Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have recovered the bodies of an internationally-recognised mountain guide and their client who died in an overnight fall on Aoraki Mt Cook.

The climbers were in a party of four, roped together in pairs, climbing from Empress Hut to the summit when the two fell from the mountain’s west ridge.

Canterbury Aoraki area commander inspector Vicki Walker said the group included two New Zealand mountain guides and two foreign nationals.

She said their bodies were found about 7am and had since been recovered from the mountain with the help of the Department of Conservation.

“We’re working under the jurisdiction of the coroner to return them to their loved ones. Police are contacting the next of kin. Until that process has been completed we won’t be releasing any further information,” she said.

“Most importantly our thoughts are with the clients’ families and friends in the community at this difficult time.”

Police were alerted to four climbers needing help late on Monday night after the two survivors used a device to alert the Rescue Coordination Centre, they said.

Two helicopters were dispatched to begin the search, with the survivors flown from the mountain at 2.15am.

Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said it was a busy mountaineering season.

“Recent fine weather has drawn many mountaineers to the high alpine, with multiple guided and recreational teams summiting Aoraki Mt Cook over the past week,” he said.

“Current conditions on the mountain are considered ideal for mountaineering, with firm overnight snow conditions and well-filled glaciers following early spring snowstorms.”

New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) president Anna Keeling said the guide, who was yet to be formally identified by police, was a respected and valued member.

“They were an integral part of our guiding community. NZMGA’s focus is now on those most affected and our priority is supporting the family, including their partner and children, as well as our wider guiding community during this extremely difficult time,” she said.

A formal investigation would take place, Keeling said.

“There will be an opportunity for the NZMGA to understand and share more about what happened in this tragic accident,” she said.

Three climbers – 56-year-old guide Kurt Blair, 50-year-old Carlos Romero from the United States and an unnamed Canadian guide – died while climbing Aoraki Mt Cook in December 2024.

Daisley said their bodies have not been recovered.

“These mountaineering fatalities are a reminder of the high-consequence environment of our alpine mountains, especially our highest peak,” he said.

“Mountaineering has very little margin for error. Even the most qualified professionals cannot eliminate all risk.”

Police said the two survivors were being offered support.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade directed inquiries to police.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington City Council could save tens of millions of dollars through cost-cutting, such as reducing staff, according to a new report.

In August, the then-new council chief executive Matt Prosser commissioned independent analysis from Deloitte of the council’s processes, and find opportunities to improve its performance and rates affordability.

That report was revealed on Tuesday afternoon, and highlighted issues such as the council’s aging technology, double-handling and ambiguity around the council’s roles and how it differed from central government.

It said through “right shaping” the council workforce and optimising spending through better governance, contract compliance and strategic sourcing, the council could save up to $79 million over three years.

Prosser said some of Deloitte’s recommendations were at odds with the wishes of the community and decisions previously made by the council.

“It’s important we don’t get ahead of the democratic decision processes at the heart of local government.

“We will critically assess everything in the report against the needs and aspirations of our communities.”

He said in the short-term the council would be focused on finding cost savings and making operational improvements.

“Throughout this process our staff will be kept informed, and we will seek their views on the initiatives raised in the report. As is council’s practice, we will also be engaging with the unions.”

The council had removed 58 roles over the past few months, he said.

“We’ve also kicked off a programme to improve our delivery across a number of areas including contract management, procurement and asset management.”

The report said the council had 330 more staff than it should, based on the number of full time employees per 1000 households.

It found that would result in a 18.5 percent reduction in employees and on an average it would save $33.9 million.

‘A flimsy PowerPoint presentation’ – PSA

PSA national secretary Duane Leo said the report was “fundamentally flawed”.

“This is a flimsy PowerPoint presentation that lacks any depth, rigour or even a basic understanding of what the Council’s role is.

“Hidden in the fine print, the report notes that its assumptions need to be validated and shouldn’t be relied upon for decision-making.”

Leo said it was based on crude benchmarking that ignored Wellington City Council provided services many other councils don’t such as social housing, city housing and addressing homelessness.

He said it also did not include that an extra 22,000 people come into the city every day for work.

“You cannot remove one in five positions without serious impacts. Building consent times will blow out. Libraries will have reduced hours. Parks will be less well maintained. Council has already removed 58 roles this year and staff are stretched thin.”

The Deloitte report made note that the council should make more use of AI for tasks such as triaging general enquiry’s from the public, creating reporting on project management and automate workflows.

Leo said the union was concerned about the proposed use of AI.

“Deloitte is assuming AI can deliver productivity gains of up to 50 percent but they haven’t done the work to show replacing experienced staff with ChatGPT would actually deliver those results.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Several flights to and from Tauranga have been cancelled on Tuesday due to volcanic ash from Whakaari – White Island.

GeoNet has the volcano at Alert Level 3, denoting a minor volcanic eruption, and images show a plume of steam and ash reaching over a kilometre high.

Earth Sciences NZ says it’s normal activity and isn’t suggestive of a larger eruption.

At least seven flights to Tauranga that were scheduled to depart from Auckland Airport have been cancelled throughout the day.

Steam from Whakaari also disrupted flights last week.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6385544673112

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford are set to face questions as they visit a school.

It comes after a turbulent year for the education sector, with the government pushing through numerous changes, including to the curriculum, which have not always gone down well with teachers and principals.

As RNZ reported recently, more changes were in store for 2026, an election year.

Recent headlines include hundreds of schools opposing the government’s changes to how they should regard the Treaty of Waitangi, the Charter School Agency signing a contract with a trust that did not actually exist and the perennial disputes over pay and conditions.

Luxon and Stanford are expected to speak at 1.45pm from Northcross Intermediate in Brown’s Bay, Auckland. Watch it live at the top of this page.

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

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington City Council could save tens of millions of dollars through cost-cutting, such as reducing staff, according to a new report.

In August, the then-new council chief executive Matt Prosser commissioned independent analysis from Deloitte of the council’s processes, and find opportunities to improve its performance and rates affordability.

That report was revealed on Tuesday afternoon, and highlighted issues such as the council’s aging technology, double-handling and ambiguity around the council’s roles and how it differed from central government.

It said through “right shaping” the council workforce and optimising spending through better governance, contract compliance and strategic sourcing, the council could save up to $79 million over three years.

Prosser said some of Deloitte’s recommendations were at odds with the wishes of the community and decisions previously made by the council.

“It’s important we don’t get ahead of the democratic decision processes at the heart of local government.

“We will critically assess everything in the report against the needs and aspirations of our communities.”

He said in the short-term the council would be focused on finding cost savings and making operational improvements.

“Throughout this process our staff will be kept informed, and we will seek their views on the initiatives raised in the report. As is council’s practice, we will also be engaging with the unions.”

The council had removed 58 roles over the past few months, he said.

“We’ve also kicked off a programme to improve our delivery across a number of areas including contract management, procurement and asset management.”

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 judge says the employer of a chef found guilty of sexually harassing young female workers needs a “wake-up call” as the offender continues to be employed at the restaurant.

Sumeer Thapa was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday to four months’ home detention after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of indecently assaulting four women aged between 15 and 18 between 2021 and 2024.

The women worked as servers at Lazeez Mediterranean Grill and assisted with food preparation. For many of them, it was their first job.

“They would come along to work excited by this new step in their lives and happy,” Judge Deidre Orchard said at sentencing.

“Instead, in all instances, they were left with an impact on their self-confidence and not enjoy their work as they hoped to… approaching each workday with trepidation.”

Thapa would make flirtatious and improper comments towards the women, such as calling them “hot”, “sexy” and “baby”.

He told two of the women he wanted to get drunk with them and would buy them alcohol, despite them being underage.

He asked one woman whether she would be his Māori wife, and another to send him “hot pics”. He also asked whether one of the women had sex with her boyfriend.

The harassment was also physical, with the women saying he would touch them on their backs, thighs and buttocks.

While Judge Orchard noted the touching was brief, she said on one or two occasions his hands would linger.

During sentencing, Judge Orchard said Thapa was not a good candidate for rehabilitation because he did not accept that he had done anything wrong.

“He needs to come to terms with the fact that his behaviour does amount to sexual harassment – not just the touching, but obviously the way he speaks to young female employees at all is totally unacceptable.

“He needs to adjust his behaviour because if he doesn’t, he will end up taking the consequences.”

She said his employer, who continued to employ him, needed a “wake-up call”. She said the employer had provided a testimonial to the court.

Judge Orchard said Thapa’s name and the restaurant he works at should be published to protect any potential future workers.

“Youngsters need to know if the places they are choosing to work have somebody working there who has offended in this way against young employees.”

The Crown sought a starting point of 18 months’ imprisonment, however, Judge Orchard adopted a starting point of 12 months.

She gave a significant deduction due to Thapa offering to give emotional harm payments of $1000 to each victim, which must be paid to the victims by the end of the day.

Judge Orchard settled on four months of community detention with a curfew from 10pm to 8am each day due to his work hours.

“I am hopeful this experience will have brought home to you that you need to conduct yourself appropriately in the workplace towards young women,” Judge Orchard said.

Thapa would not be added to the sex offenders’ register.

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