NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pensioners are turning to foodbanks to get by, as a new report says the pressure is growing on those relying on NZ Super alone.

Good Shepherd has released the report, which focused on the housing experiences of women over 65.

It follows concerns being raised that the recent adjustment to NZ Super is not enough to keep up with growing pressure, particularly in fuel prices.

NZ Super lifted 3.1 percent this year, in line with last year’s rate of inflation. But the cost of essentials has risen by more than that overall figure, and rates and fuel are expected to continue at a faster pace this year.

Good Shepherd said many women were facing significant challenges because of having more limited income as well as the lifetime effect of low pay, having taken time out of the workforce to look after children and other factors.

Its report said a consistent theme from the women interviewed was that housing insecurity had stemmed from system settings that had not kept up with the realities of ageing for single people.

The women reported wanting more security of tenure, dignity in living independently, safety and affordability.

“In every interview, women spoke about the same underlying pressure: the discrepancy between the cost of living and the NZ Super was growing. Whether renting or owning, many were spending more than half their weekly income on housing before they could think about food, power, transport or healthcare.

“Women managed their budgets with immense discipline – heating only one room, going to bed early to save power, shopping at discount stores, growing vegetables, through DIY – but still found themselves stretched to the limit. These were not small lifestyle adjustments. They had real health consequences.”

Even women who owned their own homes were facing pressure from things like insurance and maintenance.

“For many, these pressures were magnified by what can be described as a ‘single person penalty’. Living alone was essential for their safety, dignity and emotional wellbeing, but it meant carrying all household costs on a single fixed income. Women described living alone not as a luxury, but as a protective factor as they aged.”

‘… you can’t budget what you don’t have’

Good Shepherd policy and advocacy lead Brittany Goodwin said retired women were often dealing with the effect of a gender pay gap through their working lives and it became a compounding problem as they faced rising costs.

“There’s a point at which you can’t budget what you don’t have.”

Good Shepherd has been piloting a programme to help with older women’s housing costs, addressing issues such as the problem of pulling a bond together for a new rental property.

“You might be able to pay the rent week to week, but you can’t pay that upfront cost … heat pumps, all of those kind of things that go into your house to make it liveable.

“So, what we’re trying to do is be able to support them a little bit and provide a loan environment where that’s possible. A lot of women of that age can’t get traditional lending because the affordability requirements just aren’t there … you might not be able to remortgage your home because the bank sees that as risky.”

She said people facing high housing costs were often just going without other things.

“This is a housing problem as much as anything. We do not have affordable housing. We do not have a diverse stock of affordable housing. People don’t have anywhere to live and they don’t have anywhere to go. So, that’s a fundamental challenge as well.

“It’s not just as simple as, oh, raise NZ Super by X dollars … it’s a big puzzle. And we need to have that collective support of different systems in order to actually make it have a difference for these people’s lives.”

Salvation Army data shows the proportion of people seeking food support who are over 65 has increased slightly over the past two years.

In the last year, 859 women over 65 had sought food support, and a total of 1793 people over 65.

In the past 12 months, people aged over 65 were 5.5 percent of total support, up from 5.3 percent in the first six months of 2024. The proportion of over 65s seeking support who were women jumped from 30.9 percent last year to 34.5 percent this year.

A spokesperson said NZ Super was a major protective factor for people over 65.

“Homelessness and the high cost of rental accommodation has been a key driver of use of our foodbanks in recent years, which has increased the numbers of single people overall (around 49 percent in total, made up of 30 percent single men and 18.7 percent single women). Of these single women, the highest proportion of users is 35-49 years (41.6 percent) followed by 19-34 (28.9 percent) and 50-54 (24.7 percent).”

David Verry, a financial mentor at North Harbour Budgeting Services, said the pension was often insufficient.

“Try filling a car up at the moment. This goes for single males too and even couples, although some of the costs can be spread between the two more adequately.

“Without KiwiSaver or the like being available then it is a pretty dire existence. If someone is not in a mortgage-free property, then they are likely to be needing an accommodation supplement. It’s a real basics approach. Various reports say that a single person on a pension will need between $180,000 and $355,000 of KiwiSaver or savings for a no frills lifestyle.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Doctors are warning of fishhooks in the latest government proposal to improve access to healthcare.

Under the scheme, community pharmacists would be able to directly provide a range of commonly funded medications such as for pain and fever, or children’s conditions like scabies and headlice.

Health Minister Simeon Brown said the proposal meant treatment could be provided at a lower cost, rather than paying full over-the-counter prices, or waiting for a GP appointment.

Chair of GP advocacy group GenPro Angus Chambers said the proposal sounded good in theory, but in practice ran the risk of misdiagnosis.

He said the scheme relied on a diagnosis being clear-cut – and that was not always the case.

“For us, diagnosis is key. So you might say conjunctivitis is a diagnosis, but that can actually be a result of an ear infection and if you aren’t able to look in an ear and diagnose that, you may just give eye drops which actually won’t treat the underlying condition.”

He said pharmacists prescribing rehydration therapy could run into similar issues.

“You must ask yourself, ‘What’s the cause of the dehydration? Is it a viral infection? Is it gastroenteritis? Is it meningitis? Is it diabetic ketoacidosis?’. All of these things can cause you to get dehydrated.

“So, I think there’s an element of oversimplication in their policy.”

Chambers said pharamacists were sensible and risk-averse but unlike GPs did not have years of training in diagnosing health problems.

He said GP wait-times were a problem and the proposal could provide some people with more timely access to healthcare.

However, he said the solution was a stop-gap at best and the money would be better spent addressing GP workforce shortages.

“And then we would actually have the access issues solved by people who are trained in diagnosis.”

Health New Zealand had budgeted $5 million for the changes nationwide, which would be up and running from June, following public consulation – which is currently open.

Chambers said GenPro would likely make a submission.

“In the end, we do want people to have access to healthcare.”

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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 Youthline volunteer among those stood down because the organisation is reviewing its training says it has put her off returning to the role.

The charity temporarily stood down some of its helpline volunteers who need to do more training or up their hours while it reviews its workforce.

It runs free services including a helpline, face-to-face counselling, mentoring, and programmes in schools.

Sharon Beattie completed the training just before the stand-down in October and said there had been a lack of ongoing information from Youthline about it.

“I would have liked a lot more transparency about what was happening and why, the criteria that they were looking at, the problems they were trying to solve. That’s never been made clear.”

She said she and others were advised by email but there was no timeframe or information about what would happen to their roles.

Beattie said the training was robust and often intense, with people sharing their own mental health experiences.

“I’m particularly concerned about some of the younger people for whom this was the first volunteer experience.”

Beattie said she would not return to Youthline.

“I would love to work in this space, but I no longer want to work for Youthline because… it’s tricky work and you need to back yourself, but what you need to know is you’re working for an organisation that backs you as well. And I don’t feel that Youthline does,” she said.

“I know there’s a high need for support, I know it’s a tricky time to be a young person and I just wanted to give back something in that space and I felt I had some good skills to offer and experience.”

Youthline receives an average of 80 contacts a day from young people, of which an average of three result in referrals to emergency services.

Its chief executive Shae Ronald said of the 200 volunteers on their books, only 25 worked regular shifts.

The helpline is staffed with clinical and paid workers around the clock, with volunteers as support workers between 8am and 10pm but Ronald said most of the time there were fewer than two volunteers on a shift.

She said they were doing a nationwide review of the helpline’s staffing, standardising training and supervision for volunteers, and did not yet know how many roles would be needed.

“Youthline’s been looking at how it could improve the provision of best practice, consistent, safe service to young people and support volunteers better.”

Ronald said volunteers among those stood down were advised it was for one of four reasons: “They were a trainee, they hadn’t undertaken a shift in the previous three months, they hadn’t completed the risk training modules or quality issues were identified.”

She said the organisation needed to change to safely respond to significant increases in demand and more complex cases.

“This is not about reducing volunteer numbers, it is about making sure every young person who reaches out to us is supported by someone who’s fully trained and supervised and able to provide a best practice, consistent, safe service.”

Ronald said the helpline remained fully operational 24/7.

“We expect this transition phase to continue over the coming months, as standardised training and supervision is rolled out consistently across the network.

“Importantly, the helpline remains fully operational 24/7, and these changes are about ensuring it is safe, consistent and sustainable as demand continues to grow.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Locals on a remote Scottish island are helping in the search for a New Zealand monk who has disappeared.

Police Scotland are appealing for information about Justin Evans who went missing shortly before midnight from Papa Stronsay, Orkney on 11 April.

Papa Stronsay is home to a handful of monks of the Catholic order Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Evans – a 24-year-old orginally from Christchurch – was last seen within the Golgotha Monastery, where he had lived for about two years.

He was described by Police Scotland as being six-foot-tall with short hair and a dark beard. He spoke with a New Zealand accent and was last seen wearing a white robe, police said.

A police spokesperson told RNZ on Wednesday evening the search for Evans was ongoing and continued overnight (NZT).

A resident on the island of Stronsay – a short boat ride from Papa Stronsay – said everyone was doing their best to find Evans.

He felt the situation “must be a terrible worry” from the distance of New Zealand and wanted to reassure Evans’ loved ones that the community was looking for him.

He said the couple of hundred residents were keeping their ears to the ground and would continue to do so.

“Everybody is doing their best here and that’s how small communities are.

“We saw people were out looking for the lad and we’ll just keep looking. Let’s keep him in our prayers.”

Father Michael Mary – the founder of the traditionalist Catholic order which owns the monastery – said the situation was “utterly tragic” and suspected Evans had been suffering from long-term hypothermia before his disappearance.

“We are a close community and this has hit us all very hard and is deeply hurting. We hope to find him and hope that the sea will give him up soon.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Southland fisherman drowned after being swept into the sea by a wave and hitting his head on rocks at Slope Point, a coroner has found.

Stanley Chung-Chi Tsoi, 47, was fishing with a friend from rocks on the shore of Southland on the afternoon of 3 October 2023 when he was struck by a large wave and washed into the sea.

A boat recovered his body a short time later nearly a mile offshore.

Coroner Emma Hoskin ruled Tsoi hit his head on the rocks and was knocked unconscious causing him to drown.

“As his friend described it, a wave came over the rocks with water above the height of his knees and he looked up and Stanley was gone. He saw Stanley in the sea, face up but unresponsive, and being dragged out by the currents,” Coroner Hoskin said.

The location was familiar to both men and Tsoi had fished there many times before.

“That afternoon the weather was calm and fine with a light breeze. The sea was described as rough,” Hoskin said.

Tsoi was not wearing a life jacket at the time and was reportedly a strong swimmer, she said.

He had died while fishing at a high-risk location where other rock-fishermen had previously died, Hoskin said.

“The dangers of rock-fishing have been well publicised in the media and in previous coronial cases. As recently as August 2025 a coroner recommended an urgent law change to make wearing life jackets mandatory for all rock-fishermen,” she said.

“As the Surf Lifesaving New Zealand website clearly states ‘rock-fishing has been the highest risk activity for coastal fatal drownings in previous years’.”

Coroner Hoskin said it was not necessary to make any formal recommendations.

But she repeated the safety messages for rock-fishers on the Surf Lifesaving NZ website:

• Know how to float, including always wearing a life jacket and taking a floatation device;
• Find the safest place, including being alert for large waves;
• If in doubt, stay out;
• Take care of yourself and others;
• Know how to get help.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Police Commissioner has written a second letter to Jevon McSkimming asking him to pay back up to 10 taxpayer-funded stays at hotels during his affair within a month or he will “consider other options to secure reimbursement”.

Richard Chambers wrote to the former deputy police commissioner on 4 March asking him to pay back the funds.

The request came after the Independent Police Conduct Authority released a summary of its investigation into McSkimming’s decision to invite a woman he was having an affair with – Ms Z – to stay with him in hotel accommodation paid for by police, on numerous occasions, primarily in 2016.

Chambers told RNZ on Wednesday he wrote a second letter to McSkimming last week.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

In the letter, released to RNZ, Chambers said it was “incredibly disappointing there has been no response to this request”.

“As you are aware, NZ Police is required to ensure public funding is spent carefully and within relevant policies.

“Where those policies are breached, it is important steps are taken to rectify the matter and ensure funds are repaid. That is important both to reassure police staff that standards are being adhered to and for public trust.

“If there is no response to this second request for reimbursement within four weeks (by May 8, 2026) then I will consider other options to secure reimbursement.”

Chambers told RNZ that when public money was found to be “misspent” it was right that steps be taken to “ensure repayment regardless of the amount, the circumstances, or the individual”.

“However, I am very mindful that any path taken should not result in further expense to the taxpayer on this very unsatisfactory matter.”

In Chambers’ earlier letter, obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act, he referred to the IPCA’s report in relation to his “overnight stays in Wellington hotels with Ms Z”.

“You have confirmed that 8-10 times you stayed with Ms Z in Wellington hotels at the expense of police, but ultimately the taxpayer. The IPCA made an adverse finding in this respect.

“It is appropriate for you to reimburse police for these 8-10 hotel stays, and you are asked to reimburse police as soon as possible. You have knowledge of the hotels in which you stayed and the approximate cost at the time.”

Chambers said he welcomed McSkimming’s response and “swift reimbursement”.

The hotel stays

The IPCA had not been able to review McSkimming’s credit card expenditure, and relied on the evidence of the complainant, McSkimming, his former executive assistant and one of his supervisors at the time.

“In 2016 and 2017, Mr McSkimming’s workplace was at Police National Headquarters in Wellington. He lived about 60-70kms away.”

McSkimming and his executive assistant at the time told the IPCA that he was regularly required to attend functions or late meetings in Wellington or catch early morning flights.

“On those occasions, his executive assistant would book accommodation at a Wellington hotel, paid for by police. The rationale for these bookings was explained to us as being to avoid a long drive home after a work event, or where he was required to attend a social function to ensure he was not having a drink and then driving.”

McSkimming told the IPCA he thought Ms Z stayed with him eight to 10 times.

“This is corroborated by Ms Z. Mr McSkimming breached policy by not informing his senior manager approving the travel that she would be staying with him. If he had done so, we consider it highly likely that approval would have been declined.

“In any case, whether or not he informed his manager, he breached the Police Code of Conduct by staying in hotels at police expense and inviting the woman with whom he was having a sexual relationship to join him. If he had paid for the hotels himself, that would have been a different matter. However, the fact that the hotels were paid for by police gives rise to the perception that he was using taxpayer money to further a clandestine affair, thus bringing police into disrepute.”

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