – 15 hours from 9am Thursday to midnight including the Kaikōura Coast – 21 hours from 1am Thursday to 10pm Canterbury High Country south of the Rangitata River – 12 hours from 9pm Wednesday to 9am Thursday Bay of Plenty about and west of Ōpōtiki – 11 hours from 10am to 9pm Wednesday Wairarapa – 8 hours from 1pm to 9pm Wednesday Wellington – 45 hours from 6pm Wednesday to 3pm Friday and Waikato north of Hamilton – 5 hours from 7am Thursday to noon and Hawke's Bay south of Hastings – 12 hours from 1pm Thursday to 1am Friday Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast – 13 hours from 9am Thursday to 10pm Marlborough Sounds – 18 hours from 6pm Wednesday to noon Thursday also the Nelson Lakes – 27 hours from noon Wednesday to 3pm Thursday A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations "The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority "The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that they identified that it was culturally significant to us all." Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated "The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours "And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations." Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own rnz.co.nz Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months A US$3 billion (NZ$5 billion) repair backlog a stunning directive from President Donald Trump for the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons to “REBUILD AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” — the notorious penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay that last held inmates more than 60 years ago Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as The Rock Trump declared in a social media post that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders” Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K Marshall III said that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps” We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law and justice,” Marshall said in a statement “We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.” an 8.9-hectare spit of land with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline was once the crown jewel of the federal prison system and home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals including gangsters Al Capone and George Machine Gun Kelly But skyrocketing repair and supply costs compelled the Justice Department to close the prison in 1963 and the Bureau of Prisons has long since replaced Alcatraz with modern penitentiaries including a maximum-security prison in Florence The former and perhaps future penitentiary is now a popular tourist attraction and a national historic landmark It’s controlled by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area meaning the Bureau of Prisons could be in for an interagency tug of war if it tries to wrest away control of the island Trump’s Alcatraz directive is yet another challenge for the Bureau of Prisons as it struggles to fix lingering problems while responding to the president’s priorities on incarceration and immigrant detention includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security The problems at the Bureau of Prisons transcend administrations and facilities An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons over the last few years including widespread criminal activity by employees and severe understaffing that has hampered responses to emergencies then-President Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency It remains the Justice Department’s largest agency 155,000 inmates and an annual budget of about US$8 billion (NZ$13.4 billion) but the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures have eliminated some pay bonuses that were credited with retaining and attracting new staff That has resulted in long overtime shifts for some workers and the continued use of a policy known as augmentation teachers and other workers are pressed into duty to guard inmates A Bureau of Prisons official told Congress at a hearing in February that more than 4000 beds within the system — the equivalent of at least two full prisons — are unusable because of dangerous conditions like leaking or failing roofs a 37-year-old Florida businessman who was found dead April 28 in a suspected suicide at a federal jail in Miami He was awaiting trial on charges that he kidnapped and killed his estranged wife in Spain inmate Ramadhan Jaabir Justice was killed in a fight at the federal penitentiary in Pollock where he was serving a nearly 11-year sentence for a conviction related to an armed robbery As Trump was ordering Alcatraz’s reopening correctional officers at the same Miami jail were fighting to curb the spread of tuberculosis and Covid-19 isolating inmates after they tested positive for the diseases immigration detainees at the facility ripped out a fire sprinkler and flooded a holding cell during a lengthy intake process the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin has sat idle for more than a year after the Bureau of Prisons cleared it of inmates in the wake of rampant sexual abuse by employees the agency made the closure permanent and idled six prison camps across the country to address “significant challenges crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources” While Trump hails Alcatraz as a paragon of the federal prison system’s cherished past other facilities stand as reminders of its recent troubles They include the federal jail in Manhattan which remains idle after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide there in 2019 exposed deep flaws in its operations where 23 inmates have been charged in recent months with crimes ranging from smuggling weapons in a Doritos bag to the stabbing last month of a man convicted in the killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay 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 The only spectre haunting Anthony Albanese’s government going into Election Day tomorrow will be the way the polls got wrong the likely 2019 election outcome the Scott Morrison government got re-elected in an upset result Opposition leader Peter Dutton is clinging to that precedent all of the prevailing signs – including the consistent theme of the polls for the past month – indicate that Albanese’s Labor government will trounce Dutton’s conservative coalition we can prevent the worst of the climate crisis by reducing methane pollution from intensive dairy which are under threat from intensive dairy pollution Jotika will join Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand Executive Director to explore the struggles and resilience of Fiji's garment workers and their collective fight for better pay and conditions In a significant milestone for indigenous-led conservation Hokotehi Moriori Trust has successfully carried out the first imi (Moriori tribal group) translocation of hakoakoa (muttonbird) relocating 50 juvenile birds from Mangere Island to a newly prepared site in Kaingaroa The new standard requires public service agencies to conduct a risk assessment whenever personal information is to be shared and includes robust safeguards to protect individual privacy and directs agencies to apply best practices when granting access to personal information A window to the world for our rangatahi and whānau,” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer “We won’t sit back while this Government shuts the door on Māori futures Our commitment is clear—we would invest more in regional tertiary education Unless your workplace is already utopia – and we haven’t come across one yet – there is a good reason for all union members to come to this hui Whatever your union and whatever matters most to you and your workmates please join us at the union meeting this May Day so that we can keep building our relationships and strength as a movement for workers’ rights Iranui Huriwai and Jospeh Hayes hang the all-important lanterns ready for Saturday’s Ōpōtiki Lantern Festival at Princess Street Reserve The tickets are “selling like hot pies” for the Ōpōtiki Lantern Festival with almost 1500 sold online before the event It is set to be one of the town’s biggest yet, Ōpōtiki District Council’s experience and engagement co-ordinator Iranui Huriwai said with gate sales expected to push attendance over 2000 people have been making the most of the lower prices online and grabbing tickets early,” Huriwai said “But if we get even a fraction of the usual gate sales we’ll easily beat our previous records.” This year’s festival features a strong line-up of artists “Hori Shaw blew up after his incredible performance at One Love on the main stage and with his award at the AMAs [Aotearoa Music Awards] I think he is a huge drawcard,” Huriwai said organisers expect a great afternoon of music and entertainment Families are encouraged to bring camp chairs and rugs for a comfortable experience Huriwai said online tickets are still available and recommended purchasing in advance for a discount The Ōpōtiki Lantern Festival occurs on Saturday Ticket details can be found on Eventfinda and the festival’s website How do you feel about Tauranga’s rapid population growth Back to top My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event Paul has shared the stage and toured with the best: BB King Tuck and Patti… He has delighted festival audiences at the Dublin Blues Festival Blues at Bridgetown and many others in Europe “A national treasure; Paul Ubana Jones is so much more than one man with a guitar He is a conjuror of unique and original songs rooted in primal Blues and Soul”“The most exciting Electro Acoustic Artist to visit our shores”Good Morning News Fire and Emergency were called to the large fire at 11.20pm A large fire in Ōpōtiki overnight spread through two commercial buildings and smoke-logged another Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Colin Underdown said they were called to a single-building fire at around 11.20pm last night but the fire quickly spread He said they received multiple calls about the blaze on Church St and there were no reports of injuries Underdown said the fire spread to the second building and threatened to spread to two others Fire and Emergency crews raised the call to a fourth alarm when a third building became smoke-logged but did not catch on fire They have since left and the fire has been extinguished Underdown said only a fire investigator remained Ōpōtiki District Council dog control staff have confirmed that four dogs that bailed up a woman outside a Ford Street property on 27 December were from the same household as those that seriously wounded a woman in September a woman in her 60s was badly frightened when she was rushed and surrounded by four dogs She made a report to the council's after-hours service just after 8am while the council offices were closed for the Christmas-New Year break Council compliance officer Annette Munday said contractors followed up at 10.05am but the dogs were no longer at the property council staff investigated and four unregistered dogs were uplifted and impounded A total of 22 dogs and puppies have now been uplifted from the same property since mid-September Most of them were taken after a young woman was hospitalised with serious injuries after being attacked by a group of four dogs on 14 September Emergency services and Ōpōtiki District Council dog control contractors responded to the event on Church Street at around 10.30pm Police said dogs continued to rush at police and ambulance staff and members of the public as they attempted to help the victim Animal control officers worked with police to secure and impound the dogs at the Ōpōtiki pound following up on the incident two days later which the owner surrendered to animal control The property was re-inspected on September 18 and yet another unregistered dog was discovered and uplifted The owner was allowed to keep one elderly dog which was registered and not involved in the attack Munday said the property did have adequate fencing but the owner had been fined for each unregistered dog and for the unconfined-uncontrolled activity of the dogs She said over the two-week Christmas break the after-hours service provider had logged nine dog-related calls A woman says she was rushed and bailed up by a pack of dogs in the latest in a spate of dog incidents on Ford Street Local Democracy Reporting RSS The "very bright" meteor was captured on Astronomical Society president David Greig's security cameras shortly before 11pm A bright fireball has been captured on security footage streaking across the night sky over rural Ōpōtiki The "very bright" fireball was captured on Tauranga Astronomical Society president David Greig's security cameras shortly before 11pm on Wednesday Greig told 1News that the bright moonlight and very sensitive camera made the the sky and foreground in the video almost look like daytime [the fireball] would have looked so much more spectacular," he said the fireball was still "brighter than most of the meteors that we could capture on our cameras" Tauranga Astronomical Society president David Greig He said it was "up there with some of the the best" he had seen in the 40 years he had spent gazing skyward "Most of the time we're not out there looking at the sky to see it but we have an increasing network of cameras in New Zealand and around the world." He said there were now 154 cameras on our network in New Zealand and there had been 10,785 meteors detected over New Zealand in February 2025 alone A map showing the 10,785 meteors detected over New Zealand in February 2025 "It is interesting to note that our cameras can only detect these meteors during the darkness of night and only when the sky is clear (or partially clear) I would estimate that the true number per month is approximately triple the count shown," Greig said He said the vast majority of these meteors burn up in the upper atmosphere (between 70km - 100km up) and that very few meteors that do make it to the ground are then called "meteorites" which are then recovered Tonight, a total lunar eclipse would turn the moon a striking "blood" red colour as it passed into Earth's shadow in the early evening. The eclipse would begin as soon as the moon rose at 7.38pm, would reach its totality between 8pm and 8.30pm, and would end by 11pm. Greig said he was "nervously watching the weather forecast" ahead of the lunar phenomenon. 'Best of this year' - Meteor shower to streak across Kiwi skiesThe meteor shower Best parts of NZ to catch a glimpse of Geminids meteor showerThe Geminids meteor shower is unique as it originates from an asteroid rather than a comet How to catch a glimpse of tonight's total lunar eclipseThe moon passes into Earth's shadow in the early evening we will be opening the observatory down at the Tauranga Astronomical Society observatory and hoping to watch the moon rising from about 7.30pm tonight." Greig said if people wanted to a report a meteor sighting they could do so here. How to watch the Eta Aquariids meteor shower in NZ this week The annual meteor shower takes place in early May each year Soviet-era spacecraft is set to plunge to Earth A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth World Kiwi-built amateur rocket reaches space: 'Pretty amazing' "For a bunch of New Zealanders to do it on their own dime it's pretty cool," said lead engineer Ethan Kosoof Amazon launches internet satellites to compete with SpaceX's Starlinks Amazon is the latest entry into the mega constellation market with plans to put more than 3200 satellites into orbit to provide faster broadband service around the globe Scientists find possible chemical signs of life on a distant planet "It is the strongest sign to date of any possibility of biological activity outside the solar system," scientists said Aim for Banks Peninsula to become NZ's next Dark Sky Reserve A father's fear his son might miss out on the magic of seeing the Milky Way has prompted the bid One of the most spectacular displays in the sky should be visible across parts of the country this evening The Geminids meteor shower is unique as it originates from an asteroid rather than a comet The best parts of the country to see it will be the east coast of the North Island Kiwis elsewhere may need a break in the clouds to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking light show any view of the shower may be compromised by another celestial object "There's one tiny problem this year Because the moon is really bright and nearly full – the fainter shooting stars that you would normally get to enjoy a lot they'll be washed out by the moonlight so we only get to see the brighter ones," astronomer Ian Griffin told 1News instead of seeing maybe 20 to 30 meteors an hour but they will be quite bright so it's certainly worth going out and looking up." those looking up at the sky could be treated to a rare sight when a total lunar eclipse turns it a striking “blood” red The moon will pass into the Earth's shadow in the early evening The entire moon will move into the darkest part of the shadow known as the Umbra — blocking sunlight from reaching it The moon will turn red for a few hours until it finishes passing through the Umbra Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told 1News the eclipse would begin as soon as the moon rises at 7.38pm on Friday It will reach its totality between 8pm and 8.30pm and will end by 11pm If you catch any good photos of the eclipse email them to news@tvnz.co.nz with the subject line "Lunar" Aoraki said the weather was the most significant factor in whether or not you’d be able to see the eclipse So check the forecast for your local area,” he said Speaking to Breakfast today, Heather Keats from Metservice said conditions would be good in most places with cloud cover hampering those on the West Coast of the South Island "It looks at its most spectacular as the moon is rising on the horizon which is about 7.45 tonight that’s about the same time the sun is setting," she said "So we still could have the sky washed out from that twilight light from the sun but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking for it because it will still look spectacular." Aoraki said that because the eclipse will already be happening unobstructed view of the eastern horizon.” He recommended going to the top of a local maunga and bringing some binoculars or a camera “It's definitely great to get those out 'cause you see more details of the moon “But the beauty of a lunar eclipse is you don't need any special equipment According to NASA some sunlight will still pass through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the moon’s surface during an eclipse This is because colours with shorter wavelengths scatter more easily than those with longer wavelengths “Because these longer wavelengths make it through Earth’s atmosphere and the shorter wavelengths have scattered away the Moon appears orangish or reddish during a lunar eclipse.” we see blue light scattered throughout the sky overhead low-angle path through Earth's atmosphere to observers on the ground “The bluer part of the sunlight scatters away in the distance (where it's still daytime) and only the yellow-to-red part of the spectrum reaches our eyes.” The more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse One of the best meteor showers in the Southern Hemisphere Here's how you can catch a glimpse of it and what you need to know The Eta Aquariids is a meteor shower caused by the Earth passing through a trail of debris orbiting the Sun that's left behind by Halley's Comet and rock fall into our atmosphere and high speeds commonly known as shooting stars," says Stardome Observatory and Planetarium's Josh Aoraki Aoraki says it's one of the best and most reliable meteor showers for us in the Southern Hemisphere "so it's a great time to see a celestial light show" While you should be able to catch a glimpse of the celestial light show throughout the week Thursday will likely be the best day - but prepare for an early morning peak viewing time is after the Moon has set "All you need is a clear sky and an unobstructed view of the north-eastern sky looking toward the constellation Aquarius," Aoraki says MetService is forecasting chilly nights and mornings this week so you'll want to wrap up warm if you're heading outside While it'll be visible to anyone in New Zealand anyone living in a city should head out to somewhere with clear dark skies for the best viewing experience Under dark skies you could see between 10 and 50 meteors per hour but patience will be key Unfortunately this is probably not one of those experiences you'll be able to capture on your phone unless you're able to take a decent long exposure photo "You will need a professional camera or DSLR camera to capture this Smartphones are not good in low light and most do not have great long-exposure settings "Any camera that has a long exposure setting of around 30 seconds should be able to capture a few meteors streaking across the sky if you set up a timelapse." rnz.co.nz It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive reentry according to space debris-tracking experts Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek predicts the failed spacecraft will reenter around May 10 He estimates it will come crashing in at (242km/h we should not be too worried,” Langbroek said in an email "the risk is similar to that of a random meteorite fall You run a bigger risk of getting hit by lightning in your lifetime," he said The chance of the spacecraft actually hitting someone or something is small "But it cannot be completely excluded.” The Soviet Union launched the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 in 1972 But it never made it out of Earth orbit because of a rocket malfunction Most of it came tumbling down within a decade But Langbroek and others believe the landing capsule itself — a spherical object about 1 meter in diameter — has been circling the world in a highly elliptical orbit for the past 53 years It's quite possible that the nearly 500-kilogram spacecraft will survive reentry It was built to withstand a descent through the carbon dioxide-thick atmosphere of Venus said Langbroek of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands Experts doubt the parachute system would work after so many years The heat shield may also be compromised after so long in orbit It would be better if the heat shield fails which would cause the spacecraft to burn up during its dive through the atmosphere the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics' Jonathan McDowell said in an email “it'll reenter intact and you have a half-ton metal object falling from the sky.” The spacecraft could reenter anywhere between 51.7 degrees north and south latitude or as far north as London and Edmonton in Alberta almost all the way down to South America's Cape Horn “chances are good it will indeed end up in some ocean,” Langbroek said Amazon's first batch of internet satellites rocketed into orbit Tuesday the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX's thousands of Starlinks The United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites named after the frigid fringes of our solar system beyond Neptune the satellites will eventually reach an altitude of nearly 630km Project officials said major upgrades were made to the newest version The latest satellites also are coated with a mirror film designed to scatter reflected sunlight in an attempt to accommodate astronomers Stargazers oppose the fast-growing constellations of low-orbiting satellites Amazon aims to put more than 3200 of these satellites into orbit to provide fast affordable broadband service around the globe Elon Musk's SpaceX already has launched more than 8000 Starlinks since 2019 The company marked its 250th Starlink launch Sunday night More than 7000 Starlinks are still in orbit some 550km above Earth The European-based OneWeb satellite constellation numbers in the hundreds in an even higher orbit Amazon already has purchased dozens of rocket launches from United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin for Project Kuiper "There are some things you can only learn in flight" despite extensive testing on the ground this is just the start of our journey," he said in a statement ahead of the evening liftoff The first liftoff attempt earlier this month was nixed by bad weather It took until now to secure another spot in the launch lineup at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Astronomers have found possible chemical signs of life on a distant planet outside our solar system though they caution more work is needed to confirm their findings led by scientists at the University of Cambridge detected evidence of compounds in the exoplanet's atmosphere that on Earth are only produced by living organisms and contended it's the strongest potential signal yet of life Independent scientists described the findings as interesting but not nearly enough to show the existence of life on another planet "It is the strongest sign to date of any possibility of biological activity outside the solar system," Cambridge astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan said during a livestream on Thursday By analysing data from NASA and the European Space Agency's Webb Space Telescope the researchers found evidence of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in the atmosphere of the planet known as K2-18b The planet is 124 light-years away; one light-year is equivalent to nearly 6 trillion miles those two compounds are produced primarily by microbial life The planet is more than double Earth's size and more than 8 times more massive It's in the so-called habitable zone of its star The study appeared in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters Madhusudhan stressed that further research is needed to rule out any errors or the possibility of other processes an astrophysicist at Imperial College London said atmospheres on other planets are complex and difficult to understand especially with the limited information available from a planet so far away "This is really interesting stuff and while it does not yet represent a clear detection of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide it is a step in the right direction," he said in comments released by the Science Media Centre in London More than 5500 planets orbiting other stars have been confirmed so far Thousands more are in the running out of the billions out there in our Milky Way galaxy alone Webb is the biggest and most powerful observatory ever sent into space Banks Peninsula has a dream to become New Zealand's next Dark Sky Reserve prompted by a father's fear his son may miss out on the magic of seeing the Milky Way has held two community meetings to gauge support and has already started monitoring light levels across Banks Peninsula at night "I am terrified that my little toddler will grow up without the possibility of seeing the band of the Milky Way and I’ve promised him I’m not going to let this happen," he said He delights in some of the images he’s been able to capture from the hills around Akaroa including stunning shots of the aurora taken from Wainui "The whole sky was glowing with pulsations of light over my head I got the shivers now that I’m talking about it The glow from the lights of ever-growing Christchurch will be a factor in the application Devescovi said it was a misconception that light pollution from Christchurch has an impact in the Banks Peninsula "It's not as major as you would think." Pointing at images showing the increase in Christchurch's light pollution Devescovi said he hoped it wouldn't get much worse "This is why we want to protect the night sky here." It does mean they will be unable to apply for Dark Sky Sanctuary status going for Dark Sky Reserve or Park status instead Kaikōura gained the coveted Dark Sky Sanctuary status after a four-year process last September Dark Sky Trust Kaikōura project coordinator Colette Doughty said they were getting a "huge amount" of interest coming into the first winter astro season She said she wants to support the Banks Peninsula bid we want to be a Dark Sky nation - let’s make more dark sky places." Penguin ecologist Rachel Hickcox said it was great to have an initiative that could encourage seabirds to not only stay in the area but come back and begin breeding "Having that protected space that would allow them to display their natural behaviours would be wonderful." there are some in the community concerned about the changes the Dark Sky bid could entail Devascovi said the message was not "lights off or no light" but "responsible light" "You have to think for billions of years nature was relying on a very predictable day and night cycle and in the last 150 years we have completely disrupted that cycle." The next step is developing a lighting management plan that will allow more stargazing for generations to come Although one source of odours plaguing Ōpōtiki residents has been located and rectified there are still complaints about a bad smell in the town The notice required the mussel factory to cease exceeding the consented limits immediately and further enforcement action is possible,” Richards said there had been 32 odour-related complaints concerning the Ōpōtiki area Almost half had been directed at the Whakatōhea Mussels factory A trade wastewater treatment tank at the mussel factory had been identified by the regional council as one odour source a compliance officer visited the factory to assess the remedial works completed on the wastewater treatment tank The system was functioning correctly and new deodorising equipment had been installed the factory was still being included in investigations The rules within the regional council’s Regional Natural Resources Plan state it should not be offensive or objectionable beyond the property boundary odour levels directly over the treatment tanks were found to be minor,” Richards said foul odours were still being experienced in Ōpōtiki An open letter directed to the regional council was posted on Facebook community pages on Tuesday morning saying the odour problem persisted “The situation has gone on for far too long and it’s unacceptable that our community continues to suffer due to the lack of effective action,” community page administrator Maude Maxwell said She demanded the regional council take the matter seriously Immediate actions were needed to investigate the source of the odour implement measures to mitigate the issue and provide a plan to prevent future occurrences She also expressed fears that there could be pollution seeping into the town’s rivers causing further environmental issues She described the odour as “a sickening smell like dead carcasses” The post received 62 comments from local people affirming the smell persisted before commenting was turned off Richards said other complaints had been directed towards smokey fires and the town’s stormwater drainage network which has experienced minor blockages and stagnant water due to prolonged dry weather substantiating these odours has been challenging due to the intermittent nature of the notifications and odours and varying locations of the alleged sources.” Proactive monitoring was also being carried out in the evenings this week “We acknowledge that Whakatohea Mussels is responsible for some of the odour complaints due to the variability in the origin of complaints and wind conditions we are aware that there are other sources contributing to the issue as well,” she said Ōpōtiki District Council service and delivery group manager Nathan Hughes said staff were working with the regional council around the ongoing complaints “Council have been monitoring our wastewater system and no issues have been picked up stormwater drains can start to produce a smell and staff are also exploring that as a potential contributing factor “Although nothing definitive has been observed in council’s stormwater network we do have a particular concern around the condition of Duke St drain and the smell coming from it.” District council staff were meeting with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the mussel factory this week to discuss the matter “Getting these odour issues resolved is important to our community and we’re doing all that we can to assist Bay of Plenty Regional Council in their investigations as well as seeking out any areas that we control which may be contributing,” Hughes said Richards encouraged anyone noticing an offensive odour to call the 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 0800 884 883 at the time of the event “This allows us to respond promptly and investigate all complaints against the conditions at the time so we count on the community to help resolve these issues.” Whakatōhea Mussels has been approached for a comment - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Paying for clean-up means less money for the community Police are searching for those responsible after cars were rammed and on-lookers were sent running and screaming in Ōpōtiki overnight Officers were called to the intersection of Kelly Street and Church Street at about 11.10pm to reports of a vehicle crashing into a person A video posted on social media shows a car careening into a number of others A police spokesperson told RNZ they located the vehicle on State Highway 35 before it was abandoned at Hikuwai Reserve and police were investigating to identify and locate those involved "Police are appealing for any information that may assist in our investigation If you witnessed the incident and have not yet reported it to Police please contact us via 105 either online or over the phone." Police also said a number of people had been involved in an altercation outside of a bar at the scene "There were no significant injuries," they said Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Two motorcyclists were critically injured in crashes in Auckland and the Whakatāne district Emergency services were called to Nuffield Avenue in Marewa around 9pm Friday There are lengthy delays on a major road on the Coromandel Peninsula after a fatal crash The death of a man in a “violent altercation” involving gang members in central Ōpōtiki early this morning is being investigated as a homicide Emergency services were told a group of around six people were fighting on Church St in the eastern Bay of Plenty town at about 12.20am Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Varnam said “One of those involved had received an injury to the chest consistent with a stab wound but police were following lines of inquiry to identify and find those involved “It is believed gang members were involved.” Anyone has any information on what happened This can be done by calling the police non-emergency number 105 or going online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 Information can also be given anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or Crime Stoppers New Zealand Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The police minister says those claiming children were left on their own following police raids on homes in Ōpōtiki are "wrong" An operation last month targeting houses suspected to be connected to the Mongrel Mob have resulted in reports of a three-year-old being left for hours unsupervised and three children being left behind at school after both their parents were arrested and no plans were put in place to collect them Mark Mitchell said in both cases he had followed up with police The minister was in Ōpōtiki in recent days where he met with local iwi and he said "none of those stories have been verified to them at all" "In fact the issues that were raised with me Mitchell called on those who were making the complaints to take their concerns to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) so they could be investigated Mitchell said he had not heard about a further claim of a kuia and her daughter-in-law being strip-searched as part of the operation Later in the afternoon he confirmed at least one woman was searched by a female officer in a private bedroom which happens every time there's a warrant executed The one issue that was raised with me about a female being searched was that there was a female searched - it was done by a female police officer in the privacy of a bedroom and that is quite normal." He said he did not know the age of the person searched and did not have details about whether the woman was stripped or whether anyone who was searched was not later charged you're going to have to go to police and ask them all those questions they've made a huge dent in organised crime on the East Coast and around Ōpōtiki the people of Ōpōtiki are very thankful and very relieved they search people when they execute warrants They're executive warrants on people that are part of a gang that have got evidence He said it was a focused operation targeting the Mongrel Mob Barbarians and his assumption was the houses being searched were those of gang members and the police have got an important part to play but can't do the whole thing themselves is we want the kids out of these gang homes We've seen the intergenerational harm that's caused and we're a government that's really focused and committed to making sure that we try and stop that." that could erode their high-trust model of policing and he would be the first person to step in but anecdotal information needed to be verified The prime minister was asked about the allegations of unsupervised children at his post-Cabinet press conference on Monday afternoon and he sought assurances from police last night Christopher Luxon said "there was no point "[Police] disputed and disagreed with how it was represented." Labour leader Chris Hipkins wanted those making the claims to take their complaints to the IPCA The raid was part of the police's bid to stem organised crime and Te Pāti Māori's response was "emotive and ridiculous" Police say gang patches are a license to print money and what will police be able to about them under the new law Analysis: While the government has argued the new rules will act as an effective deterrent to gang membership it is not clear how these laws will stand up Iwi groups in Whakatane are rallying around whanau after mass gang arrests - Diane McCarthy is our reporter in the Bay of Plenty town Politics RSS Ōpōtiki-based iwi Te Whakatōhea is standing by claims children were left to fend for themselves after their parents were arrested following police raids Mitchell said the claims were "wrong" and followed up both cases with police He urged those who were making complaints to contact the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) we went away and fact-checked that and it wasn't the case at all," Mitchell said Te Whakatōhea kaikōrero Paora Brosnan told RNZ he wondered which police officers the minister was speaking with 100 percent of the squads that came into Ōpōtiki weren't from Ōpōtiki They didn't know this community from a bar of soap - that's really concerning "I have spoken to people that were arrested and involved in the raids on the day and they themselves have told me that their kids were left without them - the parents - being at home upon their return from school." Brosnan said calling people "liars" was not the best way to "cover up your mistakes" and calling them a liar just further victimises these parents who were just concerned about their children." Brosnan said the big issue was the lack of consultation with iwi and hapū prior to the raids "A heads-up at 7am in the morning to a random staff member of the iwi organisation isn't consultation "The other part of that too is that there is a big difference between an iwi organisation with elected members who are there to look after the assets and the actual iwi who are on the ground doing the day-to-day work." that would mitigate fallout for the tamariki "I don't want to comment on any of the gang issues because it's not the issue for me He said Mitchell's advice to seek out the IPCA was the minister "just following the process" "I think what's appropriate is ensuring that there is proper iwi and whānau consultation moving forward and herein lies the opportunity for the minister to build real connections with Te Whakatohea." Mitchell said he would follow up on a further claim of women being strip-searched as part of the operation Police Minister Mark Mitchell says those claiming children were left on their own following police raids on homes in Ōpōtiki are "wrong" The forum's Pou Tangata co-chairperson Rahui Papa says they are concerned that Māori incarceration levels will increase if police do not use their discretion in applying the new law The coalition is under fire from officials the Law Society and the opposition for adding a controversial clause but Paul Goldsmith says the charges are easy to avoid A woman says she was rushed and bailed up by a pack of dogs in the latest in a spate of dog incidents on Ford St in Ōpōtiki over the Christmas break who didn’t wish to be named for fear of repercussions says the incident happened on the same street where four dogs had to be seized and euthanised in September after attacking a woman The Ōpōtiki News reported the attack on a young woman on September 14 which left her with serious injuries requiring hospitalisation a woman in her 60s was walking her dog when three “hunting-type dogs” and one younger dog rushed out of the property The dogs surrounded her in what she described as a “terrifying” hunting manoeuvre I’ve started shaking again now thinking about it,” she said “We were saved by the people across the road.” The woman said it was not the first time neighbours had rescued her from dogs rushing from the same property She said she stopped walking through the area as dogs had run at her in the past It was only after hearing that dogs had been euthanised at a property on the street that she became brave enough to start walking past the house again “When I read about the woman being attacked I felt really bad that I hadn’t reported the dogs earlier she phoned Ōpōtiki District Council’s after-hours number “The council offices are all shut over the holidays and I just assumed something would happen and somebody would contain those dogs.” she said it took two hours for the after-hours contractor to get back to her “Those dogs have essentially been out on the street for at least three hours There are children in that street with those dogs roaming loose “If I’d known they weren’t coming out for two hours I would have rung the police.” Other neighbours confirmed there have been issues with dogs at a Ford St property and it was not an isolated incident a person posted on social media that he had been bitten by a dog at a different Ford St address Ōpōtiki News reported that a dog had been shot dead in front of its owner by a man claiming the dog had bitten his child “When I heard about that I was feeling a lot of anger toward the guy who shot the dog thinking he could have just called dog control,” the woman said “But since this experience I’ve begun to understand why he felt he needed to deal with it himself.” The district council offices are closed until today Staff said they were not able to provide the Local Democracy Reporting [Ōpōtiki News] with information about the incident until the office reopened While the after-hours extension offered on the council’s phone message was the best way to report roaming dogs such as an attack or dogs rushing at people should be reported to police A late-night rampage in Ōpōtiki left people running for their lives A driver caused chaos during a late-night rampage in Ōpōtiki last night ramming a number of vehicles and a person before fleeing the scene A manhunt is under way for the occupants of the vehicle and police are appealing for witnesses Video shows people fleeing for their lives as the dark-coloured vehicle collides with a number of stationary vehicles at the intersection of Church and Kelly Sts Police said the incident happened about 11.10pm “A number of people were also seen engaged in a disorder at and outside the bar on the intersection Police located the vehicle driving on State Highway 35 a short time later and followed from a distance to Hikuwai Reserve where the vehicle was abandoned and the occupants fled on foot “Police attempted to track the occupants with the assistance of a police dog unit “Inquiries remain ongoing to identify and locate those involved.” The video shows the vehicle ploughing into a parked red pickup truck near a pub People desperately run away as the vehicles drive past a neighbouring pub “So much happening in one video,” read one Facebook comment Renderings of the Ōpōtiki Marina and Industrial Park show berths for Whakatōhea Mussels boats as well as pleasure boats With the granting of long-awaited resource consents for a marina and industrial park developer Chris Peterson is excited to start work on what he describes as “the final piece of the puzzle” for Ōpōtiki’s aquaculture and marine industry The Environment Court ordered the granting of resource consent for the development last week after a mediation process saw Ōpōtiki Marina and Industrial Park (OMAI) come to an agreement with Whakatōhea hapū groups that had contested the consents “This is really exciting news for the Ōpōtiki community The agreement between OMAI and hapū groups included the formation of a tangata whenua liaison group to provide ongoing feedback on the development “There’s a lot of goodwill there and there’s going to be some good co-operation within the hapū engagement group so we’re pretty positive about that going forward,” he said “All six hapū of Whakatōhea will be involved with the group “It was great that we achieved this through a mediation with all parties and everybody agreed and signed off on it So it hasn’t come through as a court order.” Peterson said he felt confident work would begin next year “The focus will be on getting the harbour basin open and functional for the aquaculture industry so we will have a place for the boats to berth safely out of the river we are looking at a build time for the first stage of nearly 12 months.” The project initially received $7 million in equity funding through the Provincial Growth Fund and a loan of $1.8m but because of the resource consent delays Peterson said he was in the process of securing more funding to cover that What we will supply is the interface between the deep water and the land so that the connection right through from the sea to the mussel factory is now one continuous Opotiki operation.” At the seawall opening last week the former chairman of the Whakatōhea pre-settlement board named the project as one of the next challenges for the district Peterson said while the main focus for the development was to support the aquaculture industry “Other spinoffs that are going to come from this are a marina for pleasure craft but also opportunities for fishing and dive charters and other entrepreneurial endeavours that can make use of having out port facility “We will have the hard stand and the travel lift and a whole industry based around boat maintenance and boat building “There is a lack of facilities throughout New Zealand so there are some good opportunities for some good industry to develop in Ōpōtiki They are going to bring a whole lot of economic prosperity to the town.” He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life 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 Crews have been working to clear material from both ends of the large slip following removal of the Pōhutukawa trees above the slip yesterday They’ll be working through the night tonight to ensure that the road can reopen on Friday SH2 remains closed between Waiotahi Valley Back Road and Paerata Ridge Road Further clearing work will be required in areas outside the lanes next week which may require stop/go traffic management to remove material road users should allow extra time for the detour which is: East bound traffic: Right onto Waiotahi Valley Back Road Left Paerata Ridge Road before rejoining SH2 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 Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Pākihikura/Ōpōtiki harbour seawalls on Friday Rain didn’t halt proceedings as people gathered to mark the completion of construction work on the Pākihikura/Ōpōtiki Harbour seawalls on Friday As well as the two breakwaters extending 450 metres out to sea the $115.3 million harbour development includes ongoing dredging of a channel so larger vessels can use the facility in most sea and tide conditions Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones were welcomed with a pōwhiri from Te Whakatōhea on the landward side of the eastern seawall some with involvement in the project dating back more than 20 years The two new breakwater walls provide boats with safe harbour access to support the continued growth of aquaculture in the Bay of Plenty The harbour work is a crucial part of the cluster of government co-investments in Ōpōtiki that are supporting a positive future for the town “This is the first major harbour built in New Zealand in decades and it is a big day for everyone involved in years of hard work to bring a new future for Ōpōtiki to life,” said Peters “This success has been underpinned by a strong commitment from local community leaders “It is these collaborative investments and projects that are going to lift regional New Zealand off its knees and back into prosperity and pride.” Jones said the harbour redevelopment paves the way for the development of a commercial marina and other businesses supporting the future growth of the aquaculture sector in Bay of Plenty “These harbour walls represent the protection and strengthening of investments by iwi our commitments together total $176.9m in the harbour and a number of other associated infrastructure projects,” said Jones “There is no way we could possibly thank all the many people who have made the Ōpōtiki Harbour Project possible over all these 20 years,” the Ōpōtiki District Council said in a statement “In council alone there has been three mayors “We’ve worked alongside our steadfast iwi partners and a community who have backed this vision from the start Central government supported the project with combined funding of $95.3 million from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) and NZ Upgrade Programme the largest single project investment to date managed by Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore said that the event brought together the huge range of people involved in making the vision a reality “bringing together a family of projects that work in concert to improve the opportunities and wellbeing of the district” “It is incredible to consider that more than 20 years ago [former Mayor] John Forbes and [Whakatōhea leader] Robert Edwards were sitting together considering how the Ōpōtiki community could turn its fortunes around and bring back the prosperity of Ōpōtiki’s past,” said Moore “They looked out to sea and saw the potential there they started planning for it and all the different parts of the puzzle that would need to come together.” “This event marks a significant milestone and there have been many others over the years in all the different projects – the first mussel lines in the water building and purchasing specialist vessels Moore said there are more to come as other projects finish or come online “This is an ongoing process for all of us,” he said “This absolutely wouldn’t be possible without the funding and support of Kānoa and central government’s commitment to providing the tools and funding so that regions can build their own growth in the way that we best know how “But I do want to acknowledge how much work has been done by so many people to get to this point many leadership teams and staff at both council and Whakatōhea “We’ve had incredible supporters in many ministries and departments and genuine grass-roots support in our community to get this off the ground.” In particular, Moore acknowledged Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council as one of the first to show their confidence in the vision and contribute the first $20 million to the project back in 2013 through the Toi Moana regional infrastructure fund The Bay of Plenty Regional Council co-funded the project with $20mn from its own region-specific Regional Infrastructure Fund Regional Council chair Doug Leeder said that collaboration had been key to the success of the project “The Ōpōtiki Harbour project illustrates what can be achieved when central business and local stakeholders genuinely work together with a common goal,” said Leeder “With our contribution through the regional infrastructure fund we recognised the benefits the harbour will bring to the whole region through new It opens new pathways to achieve better social and economic outcomes Bay of Plenty Regional councillor Kate Macmillan also attended the opening “This new harbour mouth will play a big role in revitalising the Ōpōtiki district,” said Macmillan “Along with the burgeoning aquaculture industry and other projects (a commercial marina the harbour provides a vital pathway to improve the economic and social wellbeing of the region.” “Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council has supported this project and it’s exciting to see it complete.” The funding for the sea walls and the building of the harbour has helped to create jobs and support Māori businesses and community organisations Three new rock quarries have been accelerated through construction of the sea walls A local cement contractor has also substantially scaled up delivering jobs and training to local people trained 40 locals into a crew to support construction of the harbour walls with support from the Ministry for Social Development Ōpōtiki District Council said all this work is building on other successes delivering positive impacts for Ōpōtiki “A new $35 million Whakatōhea mussel processing factory opened in July 2021 and now employs more than 170 workers,” said a council spokesperson “The PGF contributed $19 million and Whakatōhea Mussels’ shareholders also supported the project “The factory processes the nutritious indigenous greenshell mussels that grow in an open ocean setting with 3,800 hectares of marine farm operated by Eastern Sea Farms 8.5 kilometres offshore from Ōpōtiki “The harbour project paves the way for the development of a commercial marina and other businesses supporting the future growth of the aquaculture sector in the Bay of Plenty.” The Ōpōtiki town wharf has been upgraded to accommodate the mussel boats as an interim measure while the private marina and commercial wharf progresses – SunLive The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night. Police were called to the intersection of Church Street and Kelly Street at around 11.10pm. Video from the incident showed the vehicle ramming into several others as it went back and forth through the intersection before driving away. The footage also shows a person standing in front of the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. "A number of people were also seen engaged in a disorder at and outside the bar on the intersection," police said. "There were no significant injuries." Police found the vehicle driving on State Highway 35 a short time later. "Police followed from a distance to Hikuwai Reserve where the vehicle was abandoned, and the occupants fled on foot. "Police attempted to track the occupants with the assistance of a Police dog unit, however they had fled the scene." Enquiries to identify those involved in the incident were ongoing. Police also appealed for any information that may help with its investigation. "If you witnessed the incident and have not yet reported it to Police, please contact us via 105 either online or over the phone." Video from the incident posted to social media showed the vehicle ramming into several others as it went back and forth through the intersection before driving away.  (Source: 1News) Police are investigating after a vehicle rammed into multiple others at an Ōpōtiki intersection overnight. Crooks culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria Bush picked to take over as Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes Crime and Justice Police experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising Technology has outpaced a currently underway review of the Arms Act and criminals are already taking advantage US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Health Arrest after person assaulted A nurse leaving her shift last month was held up at gunpoint outside the grounds of the hospital More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation Police are investigating after a vehicle rammed into multiple others at an Ōpōtiki intersection overnight Police were called to the intersection of Church Street and Kelly Street at around 11.10pm Video from the incident showed the vehicle ramming into several others as it went back and forth through the intersection before driving away The footage also shows a person standing in front of the vehicle in an attempt to stop it "A number of people were also seen engaged in a disorder at and outside the bar on the intersection," police said "There were no significant injuries." Police found the vehicle driving on State Highway 35 a short time later "Police followed from a distance to Hikuwai Reserve where the vehicle was abandoned "Police attempted to track the occupants with the assistance of a Police dog unit Enquiries to identify those involved in the incident were ongoing Police also appealed for any information that may help with its investigation "If you witnessed the incident and have not yet reported it to Police please contact us via 105 either online or over the phone." A person is in custody after an alleged theft which left a person injured on the grounds of Palmerston North Hospital Police said officers were called to a Ruahine St carpark about 1.30pm on Tuesday Police said the alleged offender left the scene and was found a short time later "Police would like to thank the members of the public who witnessed the incident and intervened to assist the victim," a police spokesperson said That same night a staff member was knocked unconscious Staff have been calling for security improvements Health NZ MidCentral operations group director Sarah Fenwick previously told RNZ it was committed to making staff feel safer She said these included a security escort to vehicles increasing security services on hospital grounds and "opening up" access to the staff carpark for people working afternoon and night shifts "Lighting has been audited in all outside carparking areas to ensure it is well maintained," she said "Interim access to well-lit parking onsite with dedicated security for staff working afternoon and night shifts while a more permanent solution for out-of-hours carparking is developed." rnz.co.nz More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." has posed about the controversial Ōpōtiki raids in October She called out the government for making Ōpōtiki look bad to the rest of the country using Ōpōtiki as a poster child for coming down on crime and coming down on gangs then you wouldn’t get people from Remuera like Phillip Polkinghorne who for methamphetamine charges days later got a slap on the hand and 150 hours of community service.” Ōpōtiki brings in a lot of money through its mussel farm run by the iwi which in 2020 received a $400 million a year contract with a USA company with the harbour opening over here and among all the other amazing kaupapa that are elevating throughout Ōpōtiki all the way to the coast through kiwifruit through Willie Te Aho‘s amazing projects with the water those are all the things that the government doesn’t want to hear about because they want headlines around gangs and around methamphetamine On October 22, 2024, police executed 30 search warrants against homes allegedly connected to Mongrel Mob operations It was called “police-sponsored terrorism” by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. This week the NZ Herald reported a kuia had been strip-searched, something Police Minister Mark Mitchell rejected even though he hadn’t questioned police on the issue. There were also claims that tamariki were left unsupervised in houses for hours following the raids, which he denied. Poihipi has spoken to the wāhine who made the claims, saying she kept strong during the alleged strip search. “That kuia felt degraded, humiliated, and the only thing that kept her strong during that strip search was to hold on to her mana and her integrity by not letting her show any response to what was happening. “With regards to our tamariki mokopuna, when a three-year-old can articulate themselves so clearly and so well about their kuia being apprehended at gunpoint walking down the driveway in their pyjamas, then you know something needs to be done. “I don’t need any police report or any minister report or anything to tell me, we need to be seen to be fighting for our mokopuna to create change and this must stop.” She had a message to the police and the government. “If you want to create change amongst our community, then come and meet with the community, sit down at the table, [and] let’s create strategies moving forward, strategies that have been developed and implemented by the community and supported by the ministry.” Tini Molyneux Police have launched a homicide investigation after a man died in the Bay of Plenty overnight They say about six people were fighting in central Ōpōtiki shortly after midnight The man died of a suspected stab wound at the scene in Church Street and the police say it is believed gang members were involved "If anyone has any information on what happened we would urge you to do so," Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Varnam said "I can't see this lasting unless they have a budget to lock fullas up in jail," a Mongrel Mob chapter founder says Police are setting up front-line teams to tackle crime and intimidation by gangs While Donald Trump is being widely cited as a reason/explanation for Anthony Albanese’s landslide victory on the weekend that’s like blaming the icing for the state of a badly baked cake In no particular order of incoherence...although allegedly being the party of low taxes the Liberal opposition voted against Labor’s tax cuts Liberal coalition leader Peter Dutton also offered a natural gas policy that even the industry and his major donors (e.g The report focuses on the transparency of public funding in the aged residential care sector and shows how our tax system allows multi-national providers to avoid paying the taxes that the public would expect them to pay demonstrating this through the example of UK-owned BUPA The PSA has welcomed the news from the NZDF that $33 million will be allocated to staff pay increases over the next four years as the result of last year’s industrial action As a maritime nation we are prioritising naval capability The new helicopters will be able to go further and carry larger loads personnel and equipment – all of which is critical for Defence to protect New Zealand and New Zealanders Police are seeking information from witnesses to a head-on fatal crash in Ōpōtiki police said the three-vehicle crash occurred on State Highway Two A person driving a Holden "collided head on" with a Toyota Hilux The crash caused the Toyota to cross the road and slide down a bank A Mazda CX5 which was travelling behind the Toyota was also involved in the crash One person died at the scene while five others required hospitalisation for injuries One person remains in hospital needing surgery if anyone witnessed the crash that has not yet reported information to police please contact us "If you have any information that could help our inquiries People can use the reference number 241123/1241 Information can also be given anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/02/04/arrests-after-man-dies-following-alleged-fight-in-opotiki/"},"datePublished":"2025-02-04T03:06:48.487Z","dateModified":"2025-02-04T03:06:48.487Z","headline":"Arrests after man dies following alleged fight in Ōpōtiki ","description":"Two people have been arrested after a man died following a reported fight in Ōpōtiki in the early hours of Saturday Emergency services were notified of a fight involving six people on Church Street at about 12.20am on Saturday One person received an injury to the chest "consistent with a stab wound" and died at the scene police arrested a 31-year-old Mongrel Mob member He appeared in court this morning and was remanded in custody until his next appearance at the Tauranga District Court on February 26 A 25-year-old man was arrested on Sunday afternoon and charged with assault He was due to reappear in the Whakatane District Court on February 12 "Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the death," Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson said "Additional Police resources from the wider Bay of Plenty District have been in Ōpōtiki since Saturday morning assisting with inquiries and providing reassurance to the public." Emergency services were notified of a fight involving six people on Church Street at about 12.20am on Saturday. One person received an injury to the chest "consistent with a stab wound" and died at the scene. Yesterday evening, police arrested a 31-year-old Mongrel Mob member, who was charged with murder. He appeared in court this morning and was remanded in custody until his next appearance at the Tauranga District Court on February 26. A 25-year-old man was arrested on Sunday afternoon and charged with assault. He was due to reappear in the Whakatane District Court on February 12. Homicide investigation after alleged stabbing in ŌpōtikiPolice said emergency services were first notified of a fight involving six people on Church Street at about 12.20am "Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the death," Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson said. Police have launched a homicide investigation after the death of a man in central Ōpōtiki overnight Detective senior sergeant Mike Varnam said emergency services were notified of a fight involving six people on Church Street at about 12.20am One of those had "received an injury to the chest consistent with a stab wound," he said however they are following lines of inquiry to identify and locate those involved "It is believed gang members were involved." Police urged those who have information on what happened to get in touch by phoning 105 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 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 her main motivation for joining the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) was the opportunity to travel and see the world Although she did have some reservations about leaving her beloved hometown of Ōpōtiki “It’s a relaxed and friendly town where everyone knows each other so a part of me was a bit reluctant to leave that behind.” Her current posting has been made easier in this regard by not only having some fellow Ōpōtiki-born sailors on board HMNZS Aotearoa but her ex-classmate from Ōpōtiki Primary School Leading Seamanship Combat Specialist (LCSC) Tremayne Waenga.  “He joined before me but I actually didn’t know that until I started training and saw him marching across the base in uniform.” The pair remember playing rugby together at school something they both recently rekindled during the harbour phase of Exercise RIMPAC in Hawaii – the world’s largest maritime exercise LSCS Waenga slotted into the midfield for a friendly rugby match between the Ship and Hawaii Harlequins (a local club side) while ASTD Kurei took part in the women’s touch rugby competition.  ASTD Kurei also finished second in the bench press competition “I enjoyed getting to compete against different countries and get the chance to meet a variety of people,” she said “I think it was an important part of the exercise because we made friends with foreign sailors who we then linked up with later on in the exercise Having already formed those relationships really helped when we ended up working together.” Leading Seamanship Combat Specialist Waenga (far left) playing rugby for the HMNZS Aotearoa rugby team against a local Hawaiian club side Petty Officer Communications Warfare Specialist Black (front row second from the left) performs with the ship’s Multi-Cultural Group Leading Chef Mio Mihaere busy preparing food in the Ship’s galley Able Steward Kurei (right) receiving her trophy for finishing second at the bench press competition during the harbour phase of Exercise RIMPAC In case a Ship’s company isn’t enough of a family-feel ASTD Kurei also had whānau on board through Petty Officer Communications Warfare Specialist (POCWS) Trilesse Black who was also a leading influence in her wanting to join the Navy in the first place.  “Dani is one of the hardest workers I know,” POCWS Black said “I was so happy when I heard she was joining as I knew she would be a good asset to the organisation.” In case a three-strong Ōpōtiki contingent isn’t enough there was a fourth member of the team making sure they had a real taste of home while abroad Leading Chef Nicole Mio Mihaere led the team in the kitchen in charge of producing three hot meals a day for all 108 crew on board I think a big difference to working in a restaurant ashore is that I sometimes lose workers to launch boats help with helicopter operations or complete seamanship tasks during meal times,” Leading Chef Mihaere said because I live in close confines with my customers I have to put up a good feed or I will hear some banter when I see people around the ship.” Beyond the opportunity to experience everything RIMPAC had to offer in terms of the training opportunities AS Kurei said the chance to network with sailors from so many nations was a particular highlight Exercise RIMPAC finished last week with HMZNS Aotearoa now headed to Japan as part of a multi-national force to help detect and deter actions that directly contravene United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea The latest important mission for the Ōpōtiki quartet Police had the Mongrel Mob Barbarian members under surveillance for 10 months before they raided homes across the North Island last month A kuia claims she and her daughter-in-law were subjected to strip searches during the Ōpōtiki police raids on homes suspected to be connected to the Mongrel Mob And a 3-year-old’s Ōpōtiki home has allegedly been raided four times by police in 10 months as whānau speak of the long-term effects these armed raids have on tamariki and mokopuna “My daughter-in-law and I were subjected to invasive strip searches an experience that left me feeling violated and humiliated,” one kuia said “The decision to search only the two of us in this manner was unexplained and deeply troubling I still cannot fully comprehend why this had to happen and the purpose of only searching her and I in this manner.” Police raided homes across the North Island including 15 in Ōpōtiki on October 22 Twenty-two people out of the 28 charged are known to be from Ōpōtiki who face a variety of charges including possession of methamphetamine for supply and participating in an organised criminal group Police Minister Mark Mitchell has questioned the accuracy of many of the “anecdotal” accounts of the raids “The people of Ōpōtiki feel like they’ve got some breathing space now and a chance to reset,” Mitchell told Newstalk ZB “I’m very proud of the work that has been done There’s been a lot of emotive language and accusations made out there A Police spokesperson said they were acutely aware that there were children at some addresses “An officer was specifically focussed on what support was needed for those impacted by the arrests ”The tamariki present when warrants were executed were quickly identified and most taken in by whānau But many accounts of the Ōpōtiki raids claim there has been lingering distress among children and households “Approximately 2-3 metres away was a policeman holding a gun and it was like I saw my life flashing by knowing that a little error could’ve been fatal,” one witness said Another mother said: “My children have been having nightmares .. things around my household [have] taken a huge toll.” Such accounts of the Ōpōtiki raids have been recounted to community group Toitū Te Mana Mokopuna This group was established after the raids to support tamariki and mokopuna (children and grandchildren) The group says the harm caused to vulnerable tamariki kuia (female elders) and whānau during the raids against Mongrel Mob East Bay Barbarians is now coming to light “Our children and mokopuna will have long-lasting effects from raids on their homes,” Toitū spokesperson Jodi Porter said “That’s how it becomes intergenerational – for many moko their first dealings with police are armed raids and that will leave long-lasting impressions and trauma for our moko “One moko’s home has been raided four times in 10 months How do you think her view of police is going to be shaped?” Police previously said local iwi leaders congratulated them for cracking down on the drugs in Ōpōtiki “Iwi leadership across Whakatohea have previously told us that they are very appreciative of this recent operation in which police have prevented the extremely harmful supply of methamphetamine into Ōpōtiki from these alleged offenders therefore ensuring the health and wellbeing of their mokopuna is improved,” a police spokesperson said But after the concerns raised by whānau caught in the raids there’s been additional communication between police and iwi When NZ Police were presented with the allegations of strip searches and children’s houses being raided multiple times in a matter of months a spokesperson said: “Police met with iwi on Thursday and discussed some of the concerns that had been raised We have agreed to continue to work together to support the needs of whanau and the wider community.” The Police Minister was also at that meeting – the second time he had met with local Iwi in the past month – and said the Ōpōtiki community had to step up to stop what was happening in their town There was a couple of anecdotal stories that were floating around that related to children that were proved not to be accurate,” Mitchell said “From my own experience is that the police are outstanding They are especially sensitive around dealing with kids “A lot of police officers are parents themselves the the police have done an outstanding job.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins also waded into the Ōpōtiki debate Speaking at his post-Cabinet press conference Luxon was asked about reports of a 3-year-old child being put in the back of a police vehicle during a recent gang-linked police raid in Ōpōtiki while its mother and grandmother were handcuffed by officers Luxon said it was “not acceptable” if those reports were accurate but was quick to add the behaviour of gangs was “utterly unacceptable” Mitchell also said he had not been briefed about the toddler being put by herself into the back of a police car “Clearly that’s not what we want to see happen and it would be great if the children could be better looked after but the reality is we’re going to be tough on gangs Luxon said he hadn’t seen “formal confirmation” of the details He promised his office would investigate further also former Prime Minister and Police Minister said he was “very concerned” about the reports and expected the Government would have been asking questions of police about their execution Hipkins claimed police conducted “very careful planning” whenever an operation concerned children but he believed the Government should have been well aware of the incident I would have wanted to know as soon as any evidence of that came to light exactly what had happened,” Hipkins said Iwi and community leader Kylie Poihipi said they are not defending those arrested but questioned the gung-ho attitude of police when dealing with Māori whānau “The home is the one place tamariki should be able to feel safe,” Poihipi said “Police say they had Mongrel Mob East Bay Barbarians under surveillance for 10 months therefore they would have known that tamariki live in the homes they raided A harm and prevention focus should have been applied and these mokopuna should have been made visible The raids should not be held up as a trophy victory of police when it is seen by iwi and the community as a complete failure of the Crown to recognise the rights of mokopuna.” Here are some experiences from whānau caught in the raids: “All our whānau were present during the raid Being woken up by strangers forcing everyone out of bed was very distressing for our tamariki Our whānau experienced a range of emotions – fear and frustration – as events unfolded rapidly and without clarity My daughter-in-law and I were subjected to invasive strip searches an experience that left me feeling violated and humiliated The decision to search only the two of us in this manner was unexplained and deeply troubling I still cannot fully comprehend why this had to happen and the purpose of only searching her and I in this manner When it was over we were left to navigate the aftermath asking why these people came into our home and left it in a mess and took away his brother He was unable to comprehend why strangers treated our whānau with such disregard a reflection of the distress she witnessed in her mother’s arms our whānau encountered more confusion and isolation No one provided us with information or support and we felt lost in a system that seemed indifferent to the impact of its actions This lack of guidance only intensified our helplessness as the legal process stretched out with little clarity our whānau has been left with a dreading sense of unease I am burdened not only with the emotional toll but also with the financial strain of legal fees as I too face charges that threaten to dismantle my career a path I have dedicated two decades to building This experience has left us with an overwhelming sense of mamae [hurt] and betrayal leaving us questioning the very systems meant to protect and uplift us.” “The whānau was deeply affected when the police stormed upon the premises and all you could see was a flood of police armed with guns inside and outside of the premises and commotion everywhere causing trauma daughter and the father of my grandchildren The most frightening experience was when I was going back into my cabin I saw the police everywhere so I grabbed my phone to video them only to have the police on my left take the phone off me and he was telling me to leave the premises and go towards the gate and out and on my right about approximately 2-3 meters away was a policeman holding a gun and it was like I saw my life flashing by knowing that a little error could have been fatal but after this traumatic experience I find myself having to take it easy with my breathing and anxiety level It’s not something that you can go to the doctor and you are better it’s the aftermath as a direct result of trauma and treatment of the police We were taken away and the children’s mother asked about her children because they were still at the house only to hear the response from the police that ‘Oranga Tamariki would come’ My concern is that this type of trauma imposed on tamariki has serious emotional Thank goodness we managed to get support from whānau to care for the mokopuna and to clean up the mess the police left behind.” “I was woken up at 6am on Tuesday the 22nd October to the police at the door of my room instructing me to wake up and go into the sitting room I was asked who else was in the house and I replied They instructed me to wake all my children up and drag them out of bed into the sitting room to get an understanding of what was happening After I established it had nothing to do with me I asked if I was able to get my children ready for school They agreed then took my brother and his partner They searched the home and ransacked it leaving me to clean all day even though I had just organised my house Since then my children have been having nightmares They are constantly asking about where their uncle is and things around my household [have] taken a huge toll My brother was helping me pay for my rent and to make things a bit easier for me as I am single mother on a mental health healing journey I have become increasingly anxious and on edge because half the town saw my family being ushered out of the house by heaps of police My rental home was compromised and threatened because my landlord does not want anything going on at the address My bills are piling up as I have been struggling to make ends meet since my brother’s arrest My kids have been getting teased at school for having police officers at their house which has made them afraid to go to school any more Things have taken a huge blow to my household lately and to us as a whānau.” Additional reporting NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse and Newstalk ZB Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu a body representing the region's eight iwi Dave Flynn is an award-winning Irish composer and musician praised as ‘a masterful guitarist‘ in Sing Out celebrated in the New York Times for their ‘power and grittiness‘ transcend traditions and borders.In ‘Celtic Guitar Journey‘ he presents beautiful guitar arrangements of Irish and Scottish traditional music exploring the musical connections between these ‘Celtic’ countries.His programme goes through the history of Celtic music to baroque-era harp music by Turlough O’Carolan to 19th century reels and jigs and then some more modern compositions that he recorded on his acclaimed albums.The concert also highlights connections between Irish traditional music and other countries showing how certain types of Irish tune styles were imported from other countries including Scotland Poland and Germany.There’s also some new Irish-style tunes composed in New Zealand which represent new kind of traditional Irish-Kiwi music.Flynn has toured his solo show around the world He returns to New Zealand with a new version of ‘Celtic Guitar Journey’ in Feb-April 2025 Chris and Sandra will be the special guest performers.Brought to you with support from Creative Communities Ōpōtiki Aldean Williams has a thriving community gym and has had to stare down two of life’s greatest challenges it's a vibrant beacon of health in Ōpōtiki guided by a powerhouse and community-minded woman named Aldean Williams Williams is a lightning rod for health and well-being in the eastern Bay of Plenty The non-profit community gym she co-founded And among the gym's loyal patrons are many of the town's seniors Ihi Kura is a non-profit gym with a focus on community connection in Ōpōtiki While devoting her time and energy to establishing the gym and promoting health and fitness in Ōpōtiki Williams has faced personal challenges — including surviving breast cancer and the recent loss of her husband Michael Williams has been named the latest ASB Good As Gold recipient for her significant contribution to the community Nominator Paula James described Williams' dedication to the gym run entirely by volunteers: "She's determined She's beautiful inside and beautiful outside." James said that despite facing her challenges Williams kept the gym's doors open for the community She still took her classes and still did her gym training Aldean Williams putting Opotiki residents through their paces at the gym "We're so blessed to have her here in Ōpōtiki She's the most beautiful person I have ever met "Aldean only wants to see people's lives improve [She has] complete and utter commitment to the community." Williams' daughter Shay Mareroa is proud of her mother [She's] not getting paid and doing it all for free pushing through with everything that's happened Williams said she would use some money to fund "a few" gym projects and [the gym has] always been for [the community] Helping others be confident and strong is just amazing Seven Sharp's Michael Holland tells Aldean Williams she is an ASB Good As Gold recipient She also had a message for any Ōpōtiki residents curious about hitting the gym "Come be part of our vibe; come be part of our tribe." If you know a deserving New Zealander you'd like to nominate for ASB Good as Gold, click here. Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare Life-saving heart transplant technology a 'game changer' Doctors at Auckland City Hospital have been using a HOPE box for heart transplants – and they're showing promising results Tonight's Good Sort is Dr Warren Nicholls a retired GP from Feilding who never quite stopped being a doctor Dr Nicholls took his skills on the road as part of a mobile medical service aimed at increasing access to healthcare There are no appointments needed – people just show up the team checks basic information like weight "There's a huge need for it," Dr Nicholls said The service began with local farmer Dean Williamson who wanted farmers to get more than their tractor checked up "To be able to book a health check in with the doctor you're looking at four or five weeks in advance and goodness knows what the weather's going to be like or what they're going to be doing on farming," Williamson said "I've signed a thousand death certificates but I've also delivered a thousand babies so the ledger of life is balanced," he said One caravan has now turned into a three and they've seen over a thousand patients He said one in four patients need further help "We've got a person who's probably a diabetic with a sugar of 12 and they don't know it." A mental health survey always finishes the visit it's their first doctor's visit in years "I haven't retired yet," Dr Nicholls said he wants to expand his operation into Northland "It's become my glorious obsession now." Taylor Keepa was like every other teenager full of plans for the future beyond the walls of Rototuna Senior High School But undergoing a heart transplantation was never one of them Taylor was in his final year of school in 2023 working a real estate internship and a part-time job at McDonald's when he began experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue "I would have to take a break on my walk to school and even just doing nothing I would struggle to breathe," he told 1News What followed was a frustrating series of visits to the doctors and Waikato Hospital where he was initially diagnosed with pneumonia Taylor and his mother Michelle were given a devastating diagnosis – left and right ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy a rare condition which was causing his heart to fail that's when we were getting a chopper from Waikato Hospital to Auckland Hospital and then the very next day he was put on life support; he was put on an ECMO machine that took over the function of his heart," Michelle said And I just had to watch it all happen." Taylor was now facing the biggest battle of his life What followed was a series of surgeries to keep the teenager's heart beating as he awaited transplantation Just days after being rushed to Auckland Hospital doctors inserted a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) – a mechanical pump that helps circulate blood from his heart to the rest of his body "It's kind of like having two satchels and they both cross over you and you kind of wear them like bags There are two wires that attach to your heart and sort of come out of your stomach area and funnel into these batteries," he said including a portable mode which has a 12-hour battery life Taylor would have to plug the batteries – still attached to him – into a power outlet while he slept "They definitely did not make it easy You would constantly be thinking about them Did I charge them correctly?" he said Taylor was eventually put on the urgent donor list "When you're put on the urgent list that's basically saying there isn't much longer we need this now" But seven months later on New Years Day 2024 during an intense card game in the hospital cafeteria with his dad 'I don't want to get your hopes up "It was kind of like a 'finally' type moment a heart was transported from Australia using a Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion box A Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion box – also known as a HOPE box by staff at Auckland City Hospital – is a specialised device used in organ transplantations The technology helps preserve oxygen and blood flow to a heart keeping the donor organ viable for longer than other traditional methods "It's basically like a really fancy version of a chilly bin It has a cooling device that keeps the heart at 8C and then it is perfused with blood and nutrients to provide exactly what the heart needs," said Dr Jamie O'Loughlin clinical lead for the Auckland Heart and Lung Transplant programme "The cool temperature keeps the metabolic demands low but providing oxygen and blood keeps the heart in the best condition that we can prior to transplant." The device was part of a clinical trial at Auckland City Hospital from March 2021 to December 2022 and has been used for 18 transplantations in New Zealand – five of those involving donor hearts flown in from Australia Dr O'Loughlin described the HOPE box as a "game changer" "We're not up against a time frame knowing that the donor heart is deteriorating over time so it gives us a lot of leeway in terms of how fast we're progressing the operation and the surgeons can take their time and do it really carefully," she said But this type of technology doesn't come cheap The technology is currently funded through donations given to the Auckland Hospital Foundation which means patients must meet strict criteria to qualify Advocates hope the Government will one day help fund the device so more people can access it "It's enabling the teams to build the capacity enabling the teams to build the care pathways and then for it to be adopted in government budgets," said Candy Schroder the director of the Auckland Hospital Foundation The last thing Taylor remembers before his heart transplantation was fist-bumping the surgeons and anaesthesiologists "He'd become quite popular in there," his mum said Taylor had received what he calls "the gift of life" "I remember waking up a couple of days later and I was really high," he laughed "People were coming in and saying hi to me and I was like After surgery he was transferred to Greenlane Hospital's Hearty Towers for recovery and rehabilitation and to connect with other New Zealanders who had also received heart transplants "I'm doing pretty awesome," he said "I'm studying again and I'm working now" When asked about the donor who gave him his heart "I like to think their life continues on in me" His gratitude is echoed by his mother and his wider whānau I wake up and I'm just like 'I still have my son' I'm thankful for everything I have," Michelle said I don't think there are enough words to describe how grateful I am," Taylor added "It's really hard to describe this feeling." A Czech tourist on a working holiday in Ōpōtiki had planned a solo hike in Te Urewera ranges but died after she lost control of her car on a gravel road on her way there and it plunged down a bank Three other crashes involving overseas tourists have happened on the same stretch of State Highway 38 prompting NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to act on Coroner Ian Telford’s urgent early recommendations to review the road Natalie Podesvova She had been employed as an orchard worker in Ōpōtiki and was living at Motu Trails Backpackers says Podesvova told friends on the day she died she was heading to Te Urewera for a camp and hike and was intending to return the following night her friend filed a missing person’s report with police prompting a land and air search on August 29 A resident driving in Te Whaiti Rd on August 28 noticed wheel tracks on the opposite side of the road but didn’t stop But he was prompted to go back on August 31 after seeing a police helicopter flying in the area and reading Facebook posts about a missing person He looked down the bank and saw a dead person next to a badly damaged car The person was later identified as Podesvova Coroner Telford said in his finding police found no evidence of suspicious circumstances or evidence of self-harm The crash happened about 800m into an unsealed section of road in a winding undulating forest environment with a steep near-vertical bank to the side of the eastbound lane the marker posts were in a state of disrepair and no crash barriers were in place Evidence suggested Podesvova was not wearing her seatbelt and it was her first long drive in New Zealand undertaken at night She had only recently obtained her licence and bought the car He said although it didn’t appear Podesvova was speeding she did not adjust her speed to the changing conditions The scene evidence showed Podesvova had failed to steer around the corner and had gone wide leaving the road in a straight line and crashing down the steep bank She suffered blunt-force injuries that led to her death A toxicology examination found nothing in her blood causing her to lose control Police told Coroner Telford there had been three other crashes on the same stretch of road in the past 10 years One of them occurred on the corner where Podesvova crashed All the drivers were overseas licence holders unfamiliar with the area and the unsealed road surface Senior Constable Gared McLaughlin’s analysis showed the pattern of crashes appeared to be linked to drivers heading east leaving the sealed section of the road and not adjusting to the gravel road surface Coroner Telford made urgent draft recommendations to NZTA to assess the road and install signage lowering the speed limit for a distance covering the transition from the sealed to gravel surface then declaring the open road speed limit further east once motorists had adjusted to the changed conditions He recommended installing crash barriers and improving the camber of the road He also invited NZTA to consider its public messaging particularly to overseas drivers who were less likely to be familiar with unsealed driving surfaces The NZTA responded saying it would conduct a speed limit and delineation review either side of the crash site The review would include an analysis of the shape of the road and any additional camber required appropriate for the speed NZTA advised of the extensive work it was already doing to educate overseas drivers about driving conditions in New Zealand this tragic accident acts as a reminder to us all of the importance of adjusting our driving to suit the particular surface we are driving on.” Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years Rescue efforts have been battling strong and dangerous weather conditions in Ōpōtiki over the weekend “Dangerous” river conditions during the weekend have hampered search and rescue efforts for a person still missing in the Waioeka River The person was travelling in a car with two others south of Ōpōtiki when the vehicle they were in went down the bank between Waioeka Pa Rd and Waiata Rd [the search is] still ongoing,” said Mark Looney owner-operator of Motu River Jet Boat Tours in Ōpōtiki “When water conditions improve [the] national dive squad will arrive,” he said Since Friday teams had been searching from the crash site “right down to the sea” They were heading to the crash site twice a day and officials estimated the search area to be about 40 kilometres members of the public had tried to assist with the search efforts but weather had made being in the water too dangerous “River conditions are not safe for anyone to go in the water “The potential for them to get in there and drown is very high.” About 20 people turned up at the crash site to help on Friday thunderstorms were forecast to pass over the region this afternoon “We see lightning flashes in that area and quite heavy falls,” said lead weather communication adviser Gerard Bellam “The good news is that it’s sort of passing through quite quickly and [there] will be sort of a respite overnight.” would make the search and rescue efforts “far from ideal” The day before the crash was “quite a wet day” across the Bay of Plenty Bellam said rainfall at the start of October showed “quite an unsettled start which raised the river levels” Rotorua had recorded 131mm of rain “already” and most of it fell on Wednesday and Thursday Whakatāne recorded 73mm of rain and Galatea had 88mm in the same period Rescue helicopters and a jet boat were called to assist in the search after the Waioeka crash The body of a person missing after a crash into the Waioeka River south of Ōpōtiki has been found The victim was travelling with two others in a car that went down the bank between Waioeka Pa Rd and Waiata Rd on Friday morning Two people were transported to Whakatāne Hospital with moderate injuries, but despite search and rescue efforts the third person and vehicle could not be found “Rain in the headwaters of the Opato and Waioeka has kept the river levels high, making it unsafe to enter the river,” Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Senior Sergeant Richard Miller said earlier this week On Thursday river conditions cleared sufficiently and a search operation was launched the vehicle was found about 400 metres from the original crash site The victim was discovered dead inside the vehicle Police have successfully recovered the body and informed the whānau of the deceased A rifles and gang patches seized in the police raids A 10-month police investigation into the eastern Bay of Plenty Mongrel Mob managed to stop a drive-by shooting at a marae among other instances of serious violence before it culminated in mass arrests and seizures after receiving information about a planned drive-by shooting at a local marae Quick action meant they located and seized three firearms preventing what could have been a serious incident Yesterday police executed over 30 search warrants across the North Island as part of Operation Highwater a concentrated operation targeting members and associates of the Mongrel Mob Barbarian MC East Bay chapter based in Ōpōtiki Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson says it was a good day for Ōpōtiki “The termination of this operation is a clear message to gang members selling illegal drugs across the Bay of Plenty that we will find you and you will be held accountable for your destructive behaviour.” Police say gang members commit a disproportionate amount of crime and harm in New Zealand particularly in the areas of serious assault Anderson says police will continue to “relentlessly pursue criminals who prey on our communities and cause a huge amount of harm and misery in their own communities with their drug dealing and violent behaviour” the feedback from different iwi leaders and the wider community is that they’ve had enough of this type of criminal offending.” The NZ Police National Organised Crime Group started Operation Highwater in December 2023 following increased violent crime and other offences in Ōpōtiki Yesterday’s search warrants spanned eastern Bay of Plenty targeting identified people believed to be involved in a North Island-wide drug distribution network seized illegal drugs and firearms and restrained assets Police made 18 arrests in the Bay of Plenty police district Assets they restrained – to the value of $800,000 – included: a residential property approximately $20,000 of jewellery and $65,500 cash – six firearms including five rifles and a 3D-printed pistol; – quantities of illegal drugs including 12 lbs of cannabis and smaller quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine; and – The investigation team is now in the process of filing charges and confirming court dates Yesterday’s actions follow the execution of warrants in the Coromandel area over several days in August after the Operation Highwater investigation team identified a flow of methamphetamine into the area Police completed 12 search warrants in Whitianga and Coromandel resulting in six arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine Police say this is an example of the “all-of-police” approach which has seen several workgroups across police working together toward a shared goal The operation has been led by the National Organised Crime Group supported by specialist groups and district staff Staff from the Police partnership and harm team will support the community wrap-around process during and after today’s termination Anderson says he wanted to thank the community members who have reported this type of offending and he encouraged them to keep reporting these drug dealers to police via 105 and Crimestoppers reporting lines “I’d also like to acknowledge and thank our organised crime detectives for their tireless work and dedication as well as all our policing teams across the Bay of Plenty who are making arrests every day to make us all much safer “Yesterday we stood up our district Gang Disruption Unit and this new team is also in the Eastern Bay of Plenty targeting gang members as we speak will continue to work hard every day to make our communities safer “I’m proud of the work our officers carry out every day and results such as we’ve seen today are testament to their hard work “We continue to have a strong focus on disrupting unlawful activity by gang members and their associates and holding offenders to account for crimes committed.” Police urge anyone who has concerns about criminal offending by gangs in their community to contact Police so it can be investigated They can call 111 if there is an incident happening now or make a report via 105 online if it is not an emergency situation Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111 Labour’s Peeni Henare says an inquiry into the allegations that emerged following the police raids in Ōpōtiki is needed to establish exactly what happened during the operation Police Minister Mark Mitchell has denied allegations young children were left alone during the raids saying those with concerns can take them to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) to be investigated The police operation in late October targeted homes in Ōpōtiki suspected to be connected to the Mongrel Mob following what police had described as an increase in occurrences of violent crime Allegations about police conduct during the raids have since emerged including that young children were left alone and that a kuia and her daughter-in-law were subjected to strip searches Henare said there should “most definitely” be an inquiry into what happened during the police operations and to the allegations why don’t we set up a process to make sure that they can be investigated properly One that has the kind of public scrutiny that we expect one that would be far more engaged than just police interviews then I think we should do something far greater than just interviewing the minister - it should be something that looks at the conduct of police and exactly what’s gone on in Ōpōtiki.” Mitchell was asked if anyone was strip-searched during the raid He had checked with police and said: “There were searches that took place (...) all of those searches were done completely within the current police guidelines and adherence with the warrant that they have there was a female searched which was done by a female police officer in the privacy of a bedroom That is quite normal when they are executing search warrants and there are people there who could have either weapons or evidence concealed on them.” After another allegation was raised to him Mitchell went on to say: “It’s not helpful if you’re out there with all sorts of anecdotal information that needs to be verified .. because that’s how you do start to undermine the police and our police work on a high trust model.” Mitchell said he had also been alerted to allegations a 3-year-old was left in a house for several hours alone and that three children were left at school after both parents were arrested and no arrangements were made He said both allegations were “absolutely not the case.” Mitchell was asked if children were considered collateral damage He said: “They are collateral damage because they are living in gang houses with guns and cannabis and violence and that is not good “As long as they continue to live in houses I don’t feel that is a good environment for children Iwi agree with me that they don’t want to see their tamariki living in gang houses.” Speaking at his post-Cabinet press conference Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked about the reports of a 3-year-old child being put in the back of a police vehicle during a recent gang-linked police raid in Ōpōtiki while their mother and grandmother were handcuffed by officers Luxon said he had sought more information about the allegation and there “was no point as I understand it where children were left alone.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism The Prime Minister's new chief science adviser is Dr John Roche from MPI Omaio in the Ōpōtiki District in the Bay of Plenty where a man has died after struggling in the water A man has died after a water-related incident off the coast of Omaio in Bay of Plenty after reports a man was struggling in the water The man was retrieved by members of the public and CPR was started before police arrived Emergency services arrived and continued CPR efforts to resuscitate the man were unsuccessful and he died at the scene Inquiries into the incident were ongoing and his death will be referred to the coroner An earlier police statement said the incident was reported about 12.30pm A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said it responded to an incident in Omaio between Wharawhara and Miriwai Rds on SH35 It received the report at 12.22pm and responded with one fire truck A Hato Hone St John spokesman said it sent a helicopter The death is the first water-related death this year As of yesterday,31/12 the provisional drowning toll for 2024 was 71 That’s 12 fewer than the 10-year average and 19 fewer than the previous year, although 2023’s toll included six drowning deaths that were due to Cyclone Gabrielle Last year’s toll includes several tragedies late last month, including the death of a snorkeller found unresponsive in the water at Northland’s Bland Bay at Whangaruru just after 12.30pm yesterday The body of Hikato Maaka was also found at a Bay of Plenty beach last weekend, following the 41-year-old’s death after jumping into Ōhiwa Harbour on Christmas Day Police have said the Whakatāne man was evading arrest at the time The death has been referred to the coroner And on Christmas Eve, Wellington mum-of-three Traci Te Paa died after saving her daughter and a nephew from a rip at a remote Northland beach The 37-year-old died a hero after the youngsters became caught in a rip at Waimamaku Beach in the Far North District She would have just gone with her first instinct.” A person is due to appear in court following their arrest in Ōpōtiki and seizure of items by police "Police in Ōpōtiki have again interrupted the sale and supply of drugs following a search warrant at an address linked to a gang executed on Thursday January 30," Sergeant Caoin Macey said Macey said a 47-year-old woman is facing a number of drug and firearms charges after the warrant uncovered methamphetamine "Police located and have seized a .22 calibre pistol six grams of methamphetamine and a small quantity of cash," Sergeant Macey said "Police see firsthand the harm drugs have within our community and will continue to work to ensure the offenders are held to account and drugs are not causing harm to members of our community." The 47-year-old is due to appear in the Ōpōtiki District Court on February 20 NZTA contractors were continuing their efforts to clear a slip on State Highway 2 at Waiotahe Beach near Ōpōtiki and a geotechnical examination was carried out Work continued yesterday on clearing a second major slip that came down on State Highway 2 north of Ōpōtiki The slip was adjacent to a large one that shut the highway there for a week at Waiotahe Beach The latest slip resulted in the highway being closed between Waiotahi Valley Back Rd and Paerata Ridge Rd since Monday morning NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi yesterday said work to remove debris continued and geotechnical engineers undertook an assessment of the cliff face “The road cannot be reopened until it’s deemed safe to do so,” an NZTA spokesman said “The detour for eastbound traffic involved a right on to Waiotahi Valley Back Rd left at the Paerata Ridge Rd before rejoining SH2.” It was reverse order for westbound traffic and the detour was not available to heavy traffic Trucking operators in and out of Gisborne were forced to go the long way round again Emergency services responded to the scene at around 10.20am on October 4 after reports a vehicle had gone down a bank into the river alongside State Highway 2 Police have located the body of a person who died following a single-vehicle crash into the Waioeka River near Ōpōtiki last week Two people were taken to Whakatāne Hospital with moderate injuries Senior Sergeant Richard Miller said search and rescue teams helicopter and Coastguard jet skis conducted sweeps of the river and riverbanks on Friday the person and vehicle were unable to be located." Conditions on the river remained dangerous as rain in the headwaters of the Opoto and Waioweka kept levels high and made it unsafe to enter the river. Miller said on Wednesday that a jet boat had made sweeps of the river every morning and afternoon to monitor river flow, depth and clarity. He added police and rescue teams had been on standby ready to respond when river conditions were safe. "Today, the river conditions had cleared sufficiently and Police along with search and rescue teams, local jet boat operators, and the Police National Dive Squad responded, searching the river." Miller said the vehicle was located around 400m from the crash site shortly after midday. The victim's body was located inside and had been successfully recovered. Conditions hinder search for person missing in river near ŌpōtikiSearch and rescue teams including a boat helicopter and Coastguard jet skis continued to search the Bay of Plenty river following a serious crash there last week Two injured one missing after vehicle crashes into river near ŌpōtikiEmergency services were alerted at about 10.20am a single vehicle had gone down a bank and entered the river near Ōpōtiki between Waioeka Pa and Waiata roads "While located deceased, police are pleased to have been able to reunite whānau with their loved one," he said. "Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing." Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning Sheep killed more euthanised after stock truck rolls in Southland Police were called to the single-vehicle crash on Tokanui Gorge Rd Highway near Fortrose at around 7.45am on Monday Four injured State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd is currently blocked Police say "dangerous" conditions are preventing them from searching for a person and vehicle missing in a Bay of Plenty river following a serious crash that injured two others last week Emergency services were alerted to a single vehicle that had gone down a bank and into the Waioweka River on State Highway 2 shortly before 10.30am on October 4 Police said two people were transported to Whakatāne Hospital with moderate injuries and one remained unaccounted for Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Senior Sergeant Richard Miller said today that search and rescue teams helicopter and Coastguard jet skis continued to search the riverbank on Friday the person and vehicle were unable to be located," he said Miller said conditions on the river had remained dangerous as rain in the headwaters of the Opato and Waioweka kept the river levels high and made it unsafe to enter the river "A jet boat has continued to make sweeps of the river each morning and afternoon depth and clarity of the water," he said Police Search and Rescue and the police National Dive Squad would continue to assess all information available and deploy as soon as conditions permit "Police and rescue agencies remain committed to returning their loved one to whānau as soon as it is possible," Miller said "We urge people who might be considering undertaking their own search activity in the river to please refrain from doing so given the risks posed by the conditions." 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 Sheep have been killed and others have had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled in Southland this morning The road was completely blocked and expected to be closed for sometime while the scene was cleared however the road is completely blocked," a police spokesperson said Southland District Council confirmed some animals were killed in the crash while others had to be euthanised due to injuries Fire and Emergency responded with crews from Waimahaka It's the second incident of sheep being killed after a stock truck rolled in Southland in a little over a week A small number of lambs had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled near Balclutha on April 27 Four people have been injured following a two-vehicle crash south of Dannevirke this evening Police said they were called to State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd around 7.10pm One person sustained serious injuries following the crash Motorists have been asked to take alternate routes this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read The alleged boss of a Mongrel Mob drug ring busted in Ōpōtiki is the son of the gang’s former president who had been vocal in his opposition to methamphetamine before his violent death last year But interim name suppression meant the alleged ringleader of the group could not be identified until now The non-publication orders have lapsed so the Herald can now reveal the main target of the 10-month covert inquiry was Mikhail Taiatini – the 25-year-old son of Steven Rota Taiatini who was the “captain” of the Mongrel Mob Barbarians East Bay until he was killed in June 2023 The 45-year-old was fatally struck by a vehicle following a confrontation with members of a rival gang one of whom has since been charged with murder Hundreds of gang members attended the tangi of Steve Taiatini – also known as Cap Tiwana – which caused widespread traffic disruption during the funeral procession and led to political criticism of police tactics Taiatini had been candid in an interview with the Herald in 2021 about his own struggles with drug addiction and dealing and the harm caused by the methamphetamine in the community When asked what a sceptical public might think about a gang leader’s volunteer work as a meth counsellor Taiatini said it was about taking “baby steps” “You’ve got to get the whānau healed first get them into work,” Taiatini said in 2021 but we wouldn’t be doing this sort of mahi if we were still doing the same shit.” Mikhail Taiatini became the captain of the Mongrel Mob Barbarians in Ōpōtiki The conflict between the Barbarians and the rival Black Power gang continued and the police soon started an investigation into the supply of meth in the eastern Bay of Plenty Operation Highwater ended in October with the arrests of 28 people connected to the Mongrel Mob Barbarians on charges relating to drug dealing across the North Island firearms and participating in an organised criminal group Police also seized about $800,000 worth of property $86,000 in a bank account and about $20,000 worth of jewellery the covert investigation allegedly stopped a couple of hits – described by police as probable homicides – by the gang as it planned to shoot Black Power rivals “This operation is a clear message to gang members selling illegal drugs across the Bay of Plenty that we will find you and you will be held accountable for your destructive behaviour,” said Superintendent Tim Anderson Court documents show Mikhail Taiatini was alleged to be controlling the supply of methamphetamine in Ōpōtiki through members and associates of the Barbarians He was charged with 25 offences including the supply of a Class-A drug the unlawful possession of a number of firearms (including an AK-47 with a large magazine) and attempting to pervert the course of justice Mikhail Taiatini was also charged with conspiracy to wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm – which relates to the allegation about a plot to shoot Black Power members at a tangi His mother, Pauline Tai, and two sisters have also been charged in Operation Highwater Tai had been vocal in her opposition to meth and had facilitated group counselling sessions for recovering drug addicts in Ōpōtiki and surrounding towns for several years She has not been charged with any methamphetamine offences But police allege Tai participated in an organised criminal group attempted to pervert the course of justice with her son The night before the Operation Highwater raids in October Tai appeared on a Maori Television documentary extolling the benefits of their drug rehab work among the Mongrel Mob Barbarians Several members of the gang who were interviewed for the show were arrested the following day Jared Savage is an award-winning journalist who covers crime and justice issues with a particular interest in organised crime and is the author of Gangland and Gangster’s Paradise That‘s in stark contrast to Police Minister Mark Mitchell’s insistence that police “are constantly working with, and consulting with, local iwi and hapū” when discussing the raids in the house last week. The eastern Bay of Plenty-based iwi says raids on 15 homes led to 22 arrests but also adversely affected 37 mokopuna. In a statement this afternoon, Arihia Tuoro, chair of Te Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea, the iwi trust board, said the raids raised concerns about the Crown’s relationship with Te Whakatōhea. “Our primary responsibility is to the safety and support of our mokopuna and kaumātua affected by these events, and we are dedicated to working constructively and collaboratively to uphold the wellbeing of our whānau and community.” She said the impacts of the raids on young mokopuna must never be allowed to happen again. “We stand united in our efforts to find solutions to best address the issues we are facing in our community and we want to address these issues through collaboration while building trust with our whānau and those most affected." In a statement to Te Ao Māori News, the police insisted Te Whakatōhea leadership had said they were “very appreciative” of the Ōpōtiki operation last Tuesday. “For operational reasons police do not give advance notice to anyone of intentions to execute search warrants and/or arrest warrants.” Standing by the operation, the police also said they’d “prevented the extremely harmful supply of methamphetamine into Ōpōtiki from these alleged offenders, therefore ensuring the health and wellbeing of their mokopuna is improved”. They did not directly address a question about support for mokopuna and tamariki caught up in, or whose parents were arrested in, last week’s Ōpōtiki operation. Police said staff would meet key Iwi members this morning to discuss the matter further. Last Wednesday, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi suggested the raids, which occurred during Te Pūnuiotoka near Ōtautahi, were deliberately timed to occur when key Iwi leaders were out of town. The claim was dismissed as “conspiracy theory territory” by Minister Mitchell, and said Police Commissioner Andrew Coster offered assurances that that was not the case. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rawiri Waititi MP (@rawiri_waititi) When asked about the police action, Mitchell said it was “not the police officers that choose to keep weapons and drugs in the house” and said the intergenerational harm created by gangs needed to be addressed. The minister said Māori were 60 percent more likely to experience violent crime, and attributed much of that to gangs. When asked last Wednesday how many women, children and kaumātua were caught up in the operation, Mitchell was unable to answer but said: “The better question is this: how can we stop the people who are really responsible?” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rawiri Waititi MP (@rawiri_waititi) Photo: LDR Increased rubbish and recycling collections and a new foodwaste kerbside service have been recommended for Ōpōtiki Medical Officer of Health Jim Miller made the recommendations as the region develops a new plan for reducing waste Ōpōtiki District Council recently voted to develop a new waste management and minimisation plan to be phased in over the next six years though an extension was granted until November 30 to proceed with a new plan A waste assessment carried out by consultants Tonkin & Taylor in February identified “gaps and new challenges” in aligning with national waste minimisation initiatives It found a kerbside foodwaste collection would ease pressure for households struggling to deal with waste The district has a kerbside collection only in the Ōpōtiki township urban area with a 45-litre wheelie bin collected once a week Recycling is also collected in this area with each household having four plastic crates to separate paper glass and tins with collections of two different crates on alternate weeks It also commented that better data collection was required which would be partly addressed by the new weigh station at the Ōpōtiki Resource Recovery Centre The assessment pointed out that charges for recycling at the district’s resource recovery centres might discourage recycling There was potential for the mussel farm to significantly expand the district’s current waste generation Farm waste could potentially become an issue in future as export markets become increasingly interested in on-farm management practices including disposal of materials Tonkin & Taylor said little was known of farm waste disposal practices in the district but it was thought likely they used the “three Bs” method of disposal - “burning burial or bulk storage on private property” such as that produced by freedom campers or seasonal workers Flooding of waste recovery centres due to major weather events as occured last year in both Ōpōtiki and Waihau Bay also put strain on an already stretched infrastructure Medical Officer of Health Jim Miller commented on the assessment He recommended increasing the capacity of kerbside collections of both waste and recycling for urban introducing an organic foodwaste collection service and expanding the processing in resource recovery centres The affordability of these options would be one of the topics to be discussed in the development of the new plan The cost of developing the plan was estimated as being between $16,000 and $20,000 and potential expenses for consultation could be distributed across existing budgets and phased across six years The council plans to engage with the public and seek feedback on the new plan Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air Police Minister Mark Mitchell has rubbished claims by Te Pāti Māori that the gang crackdown in Ōpōtiki was anything other than a well-run police operation Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki said Tuesday’s “police-sponsored terrorism” in Ōpōtiki is a continuation of the state’s predatory behaviour towards the iwi of Te Whakatōhea “Ōpōtiki is once again being intentionally targeted and is the direct byproduct of this Government’s ‘tough on crime’ legislative changes,” said Waititi “Violating whānau in their own homes on a hunch and then throwing our people into this racist system will do nothing to address the systemic issues created by this and successive Governments.” But Mitchell told the Herald: “Labelling a Police operation as state-sponsored terrorism is pure fallacy “Police did an outstanding job at executing what was an extensive 10-month investigation and this was evident in the results – 28 arrests; $800,000 of assets restrained; and the seizure of firearms “I take my hat off to the police officers involved for their outstanding work.” Mitchell said community safety was paramount and it was now time for the people of Ōpōtiki to claim back their town He denied that police were targeting the iwi of Te Whakatōhea Police target and disrupt criminal activities,” Mitchell said “This includes gangs who despite being a quarter of 1% of the population cause a disproportionate amount of harm through the peddling of drugs “I have been in Ōpōtiki and met with local iwi and hapū The feedback from those meetings was that they want change for their town My hope is that with police dealing a significant blow to the Mongrel Mob in Ōpōtiki “Towns like Ōpōtiki suffer heavily from the drugs and misery that gangs peddle especially when children and schools are targeted for distribution They also suffer from the senseless violence and besieging of towns and communities “I want to see Ōpōtiki realised for the beautiful town that it can be not for the gang town it is sadly known as “The law-abiding people who live there deserve to feel safe out in the community and free from the misery gangs inflict through their criminal activities is police taking action to keep the community safe.” a body representing the region's eight iwi.