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Health warnings lifted from Lyttelton bays after sewage overflow

Source: Radio New Zealand

A health warning has been lifted on Thursday, after it was issued for Corsair Bay, Cass Bay and Rāpaki Bay on Saturday. nigelspiers/123RF

Health warnings have been lifted at Corsair Bay and nearby beaches in Lyttelton Harbour after an overflow of raw sewage last weekend.

The sewage leak at the popular swimming spot was caused by a septic tank overflowing when bottles were flushed down public toilets.

A health warning was issued for Corsair Bay, Cass Bay and Rāpaki Bay on Saturday.

National Public Health Service medical officer of health Dr Cheryl Brunton said the latest water testing results showed faecal bacteria levels at these sites were now below guideline values.

“This is great news for swimmers and other recreational water users who would have been avoiding the water following the high levels of contamination,” she said.

Christchurch City Council said the leak occurred after the septic system was blocked by items – including bottles – being put in the public toilets at Corsair Bay.

Council community parks manager Al Hardy said there were waste bins at the beach that people should have been using.

“The only thing that I can think is people may think that the council public facilities are more robust than their ones at home, but actually that’s not the case – if you clog your toilet at home, what does it do, it backs up on you, and the same thing has kind of occurred out here,” he said.

“The lucky thing is there’s a very small amount of waste that would’ve been overflowing it would’ve just been successive flushes if you will, once the system had backed up.”

The Canterbury Regional Council had been collecting water samples daily since the sewage leak.

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Unions push for ‘Right to Switch-Off’ law

Source: NZCTU

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Sandra Grey is calling on political parties to pass a Right to Disconnect law to ensure working people have the right to not be unreasonably contacted outside of work hours.

“Technology and remote work have erased the line between work and home. Workers shouldn’t have to go to a staff meeting on their day off, take their laptop to the beach in the weekend, or take a call from their boss at 10pm if they aren’t on call,” said Grey.

“Many New Zealand workers are constantly on the job. Long hours and overtime are common – we work some of the longest hours in the OECD – and burnout, anxiety, and stress are on the rise.

“Our laws haven’t kept up with modern ways of working. Current rules don’t protect workers’ time or wellbeing. They allow employers to exploit power imbalances in their relationships with workers.

“France, Ireland, Germany and Australia have all introduced ‘right to disconnect’ laws. The new law in Australia meant that unpaid overtime hours were fewer in 2024 than in previous years.

“With the Prime Minister suggesting workers have too much time off, and businesses cutting back on flexible work arrangements, we must ensure that workers are paid for all the work they do.

“This is not a blanket ban on contacting employees outside their scheduled work hours, rather it empowers workers to decide whether to respond to out-of-hours contact, based on the reason for the contact.

“We are calling on political parties to do the right thing – pass a Right to Disconnect law as soon as possible and give workers the right to knock off after work,” said Grey. lift the economic prosperity of working people, instead they are delivering higher costs and more job losses,” said Grey.

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Inquisitive kea rescued after becoming trapped in water tank

Source: Radio New Zealand

The kea after its rescue. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

A kea has been rescued after becoming trapped in a water tank in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

The Department of Conservation said it was notified late last year about the kea by a climber staying at the Sefton Bivouac.

The climber had found the bird in the lidless bivvy water tank after hearing its calls echoing overnight.

The kea had managed to find its way inside the tank but couldn’t get back out.

The kea was unable to get itself out of the tank. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

DOC said two members of its mountain rescue team made the trek up to the Sefton Bivouac hut and found the adult kea perched in the tank, “seemingly unimpressed by its situation”.

A team member leaned in and safely pulled the bird to freedom.

“Once released, the kea wasted no time tucking into nearby alpine plants before taking off as if nothing unusual had happened,” DOC said.

The kea was safely returned to the wild. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

SAR supervisor Andrew Bridgman said it was the team’s first kea rescue with the best outcome – “a healthy kea returned to the wild”.

DOC thanked the climber for raising the alarm, but said situations that kea find themselves in don’t always have the best outcome.

“Kea are natural explorers, but their curiosity can land them in tricky spots. The tank lid may have been removed by climbers accessing water when the pipes froze. It’s crucial that these lids are kept on, as kea have unfortunately died in water tanks in the past.

“Visitors can help by keeping an eye out for kea around huts, securing water tank lids and gear, and never feeding kea – helping to keep these charismatic mountain birds safe.”

A DOC team member reaching into the tank to rescue the kea. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

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State Highway 6/Great North Road closed following crash

Source: New Zealand Police

State Highway 6/Great North Road is closed near Eglinton Street following a crash.

The two-vehicle crash was reported just after 3pm.

Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

Detours are in place.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre 

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Review: Why Hamnet is more than a march through sadness

Source: Radio New Zealand

On paper, Hamnet should be a relentless march through grief. It centres on the death of a child, an absent spouse and the harshness of the world towards women.

What we get instead is two-hours of emotional pressure that end in a release so intense and calibrated that it becomes a genuinely convincing ode to the cathartic, healing power of drama.

Based on the novel of the same name, director Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland) adaptation tells the partly true, mostly fictional story of playwright William Shakespeare and wife Agnes Hathaway grappling with the death of their 11-year-old son, and its relationship to the legendary drama Hamlet.

But it’s not really a film about The Bard, who spends large chunks of the run time away on unseen business in London.

It’s Agnes, played by Jessie Buckley (Lost Daughter; Chernobyl), who is our heroine. A woman rumoured to be the daughter of a witch, Agnes trains hawks, makes mysterious tinctures from plants and shares a bond with the woods.

The film frequently flirts with magical realism: its many omens, portents, and coincidences often nudging up against the line of fantasy, but always pulls back from the brink.

This could all come off as twee in less capable hands. Luckily, it’s carefully tuned, and then held together in reality by Buckley’s grounded performance, which captures a knowledgeable, fierce, practical mother – who is often going it alone without her husband – but one who lives in a world where she is repeatedly told the folklore she has inherited, and deeply feels, is wrong just when it matters most.

Buckley delivers bursts of heart-wrenching, explosive grief that hold together Hamnet’s most powerful moments. Her haunting primal scream during her son’s death is hard to forget. The look on Agnes’ face in the closing moments is almost worth the price of admission alone.

Meanwhile, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II, Normal People) plays Shakespeare himself. In his finest moments, his presence is magnetic, his smile alone bringing scenes to life, and we understand why Agnes is all in.

At other points – usually in which he is drunkenly writing and battling clunkier bits of the script’s dialogue – it feels a bit too much like watching a man trying to play William Shakespeare.

Brilliantly deployed in the edges of many key scenes is Emily Watson (Synecdoche,New York; Small Things like These), who, as Agnes’ well-intentioned mother-in-law makes a compelling role out of a part mostly made up of reaction shots.

It’s all held together by the same exceptional technical elements and deep commitment to physical realism we saw in Zhao’s Nomadland.

The costumes are tactile, the sets are lived-in and detailed, dirt is visible under everyone’s fingernails and you can almost smell 16th century England.

The cinematography (Lukasz Za) is practical, unpretentious and compelling for the most part, but seamlessly moves into moments of real beauty and poetry when called upon.

But in its weakest moments, Hamnet threatens to tread into melodrama.

In a few too many instances, characters stare into the distance and speak in the deep, ominous tones that plague so many biopics.

And it comes dangerously close to corny in a scene in which a despairing Shakespeare stands on the edge of a pier, plucking the words for Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy out of the air – verbatim as they appear in the play – as he stares into the abyss.

For these few faults, though, the payoff is too much to deny.

As the film crescendos, the strands come together to unexpectedly reveal the true shape of thing as a whole, in an intricate, nearly mystery-like moment of victory.

But more so, the emotional climb suddenly makes sense. The catharsis, the relief, are visceral.

It is hard not to be pulled under as a torrent of joy and sadness washes over Agnes in the final frames.

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

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Explainer: What Scott Robertson’s axing means for the All Blacks and NZ Rugby

Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott Robertson. www.photosport.nz

Analysis – Out of the black but was it out of the blue? Scott Robertson’s new status as ex-All Black coach went from a rumour to confirmation quicker than a Will Jordan linebreak, with NZ Rugby (NZR) formally announcing the news on Thursday.

It comes off the back of a 10 win/three loss season, but also due to what’s widely believed to be a damning end of year review by the All Black players.

Is this the first time NZ Rugby has removed an All Black coach?

Yes and no. Robertson holds the dubious distinction of being the first All Black coach to ever be fired, as he will leave with two years remaining on his contract. However, John Mitchell was effectively forced out after the 2003 World Cup failure and a fractured relationship with NZR, while Sir Wayne Smith was asked to reapply for the role and subsequently declined.

What did the review say?

Scott Robertson. www.photosport.nz

It’s unlikely we’ll ever know exactly, but it’s not out of the question to make a few assumptions. The easiest and most commonly used term for what happened is a coach ‘losing the changing room’, which means that player confidence in them and their systems has severely eroded.

The talk is that senior players found it difficult to buy into Robertson’s coaching style, which was far more ‘big picture’ than figuring out how to overcome second half issues, clunky attack and general consistency. This was pretty evident in the record loss to the Springboks in Wellington, where the All Blacks gave an alarmingly out of character display more akin to a sub-par Super Rugby effort.

The swing of the axe

David Kirk Photosport

David Kirk, the World Cup-winning All Black captain, assumed the role of NZR chairman last year with a clear mandate that winning was a priority and the losses this season certainly didn’t help Robertson’s case. What also wouldn’t have helped would be the desire by NZR to avoid looking indecisive after the Ian Foster situation in 2022, as well as the player feedback.

Ardie Savea’s role

All Black Ardie Savea stands dejected. Marty Melville/Photosport

The player most linked to dissatisfaction is Ardie Savea, who ironically is coming off a stellar season. The sight of Savea slumped against the goalpost after the loss to England in November spoke volumes, while his desire to be vocal on issues like brand image and salary means it’s not hard think that his correspondence with Kirk would’ve been extremely honest to say the least.

Can Robertson feel hard done by?

Scott Robertson. ActionPress

He leaves with an overall record of 20 wins from 27 tests, at 74 percent higher than his predecessor Foster and putting him firmly in the middle tier of All Black coaches. While results are the ultimate bottom line, Robertson has been upfront about his role in developing depth across the All Black selection landscape.

This strategic approach isn’t only commendable, it’s vital given the massive attrition rates in test rugby these days. But the downside is that any attempt to do so ultimately gets compared to what Rassie Erasmus has done with the Springboks, often without understanding the vast differences between the two nations’ domestic set ups. If Robertson leaves any legacy, it will likely be this, as whoever takes over will have to carry on that depth-building project.

It’s also worth noting that Robertson’s regime started with a clean slate from almost top to bottom, with many aspects of simply running the All Blacks being reinvented.

What now for Robertson?

While test rugby proved to be an ultimately unsuccessful step up for him, it’s unlikely he will be unemployed for too long. His record at domestic level is perfect, having guided the Crusaders to seven straight Super Rugby titles, so there will be plenty of clubs around the world who will be happy to have a chat.

But will he have another crack at test rugby sometime in the future? You’d have to think so, given the resources that the likes of England can provide and their propensity to look abroad for coaching staff.

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

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Netball NZ gets new interim boss and a high performance expert

Source: Radio New Zealand

Jane Patterson during the 100 Days to Go event for the FIFA Women’s World Cup at Eden Park, Auckland, 11 April 2023. Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz

Netball New Zealand has appointed an interim chief executive and a new Silver Ferns high performance lead, who both come with impressive CVs.

Jane Patterson has been hired as interim boss, following Jennie Wyllie’s decision to step down as CEO in December 2025 after nine year’s in the job.

And a former NBA performance director, Chelsea Lane, has been appointed as Head of Performance – Silver Ferns.

Wyllie stepped down after what will be remembered as Netball New Zealand’s most turbulent year. In 2025 the organisation struggled to secure a broadcast deal for the ANZ Premiership, the sport’s domestic showpiece.

But the biggest damage to the organisation’s reputation came in September when it announced that Silver Ferns’ coach Dame Noeline Taurua was being suspended, due to concerns in the high performance environment, sparked by player complaints.

The saga played out in the media for weeks before Dame Noeline was eventually reinstated, but calls for ‘heads to roll’ at Netball NZ came from many quarters of the netball community.

Patterson has more than three decades of experience across sport and major events in New Zealand and internationally. Her career highlights include serving as Chief Operating Officer (New Zealand) for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.

She spent four years as COO and CMO of IRONMAN Asia Pacific and previously held the role of CEO of the Netball World Cup 2007, hosted in New Zealand. Most recently, she served as Interim CEO of Badminton New Zealand, a role she completed in December.

Patterson, who steps into the role on 19 January, believes she has a strong connection to the history, people and traditions that underpin netball in Aotearoa.

“Since first playing netball at the age of seven, I’ve carried a deep respect for the game and its proud place in New Zealand sport. Stepping into this role comes with a real sense of responsibility, and I’m committed to working alongside our staff, the Board, and the wider community to ensure the organisation remains strong, united, and focused for the future.

“My immediate focus as Interim CEO is to provide stability, clarity, and support across the organisation. This is a time to listen, to connect with our staff and communities nation-wide, and to ensure netball is well positioned for the future – both on and off the court,” Patterson said.

Lane’s appointment has been described as “further strengthening leadership within the Silver Ferns high performance programme.”

The Netball New Zealand press release said Lane will support the Silver Ferns with a clear, aligned, reliable and world-class performance system, “helping to assemble the team that will take the programme forward.”

Lane has more than 20 years’ experience across elite and professional sport, including senior roles with NBA franchises and national sporting bodies.

Her career includes helping transform the Atlanta Hawks from a low-performing franchise to a top-three NBA team within three seasons, as well as contributing to multiple NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors.

Netball New Zealand said closer to home, her work had strengthened high-performance capability at NZ Cricket and Basketball New Zealand, alongside mentoring performance leaders internationally.

Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua said: “Chelsea’s proven ability to align performance, people and culture will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the Silver Ferns programme. I’m looking forward to working closely with her as we prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Netball New Zealand believe both appointments will provide stability, additional support and experienced leadership at an important time for netball in Aotearoa.

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

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Disposable Razor: Scott Robertson dumped as All Blacks coach

Source: Radio New Zealand

Marty Melville

Scott “Razor” Robertson, only a few years ago hailed as the future of All Black rugby after taking the Crusaders to multiple Super Rugby championships, has been dumped as All Black coach.

A process would commence immediately to find Robertson’s replacement, NZ Rugby said in a statement on Thursday.

“We’ve taken an extensive look at the team’s progress on and off the field and have subsequently had discussions with Scott on the way forward,” NZR chair David Kirk said.

“Both NZR and Scott agree it is in the best interests of the team that he depart his role.

“The mid-point in the Rugby World Cup cycle is the right time to look at the All Blacks’ progress over the first two seasons.”

Kirk thanked Robertson.

“He has continued to put the All Blacks first and we respect that he has done the hard but right thing in agreeing to depart.”

There had been mounting speculation after an internal report into the 2025 All Black games found dissatisfaction among senior players.

Robertson’s short tenure has been marred by turmoil.

Just eight months into his reign, assistant coach Leon MacDonald abruptly handed in his resignation ahead of the tour to South Africa, citing differences in attacking philosophy and coaching direction.

Jamie Joseph, right, and Tony Brown during their time at the Highlanders. PHOTOSPORT

This was followed by back-to-back defeats in the republic.

The Otago Daily Times earlier speculated Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph could take over the All Blacks if Scott Robertson does lose his job.

Under Robertson, the All Blacks also suffered their heaviest defeat in history, humiliated by the Springboks 43-10 in Wellington and were beaten on Argentinian soil for the first time.

Ceri Evans, head of leadership + mental performance, and coach Scott Robertson look dejected after the loss to Argentina. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

However, the Razor era hasn’t all been doom and gloom. The All Blacks managed to keep the Eden Park streak intact with a gutsy victory over South Africa, and maintained New Zealand’s two-decade Bledisloe Cup dominance.

With Robertson overseeing the side, the All Blacks have had a 74 percent win rate, with 20 wins from 27 tests.

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Students can now claim $12,000 but is it money well spent?

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Eligible students can now apply for funds to help with the cost of their final year of study.

But one economist is asking whether it’s the best use of the money.

People who are studying for the first time can now access up to $12,000 for their final year of study or final two years of work-based learning.

The fees-free scheme changed from funding the first year to the final year from 1 January last year.

Payments are only available once the year is complete, so the first students are eligible under the new criteria this year.

Inland Revenue said the final-year fees-free programme was designed to motivate people to complete a qualification or programme.

They needed to pay their fees when they enrolled and then apply for the funding once they had competed and passed the qualification.

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen pointed to government analysis of the scheme before the change was introduced, which highlighted that it had not achieved many of its objectives.

“It wasn’t lifting participation rates or anything like that. It wasn’t helping people who would not have otherwise gone to university,” he said.

“It wasn’t helping people in a more disadvantaged position. It was basically just making stuff free, which might have felt good, but it didn’t make a real difference in terms of access or engagement or in completions or anything else. And so I think the challenge there was that you were paying a fair amount to subsidise a group of people to start their university career, where they were probably already going to do that.

“The government did want to focus a bit more on the final year because if you’re not getting any of those wider benefits, if you’re not changing participation or anything else, then it doesn’t make as much sense to fund and pay for university studies that might not be completed. And if you’re funding the last year, you effectively know that you are getting that much higher completion rate.”

The regulatory impact statement that examined the change said the main impact of the policy change would be on cost savings for the government. The total savings for final-year fees free versus first-year fees free for the financial years 2023/2024 – 2027/2028 were estimated at Budget 2024 to be $879 million.

Cost savings would decrease over time, to $139m on an ongoing basis.

Olsen said fees were not the barrier to university, a sentiment that was echoed by the regulatory impact statement.

“Especially because you take on a student loan and you have longer gains that you get over time with high earning potential.

“You have people that struggle still, be it fees free or not, to pay their living costs week to week. If they haven’t got sort of the right educational attainment over time or they haven’t got the right supports in place, you can fund them to go to university as much as you want. But if they can’t find somewhere to live, if they can’t pay for themselves while they’re living there, if they don’t have the ability to sort of continue to make it through the programme, none of that matters.”

He said there should be a wider conversation about how people could be encouraged and supported into education.

“Are you not better to instead of just saying everyone who’s sort of eligible, who’s doing all these various degrees or courses or similar in their last year, they can get it free? Are we not better to make it a whole lot more targeted if we know there are certain industries, areas that we know we want to cultivate a range of people if we know that there are groups or communities that are struggling to get access?

“We’re not better to put the money in there rather than just saying, you know what, anyone who’s doing a course, yes, if you’re completing it, you can have it free.”

Applications can be made through the myIR system. The application needs to be made within a year after completing the eligible qualification.

For people who have a student loan, the entitlement goes towards the loan balance.

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

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Deluge overwhelms stormwater network, closes streets in South Taranaki

Source: Radio New Zealand

Surface flooding on Princes Street and Furlong Street intersection in Hāwera. Supplied / South Taranaki District Council

Streets have been closed in Hāwera after heavy rain overwhelmed stormwater network causing surface flooding in the South Taranaki town.

A council spokespersoon said they had experienced extremely heavy rain coming down in a very short period of time.

“We have got all of our crews out there checking drains, clearing sumps, putting up signage and implementing traffic management where roads are flooded. For example, the Princes Street/Furlong St area in Hawera has been closed due to surface flooding.

“The extreme rainfall appears to have been centred around the central and southern parts of the district, with most of the calls we’ve received having come from Hāwera, Normanby and to a lesser extent Manaia and Pātea.

Council crews were checking drains, clearing sumps and putting up signage and putting in place traffic management in the affected areas.

The spokesperson said the rain had eased somewhat since the deluge and was forecast to be light for the rest of the day.

“Our emergency response team is continuing to monitor the situation and we urge drivers to take extra care on the roads and avoid driving on the roads if they can.

“One area to pay special attention to is State Highway 3 (the stretch between Hāwera and Normanby, outside the Hāwera aerodrome). Waka Kotahi/NZTA have been advised.”

Local residents had taken to the Extreme Weather Taranaki Facebook page to share their experience of the deluge.

Beamsley Jesse Heathers had just left Hāwera.

“Surface flooding like rivers through the main streets. Could barely see out the windscreen. Torrential downpours. Did not know due to poor visibility, that roads were overflowing and drove into floods. One supermarket carpark not usable and then the sirens went up.”

Michelle Watt posted that she’d had 85mls in her rain gauge over 12 hours, while others put up photos of surface flooding.

And Hāwera Harness Racing Club announced the postponement of its meeting due to “the huge amount of rain”.

It was looking to reschedule to Sunday.

Hāwera Fire and Emergency chief Merv Watt said the rain was causing a few issues.

“We’ve had non-stop rain all morning. It’s been pretty heavy most of the morning and luckily we’ve only actually had one call out to a business. And they just needed a hand to get rid of some water out of the premises.

“It was just a place in town that had a lot of water run into the area. It was like a workshop and we just needed to clean the workshop out of water.

“There’s been a lot of surface flooding around the town, and the council have closed off some of the streets. But yeah, there’s no being real, no big emergency call outs for the river at the stage, except for that one.

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