Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick unveiled the strategy in Tokoroa as 230 employees at nearby Kinleith Mill expect to lose their jobs by the end of June The Kinleith Mill job losses come after similar closures near Ohakune “We’re really stoked to be in Tokoroa,” Swarbrick told media Swarbrick said Tokoroa was chosen for the May Day strategy announcement because it was one of many “regional communities that have been desperately impacted by the withdrawal of private capital” “I think the most important thing for people to know is that we can take control of our economy We don’t need to let these things happen to us “If we continue to leave our economy vulnerable to the whims of offshore capital and international corporations then we’ll continue to see places closed down.” Swarbrick said the Green Party believed the central North Island had “incredible potential” to become a national hub for wood processing and sustainable fuels production one short-term goal would be to create a Kinleith Biohub focused on producing cross-laminated timber “But what’s really clear is that in order to make that happen we are going to need to see the government become an active participant in shaping the economy.” When asked if the Greens would support Crown ownership of Kinleith Mill as part of the party’s strategy Swarbrick said that was “one of the options” The Green Industrial Strategy’s proposed key steps included establishing a Future Workforce Agency funding a renewed Jobs for Nature programme and expanding Crown-owned infrastructure delivery entity Rau Paenga into a Ministry of Green Works The strategy’s roll-out would require a spend of about $8b over the first four years Swarbrick said she “didn’t want to give too much away” before the party’s budget was released When asked how the Greens planned to get cross-party support for this strategy Swarbrick said New Zealand didn’t operate under a presidential system “I don’t believe that the power rests with politicians I believe that the power rests with the people,” Swarbrick told the Herald “What I’m interested in is how we have New Zealanders understand that things can be different.” E tū union negotiating specialist Joe Gallagher and other union representatives were present at the Tokoroa announcement Gallagher later told the Herald he had just come from a meeting about Kinleith Mill “We’re going through a process where the people who wanted voluntary redundancy have been granted it “The rest of the people at the paper plant have been made compulsorily redundant “We’re now working through a process of selecting the people who are going to stay.” Gallagher said the process was “tough” for everyone involved there’s three and four people who work at the mill That’s a lot of income to lose overnight.” Gallagher said the Green Party’s proposed strategy would give some of the affected Kinleith Mill workers hope it will give them hope for their grandchildren.” building a resilient future for the workers of New Zealand was an issue that “should have cross-party consensus” “This is actually a policy that can build a sustainable future for workers and I think they should think long and hard before they dismiss it out of hand.” Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times Hamilton District Court is closed and cases have been disrupted The Green Party wants to convert the Kinleith Mill pulp and paper processor into a cross-laminated timber plant as part of a wider industrial strategy aimed at creating jobs in underserved communities Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick announced the policy in Tokoroa on Thursday morning taking aim at New Zealand First leader Winston Peters for failing to rescue jobs at Kinleith She said the Deputy Prime Minister had insisted on being the only politician with a speaking slot at a public meeting last December to discuss the proposed closure Peters said he would speak to the company’s Japan-based owners and advocate on the workers behalf, according to a local news report He also suggested the Government may intervene in energy markets to prevent “out of control” prices Swarbrick said he had failed to deliver on that promise for Tokoroa leaving the community to the “corporate whim” of Kinleith’s shareholders “That night he gave you some really strong words So it’s pretty obvious why you might think politicians are useless,” Swarbrick said in her speech She wants the Government to take an active role creating jobs and industries in regions where private businesses lack the profit motive or capital to do so themselves “Towns like Tokoroa have been left to ride the stormy economic waves while the Government that should be steering the ship has let go of the wheel not us—has been allowed to choose which sectors thrive This type of talk has traditionally been the domain of NZ First its ability to pump money into regional development has been crimped by its free market coalition partners Labour gave the party a $3 billion Provincial Growth Fund in its 2017 coalition agreement but National called this a “slush fund” and only gave NZ First a $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund in its 2023 coalition negotiations The Green Party may now see NZ First as vulnerable in regional towns which often vote for left-leaning parties even if the wider electorates surrounding them back National Swarbrick unveiled an updated Green Jobs and Green Industrial Strategy policy promising to be the party that invested in regional towns even when there weren’t profits to be made Kinleith Mill could be converted into a cross-laminated timber plant which would supply Kainga Ora with construction materials to build state houses Cross-laminated timber are wooden panels made by gluing layers of sawn timber together at right angles to make them more structurally rigid It is popular in Europe due to its sustainability but is often more expensive than other materials The plant could also use excess timber to create wood pallets and biofuels to replace the coal which is still burned in many manufacturing processes around the country Swarbrick said the whole central North Island could become a hub for sustainable wood products with the recently-closed processing plants in Ohakune Karioi and Tangiwai all being repurposed with government backing This type of work would be led by new or repurposed entities the Future Workforce Agency–Mahi Anamata and a 1980s-style Ministry of Green Works These two would coordinate to develop public infrastructure projects and the workforce to build them as well as transition plans for workers in fossil fuel industries it could help workers in Taranaki shift from oil extraction to offshore wind projects The Green Party would also bring back the Jobs for Nature programme which provided conservation jobs in areas with high unemployment This policy was particularly popular in some Māori communities which can have strong cultural ties to remote areas with limited job opportunities These policies aim to build 35,000 new public homes over five years and create up to 40,000 jobs They were estimated by the party to cost roughly $8 billion over four years presumably funded through taxes in wealthier urban communities however a town was built around a large employer which is closing up shop This has happened time and time again throughout the world Towns may survive on entrepreneurialism of the population wished to band together and build itself back up but otherwise history tells us people move to more favourable locations withy more plentiful jobs out of necessity Could be wrong but I have in mind that whenever such proposals are put forward the cost per job is usually much higher Would certainly seem ideal to regain control over some primary production and manufacturing And more new warm houses and get rid of the hundred year old and 80s built mould factories would be great Fill them full of wool insulation be even better The Green Party wants the Govt to fund the conversion of  the Kinleith Mill pulp and paper processor into a cross-laminated timber plant IPOGovernment funding and support for Ruapehu ski fields Do they really think the people of Tokoroa might ever vote for them I have a bridge for sale that you might be interested in.. "...strong cultural ties to remote areas with limited job opportunities" "...presumably funded through taxes in wealthier urban communities." = heads in sand & expecting the less than half of households remaining net income taxpayers (who've moved where the jobs are) to fun their entitled dependency intransigence And given that they are limited to talking as if this economic paradigm will continue - thanks to dogged MSM avoidance of the fact that it can't - this is about as good a suggestion as anyone has made for a long time And the idea probably traverses the Limits to Growth bottleneck But when we're down to real-time solar acreage for energy capture their idea of wood pellets (pallets are something else Pellets are too energy-intensive to make; slash needs to be transported.. Sure the Greens may have some useful inputs on the correct use of pronouns and how to ride an electric bike responsibly but they have zero capability and experience with industry like manufacturing and construction I locked horns with Nandor many years ago on a discussion about solar and the positive progress Sharp Corporation was making at the time (Sharp ended up failing quite badly with photovoltaic) His only response was that companies like Sharp couldn't be part of a solution because they are 'Babylon' I found it very naive and didn't bother taking the exchange further Yes Japan has corporatism but it's far more based on desired outcomes beyond profit and shafting of society than in the West I understand they're not going to do the actual themselves we will be triaging existing stuff - including existing plant - to address our future needs Don't get hung up on painting colours or personalities to walls because there's a plant and its related to forestry does not really mean anything 'Existing plants' is also meaningless if it has no use case in their plans but people like himself do have limitations Whether it's the Greens or the wingnuts doesn't matter Any idea what a new shell and supporting services costs but the cost to produce anything like this new producing paper and timber are entirely different processes There's a value in facilities close to the raw material source The processing machinery in it also costs money but it's a lot more trying to do it from an empty piece of dirt I don't have intimate details of the site itself Just saying that as someone involved in the creation and repurposing of industrial manufacturing facilities But feel free to try and tell me water isn't wet Quite right - anything that has re-purposing in mind has to have merit - at least to the stage of a business case I did a quick analysis of the PGF fund projects approved by Shane Jones in the first NZF round of regional subsidies/initiatives - and it was a very 'sick' (lacking) story where manufacturing initiatives were concerned; https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/105909/katharine-moody-zui-communiti… The government has a competitive advantage because they have the ability to legislate demand A private investor in manufacturing capital often has to find/generate a market One big challenge is that for a concern to be a goer it needs a good degree of entrepreneurship and innovation driving it which is at odds with the governments approach of decision making via committee consensus Which is why I've always felt government subsidized R&D is always a better 'buy' for the taxpayer than many of the infrastructure projects such as those subsidized via the PGF (Mark I) No idea what Shane is spending our money on this time around 8-9 out of 10 new business ventures fail in the wild - have a nationwide design comp for 6-10 different house designs that are a combination of attractive design with a kiwi flavour - have the materials sourced and manufactured domestically from renewables so no need to lodge it individually each time one needs building And make 10s or hundreds of thousands of these homes Should be able to half the current minimum cost to build a basic home but you have a wee problem to solve with the landowners - covenants Anytime I suggested they needed to be regulated out of subdivision approvals If we can declare a pandemic an emergency serious enough to turn the country upside down surely we can make housing an emergency that means existing vested interests can shove it thats way to smart logical intelligent efficient and idea to ever happen --  imagine if all those needless consent processes were cut out - council delays would end - endless RFI requests for information already provided to restart response clocks would end RE fees would be less --    hell houses might even become affordable --    never happen Callaghan Innovation's brief was the development and commercialisation of R&D they seemed to be more focussed on their personal "R" projects than the commercialisation "D" While that might be the way internal incentives got set up it might also explain why they got dis-established So: while fundamental research is likely the domain of government the development in to usable items is not a government strength What might be better is to foster the revolving door to industry Business ventures could be helped through tax breaks where tax is structured to allow them to be tax free until established and paying staff well Government subsidies should not be to outcome Other support might be possible to give the best chance of ideas getting off the ground Chloe should be cheered for starting to think like she should have been for years but she also needs to figure out what it will take in detail The reality is that people need work and career options repurposing for such a major change of operations in such a large scale enterprise is very likely to involve a near re-build of everything from below-ground services to the envelope of the building to accommodate the new processes - let alone an equipment refit I'd love to know where they got their numbers from paper non synthetic grease proof paper wrap etc any more Kinleith is fitted out for paper production and Oji is shifting to pulp production and moving to a paper import model for its packaging operations The main Japanese companies processing timber for building materials are the forestry companies like Sumitomo which has been going gangbusters in the US through its housing subsidiary Other Japanese companies in this space include Sojitz and Itochu--major corporations So what Chloe and her mates need to understand is that they're likely starting from scratch in terms of processing None of those Japanese companies are likely to invest in Aotearoa for building materials So while her idea sounds constructive and a drumming circle and hits from the bong might spark a bit of creative thought but strategy into action is what it's all about I would be very surprised if this could be govt led Like throwing money into a gasoline-soaked pit and lighting a match throwing money into a gasoline-soaked pit and lighting a match 100B plus and nothing really to show for it The cycle bridge feasibility costs were mind-blowing approx $36 million Much of the public sector seems to me like a social welfare program for the middle class who have a university education at least they didn't proceed to spend the estimated $785M (actual ???+++×××) https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/126575243/51m-spent-on-axed-a… I worked on the Cycle bridge concept 30 years ago Not much was changed from the original concepts The problem with cycleways - indeed the whole Green New Deal approach - is that it is attempting to prolong modernity Which says that bikes will be the last vehicles to use roads because when the last bike-tube perishes.. So few folk understand the morph we're headed for Problem with cycle bridge was NZTA hated the idea So they made damn sure the costing was exorbitant And when the powers that be hinted that were still interested they doubled it they also need to address the demand side; encourage the use of cross laminated timber products in construction in NZ The way we can greatly improve housing affordability here is via unified design at scale I used self-built laminated I-beams in our 1987 house rebuild It's not new by any stretch of the imagination Plywood is now very problematic due to fire rating requirements particularly in higher occupancy buildings (this is one of my core business functions) There's a lot of government spending going on there public funded jobs to produce laminate to publicly funded jobs to build public funded housing for publicly funded welfare Hopefully the shrinking workforce that's not publicly funded can earn enough to fund it but essentially the creation of a government run industrial concern That hasn't worked out so well for us in the past Remember the huge overstaffing and inefficiency of government enterprises like the old Railways Workshops About the only similarity between paper production and CLT production is that they both use timber as feedstock so the production refit would need to be entire Cost competitive volumes would far exceed the power of the tiny local market to absorb product so excess would have to be exported - so it has to be cost competitive to do that The alternative is to produce smaller volumes at higher prices and protect the local product via import restrictions which turns the whole business in to an expensive jobs creation exercise - and I'm having flashbacks to the days of Robert Muldoon Not something I thought I'd say about Green policy Oh: and where does the skilled build workforce come from And how about changing the building regulations to make new (for here) products easier to use and pare away the prescriptive and proscriptive planning rules that makes inventive design solutions so hard That is the dilemma - western production/manufacturing can NEVER be cost-competitive with slave or near-slave labour coupled with lax regulation The joke is - and it's on the US for believing Trump - that when you pay the same wages as you need to buy stuff remembering the silly comments about supermarket duopolies/lack of competition (when food is orders of magnitude too cheap now as do the media - need to address the big picture There's a lot of uninformed assumptions & assertions made about countries comparative / competitive advantage I spent my working lifetime in manufacturing including around 2 decades in a role requiring participation in factory improvement programmes across the world with particular focus on Asia (from Turkey to Japan) working conditions & quality stds were the same or better than I've seen in ANZ And the factory workers earned enough to buy their own homes Local pay cannot be compared with Western rates I have a colleague who heads up contract manufacturing for Nike (now finished) and Adidas in Vietnam This kind of work is entry-level employment for rank and file they had to send the workers home as there was no work They were given 6 months pay and a tacit understanding they would return A Dutch colleague runs a metal engineering firm in Vietnam They export all over the world and have contracts with US farm equipment companies He has one woman who has been with them for 9 years No strong formal education but a quick learner and now handles procurement and takes home a salary of USD2,000 per month - good by Vietnamese standards and with an interesting work life Their facilities are top notch and it's impressive to see what they have achieved There's an inherent advantage of undertaking your industrialization almost concurrently in the latter end of the 20th century incorporating the knowledge gained elsewhere over 150 years or so So our East Asian economic miracles have a huge competitive advantage in contemporary manufacturing and much lower wages is something an older economy with a collage of varying plant and infrastructure is going to struggle to get anywhere close to - or be able to attract new investment funds Being a few generations closer to famine or conflict will also make you hungrier When you look around these countries on a wider arc (i.e outside of the sorts of factories that can hire Western consultants) There is still a large amount of people getting paid a pittance which keeps many costs across the board very low so even your higher skill workers are much cheaper The factories themselves (although not the plant Anything we produce outside of our natural competitive advantages has to compete with this low cost labour in a global market - I can hire 10-15 Thai or Vietnamese workers for the same cost as 1 Kiwi Really interesting observations/experience on modern manufacturing in Asia When I think of these issues/discussions about wage differentials I often recall Henry Ford's comment that he had to pay his workers a salary that would be enough for them to buy the companies products Of course he was also (I think) the 'inventor' of mass production via assembly lines in a factory setting I often recall Henry Ford's comment that he had to pay his workers a salary that would be enough for them to buy the companies products This is a key difference in these newer mercantilist economies Much of the manufacturing is made for export to wealthier nations so the average local isn't necessarily the customer for what's being made (that's not to say locals don't by these goods made for export just that much of the society can't afford them) they held to develop a consumer/middle class as most of the rest of the world was pretty poor This hasn't happened to the same extent in the newer industrialized economies and without developing out domestic consumption they hit a wall as to how far they can grow and we're seeing that playing out in China at the moment and I suspect they (the CCP) will push through that barrier somehow In the West things have been bouyed by advancements in social security/safety nets so there's a greater incentive to save rather than spend Not even if we import migrant labor and stack em' high in dormitories and make out like bandits on the rental We can't even get close to how they do it in parts of Europe about a Chinese manufacturer that set up to emulate/produce the same productivity output in the US to that of his Chinese factories He found American workers just could not do it Physicality/physical differences do matter There's definitely some vocations suited to specific body types which can be more common in some ethnicities some of the Western body types are self inflicted Most jobs are more productive if you're fit https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Factory and a lot of collaboration with overseas firms; rather than low wages the good firms with long term prospects scaled trained and automated in ways we can't or won't here The result was reduced costs and improved quality while the workforces did better for themselves Job guarantees are an economic stabilisation policy far superior to the ridiculous wiggling around of interest rates Possibly Bidens U.S....though not a complete or announced policy Or NZ for a period prior to the 80s reforms https://www.jobsfornature.govt.nz/ One of our sons working in EM supervised a number of workers under it Very positive benefits for the environment (a whole lot more work done with the extra staff); participants very enthusiastic and keen to learn; socialization experience of working in teams (and with the GP environmental care groups); following H&S protocols; etc all very positive learning/work experience for the participants There are reams of papers and quite a few books written on job guarantees They have never been used at scale as a majority replacement for medieval monetary policy though So an area that's still running a decent amount of informal economy a country that's impoverished itself partially through engaging this sort of policy It is a policy that would require a considerable period to bed in though as it would require significant and widespread change (not least of culture) to implement....not something that is likely to be possible in one Parliamentary term so would always be at risk of abandonment before the benefits were realised It is an all our nothing policy IMO....half arsed measures will not provide the benefits which makes it unlikely to be adopted I'd argue with the upcoming generations attention spans given the impact of social media and ubiquitous technology many long term visions will fall short due to lack of ability to see that far into the future the ability to see the value in delayed gratification vs impulsive short term gains "What kind of society leaves 5% of its labour force on the sidelines when there is loads of useful stuff that needs doing?" One that has abrogated individual & political responsibility perhaps it is overlooked in that there are plenty of jobs but there are many that nobody wants to do by means of low pay tedious work or work outside one's physical capabilities or through the sheer choice given there are means of deriving income from the government without having to work It;s admirable to want 100% participation in work for the working age population but foolish to assume that 100% of those capable of working actually want to or are willing to do so in something they are not engaged in  if they can derive income for nothing elsewhere Probably a better initial approach would be marrying our workforce training with our skills shortages There 30 times more people unemployed in Northland than there are jobs advertised and most of the vacancies require specific skills I also didn't say 100% working was the aim - the proposal is to make sure anyone who wants to work can work and get paid $50k a year to pick rubbish or forestry slash up off beaches you would get a basic wage for doing useful stuff - licensed community projects If you got bored or wanted to be able to afford to go out for meals People moving from jobs with a current measurable productive output with a whole bunch of accompanying rules and measures defining the productivity to busy work that currently has no productive value How much more will traditional jobs pay than these jobs created to stop people being idle You generally need a manager for every 6-8 workers What do you do with people that just don't turn up The glorious free market would set wage differentials - as it does now with minimum wage as the floor The productivity of someone on the dole is zero The productivity of someone earning $25 per hour for a nonprofit is $25 per hour If the nonprofit became a profitmaking company the productivity of the worker would be $25 + one hours share of the profit there was a government programme which wasnt too far removed from this called YPTP (young persons training programme)...anyone unemployed (not sure if there was an age limit) was offered employment through various government/council organisations...hospitals etc My first full time job was as a hospital aide (general nursing/orderly duties) along with around 30 or so others....am unsure when it ended the proposal is to make sure anyone who wants to work can work" Around 450000 migrants entered NZ in the last 3 years That would be an arrival number though....there were significant numbers (of migrants) also departing...what would be the net figure So about 30% more than our unemployment count and there was nothing suitable for you locally and work 4 nights / 4 days on rotation in the local care home and take home a few dollars more than dole (the dole that means you live in poverty) and yet so many places cant fill vacancies -- farmers hospitality and retail for starters -  and even when they get people they only turn up 2 or 3 times a week --   and no hospitality and retail are not looking for anything other than turning up every day  they will teach you the rest there are about 10 retail assistant jobs in Wellington available today on Seek / Trademe but you could strike gold and get the job on offer at new world on willis street (they will have 100s of applications) There are 5,000 people on jobseekers work ready in Wellington City It is a ridiculous waste - and the longer people are out of work the harder it is for them to find work The more stress kids are exposed to etc etc I recall when working in government there was a change of government and Jim Anderton became the new Minister of Economic Development The Ministry of Commerce was re-named Economic Development - and there was an all-staff invite to his opening address his public servants The main point he made was that his goal as Minister was for full employment He went on about how he knew the orthodox theory saw a certain level of unemployment as good - he suggested he didn't agree - and wanted everyone of us to be conscious of and promote employment creating initiatives I put in a request for new Vote funding to start up an apprenticeship programme for my Vote area - but it got shot down by the then CE who suggested if I wanted it I should find the funding within my existing baseline Which was "code for" NO - that's not our responsibility The Green Party has launched its new policy called the “Green Jobs Guarantee” in the heart of forestry country – Tokoroa Its thw town in Aotearoa where just a few months ago around 230 workers learnt they would lose their jobs at the Kinleith Mill At the time the mill’s owner Oji Fibre Solutions chief executive Dr Jon Ryder said in a statement “After extensive work and considering a variety of options and feedback from unions and our team we see no feasible alternative to our proposal to simplify operations which will keep Kinleith Mill operating maintain jobs in the region and continue reliable supply of product to our customers,” The Greens have said this new policy will: “New Zealanders should be in control of our economy We don’t need to leave our fate to be decided by international shareholders,” says Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick we’ve heard the same devastation driven by the same political decisions to let offshore companies decide the fate of regional communities Enter your email address to receive regular updates from Waatea News Produced by iDigital 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 NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for Waikato and Bay of Plenty says this partial opening was the best solution for those using SH1 in that area “We lost more than 4 days of work since we started work in this area on 6 October – all because of rain.  This is a large site spanning 17km with four separate work areas  We have completed 13kms of road makeover allowing us to open the southern end of this work zone between Kinleith and Upper Ātiamuri which we are sure many locals will welcome “We also needed to press on to get the next section as there is a limited time before the Christmas road-works moratorium comes into place on Friday 20 December 2024  The partial reopening means we can reduce the length of the detours and journey times.”  Businesses and residences between SH32 intersection and just north of Campbell Road will still be accessible with the soft closure there.  has had an extensive makeover which involved milling out the existing road surface and replacing it with new material and adding a foam stabilised bitumen basecourse layer.  It is expected this section should be open mid next week.  “Unfortunately road works are totally dependent on having good weather We think this work-around is a good outcome that most locals will appreciate,” Mr Brady says.  The partial section of road reopening will be under traffic management for a few days so the surface can be driven on to bed-in the rebuild work Once the chip is adequately bedded in (the length of time will vary depending on the weather) It is expected this will be done by the time the rest of this section is open next week again under traffic management while it is bedded in The final asphalt surface will be applied under night-time road closures starting Tuesday 7 January 2025 More information will be available soon about the impacts of that work on journeys The partial reopening means that at 5am on Saturday 23 November 2024 will close for its beauty treatment and a 15 lane-kilometre facelift as the road had to be sparkling for the Christmas holiday season at midday on 20 December 2024 and there is a bit to be done SH1 will be closed to through traffic from SH1/Princes Street All north and south bound SH1 light vehicles will be detoured via Princes Street This will add approximately 15 mins and 11km to journey times There will be a temporary speed limit of 70km/h along the entirety of the detour route Heavy vehicles are asked to take SH5/30.   The "hard closure" (the worksite) is approximately 13km long There will be a “soft closure” in Putāruru between SH1/Princes Street intersection and Vospers Road/Ngatira Road There is also a soft closure at the southern end While still allowing access to businesses and residents these soft closures are in place to send those on longer journeys down appropriate detours.  Southbound traffic will not be able to travel beyond Vospers/Ngatira Road Northbound traffic will be able to travel as far north as SH1 Rollett Road.  The first closure on SH1 was from south of Tīrau to north of Putāruru with the rebuild work finishing on 4 October We are coming back for one last step in the revamp - to lay the final asphalt surface - under night-time road closures from Sunday 24 November until Thursday 5 December The road will be closed from 7pm – 6am during this time adding approximately 8 minutes to journeys We're looking forward to seeing the final result - a well-constructed road that is great to drive on (and admire)!  Work began on 11 November on Eastern Taupō Arterial and this section will reopen on 6 December SH1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru will close from Monday 6 January until late February 2025 To learn more please visit our SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance project page where you can also subscribe to our newsletter:  SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance Completely closing sections of SH1 has enabled 3 sprayers to be used at once to apply the bitumen emulsion at a temperature of 85 degrees onto the foam bitumen basecourse underneath 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 A group of high-profile politicians is expected to visit Tokoroa on Monday night The mill's owner, Oji Fibre Solutions, announced in November that it was stopping paper production Green MP Tamatha Paul grew up in the area and was expecting to attend the Save Our Mill community meeting in Tokoroa Labour MPs including Camilla Belich (workplace relations) and Glen Bennett (economic development) were also expected to attend including Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Social Development Minister Louise Upston along with contingents from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori It would likely be "the most politicians that [have] ever been to a small town like Tokoroa" The aim of the meeting was to showcase the hundreds of jobs on the line before Christmas in the hopes the government would provide affected workers some support it would be great if the government could decide to provide some relief to the workers who are going to go into Christmas and are not sure whether they'll have a job or not in the next couple weeks "There's an immediate solution that we're seeking to immediately alleviate that stress and pain for whānau." She also called for the government to develop a long-term plan for the regional economy including making a firm plan for tackling energy prices "Then following that we would really love to see a long-term strategy around the economy in the south Waikato really - what industries are we going to be able to transition to given climate change given the impact from our energy rules and laws in New Zealand and how that's leading to mills across the country being closed down "How can this government say that they want people in jobs Particularly in these regions when you can't necessarily work from home People in the regions want to get out and work they want to contribute to something bigger than themselves." Paul was excited for the country to see the "magic of my hometown" and was hopeful the event would be inspirational for the country - particularly the regions grappling with similar concerns about their future Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Workers have been called to a meeting at the Kinleith Mill Oji Fibre Solutions Penrose mill is permanently closing Business RSS Follow RNZ News Press Release – S and L Land Specialists Strathmore Park will offer a range of housing options from affordable starter homes to spacious family dwellings and smart executive homes ensuring there’s something for everyone The holiday season marked a significant milestone for Tokoroa and the wider South Waikato community driven new residential subdivision providing hundreds of new homes for the area The karakia was wonderfully performed by Āhuru Mōwai (tangata whenua) and the blessing organized by Mahu Armstrong – Kaitohutohu Matua Mātauranga Māori Ngāti Mahana – Te Kaunihera ā rohe o Waikato ki te Tonga The blessing was a celebration of the land and the provision and protection it can provide to the people of Tokoroa It also marked the planned commencement of earthworks on the site which will be managed by local company Rouse Contractors Ltd – a business owned and operated by Clyde Rouse a Tokoroa native who comes with a wide range of experience within the Rural The site is owned by Prime Solutions Limited and has been worked by the O’Leary family since the early 80’s was joined by his father Les O’Leary and commented on the fact that this was a proud and significant day for the O’Leary family worked and been part of life in Tokoroa for as long as I’ve known as is the land on which we plan to create the Strathmore Park subdivision We wanted to help introduce new housing options to an area that has seen little to no significant development in my lifetime plus also create a legacy our family and this region can be proud of and really embrace.”  Strathmore Park residential subdivision was granted Resource Consent by South Waikato District Council with whom the developers have been working very closely to introduce over 187 new homes to Tokoroa The development will have a commitment to quality This new residential subdivision redefines modern living in South Waikato and native plants will create an environment where residents can relax and connect By partnering with a selection of locally connected and nationally respected Building Partners Strathmore Park will not only support the local economy but will also foster a strong sense of community This development will be designed as more than just structures; it’s a catalyst for positive change elevating housing options for South Waikato and beyond It’s time to turn a new leaf at Tokoroa’s newest and most significant development in decades – Strathmore Park designing and working with local authorities during the consenting process the focus will now turn to earthworks and site preparation towards the end of 2025 the excitement will build further with the introduction of show homes from a variety of Building Partners Tokoroa is located on the edge of the Tokoroa township with a range of amenities available close by – the subdivision is adjacent to (and not to be confused with) the sports fields schools and parks are within walking distance With local hospital facilities and an existing public transport network available the development is well placed for future multi-generational and family lifestyle living opportunities The Strathmore Park subdivision is a Prime Solutions Limited property managed by S&L Land Specialists – a Civil Engineering and Land Development Consultancy For further information please visit: https://www.strathmorepark.co.nz/ The 187-home Strathmore Park Development is aimed at addressing the South Waikato District’s shortage of 870 houses Earthworks have begun on a $9 million project that could bring Tokoroa its biggest housing supply boost since the 1970s The 187-home Strathmore Park Development aimed to address the South Waikato District’s shortage of 870 houses and in the first stages was expected to provide up to 31 affordable homes According to the South Waikato District Council’s press release announcing Strathmore Park’s resource consent grant construction was also expected to provide “significant employment opportunities to local people” The news comes as 230 employees at nearby Kinleith Mill expect to lose their jobs by the end of June 2025 with union representatives estimating the number could be higher When asked how the job cuts could affect Tokoroa’s population size the council’s head of economic and community development said the district’s population had grown by over 10% since 2015 “We do not expect a material change to this trend given the trajectory of the rest of our local economy.” Bowden said new homes were “crucial” to address the current demand for housing would adjust each stage of construction to “align with fluctuations in the market” The council’s statement said development risk rested “solely with the developer” and no additional infrastructure was required from the council to support the development According to a statement from developer Prime Solutions show homes could be available for viewing towards the end of this year Prime Solutions managing director Adam O’Leary said he and his family wanted to help introduce new housing options to an area that has seen “little to no significant development” in his lifetime as is the land on which we plan to create the Strathmore Park subdivision.” South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said the build would include between 26 and 31 affordable homes for new home buyers within the development’s first three stages “This is great news for Tokoroa and the wider South Waikato District.” Petley said the affordable homes would be two or three-bedroom builds valued at about $550,000 “These homes provide an entry-level product for new home buyers and should not be confused with social housing.” karakia and the turning of the soil ceremony was held at the site adjacent to sports fields off Benalder Cres The earthworks will be managed by Tokoroa-owned and operated company Rouse Contractors Ltd Prime Solutions’ press release on the project said its building partners were both “locally connected” so the project would support the local economy and foster community connection “Strathmore Park will offer a range of housing options “The final sweeping was finished this morning and then the road reopened with a temporary speed limit while the new chip seal is bedded in,” says Roger Brady Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) “The reduced speed will be in place for 4-5 days Please adhere to the signposted limits – they’re there to keep everyone safe.” Following its rebuild - the southern part of this section of SH1 was reopened last week and the temporary speed limits that were in place south of Kinleith will be removed this morning after the new line markings have been completed night-works to complete the final sealing of the Tīrau to Putāruru section (which were scheduled to start on 24 November) have been postponed for further road testing “To ensure a new road is ready for its final seal we run a series of tests measuring the rutting roughness and texture of the pavement layers  Initial tests did not provide sufficient data so further testing is needed before we can determine when it’s ready for its final seal,” Mr Brady says “We appreciate that postponing this work may be frustrating to local residents businesses and road users and we’re sorry we can’t provide more certainty around the timing of the final seal works at the moment We’d like to thank everyone for their understanding as we ensure we’re delivering the highest quality road we can and motorists will already be seeing the benefits of this rebuild section of SH1,” Mr Brady says Further north - the first weekend of the closure of SH1 between Putāruru and Tokoroa was upset by vandals “Many detour signs were pushed over and detour guides were turned around – resulting in a potentially dangerous situation for road users and workers the confusion caused some road users to have longer journeys than they should have “There has already been a lot of poor driving happening on the detours and we have been in discussions with the local police who will be increasing their presence on these road Additional fixed signage is being put up on detours warning of the increased traffic “NZTA wants everyone to get where they’re going safely so please take care and drive to the conditions and the road environment,” Mr Brady says More information on this project, and updates on our next steps, can be found at nzta.govt.nz/t2w  Human remains found on the outskirts of Tokoroa this week will be identified using DNA The remains were discovered in a rural area of Waikato A member of the public reported the find to police A police spokesperson said when human remains were found they are removed from the scene with the assistance of ESR investigators and then we work through a process to identify the person," she said we are advancing identification through DNA before police could work through a process to identify the person The identification of the remains found near Tokoroa was expected to take some time The mother of a little boy who disappeared in Tokoroa in 1968 told RNZ she did not know if she wanted human remains discovered this week to be him Jefferie Hill was almost three when he went missing from the back of his parents' home in Ferguson Street His body was never found and in 1969 a coroner ruled he had drowned mum Jo Reynolds was never able to rule out foul play The 81-year-old said she had not been contacted by police but she expected it to take time to identify the remains "I heard it on the news and my heart just more or less stopped She understood the remains were found at Mossop Road on the other side of town from Ferguson Street The other missing person's case in Tokoroa was that of Shane Edwards the 42-year-old father who left his home in Hawick Street in May 2022 and vanished It was also possible the remains belonged to someone missing from outside the area Human remains were dug up in Hamilton in June when the owners of a Hillcrest property had their back yard excavated for a pool The remains were identified as pre-European and identification was handed over to local iwi Taupō area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley said specialist resources were assisting to ensure a thorough examination of the Tokoroa remains "Formal identification will take some time and until this process has been completed police will be unable to provide further comment or information on the possible identity of the remains." Anyone with information that may assist was encouraged to contact police online or by calling 105 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 "It's a moment where you want to know and yet you don't want to know." New Zealand RSS SH1 TOKOROA - ROAD CLOSED - 10:25AMDue to a serious crash near West Rd, #SH1 is CLOSED between Rollett Rd, Tokoroa & Wiltsdown Rd, Lichfield. Delay your journey or allow extra time for diversions and delays: https://t.co/NiblQXqqW8 ^TP pic.twitter.com/5zLk6DWHKL State Highway 1 near Tokoroa has reopened following a serious crash The crash involving a truck and car near the SH1 and Tamatea Rd intersection happened about 9.50am and left one person in a critical condition The person has been flown to Waikato Hospital “The road is expected to remain closed until at least 3pm today “Motorists are advised to take alternative routes or delay travel where possible.” The Serious Crash Unit has been advised and diversions are in place at Rollett Rd and Wiltsdown Rd Police have asked motorists to follow traffic management instructions or delay travel Fire and Emergency New Zealand said two Tokoroa crews and a Putāruru support crew were at the scene “The brigade advised us that [there was] one person trapped in the car NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) issued a social media alert at 10.25am “Delay your journey or allow extra time for diversions and delays.” The owner of Tokoroa's Kinleith Mill has confirmed 230 jobs will go from its paper division Oji Fibre Solutions chief executive Jon Ryder said there was no feasible alternative that would keep the Waikato plant operating Workers and union representatives attended a meeting at the mill this morning to learn their fate Mill worker Tamehana Coxhead said it was a sad day for his workmates and for the town Tamehana Coxhead said his workmates handled the announcement "You just wanted to reach out and give your colleagues a hug after hearing that information," he said but everyone was respectful to the management after receiving it I'm incredibly proud of my colleagues for having that approach hearing information that was quite sad and upsetting." Coxhead said he had only worked at the mill for three years but others had been there for much of their working lives who had worked at the mill for just over two years said he would "keep his head up" and look for other work Reid said the job suited him and was helping him make a start in life but he was philosophical about the closure I'm a young guy trying to set up his life with my partner "The thing about working here is it's good Reid said he was determined to stay in Tokoroa to be with his partner and because he loved hunting in the surrounding bush The whole town would feel the effect of the job losses as incomes disappeared "Living in New Zealand is so tough as it is now and with approximately 230 people losing their jobs - not saying but I'd say at least half of them do - it's gonna take a big impact on our town Reid questioned whether maintenance at the paper plant had been up to scratch in recent years - but he also understood it was hard to keep investing He said the unions had worked hard to try to save jobs putting forward counter-proposals to keep the paper line going Reid said his father was also among the workers who were being laid off E tū senior delegate Ian Farall believes the company decided to close some time ago "The writing has been on the wall for some time and the company never seemed serious about saving paper production," he said "They have neglected essential maintenance that could have put us in a much stronger position but the company should have been far better prepared for this." He also criticised the government for failing to intervene meaningfully Senior FIRST Union delegate at the mill Mario van der Putten said workers were "bitterly disappointed" "We were the last ones standing - the last paper-making machine in the country "This puts our economy at risk and will have a ripple effect on primary industries that rely on our products for the safe "We don't believe the company has put forward a genuine business plan The writing was on the wall after two decades of underinvestment in the mill." NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government He said the job losses would be "a devastating blow for the community" At Friday's meeting the company had indicated it was negotiating with the government about support for its pulp production side "It is essential that this investment comes with guarantees from OJI that as much employment is maintained on site as possible," Wagstaff said the Greens are predicting the closure will have a flow-on effect and lead to other local businesses closing down Regional Development spokesperson Scott Willis said Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Winston Peters Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones and local MP Louise Upston had all made commitments to the community and closing the paper machine would not solve the issue "The government can still act and help build a local economy that works for people and planet instead of one which exhausts and exploits both Instead of relying on risky overseas companies for investment a sustainable energy market and future industries." The community and workers of Tokoroa deserved more than false promises from the likes of Peters Labour's employment spokesperson Willie Jackson said "It's a disgrace that the government can sit idly by and let thousands of people lose their jobs Ryder said the company would focus the mill on pulp and stop its loss-making paper production we will permanently shut the PM6 paper machine at Kinleith Mill at the end of June 2025 and move to a paper import model for our packaging operations," Ryder said "We expect this decision will result in the loss of around 230 jobs We will now work with our people on a new mill structure and processes and the outcome of that work will define role requirements moving forward." Ryder said the company had considered alternative proposals "After extensive work and considering a variety of options and feedback from unions and our team we see no feasible alternative to our proposal to simplify operations maintain jobs in the region and continue reliable supply of product to our customers," he said "We are grateful to our people for their thoughtful feedback and for their continued focus on safety and maintaining critical production at Kinleith Mill throughout this unsettling time." Ryder said the mill would continue producing paper until the end of June "This provides a period in which options for affected staff can be explored while ensuring we meet our customer obligations and provide a smooth transition to alternative paper supply arrangements for our packaging operations," he said "We know for many of our people and the local and regional community this is not the news anyone was hoping to hear We recognise the impact on our people and their loved ones and will be wrapping support around them." Ryder said the decision to close the paper production was not a reflection of the experience skills and dedication of all the team and leadership at Kinleith Mill "We will now be focused on a transition plan to close the paper machine safely and continue sustainable pulp operations at Kinleith Mill We look forward to working closely with the government as we move through this period and into the future." an E tū union delegate told RNZ that staff had been called to an open-air meeting at 8.30am on the Tokoroa mill's grounds In November, Ryder said the company was proposing to simplify Kinleith Mill's operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing paper production That would mean permanently shutting down the last paper machine moving to a paper import model for packaging operations and up to 230 jobs going at the end of June Louis Penny was among the workers who attended a meeting at the mill on Friday morning to learn the fate of their jobs He said the exact number of jobs going was still being confirmed but it could be more than 200 Other workers RNZ spoke to were too shocked to talk about the meeting The proposed closure came after a year of bad news for New Zealand manufacturing, including another OFS mill closure in Penrose, and the closure of Winstone Pulp International's Tangiwai Sawmill and Karioi Pulpmill Several politicians, including New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, Minister for Social Development Louise Upston, and ex-local Green MP Tamatha Paul, attended a community meeting in Tokoroa in December to discuss what could be done to save Kinleith RNZ reached out to minister Shane Jones' office to see what had been achieved since then but was told he would not comment until after today's announcement Paul grew up in Tokoroa and said Jones and Peters made commitments to the community at the meeting in December and she wanted to make sure those commitments were honoured "If we are happy with the outcome then that's excellent then I'm going to have to apply more pressure within Parliament," Paul said she was holding out hope for a good announcement "I would much rather that there was an outcome that we all really desperately need so I'm hoping it will be a good announcement." E tū union negotiator Joe Gallagher said he was also trying to stay optimistic "It's going to be either good news or bad news but I would like to be positive - go there with a positive mindset - that there is a willingness of all parties to extend this process out and look at the best options for the site He said the union has had good engagement with the owners since the proposal was announced but that workers were quite nervous as they awaited the final decision Some people have 20-25 years left to work," he said Gallagher thought Jones and Peters understood the issues involved with closing the paper operations of the mill "What we need to see is the whole government falling in behind and looking to see how they can support Shane to really open up a pathway for the workforce and community." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Green MP Tamatha Paul says there's a feeling of determination in Tokoroa after last night's 'Save our Mill' meeting The Detail - Winstone has shut down two mills citing high electricity costs - but Sequal Lumber mill in Kawerau is getting ready to double production Locals worry their home is about to turn into a ghost town as the ripple effect from the mill closure creeps into households Hundreds of mill workers farewelled their workplace for the final time today as Winstone Pulp International closed the doors on 45 years of operations Fire and Emergency fought to contain a vegetation fire near Tokoroa A large vegetation fire that burned through an area 100 metres by 70m in a forestry block south of Tokoroa has been contained after hours of firefighting efforts Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident controller Paul Hunter said the fire was first reported at 9.45pm and was contained at about 3am “The land has now been handed back to the forestry management,” Hunter said “The summer has been so dry that there is a lot of dead “We were very lucky that the night was cold and damp as forest fires have the potential to move very quickly and be hard to control.” The cause of the fire is being investigated Incident controller William Pike said last night the fire was burning an area of pine and eucalyptus trees Pike said crews were expected to dig a firebreak around the area to stop the fire from spreading to other areas of the forestry block which is helping to keep the fire from growing but crews are expecting to be at the site for another 12 hours while it is extinguished “There are 16 crews currently in attendance although some are being stood down until operations start up again in the morning.” Pike said there were no people or buildings near the fire and there were no evacuations Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The minister says she's changed her processes after admitting processes were 'untidy' was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer in January that was one of Jen Agnew’s first reactions when test results confirmed her father had Stage 3 lung cancer last week Tokoroa man Wayne Proffitt, 68, was told by doctors he could begin treatment in about three weeks at the Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge in Hamilton his family were faced with a mission – rehoming 100 of his cats in less than three weeks “He could be called up for treatment any day,” Agnew said Wayne’s wife, Karen Proffitt, plans to stay by his side while he receives treatment in Hamilton This would mean family members in Tokoroa could not care for the cats at the semi-rural property Wayne and Karen were scheduled to stay in Hamilton from Monday to Friday during his treatment also commuted to Rotorua with them every day to attend Western Heights High School works full-time in Rotorua and so does her wife “You’re looking at two hours in the morning and two hours at night for feeding and cleaning,” she said We were buying big 700kg bulk bags of kitty litter Wayne had the cats desexed to prevent more from being born The cats started showing up at her father’s business, Surface Coatings, in Browning St, Tokoroa “Then the population just grew,” said Agnew who worked as a payroll administrator in the business in her 20s you’ve got cats hanging around and then obviously when you start feeding them the family noticed “dumpings” of kittens at their business the 70 cats living onsite at his business were moved to a new purpose-built enclosure at his lifestyle block on the outskirts of Tokoroa He wanted to keep them separated from the 30 cats already living at the home “Those ones are only a little bit younger but because they’ve been exposed to more illnesses like FIV or cat flu and stuff we just thought we would keep these ones separated.” Wayne had opted out of family holidays and other events over the years She couldn’t estimate how many cats they’d rehomed during the 20 years The family had never charged people when cats were adopted “Dad’s done such a good job over the years but now’s the time that he actually needs to put himself first .. he’s so heartbroken that it’s come to this I’ve got three at home that are originally from work.” as they worked to rehome the cats this week Wayne and Karen were still feeding them while at the same time saying goodbye “This treatment is supposed to cure but we don’t know what will happen .. She said helping to make his recovery easier was a way to cope with the possibility of losing her father Wayne would not be able to focus on getting better if he knew the cats were still at home A Facebook post from Daina on February 1 has helped the couple rehome 28 cats so far I thought maybe we might rehome a couple of cats but we just didn’t expect it to blow up like this,” Agnew said The post has been shared more than 270 times The family did not want money from the people who would adopt their cats All they ask is that they go to a good home Agnew said she and her wife would even drop them off if required They planned to take time off work next week to do it and said they were heading to Hawke’s Bay this weekend to drop some there A woman from Waiheke Island had also couriered the family multiple cat cages and planned to meet them in Auckland at the ferry “A lot of people have offered to meet us halfway but our aim is just to drop them off at the door,” Agnew said she’s really popular and she’s got a lot of homes to go to if .. A vet was scheduled to visit their home and euthanise the remaining cats on Tuesday “But if we know we have got others that are rehomeable we will hang on to them and wait until Friday.” The cost of euthanasia was about $80 for each cat She estimated about 40 would be too wild to rehome and would have to be euthanised The SPCA was due to pick up as many cats as it could “The quiet ones that might need a little bit more time adjusting [to a new home] the SPCA are going to take because they can put time and effort into them and get them ready for their homes,” Agnew said SPCA area manager Viv Moore said Wayne’s dedication to caring for cats over the past 20 years was “really kind” “The number of cats we can accept into care depends on our current capacity and resources “We prioritise animals based on their health vulnerability and the urgency of their situation.” the SPCA took in 7882 cats and 14,554 kittens “We ensure all animals are healthy and prepared for their new home prior to adoption microchipping and vaccinations already done,” Moore said if there were no other viable options after health and temperament assessments it might be necessary to euthanise an animal that could not be rehomed “We are grateful for Wayne and others’ passion and commitment to animal welfare,” Moore said Aleyna Martinez is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty She moved to the region in 2024 and has previously reported in Wairarapa and at Pacific Media Network He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life Tokoroa father Shane Edwards went missing on May 14 Police will go door-to-door to speak with Tokoroa residents as part of their effort to uncover key information about the disappearance of Shane Edwards It comes after police confirmed last week the human remains found in Tokoroa in November had been identified as Edwards His mother Timua Brennan, ONZM, told the Rotorua Daily Post the whānau were “extremely grateful” that her son was no longer a missing person The police said “unusual circumstances” surrounded his disappearance and appealed for public help A former Rotorua man, Edwards (Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tahu) vanished from his Tokoroa home on May 14 He had been living with his partner Alvina Smith and three of their four children Smith has previously said they were all at home when he was last seen Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley said police staff would be going door-to-door in the Mossop Rd area today to talk to residents as part of their ongoing investigation This was in addition to a further search of the area that would involve specialist staff and search teams as part of determining the circumstances surrounding Edwards’ death “This remains an active and sensitive investigation and police are following up all leads based on information the public has provided us to date “We are committed to understanding the circumstances of Shane Edwards’ disappearance and death.” Yardley asked anyone who may have information “no matter how small” to come forward and tell police what they know Information can be provided online or by calling 105 Please use the reference number 240308/6198 Information can also be provided 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 Newly minted naval officer Montana Hartley says she feels like she’s lived so much more than the 22-weeks of Royal New Zealand Navy officer training at Devonport Naval Base was among 11 officers and 68 sailors who graduated in December after completing their junior officer and basic training She will shortly begin learning about directing and controlling resources and personnel on board ships and on shore as a Maritime Logistics Officer While finishing at Forest View High School her father suggested the military as a career “My dad and step mum were a big influence in who I am today saying the only person holding me back would be myself including a daughter of a staff member at school and I saw the Navy’s YouTube series ‘Navy Made’ the Navy sounded really balanced and had an inviting sense of camaraderie." “The values it stands for are the ones I live by too She said she loved all aspects of officer training especially times when they would combine with the larger intake of sailors for competitions You learn to function at a high standard with less sleep than you’re used to she felt it was her responsibility to do well “I wanted to be a good role model and show them they can do anything they put their mind to.” She said the instructors really knew their job there would be times when as group we’d be frustrated But the instructors are good at steering us in a direction where we could do really well They were also good at stepping back so we had the opportunity to grow on our own.” Officer training taught her to be comfortable with speaking up I was unsure of myself and not speaking up as much The instructors helped us be comfortable with being in charge and brought out our best qualities.” Midshipman Hartley has now posted to Wellington to work at the New Zealand Defence Force’s Joint Forces Headquarters She believed other young people should consider a career in the military “It is the best decision I have made in my life… I feel like I have lived so much in the past six months The amount of life experience and the maturity you gain has been amazing “You are capable of much more than you think you can do; it’s all mental Push to do your best and learn from your mistakes “I’m looking forward to putting everything I’ve learnt into practice developing into an effective leader and officer I’d love to travel and meet new people – especially overseas.” Former employees of NZ Forest Products Ltd gathered in Tokoroa for a final reunion A significant chapter in Tokoroa’s history has closed as hundreds of former NZ Forest Products Ltd employees reunited for the last time More than 260 people travelled from across New Zealand and Australia to be part of the event at the Tokoroa Club last weekend The event organisers said it was likely the final reunion as the number of former employees continued to decline NZ Forest Products Ltd played a major role in shaping Tokoroa before its operations were absorbed into Carter Holt Harvey in the late 1980s Among the reunion attendees was Nelson Sheck who said the years he spent in the bush were the best of his life no special tickets or qualifications were needed Sheck said he remembers battling through Cyclone Bola in 1988 even though there were calls over the radio to evacuate - his boss had told him and his workmates to carry on we had to cut our way out of the forest - fallen trees were blocking the roads.” he said the bush crews were tasked with clearing the Mangakino Highway Image 1 of 6: Former NZ Forest Products Ltd worker Nelson Sheck Another reunion attendee was 90-year-old Malcolm Hartley so the cab was hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter Hartley spoke highly of the camaraderie among the forestry workers and NZ Forest Products Ltd It was a good bunch of guys back in the day.” The reunion also included a special bus tour around the forestry There was a special collage of old photos on display that captured the hard work and memories that defined their time with NZ Forest Products Ltd over the years The reunion came just a week after Oji Fibre Solutions announced it would cease paper production at Kinleith Mill John Van de Ven is a photographer based in Tokoroa he created the Facebook group Tokoroa History which is dedicated to the stories and history of South Waikato people and businesses Closing the SH1 Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri section has enabled three days' work to be completed in one day A section of State Highway 1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri will partially reopen at noon tomorrow after weeks of being fully closed for roadworks The section was originally scheduled to reopen at 5am but today’s bad weather led to a seven-hour delay NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) regional manager of maintenance and operations for Waikato and Bay of Plenty said this partial opening was the best solution for those using SH1 in that area “We lost four days of work since we started work in this area on October 6 – all because of rain,” Brady said in a press release adding that this is a large site spanning 17 kilometres allowing us to open the southern end of this work zone between Kinleith and upper Ātiamuri which we are sure many locals will welcome.” Brady said the project needed to “press on” so roadworks on the next section can get under way as there is limited time before the Christmas pause to operations comes into effect on December 20 “The partial reopening means we can reduce the length of the detours and journey times.” Brady said the new detour will now be SH32 “Businesses and residences between SH32 intersection and just north of Campbell Rd will still be accessible with the soft closure there.” Brady said the section of SH1 between Tokoroa and Kinlieth has had an “extensive makeover” “[The work] involved milling out the existing road surface and replacing it with new material and adding a foam-stabilised bitumen basecourse layer.” Brady said that section was expected to open next week roadworks are totally dependent on having good weather We think this workaround is a good outcome that most locals will appreciate,” Brady said The partial section of road reopening will be under traffic management for a few days so the surface can be driven on to help bed in the rebuild work The final asphalt surface will be applied under night-time road closures starting on January 7 The partial reopening means that at 5am on Saturday the next SH1 section scheduled for maintenance between Putāruru and Tokoroa will close The closure will be in place from SH1/Princes St All north and southbound SH1 light vehicles will be detoured via Princes St “This will add approximately 15 minutes and 11km to journey times,” Brady said “There will be a temporary speed limit of 70km/h along the entirety of the detour route Southbound traffic will not be able to travel beyond Vospers/Ngatira roads Northbound traffic will be able to travel as far north as SH1 Rollett Rd Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was in Tokoroa on Monday to discuss the plight of Kinleith Mill workers Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has told embattled employees at New Zealand’s largest paper mill that he would advocate on their behalf, at a community meeting in Tokoroa this week The news comes as Kinleith Mill owners Oji Fibre Solutions have agreed to extend the consultation period on a proposal to cut paper production at the mill in June 2025 Community advocates launched the “Save Our Jobs! Save Our Mill!” campaign in response to the proposal, inviting Peters and other politicians to a meeting at South Waikato Sports and Events Centre on Monday night Peters told the estimated 400 attendees that Kinleith Mill was the “lifeblood” of Waikato “Mills are closing rapidly in New Zealand and if there is not the right reaction from central government then there are many more closures to come,” Peters said Peters said it was “unbelievable” to think of importing the cardboard boxes to pack kiwifruit a situation he said could happen if the mill stopped producing paper Peters cited “out of control” energy prices as being part of the problem “Targeted government intervention is sometimes necessary to ensure the survival of a business and a community for the country’s long-term economy and productivity as well as the future of local jobs.” Peters said he would be speaking to the mill’s Japanese owners over the next few days we’ll be talking to all manner of people.” Peter said he and Minister for Regional Development Shane Jones were at the meeting “to listen” “We are here to do everything our party can to advocate for you,” Peters said Monday’s meeting was also attended by Taupō MP Louise Upston Chlöe Swarbrick and Steve Abel and Labour Party MPs Camilla Belich and Glen Bennett Representatives of Oji Fibre Solutions were also present as mill workers addressed the meeting about their concerns for the future of Tokoroa if the job cuts went ahead Kinleith Mill employee Kyle Pourau said if the current proposal went ahead his father and his sister would all be out of a job “It’s a bit of a family business,” Pourau said “We are the last paper mill in the country Pourau thanked the politicians present at the meeting for “giving a f***” “It was pretty positive,” Pourau told the Herald after the meeting “I think we made the politicians see who this community is “The dream is that the mill keeps going and it keeps going for a long time Eight-year Kinleith Mill employee Denzel Robb said he thought politicians’ response to what he and other workers had to say was “good” Robb told the Herald things were “a little dark” at the moment but the mill workers and the wider Tokoroa community were “there for each other” “I’m really proud of the guys still turning up to work doing their jobs to the best of their ability.” E tū union negotiation specialist Joe Gallagher said no stone would be left unturned in the search for a solution Gallagher said what he had heard did not fill him with confidence “Currently it’s our belief that their proposal is marginal at best [But] if they are genuine in their consultation they will take us seriously.” South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said he had not expected MPs to turn up to the meeting in such numbers They are representing all of the main parties.” Petley said the MPs had shown an awareness of the circumstances of the region and an understanding of Tokoroa’s situation When Kinleith Mill employee Kyle Pourau found out his job was at risk in a proposal to cut paper production “All that sort of stuff goes rushing through your head straight away.” But there was another question at the top of Pourau’s mind has worked in and around the timber industry his whole professional life first as an auto electrician servicing mill vehicles and logging equipment then as a production operator for 13 years He knew instantly that the effects of the potential 230 job losses would ripple through the town of Tokoroa “Our workers are the volunteers for the sports clubs the people on the boards of trustees at schools A majority of the volunteer firefighters in this town are Kinleith workers “It even goes down to the people we buy our energy drinks off in the morning South Waikato YMCA general manager Julius Daniels said in Tokoroa “everybody knows somebody” directly connected to Kinleith Mill in the past or the present Tokoroa was built on New Zealand forest products.” Daniels is a third-generation Cook Islander born in Tokoroa after his great-grandparents migrated to New Zealand to work at what is now known as Kinleith Mill More than enough of the people who work out there are directly related to me.” “This is going to be the beginning of the end if we don’t do anything about it.” Pourau and Daniels are two of the Tokoroa community members on the core team helping to organise the Save Our Jobs The campaign was launched with a GiveaLittle page on November 24 and has since gained $6094 in donations towards a $20,000 fundraising goal The funds will go towards the costs of a community event to be held on Monday and the printing of signs to be held at 6pm at the South Waikato Sports and Events Centre “We might not be able to save that mill outright and save all those jobs but we will be able to bring a spotlight on Tokoroa We’ve got a community here that still needs to move forward regardless of what happens out there.” The event will be attended by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley will also attend the event Petley said the immediate concern remained on encouraging Government agencies to provide appropriate support to impacted workers and their families “I have written to and talked to Government representatives recently about the likely impacts of job losses in our South Waikato District.” Taupō MP Louise Upston said she would be at the event to listen to her constituents’ concerns “The proposal to cease paper production at Kinleith Mill has been incredibly difficult and uncertain for affected workers and their families.” Upston said ceasing paper production at the mill would be a blow to economic growth in the region The campaign and community event have also been supported by Tokoroa-raised Green Party MP Tamatha Paul In a social media post promoting the Save Our Mill community event Paul said Tokoroa could become an inspiration to industrial towns everywhere “The entire future and survival of our hometown relies on the Mill.” An Oji Fibre Solutions spokesperson said the company was “very supportive” of the community’s efforts and acknowledged the mill’s importance to the region “We have made every effort to ensure we continue operating at the site paper production at Kinleith faces some big challenges with dramatically increasing input costs and declining production,” the spokesperson said Timua Brennan ONZM and her son Shane Edwards The Christchurch mother of a Tokoroa man missing for 2.5 years says his whānau are grateful his remains have been found but she still hopes for answers about how her “kind-hearted” son ended up in a “remote place” Police today confirmed the human remains found in Tokoroa earlier this month had been identified as Shane Edwards A former Rotorua man, Edwards (Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tahu) vanished from his Tokoroa home on May 14 previously described the case as a “complete mystery” told the Rotorua Daily Post the whānau were “extremely grateful” that her son was no longer a missing person Brennan said even though he had been found and identified It’s quite a remote place [where he was found] and it’s obviously a farmyard place.” Brennan did not know who found him or “anything” other than “my son was discovered” “The investigation will continue no doubt … " Brennan said Edwards was still with the coroner and the whānau had made plans to hold a tangi once he was released Brennan acknowledged the families who were waiting for loved ones who were still missing Brennan said Edwards and his twin sister were the youngest of her four children The whānau moved from Christchurch to Rotorua in 1994 Brennan said Edwards joined kapa haka concerts in Rotorua and was “totally immersed” in te ao Māori She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to opera singing and Māori performing arts which showed “how immersed we are in kapa haka te ao Māori” Brennan said Edwards sometimes worked with her at her tourism business – she had the contract on the Lakeland Queen boat doing concerts Brennan said she “basically lost contact” with her son during the Covid-19 pandemic She said he was a “great fisherman” who loved fishing for trout in Rotorua’s lakes Brennan described Edwards as “kind-hearted” and “passionate about his taiaha” Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley said there were some “unusual circumstances” surrounding Edwards’ disappearance and police inquiries were ongoing “We are determined to uncover what happened and to provide answers for his family and loved ones and we extend our deepest condolences to Shane’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” Yardley said Police were appealing to anyone with information about Edwards’ movements prior to his disappearance or how he came to be located near Mossop Rd in Tokoroa to come forward Yardley said “even the smallest detail could be crucial” “We urge anyone who may have seen Shane leading up to his disappearance in May 2022 Anyone with information is asked to contact the police online or via 105 quoting file reference number 220518/6338 A police spokesman confirmed Edwards’ remains were identified through DNA Asked if anyone had been arrested in connection to Edwards’ death if police had been able to rule anything out about his death or whether police suspected anyone else was involved he said there was nothing further to add at this stage Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post Tokoroa Police investigating an aggravated robbery of a commercial premises continue to appeal for information to assist in our investigation Detective Sergeant Neale Saunders says Police are now releasing this CCTV footage (https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/video-information-sought-after-aggravated-robbery-tokoroa) as we believe the three people in the video may be able to assist in our enquiries Police were alerted to an aggravated robbery on Bridge Street at around 6.20am." an employee of the premises was assaulted during the incident and threatened with a weapon however the staff member was understandably shaken by the incident "Police would like to acknowledge the public who have provided information so far and continue to ask anyone who has not yet spoken with us to come forward." or have any information that may assist us in our investigation You can contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking "Update Report" or by calling 105 Please use the reference number 250225/2851 Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 The right’s eternal hope and belief is that tax cuts will unlock vast amounts of entrepreneurial energy and eventually create a world of plenty in which tax revenues overall will rise This gospel is the very definition of voodoo economics and went out of fashion back when Ronald Reagan was still in the White House New Zealand still seems to be hellbent on cutting its way to prosperity 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 The right to vote is the basis of democratic government Legitimate governments cannot arbitrarily remove people from the pool that elects them If the Government strips New Zealanders of the right to vote it is attacking the democratic principles it claims to be founded on Led by the seven-metre-long Taxpayers' Union Karaka Nama (Debt Clock) the hīkoi highlights the Government's borrowing from our tamariki and mokopuna It calls for the Govt to balance the books & stop borrowing billions from future generations should be able to drink the water from their kitchen tap without getting sick But this basic right is under threat by an already oversized intensive dairy industry that’s set to expand further." “We have lived through the cost of building failures before We must not repeat the mistakes of the leaky homes era by lowering standards in the name of speed,' Labour Local Government spokesperson Tangi Utikere said We have fewer public chargers per EV than many other countries in the OECD and we know that this is a barrier to Kiwis purchasing EVs,” Mr Bishop says By Natalie Akoorie of RNZ A member of the public reported the find to police on Wednesday A police spokeswoman said when human remains were found they were removed with the assistance of ESR investigators and then we work through a process to identify the person,” she said The identification of the remains would likely take some time The mother of a little boy who disappeared in Tokoroa in 1968 told RNZ she did not know if she wanted the remains to be those of her son Jefferie Hill was almost three when he went missing from the back of his parents’ home in Ferguson St The 81-year-old said she had not been contacted by police but expected it to take time to identify the remains “I heard it on the news and my heart just more or less stopped She understood the remains were found at Mossop Rd on the other side of town from Ferguson St The other missing person case in Tokoroa was that of Shane Edwards a 42-year-old father who left his home in Hawick St in May 2022 and vanished Human remains were dug up in Hamilton in June when the owners of a Hillcrest property excavated for a pool The remains were identified as pre-European and identification was handed over to iwi “Formal identification will take some time and until this process has been completed police will be unable to provide further comment or information on the possible identity of the remains.” Anyone with information can contact police online The Tokoroa Christmas parade will return in 2024 For the first time since 2022, Tokoroa will have a Christmas Parade South Waikato District Council cancelled the 2023 parade after the previous organisers It was the first time in 35 years that the town didn’t have a parade This year, the council collaborated with several local community groups and businesses to not only deliver a parade, but a programme of activities in Tokoroa, Tīrau South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said that at a time when all councils were “feeling the pinch” financially working alongside communities to deliver the festivities was a “hugely positive” outcome “It’s certainly becoming increasingly difficult for councils across the country to find the means to lead events like these but following productive discussions at a Local Services Committee in September and an enthusiastic response from the community it became clear that we would be able to get something going,” Petley said “Events like these that bring people together are an important part of forming a thriving and vibrant community.” the council has raised $16,000 from local organisations towards the operational costs of delivering the events The Event Girl, which is owned and operated by local councillor Rebekah Garner have donated their services free of charge and a capital investment of $72,000 from existing budgets has been put towards installing permanent steel structures in Tokoroa’s Leith Place Tīrau Community Church and the Garden of Memories in Putāruru to hold 10m high Christmas trees in the three towns The trees have been provided free of charge by Manulife Investment Management and the steel structures will be available for the community to use going forward The council is still welcoming further support from other businesses so anyone interested in supporting the events can contact the council’s Event & Visitor Development Manager Sabeena Kapur on sabeena.kapur@southwaikato.govt.nz The South Waikato Christmas programme has also been supported by the South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust Arapuni Village Community Association and Arapuni Bowling Club Events held in Arapuni and Putāruru this week have been deemed a success with over 300 kids watching the Polar Express at The Plaza Theatre and people turning up for sausage sizzles Further events are set to take place in Putāruru starting at Glenshea Park – Bent Street – and along Princes Street and returning to Glenshea Park organised by South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust Free Christmas Movie screening of Home Alone at the Tīrau War Memorial Hall (doors open at 5.40pm Snacks and drinks will be available to purchase from the Tīrau Youth Group (cash only) Lighting of the Christmas Tree at the Tīrau Community Church lawn Hundreds of former NZ Forest Products Ltd employees are set to gather for what is expected to be their final reunion More than 260 people will attend the event on the weekend of February 22 and 23 at the Tokoroa Club Former employees will travel from the Gold Coast Reunion committee member Graham Sheldrake said it was expected to be the last NZ Forest Products reunion “The people who have the drive [to organise it] are all getting elderly I’m one of the younger ones and I’m 70,” Sheldrake told the Rotorua Daily Post The reunion would be for workers employed before 2000 The first reunion was in 2012 and there were more than 500 people Retired specialists in fields like logging, forestry (tree planting and silviculture) engineering and workers from the Kinleith garage were invited An exclusive tour of the Kinleith Forest would show the former employees what had changed since they worked there last After serving his apprenticeship and working as a diesel mechanic for the NZFP garage Sheldrake began contracting to NZFP in 1980 “I got an opportunity to buy a truck so I did and started my own business.” “Without NZ Forest Products Tokoroa probably wouldn’t have been as big and prosperous as it has been “Without people working the mill there wouldn’t have been as many people living in Tokoroa,” he said I know we got to about 19,500 people living there When Sheldrake retired in 2020 his son took over his business and we’ve lived in the same place all our lives,” Sheldrake said “Tokoroa’s been my home for a long while - my family still live there both my kids live there and my grandchildren are all there - so the town means a lot to us,” he said When he retired Sheldridge was recognised for his work in the industry, and in 2020 was inducted into the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame He said advancements in mechanisation had changed the industry and there was always a lot of injuries and stuff like that “So if you could do the same job with a piece of machinery and it took men off the ground that were getting cut with chainsaws or squashed legs under trees or things like that “The most important thing for us is that we all worked for one company years ago.” and around that area like the Mamaku Ranges [NZFP] was probably the main reason that Tokoroa exists really and to attract people to come to the town and get jobs “The whole region has benefitted from that mill my work life and my father’s work life have been centered around and associated with the forest and the mills that are there,” Sheldrake said Photo displays at the event would be positioned on Tokoroa Club hall walls and a data show of old logging and trucking photos would run too Those who have not registered for the reunion can do so on the day Aleyna Martinez is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. She moved to the region in 2024 and has previously reported in Wairarapa and at Pacific Media Network. He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life. A Tokoroa Powerball player will be celebrating after winning more than $39,000. A Tokoroa Powerball player will be celebrating today after winning $39,580 in Saturday’s live Lotto draw. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at Four Square Balmoral in Tokoroa. Lotto’s Second Division was also struck, with 14 lucky Lotto players taking home $20,337 each. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores: Anyone who bought a ticket from any of the above stores should check them as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto or through the MyLotto App. Lotto NZ exists to return 100% of its profits to Kiwi communities through lottery grants programmes run by Te Puna Tahua NZ Lottery Grants Board. The minister says she's changed her processes after admitting processes were 'untidy'. A crash has also blocked part of State Highway 25 on the Coromandel Peninsula. A section has been closed south of Whangārei following a crash between a truck and a pedestrian. Police said it was notified of the crash at 9.34am. "At this early stage it appears one person has been critically injured," a police spokesperson said. Fire and Emergency NZ responded with one truck from Whangārei. The road had been closed in both directions with diversions in place at Tauroa St and South End Ave. NZTA said motorists should avoid the area or expect delays and diversions. "Traffic will be heavier than normal, and people are asked to take care. The closure is expected to be in place until at least mid-afternoon to allow the Serious Crash Unit to investigate," a spokesperson said. "Northbound traffic travelling to Whangārei should follow the local road detour from Rewa Rewa Rd. Northbound through-traffic should turn left onto State Highway 15 (Otaika Valley Rd) in Otaika, then right onto State Highway 14 in Maungatapere before rejoining SH1 via Maunu Rd in Whangārei. "Southbound traffic should take the same route in reverse." A second serious crash has closed a section of State Highway 1 north of Tokoroa. Police said the two-vehicle crash occurred near the intersection with Tamatea Rd at around 9.50am. St John said two ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and one helicopter attended. "One patient, in a critical condition, is being airlifted to Waikato Hospital," a St John spokesperson said. The road was expected to be closed for much of the day, they added. Fire and Emergency NZ responded with one truck from Tokoroa. Diversions were in place at Rollett Rd and Wiltsdown Rd. NZTA advised motorists to delay their journeys or allow extra time. A three-vehicle crash has blocked State Highway 25 between Coromandel and Matarangi. Police said the crash took place around 11am on Thursday. "Indications are there are various injuries, some serious," a police spokesperson said. Diversions were in place off State Highway 25 at Whangapoua and Matarangi. Parts of State Highway 1 in Northland and Waikato are expected to be closed for an extended period following two serious crashes that occurred within 15 minutes of each other this morning. Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning New Zealand Homegrown music festival's new location revealed 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 Northland's meth crisis: 'There's no magic wand for any of this' Wastewater testing has shown methamphetamine use tripled in Northland last year Crime and Justice Four injured State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd is currently blocked Warning of poisonous shellfish in Western Firth of Thames New Zealand Food Safety said routine tests on shellfish from Waimangu Point have shown levels of the toxins over the safe limit Environment Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' 21 mins ago Blues veteran Bryce Heem announces retirement from rugby 46 mins ago Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 53 mins ago New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 10:54am Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 10:49am Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 11 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Erin Patterson shared love of mushrooms in online group Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon Parts of State Highway 1 in Northland and Waikato are expected to be closed for an extended period following two serious crashes that occurred within 15 minutes of each other this morning A crash has also blocked part of State Highway 25 on the Coromandel Peninsula A section has been closed south of Whangārei following a crash between a truck and a pedestrian Police said it was notified of the crash at 9.34am "At this early stage it appears one person has been critically injured," a police spokesperson said Fire and Emergency NZ responded with one truck from Whangārei The road had been closed in both directions with diversions in place at Tauroa St and South End Ave SH1 WHANGAREI - 10:00AMDue to a serious crash #SH1 (Otaika Rd) is CLOSED between South End Rd & Rewa Rewa Rd. Avoid this area or expect diversions and delays: https://t.co/cqyPugyvNs ^TP pic.twitter.com/cf2AWuAdwb NZTA said motorists should avoid the area or expect delays and diversions The closure is expected to be in place until at least mid-afternoon to allow the Serious Crash Unit to investigate," a spokesperson said "Northbound traffic travelling to Whangārei should follow the local road detour from Rewa Rewa Rd Northbound through-traffic should turn left onto State Highway 15 (Otaika Valley Rd) in Otaika then right onto State Highway 14 in Maungatapere before rejoining SH1 via Maunu Rd in Whangārei A second serious crash has closed a section of State Highway 1 north of Tokoroa Police said the two-vehicle crash occurred near the intersection with Tamatea Rd at around 9.50am one rapid response vehicle and one helicopter attended is being airlifted to Waikato Hospital," a St John spokesperson said The road was expected to be closed for much of the day Fire and Emergency NZ responded with one truck from Tokoroa Diversions were in place at Rollett Rd and Wiltsdown Rd NZTA advised motorists to delay their journeys or allow extra time A three-vehicle crash has blocked State Highway 25 between Coromandel and Matarangi Police said the crash took place around 11am on Thursday "Indications are there are various injuries some serious," a police spokesperson said Diversions were in place off State Highway 25 at Whangapoua and Matarangi 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 Hamilton has been announced as the new home for the Homegrown music festival In January the festival, which features New Zealand music, confirmed it would be leaving Wellington's waterfront after being there for 18 years From next year it will be held at Hamilton's Claudelands Oval Festival director Andrew Tuck said the move is "about creating something that celebrates our roots and gives back to the region that inspires us" Organisers said that Hamilton offers potential for the festival to expand and evolve as New Zealand's fastest-growing city "Its central location — just a short journey from the Bay of Plenty and the King Country — makes it accessible for a wide range of attendees eager to enjoy Aotearoa's finest musical acts." Tuck said accessibility for as many people as possible is key for the festival and "being close to such a large population makes this dream even more achievable" Hamilton City Council deputy chief executive Sean Murray said the festival returning to the Waikato is "a win for the whole upper North Island" Next year's event will be held on March 14 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 Organisations trying to help people get off meth in Northland towns such as Kaikohe say they are overwhelmed by "a tsunami of need" More funding — and residential care for addicts trying to quit — is desperately needed to tackle the problem which now has the unenviable title of meth capital of New Zealand a Kaikohe-based iwi organisation that provides housing health services and programmes like Paiheretia which helps men caught up in the Corrections system "We see the daily the toll it takes on whānau the demand is outpacing our capacity," she said "We're just not funded at the scale needed to respond to the tsunami of need we are facing." Jade and Scott — they did not want to give their last names because their work brings them into contact with organised crime — are employed by Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi as kaiarataki helping meth addicts and their whānau get the help they need and the money spent on drugs meant other family members missed out on essentials "The biggest thing that we see is the effect on the kids You've got whānau that are going without kai and has some real atrocious effects." Scott said the men they helped came with a whole raft of problems they often found the underlying cause was meth Scott said there were many reasons behind the drug's prevalence It's about unpacking it all to find out why people are addicted to methamphetamine Nothing will ever end good unless people stop taking it." Ashby said the government's Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities ROCC programme which had so far been rolled out in seven regions across New Zealand ROCC aimed to stop people becoming addicted in the first place "It will build up resilience within whānau and prevent rangatahi [youth] from ever wanting to pick up the pipe by making sure they're on the right pathway for education or employment and not being led by gangs," Ashby said we don't want to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff all the time There's no magic wand for any of this." While ROCC was "a step in the right direction" more and sustainable investment in prevention was needed culturally responsive residential treatment in mid-Northland for people who wanted to come off drugs Currently most providers of those services such as Grace Foundation and Higher Ground Ashby said everyone would have to work together to tackle the meth conundrum Māori providers and local services such as Whakaoranga Whānau Recovery Hub were doing their best with the resources they had It's time to match the scale of the response with the scale of the need." it hit headlines last month when Ngāpuhi chairman Mane Tahere made a public call for more policing and direct funding for iwi organisations whose work was slowed by government red tape Northland MP Grant McCallum subsequently met Tahere and Far North Mayor Moko Tepania as well as staff at the local medical centre He was shocked by the stories they told him They included accounts of a young man high on meth assaulting staff and "causing mayhem" at the medical clinic and of drug-induced family dysfunction with girls as young as 11 becoming pregnant your dad might give you a sip of his beer or something when you're a young kid they're giving him a little bit of P." McCallum said he was pleased Tahere and Ngāpuhi were standing up and saying they had had enough and one of the key things we've got to do to help break that cycle is get children to school and keep them there," McCallum said he said the answer lay in a stronger local economy and a good education system so people in towns like Kaikohe had well-paying jobs and children had options for their future "But ultimately - and this applies to any community it's just the first cab off the rank - the community has to own this problem If they don't want drugs in their community they need to make it clear they don't want it in their community And they need to push back and feed information through to the police when they find people dealing." Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the government was focused on trying to stop drugs entering the border coming down hard on dealers and organised crime and taking a health-led approach to drug users Although wastewater testing had shown a big jump in meth use other data showed the number of users had not increased significantly That suggested the same group of people was taking more meth Doocey offered a sliver of hope to organisations like Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi who were calling out for more funding to prevent people becoming addicted in the first place "We're looking at the Proceeds of Crime Fund to fund some of that When you look at some of the high-need areas like Northland we'll be looking at how we can resource existing services on the ground which reopened recently for applications after a three-year freeze Jade said collective action and more funding were vital "I'm not sure that heavy handedness in the justice system and filling the jails in a system that isn't working for our people anyway "It's going to get worse unless we can get ahead of it I'm not saying we haven't done that in the past but it's going to need an even more collective approach And I'm hoping people come with wallets open because it's going to need to be funded." Scott highlighted the need for comprehensive residential treatment in Northland so people didn't need to have to be shipped off to Auckland for help but we can come together and try to minimise it Police are obviously under the pump out there "I think we need some more healing centres for whānau up here in Kaikohe I don't like using the word rehabilitation What's needed is a one-stop shop where people can reside rnz.co.nz 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 People are being warned not to collect or consume shellfish gathered in the Western Firth of Thames region due to the presence of paralytic shellfish toxins The warning extends from the mouth of the Waitakaruru River up to Pakatoa Island and across to the mid-point of the Firth "Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels as well as pūpū (cat's eyes) and Cook's turban," New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said "It's also important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin." crab and crayfish if the gut was removed before cooking "New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation," Arbuckle said New Zealand Food Safety said there had been no reported associated illness Commercially harvested shellfish are still safe to eat Symptoms of poisoning appear between 10 minutes and three hours after ingestion and may include: rnz.co.nz Cabinet minister Erica Stanford says her practice of forwarding Government correspondence to a personal Gmail account She spoke after 1News revealed yesterday that she sent pre-Budget announcements to her personal email last year and used her Gmail for ministerial business over the course of her time as a minister The emails showed Stanford putting her MP business signature on emails from her Gmail while communicating with her staff school principals and various organisations who holds the education and immigration portfolios said today she was "not a perfect human" after she yesterday put the practice down to printing issues But Stanford said she had "taken lots of steps" to avoid the issue from arising further "I get 8000 pieces of correspondence through to multiple emails So I've taken steps to fix it," she told media at Parliament I think [the Prime Minister's] already said that he's relatively relaxed So we always change our practice as soon as something comes up." She added: "I'm not a perfect human being I've finally got a network printer installed in my office and we've got an automatic reply." Stanford said yesterday she sometimes forwarded emails to herself so she can print briefings while working away from Parliament but that Parliamentary Service has now installed her electorate office printer on the Parliamentary network Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Breakfast this morning that he thought the PM's comment that he was "very relaxed" about Stanford's practice was wrong Watch the full interview with Chris Hipkins on TVNZ+ "The Prime Minister shouldn't be laid back about this Cabinet rules are very clear," he said "The Government's own security agencies have said that there are people trying to hack into our systems all of the time "Using personal email accounts like Gmail are like hanging up a great big welcome sign to them I think the Prime Minister needs to do a lot more." Questioned about a 2018 incident where then-Labour minister Clare Curran was also found to have sent emails to a personal email account Hipkins said the rules had changed while he was prime minister and the technology has all been updated since then," he said "Claire ultimately lost her job because of the way that she had used her personal email accounts The fact that the Prime Minister is now brushing it off .. there seems to be a lower standard for his ministers in every regard." Other ministers were also queried about their use of personal email accounts Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she had searched her mailboxes and found one instance where she used a personal email account for printing in a hotel room "We were having printing challenges using my normal ministerial account," she said said people "need to keep a bit of perspective on things" "You shouldn't be sending Budget-sensitive information to private email addresses but I don't think it's the biggest sin in the world." Bishop conceded he had forwarded Parliamentary emails to a Gmail account but added that his staff managed his ministerial email which he said he didn't have access to we just need to keep a bit of perspective on things to your Gmail address is not the worst thing in the world "As long as it's all held within the system and everything's appropriately triaged and appropriately filed and sent on to the appropriate people for OIAs Stanford's use of personal email appeared to be a potential breach of the Cabinet manual which all ministers are obliged to follow and opened the door to a risk of confidential government information getting into the wrong hands Otago University professor and legal expert Andrew Geddis said yesterday: “Putting that sort of information out onto an external email source raises security questions because we all know that email is hackable and outside of government accounts are more easily hacked than government ones are.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was "very relaxed" about the situation and that Stanford had got IT support to fix issues like printing problems the Blues' veteran midfielder whose rugby journey took him from the All Blacks sevens Toulon and back to New Zealand with the Blues has retired from the game at the age of 36 who helped the Blues win the Super Rugby championship last year He is turning his professional attentions to facts and figures in his new role as a mortgage broker it’s the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made that stand out the most I’m grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special.” “I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love none of this would have been possible,” he said known as "uncle" at the Blues due to his age said the franchise had helped extend his playing career “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches and everyone who’s played some part in my career,” he said “You’ve all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life I’ve learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me.” “A special shout-out to the medical staff.. you’ve worked wonders on my body as I’ve gotten older..." Heem said he had been working towards becoming a mortgage broker as part of his professional development at the Blues “I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot during my time at the Blues and I’m eager to bring that knowledge and discipline to the world of finance,” Heem said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers rnz.co.nz Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Erin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington The 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue today Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album South Waikato District Council Mayor Gary Petley says the job losses in Tokoroa are part of a broader trend of globalisation affecting rural Aotearoa 230 workers were made redundant at the Kinleith Paper Mill near Tokoroa after its owners decided to shut down paper production at the plant to ship pulp for overseas production Petley says the Kinleith legacy has been an intergenerational institution for local jobs with the younger generation of workers being hardest hit by the closure he believes there is still an opportunity for a tuakana-teina approach where experienced workers can support younger ones through this transition “I think that some of those decisions that the older ones will make will give rise to an opportunity for those that are affected by virtue of a job swap situation which would only entail further training to get them up to speed so that those older ones can exit the site,” says Petley Gary Petley says the community iwi partner Raukawa has been working alongside the council to sustain housing development in Tokoroa projects like the new Olam Food Ingredients dairy factory are helping keep the community economy going Santa has put South Waikato back on his visiting list this year with the council confirming the return of the Tokoroa Christmas parade The town has not had a parade since 2022, and in September South Waikato district mayor Gary Petley said he was not sure the council could fund it after the government told council's to "get back to basics" the council now says it is able to work alongside local community groups and businesses to ensure a Christmas parade for Tokoroa along with movies screenings the installation of giant Christmas trees in the district's three main towns and Christmas events in the village of Arapuni Petley said at a time when all councils are feeling the pinch financially working alongside communities was a positive outcome "It's certainly becoming increasingly difficult for councils across the country to find the means to lead events like these," Petley said But he said they were important to communities "[They are] part of forming a thriving and vibrant community A coalition of groups working together to make the events happen including the South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust which is owned and operated by South Waikato District Council elected member Rebekah Garner have donated services free of charge for the programme council has raised $16,000 in sponsorship from local organisations for event operational costs and made a capital investment of $72,000 which will be used to install permanent steel structures in Tokoroa The steel structures will be used to hold the 10m high trees in the three towns which have been provided free of charge (including transport) by Manulife Investment Management The council said the capital investment is being funded using existing budgets South Waikato District Council next week will debate whether Anzac memorial events and Christmas parades are core council business they should help fund - or not Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told attendees at the Local Government New Zealand conference in Wellington today that local councils need to "rein in the fantasies" on spending Motorists travelling from Auckland to Wellington this month are advised to avoid State Highway 1 as further detours for roadworks cause multiple delays The news comes as NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi‘s (NZTA) largest section of work on the SH1 Tīrau to Waiōuru accelerated maintenance project begins on Monday A 17-kilometre stretch of SH1 from its intersection with SH32 in Tokoroa to Upper Ātiamuri will be closed 24/7 for at least six weeks to accommodate four separate work areas ranging from 2.9km to 5.7km in length The resulting detour via SH32 and SH30, which bypasses the town of Kinleith will add about 16 minutes or 23km to journey times The work is part of NZTA’s ambitious project to complete four years’ worth of road renewals on SH1 in the span of 16 months NZTA advised those travelling longer distances to choose an alternative route to SH1 “With the many closures and longer detour routes it will potentially be quicker,” the website said and then SH4 to Taumarunui and National Park The closure has prompted expressions of concern from Tokoroa’s business community Tokoroa Business Incorporated chairman Roger Dower told the Waikato Herald the road closure would have a negative impact on local businesses along SH1 “People are bypassing Tokoroa as they are going out of their way,” Dower said Dower said the road closure would make “business hard” and cost both customers and business owners “I hope the roadworks fix the road for good and fix it right,” Dower said NZTA’s website acknowledged queries from businesses asking for compensation for those adversely affected by road closures “We recognise and acknowledge there will be inconvenience and disruption to people while this work is carried out,” the website said businesses are entitled to compensation for “business loss” only when they are required to relocate because land has been acquired businesses who are impacted by works but are not required to relocate because we acquired their land are not entitled to any compensation for their business losses.” The website said NZTA endeavoured to keep those affected as informed as possible A drop-in-session was hosted in Tokoroa on October 3 NZTA had also completed “a lot” of letterbox drops of information in the Tokoroa area “We acknowledge that road maintenance is disruptive,” the website said the road closures mean there will be relatively short periods of inconvenience and then a considerably longer period when there are far less roadworks.” The website said additional signage will be placed at the detour point advising businesses beyond that point are still open “We need to advise the detour earlier to those on longer journeys so they can use the appropriate state highways.” Note: An earlier version of this article stated the SH32 and SH30 detour from Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri was 35 minutes or 47km in length This figure was incorrectly provided by the NZ Transport Agency and has since been amended The Turkish Kebab & Pizza Express business owned and operated by Ercan Ates A Tokoroa kebab and pizza shop owner grossly underpaid migrant workers doing 66-hour weeks then made them pay back part of their salaries claiming he could no longer afford them Ercan Ates and his business Ates Trading Limited, which operates Turkish Kebabs and Pizza Express on Swanston St in Tokoroa have pleaded guilty in the Rotorua District Court to 18 charges relating to exploiting workers The three workers are collectively owed about $160,000 due to breaches of the Holidays Act Court documents released to the Rotorua Daily Post said Ates was in charge of the day-to-day restaurant operations including hiring He carried out all offending of Ates Trading Ltd The business employed three fulltime migrant workers on work visas for periods between 2017 and 2021 Their contracts said they were to work between at least 30 and 40 hours a week but all three worked about 66 hours a week over six days They were only paid the approximate hours in their contracts,which meant they were paid less than the minimum wage for the hours they actually worked They were owed thousands in unpaid hours worked public holiday pay and for unnecessarily repaying Ates Kiranjot Kaur owed nearly $117,000 from her employment over more than three years; Rupinder Kaur was employed for 10 months and was owed just over $31,000; and Sunita Rani was owed nearly $12,700 from the four months she worked Kiranjot Kaur was employed from April 2017 until August 2020 She started on $17.50 an hour and was to work at least 30 hours a week She was promoted to store manager in May 2018 with a new salary of $26 an hour working at least 40 hours a week She continued to work 66-hour weeks but never received more than $860 a week despite her new contract If she had been paid minimum wage for the actual hours she worked If she was paid her actual contracted wage Over more than three years she was not given any paid holidays despite being entitled to four weeks a year She also was not paid properly for working public holidays Rupinder Kaur was hired in July 2020 and contracted to work at least 40 hours a week on $23.50 an hour Her pay increased to $25.60 an hour when she was promoted to chef de partie she continued to work 66 hours a week and was only paid for 40 hours her hours reduced to five days a week on doctor’s recommendation which meant she was working about 50 hours a week Ates paid her between 25 and 35 hours a week She didn’t receive a gross wage over $1024 and when her days reduced she received weekly wages between $640 and $896 she would be owed $23,087.09 and much more if paid at her contracted rate She was also owed holiday pay and for underpaid public holidays and sick leave Sunita Rani was contracted to work for at least 40 hours a week on an hourly rate of $25.50 She was employed from October 2020 until February 2021 Rani is owed $1173 for alternative holiday pay and $886 for arrears for unpaid public holidays and time-and-a-half Ates told Rani she needed to work between 10am and 10pm six days a week The summary said Rani thought she would be paid for all her hours but she was only paid for 40 hours a week he told her she needed to work hard if she wanted his support to obtain her next visa she would be owed $8982 in outstanding wages based on the hours she worked Shortly after Kiranjot Kaur was promoted to store manager Ates told her she needed to pay back the pay rise amount as he could no longer afford it – or risk losing her job he had her buy groceries for the business with her own money and later repay him in cash Ates sought repayments at $130 a week and told her he would call Immigration New Zealand to have her visa cancelled if she refused He reduced the repayments to $39 a week when her hours of work reduced She was owed $3575 for the money she gave back to Ates About a month after Rani started working for Ates he claimed he could no longer afford her contractual rate and sought repayment He told her to pay $127 a week but to reference the payments as “rent” Ates and his company will be sentenced on February 17 next year Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years One person has been airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition after a “water incident” at the South Waikato indoor pools in Tokoroa A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said one ambulance one rapid response unit and one helicopter responded after a “water incident” was reported at 1.36pm The spokesperson said the incident happened on Roslin St/O’Sullivan Drive in the South Waikato town The South Waikato indoor pools are located on Roslin St The spokesperson said one patient was airlifted to Waikato Hospital A South Waikato District Council spokesperson said the council was aware of the incident “Staff assisted St John Ambulance at the time and restricted public access to part of the facility,” the spokesperson said Actions in line with the facility’s health and safety plan have commenced.” New air quality data shows air pollutants have mostly decreased across the country By Libby Kirkby-McLeod of RNZ New air quality data shows air pollutants have mostly decreased nationwide between 2016-23 However, according to figures released by Stats NZ, the South Waikato town of Tokoroa is still one of the worst in the country when it comes to hazardous particles in the air PM10 and PM2.5 are particles that can be suspended in the air and are less than 10 micrometres and 2.5 micrometres in diameter respectively “PM10 can be breathed into lungs and PM2.5 is small enough to enter the bloodstream gas and liquid in air can be harmful to human health and contribute to health issues such as cardiovascular and respiratory health problems and increased mortality,” Stats NZ environment and agricultural statistics senior manager Stuart Jones said The Tokoroa monitoring site along with Reefton Area School and Timaru’s Anzac Square had the highest average number of days at 100% or more of the per-year guideline of PM2.5 The Tokoroa site was also in the top three for highest average daily exceedences of the PM10 standard per year along with a site in Timaru and one in Arrowtown Waikato Regional Council senior scientist Jonathan Caldwell said Tokoroa’s air was polluted because of a mix of social and environmental reasons “We do tend to see in some of our lower socioeconomic areas people tend to rely on burning wood — especially in Tokoroa where there might be easier access to free or cheaper woods,” he said This wood may not be properly seasoned and if wood is quite wet it puts off a lot more particles that pollute the air and that’s what we might typically see in some of these lower socioeconomic areas they may have to burn more fuel to heat the home that’s not properly insulated.” Added to that is the fact Tokoroa is well inland and gets less wind in winter to blow the pollutants away you tend to get inversion layers during the winter where that colder air is trapped below a warmer air above that .. they can’t disperse because wind speeds are very low and so you tend to get those air pollutants accumulating Other similar-size New Zealand towns close to a coastal area might have the same number of pollutants but they would be more likely to blow away Waikato Regional Council used to fund clean-heat replacements This fund was cut in the latest regional long-term plan The South Waikato District Council could introduce a bylaw to progressively outlaw old wood burners. Rotorua Lakes Council introduced such a bylaw and has had a great improvement in its air quality “Rotorua had similar air pollutant problems or air quality as Tokoroa .. and what we’ve seen over that same period of time so the number of exceedances has dropped to pretty much almost zero now,” Caldwell said He said it was important for people to know any amount of particles inhaled would affect health He suggested people seek to understand the impact they might be having on their neighbours if you have a wood burner and you haven’t really thought too much about how much smoke you’re producing it’s probably a good idea to — when you light the fire — to go out and go ‘oh Caldwell suggested avoiding vigorous outdoor activity “It’s not a good idea to perhaps go running when you’ve got high pollution levels because you’re taking in more air from your lungs so you’re filtering more particulate through your lungs,” he said About 230 workers will lose their jobs at Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa. Oji Fibre Solutions confirmed the news to workers at an open-air meeting on the mill’s grounds this morning “After extensive work and considering a variety of options and feedback from unions and our team maintain jobs in the region and continue reliable supply of product to our customers,” chief executive Dr Jon Ryder said in a statement we will proceed with our proposal to transition the mill to a new operating model by focusing on pulp and ceasing loss-making paper production “We can confirm we will permanently shut the PM6 paper machine at Kinleith Mill at the end of June 2025 and move to a paper import model for our packaging operations “We expect this decision will result in the loss of around 230 jobs “We know for many of our people and the local and regional community “We recognise the impact on our people and their loved ones and will be wrapping support around them “This difficult decision is in no way a reflection of the experience skills and dedication of all the team and leadership at Kinleith Mill.” Ryder said they would now be focused on a transition plan to close the paper machine safely ensure the welfare of their affected people and continue sustainable pulp operations at the mill In November the company announced the proposal to simplify Kinleith Mill’s operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing paper production A community-led campaign, “Save Our Jobs! Save Our Mill!” was launched to spotlight the cost potential job losses could have on Tokoroa The proposed closure came after a year of bad news for New Zealand manufacturing, including another OFS mill closure in Penrose, and the closure of Winstone Pulp International’s Tangiwai Sawmill and Karioi Pulpmill “We plan to continue producing paper at Kinleith Mill through to the end of June 2025 This provides a period in which options for affected staff can be explored; while ensuring we meet our customer obligations and provide a smooth transition to alternative paper supply arrangements for our packaging operations.” South Waikato District Council Mayor Gary Petley said while the closure was disappointing the district was delivering ambitious growth plans with multiple major new business and housing investments that would help offset the closure of Kinleith’s paper production line “It is disappointing the paper production line is closing and we sympathise with those who have lost jobs and contracts.” Petley said the council had created Project Phoenix to support people who have been made redundant into new jobs and help contractors affected by the mill closure to find new work “Through Project Phoenix the council is collaborating with Kinleith owner Oji community organisations and educational and training institutes and businesses operating in South Waikato to help employees and contractors transition to new employment.” He said the council saw the closure as an opportunity for government council and iwi to co-invest and support the district’s transformation while also supporting individuals and families who had been directly affected by the decision Petley said it was good news that Oji would keep Kinleith’s pulp production lines open ensuring the continued employment of many employees and he acknowledged the support of Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and local MP and Minister of Social Development Louise Upston in discussions with Oji E tū union negotiating specialist Joe Gallagher said it had been a “pretty tough” morning He said the reactions were “very respectful Possibly 260 people are going to be washed out of Tokoroa because of this decision today.” Gallagher said an additional 50 to 60 contractors could be “downstream casualties” He said he had one key message for the Government and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon: ”You have failed.” E tū senior delegate Ian Farall said he believed the company had made this decision “long ago” “The writing has been on the wall for some time and the company never seemed serious about saving paper production.” Farall criticised the Government for failing to intervene meaningfully “We’re shocked and angry that the Government isn’t stepping in to save the paper mill It’s a key part of our domestic manufacturing and vital to the wider Tokoroa community.” said workers were “bitterly disappointed” by the news “We were the last ones standing – the last paper-making machine in the country “This puts our economy at risk and will have a ripple effect on primary industries that rely on our products for the safe “We don’t believe the company has put forward a genuine business plan The writing was on the wall after two decades of underinvestment in the mill “This could end up being a disastrous decision that sinks the entire business Specialist skills that take decades to master will be lost in the process,” van der Putten said was born in Tokoroa and had lived there all his life His father has worked at the mill for 20 years Reid said he planned to stay in Tokoroa despite any job losses: ”You just got to keep your head up.” Specialist cleaner Aaron Bell said the unions were going through the questions now ”The 230 were the Oji workers but that didn’t count contractors I might have to work outside of Toke but don’t really want to.” Bell said he had a wife and three children and had bought a house a couple of years ago ”I’m okay it’s these younger ones who just bought a house who are in the shit.” Labour employment spokesman Willie Jackson said the announcement was devastating news for the whole community and the many families who relied on the paper mill for income “This is on top of the 33,000 people who have lost their jobs across Aotearoa in the last 12 months under National “That’s more than the entire population of Blenheim “This is not good enough. Winston Peters promised that he would be an ‘advocate on your behalf’ and that ‘Kinleith Mill is the lifeblood of the Waikato’ yet here we are with another large employer closing its doors “The community and workers of Tokoroa deserve more than false promises “It’s a disgrace that the Government can sit idly by and let thousands of people lose their jobs Social Development and Employment Minister and Taupō MP Louise Upston said Friday’s news was “incredibly challenging” for the people affected and “not the outcome anyone was hoping for” “I have rung the Chief Executive and reinforced my support for all Kinleith employees their families and the community affected by this decision,” Upston said Upston said she and her team had reached out to the union and the local Ministry of Social Development office “We will also be working closely with the council on their Project Phoenix to support affected employees and the community,” Upston said “We now need to focus on the future for those affected.” Upston said the decision announced on Friday was part of the “devastating” fallout from years of high inflation and low growth “That’s why as a Government we’re so focused on fixing and growing economy to support industry and create more jobs for Kiwis.” Tokoroa student Ricco Hikuroa has received a Swift scholarship to help him train to be a mechanical engineer Fresh out of high school, Tokoroa local Ricco Hikorua has found his calling as an automotive mechanic Ricco graduated from Year 12 at Tokoroa High School last year and was inspired to take up automotive engineering by his father Dylan’s 1961 Chevrolet Impala that he enters into low rider competitions and his uncle Leon’s old school Holdens he uses for drag racing “I worked at DM Automotive for six months after school I just walked in there and asked if I could work for free and the owner Dylan Raynel took me on Working there really sparked my interest.” Now, he is one of 16 people studying towards a nine-month New Zealand Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Level 3) at the Toi Ohomai Tokoroa campus - with the help of a $5000 scholarship from South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (Swift) The scholarship has gone towards the $8000 fees with Ricco paying the $3000 balance He said his mum Elaine spotted the scholarship opportunity Even though the application process wasn’t easy for him he encouraged anyone who wants to study to apply Ricco received a reference from Tokoroa High School Gateway and Trades co-ordinator Dianne Collins who said he has a “wonderful hands-on aptitude” and a quiet but engaged personality Personal referee Raiven Trainor said Ricco had shown a consistent interest in vehicles and had an impressive work ethic consistently putting in effort to achieve his goals Ricco already has a big goal for the future: Opening his own engineering workshop “I want to get this pre-trade ticket so I can go to Australia to look for an apprenticeship. My auntie lives over there on the Gold Coast I’ve never travelled overseas before so it’s a big step I’d like to start an apprenticeship working on light vehicles and then get on to diesel vehicles like trucks and tractors.” Swift scholarships are only available to South Waikato District residents the $50,000 scholarship scheme helps locals of all ages with their tertiary education at a university The programme was not only for school leavers as they also endorsed “whole of life” education and welcomed applicants who are in employment looking to upskill applicants who are looking to reintegrate into the job market or applicants looking for employment in another industry sector To find out more visit https://www.swift.org.nz/scholarship-scheme/ {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2024/11/20/over-200-jobs-under-threat-at-tokoroas-kinleith-mill/"},"datePublished":"2024-11-19T19:05:59.009Z","dateModified":"2024-11-20T05:29:15.953Z","headline":"Over 200 jobs under threat at Tokoroa's Kinleith Mill","description":"The mill's owners Oji Fibre Solutions have proposed permanently shutting the paper machine at Kinleith The mill's owners Oji Fibre Solutions have proposed permanently shutting the paper machine at Kinleith impacting around half the mill's 450-strong workforce Workers were called into a meeting at 8am this morning It comes just months after Oji's plans to close its mill in Auckland's Penrose were announced Operations in Penrose are set to end shortly before Christmas Oji Fibre Solutions chief executive Jon Ryder said paper production has "suffered significant losses for several years and we see no prospect of the situation improving" "Due to the complexities of operational changes required at the mill for this proposal the exact number of potential job losses is unknown at this stage we anticipate approximately 230 roles may be affected," he said in a media release "We propose to continue producing paper at Kinleith Mill through to the end of June 2025 to ensure we meet our packaging customer obligations and provide a smooth transition to new paper supply arrangements." Consultation with employees would continue until early January next year which said it would make a final decision by the end of that month "This is a difficult change to propose because of the impact on our hard-working team We acknowledge the history and importance of Kinleith Mill in the local community and region and have made every effort to ensure we continue operating at the site." Union members were expected to be on the ground to support Kinleith's workers Kinleith Mill has been in operation in Tokoroa since 1953 It's another blow for the manufacturing sector with a number of closures this year and now job losses rolling into the thousands The jobs of 230 workers at Tokoroa's Kinleith Mill could go amid a plan to shut down paper production It comes just months after Oji's plans to close its mill in Auckland's Penrose were announced. Operations in Penrose are set to end shortly before Christmas. Oji Fibre Solutions chief executive Jon Ryder said paper production has "suffered significant losses for several years and we see no prospect of the situation improving". Mill owners Oji Fibre Solutions propose permanently shutting the paper machine, impacting around half the 450-strong workforce. (Source: 1News) "Due to the complexities of operational changes required at the mill for this proposal, the exact number of potential job losses is unknown at this stage. However, we anticipate approximately 230 roles may be affected," he said in a media release. "We propose to continue producing paper at Kinleith Mill through to the end of June 2025, to ensure we meet our packaging customer obligations and provide a smooth transition to new paper supply arrangements." Consultation with employees would continue until early January next year, according to the company, which said it would make a final decision by the end of that month. "This is a difficult change to propose because of the impact on our hard-working team. We acknowledge the history and importance of Kinleith Mill in the local community and region and have made every effort to ensure we continue operating at the site." Union members were expected to be on the ground to support Kinleith's workers. Auckland mill to close in December Oji Fibre Solutions told staff it was considering closing its Penrose mill and entered a four-week consultation period with employees and the union Business Kinleith Mill has been in operation in Tokoroa since 1953. It's another blow for the manufacturing sector, with a number of closures this year and now job losses rolling into the thousands. Govt halts all current pay equity claims Politics Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters the building was extensively renovated with funding sourced from the sale of its Mount Wellington site and a $1000 tithe from Destiny Church members Deputy police commissioner still on leave four months after suspension Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is under investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the New Zealand Police Tipene Funerals owners break silence after ex-employee jailed Francis and Kaiora Tipene told TVNZ's Marae they should have noticed something sooner but said they knew nothing of former employee Fiona Bakulich's offending 22 mins ago 47 mins ago 54 mins ago 12 mins ago The closure of Oji's paper recycling mill in Auckland's Penrose has been confirmed Oji Fibre Solutions told staff it was considering closure and entered a four-week consultation period with employees and the union This was followed by a two-week decision period The mill’s closure will leave 75 employees out of a job 1News understands the mill's last day will be December 18 The mood was sombre as workers attended an 8am meeting to hear the fate of the mill and their jobs An employee of the mill who spoke to 1News as they left this morning’s meeting said it was “about what we expected” “The decision was already made quite some time ago.” He said he could see the financial reasons for moving operations to Malaysia but there were “a lot of people here who will struggle” “This is a very skilled plant; the people here are impressive “I have never worked with a better team.” Oji Fibre Soloutions chief executive Jon Ryder called it a "sad day" for the company and employees “I would like to emphasise that this decision to close Penrose Mill dedication and skill of each and every one of our 75 staff there," he said “We are doing all we can to support our people through this period including matching them with positions across other parts of OjiFS and working with other businesses to offer them the opportunity to take on high-calibre He said the mill had suffered a three-year pattern of losses with "no prospect of the situation improving" We have looked at technology and other changes to save input costs We have also considered options presented by our staff and their unions there is nothing we could find that would make a difference Ryder said the closure would not change Oji's recycling operations "We will continue to collect wastepaper and continue to recycle around 90,000 tonnes of cardboard per year at our Kinleith Mill OjiFS will remain New Zealand’s largest paper recycler." the mill plans to send all of its waste to Malaysia and then bring it back to New Zealand as recycled paper "The fact that the replacement supplier is an Oji-owned mill means we can be confident it will operate under the values and standards of the Oji Group." The move was criticised by the union because of environmental and humanitarian concerns "We’ve discovered that 80% of Malaysia’s electricity is produced by coal fired power stations and the additional carbon footprint of shipping recycling to Malaysia and importing paper back adds significantly to the carbon footprint of recycled paper production making a mockery of any environmental credentials," Justin Wallace FIRST Union organiser for the Oji Penrose Mill said previously The Auckland mill's closure comes a week after 230 workers heard the news of job losses due to the closure of two WPI mills in the Ruapehu District both FIRST Union and E tū said it was a terrible outcome for the workers who are highly skilled and have roots in the community said the workers would be supported through the redundancy process said it was a tough day for the workers and their families "Places like the Penrose Mill are critical pieces of the industrial ecosystem and it sends a very bad message to other manufacturers who are also struggling with runaway energy prices," he said Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." The country's second most powerful police officer remains on leave four months after he was suspended pending a criminal investigation Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is under investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the New Zealand Police The nature of the allegations against him cannot be reported A police spokesperson confirmed to RNZ on Monday there was no update regarding the investigation his lawyer told RNZ McSkimming had no comment McSkimming confirmed he had been suspended since before Christmas on full pay When any police officer faces an investigation of this nature they are typically suspended from duty," the statement said "Mr McSkimming is cooperating fully with Police and looks forward to the investigation being concluded swiftly after which he expects to resume his duties as Deputy Commissioner." McSkimming was one of the final two candidates for New Zealand's top cop job last year with Richard Chambers eventually appointed Police Commissioner McSkimming was promoted to statutory deputy commissioner in 2023 on the recommendation of then-prime minister Chris Hipkins The role comes with a higher pay packet and status than standard deputy commissioners Late last year he was overseeing road policing and operational services it was noted he had a "relatively unique career path" working at police headquarters since 2010 across a range of areas: strategy McSkimming joined the police in 1996 and worked on the frontline in Auckland and Southland He has also been responsible for large restructures - as well as managing police IT systems and launching the 105 non-emergency number By Sam Sherwood of rnz.co.nz The owners of Tipene Funerals have spoken out for the first time after a former long-time employee was jailed for misconduct in relation to burials Francis and Kaiora Tipene told TVNZ's Marae they should have noticed something sooner but said they knew nothing of former employee Fiona Bakulich's offending For the full Marae story, watch on TVNZ+ Fiona Bakulich, 48, a former employee, was jailed for two years and three months and ordered to pay more than $16,900 in reparations over her misconduct The Tipene owners spoke to Marae in their first interview since Bakulich was jailed Francis said he was called to a meeting alongside Bakulich at Waikumete Cemetery by Auckland Council staff Cyclone Gabrielle had badly damaged a mausoleum housing two coffins interred by Bakulich Repairs to the roof necessitated the disinterment of the remains revealing she had not installed the zinc liner required and pocketed the $3000 in cash instead "I just couldn't believe how someone could do that." Bakulich was stood down for six weeks and continued offending upon her return to work The pair said they only discovered she had further defrauded families after her dismissal and I wish we did so we could have acted sooner," Francis said but I'm deeply apologetic to those whānau." Asked how the charges weren't detected in the company's accounting Francis said the transactions were taking place off-site so that's a hard one to swallow." The company would have to "build trust from the bottom up" the pair said of their business' relationship with the community Marae did not receive a response when Fiona Bakulich's lawyer was approached for comment Human remains found in Tokoroa have been confirmed by police as missing Tokoroa man Shane Edwards. The police say “unusual circumstances” surround his disappearance and are appealing for information from the public Edwards (Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tahu) was 42 when he “vanished” from his Tokoroa home on May 14 The Tokoroa resident, who went to school in Rotorua and spent time working in the city’s tourism and forestry sectors, was living with his partner Alvina Smith and three of their four children who were all at home when he was last seen The family ended up in emergency housing four months after Edwards went missing On November 13, police confirmed an investigation had been launched after the discovery of human remains at a rural location close to the Tokoroa township. Police later said DNA was being used to identify the remains In a statement today,police confirmed the remains had been identified as Shane Edwards Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley said there were “unusual circumstances” surrounding Edwards’ disappearance and police inquiries were ongoing ”We are determined to uncover what happened and to provide answers for his family and loved ones Police appealed to anyone with information about Edwards’ movements prior to his disappearance or how he came to be located near Mossop Rd in Tokoroa A police spokesman confirmed the remains were identified through DNA the spokesman said there was nothing further to add at this stage Smith told the Rotorua Daily Post in 2022 that she and Edwards had been together for 18 years and had four sons She described him as “the best dad in the world” and “the love of my life” Smith recalled the afternoon Edwards went missing And that gives us the feeling that we better start the fire and cook dinner “He wasn’t there at that specific time because he usually would start the fire.” Smith said she and the children were in another room while Edwards was in the kitchen “We couldn’t really see or hear him from the room that we were in.” Smith said the dishes had been moved from the table to the bench but were not washed Smith said she got “a little bit worried” because it was “out of character” for him not to say anything She started contacting friends to see if they had seen him In the week leading up to his disappearance Smith said there was “nothing different” about her partner She did not believe his disappearance would be gang- or drug-related South Waikato is mourning the death of local legend Alberico D’Andrea who brought a slice of la dolce vita to Tokoroa D’Andrea opened Alberico’s Italian Restaurant with his wife Rachel in 1984 The family announced his death on social media on Wednesday last week, saying Alberico had loved the people of Tokoroa and being a part of its community We are deeply saddened to have to announce that our dearest served and cooked beautiful food for the community for 40 years passed away [on] Monday afternoon.” The post has attracted a flood of comments from locals sharing their memories and extending their condolences in English Former South Waikato mayor Jenni Shattock commented: “Our sincere condolences .. Former South Waikato District councillor Peter Schulte echoed Shattock’s sentiment He leaves behind his wife Rachel and son Leandro in New Zealand Leandro told the Waikato Herald his father had been a hard worker all of his life and had only recently found “more of a balance” It was quite common for working-class families.” In his youth, Alberico also helped out his uncle who was a mechanic and he gained knowledge in other trades such as building, carpentry, welding and as a blacksmith he learned how to cook from his mother and aunt The latter ran a traditional Italian taverna “He was 18 when he came to New Zealand .. That’s when the compulsory military training starts in Italy,” Leandro said but Alberico’s family needed multiple incomes to survive working as a geometer on a tunnelling project However, despite Alberico’s skills in the trades, the only job he found upon arrival was as a kitchen hand in the canteen which fed the workers setting up the Tongariro Power Scheme he transitioned from the kitchen to the construction site “[The Tongariro Power Scheme] was a big part of his life “He often worked 14 hours a day. It was in the middle of Tongariro National Park so basically the middle of nowhere,” Leandro said “He often talked about how he heard [fellow immigrant workers] crying themselves to sleep and how they all missed their families – and the [Italian] food “One of the first meals they had after arriving in New Zealand was at the Tokoroa Hotel All of them cried over the food – well-done steak with eggs and chips.” so the heavy lifting was done by the workers This meant they would frequently get injured “Alberico jumped through the ranks because he was really good at coming up with systems to make people’s lives easier,” Leandro said he decided to build a coaster [lifting] system instead of going to sleep You took materials without asking’ that sort of thing ‘You wait and see how productive we are going to be’.” the project leaders were not a fan of Alberico’s way of working Leandro said his father even got fired a couple of times and at one point he was sent home to Italy “He was very accurate and anti-authoritarian He had no patience for anyone who didn’t know what they were talking about.” “He was asked to come back [to the power scheme] In 1971, at the University of Waikato dorm rooms in Hamilton “He was chaperoning his friend who was seeing a friend of Mum’s On the way through the hallway of the dorms [Alberico] saw [Rachel] sitting in her room because the door was open,” Leandro said They were set up on a blind date and the rest is history Rachel did not immediately take to Alberico Rachel said: “I don’t really know what it was that convinced me Leandro added: “He took her out to all these lobster and champagne dinners – he earned pretty good money because of all the long hours and overtime.” Alberico and Rachel got married in 1972 in Edgecumbe, Bay of Plenty I always wanted to go travelling for three years But this gentleman convinced me to spend the rest of my life with him instead,” Rachel said Shortly after their wedding, Rachel and Alberico moved to Moawhango, near Waiōuru, and later Tūrangi where Alberico worked at El Burcio as a bartender in the evenings in addition to his work at the Tongariro Power Scheme After his contract with the scheme ended in 1983 Alberico thought about opening his own restaurant “He was very close with the owner of El Burcio and together they took a trip to Tokoroa Alberico opened the only Italian restaurant in town before buying a building on Logan St in 1997 a traditional Italian dish from his hometown He brought down the machine for it from Italy.” The only dish Alberico wasn’t too fond of was Hawaiian pizza “He would have loved to take [it] off the menu,” Leandro said Rachel added: “When we increased our prices a while ago we increased the Hawaiian pizza more than any other pizza.” Aside from cooking, Alberico was a keen golfer, an “avid gardener”, and he liked tinkering in his shed at home, curing meat and distilling his own grappa “He was a big talker and so knowledgeable. Him and Mum loved The Chase,” Leandro said “He loved teasing people and had a big belly laugh He always had a glint in his eyes and created levity Visitors to the restaurant will probably remember him singing opera but I will remember him singing [songs of] Adriano Celentano and Fabrizio de Andre,” Leandro said Alberico’s Italian Restaurant celebrated 40 years in business Rachel and Alberico were just about to embark on a holiday to see family and friends While the restaurant is currently closed for business “We set up a little tribute table for him with pictures and his ashes People are welcome to come down and say their goodbyes,” Leandro said There will be a private memorial this week Leandro said they would decide whether to continue running the restaurant after the memorial Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist and assistant news director at the Waikato Herald She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News. Impressions from the Balloons Visit South Waikato event in 2017 For the first time in seven years, the annual Balloons Over Waikato festival is returning to Tokoroa As part of this year’s festival programme, there will be a Balloons Visit South Waikato event on March 20 - in addition to the Balloons Visit Waipā event on March 21 Both events are free and visitors can expect live music, food trucks, carnival rides and of course a selection of hot air balloons which will inflate and can be admired up close South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said he was delighted to announce the “long-awaited return” of the event to the district “We set out a bold vision for our district in our Long-Term Plan and one of our goals is to have more people participate in community activities and events than ever before “Activities like this bring our community together and enable us to enjoy the camaraderie and unity that events like this promote.” When asked what caused the seven-year hiatus South Waikato District Council head of economic and community development Paul Bowden said in a statement Balloons Over Waikato was “a highly anticipated event” “Over the past few years it visited other locations away from our district when the opportunity arose for our district to participate in the event the balloons visited the Waipā District for the first time Steed said the balloons had been visiting places outside Hamilton since at least 2006 although the visits were run “slightly separately to the festival back then” The festival celebrated its 25th anniversary last year When asked if there were plans for the balloons to visit places outside Hamilton Steed said there weren’t any “current conversations” about this “The Balloons Over Waikato Trust Board will set out its new strategy for beyond 2025 after this year’s festival so we are certainly open to having conversations about getting the balloons to visit other places in the future.” She said there was a cost to the event organisers and the districts to run the event’s visits so the cost is just related to running the event like covering the balloonist’s costs and things like that.” Balloons Over Waikato Trust chairman Steve Gow said the festival’s return to South Waikato added “a special touch” to this year’s event “We are delighted to bring the magic of Balloons Over Waikato back to Tokoroa This event is all about connecting communities and creating memorable moments The warm welcome we’ve received from Tokoroa makes this return even more meaningful.” The balloons will visit South Waikato on March 20 at 5.30pm at Tokoroa Memorial Sports Ground The free Balloons Over Waikato festival will celebrate its first lift-off of 2025 on March 18 the walk-thru balloon will already be in Garden Place on March 15 at 1pm The event will culminate in the Zuru Nightglow at Claudelands Oval on March 22 at 4pm To ensure fairer access to the tickets, the organisers made changes to the system with people being asked to pre-register via the event’s website until February 24 Ticket recipients will be drawn and notified on three separate dates For more information and the full schedule visit www.balloonsoverwaikato.co.nz Hamilton District Court is closed and cases have been disrupted.