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Government urges people to put safety first as severe weather hits North Island

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is urging people to put safety first, as it gets behind North Island communities facing another period of severe weather, less than one month after the tragic storms of last month and three years since Cyclone Gabrielle struck in 2023.

Severe weather warnings are in place in many parts of the North Island, and flooding has tragically already claimed one life last night in South Waikato. 

Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell, says the Government is doing everything it can to support communities, many of whom are still recovering from last month’s storms.

“Emergency services and Government agencies are working together to support locally-led response efforts, and NZDF, Fire and Emergency, Police, St Johns, and Health NZ have assets pre-positioned in Tairawhiti” says Mr Mitchell. 

“We are getting in behind local Civil Defence as they face another gruelling response, and the Government is ready to surge in assistance to anywhere that needs it.

“What’s most important right now is that you keep yourself and your loved ones safe.  Take these warnings seriously and don’t take any chances.

“Never drive, walk, or swim through floodwaters. If waters rise around you, don’t wait for an alert – get to higher ground immediately.

“If you’re under a severe weather warning, avoid non-essential travel, as driving conditions will be hazardous.

“We are tragically all too aware of the risks that landslides pose. Stay alert for the warning signs and get out if you don’t feel safe.  

“A number of Emergency Mobile Alerts have been issued, but please stay informed through a range of channels – your local Civil Defence Group, MetService, NZTA and radio.”

For more information on what to do before, during and after a storm, visit Storms — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand

For more information about landslide safety, visit Landslides — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand

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Is a Valentine’s Day wedding a good idea?

Source: Radio New Zealand

For many couples, February is peak wedding season – and Auckland celebrant Nate Dunn is feeling it. With 12 ceremonies booked this month alone, he says it’s the busiest time of year for him and many of his colleagues.

While Valentine’s Day occasionally becomes the big day – by design or by chance – Dunn isn’t convinced it’s always the best choice. One major factor is cost, especially for flowers.

“For myself, I’m booked for the next two to three years for February and I know couples who are looking at some of the more popular vendors – like photographers and venues – they really need to be thinking two years out if they’re getting married in February, because all the good venues and good vendors book out really fast,” Dunn told Morning Report.

Nate Dunn says February is the busiest month of the season.

Supplied / Rebecca Bradley Photography

When Valentine’s Day forces a relationship reckoning

Despite the date’s romantic atmosphere, Dunn believes most couples aren’t deliberately aiming for 14 February. Instead, it’s often about the convenience of settled summer weather and guests being back from the holidays.

“I think who had an anniversary on Valentine’s Day may be their guests might think it’s a little bit cheesy and so might get a bit shy about getting hitched on Valentine’s Day.”

In fact, the busiest day is usually the Saturday that follows. Dunn estimates there could be hundreds of weddings happening nationwide on that single day.

“Kiwis really like the sun, we really like being outdoors, so you’re kind of guaranteed a nice hot sunny day for your big day [in February].”

With flowers still being a popular Valentine’s gift, prices could prove more expensive for couples planning weddings with heaps of bouquets as decoration. (file image)

Unsplash / SJ Objio

RNZ reporter So’omalo Iteni Schwalger is tying the knot on Valentine’s Day this year – but he, too, says the timing wasn’t really intentional.

“We wanted a date where it was just further enough away from the holidays that we could still organise stuff with vendors, and everyone was in town.

“We also wanted to honeymoon somewhere cold so Europe still has some crispy snow spots.”

To manage costs, the couple opted for artificial flowers.

For florists, however, the day remains a major event. Karen Hussy, owner of Flowers After Hours, says sales across her three stores are up on last Valentine’s Day, even in a tough economy.

She’s noticed more younger customers are coming through the doors, and red roses remain the classic choice. A dozen premium red roses will set buyers back about $200.

While roses remain a standard choice, Dunn says wedding traditions are shifting in general. He’s seeing more couples personalise their weddings – from skipping certain formalities to not feeling obligated to invite distant relatives.

Costs are also shaping decisions about when to book. While February weddings can require a two-year lead time, Dunn says in quieter months like October and November, couples are leaving bookings later than they used to – sometimes just five or six months out.

“They’re thinking ‘am I still going to have my job long term? What’s our finances going to look like?’ Then, as they get closer to the day they’ve chosen, they think ‘well we just need to get this done so let’s book it in’.”

His advice is to make the day yours and enjoy it with a relaxed mindset because nothing is perfect.

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

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Why being hopeful is more radical than ever now

Source: Radio New Zealand

The most radical thing that you can do right now is hope, according to acclaimed British playwright Simon Stephens.

Best known for his Tony and Olivier award-winning adaption of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Stephens says sharing an experience with people who you might disagree with politically, ideologically or culturally has never been more radical than now.

“It’s an increasingly rare thing nowadays to go and sit in a room with people you don’t know and share an experience, to look in the same direction and engage in the same story together … to turn your phone off and look in the same direction with people who you not only might not know, but if you did know them, you might not agree with them about some things,” Stephens told Saturday Morning.

Playwright Simon Stephens accepts the award for Best Play for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” onstage at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on 7 June, 2015 in New York City.

Theo Wargo / Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions / AFP

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

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Ōtorohanga resident describes dramatic rescue from floodwaters

Source: Radio New Zealand

Flooding on Kio Kio Station Road, where residents were evacuated overnight. Supplied / Colin Payne

An Ōtorohanga resident has described his dramatic and unexpected rescue in the early hours of Saturday morning, after he awoke to find himself waist-deep in floodwater.

A state of emergency was declared in the district at 1am.

Kio Kio Station Road resident Colin Payne said waters close to three metres high had come through his property overnight.

The octogenarian had woken at about 4:30am to find his bedroom sodden.

“That had come in at, well, when I went to bed about 10 last night, it wasn’t even up to my barn, but it must have come up over the last four hours, four to five hours after that,” he said.

“I have an American barn and then attached to the American barn is a cottage and that is another metre higher than the American barn. So the actual increase in the water from the road to the top is approximately two-and-a-half to three metres.”

Payne called a neighbour and found out other residents on the rural road had woken to similar circumstances.

“Well, I must admit I was floundering for a few minutes until I found a torch because the power was off, and I then rang one of my neighbours and she thought I was away, so she hadn’t done anything, genuinely. And then I found out that they’d been rescuing people for a good hour or so.”

Like many of his neighbours, he was rescued soon after, using a boat that had been brought from Rotorua, and wading barefoot through water.

“They had to come around the front of my property and we had to remove a very large polythene screen so that we could get in and they brought the boat right onto the deck and then two or three of them helped me into it.”

Flooding on Kio Kio Station Road, where residents were evacuated overnight. Supplied / Colin Payne

The only thing Payne managed to take with him was his medication – everything else in his home is likely a write-off, he said.

“Totally and utterly devastated. It was more than wet. There was two big fridges, freezers rather, just floating. My TVs are all floating and the annoying part about it is I couldn’t reach it, but as I opened the door, my wallet floated past with all my credit cards and my driver’s licence and everything in it. So I hope the cops will be understanding if I get pulled up for a ticket.”

That was unlikely, as his large campervan had been “totally submerged”.

Kio Kio Station Road was about 3-4 kilometres long and had a number of lifestyle properties dotted along it, Payne said, estimating about 250 people would have needed rescuing.

“I would say some of them have even been worse than my place, and believe me, I’m pretty bad at my place, but I would say everybody else has suffered as badly as what I have,” he said.

“There’s little wee babies that have been hugging into their mums, there’s four families with young children right next door to me, and they’ve all been rescued. And I’ve spoken to quite a few of the others up and down and everybody’s feeling the same as what I am, you know, pretty devastated by what’s occurred. And you know, it is devastating and you can’t do a damn thing about it.”

Flooding on Kio Kio Station Road, where residents were evacuated overnight. Supplied / Colin Payne

Meanwhile, the deluge of rain continues.

“The thunder and lightning is still occurring, but the rain is, it’s very, very heavy and I don’t think we’re going to see any let up for two or three hours, maybe even longer. But yes, it’s torrential rain and it’s just about continuous torrential rain.”

Payne is no stranger to flooding, having been a jet boat rescuer himself in the 60s and 70s, and he commended those working overnight.

But now that the shock was wearing off, the last few hours were beginning to take a toll.

He was also concerned about his pet goat, Sophie.

“My greatest concern is for my dear little goat, Sophie. I just hope that Sophie has managed to get herself elevated somehow… most of the locals around my way know Sophie. In fact, quite a few of the locals come up and feed Sophie. She loves silverbeet, but I don’t think she’ll be getting any silverbeet today.”

Campers evacuated

A group of campers were evacuated from a campground amid the flooding, slips and heavy rain in Ōtorohanga overnight.

Joy Wickham told RNZ she was with a group of NZ Motor Home Association members who parked for the night at Ōtorohanga College on Friday.

The school is next to a river, and the waters rose up and into the school grounds, prompting the evacuation, Wickham said.

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

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Man dies after car submerged in floodwaters in Waikato

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has died after his car was submerged in floodwaters on State Highway 39. Screenshot/Google Maps

A man has died after his vehicle became submerged in floodwaters while travelling on State Highway 39 at Puketotara on Friday night.

A member of the public alerted emergency services at about 9.15pm.

The car was submerged near the intersection of State Highway 39 and Kiwi Road at Puketotara, and the man was found deceased inside the vehicle, police said.

State Highway 39 remains closed.

Motorists have been warned to drive with extreme caution and not attempt to drive through flooded roads.

A number of local roads and highways are shut across the district, including:

A local State of Emergency has been declared for Ōtorohanga.

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

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Cam Melville Ives misses snowboard halfpipe medals

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cam Melville Ives at the 2026 Winter Olympics. www.photosport.nz

First time Olympian Cam Melville Ives struggled to complete his runs in the snowboard halfpipe final and finished in 12th place at Livingo Snow Park.

The Wanaka rider qualified in eighth for the Winter Olympics final but was among the athletes that could not put down clean runs on Saturday.

Melville Ives’ first run score of 43, which included a backside double-cork alley-oop and a frontside triple cork 1440, was his best result from his three runs.

The halfpipe was the 19-year-old’s only event of the Milano Cortina Games.

Japanese athletes dominated the early runs in the halfpipe final with a trio of riders scoring in the 90s on their first attempts, before Australia’s Scotty James broke into the top positions on his second run.

Team Japan’s 24-year-old Yuto Totsuka won the gold medal in his third Olympics, secured with a 95.00 scored in his second run. James was unable to improve on his final run to finish with back-to-back silver medals in his fifth Olympic appearance.

Japan’s 19-year-old Ryusei Yamada finished with the bronze medal in his first Olympic Games.

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

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Body recovered from submerged vehicle, SH39

Source: New Zealand Police

A man has died after his vehicle became submerged in floodwaters while travelling on State Highway 39 overnight.

A member of public alerted emergency services to the submerged car, near the intersection with Kiwi Road at Puketotara, about 9.15pm.

Sadly, one person was located deceased inside the vehicle.

State Highway 39 remains closed.

Anyone travelling in the Waikato District is urged to take care and should not attempt to cross flooded roads. 

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

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Police urge caution on roads following heavy rain

Source: New Zealand Police

Motorists in the Waikato are being warned to drive with extreme caution and not attempt to drive through flooded roads.

A number of local roads and highways are shut across the district, including:

If you must travel, please slow down and be prepared for surface flooding or obstructions on road. Anyone travelling should check NZTA’s Journey Planner website for the latest highway conditions, and local council Facebook pages.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

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Road closed, Old Coach Road, Gore

Source: New Zealand Police

Old Coach Road, between Kaiwera Downs Road and Isla Road, is closed following a two-vehicle crash.

The crash, involving a car and a truck and trailer unit, was reported to emergency services about 6am.

Police are in attendance and diversions are in place.

Three people are reported to be injured.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.

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‘It’s hard to get healthy kai when you don’t have healthy whenua’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dr Madeline Shelling (Ngāti Porou) from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. Supplied/Madeline Shelling

A new study has linked food insecurity experienced by Māori to the ongoing consequence of colonisation rather than the result of individual choice or lifestyle.

The study, led by postdoctoral health researcher Dr Madeline Shelling (Ngāti Porou) from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland draws on in-depth interviews with Māori kai experts.

It documents how land loss, environmental degradation, restrictive laws and the marginalisation of mātauranga Māori have dismantled Māori food systems across generations.

Shelling said the research began with a visit to her whānau in Te Araroa, where despite the community taking pride in the food they could source from the land they were still counted as being food insecure.

“It came out quite clearly in my PhD that the way that we assess kai security or food security in Aotearoa is not representing Māori values, traditions or knowledge because it’s a questionnaire made up of eight questions that are all related to how we access food by having money and obviously in te ao Māori and many indigenous cultures around the world, having money is not the only way that you access kai, and it never has been.”

The outcomes of food insecurity in Aotearoa, as a wealthy, settler colonial nation, are expressed in obesity, diabetes and non-communicable and diet-related diseases which come with stigma, she said.

“Having great access to bad food is a problem that is faced by indigenous people in settler colonised countries all over the world it’s a very common pattern and yet individual choice is still blamed and so I’m just really passionate about moving away from that stigma that there is a choice because there often is very little choice.

“What if fish and chips is the only option in your area that you can access? What if you work two jobs and you don’t have transport and the only place you can walk to is McDonald’s?

“People who have the privilege of choice don’t understand what it’s like to not have that choice.”

Shelling said reducing food insecurity to individual choice ignores systemic issues faced by people in lower socio-economic areas and it excludes people who have experienced colonisation.

“Colonisation is such an important determinant of food insecurity and it has to be acknowledged so that we can remove some of these stigmas about individuals having choice over their food, when really their environment, their intergenerational trauma, their lack of intergenerational wealth through colonisation has all contributed to their inability to choose certain types of food and particularly healthy foods.”

The study identified four key impacts of colonisation, loss of land, erosion of rangatiratanga, marginalisation of Māori knowledge and impacts on health.

“It’s hard to get healthy kai when you don’t have healthy whenua that you can access,” Shelling said.

To solve the problems of food insecurity there is a responsibility from the top down to implement policy and there’s also from the bottom up, what whānau decide to do day to day and what they are able to do, because for a lot of whānau choosing where to buy food is not an option, she said.

“I want to make it really clear that Māori are trying to do something about it and Māori don’t want to be reliant on fast foods and takeaways.

“If we truly understood how colonisation impacted our food systems, we would not call it playing the victim it’s about understanding truly the effects of colonisation on every aspect of our life and for my research in particular on food systems and then where do we go from there and that’s a responsibility that we have for tangata tiriti and tangata whenua for doing it from the top down and the bottom up.”

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