Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wild weather is expected to hit much of central New Zealand overnight, with multiple warnings and states of emergency.

MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Warning for Banks Peninsula, starting from 2am Monday and a Heavy Rain Watch for Canterbury Plains and foothills between the Rakaia River and Amberley.

Five districts have now declared a state of emergency – Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga.

Manawatū District Council is the latest to make the declaration – in a post on social media, the council said it has activated its emergency response team and is closely monitoring river levels.

Heavy rain, rising rivers, slips, flooding, strong winds, and power outages are likely, the council said.

It advised people to take the declaration seriously and prepare now, while there is still daylight, make sure devices are charged and people have a battery-powered radio at the ready to listen to news updates.

The Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts are also under states of emergency.

In a post on social media, Rangitīkei District Council said Mayor Andy Watson had made the declaration and the council had activated its emergency response team, and is closely monitoring river levels.

The council said it had also activated its process to close the Napier-Taihape Road.

It warned people to take the declaration seriously and prepare, while there is still daylight, including making sure devices are charged, and there was a battery-powered radio handy to listen to news updates.

An orange heavy rain warning has already been upgraded to a red warning – the highest level. The warning affects Manawatu, Rangatikei and Ruapehu Districts north of Feilding and east of State Highway One from 6pm tonight.

MetService said the heightened warning means there is a threat to life from dangerous river conditions and significant flooding and slips.

It says the weather conditions will isolate communities and make some roads impassable.

Several more weather warnings and watches have been issued for the east and lower North Island and the top of the South Island.

This latest burst of stormy weather comes as several regions reel from severe storms that have already closed roads, flooded properties and damaged infrastructure.

Hutt warnings

The Hutt City Council is also warning that the Waiwhetū Stream could rise rapidly overnight.

Those in the Lower Hutt suburbs of Waiwhetū, Moera, Gracefield, and Seaview are advised to evacuate immediately, and not to wait for an official warning, if rising flood water is seen.

Those needing to evacuate are advised to seek shelter with friends and family if possible – and to take pets and essential items with them.

Residents are asked to call 111 if their life or property is at risk.

They are also urged not to drive or walk through flood water as it is dangerous and may be contaminated.

Wellington trains cancelled

No trains are running in Wellington on Monday morning.

KiwiRail said a Wairarapa passenger train collided with a downed tree on Sunday.

“We are expecting winds of up to 130kph across the Wellington region overnight and on Monday morning. This poses a significant risk to the overhead electric cables across the metro network,” KiwiRail chief metro officer David Gordon said.

“Working with Metlink and Transdev Wellington, we have decided to close the metro network until network-wide daylight inspections can be undertaken. Our teams will be out on the tracks from 6am Monday, but it will take a number of hours to check the network.

“As a result, trains will not be running during the Monday morning peak. We will aim to reopen the network at 10am, depending on any damage discovered and repairs needed.”

Monday morning’s Capital Connection (Palmerston North – Wellington) train has also been cancelled.

RNZ’s live blog will resume in the morning.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand says the ‘disturbing’ case of two young people kept as slaves shows how extreme exploitation can be hidden in plain sight.

Moeaia Tuai was on Thursday jailed for 16 years and four months for the slavery, rapes and numerous other sexual assaults he committed.

Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith voiced concerns about how widespread slavery was in New Zealand, including cases where youths could be brought here ‘essentially to work as domestic help or in jobs to support the family’.

INZ compliance and investigations manager Steve Watson said slavery was among the most serious crimes in New Zealand.

“It was a very disturbing case, and the victims did not deserve to be treated in that way,” he said. “It’s a very, very good sentence, and sends a very clear message that this type of slavery and exploitation won’t be tolerated. It shows that we as a country won’t tolerate it, and that it is one of the worst offences on the statute book. And [the sentence] should serve as a deterrent to others.”

INZ provided significant support to the police and the prosecution, he said, and he urged others to report offending they witness.

Timeline of a slavemaster

“Slavery and other forms of exploitation, they are serious crimes and they’re often hidden in plain sight,” Watson said.

“So addressing serious exploitation is a priority for the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, right from policy settings through to our operational arms. MBIE and Immigration New Zealand will continue to prosecute people where we find evidence of this sort of behaviour.”

Former trafficking victims have expressed concerns about how much is being done to improve the detection of slavery and prosecute it.

“There have been few cases involving slavery in New Zealand to date,” said Wilkinson-Smith, noting the only previous major prosecution was that of Joseph Matamata in 2020.

The prosecutor in the current case noted that the female complainant had been held as a slave for even longer than Matamata’s male victims.

It was no mitigation that vulnerable victims would accept slavery as being better than a return to extreme poverty, the judge told Tuai.

She said the rapes, other violations and indecent assaults added another level of gravity to Tuai’s enslavement and theft of the young woman’s income.

“She was in a very real sense your slave. She did the work and you got the benefit.”

• 2003 – 2004 – Tuai and his wife emigrated to New Zealand, he worked as a prison officer for Corrections.
• 2017 – Tuai brought two young people to New Zealand and put the older male one to work at a boarding house belonging to his wife Senia Tuai’s sister.
• 2020 – The older victim, by now brought to work in Australia and joined by Tuai, ran away.
• 2021 – The younger female complainant, brought back to NZ, worked seven days a week for two months in laundromats.
• 2022 – 2024 – She continued to work, with an estimated $78,000 of her wages going to Tuai.
• 2024 – She ran away and alerted police to the rapes.
• 2024 – 2025 – Police and MBIE investigation into the slavery offending.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has serious injuries following a single-vehicle crash in Christchurch’s Merivale.

Police said officers were called to Heaton Street, between Allister Avenue and Circuit Street, at 5.50pm on Sunday.

“Initial indications suggest one person has been seriously injured.

“The road is closed, with diversions in place.”

Police said people should avoid the area if possible.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fifth State of Emergency has been declared ahead of severe weather expected to strike tonight and overnight.

Manawatū District Council is the latest to make the declaration – in a post on social media, the council said it has activated its emergency response team and is closely monitoring river levels.

Heavy rain, rising rivers, slips, flooding, strong winds, and power outages are likely, the council said.

It advised people to take the declaration seriously and prepare now, while there is still daylight, make sure devices are charged and people have a battery-powered radio at the ready to listen to news updates.

The Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts are also under states of emergency.

In a post on social media, Rangitīkei District Council said Mayor Andy Watson had made the declaration and the council had activated its emergency response team, and is closely monitoring river levels.

The council said it had also activated its process to close the Napier-Taihape Road.

It warned people to take the declaration seriously and prepare, while there is still daylight, including making sure devices are charged, and there was a battery-powered radio handy to listen to news updates.

An orange heavy rain warning has already been upgraded to a red warning – the highest level. The warning affects Manawatu, Rangatikei and Ruapehu Districts north of Feilding and east of State Highway One from 6pm tonight.

MetService said the heightened warning means there is a threat to life from dangerous river conditions and significant flooding and slips.

It says the weather conditions will isolate communities and make some roads impassable.

Several more weather warnings and watches have been issued for the east and lower North Island and the top of the South Island.

This latest burst of stormy weather comes as several regions reel from severe storms that have already closed roads, flooded properties and damaged infrastructure.

We’ll be bringing you the latest weather news updates in our live blog through the afternoon and evening.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fourth State of Emergency has been declared ahead of severe weather expected to strike tonight and overnight.

Manawatū District Council is the latest to make the declaration – in a post on social media, the council said it has activated its emergency response team and is closely monitoring river levels.

Heavy rain, rising rivers, slips, flooding, strong winds, and power outages are likely, the council said.

It advised people to take the declaration seriously and prepare now, while there is still daylight, make sure devices are charged and people have a battery-powered radio at the ready to listen to news updates.

The Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts are also under states of emergency.

An orange heavy rain warning has already been upgraded to a red warning – the highest level. The warning affects Manawatu, Rangatikei and Ruapehu Districts north of Feilding and east of State Highway One from 6pm tonight.

MetService says the heightened warning means there is a threat to life from dangerous river conditions and significant flooding and slips.

It says the weather conditions will isolate communities and make some roads impassable.

Several more weather warnings and watches have been issued for the east and lower North Island and the top of the South Island.

This latest burst of stormy weather comes as several regions reel from severe storms that have already closed roads, flooded properties and damaged infrastructure.

We’ll be bringing you the latest weather news updates in our live blog through the afternoon and evening.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A body has been found after washing up at Māhia, near Wairoa.

In a statement, Tuai senior constable Tony Maultsaid said a member of the public found the body on Mahanga Beach about 1pm on Saturday.

“Specialist officers from Tai Rāwhiti attended and the formal identification process is ongoing.

“Due to the circumstances, this work may take some time.”

Maultsaid said a post-mortem will be carried out in the coming days and it will help the investigation.

More information would be given when it was possible.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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