NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

The entire North Island is on alert with Cyclone Vaianu due to hit from Saturday night.

A state of emergency is in force in Northland and lasts an initial seven days.

Local Civil Defence said it was rare to have a region-wide declaration, but it was a precaution given the significant impacts the storm could have.

“This declaration means we can act quickly if required. It gives us the tools to respond effectively and keep our communities safe if the situation escalates,” Northland Civil Defence group controller Damian Rio said.

In Bay of Plenty, the Whakatāne District Council could declare a state of emergency on Saturday morning.

“Forecasts indicate potentially dangerous coastal conditions including landslides, storm surge, large waves and coastal flooding, particularly in low-lying coastal areas,” it said.

Acting Mayor Julie Jukes said there was a high likelihood that West End at Ōhope would need to be evacuated on Saturday.

“While no evacuation orders are in place right now, we are encouraging residents to prepare – including planning where they could go and packing essential items,” she said.

If mandatory evacuations were ordered then Police would knock on doors of all affected residents on Saturday morning.

The council said it had concerns for beachfront properties along Pōhutukawa Avenue, Waterford Estate and Plantation Reserve, and low-lying properties bordering Ōhiwa Harbour such as Liddon Cove and Ōhiwa Parade.

“While self-evacuation is not mandatory for any area within Ōhope at this stage, planning to relocate for up to two days is strongly recommended,” it said.

“Were taking this cyclone extremely seriously. Don’t wait to be told to go. If anyone, anywhere feels unsafe, relocate as soon as possible.”

In Hawke’s Bay at Haumoana, people in coastal areas were being told to consider staying with friends or family away from the coast during the cyclone.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said large waves driven by Vaianu were likely to cause “noticeable” coastal erosion in some areas.

The most exposed beaches were likely to be Mahanga, Haumoana, Te Awanga, Westshore, Kairakau and Pourerere.

“The peak of the swell will be around high tide on Sunday afternoon at 1pm and will continue to impact parts of the coast during high tide on Monday morning at 1.30pm,” the regional council said.

It said there was also potential for heavy rain in the ranges, and it was actively monitoring river mouths and pump stations.

Fire and Emergency has decided where to position enhanced rescue teams ahead of Cyclone Vaianu.

These were firefighters with extra rescue skills and specialised equipment, who would support local firefighters.

They were being deployed to Whangārei, Auckland, Rotorua, Tairāwhiti and Coromandel.

FENZ said the teams were mobile and could move elsewhere as needed.

The National Emergency Management Agency is advising people not to wait for official warnings to evacuate.

The agency said when the weather worsened, people needed to act quickly to stay safe and should trust their own “danger sense”.

NEMA advised people to leave immediately if they saw floodwaters rising or notice small rockfalls or muddy water, buildings or trees moving, or creaking or rumbling noises.

The agency said acting quickly could save lives.

The latest MetService warnings and watches

Strong Wind Warning – Red

Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island

17hrs from 1:00am Sun to 6:00pm Sun

Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale west to northwesterlies Sunday afternoon, with damaging gusts of 140km/h. Note winds easing from the north during Sunday afternoon.

Heavy Rain Warning – Orange

Northland about and south of Bay of Islands to Hokianga Harbour

13hrs from 8:00pm Sat to 9:00am Sun

Expect 50 to 80 mm of rain. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h expected during Sunday morning.

Gisborne/Tairawhiti north of Tolaga Bay

14hrs from 2:00am Sun to 4:00pm Sun

Expect 150 to 180 mm of rain about the ranges, with 70 to 100 mm closer to the coast. Peak rates of 20 to 30 mm/h. Note, large swells and coastal inundation are likely.

Auckland and Great Barrier Island

17hrs from 9:00pm Sat to 2:00pm Sun

Expect 70 to 100 mm of rain to accumulate. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/hr. Note, heavy swells and coastal inundation likely, especially about Great Barrier Island.

Coromandel Peninsula, and Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane including Rotorua

14hrs from 2:00am Sun to 4:00pm Sun

Expect 150 to 180 mm to accumulate, especially about the ranges. Peak intensities of 20 to 30 mm/hr Sunday morning and early afternoon. Note, in addition to the wind and rain, large swells and coastal inundation are likely.

Strong Wind Warning – Orange

Northland

19hrs from 7:00pm Sat to 2:00pm Sun

Severe gale south to southeasterlies changing to severe gale southwesterlies during Sunday afternoon, gusting 130km/h in exposed places.

Bay of Plenty and Rotorua

16hrs from 4:00am Sun to 8:00pm Sun

Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale northwesterlies Sunday afternoon, gusting 130km/h in exposed places.

Gisborne/Tairawhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Taihape

16hrs from 10:00am Sun to 2:00am Mon

Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale northwesterlies Sunday afternoon or evening, gusting 130km/h in exposed places.

Taranaki and Wanganui

10hrs from 1:00pm Sun to 11:00pm Sun

Strong or gale east to southeasterlies, changing to gale or severe gale southwesterly Sunday afternoon and evening, gusting 120km/h in exposed places.

Auckland

21hrs from 9:00pm Sat to 6:00pm Sun

Severe gale southeasterlies changing to severe gale westerly Sunday early afternoon, gusting 130km/h in exposed places.

Waikato, Waitomo, Taupo and Taumarunui

18hrs from 4:00am Sun to 10:00pm Sun

Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale westerly late afternoon or evening Sunday, gusting 120km/h in exposed places.

Heavy Rain Watch – Yellow

Bay of Plenty about and east of Whakatane

15hrs from 6:00am Sun to 9:00pm Sun

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Large swells and coastal inundation are likely.

Gisborne/Tairawhiti about and south of Tolaga Bay, Hawke’s Bay ranges, and coastal hills south of Napier

16hrs from 2:00am Sun to 6:00pm Sun

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach or exceed warning criteria. Large swells and coastal inundation are likely.

Wairarapa, including the Tararua District, also eastern and southern parts of Wellington

12hrs from 11:00am Sun to 11:00pm Sun

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Eastern Marlborough

15hrs from 9:00am Sun to 12:00am Mon

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Northland north of Bay of Islands to Hokianga Harbour

11hrs from 8:00pm Sat to 7:00am Sun

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Waikato

17hrs from 1:00am Sun to 6:00pm Sun

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupo and Taranaki

12hrs from 8:00am Sun to 8:00pm Sun

Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Strong Wind Watch – Yellow

Wairarapa, including the Tararua district

23hrs from 10:00am Sun to 9:00am Mon

Easterly quarter winds turning west to southwesterly. Winds are likely to reach severe gale in exposed places and may be damaging.

Manawatu, Kapiti Coast and Wellington

20hrs from 10:00am Sun to 6:00am Mon

Easterly quarter winds turning west to southwesterly. Winds are likely to reach severe gale in exposed places and may be damaging.

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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 new documentary shines a light on the Grace Foundation’s bold rehab model for high-risk offenders and addicts, fuelled by the loss and lived experience of a former gang criminal

Dave Letele Snr doesn’t hide from his Mongrel Mob criminal past – he leans into it.

He tells The Detail that, while he grew up in a loving, close-knit, Christian Samoan family, he was always “just a naughty kid” and, by age 10, he was removed from his family and sent to a boys’ home.

By 13, he had left school. By 15, he had joined his local Mongrel Mob, becoming part of a new chapter in Mangere.

“I was a wayward kid, with no direction.”

That ultimately led him on a path of crime, which landed him in prison for armed robbery with a 10-year sentence.

“I felt at the time it was a harsh penalty… and I often think about that… but there were other things that I had done and got away.”

After his release in his 40s, Letele decided he’d had enough. He wanted more from life and for wife Tui and their three children, including Dave Jr, better known as ‘Brown Butterbean’.

Eventually, he found his new calling – faith.

“I came to the realisation, after being curious about Christianity, digging somewhat deeper and finding out that, no, Jesus Christ did not carry a belt,” Letele laughs.

“He’s a person who embraces and loves people, he’s passionate and kind, and he never forced himself on anybody. He didn’t do home invasions… he doesn’t climb through people’s windows.

“He knocks on the door of one’s heart.”

In 2007, Letele formed The Grace Foundation with his wife and late daughter Vicki, who made headlines in 2016, after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer while in prison for fraud and successfully fought to be released on compassionate grounds.

“When we started, we had absolutely no idea what we were doing – all we saw was a need.

“How do we fulfill that need, as best we can? We started with a shelter.”

Since then, he says, they have helped “thousands of people” with their model, which is built on a strict structure, cultural connection, and wraparound support for people on bail, on parole, serving home detention or leaving prison.

The doors also open to those battling addiction and to mums with children who need a safe home.

“It’s about breaking the cycle,” Letele tells The Detail. “Our approach is to be accepting, inclusive and non-judgmental.

“I always refer to our foundation as a doorway. It has no door, meaning we don’t have a criteria.

“I always say we fish with a net, not a fishing line. We don’t look at a fish, think ‘Undersized? – nah, he’s no good, throw it back’.

“We don’t pick and choose who comes to the foundation. We say, ‘Come on in, give it a go’.

“If it doesn’t work [the first time], it may work the second, third, fourth or fifth time.

“It’s taken years for them to get to that point; we can’t expect it to happen within months. That’s why we don’t have a timeframe in terms of how long their stay is.”

He says it’s not about giving criminals a second chance, it’s “actually about providing their first chance they never got”.

“Once people understand that, they will realise they had no choice. Not all choices are equal.

“From the womb, these guys had no chance. Can you imagine some of the backgrounds some of these guys came from?

“It started from the womb – the abuse mum might have been taking… or what mum might have been doing. It all happened there.

“The moment they were born, they virtually had no chance, no chance at all.”

He says residents often stay on to work at the foundation and, right now, they make up the top-tier leadership.

“It’s about lived experiences.”

In part, he says, that’s why they are now the country’s largest provider of rehabilitation and accommodation for people, although they don’t rely on government money to keep running. Instead, donations and private funding cover the operations and salaries.

To date, it’s not making the Leteles rich, he says.

“For the first 15 years I was in Grace, leading Grace, no wage, no wage at all. I lived in all the men’s homes throughout those years… and whatever they ate, I ate.

“It’s only maybe in the last three years that Grace has been in a position to give me something.”

A new documentary on Three is now lifting the lid on the foundation, following the Leteles and capturing the raw reality of their work – the daily routines, the hope, the relapses, the breakthroughs and the pressure that comes with trying to succeed where the system often struggles.

It’s called Home of Hope.

“My goal is to hopefully have gang members leave as better people and my hope then is that, if they leave better people, they may reconsider their position, where they are right now in their lives, where their families stand, and what’s best for them and their lives.

“If they go back better club members, all the better, but my hope is they can go that extra mile and reconsider the direction they have been living up until this point.”

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

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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 charity that has been helping hundreds of families in Auckland grieve the loss of a baby is disappointed not to have been involved in the National Bereavement Care Pathway for Perinatal Loss.

Health New Zealand released the National Bereavement Care Pathway for Perinatal Loss, known as Tuituia te Kahu, on 2 April.

It outlined nine standards guiding how to support those who have lost a baby during pregnancy or within the first year after birth.

Every year in New Zealand, about 700 to 900 families experience perinatal loss, while an additional 13,000 to 15,000 are affected by miscarriage before 20 weeks.

Baby Loss New Zealand has provided support to almost 3000 of those since April 2008.

The charity was founded by Sarah Numan and began as a Sands New Zealand group in Manukau.

It is based at “Baby Loss House” in the South Auckland suburb of Papakura, serving Middlemore Hospital in Otāhuhu as well as Auckland City Hospital and Starship Children’s Hospital in Grafton.

Numan wanted to expand Baby Loss New Zealand beyond Auckland and had started providing care boxes to Rotorua Hospital, Whanganui Hospital, and Southland Hospital in Invercargill.

It had also begun working with funeral homes in Waikato as well as Canterbury.

Numan said a lack of funding had stopped Baby Loss New Zealand from being able to expand any further.

“I didn’t want people not getting something because of where they lived. It should not be a postcode lottery,” she said.

“Everything that we do is 100 percent free of charge, but we need to fundraise to cover the cost of everything.”

Numan welcomed Tuituia te Kahu, as it was what she had wanted for 18 years, but felt disappointed that Baby Loss New Zealand was not given the opportunity to be involved.

While there was nothing that Numan could do now the report had been published, she wanted Health New Zealand to work with Baby Loss New Zealand on the “memory-making, bereavement, and grief support” standard.

“Let us be involved in that because it’s there already. Nothing needs to be created from scratch.”

In a statement, Health New Zealand’s Starting Well director Deborah Woodley said Tuituia te Kahu would not create a new service.

“It is a framework to strengthen and coordinate existing care,” she said. “Decisions about contracting and partnerships sit at the local and regional level and will reflect community needs and existing relationships.”

Woodley said Tuituia te Kahu was not a not a directory of individual services or providers.

“We value the work of Baby Loss New Zealand and we remain committed to working alongside community partners as the pathway is implemented locally.”

Woodley added that Tuituia te Kahu’s standards were designed to work together, and the pathway would continue to evolve, using feedback and lived experience to strengthen grief and bereavement support over time.

“Health New Zealand’s focus remains on ensuring that every whānau experiencing perinatal loss is met with compassion, dignity, and culturally safe care – regardless of where they live or who they encounter in the system.”

Numan met with 333 families in Auckland alone in 2025.

The care boxes that Baby Loss New Zealand provide include a ‘Pēpe Ngaro’ resource guide, ‘Certificate of Life’, a split heart necklace, kit to make a hand or footprint, candle, ‘In Loving Memory’ card, plantable memorial card, keyring, ribbon pin, wristband, bookmark, tissues, ‘Special Memories’ booklet, memory box, and teddy bears.

It also has a memory-making service – with families coming to Baby Loss House around four to six weeks later to collect their memories – at that time families will also hang a butterfly on the ceiling and a wooden heart on a tree. It will then offer free ongoing counselling and peer support.

Numan and her husband wanted him to be able to leave his job to work for Baby Loss New Zealand on a full-time basis, “because this is our passion”.

“The capability is there. What’s missing, sadly, is the money.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Timaru’s bus service will soon be completely electric with new additions to the fleet, including a half dozen of the so-called very-small-buses.

The service operates an on-demand system with pick-up and drop-off points and times varying.

Canterbury Regional Council said the service would now be fully electric with the upcoming introduction of ten electric vehicles.

The lead councillor for public transport, Joe Davies, said transitioning to a fully electric fleet was a strong example of how regional investment could deliver practical emissions reductions while improving everyday services for our communities.

Six of the new EVs, known as “very small buses” or VSBs, are the first of their kind in New Zealand and can seat up to 13 people, with another 13 standing.

The VSBs nearly double the number of seats compared to the previous minivans used in Timaru.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

• DOC staff on Rakiura have logged 75 security incidents in the past year, including threats, harassment and verbal abuse linked to predator-free work
• Local groups opposed claim community concerns about 1080 and other toxins have not been properly heard
• DOC says no further drops are planned this year but the project is continuing – and it cannot succeed without community support

Department of Conservation staff on Stewart Island are logging about one security incident a week linked to predator-free work, including harassment, threats and verbal abuse.

The Department is one of several partners working on an ambitious goal to make Rakiura fully pest-free, but residents say the project – and in particular the use of toxic baits – has proven deeply divisive.

Security incident reports from DOC, revealed to RNZ under the Official Information Act, show tensions reached a boiling point on 75 occasions from September 2024 to December 2025.

Among a string of incidents linked to predator free work were two involving damage or theft on boats, one involving hazardous substances, and another of “obscene behaviour.”

Some of the threats, harassment and verbal abuse was aimed at contractors or volunteers, and some came via email or social media, the records showed.

In August, a group of people opposed to Predator Free Rakiura held a protest.

DOC’s Southern South Island Operations Director Aaron Fleming said it was not unusual for DOC staff to encounter harassment or security incidents at work, but there had been a particular increase over the past year as staff on Rakiura worked through 1080 operations.

“We have had to work with [staff on Rakiura] to support them in how to deal with situations which might be a bit confronting, and ensure that we’ve got measures in place to keep them safe,” he said.

The incidents were linked to a “vocal minority”, he said.

“It’s not just been people on the island. It’s been people that we’ve heard from around the country as well, who have particular views around that methodology. We have really tried hard to work with those people. And it’s really important when people have views, which may differ to our own, that we can have constructive dialogue and really productive sessions with them to help them understand their questions, for us to hear their feedback.”

Environment Southland reported last month that it too had encountered “emerging tensions” on Rakiura linked to recent animal control work.

DOC and Zero Invasive Predators, the key delivery partner for Predator Free Rakiura, had held a number of public meetings from the outset of the programme, Fleming said.

“We have set up engagement sessions for this project over the last year and a bit. We have brought in experts, so it’s not just the DOC voice or the contractor’s voice, so they can hear from other people and other perspectives,” he said.

‘We do not really have a say’

In Oban, one of the groups opposed to the project was the Protect Rakiura Trust, a community group headed by resident Furhana Ahmad.

Ahmad said she would never condone threats or harassment, but she felt the engagement sessions had been rushed and her group’s perspective had not been fully acknowledged.

She estimated about a third of the island’s residents were members of her group, and said they were worried about the seemingly “indiscriminate” use of toxins including 1080.

“I think it is sad that there is this divide and it has not been helped by the attitudes and the way that DOC have dealt with this whole agenda, which is unfortunately going to carry on and on because there is a mindset that this is the best thing for Rakiura,” she said.

“This is our life. We are not their experiment. And it’s absolutely arrogant for them to treat us like this.”

The hunter-led Rakiura Whitetail Trust had also raised concerns with the project, saying DOC needed to take more care to manage the risks of toxic baits.

Trustee Antony Simpson said DOC should have carried out more rigourous trials before an August 1080 drop that killed more deer than expected – though DOC maintained hunters had been warned in advance that the effectiveness of deer repellent on whitetail deer was unknown.

He said the conversations between his group and those leading Predator Free Rakiura had felt like a box ticking exercise.

“We feel like this island isn’t our island – we do not really have a say as such. It has been run from the other side of the Strait by people on the mainland,” he said.

That would hopefully change in the future, he said.

“We’ve been talking to the Department of Conservation and we’ve got a seat at the table and going forward. We’re going to be part of the decision making and if we can come out with a solution that helps the conservation side and the hunting side it’s going to be perfect.”

‘A big faceless government entity’

Among 13 members of Predator Free Rakiura’s Engagement and Advisory Group – tasked with representing local voices – is Riki Everest, who is also a Rakiura Māori Lands Trustee.

He said it was disappointing that opposition to Predator Free Rakiura had escalated to verbal abuse and harassment.

“I have seen slightly older people who have dedicated their lives to conservation being treated unkindly by other members of our community who throw stones and are not very kind to them…. most of them are my friends, you know, they are good fishermen, they are good hostesses, they are good chefs… but none of them dedicate their life to conservation. So I mean what gives them the right to throw stones at people and stuff and call them names?” he said.

“Do I believe that the engagement has been satisfactory? No, in some ways – but I don’t know if it ever would be for the people that are really staunchly against it. I don’t think they’d ever find peace with it. I think they’ll find every avenue that they can to stop it.”

He said he understood people’s concerns about the project because he too had reservations when he first joined the group.

“I sat at that table like most people here on the island and with my arms folded and yeah I was a sceptic, absolutely. I’m in the, I guess, maybe 70/30 or 80/20 comfortable stage of what we’re trying to do, and whether it’s achievable. We all have doubts about the longevity of things,” he said.

But Predator Free Rakiura was worth it, he said.

“I believe that it is, because no one is caring for the ngahere of Rakiura. Who is protecting the taonga species?” he said.

Shona Sangster, a Stewart Island Rakiura Community and Environment Trustee, and another member of the Engagement and Advisory Group, said people opposed to the project generally were not doing so to stick up for rats and possums.

“I am kind of a little bit embarrassed that our community has reacted that way to DOC. I would say that, I think, putting the best interpretation on it, they are reacting to what they see as a big faceless government entity, rather than somebody they see as a member of their own community,” she said.

“I think there is a lot of strong feeling. I think there is a natural resistance to change in any small community, especially small rural communities – some people would just prefer things to stay the same.”

She said another aerial operation was likely at some point, so it was important to keep open dialogue with the community.

“I think we just need to take people on the journey of why it’s happening here and how it’ll work here. We need to get people involved in the work, seeing why the choices are being made, why we’re choosing one method over another, and why things don’t work,” she said.

‘We are not going to buy into it’

Ahmad maintained that people who opposed Predator Free Rakiura had not been treated with respect, and alleged some of the incidents on DOC’s list had been blown out of proportion.

“For DOC staff to go around complaining and basically, almost like creating stories to make the opposition look bad and to make us look like we are being unkind to them or doing the wrong thing or being, you know, taking illegal or nasty tactics is really low life on their part. We’re not going to buy into it,” she said.

DOC rejected that, saying the list simply reflected the number of entries into its internal Risk Manager system.

“Incident reporting is a standard health and safety requirement and is essential to ensuring staff safety and preventing escalation or normalisation of inappropriate behaviour. It includes social media commentary relating to the predator control work which could originate from elsewhere in New Zealand or internationally,” Fleming said.

DOC said threatening and intimidating behaviour would not be tolerated.

While no 1080 drops were planned for the island this year, Fleming said background work was underway to determine the next steps for Predator Free Rakiura.

The community would not be left behind, he said.

“We are absolutely committed to working with our community on achieving this goal. We need to do this with our community. We can’t do it without them. So when we are ready and we’ve got work that we’re doing at the moment to understand how we’re going to go about this going forward… we’ll absolutely be continuing to engage with our community,” he said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Described as a visionary leader and a builder of belonging – former Manukau City Mayor Sir Barry Curtis was celebrated at his funeral service in Manukau on Friday.

Sir Barry died last week, aged 87.

He had a career of nearly 40 years in local-goverment, and was one of the longest serving mayors in New Zealand.

He led Manukau City from 1983 to 2007 at a time when the city was expanding rapidly, and has been remembered in eulogies by colleagues and politicians as a mayor with a love for community, equity and inclusion.

Hundreds gathered at the Dew Drop Events Centre for the service, including family, former and current mayors, councillors and members of parliament.

Sir Barry Curtis’s casket was carried into the venue that he played a key role in envisioning for Manukau, with Kapa Haka by students from Otahuhu College – his old high school.

Colin Dale, former chief executive of Manukau City Council who worked alongside Sir Barry for two decades, said he was the best leader.

“He was an icon, a legend, I think he was the best mayor,” he said.

Dale said Sir Barry’s legacy in Manukau reflects not only in the many infrastructure projects he pushed for – including the Manukau Rail Link and the Te Irirangi Drive project – but also all the community and sporting groups he promoted, such as Enterprising Manukau, City Manukau Education Trust, Counties Manukau Sports Trust, the Māori Wardens in Ōtara, and other Pasifika groups across the city.

He also “hammered forever” for the courthouse in Manukau, and the Manukau police station, which both became a reality, said Dale.

Dale praised Sir Barry’s relationships with Iwi and Hapū and his enduring bonds with Waikato-Tainui.

He said during Auckland’s 1994 drought, it was Sir Barry who struck the long-term agreement with Tainui for the city to access water from the Waikato River.

Former MP Aupito Su’a William Sio says for many Pasifika and Māori communities, Sir Barry’s leadership was special, carrying warmth and affection.

“He made us feel welcome and valued, it was powerful to see a palangi of his stature, mingling at our gatherings, shaking our hands, speaking our language, even when he stumbled in pronunciation,” he said.

Aupito said he travelled with Sir Barry to Samoa in 1993, where Sir Barry was bestowed the Matai title of Seiuli at the request of the Samoan diaspora in Ōtara, in recognition of his contribution to the community here.

Sir Barry led by example to show palangi leaders that inclusion was not a matter of negotiation, but an obligation, said Aupito.

Aupito described Sir Barry as a “builder of belonging”.

“He made Manukau not just a city, but a family, his legacy lives on not in the echoes of speeches, but in every smiling face at the part, in every child learning in the library, in every family who swims in water made free for all,” he said.

For Anne Candy, who worked alongside Sir Barry as his deputy mayor for nine years, Sir Barry’s leadership was one that championed equity and diversity.

“Manukau, New Zealand’s most progressive city was also Manukau – the face of the future. This was Sir Barry’s command that whatever was happening in Manukau would eventually be happening in the whole of Aoteaora.

“Manukau was the face of the future, it was the face of Pākehā, it was the face of Māori, it was the face of Asians, it was the face of Middle Easterns, it was the face of every country in the world who found Manukau was their home,” she said.

Candy said Sir Barry had a vision of infrastructure that would benefit the whole community.

His passion to have mana whenua as a status of uncompromising respect was a foundation upon which many treaty activities took place in Manukau City, she said.

Former Waitākere City Mayor Sir Bob Harvey said Sir Barry has a legacy second to none in New Zealand.

“Sir Barry was a giant in local politics and King of Manukau of course, and the success of the South was really his child, he adored the South,” he said.

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