Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hutt City Council wants assurance that its own sea-side sewage treatment plant will not suffer the same disastrous failure as Wellington’s Moa Point plant.

It has asked Wellington Water whether the Seaview plant, near Petone, has the same equipment as Moa Point which flooded a room the size of an Olympic swimming pool 3-metres deep with sewage on 4 February.

The facility has been sending tens of millions of litres of raw sewage into Cook Strait each day since and an independent inquiry into the failure has been signalled from central government and Wellington City Council.

For years the Lower Hutt Seaview sewage plant has been an issue for locals particularly due to its odour, with it being reported in January 2024 that $40,000 worth of fines were dished out to the facility’s owners.

A week after the Moa Point failure Hutt City Council chief executive Jo Millar penned a letter to Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty which requested the pair to meet.

Millar wanted to know how frequently the Seaview Wastewater Treatment plant and its 17-kilometre sewage outfall pipe were being inspected and monitored.

She also wanted Wellington Water to explain the processes it undertook to verify that Veolia’s maintenance and operational obligations were being met.

The council head also asked if similar equipment to Moa Point had been installed at Seaview in recent years, what that would be and whether it held any responsibility for what had happened at Moa Point.

She called for Wellington Water to outline its and Veolia’s plan if a similar failure happened.

“Including if this would lead to additional discharges into the Waiwhetū Stream and if an environmental assessment has been done on this including addressing the scale of any event.”

Hutt City Council told RNZ that the information had not yet been provided but a meeting between the two leaders was scheduled.

“Once council has received that briefing, elected members will be briefed, and we will then be in a position to respond further.”

It could not say when that meeting would be.

A Wellington Water spokesperson told RNZ it was entirely appropriate for Hutt City Council to request these assurances from the water company – particularly following an incident of the magnitude of Moa Point.

“Wellington Water welcomes the opportunity to engage with the council on this matter.”

Veolia referred RNZ to Wellington Water for comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwis who reflect the “heart and soul” of Aotearoa have been named as finalists for New Zealander of the Year.

Thousands of people were nominated but the choice came down to three individuals who stood out for the judging panel.

They are Dame Julie Chapman, Sir Richard Faull and Sir Rod Drury.

Dame Julie leads organisations Kidscan and Pet Refuge, while Sir Richard is a neuroscientist whose expertise have helped better understand the human brain.

Sir Rod is the founder of Xero and works to “shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s technology landscape through innovation, investment, and mentorship”.

Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards patron Miriama Kamo said the three finalists “reflect the heart and soul of Aotearoa over the past twelve months – people leading with purpose, courage and heart”.

“Across every category, we see service, innovation and kaitiakitanga in action: protecting people and the planet, strengthening communities,

advancing equity, and shaping bold solutions for the future.

“Together, they remind us that real leadership is grounded in compassion – and that when we care deeply and act bravely, we can change lives.”

Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich said the finalists were leaders who were shaping the future of New Zealand in very different ways.

“From protecting our most vulnerable tamariki (children) and whānau (family), to driving innovation and backing the next generation of Kiwi enterprise, to advancing life changing neuroscience research.

“Their impact reaches from our local communities to the global stage.”

Jurkovish said it was a privilege to celebrate the finalists.

Finalists for six other categories have also been announced.

The awards will be held on 19 March in Auckland.

Go Media Young New Zealander of the Year

• Harlem-Cruz Ihaia
• Léon Bristow
• Lucy Blakiston

Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year

• Alan and Hazel Kerr
• Dame Claudia Orange
• Stewart Bull

2degrees New Zealand Innovator of the Year

• Craig Piggott
• James Hayes
• Jonathan Ring and Leatham Landon-Lane

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu New Zealand Sustainability Leader of the Year

• Mike Casey
• Russel and Teresa Trow
• Valerie Marie Ngaoa Teraitua

Tower New Zealand Local Hero of the Year

• Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod
• Māhera Maihi
• Terri Middleton

Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year

• Hōhepa Hawke’s Bay
• Rei Kōtuku Charitable Trust – Children’s Palliative Care Service
• Safeguarding Children Initiative

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An immigration adviser took thousands of dollars from a migrant, in a “subterfuge” where he would pay for a fake job at her husband’s firm, a tribunal has heard.

It upheld complaints by six customers of Qian Yu, also known as Heidi Castelucci.

The Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal said it was considering cancelling her licence and preventing her from reapplying when it ruled on sanctions next month.

She continued to work as an advisor after she was suspended in April last year, failing to submit a work visa for a Chinese man, who paid more than $1500.

“At the relevant time, she was engaged by Liberty Consulting Group Ltd trading as Liberty Immigration, of Auckland,” said the decisions. “She was also a contractor to New Zealand Language Institute and Foreign Exchange Program Ltd, of Hamilton and Auckland. Ms Yu’s husband, Toby Scott Castelucci, is a director and shareholder of both companies.”

Richard Wu, who worked for her and recorded Yu offering him residence in return for money after the company sacked him in 2024, paid an unlawful premium for his job.

The tribunal said he had paid about $22,000 which would be “extraordinarily high” if it was an immigration fee. She suggested he get paid cash-in-hand jobs alongside the fake job to hide what they were doing.

Façade

“She further told him about the subterfuge as to the paperwork of her husband’s company (in terms of the pay checks issued, which was money he was actually paying to her himself). She told him to pay his own tax, an obligation the agency had as his employer. The Tribunal finds that Ms Yu knew this advice was unlawful.

“The employment presented to Immigration NZ was a façade. There was no genuine job. It was a mechanism designed to obtain a work visa for the complainant (and ultimately residence) and hence a substantial premium for Ms Yu and her husband.”

Another client called and sent messages to her dozens of time, and unwittingly became an unlawful overstayer.

One woman had been applying for visitor visas for her relatives and said “the fraud had caused great loss to the family”.

“Ms Yu has not denied any of the allegations made against her,” said tribunal chair David Plunkett.

“As a professional person, she has a responsibility to engage in a disciplinary process. The tribunal draws an adverse inference from her failure to engage with either the authority or the tribunal. She has provided no explanation for the serious wrongdoing alleged against her.”

The tribunal heard she forged the signature of a client and fabricated an INZ letter, concealing decline decisions and not following up on information requests.

The Registrar of Companies has initiated action to remove Liberty Consulting from the register.

Qian Yu registered Global Pathways Consulting as a new limited company in February, with her husband Toby Castelucci as director and sole shareholder.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dunedin police say they shot at a man as he drove his vehicle towards officers and their patrol car while trying to avoid arrest.

Police were looking for the man in relation to a series of offences in the Otago coastal area over recent days.

Officers involved in an operation to locate the 46-year-old saw him at a commercial premises on Kaikorai Valley Road at about 6pm and tried to apprehend him.

Superintendent Jason Guthrie said the man drove his car towards the patrol car in an effort to avoid arrest and in response police fired one shot.

“No other shots were fired in the incident, and nobody was injured,” he said in a statement.

The man then fled in the vehicle but was later found in Brockville where police successfully deployed road spikes, he said.

The man fled into the bush but was found soon after by a police dog team in the Fraser’s Gully area, he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, police had asked the public to keep clear of Three Mile Hill and Brockville as officers searched the cordoned area.

Cordons were still in place at 9pm on Wednesday but were expected to be lifted shortly, Guthrie said.

The incident will be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority as is standard procedure when a police firearm is used.

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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 biosecurity operation is under way in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe following the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap.

Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner North Mike Inglis said the fruit fly was identified on Wednesday evening.

“We will be ramping up trapping and inspections in Papatoetoe. As a precautionary measure, Biosecurity New Zealand will put in place legal restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly has been found.

“Over the next 24 hours, we will issue details about these controls and the exact areas affected,” he said.

In the meantime, it was important that people who lived and worked in the suburb not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of their property.

Biosecurity staff would be out on Thursday providing the local community with information, Inglis said.

Biosecurity’s most recent eradication was a single male Queensland fruit fly in Mount Roskill, which wrapped up last week after six weeks of intensive fruit fly trapping and the inspection of more than 230 kilograms of fruit.

“The Oriental fruit fly find in Papatoetoe is unrelated to the Queensland fruit fly in Mt Roskill,” Inglis said.

The fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here. Adult flies lay eggs into fruit, where the maggots feed and cause the fruit to rot.

How to identify the fly

Adult flies are a little larger than a housefly (6mm to 8mm long); have a dark “T” shaped marking on the abdomen (the part behind the waist); usually have a bright yellow and orange abdomen (but can vary); have clear wings. The female fly has a pointed “sting” to lay eggs inside fruit (but she can’t sting or bite people). The male fruit fly is a similar size but is reddish-brown.

Biosecurity New Zealand says if people who think they’ve found a fruit fly should photograph it, capture it if possible, and call MPI on 0800 80 99 66.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire and Emergency says a large grass fire in Central Otago has now been contained.

FENZ was called to a large grass fire that was threatening structures in the Springvale area near Clyde before 3.30pm.

About 18 fire crews responded along with four helicopters and at least eight properties were evacuated.

Fire and Emergency said the helicopters had now been stood down.

The fire was 400 metres by 400 metres initially, but a spokesperson earlier said it was spreading quickly through grass and pine trees.

Aimz Hemming said they were able to smell the smoke from their street a few kilometres away.

“When the alarm went off, all the sirens were go,” Hemming said. “It was a wee bit scary.”

* Are you in the area? Contact RNZ at iwitness@rnz.co.nz

Earlier a spokesperson said it was unknown if any properties had been damaged at this stage and crews had also moved livestock out of paddocks that were under threat.

Fire and Emergency is working with police to close Springvale Road.

People were urged to stay away from the area and to be extra cautious as a lot of crews were tied up fighting to contain this fire, the spokesperson said.

Fire and Emergency also said the fire was producing a lot of smoke which was drifting towards Alexandra.

“If you are in the vicinity of the smoke, please stay inside with windows closed.”

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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 manhunt is underway after a firearms incident at a petrol station on Kaikorai Valley Road, in Dunedin.

Police say they are looking for a person who drove away from officers at the scene.

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