Located on Druces Rd in the suburb of Wiri Destiny Church is moving out of its purpose-built three-hectare premises in South Auckland after more than a decade of congregating there The development of the Druces Rd property in the suburb of Wiri was introduced in 2012 as the City of God the building was extensively renovated with funding sourced from the sale of its Mount Wellington site and a $1000 tithe from Destiny Church members never quite lived up to the scale models Brian Tamaki unveiled when he was looking for what he described as "lots of pennies" to build it See John Campbell's investigation of tithing and the Destiny Church's premises in his series Under his Command on TVNZ+ Destiny Church said in a statement that its departure from the Druces Rd property was "simply due to the long-expected end of our lease term" and remaining onsite is no longer possible," a spokesperson said "This is a routine commercial matter – nothing more." Massey University Emeritus Professor Peter Lineham Massey University Emeritus Professor Peter Lineham said he was "really surprised" to hear Destiny Church was leaving its Wiri premises. "There are so many aspects, a school, a health centre, a gym, there's a lot of aspects in which it's trying to serve an extraordinarily poor community. How's it going to do that in another site?" John Campbell on Destiny Church: ‘I’ve never encountered so much fear’Today John Campbell launches Under His Command a five-part investigation into Destiny Church and the women who live in its shadows New Zealand Lineham told 1News he estimated the size of the congregation had fallen by more than half from a peak of around 2500 at standing-room-only services. "Destiny places a big priority in high earning people... they must have lost significant income in the last few years. I don't wonder that they cannot afford to continue in the present location." New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave Dew is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December Business Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one but one has spent years breaking the law while the other just pays a steep price for sharing his name Crime and Justice Lake Alice survivor legally challenges Crown redress Malcolm Richards was 15 when he went to Lake Alice and said he still lived with the impacts of being drugged Seven harsh truths we've learned as young female business founders Fifteen years of working in the finance world did not prepare me for the unique challeges young women face Life Chch students discover resilience helps young people deal with the challenges of life EU launches drive to lure scientists after Trump freezes funding 21 mins ago Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 38 mins ago Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office 49 mins ago Police plea after 'oversight' left Bondi killer without help 2:18pm Sullivan's four-try onslaught highlights Chiefs' vulnerabilities 2:03pm Full video: Question time as Parliament resumes after recess 10 mins ago 1Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Today John Campbell launches Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation into Destiny Church and the women who live in its shadows For more than 25 years Destiny Church and its controversial leader Brian Tamaki have occupied a small fundamentalist corner of New Zealand’s religious culture the church has made fresh headlines due to its active stance against the LGBTQI community with members of its Man Up division (and other Destiny offshoots) targeting rainbow events and most notably storming the Drag Story Hour at a West Auckland public library in February resulting in injuries to the public and seven Destiny arrests claiming to “strengthen men to become better fathers husbands and leaders in their home and community” But an unexpected phone call to John Campbell in February revealed that some members' aggression and fear tactics aren’t limited to public displays That phone call led to Campbell taking a deep dive into the shadows behind Destiny all eligible for tax exemptions on their income Through watching hours and hours of Tamaki's sermons and conducting more than 20 interviews with current or former members of Destiny he discovered a culture of at best antiquated patriarchy and at worst violence and coercion I've never talked to so many people as afraid as the women I encountered in this investigation,” he says Today John Campbell launches Under His Command, a five-part investigation into Destiny, screening on TVNZ+ what sparked your interest in Destiny right now "We’re dealing with a whole lot of Destiny Church people and some of them are in a really bad way." Years ago Campbell Live did quite a lot of stuff on Destiny (Brian Tamaki has accused me of being obsessed with him) but I hadn’t done much on them recently and hadn’t really been thinking about them The Campbell Live stuff was more about the notion that a business was being built around a relatively low-income congregation “There is so much pain and hurt" and I thought I felt like I really needed to sit down with this person So I travelled out of Auckland to meet them There was no doubt that they were genuinely troubled JC: This person introduced me to more Destiny people And then I went back to some of my old Destiny contacts But I got passed around and eventually established contacts with three or four members They had all either left the church or were still in it And they didn’t have the sense of agency or the financial means to leave - their families are in the church These conversations felt like this kind of unburdening These women were hurt and scared and exhausted They made me promise that Brian (Tamaki) and the Man Up guys wouldn’t know I’d spoken to them those Man Up guys know where I live." "If my husband finds out I’ve spoken to you I’ll get a hiding." who does fantastic work in the family violence awareness space about why people stay in toxic relationships She talked about the dynamics of coercive control how it traps people in relationships by tapping into their vulnerabilities On a larger scale you could say that a group like Destiny exercises that same kind of control because it attracts vulnerable people and convinces them that there’s great danger outside of the group ES: The premise of Destiny’s support group for men Why are these women so afraid of Man Up and its members I spoke to a Mongrel Mob former chapter head who said Man Up really worked for him But the women I spoke to believe it’s an organisation that isn’t nearly as dedicated to dealing with toxic male behaviour as it would proclaim They said it’s sometimes been more interested in victim blaming – as in the woman shouldn’t have “triggered” the man’s anger I think Man Up would very emphatically deny that that’s their message (our many requests for interviews were denied and I don’t have explicit evidence of that in more recent years but what I am able to say emphatically is that many of the women I spoke to are terrified In part they’re terrified about losing their place in the community but four or five of the women I spoke to were afraid of a violent response Kaupapa Māori academic Professor Leonie Pihama – she’s incredible – had some interesting things to say about how even if the men of Man Up were no longer violent in a domestic setting their violence has been transplanted and directed at the LGBTQI community She also talked about Destiny’s use of haka against the LGBTQI community – and how utterly inappropriate it is to weaponise the haka in such a harmful way I’ve watched hours of Brian Tamaki sermons – the incendiary tone it’s not good for your heart to be assailed with that has become a kind of vehicle for Destiny Church JC: That former Destiny member talked about attacking drag queens being Tamaki’s “ticket” because Destiny’s toxic response to drag events gets media attention And then I found footage of Tamaki himself actually using that word – “ticket" about all of the moral panic around things like Homosexual Law Reform (1986) the Civil Unions Bill (2004) and same-sex marriage (legalised in 2013) you can’t go to market with that stuff anymore because none of it was true So in order to create moral panic you have to go harder You look at the Pride Parade on Ponsonby Rd there are people wandering along waving a rainbow flag or something and they’re met with this fury Some of the Destiny members I spoke to anonymously said they were ashamed of the church’s homophobia They talked about having a brother or cousins who are gay ES: Aside from potentially being a marketing ploy what do you think motivates the intense trans- and homophobia JC: Brian Tamaki seems obsessed with fatherhood and protecting families from the people he regards as perverted He constantly conflates LGBTQI with paedophilia and child abuse when we know that if you were a child abused in the last 30 or 40 years it was likely to have happened in a state institution or a church But that conflation of child abuse with trans people or gay people is incendiary. Leonie Pihama said you have to think about some of these Man Up members might have come from. If you look at the overwhelming link between state care and violent crime and gang membership – many Man Up members may share that background and they’re being taught to channel their rage towards a community that doesn’t deserve it including a growing concentration on immigrant communities (I was really taken aback by the explicitness of some of this) but the LGBTQI community is the one he returns to again and again JC: Māori activism - Tamaki calls Te Pāti Māori a terrorist association He’s suggested that 98% of immigrants are “probably terrorists” they’re here to invade.” He calls multiculturalism “evil” Hundreds of people turn up every week for these sermons but it’s nearly all men who go out on these confrontational missions he talks about making phone calls and saying to people “you get to the Te Atatū library” In this TVNZ+ series I look at other issues attached to Destiny (such as laundry baskets full of cash disappearing into vans parked out the back of the church) But what to me is key now is that this is a community that is being galvanised into a kind of rage And people who don’t want to be part of that feel afraid to step away And it’s rage towards communities that don’t deserve it And then there's the tremendous amount of hurt and fear being cultivated within the church talked to people as afraid as the women I encountered in this investigation 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 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." Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate A Flaxmere man tortured as a child at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital is taking the Crown to court Malcolm Richards will file a claim in the High Court at Wellington later this morning seeking a judicial review of Cabinet's redress decision Those tortured at the Manawatū psychiatric facility had until last week to choose a rapid payment of $150,000 or head to arbitration The redress scheme only applies to survivors who are still alive that had been subjected to electric shocks and/or paraldehyde injections but Richards has refused the redress on principle "No way I'm taking part in it because it's not legal We can't allow the perpetrator of this crime Richards was 15-years-old when he went to Lake Alice and said he still lived with the impacts of being drugged He was the second survivor to successfully argue his case at the United Nations committee that urged the New Zealand government to compensate him Richards believes December's redress package breaches Article 14 of the United Nations' Torture Convention This article states each country must ensure in its legal system that victims of torture obtain redress and have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation including the means for as full a rehabilitation as possible It also states that if a victim of torture dies their dependants are entitled to compensation Richards' lawyer Chris Griggs said Cabinet's redress decision hasn't been legislated excludes survivors who were tortured by means other than shocks and injections and provides ex-gratia compensation that can't be enforced or effectively challenged in court New Zealand ratified the Convention against Torture in 1989 but with a reservation that the government reserves the right to award compensation to torture victims only at the discretion of the Attorney-General of New Zealand The government has said New Zealand is the first country in the world to acknowledge torture of children and provide compensation to recognise their suffering Griggs said the case was a simple one that boiled down to the government needing to comply with international human rights laws "A lot of survivors are telling me what's happening is like a serious crime has been committed by the government so the government goes into a room with the victim and tells them this is what the penalty will be and no correspondence will be entered into Griggs said he would be asking the court to essentially "quash" Cabinet's decision and declare the government needed to comply with international minimum standards While the United Nations didn't have any teeth by way of enforcing these standards Griggs said it was New Zealand's reputation on the line "New Zealand holds itself out to be a champion of human rights We're the first country to speak out on breaches of human rights standards overseas We don't comply with the International minimum standards for remedying torture." "I have heard stories of children being lined up against a wall with their backs to the staff and having syringes full of paraldehyde thrown at their bottoms like a dartboard New Zealand must live up to what happened and the only way we can do that is by complying with the international minimum standards laid down by the Torture Convention." Griggs has drafted a bill to set up an independent tribunal to assess torture claims and compensation and says there's already precedent for this type of arrangement "You might remember many years ago we had a big problem in New Zealand with leaky buildings so the government set up the water weathertight homes tribunal to deal with that problem "Here we have a situation where the government has tortured a whole bunch of New Zealanders over a number of years and international law requires there to be an equivalent process "All we're saying is just treat the survivors of Lake Alice and the other institutions in New Zealand where people have been tortured in the same way you've treated people who've had problems with the weather tightness of their homes Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report no amount of money could make up for what survivors endured "Their stories of abuse were harrowing and heartbreaking Obviously the UN made a determination on Lake Alice quite rightly around torture we've worked hard to make sure we've put in place a redress system to make sure people are compensated for that no amount of money frankly makes up for what survivors have endured." The government's focus was on making sure it acknowledged and formally apologised supported survivors with a better redress system and prevent abuse through improving the operating practices of key government agencies Richards has taken up woodworking in his shed as a means of coping with stress and trauma "It's just what I found that I can lose myself in and when things become too much I just go out to my shed and start cutting out stuff and making stuff." He does not see the point in taking the rapid payment that has been offered by the Crown "[The Minister responsible Erica Stanford] rang me before she made that announcement and I told her no way I'm taking part in it because it's not legal to set their own sentence," Richards said "What's the point of taking $150,000 and living with this.. it gets so much for me that I've gotta go out and lock myself in the shed away from my family." Richards said he had been trying to access support through ACC for special items like screwing teeth — normal dentures give him flashbacks to being gagged at Lake Alice — and a phone plan — he is forgetful and uses his phone to remind him about appointments and medications But challenging the Crown's redress was about more than just money "There's more to this than $150,000 cash The investigation is the most important thing." The Lake Alice redress scheme is separate from Cabinet decisions about the wider redress system for those abused in state care rnz.co.nz Twelve Year 10 students from Christchurch’s Hornby High School have just finished a two-week wilderness adventure as part of Project K The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs the 14-month programme which is designed to help young people deal with the challenges of life 1News were there as the group returned on mountain bikes They were given a rousing guard of honour by fellow students and showered in love and hugs by their families Tania Mulholland greeted her son Toby McLeish with a tight hug "It's been a really long two weeks without him," she said getting them to achieve things that they've never done before so I think it’s great," she said Kayla said she has learnt "to never give up and to keep trying" Felt like I just wanted to go home but I just pushed through The teens trekked through native bush and arduous terrain near Otira One student said the tasks brought out the best in each of them "You'll feel scared and lonely and down and you just need to push through because you can do this," they said The students were nominated by their teachers to take part Hornby High School principal Ian Murray said those who were chosen had the "best opportunity to grow resilience and character to help them through the challenges that some of them may have been facing at the time" Their final task was to deliver a speech about what they’ve learnt I pushed myself beyond my limits and realised I had more to me than I thought," Kayla told the audience The Graeme Dingle Foundation's general manager for the Canterbury region said they've seen students flourish after going through the programme “We've seen them from students that have got their shoulders down and their heads down chin up and just beaming that they've overcome some amazing obstacles," she said The Graeme Dingle Foundation supports 27,000 young people to undertake a similar journey of discovery each year The European Union launched a drive to attract scientists and researchers to Europe with offers of grants and new policy plans after the Trump administration froze US government funding linked to diversity no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this programme," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the Choose Europe for Science event in Paris "No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas," Macron said Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would set up a "super grant" programme aimed at offering "a longer-term perspective to the very best" in the field She said that €500 million (NZ$948 million) would be put forward in 2025-2027 "to make Europe a magnet for researchers" It would be injected into the European Research Council which already has a budget of more than €16 billion (NZ$30 billion) for 2021-2027 Von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU intended "to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law" with a new legal act As "the threats rise across the world Europe will not compromise on its principles" The White House responded by describing DEI as "an inherently discriminatory policy" "If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide rather than focus on real scientific discovery they should not be surprised when US innovation continues to outpace Europe," said spokesperson Anna Kelly "America will continue to attract and cultivate the best talent in science Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research hundreds of university researchers in the United States had National Science Foundation funding cancelled to comply with US President Donald Trump’s order to end support for research on diversity More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far including work to combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in Alaska’s Arctic region Some terminated grants that sought to broaden the diversity of people studying science researchers and doctors have taken to the streets in protest While not mentioning the Trump administration by name von der Leyen said that it was "a gigantic miscalculation" to undermine free and open research "We can all agree that science has no passport "We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected." Von der Leyen's drive to promote opportunities in Europe in the field of science and take advantage of US policy shifts dovetails with the way that she has played up the potential for trade deals with other countries since Trump took office in January and sparked a tariff war last month vowed that the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and researchers faced notably excessive red tape and access to businesses Macron said science and research must not "be based on the diktats of the few" Macron said Europe "must become a refuge" for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: "The message is simple The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm A coroner is likely to recommend improvements after an overworked police force failed to connect a mass killer to the mental health system before his unprovoked attack had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen and was experiencing psychotic symptoms when he killed six people and injured 10 at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024 An inquest has been told Queensland Police had a number of chances to plug him back into mental health treatment and medication ahead of the tragedy Cauchi was homeless and living apart from his family in Toowoomba when he was shot dead by police during his stabbing rampage He had stopped taking his medication in 2019 and stopped seeing a psychiatrist in 2020 Queensland police officers made several calls for change including greater numbers of mental health officers within the force They also suggested that laws regarding when mentally ill people could be forced to take an involuntary psychiatric examination be amended to be less confusing manager of the Queensland police's vulnerable persons unit said the changes were needed to prevent the criminalisation of those with mental illness "Mental health shouldn't just be a police response," he told the NSW Coroners Court "It's a no-brainer to me that there should be appropriate responses that are health-led." Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer said that changing legislation around police powers was "shaping up to be a significant recommendation" at the inquest This week's evidence has focused on one particular incident in January 2023 when Cauchi called police to his family's Toowoomba home He accused his father Andrew of stealing his collection of knives telling attending officers that they had to be returned or he would become bankrupt or homeless A follow-up visit to the Cauchi family home was requested and the fill-in police mental health incident co-ordinator for the Darling Downs region saw the email — but he forgot to action it due to an "oversight" the co-ordinator he was filling in for backed the officer "His oversight on that email is devastating," she said "It's not indicative of him as an officer or how he performed my role." She also backed a call for further assistance saying police officers were under greater pressure due to increasing numbers of call-outs relating to mental health despite not being trained in this area "If it's not bleeding and it's not on fire the police are the people who have to attend," she said police were called to Cauchi's unit in Brisbane after residents heard a man screaming and the sound of someone being hit He told attending officers that he had been slamming his fridge Cauchi was also pulled over three times in 2020 and 2021 by highway patrol police for erratic driving The Chiefs are putting their faith in first-five Damian McKenzie recovering from a hand injury in time to play the Crusaders in what is a pivotal game in Christchurch on Saturday But just as important to the Super Rugby Pacific leaders will be improving a defence which leaked 26 unanswered points in the second half of their 35-17 defeat to the Hurricanes It was an uncharacteristic defensive lapse by a usually highly consistent side who retained their place at the top of the table thanks to their superior points differential compared with the Crusaders the Chiefs face Moana Pasifika in Hamilton and the Highlanders in Dunedin in the run in to the playoffs – games very much in the winnable category although the former have surprised a few this season The Crusaders’ run-in features the Waratahs in Sydney the Highlanders in Christchurch and a potentially difficult trip to Canberra to play the third-placed Brumbies Every team has looked vulnerable at times this season The Crusaders’ two losses came against the Chiefs in Hamilton and a shock defeat to Moana Pasifika — both heavy although they did escape a Hurricanes’ comeback in Wellington in round nine They also needed two James O’Connor penalties in the final 10 minutes to beat the Blues a week later But the Chiefs’ downfall at the weekend was as unexpected as it was spectacular after they led 17-9 at the break Replacement wing Bailyn Sullivan made history when scoring all four of the Hurricanes’ tries after the break as the home side too easily unlocked the Chiefs’ defence via a long pass a break through Cortez Ratima and Shaun Stevenson close to the line an excellent wide cross-kick by Ruben Love and a shorter grubber kick by Riley Higgins Getting McKenzie back on the field after he missed the last two weekends for the Chiefs will be important for their game management but a Crusaders attack that ran in six tries against the Highlanders last time out will threaten them in different ways the Crusaders may be without All Black Will Jordan Jordan has played in all 10 Crusaders matches this season and head coach Rob Penney has been guarded about Jordan's rest plan of his All Blacks No.10 McKenzie: “Everything's tracking in the direction that he should be available but we won't count our chickens before they hatch.” the defending champion Blues must win in Suva against the Drua to force their way back into the playoffs mix after being overtaken for the sixth and final spot by Moana Pasifika Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin – their first win over the southerners in another Ardie Savea-inspired performance 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 A man is due in the Manukau District Court on Monday on firearms charges after a shooting in Wiri early on Sunday morning Police were called to Felicia Place at about 1am after shots were fired from an address and one person was taken to hospital in a minor condition Officers seized a sawn-down shotgun and ammunition The 32-year-old was also charged with wounding with reckless disregard Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Three people have been left with injuries from disorder and assaults with police officers scrambling to a firearms incident in Auckland and a fight in Hamilton New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started Thanks to our friends from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre the Zoo’s recently arrived purinina/Tasmanian devils now have wonderful palawa kani names – Wiri and Wayana Palawa kani is the language of Tasmanian Aborigines Names Wiri (‘starfish’) and Wayana (‘shark’) enable us to honour the heritage of these unique carnivorous marsupials found only in Tasmania and known as purinina in palawa kani They also reflect the Oceania theme that our colleagues at Cressy Wildlife Facility chose for naming devils born during 2022.  Palawa children (up to 11 years) from the Aboriginal Children Centre in Nipaluna/Hobart and children from the Northern Tasmanian Aboriginal Child Care Association chose a selection of names relating to sea creatures using rina/shells as tokens to vote for their favourite names Along with sharing some fabulous drawings with us they explained that they saw wiri/starfish as “outgoing and mischievous” and liked wayana/shark for a purinina “We’ve loved collaborating with the team at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and having their Palawa children name these young devils a species that’s such a special part of their heritage,” says our lead carnivore keeper Nick “I’m particularly fond of Wiri as the female we’ve given this name to really does like to lie under her nest box - spread out like a starfish!”   Tasmanian devil drawings by Palawa children who attend the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre after school programme The two-year-old Tasmanian devil sisters - Wiri and Wayana Wiri and Wayana have full access to all of their habitat which is adjacent to that of male devil Nita – who remains extremely curious and interested in his new young neighbours “As a non-breeding group Nita and the females are in separate areas but have the positive stimulation of being relatively close and can see While currently it’s Nita who our visitors will more reliably see (he’s super active throughout the day) Wiri and Wayana are now starting to venture out during the day,” explains Nick Nick and the team are constantly coming up with ways to keep life interesting and stimulating for all three devils Some recent enrichments for Wiri and Wayana have included blood and meat ice blocks placing ungulate poo and some of Nita’s (distinctive smelling!) straw bedding in their habitat and giving them an infertile ostrich egg to investigate If you’re lucky enough to spot one or both females when you visit and want to know who’s who – Wiri has a big distinguishing white stripe across her chest and Wayana has a small white mark just above her tail 9:30am - 4:30pm(Last entry at 3:30pm)Open every day except Christmas We manage subscriber name and email details in accordance with ourPrivacy Policy We manage subscriber name and email details in accordance with ourPrivacy Policy Auckland Zoo is part of a charitable trust and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited We are a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and an associate member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Auckland Zoo is certified net carbonzero and Qualmark accredited EnviroGold ©2025 Auckland ZooPrivacy PolicyTerms and Conditions A roof-top protest from youths locked up in a youth justice facility is over The last remaining youth came down from the roof shortly before noon and after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had earlier pulled no punches saying authorities will not cave to their demands But the protest didn’t end before damage was done to a section of the unit’s roof The youths climbed atop a youth justice facility in South Auckland last night and an NZME photographer at the site heard them demanding fast food The Korowai Manaaki in Wiri said six of the 13 youths were coaxed down overnight The group were audibly demanding five large Big Mac combos from McDonald’s Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast authorities were doing a good job trying to get them down they’re not coming down for KFC,” Luxon said referencing bargaining chips offered to youths at the same facility in July last year and at the Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo youth justice facility near Christchurch “These are some of our most serious and hardcore young offenders.” The Prime Minister later said he wouldn’t speculate on what had caused the incident instead referring to the Government’s progression of recommendations from the youth justice facilities review led by former police commissioner Mike Bush ”There’ll be more to understand exactly from this case once we get the kids down off the roof Luxon did say it had been the first “rooftop incident” this year at a youth justice facility less than the 15 he said took place last year Police and Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said police officers had the situation contained and there was never a risk posed to the public Oranga Tamariki Acting DCE Youth Justice Services and Residential CareOranga Tamariki said staff were “actively engaging with the four youths remaining on the roof working alongside police to bring them down in a safe manner” While the NZME photographer had heard the demands shouted from the rooftop the group had not made any requests directly to OT “We can confirm the young people have made no requests or demands to our staff on site and there are no concerns for public safety,” Chapman said An NZME photographer on the scene said the youths were tearing off pieces of the roof removing insulation and kicking the building “Another person was walking around the rooftop with some playing cards The Herald saw the youths yelling out from atop the roof this morning The youths were spread out across two separate areas yelling gang slang and making gang-like hand gesture signs at the officers below Tell them we are protesting,” one youth said Authorities were throwing water bottles on to the roof for the youths said Oranga Tamariki confirmed they were responding to an incident at Korowai Manaaki one of their Auckland youth justice facilities “We notified Police at 6.45pm this evening that 13 youths had gained access to a roof within the facility “One young person has since come down and we are working with Police to resolve this matter and can confirm there are no concerns for public safety.” Similar incidents occurred at the same facility last year when groups of young people climbed up on the roof of a building at the 40-bed facility. Six young people endured a wet and cold night on the roof on July 1 after forcing their way out of a unit Temperatures dropped to about 11C during the course of the July night and there was heavy rain in the area However, the 30-hour standoff was ended when OT staff agreed to get them burgers and fried chicken three young people triggered a security incident when they climbed up on a roof The trio were coaxed down several hours later In June last year, another group of youths staged a rooftop standoff at the Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo youth justice facility near Christchurch a staff member received a broken wrist and four young people spent the night in the facility’s roof cavity A fifth youth came down earlier in the evening But the remaining four were brought down by ladder 24 hours after the incident began Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A company ignored requests to remove a pontoon and rubber fenders Kia Wiri! is a new online digital series dedicated to all things haka. Get ready for some kōrero that might surprise you! In Episode 4, we discuss the power of singing. Singing isn’t judged in its full entirety in competitive haka, with the exception, of course, of the choral item. The vocal element is key to any powerful haka performance – but is there adequate recognition of vocal prowess? Our group of kaikōrero share their whakaaro on this issue. Peata MelbournePeata Melbourne (Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata) is the News Editor at Whakaata Māori. Formerly the news anchor for the Whakaata Māori flagship show, Te Ao Mārama, she has also previously worked at the station as a current-affairs producer, reporter and presenter. One man has been charged and a shotgun seized following a firearms incident in Wiri A spokesperson said police were called to an address on Felicia Pl following a report of disorder involving two groups Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Tiernan said shots were reportedly fired from an address before one of the groups left in a vehicle One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries police found and seized a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition A 32-year-old man was to appear in Manukau District Court today charged with wounding with reckless disregard and firearms charges Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. A company ignored requests to remove a pontoon and rubber fenders. In our first episode, we dive into the growing influence of social media on rōpū haka. Rōpū haka are using social media to give everyone a sneak peek into their campaigns leading up to the competition. Our panel of haka kaikōrero share their insights on how this shift has impacted the artform. Watch carnivore keeper Nick as he introduces Tasmanian devil sisters Wiri and Wayana presents viewers with a looping audio-visual experience akin to undulating ink blots in a Rorschach test Finalist for the 2023 Best Independent Debut Award for her breakout Being Alone EP, the rising Pōneke songwriter has announced a six-date EP release tour with full band across Aotearoa celebrating In My Chambers, which launches in full on 25th October — you can preorder the vinyl LP edition HERE before returning to home base in Pōneke to welcome the start of summer with an affordable range of Rock Tier options available.. Wiri Donna - 'In My Chambers' Release Tour Tickets on sale HERE via UTR (affordable ticketing options available)*Wellington tickets available via Moshtix &lt;a href=&quot;https://wiridonna.bandcamp.com/album/in-my-chambers&quot;&gt;In My Chambers by Wiri Donna&lt;/a&gt; 'Stop Charades' is out today on major streaming platforms. 'In My Chambers' is out on Friday 25th October, preorder the vinyl LP edition HERE. Manukau CityBy Negotiation644m²4,186m²Corner site with dual accessSOLE AGENCY Available for lease is this 4,186m² corner site in the highly sought after Wiri Industrial precinct This site benefits from dual access onto both Ash Road and Oak Road and comes fully fenced and secure There is a tidy workshop of 458m² with approx two levels of office and amenities of 186sqm The large 2,420m² yard comes with a wash bay and large drive through canopy There is a small shed at the rear of the site to provide extra under cover storage This is an exceptional option that will not last long Manukau is a central industrial location with excellent connectivity to motorways Nestled between the well-established industrial areas of Papatoetoe and Wiri this location proves to be highly advantageous for businesses allowing seamless connections to wider Auckland areas while the Airport is conveniently located at just 10km away the Wiri Inland Port is easily accessible being within close proximity Manukau provides a host of local amenities with Manukau City Centre being just a stone's throw away There are train and bus links throughout the area providing efficient transport options One person has been critically injured in a crash between a car and a motorcycle in the Auckland suburb of Wiri Emergency services responded to the crash on Roscommon Rd after 10.29am Roscommon Rd has been closed between Oil Terminal and Volger Rds Diversions were put in place and motorists were told to expect delays and avoid the area if possible The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and was due to do a scene examination The Festival of Consent runs until Sunday with events including talks and a dance party My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event the second album from Pōneke psych-rock duo Ripship TICKETS VIA MOSHTIX: https://www.moshtix.co.nz/v2/event/ripship-album-release-w-wiri-donna-sleeping-village-quartet/175884https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxhAAjjoq1oFebruary 8Te Whanganui-a-TaraSan FranWiri DonnaSleeping Village Quartet performs songs from The War of the Worlds Twin Peaks and moreFebruary 15Tāmaki MakaurauWhammy BarMullbrainTBAFebruary 28Ōtepoti The CrownDale KerriganBunchy’s Big Score and catch the Pōneke artist's nationwide release tour with band in November.. two very serious creatives… incredibly serious… we got straight to business with this chat Wiri Donna: What drives you to work in the arts I’ve always loved music — it’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember I’ve been thinking a lot about joy recently There’s so much out there that’s not joyful what we do can really bring people a lot of joy That’s one of the best parts—collaborating and bring in others who are great at what they do The best feeling is helping someone realise their vision and creating something that has an impact that reminds me of how I always circle back to rock music It’s kind of become my default answer for everything it’s more than just the genre — it’s the energy and the joy it can bring Thinking back to when we first started recording I didn’t know much beyond having written some songs and playing them with the band that’s pretty much the essence of making a record But it felt so different the second time around That’s because we were more comfortable with each other you came in with songs you’d been playing live let’s record these.” We got to know each other through the process — figuring out how the pieces fit together we knew each other’s style and preferences So by the time we started on the second record I remember that demo day at Massey during the 'Big Pop' live session We were testing out songs that we’d barely played as a band some of these songs sound like you’ve been listening to too much Dry Cleaning or Black Country New Road,” and it was such a good reality check but where’s the Wiri Donna in them?” It wasn’t about shutting down your influences It made me realise that this wasn’t just a typical recording experience — you were genuinely invested in the project How does that mindset influence the way you show up as a recording engineer I’ve worked with a lot of people over the years I’ve gone through three records with Beastwars — started with them around 2015 Even though we don’t work together as much anymore it’s because our lives are in different places and it’s always interesting to see how things shift and grow with each project It’s healthy when people want to move in a new direction Do you notice any changes or patterns in long-term collaborations where you’ve gone through multiple album cycles I come in with what we’ve learned from past projects “What do I want to get out of this?” even though it’s never my album but other times it’s more subtle — things I want to accomplish within my own practice Should we talk about some of the changes you brought to In My Chambers But we should definitely mention that the changes never took away from the songs themselves The first thing you said to me was “doom doom” “I don’t think you’re making a doom record.” I think it was because you had that song called “Doom” which wasn’t actually a doom song; it was just kind of sludgy There were some riffs in that song that I really liked but they just didn’t serve the purpose of the record there was more intention behind this record We had a clear goal and an artistic vision; it wasn’t just “Here are the songs we’ve written; let’s go record them.” “These are the songs; how are we going to best execute them in a recorded setting?” A completely different approach from what I was mentally prepared for last time You’re not even going to mention 'Hell or Highwater' recording was always about laying down the parts we can play live But then you added that breakbeat sample to 'The Gold' I heard something in the rhythm and thought “This could fill a gap.” I didn’t add it until after we’d left the studio The guitar line Elliott (Dawson) was playing had this weird phaser sound that reminded me of ’90s nu-metal I kept playing it throughout the whole song — it’s so circular that you just want to keep playing it I knew that your riff was the one that birthed the song just not in the verses because it didn’t need to be 'In My Chambers' was also pretty straightforward We recorded that vocal twice because it was way too chill But I was having such a good time singing it Writing angry music when you’re feeling like trash you’re having the time of your life and the anger isn’t there anymore 'Stop Charades' was pretty straightforward too It’s probably the most similar track on the record to the previous one I did manage to do all the BVs myself this time around instead of outsourcing them to James MacEwan 'Bad Behaviour' is actually the focal point of this conversation It’s the epitome of what a song can become when an engineer and a songwriter truly trust each other where it started compared to what it became this is a banger!” It has those best parts of early 2000s English rock—like Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand but the bridge was just so good that the rest of the song wasn’t fully written yet which didn’t match the vibe we were going for at all but I didn’t want to do that until we figured out what the bass and guitars were going to do we realised that none of the band really knew what they wanted to play outside of the chorus and bridge “I don’t really like this; I just didn’t know what else to play.” I don’t even remember what I was playing at that point The initial version was just drums and a chorus and then we hit a wall where we weren’t doing much with the song for a while but I kept feeling like the lyrics just didn’t fit anymore You felt the lyrics made sense in the context of the earlier version it changed from being about personal experiences to this storytelling exercise about getting even I had to explore what the song was really about And it fit so much better with the theme of the EP It went from being this half-written outlier to a song that actually fits within the context of the record I remember being determined that we had to make it work We weren’t fighting against each other; we were battling the song itself [laughs] The chorus melody isn’t the chorus melody and the actual chorus melody is the heart of the song “This is the chorus melody,” and you were like it’s not!” It took the entire recording process—even to the point where we were singing it—and Harry said But that feedback came after the 'Big Pop' session when we did the live session You immediately chopped up the entire structure of the song but the structure is lacking.” So I just subtly chopped it up and sent it back to you “This is what I think the structure could be.” I think we went through about three rounds of that back and forth until you were happy with it and then you were still going to play it the other way live you finally had that full-circle realisation: “Yeah <a href="https://wiridonna.bandcamp.com/album/in-my-chambers">In My Chambers by Wiri Donna</a> 'In My Chambers' is out on Friday 25th October, preorder the vinyl LP edition HERE For NZ Live today we have the multi-talented Bianca Bailey in with her latest project Wiri Donna musician and songwriter based in Wellington she has been involved in Wellington's thriving independent music scene through her both her own projects and working for arts organisations Eyegum Music Collective Creative Capital Arts Trust & Performance Arcade The new Wiri Donna EP In My Chambers will be released later this year and promises a darker and we're very lucky today to get to hear some of these new songs performed live See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes A group of youths have climbed up on top of a roof at a youth justice facility in the South Auckland suburb of Wiri A group of youths climbed up on top of a roof at a youth justice facility in the South Auckland suburb of Wiri yesterday evening An NZME photographer at the scene said the group is armed with bits of metal and wood They have bandanas over their faces and are throwing gang signs.” Loud bangs and shouting could be heard as the youths worked to smash part of the rooftop Two guards have gained access to a neighbouring rooftop at the facility A police spokesperson said they were aware of and were monitoring an incident at a facility in Wiri Oranga Tamariki Acting DCE Youth Justice Services and Residential Care Iain Chapman confirmed they are responding to an incident at Korowai Manaaki “We notified police at 5.50pm this evening that eight youths had gained access to a roof within the facility,” he said “We are working with police to resolve this matter and can confirm there are no concerns for public safety and the young people are still within the facility.” Three police vehicles were seen entering the facility while Department of Corrections staff arrived around 8.25pm and left just before 8.40pm Staff were seen leaving a ladder at the entrance door to the facility A spokesperson for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour said she was unable to comment as the situation was still developing “Thank you to all of the staff and teams who are working hard right now to keep everyone involved safe while this is being resolved.” In October, 13 youths climbed atop a roof at the same facility Similar incidents occurred at the same facility last year when groups of young people climbed up on the roof of a building at the 40-bed facility. Six young people endured a wet and cold night on the roof on July 1 after forcing their way out of a unit Temperatures dropped to about 11C during the course of the July night and there was heavy rain in the area the Matariki star cluster will appear over the horizon signalling the start of the Māori new year a time for communities to come together and celebrate wāhine at the Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility have been learning about and preparing for Matariki as part of their sewing When RNZ visits the South Auckland facility in Wiri about a dozen prisoners and volunteers are busy behind sewing machines and hand stitching shiny intricate detail onto different fabrics quilts and crafts group started up 16 years ago and meets every fortnight making Matariki-themed cushion covers and quilt squares Each square represents one of the nine stars in the Matariki cluster: Ururangi proudly holds up one of the squares she has made there is a Matariki star there and there is mountains and ocean and this is a little bit of connection with the Earth mother and the sky." The quilt squares are being sewn together to create a wall hanging The cushion covers are decorated with autumnal colours a charity that furnishes accommodation for people who have fled abusive situations Jess* said making something for someone else gave her great pleasure "It sort of makes you feel like you're doing something worthwhile and not just sitting around doing nothing in here." She has taken on the role of managing the storeroom where huge piles of donated fabric are waiting to be sorted Jess said she tried to keep busy to make "the time go quicker" celebrating a new year and those that had passed "Really respecting that the old story of what brought the wāhine into the prison isn't the story that they're going forward with.. Gerbic said the class provided possibility but required commitment "Learning that you'll get out of it what you put in has meant that some have made three cushion covers four patches and others are still finishing." Mei said before prison she had never touched a needle and thread But now she has been asked to make 80 of her dog treat bags she created from scratch Mei has become inspired to pursue a career in the creative industry and spend some time volunteering in the future "Once they realise that we're not going to be denigrating their talents or making fun of them or anything like that and that they actually can do something positive There is significant demand from other prisoners to join the group and they are hoping to increase it to once a week "It is important for everybody to have some sort of creative substance in their lives and I think that's what we attempt to provide," Bickers said Jess said the biggest benefit the group provided was a safe space to create and connect and where everyone was treated equally it's a day where we all just sit around like this it sort of takes your mind off everything." After six months of working on the project which will go on display inside the prison Dulcet tones and the strumming of a guitar filled the space as the group performed an original waiata Matariki Te Matariki Ō Te Tau *The names of the prisoners used in this story have been changed to protect their privacy mixed generations reconnect with their roots There was only one place that an RNZ presenter wanted to be this Matariki: her hometown Whāingaroa Raglan It will also be available over the school holidays to help celebrate the reopening of SH1 over the Brynderwyns the date of Matariki changes from year to year The theme for this year's celebrations is Matariki Heri Kai - the Feast of Matariki Here's what's happening across the motu to celebrate the occasion Te Ao Māori RSS A video filmed of a staff search inside Auckland South Corrections Facility at Wiri went viral Now the prisoner's phone has been confiscated Private prison operator Serco has apologised after an inmate in Auckland went viral with a video of guards taken behind bars using a smuggled cellphone It’s the latest in a string of similar incidents at prisons across the country ranging from inmates filming fights to running drug cartels as authorities battle to keep smuggled smartphones out of cells understood to be linked to the King Cobras enjoyed a brief but highly successful stint on the social media platform before staff at Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility seized his phone One video posted on Wednesday had already garnered nearly 500,000 views by the weekend and 26,000 likes It showed staff at the high-security prison in Wiri on a landing as they undertook cell searches That search appears not to have uncovered the phone because the account posted another video a day later with a montage of prisoners in the yard has a similar montage of inmates relaxing in different areas of the prison including a basketball court and dining hall A spokeswoman for Serco – the British multinational which runs Auckland South – responding to questions about the TikTok account confirmed a prisoner used a mobile phone from within a cell to record a staff search “The phone was found and removed from the prisoner,” the spokeswoman said in a statement Prisoners who break the rules are liable for internal disciplinary charges and can also be investigated by police “There are frequent searches across the prison to find and remove contraband from prisoners “We appreciate that any images of prisoners online will be of particular concern to the victims of their offending Serco said contraband is a challenge facing all New Zealand prisons These include searching everyone who enters the prison using technological and personal-based detection mechanisms mobile phone detector dogs and regular cell searches.” several prison officers have been prosecuted for smuggling contraband including phones In 2017, an officer who was working at Mt Eden prison when it was operated by Serco was sentenced to home detention for smuggling tobacco, cellphones and prepaid calling cards to inmates in 2015 Several people were charged with corruption and bribery after an investigation into corrupt guards at Rimutaka Prison in Wellington last year Earlier this year, former Spring Hill prison officer Scott Topham was jailed for two years for smuggling drugs into the Waikato prison in exchange for $3200 from a Black Power member Last month, a member of the Comancheros admitted his role in using smuggled cellphones to orchestrate a 200kg meth import from behind bars at Rimutaka And two years ago, the Herald revealed prisoners at Paremoremo were filming themselves behind bars and posting the clips to TikTok. Kia Wiri! is a new series dedicated to all things haka. Get ready for some kōrero that might surprise you! In Episode 3, we explore the role of poi and weaponry in competition, examining its influence on strategy to wow audiences and judges. Our panel of experts discusses whether these qualities are properly and appropriately acknowledged in haka competitions. This episode challenges traditional competition structures, questioning whether specialised skills deserve greater acknowledgement and reward. A private prison operator has been paid millions for reoffending rates that are incredibly low Serco hit a rate, at South Auckland prison of just 13.6 percent inmates reoffending within two years of release compared to almost 34 percent at prisons run by Corrections Corrections says this was mostly to do with the type of prisoner at Auckland South (long term serious offending) - but the UK company was still paid $6 million in bonuses in the last four years Those incentive payments sparked international interest about ways to reduce stubbornly high recidivism the rates sit about 30 to 40 percent (though many countries count it differently had rates about 20 percent - about 50 percent higher than Serco's (The Justice Ministry records a much higher recidivism rate of 56 percent; RNZ has asked why the difference) Corrections was not sure why the ministry figure was higher but suggested it may be because it included remand and maximum-security prisoners who are not included when it does a comparison with Serco's figure RNZ asked Corrections if it was studying Serco's success at New Zealand's second largest prison to see if it could replicate it at the country's 17 other prisons instead stating two reasons it did not need to: "Our data analysis has determined that this is largely down to the prison demographics," it said "many of these people will have undertaken treatment programmes within the public prison service prior to arrival at ASCF [Auckland South Corrections Facility]." Corrections did not compare its rehab services to Serco's it said in an Official Information Act response To try to compare the recidivism rates was "somewhat of a false comparison" said Corrections research manager Bronwyn Morrison A New York Times opinion piece [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/opinion/private-prisons-australia-new-zealand.html in 2018 noted overseas interest] in the Serco bonuses tied to lowering recidivism at a time most private prison contractors were only required to match what a government was doing It is possible that international interest would be reinvigorated now - by Serco's success since 2021 But any trace of study into this has not been possible to find Since the Auckland public-private contract was signed in 2012 Serco has twice missed the bonus - between 2018 and 2020 The bonus is not subject to any review or renegotiation during the 25-year contract period it had picked up the maximum $1.5m a year bonus at the same time as sometimes being penalised a couple of hundred thousand for violence or other breaches Both private and public recidivism rates have been dropping year-on-year The drop in Corrections' so-called 'Reoffending Index' runs counter to a growing prison population with the muster of 10,000 inmates up about 2000 on three years ago One of the government's top four priorities for prisons is "reducing reoffending through effective rehabilitation" "We noted that prisoners faced long waiting lists for some rehabilitative programmes or needed to move to other prisons to access programmes for high risk sex offenders or Drug Treatment Units," it said Things had improved since 2017 but "demand outweighs capacity" Corrections said it made every effort to provide rehabilitation but it was complex to match willing prisoners off a wait list according to the type of rehabilitation and prioritisation Corrections noted it collaborated with Serco on some rehab programmes It offers up to 90 programmes and activities in prisons basically counts prisoners who reoffend within two years of release For short-term prisoners it is about 50 percent and a bit under half that for inmates who had done a long stint Despite Corrections statement that prison demographics were behind Serco's low rate elsewhere it stated the index compared similar prisoners between the two As for prisoners doing rehab elsewhere, before going to Auckland South, official studies found that transferring prisoners could undermine rehab by interrupting services Serco's rates of staff turnover at Auckland South were only about half of those at all other prisons other than Rolleston The company lists cultural programmes reconnecting inmates with culture and whānau as key, including one called Pūwhakamua set up by a former offender Serco said its focus was "to run a safe and secure facility" where people were rehabilitated A limited palette is being questioned for its impact on health and rehabilitation Corrections is spending 'a hell of a lot of money' on drug treatment and rehabilitation programmes that make 'marginal differences' The axing of four community providers' contracts comes after an internal review recommended a shake-up of how Corrections provides mental health support Prisoners with unstable housing are nearly five times more likely to be reimprisoned within their first year of release than those with stable housing There's a silent sentence faced by prisoners just out of jail – one that makes it hard for them to get back on their feet without resorting to crime again Nowhere are gangs more visible and harder to contain than in our prisons A surprising partnership between a private prison and an ex-drug lord seems to have a formula for cracking their hold over… Politics RSS A group of young people who climbed on to the roof at a youth justice facility in the South Auckland suburb of Wiri yesterday evening spent the night up there and are now requesting water A NZME photographer at the scene today heard one of the boys requesting water “One of the young people on the roof was yelling out saying ‘I’m thirsty please get me some water “Alongside that ‘we also want McDonald’s'.” Oranga Tamariki has been approached for comment The photographer also said staff offered a ladder to the young men but they refused to use it Acting deputy chief executive youth justice services Iain Chapman told the Herald earlier they notified police on Monday night that eight young people were on the roof He told the Herald four of them remain on the roof this morning “Overnight and this morning four young people have come down,” he said He said there are no concerns for public safety and the young people are still within the facility “Many of the young people in custody in Youth Justice Facilities have committed serious offences motivated by a range of factors that include peer pressure Chapman revealed it’s likely they participate in serious incidents once in custody for similar reasons “An operational review will be undertaken to determine the circumstances that led to this incident.” Early on Tuesday morning the NZME photographer also heard young people shouting “F*** the police” “They are mainly out of sight and moving around on the roof A number of police cars are now parked in the centre carpark.” The photographer said the young people appeared to have wide access across the large roof area They appeared to be armed with lengths of metal and wood two police cars have just left the facility,” he said “They are screaming, shouting and laughing with each other. They have bandannas over their faces and are throwing gang signs.” Loud bangs and shouting could be heard on Tuesday morning as the young people worked to smash part of the rooftop “They are throwing round bits of construction around and they look like they’re trying to damage or deconstruct the roof.” Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence in Manukau The home has a troubled recent history. This year the Children and Young People’s Commission found staff were smuggling in contraband, roughing up children and silencing informants – information it released in a damning report in June. Mana Mokopuna had conducted an unannounced visit to Korowai Manaaki in Wiri in February due to concerns raised with the commission by members of the public The June report showed goings-on at the facility did not reach the threshold for torture inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment there were serious concerns regarding staff practices and a lack of stable leadership A police spokesperson told the Herald on Tuesday morning they continued to monitor an incident at a facility in Wiri Two guards gained access to a neighbouring rooftop at the facility on Monday night and were yelling at the teenagers Oranga Tamariki acting deputy chief executive youth justice services and residential care Iain Chapman confirmed yesterday it was responding to an incident at Korowai Manaaki Three police vehicles were seen entering the facility while Department of Corrections staff arrived about 8.25pm and left shortly before 8.40pm Children’s Minister Karen Chhour said she was unable to comment because the situation was still developing Similar incidents occurred at the same facility last year when groups of young people climbed on to the roof of a building at the 40-bed facility. Temperatures dropped to about 11C during that July night and there was heavy rain in the area Note: An earlier version of this story said Corrections staff were on site That was inaccurate and the story has been corrected remain in negotiations with several youths after they gained access to the roof of its Wiri facility last night Mairehau house fire: Firefighters battle two-storey house blaze 10 patients were assessed and treated by our crews in total Auckland commuters face a chaotic morning after two highways leading into the central city have been majorly disrupted by crashes NZ film industry faces uncertainty over US tariff ongoing decline in livestock numbers and questions over longer sentences reducing reoffending Reporter Sierra is at Magnificent Moa Day where experts are revealing their incredible 3.6 million year-old find Emergency services are attending the fire at a McDonald's on Pakuranga Rd Christopher Luxon holds a post-Cabinet press conference Air New Zealand's chief executive talks about the $490m Dreamliner retrofit and his job Victim of abuse is wanting a judicial review Goodman Group is upgrading Highbrook Crossing to add retail dining and public space to New Zealand’s largest business park in East Tāmaki where hip hop crews from all over the world are battling to see who’s the best and Parliament tackles alcohol and mental health The Coleman family has been melting down precious metals for more than 40 years This is the first time they've shared inside their multi-million dollar gold and silver operation The Prime Minister joins Mike Hosking in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big politicial issues Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined by Deputy PM Winston Peters and Minister of defence Judith Collins to make a pre-budget defence announcement and 3D-printed limbs help child amputees in Gaza Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to be joined by Defence Minister Judith Collins and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters make a pre-Budget defence announcement Neighbours heard explosions as a fire ripped through a Mt Roskill house Mum pays tribute after Auckland bus stop killing Australians vote early and insurance companies brace for claims Megyn Cordner and Lucas Prince started their business from the back of a van in 2022 Andrew Che lost his life savings after sending it to the wrong account Barclays Bank has refunded his money after a prolonged battle for compensation Aerial footage reveals the scale of flooding across areas of Canterbury after a destructive weather system hit the region and prompted a state of emergency North Shore real estate agency chief responds to a Real Estate Disciplinary Tribunal decision Mark Mitchell provides an update on the state of emergency in Christchurch and Selwyn A possible mini tornado was spotted about Auckland Harbour as the latest band of wild weather hits the city Fire and Emergency NZ said it responded to more than 30 callouts overnight more Kiwis turning to methamphetamine and Drs are back at the negotiating table NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander speaks about CEO pay in 2024 Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking' and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm Heather Keats updates the powerful system battering New Zealand breaks down why Wellington is under a rare red warning with extreme winds and Local MP Hon Nicola Grigg speak to the media on the local state of emergency in Selwyn Gisborne locals and health workers marched to Heipipi Park where speakers highlighted what they say is a regional health crisis NZ Herald Live: Simeon Brown talks to media A tourist in the Philippines climbed into a crocodile cage to pose for a selfie The group were demanding five large Big Mac combos from McDonald’s Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast authorities were doing a good job trying to get them down.  referencing bargaining chips offered to youths at the same facility in July last year and at the Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo youth justice facility near Christchurch.  “These are some of our most serious and hardcore young offenders.”  removing insulation and kicking the building.  Oranga Tamariki Acting DCE Youth Justice Services and Residential Care Iain Chapman Similar incidents occurred at the same facility last year when groups of young people climbed up on the roof of a building at the 40-bed facility Temperatures dropped to about 11C during the course of the July night and there was heavy rain in the area the 30-hour standoff was ended when OT staff agreed to get them burgers and fried chicken another group of youths staged a rooftop standoff at the Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo youth justice facility near Christchurch A fifth youth came down earlier in the evening Oranga Tamariki said in a statement this afternoon Police were notified at 5.50pm last night that eight youths had gained access to the roof of Korowai Manaaki in Wiri "Overnight and today all of the young people have come down," said Oranga Tamariki acting deputy chief executive youth justice services and residential care Iain Chapman "It’s disappointing the young people have caused some damage to the Youth Justice Facility; however the day-to-day operational running of the facility has and will continue." Chapman said Oranga Tamariki would work with police to determine the extent of further offending by these youths during the incident A 1News reporter at the scene said the young people were yelling out for water and food from McDonald's Chapman said many of the young people in these facilities had committed serious offences motivated by a range of factors such as peer pressure "It is likely they participate in serious incidents once in custody for similar reasons." An operational review would be undertaken to determine the circumstances that led to this incident Thirteen youths climbed onto the roof of the same youth justice residence in October Children's Minister Karen Chhour said: "Thank you to all of the staff and teams who are working hard right now to keep everyone involved safe while this is being resolved" Youths armed with weapons on the roof of a youth justice facility in Wiri All eight youths who climbed onto the roof of an Auckland youth justice facility have come down A group of 13 youths climbed onto the roof of the same youth justice residence in October The group are on the roof of a facility on Kiwi Tamaki Rd in Wiri Thirteen youths climbed onto the roof of the same youth justice residence in October. In a statement last night, Children's Minister Karen Chhour said: "Thank you to all of the staff and teams who are working hard right now to keep everyone involved safe while this is being resolved". Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Police said they were investigating the incident which occurred outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa at around 3pm on Monday Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Emergency services were called to the property on Mahia Rd just before 10am to a report of a man "seriously injured" Vandals in 4WDs mow down The damage was done overnight on Saturday after the vandals first removed new vehicle barriers in front of the trees Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death SPCA inspectors found evidence suggesting Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight 25 mins ago 41 mins ago 53 mins ago 14 mins ago A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Kapa Haka styles, choreography and expressions have developed and changed over the years and some will argue it’s part and parcel of a living and thriving culture and practice. This episode examines the delicate balance between preserving tradition and embracing innovation. Is the modernisation of kapa haka a celebration of growth, or does it risk losing the essence of its ancestral roots? this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Convicted double-murderer Mikaere Puata Chaney and other inmates feature in a string of photos taken behind bars at Auckland South Corrections Facility Staff at the Serco-run prison have seized a phone and asked Instagram to remove the account Concerns from authorities have seen Corrections staff from the public prison system sent to the privately run men’s prison at Wiri to help oversee two troubled units dominated by gangs staff from the public prison system have been deployed to monitor and advise in the two troubled units at the Auckland South Corrections Facility after Corrections managers visited the site and raised a range of concerns about how the gang-dominated units were run The move comes less than a year after a man serving time for murder, Donovan Michael Duff killed again inside the Serco-run prison at Wiri after he stabbed two fellow inmates the Herald can also reveal the Chief Ombudsman raised concerns about the conditions and treatment of prisoners at the facility earlier this year following an inspection under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) Serco - the British multinational which runs Auckland South - apologised in early November after an inmate at the prison went viral with a video of guards taken behind bars using a smuggled phone during a staff search was understood to be linked to the King Cobras and enjoyed a brief but highly successful stint on the social media platform though not before one of his videos had garnered nearly 500,000 views Corrections Deputy Commissioner for men’s prisons Neil Beales and another senior manager from the department visited Auckland South and flagged a number of issues in two wings at the prison Beales said they identified a range of areas where the prison “could strengthen their operational practices and processes in these wings to better support frontline staff and improve their management of prisoners” “These include strengthening consistency and routine in the wings and providing additional training to less senior staff working in the wings,” he said in a statement Corrections deployed seven staff to Auckland South to support and advise on the operation of the two wings an arrangement Beales expected to remain in place for three months Beales said “mutual aid” had been provided between the Serco-run facility and public prison several times in recent years including during Corrections well-publicised staff shortages of 2022 Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier also raised concerns about the prison following a visit by several inspectors from his office in August An Ombudsman spokeswoman confirmed the OPCAT inspection had taken place and its inspectors had visited Auckland South from August 19 to 30 The office would not release any of the findings saying they were confidential until the report was finalised and released The Herald understands the Ombudsman raised several concerns about the state of the prison “I am also aware that the Chief Ombudsman has raised concerns about the conditions and treatment of prisoners at ASCF [Auckland South Corrections Facility] following an OPCAT inspection,” he said Corrections has spoken to ASCF’s prison director to understand the steps that ASCF is taking to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people in prison “We have also engaged the on-site monitors to understand how to manage the needs of the population at the site which has changed in complexity in recent years and are supporting ASCF to review the placement of existing prisoners in these wings Corrections will also assist in moving prisoners where required.” A Serco spokeswoman said they welcomed the support from Corrections in the operation of the two wings “The two wings hold among the more difficult prisoners in New Zealand “We have experienced some recent challenges in managing these men including the unlawful possession of mobile phones Mainstream high security classified prisoners are disruptive and highly influential over other prisoners which contributes to an unsettled environment.” where rehabilitation and reintegration is the focus The two wings in question hold about 60 men each Auckland South has a total capacity of 960 prisoners Auckland South prison originated from a public-private-partnership between Corrections and the SecureFuture conglomerate which subcontracted Fletcher Construction to build the prison and Serco to operate the facility for 25 years Serco formerly ran the Mt Eden remand prison in central Auckland but its contract was revoked in 2015 amid scandals over “fight clubs” and contraband inside the prison. The November prison TikToks were not the only case this year of inmates at Auckland South appearing on social media who killed his former partner and her father appeared in several photos posted on an Instagram account since early December last year The account’s bio read “my life thru jail bars” They showed him and other inmates, including members of the Killer Beez and Head Hunters Another photo, posted on January 7, shows him wearing sunglasses alongside a fellow prisoner, captioned “Anyone else spend New Years in SRU [Separation and Reintegration Unit]?” The SRU houses prisoners on directed segregation where inmates are kept away from the general population Earlier this week, patched Mongrel Mob member Donovan Duff pleaded guilty to murdering fellow Auckland South inmate Brian Kenneth George at Auckland South Corrections Facility on December 21 last year He was already serving a life sentence for beating his baby daughter to death in Waikato George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police He joined the Herald in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the Otago Daily Times in Dunedin Seven teenagers have been charged with intentional damage after climbing on to the roof of a South Auckland youth justice facility on Monday night One of the group had been charged with injuring another person with intent They were part of a group of 13 teenagers who got onto the roof at Oranga Tamariki's Wiri facility They claimed they were protesting because they were not let outside Oranga Tamariki said the youths were "hungry" and "tired" following the incident - but would be held criminally accountable for damage caused Officials hope a full investigation will uncover the trigger for the incident which saw the group tearing the roof of the Korowai Manaaki facility apart An RNZ reporter at the scene said two youths also appeared to have climbed through a hole made in one of the buildings before re-emerging Nine of the group were coaxed down overnight and on Tuesday morning with the remaining four coming down shortly before 11am All have since been taken into secure care though one of the youths did sustain a minor injury when he got up on to the roof they are tired," Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive youth justice services and residential care Iain Chapman said following the resolution of the incident they are facing the consequences of their actions and they are being dealt with by police." Chapman denied staff shortages were a contributing factor saying the facility had a "full complement" of staff on shift Monday evening "The staff who work here love this place," he said Despite initial reports suggesting the youths were demanding Big Mac combos from McDonald's Chapman said the group "made no requests or demands to our staff on site" nor did we give them anything in relation to any demands." Minister for Children Karen Chhour said any demands would not have been met "as this wasn't a negotiation" "There is no excuse for this totally unacceptable behaviour and there will be consequences for their actions." "We do find when there are disorder events - as any parent will tell you - there is often a trigger," Chapman said adding that will form part of the debrief into the incident "Whilst it is disappointing that this occurred we can confirm at no point was there any concern for public safety," Chapman said It is understood the youths never made it outside the residence perimeter "The standard operating procedure we have in place for such incidents were initiated immediately to ensure the young people were not able to get any further than the roof within the confines of the facility." "We are absolutely not going to accept this kind of behaviour," Chhour said adding: "criminal liability will happen for the damage that's been done." The dynamics at the facility could be "quick to change" Chhour said as she praised the "co-ordinated" approach to resolving the incident Oranga Tamariki Health NZ and with the offer from FENZ to help if needed that "managed to get this situation dealt with swiftly and quickly" "These young people are here at Korowai Manaaki because they have committed serious crimes," Chapman said "They have caused damage to parts of our facilities and they will be held criminally accountable." Chhour said a contractor has done an initial assessment and the damage had been deemed "minimal" Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said authorities would not cave to the youths' demands "They're not coming down for KFC," Luxon said "These are some of the most serious and hardcore young offenders." Work was underway to determine how this incident was able to happen and what can be done to prevent another in future It's not the first time young people have climbed on to the roof of Korowai Manaaki, a similar incident in July 2023 was blamed on staff shortages A damning report in July found staff at the facility were smuggling in contraband An internal debrief of the July 2023 incident shows communication and coordination between staff and emergency services was lacking A damning report has raised serious concerns about staff practices and leadership at a secure facility for young criminals A teenager is being treated in hospital after being injured with hot water and sugar at a youth justice facility in Auckland There are growing calls for the government to overhaul the way young people are cared for in youth justice facilities Five teenage offenders have now been on the roof of a South Auckland youth justice facility for more than 24 hours Several youths have gained access to the rooftop of Auckland's Youth Justice Wiri Facility on Kiwi Tamaki Road The Children’s Minister has disputed that the latest rooftop incident at an Auckland youth justice facility was a legitimate ‘protest’ accusing the young detainees of similar behaviour in their own communities On Monday night, Oranga Tamariki notified police that eight youths had gained access to a roof within the Korowai Manaaki facility in the South Auckland suburb of Wiri police confirmed all the youths are off the roof and will remain in police custody until Oranga Tamariki relocate them to different facilities They appeared in the Manukau District Youth Court today charged with intentional damage A NZME photographer at the scene of the incident today heard one of the boys requesting water “Alongside that – ‘we also want McDonald’s’.” Children’s Minister Karen Chhour issued a statement about the incident claiming the number of such rooftop incidents has seen a “substantial decrease” from two incidents this year compared with 15 similar occurrences in 2023 Chhour also said the reasons for the youth justice facility incident had been misrepresented “This is not a ‘protest’ as some media have labelled it These young people had often had similar behaviour in their communities.” Chhour acknowledged that Christmas “can be a time where emotions are heightened” for young people “However I want to be clear – this behaviour will not be tolerated,” she said “There is no excuse for this unacceptable behaviour and the police and courts will decide the appropriate consequences for their actions “The facility has done what it was meant to do and nobody was able to leave the premises and I am glad that nobody has been badly hurt while this was resolved Chhour said she has been working alongside Oranga Tamariki to further improve the running of the facilities and “will continue to do so so that they have the tools they need to minimise these incidents” “The decrease in occurrences comes after the significant changes being introduced in the operation of the Youth Justice Residences in the last year with work programmes beginning to lift the safety and security of residences and improve staff recruitment and training,” Chhour said Acting deputy chief executive in charge of youth justice services and residential care Iain Chapman said the group on the roof had caused damage to the facility which was “disappointing” the day-to-day operational running of the facility has and will continue,” he said “We will work with police to determine the extent of any further offending by these young people during the incident including in relation to the damage caused to the youth justice facility.” An operational review will be undertaken to determine the circumstances that led to this incident “Many of the young people in custody in youth justice facilities have committed serious offences motivated by a range of factors that include peer pressure “It is likely they participate in serious incidents once in custody for similar reasons.” There were no concerns for public safety at any time It isn’t new. There are many groups who, over the years have embraced their trans and non-binary performers by allowing them to stand and trial for a spot in the row that aligns with their gender identity - but some groups don’t. In this episode our mātanga share their whakaaro on the issue. Eight young people have been charged after an hours-long standoff at a South Auckland youth correction facility Police were called to the Korowai Manaaki facility in Wiri shortly before 6pm after eight youths climbed onto the roof Half of the young people were coaxed down from the roof by about 9am and the remaining four came down this afternoon Police said the youths have been charged with intentional damage and have appeared in the Manukau District Youth Court today "The youths will all remain in Police custody until Oranga Tamariki relocate them to different facilities," A police spokesperson said Oranga Tamariki spokesperson Iain Chapman said it was disappointing that the young people had caused some damage to the youth justice facility the day-to-day operational running of the facility has and will continue "We will work with police to determine the extent of any further offending by these young people during the incident including in relation to the damage caused to the youth justice facility "An operational review will be undertaken to determine the circumstances that led to this incident." He said there were no concerns for public safety at any time RNZ's reporter at the scene said occasional shouting and banging could be heard and some of the youths were throwing hand signs and posturing for media at the scene One was also seen throwing a ventilation cover that had been wrenched off the roof Another had what appeared to be roofing tiles with insulation attached in their hands The young people were in a shouting match with a woman outside the facility They were demanding fast food and banging on the roof with what appeared to be wooden poles A fire engine was also seen arriving at Korowai Manaaki and firefighters in breathing apparatus were seen entering the building A fire alarm was sounding but there was no visible smoke About 10 minutes later the fire truck left Chapman said many of the young people in custody in youth justice facilities had committed serious offences motivated by a range of factors "It is likely they participate in serious incidents once in custody for similar reasons." It was the second protest at Korowai Manaaki this year - seven teenagers were charged after spending the night on the roof in October Eight young people have climbed onto the roof of a South Auckland youth justice facility this evening The teenagers were part of a group who climbed onto the roof of their youth justice facility in Wiri The children's minister has slammed the actions of young people who climbed onto the roof of their South Auckland correctional facility as "not a protest" Eight young people spent the night on the roof of the youth justice facility, Korowai Manaaki in Wiri on Monday - the stand-off ended yesterday afternoon when the last of the youths were coaxed down and have been charged with intentional damage Minister for Children Karen Chhour said in a statement the youths' behaviour was disorderly and disruptive "This is not a 'protest' as some media have labelled it Chhour said the young people had often showed similar behaviour in their communities "Christmas can be a time where emotions are heightened however I want to be clear - this behaviour will not be tolerated." She said the police and courts would deal with the consequences for their latest actions It was the second time in 2024 youths had gained access to the roof of a justice facility Chhour put the drop down to changes to improve the running of youth justice facilities "The decrease in occurrences comes after the significant changes being introduced in the operation of the youth justice residences in the last year with work programmes beginning to lift the safety and security of residences and improve staff recruitment and training." She backed the actions of Korowai Manaaki staff and thanked those who worked to get a solution "The facility has done what it was meant to do and nobody was able to leave the premises and I am glad that nobody has been badly hurt while this was resolved." A South Auckland business will pay a multimillion-dollar settlement for a workplace death in 2015 Jamey Bowring, 24, was killed when a tank exploded at a hazardous substance company in Wiri The High Court in Auckland on Monday ordered Salters Cartage Limited and its owner The decision came after the commissioner of police made an application for civil forfeiture under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act (CPRA) A seven-week trial was set to begin last week however parties involved instead entered into settlement discussions The court agreed with police that Salter and his business financially benefited from failing to comply with requirements for handling dangerous substances and ensuring workers' safety Bowring's mother Sarah Ferguson said Salter minimised his role in the events that led to her son's death "This case was so much more than someone getting some paperwork wrong His behaviour leading up to and since that day has been beyond unacceptable Police Detective Inspector Lloyd Schmid said he was aware of businesses' concerns about the application of civil forfeiture for workplace health and safety offences "Police have no intent to use the CRPA routinely for offences against the Health and Safety at Work Act largely brought on the basis of breaches of regulations relating to hazardous substances had some unique features and aggravating circumstances "Police will however consider any future cases on a case-by-case basis." A mother who lost her son in a tank explosion says the sentence given to his boss is not enough Safety breaches that led to the death of a worker in a tank explosion in south Auckland were on a par with Pike River A man killed at a massive explosion from a fuel tank at a factory in South Auckland was apparently weilding on top of the silo just minutes before it blew up An Auckland school principal who is having to find up to 20 relief teachers a day says the shortage is putting too much pressure on staff and students and it is only going to get worse unless there is a nationwide solution found Orewa College on the Hibiscus Coast emailed parents last week warning them that some students may have to be rostered home to study if it could not find enough relievers to plug staff shortages It has managed to narrowly avoid that but is still facing the daily challenge of finding relievers It is the same for other schools too and in June the New Zealand Relief Teachers' Association told Checkpoint demand was outstripping supply Orewa College principal Wiri Warriner told Checkpoint the shortage meant the rest of his staff were under pressure to do even more and the college was currently advertising for staff in 2025 and had eight vacancies "We've looked at other avenues of how we can still keep things functioning for teaching and learning multiple classes in libraries and halls," he said "Year 13's have been unsupervised at times but which is quite frustrating because it's the crunch time of the years and then we've had to resort to the goodwill of teachers utilising some of their entitled times in non-contact time to give up for relief as well." the pressure put on staff was one of the biggest frustrations for the workforce "In terms of maintaining strong well-being for our staff I think that's probably the pivotal point for us in terms of supporting them," he said "No one likes to be given additional duties of teaching if you've dedicated that time to planning and moderation in marking it's setting a lot of frustration and for our own staff it can kind of lead on to other things in terms of the enjoyment of the work area." He said he was worried about what the state of the shortages in the workforce would be five years from now "A large portion of our workforce are leaning on towards retiring and what does that look like considering the number of teachers that are coming from university and New Zealand teachers especially." It would be good to look at other provisions "We've actually had a couple of emails that have come through from people from the community saying how they could they help," he said but they've got the skill sets to do something from a reliever point of view so other provisions may be needed to be looked at if we're looking five years down the track from now." Warriner said he would like the ministry to look at the shortages as a nationwide problem rather than schools having to deal them it themselves "It's definitely a trend amongst other schools where there's a strong demand or pressure internally for teachers to be doing what we call internal relief weekend above their entitlement," he said "I think we just need to look at other provisions so we can support our teachers that are in these schools so it's not putting so much pressure on the system The school had to plan with a pool of teachers to make sure they had relievers on call each day "We tend to call on anywhere up to 10 to 20 relievers a day and I think we try to roster in at least five relievers a week but any other day if sickness or dependency where teachers need to be at home with their kids who are sick it can be at times uncertain of what the day could look like," he said "I think that's where the provision of internal cover is utilised from a goodwill perspective from teachers and I don't think it's necessarily always sustainable." The school has also asked some relievers who used to teach at the school to potentially come back to teach classes that were hard to staff "We're kind of relying on some of our relievers to work a long-term arrangement just to support us through some of the harder kind of staffing areas of the school." "With the drop off in people entering the profession this country is going to be in serious trouble," Educational Institute president Mark Potter says Universities warn changes to teacher education won't fix teacher shortages and that it is not realistic to expect teachers to graduate fully prepared to work The investment is designed to address teacher shortages A survey conducted by the Post Primary Teachers Association found 56 percent of principals had to employ untrained or unqualified teachers because no one else applied A number of youths gained access to the rooftop of Oranga Tamariki's Youth Justice facility in Wiri on Monday night The group of young people who climbed on to the roof of a youth justice facility in Auckland have now come down A NZME photographer at the scene today heard one of the boys requesting water “Alongside that - ‘we also want McDonald’s’.” the acting deputy chief executive in charge of youth justice services and residential care “It’s disappointing the young people have caused some damage to the youth justice facility; however the day-to-day operational running of the facility has and will continue,” said Chapman Emergency services had to rescue a child from an island in a pond in suburban South Auckland this afternoon One person had been taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said it was called to the back of Trevor Hosken Drive in Wiri about 3.25pm where a child was reportedly in trouble in the water Crews arrived to find an adult and a child stranded on an island in the middle of a pond in Wiri Stream Reserve Fenz had its Swift Water Rescue Response team on standby A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said one person was taken to hospital with moderate injuries and a manager car were dispatched to the scene Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022 Oranga Tamariki says police were called to the Korowai Manaaki facility in Wiri shortly before 6pm acting director of youth justice services and residential care Iain Chapman said Oranga Tamariki was working with police at Korowai Manaaki "We are working with police to resolve this matter and can confirm there are no concerns for public safety and the young people are still within the facility," he said It is the second protest at Korowai Manaaki this year - seven teenagers were charged after spending the night on the roof in October Homai Train Station in Wiri on the Southern Line was blessed on Thursday by mana whenua Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and will re-open to passengers when train services resume on January 28. Work on the station focused mainly on improvements to help the local blind and low vision community. Three accesses to the Homai Train Station — all frequently used by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) school close by — were removed to be replaced by a new ramp. Auckland Transport programme director Kris Gibson said it was one of many projects AT and KiwiRail were carrying out during the month-long closure of Auckland’s rail network "Replacing the level crossings with this new accessible ramp and stairs will make it safer to access Homai Station, where there will be an increased number of trains running once the CRL opens in 2026," Gibson said. "In particular, it will be safer for people accessing the nearby BLENNZ School and Blind Low Vision NZ South Auckland office and Guide Dog Training Centre." A new modular-structure ramp now ran from Browns Rd Bridge to the station, along with new lighting, wider footpaths and new pathways from the carpark and Mcvilly Rd. The ramp colour scheme and bright yellow handrail was specifically designed to be high contrast, helping people with low vision to differentiate between the sloping and flat sections of the ramp. "We engaged with the community early and their feedback helped us make sure the upgrades to Homai Station will benefit those who use it." BLENNZ School Homai principal Saul Taylor said they were delighted with the 'excellent level of inclusion' and connection with AT's project team. "The benefits will be felt for many years to come," Taylor said. "The engagement with BLENNZ has been invaluable and we have felt listened to throughout the project." He said, by including their suggestions and working alongside them so closely, the walkways and new ramp for the station would be more accessible, safe, and enjoyable for the whole school community. The Southern Line train services resume from January 28. At Homai, trains will run every 20 minutes all day, and every 30 minutes in the evening, between Ōtāhuhu and Waitematā (Britomart), and Papakura and Homai. The Rail Bus Southeast (RBSE) will run between Homai-Manukau-Puhinui-Papatoetoe-Middlemore-Ōtāhuhu. From February 3, full train services will resume. The Southern Line will run between Waitematā (Britomart) and Pukekohe. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Homai Train Station in Wiri will reopen when train services return on January 28. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) A south Auckland train station that had pedestrian level crossings removed to improve safety, is now ready for more frequent train services when the City Rail Link opens. Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning 'Wake up call': Businesses warned over lithium battery fires Authorities urge the public to avoid putting lithium batteries in the rubbish or recycling but have also told merchants to "take responsibility for disposal" 27 mins ago 43 mins ago 55 mins ago 16 mins ago A south Auckland train station that had pedestrian level crossings removed to improve safety is now ready for more frequent train services when the City Rail Link opens Homai Train Station in Wiri on the Southern Line was blessed on Thursday by mana whenua Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and will re-open to passengers when train services resume on January 28 Work on the station focused mainly on improvements to help the local blind and low vision community Three accesses to the Homai Train Station — all frequently used by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) school close by — were removed to be replaced by a new ramp "Replacing the level crossings with this new accessible ramp and stairs will make it safer to access Homai Station where there will be an increased number of trains running once the CRL opens in 2026," Gibson said it will be safer for people accessing the nearby BLENNZ School and Blind Low Vision NZ South Auckland office and Guide Dog Training Centre." A new modular-structure ramp now ran from Browns Rd Bridge to the station wider footpaths and new pathways from the carpark and Mcvilly Rd The ramp colour scheme and bright yellow handrail was specifically designed to be high contrast helping people with low vision to differentiate between the sloping and flat sections of the ramp BLENNZ School Homai principal Saul Taylor said they were delighted with the 'excellent level of inclusion' and connection with AT's project team "The benefits will be felt for many years to come," Taylor said by including their suggestions and working alongside them so closely the walkways and new ramp for the station would be more accessible and enjoyable for the whole school community The Southern Line train services resume from January 28 The Rail Bus Southeast (RBSE) will run between Homai-Manukau-Puhinui-Papatoetoe-Middlemore-Ōtāhuhu The Southern Line will run between Waitematā (Britomart) and Pukekohe LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air 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 A string of fires linked to highly combustible lithium-ion batteries has been deemed a "wake-up call" for waste businesses by Auckland officials with the public facing exposure to toxic smoke from repeat blazes Auckland Council is urging "industry vigilance" around the problem after a scrap metal company was fined $30,000 over a 2023 fire that released toxic smoke near Ōtāhuhu A fire at a recycling plant near Glenfield last month was also initially linked to lithium batteries although investigators were continuing to probe the blaze Auckland Council compliance field operations manager David Pawson emphasised "the importance of remaining vigilant despite the novelty of the issue" Authorities urged the public to avoid putting lithium batteries in the rubbish or recycling The batteries were inside most portable electronic devices Pawson said in a statement: "We recognise this is a new issue and we’re all finding our way with lithium-ion batteries and those handling them "But businesses still need to take responsibility for their disposal — this is their business Emergency alerts were issued to tens of thousands on Auckland's North Shore last month after the largest fire "for a few years" broke out at an Abilities Group recycling plant Residents were urged to close windows to avoid fumes and some beaches were closed due to chemicals released into waterways Takapuna fire station officer Steven Callagher said there were reports that flames broke out in the area of the facility where batteries were recycled and an official cause had not been determined Other recent battery-linked fires have broken out in rubbish trucks in Auckland caused by the ignition of a lithium-ion battery within a large scrap metal stockpile highlighted a "growing national and international issue surrounding battery disposal and fire risk," according to Auckland Council recognised the unique challenges posed by lithium-ion batteries He noted: "There has been considerable difficulty in finding a technical solution to the problems with batteries catching on fire "This is not only a national problem but an international one; these orders form a workaround solution until more technical solutions The judge described the situation as “a new and emerging issue" While acknowledging Sims Metal’s cooperation and the absence of intentional wrongdoing reduced from an initial starting point of $50,000 The enforcement orders issued require Sims Metal to implement several improvements at the James Fletcher Drive site in Favona "The orders are registered with the Environment Court and will remain in place unless superseded by conditions with a new resource consent," the council said Pawson said the council viewed the 2023 case as an "important precedent in balancing empathy for emerging challenges with the necessity of regulatory compliance "It also highlights the importance of proactive risk management and industry-wide collaboration to adapt to evolving environmental risks." A Sims Metal spokesperson said: "Following the May 2023 fire at our Favona facility we have implemented more stringent control measures to support the ongoing management of potentially concealed materials like lithium-ion batteries "We are grateful to the communities and businesses in and around Ōtāhuhu We want to reiterate our appreciation to FENZ and all those who acted diligently to extinguish the May 2023 fire safely and continue to refine and improve our processes." Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted.