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Hockey: Black Sticks squad named for FIH Nations Cup defence

Source: Radio New Zealand

Olivia Shannon, is among the 20 players named in the Blacksticks, for the FIH Nations Cup in Auckland, June 2026 worldsportpics.com/ Photosport

An experienced New Zealand women’s hockey team’s been named for the defence of their FIH Nations Cup title in Auckland next month.

Head coach Phil Burrows has confirmed 20 players in the squad, including one new cap, Ruby Baker, 22, who played for New Zealand A, in a four-team international tournament in Dunedin in January.

“For our group, it’s a valuable pressure tournament leading into the World Cup later this year, especially as defending champions with the expectations that come from playing at home,” said Burrows.

“It’s also a special moment for Ruby Baker, who has thoroughly earned the opportunity to make her debut in front of a home crowd.”

The squad also features the return of several key players who missed last year’s Nations Cup success in Chile, when the Black Sticks beat Ireland in the final in a penalty shootout, including defenders Ella Hyatt-Brown, Liz Thompson, Mille Calder and Tessa Reid.

The New Zealand women’s hockey team, winners of the FIH Nations Cup in Santiago, Chile in 2025. Hockey New Zealand

Former Netherlands under-21 rep, Christchurch born, Josephine Murray has also been selected, as she continues to solidify her place in the New Zealand set up.

The tournament will take place between 15-21 June, and feature eight teams in what is the country’s biggest international hockey event in nearly a decade.

The other teams taking part are India, Japan, the United States, Uruguay, Chile, France and South Korea.

“It’s an exciting time for hockey in New Zealand. Opportunities to host international tournaments on home soil don’t come around often, so it’s a great occasion for both the players and fans, said Burrows.

Black Sticks Women squad:

Anna Crowley, Britt Wang, Casey Crowley, Ella Hyatt-Brown, Emma Findlay, Grace O’Hanlon, Hannah Cotter, Hannah Gravenall, Holly Pearson, Josephine Murray, Julia Gluyas, Kaitlin Cotter, Liz Thompson, Mezzy Surridge, Millie Calder, Olivia Shannon, Paige Blake, Riana Pho, Ruby Baker, Tessa Reid.

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

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Kayaker dies after suffering medical event off Auckland’s Hobsonville Marina

Source: Radio New Zealand

The man was assisted onto a different boat but did not survive. RNZ / REECE BAKER

A man has died after suffering a medical event while kayaking in Auckland on Saturday morning.

Police were notified of the incident near the Hobsonville Marina shortly before 9.15am.

They said the man was assisted onto a different boat, where he was given medical assistance, but he did not survive.

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

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Netflix doco star: Betraying wives of paedophile polygamist was ’emotional torture’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Befriending the abused wives of Sam Bateman, then becoming “the one who took away their prophet and the father of their babies,” was not easy for Christine Marie, star of Trust Me: The False Prophet.

After her own controlling relationship with a Mormon man she’s described as another “false prophet” in the late ’90s and years of psychology study, Marie knew how well Bateman’s victims had been manipulated to believe they were not being abused.

“I knew they wouldn’t understand it, maybe even for years, and that I would be losing my relationship with all these women and children that I adored. But it wasn’t about me,” she tells RNZ’s Saturday Morning.

This video is hosted on Youtube.

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

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Whangārei driver arrested after doing burnout in front of police

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Whangārei driver who performed a burnout in front of police is now facing charges. Supplied / NZ Police

A Whangārei driver who performed a burnout in front of police is now facing charges.

Sergeant Shawn Parker, of the Whangārei Youth Crime Unit, said police were monitoring a gathering of car enthusiasts at the Okara Shopping Centre on 2 May.

He said officers were speaking with youths in the area at about 10pm, when one of the vehicles left the meet.

“A white Honda Accord exited the carpark and performed a burnout through multiple gears along the road,” Sergeant Parker said.

“The driver appeared to be unaware Police were nearby.”

The car returned to the gathering a short time later and was stopped by officers, who arrested the 26-year-old driver. His vehicle was also impounded.

The man is due to appear in Whangārei District Court on 27 May, charged with operating a motor vehicle with sustained loss of traction.

Sergeant Parker said the incident served as a reminder that police would not tolerate this type of behaviour.

“Illegal street activity puts not only those involved at risk, but also members of the public,” he said, noting, in this case, there were young people nearby.

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Warriors v Broncos ‘Magic Round’: What you need to know

Source: Radio New Zealand

Warriors v Broncos at NRL ‘Magic Round’. RNZ/Photosport

After a week off, NZ Warriors arrive in Brisbane for NRL ‘Magic Round’, facing a perfect storm of obstacles, as they pursue their fifth straight win.

Firstly, they must pick up where they left off two weeks ago, when they accounted for Parramatta Eels 36-14 to continue their solid start to the 2026 season.

Bye weeks have not been kind to the Warriors previously, so carrying on that momentum has been a focus this time.

“Before we went on our three-day break, we had three days of training,” coach Andrew Webster reported. “We had two field sessions and a wrestling session, two gym sessions, so they were important.

“The boys made sure they were awesome sessions, because you can have one eye on your break and it doesn’t really matter, but we wanted to get some reps in.

“We spoke about how that sets up this week and, since the boys returned to training on Monday, they’ve been awesome.”

Secondly, the draw has pitted them against the defending NRL champions TWICE at their home ground this season, with Magic Round counting as a Warriors home fixture.

“Would I much rather play the Broncos here?” Webster mused during the weekly Mt Smart media session. “Of course I would, but the draw is what it is and we’re looking at it as how exciting it is to play in that atmosphere with that many fans.”

Thirdly, the Warriors haven’t beaten the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium since 2018. The draw feels like a stitch up.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster faces plenty of challenges at ‘Magic Round’. David Neilson/Photosport

“Someone asked me that at the start of the year about Melbourne too,” Webster responded. “You’ve got to end that at some point, so why can’t it be us this week?

“We’ve got so much respect for our opponent, but I don’t think we’re going there worried that we can’t beat them because of a hoodoo or because of history. We make our own history and we’re keen to do that.”

Here’s what you need to know about Warriors v Broncos at Magic Round.

History

This fixture represents another instalment in the Warriors’ oldest rivalry, as they again face their original opponents from 10 March, 1995.

Brisbane won that inaugural match-up at Mt Smart Stadium and have since enjoyed a 29-22-1 head-to-head advantage, including 5-4-1 in their last 10 meetings and 11-4 at Suncorp Stadium.

The 18-18 ‘Golden Point’ deadlock came in July 2019, when Kodi Nikorima and Anthony Milford missed several field goal attempts in extra time, and could not provide their teams with the winning edge.

Last time they met, the Broncos prevailed 26-12 at Suncorp, with centre Gehamat Shibasaki scoring two tries for the home side and halfback Adam Reynolds kicking 5/6 from the tee. Warriors half Luke Metcalf left the contest with a season-ending knee injury.

Brisbane went on to win the 2025 grand final 26-22, with a second-half comeback against Melbourne Storm.

The biggest margin of victory over the rivalry is Brisbane’s 44-6 effort in their second meeting in 1995, when legendary centre Steve Renouf scored four tries.

Luke Metcalf suffers a season-ending knee injury against Brisbane Broncos. Tertius Pickard/www.photosport.nz

In 2013, the Warriors matched that 38-point difference, when they prevailed 56-18 in Brisbane, with Glen Fisiiahi, Konrad Hurrell, Tommy Leuluai and Manu Vatuvei all scoring try doubles.

Form

After back-to-back defeats, the Warriors have now won four in a row against Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Titans, the Dolphins and Eels.

After the bye week, they still sat second on the competition table, two points behind Penrith Panthers and ahead of Sydney Roosters on points differential. Notably, they were six points clear of the ninth-placed Dolphins, consolidating their playoff aspirations.

The bye week has affected their statistical standings, but the Warriors are clearly best at completing sets (84 percent) and level with the Roosters in possession (53 percent).

They have committed the least errors (95) and handling errors (72) in the competition, and were the second-least penalised team (37), behind only the Panthers (35). Individually, front-rower Jackson Ford still led metres after contact (690).

One area the Warriors will need to address this week is their vulnerability coming out of bye weeks. In the three years under Webster, they are 4-4 after the rest.

In 2025, they produced their best performance of the season to beat Cronulla Sharks 40-10 in round 14, but lost momentum during their subsequent week off, suffering back-to-back defeats and winning just four of their last 11 regular season fixtures.

Meanwhile, Brisbane have struggled to follow up their dramatic grand final win last season, currently sitting outside the playoff reckoning with a 5-5 record, after back-to-back losses to the Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles.

Through 10 rounds, they had conceded more penalties (59) than any other team in the league, and sat second in errors and ineffective tackles. Half Ezra Mam led the league in missed tackles (48), while second-rower Jordan Riki had the most ineffective tackles (20).

Magic Round

The ‘Magic Round’ concept, where all games are played in one city, is based on Super League’s ‘Magic Weekend’ and was first held in 2019.

All subsequent gatherings have taken place in Brisbane, with the Warriors winning their first fixture against St George Illawarra Dragons, before losing the next three and winning the last two for a 3-3 record.

Warriors celebrate their 225 Magic Round win over North Queensland Cowboys. NRL Photos/Photosport

Their most famous victory came in 2024, when a depleted line-up accounted for the champion Penrith Panthers 22-20, with fullback Taine Tuaupiki scoring a late converted try to clinch the win.

Last year, the Warriors accounted for North Queensland Cowboys 30-26, but were held scoreless for the final 37 minutes, as the Cowboys rallied from 28-12 down at halftime.

Teams

Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 6. Chanel Harris-Tativa, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitch Barnett, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Kurt Capewell, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15, Jackson Ford, 16. Demetric Vaimauga, 17. Jacob Laban, 18. Tanner Stower-Smith, 20. Te Maire Martin

Reserves: 21. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 22. Luke Hanson, 23. Makaia Tafua

Coach Andrew Webster has tinkered with his winning line-up, promoting co-captain Mitch Barnett to the starting front row and moving in-form Jackson Ford to the bench.

Centre Roger Tuivaa-Sheck is sidelined by a shoulder injury, but he is replaced by Ali Leiataua, back from concussion protocols.

Hooker Wayde Egan left the field against Parramatta with a head knock, but served his protocols during the bye week, while veteran utility Te Maire Martin (broken leg) and front-rower Tanner Stowers-Smith return to the bench from injuries.

There’s no room for Luke Metcalf, who was cleared to approach other teams during the week and subsequently signed with St George-Illawarra Dragons from 2027.

Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh, 2. Josiah Karapani, 3. Jesse Arthers, 4. Gehamat Shibasaki, 5. Phillip Coates, 6. Ezra Mam, 7. Adam Reynolds, 8. Preston Riki, 9. Cory Paix, 10. Xavier Willison, 11. Jaiyden Hunt, 12. Jordan Riki, 13. Patrick Carrigan

Interchange: 14. Ben Hunt, 15. Ben Talty, 16. Va’a Semu, 17. Aublix Tawha, 18. Hayze Perham, 19. Josh Rogers

Reserves: 20. Tom Duffy, 21. Luke Gale, 22. Kane Bradley

Meanwhile, the Broncos are also juggling personnel, as they deal with significant absences.

Veteran halfback Adam Reynolds returns from concussion, but front-rower Payne Haas (knee), centre Katoni Staggs (suspension) and wing Deine Mariner (leg) are all sidelined.

Guided by former NZ Kiwis coach Michael Maguire, their line-up includes former Warriors Reece Walsh and Jesse Arthars, and Kiwis Xavier Willison, Preston Riki, Jordan Riki (not related), Va’a Semu, Aublix Tawha and Hayze Perham.

Reece Walsh scores a try for Brisbane in the 2025 NRL grand final. Photosport

Player to watch

Fullback Reece Walsh‘s ascent to the very top of the NRL has been stalled this season by a facial fracture that kept him out of three games.

Brisbane won two of those three without him, but have lost both since his return, and he’ll need to show some form, with State of Origin selectors watching intently.

Kiwi player to watch

In Haas’ absence, Kiwis forward Xavier Willison has had to step into a fulltime starting role and has filled the void admirably.

He’s been used at prop, lock and second row, as well as off the bench, but with Jack Gosiewski suffering concussion last week, Willison is back in the front row against the Warriors.

What will happen

A showdown between arguably the two dominant fanbases of the competition will see Suncorp packed to the rafters.

The Wahs faithful will lay the platform for their team to perform on the field and, after everything that’s happened over the past week, the players will – hopefully – be recharged and ready to tear into their opponents.

Warriors by six.

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

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Papakura woman arrested after police find hoard of gas heating equipment, LPG bottles

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say a search warrant revealed a number of 45kg gas bottles and eight gas califonts. 123rf

A woman has been arrested after a hoard of stolen gas heating equipment and LPG bottles were found at an Auckland property.

Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Nelson, from Counties Manukau South CIB, said police suspected stolen property from a recent burglary was being stored in Papakura.

“On Wednesday, the Counties Manukau South Tactical Crime Unit executed a search warrant at an Arimu Road address and located a range of stolen items,” she said.

“Among the items recovered were eight gas califonts – compact water heating systems – and a number of 45kg gas bottles.”

A 44-year-old woman at the property was arrested without incident, police said, and would appear on a burglary charge in Papakura District Court on 28 May.

Five of the gas califonts were able to be linked to the Papakura burglary as the owner had kept a record of the serial numbers. Police are still working to identify the owners of the remaining items.

“Record the serial numbers of tools and valuable items, or mark these with an identifier that can be traced to your property,” Detective Senior Sergeant Nelson said.

“This can help Police return your items if they’re stolen by thieves.”

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Why has my investment performed so poorly? Ask Susan

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ money correspondent Susan Edmunds. RNZ

Got questions? RNZ has launched a podcast, ‘No Stupid Questions’, with Susan Edmunds.

We’d love to hear more of your questions about money and the economy. You can send through written questions, like these ones, but even better, you can drop us a voice memo to our email questions@rnz.co.nz.

You can also sign up to RNZ’s new money newsletter, ‘Money with Susan Edmunds’.

I was interested to read your comments regarding how some portfolios have performed in Sharesies. The most disappointing for me is the Top 50 ETF.

Diversify, spread the risk has been the call. Surely the top 50 will achieve this?

I’ve been in negative territory since 2021, $500 per year dividends on a $20,000 investment is only 2.5 percent, more than swallowed by the losses. If the NZ sharemarket is going so well, why is the Top 50 a dog?

I think the main issue here is that, although sharemarkets around the world have been going well lately, the same can’t really be said for New Zealand’s.

Morningstar data director Greg Bunkall said the local market had underperfomed most of its peers.

He said, if you’ve been hearing stories about stocks soaring, that’s probably a US story – not a New Zealand one.

“The US stock market is very tech focussed, so all the advancements around AI and other technologies are being felt in those markets, and less so here.

“While the NZX is very diversified across the available NZ listed companies, it’s not diversified geographically and contains little of the technology plays that exist in other markets. There are other broad market ETFs that can achieve this by gaining exposure to more global markets and sectors.”

Kernel founder Dean Anderson said the price movement return on the NZX in the past three years was negative, when annualised to the end of April.

It was positive, when it was assumed dividends were re-invested with gross imputation credits factored in.

“The picture isn’t quite as bleak as the share price alone suggests, but you’re right that it has been a disappointing stretch.”

He said real diversification would mean spreading your money across sectors and countries.

“Each year, it is typically a different country at the top of the best-performing markets and the best-performing sectors rotate too. Don’t try to pick them – just be spread across markets.

“A combination of index funds or even a single low-fee High Growth fund will do that efficiently. For example, the Kernel High Growth fund is a mix of index funds with exposure to NZ, but also spread across global developing and emerging countries and sectors, and its return after fees has been 16.57 percent per annum over the same three years to the end of April.

“There is still a role for NZ equities – they’re more tax-efficient for NZ investors to hold locally compared to global shares – but we don’t have all the sectors here and we have very little exposure to big tech, which is exactly why you need to mix it up.”

He said it was also worth keeping an eye on fees.

“If you’re paying brokerage to buy an index fund and then paying brokerage again on every distribution re-investment, fees of up to 1.9 percent can materially eat into your return.”

I’m interested to know whether ANZ has been paying the correct interest on their personal Serious Saver account. According to their webpage, there is a premium rate payable, if no more than one withdrawal is made during the month.

I’m sure this was how it worked earlier on, but at some stage, I realised that they were counting the tax on interest as a withdrawal, therefore if I did any withdrawal, the account did not qualify for the bonus interest.

Since tax on interest is a given, I haven’t received the bonus interest for years. I rang a couple of times to try to clarify whether I was correct, but have never received an adequate answer.

I do an automatic deposit of $20 monthly into the account.

We’ve had a bit of coverage lately of problems with bonus saver accounts, namely that a lot of people do not meet the necessary criteria to get the full advertised bonus interest rate.

In your case, ANZ tells me that tax is not counted as a withdrawal from Serious Saver. If you deposit at least $20 a month and don’t make a withdrawal yourself, you will qualify for the bonus rate, but if you make one withdrawal a month, you won’t.

This may be your issue and highlights why it’s important that banks make it clear to customers what they must do to get the bonus rate.

Rightly or wrongly, for the past four or so years, I have managed most of my savings through short-term term deposits. I am retired and not really one for risky investments.

What I have liked about the term deposits at Kiwibank was how easy it was to open these and to keep an overview of them. I have mostly used six-month terms, mainly because I was unsure what the future would bring.

The deposits are in the $5000-10,000 each range.

Suddenly, two weeks ago, I could not open a new term deposit. I have been in contact with Kiwibank several times and basically I can no longer open a term deposit myself, because I have run out of suffix numbers.

From now on, I can only open a new one at Kiwibank through a secure email or by ringing them. Neither option suits me, so I have started opening term deposits at other banks.

Through a Google search last night, I discovered that others have had the same experience with Kiwibank, and blame a poor and outdated IT system, and general Kiwibank attitude.

Kiwibank doesn’t seem to be concerned about the fact that I am taking my savings away from them to other banks.

Not sure what to do, other than continuing to remove my savings to other banks once the term deposit term has expired.

Kiwibank says, in some circumstances, customers who have a large number of term deposits can reach a system limit that affects their ability to “self serve” online.

It recognises this can be frustrating, but there do not seem to be any solutions, beyond what you’ve already identified.

“Importantly, this does not prevent customers from opening or holding term deposits with Kiwibank. Where this limit is reached, our team can assist by setting up term deposits through secure mail in the mobile app, over the phone or in one of our branches.

“Our focus is on making sure this small number of customers continue to receive the support they need to manage their savings and access our products.”

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

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Education Minister Erica Stanford promises update on social media ban in June

Source: Radio New Zealand

Education Minister Erica Stanford aims to introduce legislation this year. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Education Minister Erica Stanford promises an update on the government’s plans for a social media ban for under-16s next month.

Coalition partner ACT says the situation remains a “mess that needs to be tidied up”, meaning the future of the project remains in some doubt.

Stanford told RNZ papers for her wider programme of work on countering the harms of social media were going through cabinet and the government would have more to say “next month”.

“The government is steadily progressing with work on social media and online harm policy, and due to this, Catherine Wedd’s Member’s Bill is being deprioritised in place of wider work,” she said.

“Parents and New Zealanders are acutely aware of the potential harms of social media. We share these concerns and will have more to say on the work that is progressing in due course.”

She said she was still “aiming to introduce legislation this year”.

That ambition falls short of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s previous commitment to introduce something before the election.

“Certainly before the term, yes, we’ll have our first go at making sure we can put the ban for under-16s in place and then I suspect it will be one of those issues that require ongoing work as well,” Luxon told RNZ in November.

RNZ approached the PM’s office for comment clarifying whether his commitment still held true, and whether it was merely a commitment to introduce legislation or to have the ban “in place” before the election.

“The Prime Minister was referring to the introduction of legislation,” a spokesperson said. “It is still the government’s aim to do that before the election – that has not changed.”

ACT’s opposition to a ban had prevented National from passing it as a government bill, resulting in Wedd’s member’s bill.

If Stanford’s work will make Wedd’s bill redundant – as seems likely from the public comments so far – she and National will still need to work out how to get her government bill through cabinet, potentially without the ACT Party.

Confusion reigns over member’s bill’s future

The National MP whose member’s bill was designed to progress that work – Catherine Wedd – also sent a statement to RNZ.

Catherine Wedd’s member’s bill has been delayed. VNP/Louis Collins

“My bill has been put on hold, while the minister is progressing a government bill and a broader piece of work,” she said. “This bill is aiming to be introduced this year,” she said.

“I’m very happy the minister is progressing this work to ban social media for under-16s. Please contact the minister’s office for further comment.

“Thanks for your interest in this issue.”

She did not respond to questions about whether she would lodge a new bill, given her current one would be superseded by Stanford’s work.

Stanford’s office also would not say whether Wedd’s member’s bill – which remained on Parliament’s order paper this week – would be withdrawn or when.

Labour had offered tentative support for Wedd’s bill. Spokesperson Reuben Davidson had lodged his own member’s bill, pushing for greater regulation of social media in New Zealand, more transparency and “safety by design”.

He told RNZ Labour had not been approached by anyone from National about the matter and, with Wedd’s member’s bill on hold, the plan for legislation was unclear.

“It seems really confused at the moment, as to what they’re doing and why,” he said. “They had a plan, apparently it’s changed, but it’s a confusing process.

“Age restriction is part of the solution – there are lots of other tools and levers that we can put into legislation.”

ACT Party spokesperson Parmjeet Parmar told RNZ the work at the select committee “was not done properly” and the party would not “jump to conclusions without doing that work properly”.

“It is clear that Erica Stanford had not thought through this properly before, so it’s good that it is put on hold for more work to be done on this and it is actually their own backbencher’s mess that needs to be tidied up, because we had this real opportunity to do this work on select committee and it didn’t happen.”

Parmar said ACT’s objections to the ban included that it could erode privacy and freedoms.

“The goal of the ban is to protect people from the harm they experience online, right? If people are still going to stay online, that means we will not be protecting them.

“Actually, we will be pushing them into darker corners of internet, where they are fewer safeguards, and they will also not be sharing their experience, if they encounter anything that’s harmful.

“In reports from Australia and the UK, we have seen young girls using make-up to bypass restrictions. In the UK, we have seen reports of young boys drawing moustache to bypass restrictions and staying online.”

The wider programme

Stanford’s wider programme of work has been going on some time. In December, just two months after Wedd’s bill was introduced, the minister said it would provide “real teeth” to back up a simple ban, which children could easily evade.

She was considering options like a new regulator or child protection legislation in line with some other countries.

ACT Party spokesperson Parmjeet Parmar told RNZ the work done at select committee “was not done properly”. RNZ / Blessen Tom

Those comments responded to an interim report from the select committee inquiry. The final report was delivered last week, prompting a lengthy debate in Parliament – with 18 speeches from various parties providing their views.

Green MP Tamatha Paul had attended a separate hearing at the Waitangi Tribunal to bring attention to the online abuse faced by young people and women in politics.

She told Midday Report it was not as simple as having an age limit like there is for purchasing alcohol, “because you have to go into a shop and they are regulated, and there are rules”.

“You do need to provide things like IDs and go in there to access it, whereas with a phone and with the internet, that’s an unregulated beast. Whether it’s social media, even whether it’s things like Roblox or Minecraft that young people are on, those are unregulated beasts.”

She said minority groups like rainbow or disability communities also used social media to connect to each other, and an outright ban would not recognise those positive aspects.

“There has to be something done, but I think an outright ban wouldn’t have been effective, especially talking to under-16-year-olds. It’s about holding those platforms to account and expecting them to have stricter rules, if they want to operate.”

Paul said that could involve having a conversation with social media platforms and laying out the conditions they would be expected to operate under, including facing regulation – and not just for young people.

“Online spaces are not safe,” she said. “There might be some opponents out there that say, ‘Oh, you know, just toughen up and don’t go online’.

“Well, that’s not fair that entire cohorts of young people or women can’t engage in one of the primary ways that humans connect these days, because it’s not safe for them.”

Stanford’s work appears to agree, aiming to bring about a more systemic change that a ban alone could not achieve. Paul did not respond to questions about whether the Greens could support a bill with all their desired regulation, if it still included a ban.

Labour’s Reuben Davidson pledged support for Catherine Wedd’s bill. VNP / Phil Smith

Labour’s Reuben Davidson re-affirmed his party’s support for Wedd’s bill, but noted it would not be a silver bullet.

“On its own, we could support it, but we wouldn’t expect it to solve all of the issues, and that’s why we’ve talked about the need for an independent regulator for transparency and for safety by design.”

Parmar refused to say whether the party backed any additional regulation for social media companies, saying any “new policies come from our leader”.

“ACT Party stands for fewer regulations, but we also know that regulation should be proportionate,” she said. “We will see what is being proposed.

“We are not able to make any comment, but again, we will be taking into consideration people’s privacy freedom and, of course, balancing that with young people’s safety online.”

Parmar – who is not in Cabinet – said she had no insights from National on what Stanford would propose.

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Country Life: Spawning day at Akaroa King Salmon

Source: Radio New Zealand

Stewart Hawthorn (left) and hatchery manager Hagen Kocksch remove the eggs from a female salmon. RNZ/Anisha Satya

Making salmon babies is like mixing a potion.

You take some eggs, add milt, and stir them around in a bucket – at least, that’s how the Akaroa King Salmon hatchery team do it.

As simple as it sounds, getting spawning day right is crucial for the business, chief executive Stewart Hawthorn said.

“From this hatchery, we support 75 jobs, a turnover of more than $35 million; $20 million of that is export earnings for New Zealand.

“It’s critically important for us.”

Akaroa King Salmon chief executive Stewart Hawthorn. RNZ/Anisha Satya

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The Waiau hatchery was first set up in 1987, diverting water from the Rotherham Stream to support raising small fish.

“Originally the idea was that they’d grow, sort of, plate-sized salmon for people to buy and eat,” Hawthorn said.

It was purchased by Akaroa King Salmon in 2023, which now uses it to hatch eggs and raise fish to a smolt stage.

After that, the fish are transported to Akaroa Harbour and ocean-reared for 16 months

“They spawn in freshwater, so you have to start them in freshwater, and then you finish growing in the sea,” Hawthorn said, “So that’s what we replicate when we do it here.”

New technology at the hatchery ensures there are always fish in the tanks, like a water chilling system for egg storage.

Some recently harvested King Salmon eggs – they’re very delicate at this stage. RNZ/Anisha Satya

“We can cool down the egg temperature. That means some of the eggs from this [spawn] will take a lot longer to develop… so we can spread out our harvests, effectively.”

Other additions help improve water quality and aeration, which help keep the fish calm.

This year, the hatchery is rolling out a special breeding programme, focused on increasing genetic diversity.

Akaroa Salmon hatchery manager Hagen Kocksch. RNZ/Anisha Satya

“Those are ‘families’ we are creating,” Hatchery Manager Hagen Kocksh said.

“We know the pedigree of those fish, and we have genotyped them, so we know [their] specific characteristics.

“Later on, we will focus on traits, genetic traits, like growth, resilience, temperature tolerance.”

Headed by the Cawthron Institute, the programme aims to build tastier fish and ensure there are King Salmon around to be eaten in the future.

Advanced technology helps in some ways – but when it comes to actually harvesting and fertilising eggs, human hands make light work.

Female fish are checked by hatchery staff for ‘ripeness’, or whether the eggs are loose and ready for release, by a feel of the belly.

Ripe fish are euthanised and the eggs released into a bucket, aided by some pressure from an air pump.

The male fish are essentially ‘milked’- given a light squeeze – to release their milt into individual containers.

Akaroa King Salmon hatchery assistent manager Henry Wilson examines fish milt to determine which males have the best chance of producing high quality fish. RNZ/Anisha Satya

And then, like a potion, the two are mixed together.

Akaroa King Salmon broodstock – breeding fish. RNZ/Anisha Satya

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

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Country Life: Northland’s storms test award-winning farm with ‘million-dollar’ herd

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fence covered in flood debris RNZ/Sally Round

Last year’s win of a prized trophy for Māori farmers is still sinking in for Northland farm trustee Wess Wetere.

“Having a million-dollar herd and having made a profit was something we looked forward to in five years, not three – none of us were really farmers.”

Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trustee Wess Wetere RNZ/Sally Round

The farm, owned by the Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust, was awarded the Ahuwhenua Trophy in 2025 for its beef operation near the settlement of Whangaruru on a finger of land jutting out from Northland’s east coast.

“We knew what a cow was and a bull was, but we didn’t know whether we’re going to milk cows, whether we were going to do what the previous tenant did,” Wetere told Country Life during a tour of the farm.

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In 2020, with the help of a $900,000 Provincial Growth Fund grant, the trust turned a calving operation on a degraded block of land into a beef fattening farm running 950 young bulls on 350 hectares.

The 1100-hectare block also includes native and exotic forest and wetlands.

They were able to bring the land back from the brink, tidy it up by removing 60 hectares of gorse, setting up a 40-kilometre network of pipes to supply troughs and put in 57 kilometres of fencing.

It was the culmination of decades of alienation from the land for some 1300 Ngātiwai shareholders.

Young bulls in a paddock, part of the Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust’s beef herd RNZ/Sally Round

“We basically had no fertiliser for many years, there was only one or two troughs, the fencing was in poor state, gorse took up over a third of the farm,” Wetere said,

“It’s taken a lot to get the pasture quality up and control our gorse as well, but we’re getting there,” farm manager Matthew Payne said.

Kirean Wetere and farm manager Matthew Payne standing at one of the highest points of the farm RNZ/Sally Round

But just as the farm was rehabilitated, it was hit by a devastating deluge in January, a huge setback, but one Payne and his team have taken in their stride.

“It ripped out a lot of infrastructure, laneways, fences, water pumps, and we just got a lot of mud pulled out of swamps and blocked access ways to the farm.

“We had to do a lot of walking and a little bit of kayaking to shift cattle.”

A creek near the farm, near Whangaruru, in full flood in January 2026. It is normally two metres wide. Supplied

A slip scars a hillside on the farm after January’s heavy rainfall

Shifting cattle was a 40-minute job instead of five minutes “when we kind of didn’t have a lot of time”.

The farm was still recovering during Country Life’s visit in the autumn. Larger culverts had been installed and roads were being rebuilt with material from the on-farm quarry.

Payne said the new drains had helped the farm come through more heavy rain events over the past few months.

The team is aware climate challenges will not be going away but still sees “heaps of potential” for the whenua, Wetere said.

Aside from beef, horticulture and agritourism – such as mountain biking on the forest tracks – were some of the ideas being floated.

Analysis pointed to a more tropical environment, with even crops like mangoes a possibility, he said.

Learn more:

  • Find out about the Ahuwhenua Trophy here

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