NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

The author of a new report is calling for a long-term population strategy as the population ages, birth rates decline and ethnic diversity increases.

Titled “People, Place and Prosperity”, the report was published by independent think tank Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures on Tuesday.

Co-author Paul Spoonley warned that New Zealand was at a demographic inflection point, noting that it was essential to plan ahead.

“The point we’re making is that it’s 2026, and we know what the population is going to look like in 2036 or 2046,” Spoonley told RNZ’s Midday Report.

“None of these should come as a surprise. Why don’t we plan for it at this point?”

The report outlined how slowing population growth, record-low fertility, a rapidly ageing population, and an increasing reliance on immigration as the major source of population and workforce growth would shape New Zealand’s future.

The country would also continue to see a rapid increase in ethnic diversity, it said.

By 2048, 22 percent of New Zealanders are expected to be over the age of 65 while 48 percent are expected to identify with an ethnicity other than New Zealand European, the report said.

Many regions will exceed the threshold for “hyperageing”, with over-65s making up more than 30 percent of their respective populations, the report said.

“Firstly is the cost, so the cost of superannuation and the cost of healthcare. And then secondly, where are the services and infrastructure to support that ageing population,” Spoonley said.

“We are seeing enormous growth in our major city, Auckland, mainly because of immigration. But when we get into the provinces, the rural sectors, the smaller towns, they are struggling to meet the ageing needs of a population.”

In addition, high rates of immigration since 2013, albeit with some dips, have added to the ethnic and cultural diversity of New Zealand, especially in younger age groups, the report said.

“Today, diversity is no longer something that arrives from abroad, it is embedded in our demography, given the ethnic and cultural diversity of new generations of New Zealanders,” it said.

Spoonley said migrants relocated here because there were labour force shortages in the country but, at the same time, that had brought challenges to housing and infrastructure.

“For me, the question is, we need to have a debate about immigration, but what’s the number where we can manage the impact on demand but also make sure that we’re meeting our needs as a labor market.”

The report said growing ethnic diversity presented unique opportunities for innovation, creativity and problem-solving.

“But, as we have seen elsewhere, it also represents a point of fracture and division if underlying anxieties are not addressed,” it said.

The country’s fertility rate had fallen to a record low of 1.55 births per woman, well below replacement fertility of 2.1, the report said.

These trends, combined with the loss of talent overseas and growing global competition for workers, especially skilled workers, were placing pressure on productivity, workforce supply and public finances, it said.

Spoonley said the development of a coherent, consistent and bipartisan population strategy was needed, and having an independent agency might help.

“The three-year cycle where things get politicised very quickly does not help anticipating and then investing in the infrastructure and services and whatever else you need the policies over the longer term,” he said.

“We need to do that, and that’s why we suggest taking it out of the political arena and making it the responsibility of an independent commission.”

A population strategy, spearheaded by a new population commission and informed by evidence and engagement from wider government, research institutions, industry and civil society would be the first step to prepare New Zealand to thrive amongst demographic change, the report said.

The strategy also needed to consider evidence relating to all the elements of the country’s changing demography: rapid ageing, declining fertility, the growth and decline trajectories for different regions, and the growing reliance on immigration as a major source of both population growth and labour supply to understand the overall story of demographic change, it said.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland’s Heart of the City says its chief executive is still employed, after reports she had been stood down.

The Post said on Saturday that it understood Viv Beck had been stood down from the business association, a similar story was also published by the NZ Herald on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, RNZ asked the association if Beck had been stood down. A spokesperson said in a statement: “The Heart of the City Executive Committee wishes to confirm that Viv Beck is employed as the Chief Executive of Heart of the City. She has not departed the organisation.”

RNZ has approached Beck for comment.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown’s office said in a statement that it’s entirely up to HOTC’s board to advise anybody on the employment of Beck, including if there’s been a change to her status.

It said the organisation plays an important role in the city, and receives significant funding through a targeted rate paid by businesses.

“The mayor and his office are focussed on maintaining a positive and productive relationship with its board. We expect the board to continue to communicate regularly with us and operate in line with the BID policy.

“Any other questions about the organisation should be directed to Heart of the City,” the statement said.

Heart of the City is a group representing and promoting Auckland’s central city businesses.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some residents of the tiny King Country settlement of Ōhura say they have no plans to move despite the spectre of climate change and the village’s history of flooding.

About 50 homes were damaged during a flash flood earlier this month and five left uninhabitable.

Once a bustling coal town, Ōhura had a population close to 2000 before mining operations closed in the mid 1960s.

Now about 160 hardy souls call it home – up more than 30 on the 2018 Census.

Stewart Mckenzie owns the Kallil Motors building on the main street.

Constructed in the 1920s it comes with its very own flood gauge – etched into its walls.

“Since 1964, I think, 58. There’s at least 20 times flood waters have been in this garage.

“So this one here, 2026, was about 200mm below the big flood of 98.”

The 74-year-old former farmer had lived in and around Ōhura all his life.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

Fletcher Tetlow aka “Rambo” lived on Tongaporutu Road.

His home was the first to flood when the Mangaroa Stream broke its banks.

“See here’s the high tide mark so about 300mm and it gets everywhere as you can see and it affected and my generator and my car because they don’t like swimming.”

In his mid 60s, Rambo had been put up elsewhere for the time being

“They haven’t said anything about condemning it [the house] either which way, but this is not its first flood.

“It’s all kauri and it’s got a good vibe, good bones, so I’m not too worried.”

He reckoned he’d be able to clean it up and move back in.

“Oh yeah, if I can and I’ve got nowhere else to go, so this is good, but if they wrote it off I’d take the coin.”

Logging truck driver Gene McBride was a more recent arrival from Wellington.

Neighbour and civil defence volunteer Sophie Stockbridge helped get his two children out of his flooded Kiwi St property in the dead of night.

“She finally got here the boy jumped on a floatie. My daughter jumped on her back and then we just had to walk out I’d say 150 to 200 metres of flood waters about neck height.”

He had a singular focus at the time.

“Just my kids. I wanted them to get safe that was my priority. Everything else, material things, I wasn’t too worried about. I wasn’t worried about my house. I just wanted my family to be safe.”

Insurers had already been through and after leaving the rat race, Gene and partner Hayley, remained committed to their slice of back country paradise.

Lionel was kicking back in his makeshift bar on Kiwi Street.

“We worked on rigs all our lives me and a few of the other guys and we came over here in 1980 and we’ve seen a few floods.

“This isn’t the worst one. We’ve had some real bad ones, but it was wet and it came in my house, of course.”

“Look at the carpet. I’ve water blasted it, but it’s still covered in mud. It’s a nightmare really.”

In his 80s, he still couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be than Ōhura.

“Look at it, it’s usually like this. This is the first flood we’ve had in 28 years and it has beautiful weather, it’s quiet, it’s peaceful, the people are beautiful. What more could you ask for? It’s heaven.”

Ruapehu District Council and the Ministry of Social Development were continuing to provide welfare support in Ōhura.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A trio of Christchurch flatmates have become amateur detectives tracking down and reclaiming a trolley load of belongings stolen from their house in a burglary.

The Waltham flatmates, two from a small Scottish village and the other from Northern Ireland, came home last week to find their place ransacked and a number of items stolen. They called the police, but after a tip-off from a neighbour decided to take on the case themselves.

One of the flatmates, Sarah Campbell, told Checkpoint she found the house where the thieves had taken the trolley, and phoned the other flatmates to meet her at the address.

“The girls came round and one lady walked out of the house, kitted out in Charlotte’s [one of the flatmates] clothes. She’s got the cameras strapped on, Charlotte’s lovely Uggs.

“So the two girls went and basically removed all the items from her, and I went into the house to find a couple of men and another lady rifling through our underwear and things.”

Campbell said the trio then decided to try the “good cop, bad cop” method.

“The two girls, they’re strong, powerful women and they went for that bad cop, ‘look, give us the stuff back, don’t mess’. And I went for the pretend to be best pals with the criminals, cosy in and then sneak everything out.”

While turning up at a potential criminals house might fill some with dread, Campbell said their “hardcore accents from the backwaters of Scotland”, along with Charlotte’s Northern Irish accent meant “people aren’t messing when they hear our voices”.

“Even the hardest criminals, they’re going to be running.”

Campbell said the residents at the house immediately gave their stuff back, and they even unscrewed their rings from the fingers of the thieves.

“They just rolled over for us.”

Among the stolen goods the trio recovered, included passports, sentimental jewellery, items from grandparents, laptops and even medication.

When they returned home with the stolen goods, Campbell said the police were “kind of eyes wide open that we’d done our own search and recovery”.

And while they didn’t receive a telling off from the police for undertaking their own detective work, the police did say their methods were “very unconventional”.

Campbell also said the local community has helped since the robbery.

“I’ve had colleagues offer me their husbands, their dogs, their homes, their cameras, you name it.”

While the trio are in New Zealand on work visas, the incident had not given them a dim view of Aotearoa.

“We just love New Zealand. We love Fairlie Pies, Kiwi dip, the Kumara races, Dave Dobbyn. It’s a slice of heaven here.

“It is traumatising, it is shaking, but we’re grateful and thankful for good Kiwis.”

While most of the items were recovered, Campbell said one yellow Croc is missing, and offered a reward if it is found.

“Your next pie is on us.”

Police said there were a number of burglaries on Campbell’s street on the same day, and advise to always put your safety first and call 111 if you’re concerned for your safety.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand