Source: New Zealand Police
Police can now name the man who died in a fatal crash on State Highway 3 near Sanson on 18 September.
He was 34-year-old Brook Paul Morgan, from Marton.
Police offer our sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash remain ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
Source: Radio New Zealand
Images of those who died in relation to the cyclone are on display in the courtroom. RNZ / Alexa Cook
The man in charge of the emergency response during Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay was worried about putting people in danger if he issued an evacuation alert earlier, a coronial inquiry has heard.
The acting group controller for Civil Defence in Hawke’s Bay has explained why he did not issue an emergency evacuation alert to residents earlier in the night.
He said there was a lack of information and it was hard to get a reliable picture of what was happening due to the darkness, so they agreed the best option was for people to “shelter in place”.
Lennan admitted he was “aware that there were significant gaps” in his “situational awareness”. He feared that issuing an EMA “was the more dangerous course of action”.
His reasoning was that an EMA would not be any help to people already experiencing significant flooding or anyone who had climbed onto their roofs, and worried it may lead to people putting themselves into danger by trying to drive when there was a risk of slips, falling trees and being trapped in floodwaters.
“I considered that it was possible that the last safe moment to evacuate may have already passed, without anyone involved in the emergency response realising that was the case,” said Lennan.
The entire Esk Valley began filling with fast flowing floodwaters during the storm. Supplied / NZDF
Last month the inquest heard from the hydrologist in charge of flood forecasting during the deadly Cyclone, who could not explain why it took two hours for him to tell Civil Defence about a failure with the river level monitoring equipment due to a power outage.
The third week of the Hawke’s Bay phase of the inquest began this morning with Land Search and Rescue capability and development manager Edaan Lennan giving evidence.
When Cyclone Gabrielle struck the region on 13 February 2023, Lennan was employed by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) in Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (HBCDEM) Group Emergency Management Office.
Because the main group controller for civil defence, Ian Macdonald, was away on leave during the cyclone, he put Edaan Lennan and Iain Maxwell into the top role in his absence.
An EMA (Emergency Mobile Alert), was not issued for Esk Valley until 5:19am on 14 February, by which time two people had already drowned and many more residents were clutching onto their rooftops, desperately hoping to be rescued.
Damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay RNZ/ Alexa Cook
Lennan told the court that at some point between 3am and 3.30am on 14 February, he held an emergency style meeting with local civil defence controllers and the emergency services to decide what to do next.
The decision was made not to issue an EMA at that point. Although the coroner’s lawyer Nick Whittington pointed out that an email at 2.10am from the hydrologist clearly told civil defence the Esk River was at the highest level ever recorded.
“Is that not a clear indication that what ever it looks like out there… the predictions are out the window?
“Was there no consideration of sending an EMA at this point?” asked Whittington.
“Not that I recall”, said Lennan.
Lennan said “you wouldn’t want to send an EMA without understanding what was happening on the ground”, but Whittington disagreed. He queried whether residents could have been sent a message about the record river levels.
“Isn’t this a wake up call? Don’t they need to be alerted to the fact this is going on?” said the lawyer.
Lennan agreed they could have possibly issued the mobile alert earlier to inform residents about the situation, but he also believes evacuating people in the middle of the night could have put people in harm’s way.
Edaan Lennan giving evidence in the Cyclone Gabrielle Coronial Inquiry RNZ / Alexa Cook
A state of emergency was not declared until about 4am on 14 February, and Whittington questioned Lennan about whether there was a link between civil defence waiting for an emergency declaration before issuing an EMA.
Lennan was hesitant to say if that was the case, instead pointing to the risk of issuing too many emergency mobile alerts, saying it can cause anxiety and result in a less responsive public response.
“You can create a lot of harm to society in over-alerting… or create independence on an alerting system,” he said.
Whittington pressed him further, asking if civil defence has a pre-conceived view that a mobile alert should only come after a declaration of emergency.
“It’s something I’ve thought about… I don’t personally think I had that pre-conception,” said Lennan.
On 13 February there were about 30 people in the Group Emergency Coordination Centre, but by about 10pm most of those staff had gone home or were heading home.
Lennan said they had “skeleton staff” overnight, which included himself and several liaison officers from different emergency services.
Whittington asked Lennan why there were not more staff working overnight, when the cyclone was expected to intensify.
Floodwaters in Esk Valley. Supplied
Lennan explained the complications behind using council staff for civil defence jobs.
“There are challenges with staff personal circumstances and the human factors as well, with asking, say a person employed to be a librarian – to then come in and work in an emergency coordination centre,” he said. Lennan said finding people who were willing and able to pick up civil defence shifts could be tough, for example they may have whanau or animals they need to look after, or childcare challenges.
“It’s not only that we couldn’t find people for overnight, but also that we wanted to be a bit strategic with our rest period, send people home so we could get them back early the next day,” said Lennan.
Whittington asked Lennan whether the issue of finding enough civil defence staff was a persistent issue that had never been solved.
“It’s been a continual known challenge in Hawke’s Bay and across the country,” said Lennan.
Coroner’s lawyer Nick Whittington questioning Edaan Lennan RNZ / Alexa Cook
Lennan was also questioned about a conversation with Hawke’s Bay area commander Inspector Lincoln Sycamore, in which he requested extra army unimogs to be sent from the New Zealand Defence Force’s Linton base.
Whittington said this conversation took place on Sunday, 12 February, but Lennan said he doesn’t recall it.
“I only remember talking to him once on a Friday, nothing on the Sunday.”
Whittington said Sycamore wanted extra unimogs in the region in case the cyclone struck with greater intensity than forecast.
Sycamore’s witness statement said Lennan told him that it was not necessary.
“I would like to think I was not dismissive to the head of police in Hawke’s Bay… doesn’t sound like the type of person I’d like to be,” said Lennan.
In his evidence, Lennan stated that Civil Defence was not authorised to deploy police resources.
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: New Zealand Police
Electric dirt bikes are creating serious concerns for Police, with the vehicles featuring in a growing number of crashes and cases of illegal riding.
In most instances, the bikes, which can exceed 80kmh, are required to be registered. That comes as a shock to many of the riders who Police speak to, says Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter, the Area Road Policing Manager for Western Bay of Plenty.
“We’ve seen people riding dangerously and crashes involving pedestrians and vehicles, and people need to realise that just because these dirt bikes are electric, it doesn’t mean they are allowed on the road.”
“Ignorance won’t protect you from fines or having your dirt bike confiscated, and Police are routinely stopping riders on electric dirt bikes to make sure both the bike and the rider are compliant with the law.”
It comes as the vehicles gain popularity.
“We’re now dealing with roughly four cases involving electric dirtbikes a week and people have been hurt. Currently one e bike has been impounded for dangerous riding and the cost to retrieve the e bike after the 28 days impound was $900.
“Two others have received injuries after colliding with cars and numerous riders have received infringements. If you have one of these bikes, you need to know where you can and can’t ride it, the same responsibilities as any motorist.”
You need a valid driver’s licence if:
The bike needs a Warrant of Fitness and registration if:
Electric dirt bikes are not bicycles if:
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Radio New Zealand
A huge wildfire in Tongariro National Park is expected to have significant impacts on biodiversity.
The large fire on the Central Plateau broke out on Saturday afternoon, triggering evacuations of trampers and residents, including Whakapapa Village.
Firefighters have been battling the fire for three days, which has since grown to over 2800 hectares.
Here’s how it unfolded in pictures:
A view of the fire from Tongariro Crossing. RNZ / Hamish Cardwell
Tongariro on Saturday, a few hours after the fire broke out. Supplied/ Liz Brooker
The fire in Tongariro National Park as the sun starts to set on Saturday evening. Supplied / David Golding
Tongariro on Saturday 8 November 2025, a few hours after the fire broke out. Kristina Montgomerie / @kristinamonts
The fire in Tongariro National Park, on the night of Saturday 8 November, 2025. Supplied
A huge amount of smoke obscures Tongariro as a wildfire continues to rage into Sunday morning. RNZ / Hamish Cardwell
A number of helicopters with monsoon buckets and planes are fighting the blaze in Tongariro National Park. RNZ / Hamish Cardwell
A view of the Tongariro wildfire taken from SH48. RNZ / Hamish Cardwell
Smoke from the huge Tongariro National Park fire behind the historic Chateau Tongariro on Sunday 9 November 2025. Supplied / Dean Buckeridge
The Tongariro fire as seen from near the summit of Mt Ruapehu. Supplied / Max Rayner
The Tongariro fire as seen from near the summit of Mt Ruapehu. Supplied / Max Rayner
Firefighters have been battling the blaze for three days. RNZ/Dan Jones
Officials provide an update on the fire, confirming it has spreads to nearly 3000 hectares. RNZ/Dan Jones
Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton says it’s been a stressful few days for his community. RNZ/Dan Jones
Firefighters continue to battle the Tongariro National Park wildfire on Monday. Fire and Emergency NZ
An aerial view of the fire on Monday. Fire and Emergency NZ
An aerial view of the fire on Monday. Fire and Emergency
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: New Zealand Government
Christchurch City Council has met its Housing Growth Target and is therefore able to withdraw part of Plan Change 14, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.
“Christchurch City Council’s Plan Change 14 (PC14) was notified in March 2023, and was designed to update the city’s planning rules to reflect national housing and urban development direction.
“In particular, PC14 incorporated the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) and requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD), aiming to make it easier to build more homes across the city.
“Like Auckland, Christchurch argued strongly that the one-size-fits-all approach of the MDRS wasn’t the right approach. In August, Parliament passed the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes Bill) allowing Christchurch to withdraw PC14, provided the Council could prove they had provided for 30 years of sufficient feasible housing capacity, with a 20 per cent contingency margin.
“Based on advice from officials, including two peer reviews provided by the Council from Urbanomics and Sense Partners, I have decided that the Council has met this requirement.
“Christchurch City Council has confirmed its housing plan provides for future growth, with modelling showing plan enabled feasible housing capacity for at least 68,200 homes, exceeding the 65,640 homes needed to meet the statutory requirement for 30 years of adjusted demand.
“Christchurch is a vibrant, fast-growing city that’s booming with energy and opportunity.
“People are flocking to Christchurch for the lifestyle, the jobs, the culture, and the buzz of a city that’s really coming into its own. With the new Te Kaha stadium nearing completion, thriving universities, and the vibrant city centre hospitality scene, Christchurch needs more homes in the right places to keep pace with its growth.
“Freeing up land for development by removing unnecessary planning barriers is essential to increasing housing supply. The evidence is clear that more housing capacity leads to more homes being built, which helps bring down rents and make housing more affordable. The Council has delivered on this, and it’s a great result for the city.
“Ministerial decisions are still pending on two heritage sites, Antonio Hall and Daresbury, and a special character area around Piko Crescent. These will be considered in the coming months.”
Editor’s note:
PC14 was introduced by the Council in March 2023 to give effect to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD) and implement the medium density residential standards (MDRS).
The Minister’s decision-making process is set out in clause 11, Schedule 3C of the RMA: Schedule 3C Alternative intensification provisions for Auckland and Christchurch
The Council notified PC14 in March 2023. Public submissions on the proposals were sought between March and May 2023, with an Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) holding hearings in October and November 2023, and April 2024. The IHP presented its decisions to the Council on 29 July 2024.
The Council completed the parts of PC 14 that implemented the NPS-UD on 2 December 2024.
Source: Radio New Zealand
Pharmac needs to act quickly on the RSV vaccine to ensure it is ready for next winter, say experts. SERGII IAREMENKO/Science Photo Library via AFP
A “game-changer” immunisation that could save thousands of babies from a potentially deadly lung infection is sitting in the hands of Pharmac, according to respiratory health experts.
Pharmac’s Immunisation Advisory Committee met last week to discuss the funding application for nirsevimab to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, as well as one for Arexvy, which is already licensed RSV vaccine for adults aged 60 and older.
Asthma and Respiratory Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding said the potential approval of nirsevimab could be “a game-changer” – particularly for Māori and Pacific communities.
“This is the progress we’ve been waiting for.
“RSV hospitalises thousands of children every year, and this treatment has the potential to prevent many of those admissions.”
But Pharmac needed to act quickly to ensure it was ready for next winter, she said.
“We can’t afford delays if we want to save lives of some of our most vulnerable.
“We’re urging decision makers to prioritise funding so that New Zealand infants can benefit as soon as possible.”
Another preventative medicine (Palivizumab) is already available for high-risk babies and young children but requires monthly hospital visits for injections.
Nirsevimab can be given by GP clinics, pharmacists or midwives and a single injection protects against RSV for five or six months.
gives protection over the entire RSV “season”.
It is a monoclonal antibody, which gives passive immunity rather than stimulating the immune system to make its own antibodies, like a vaccine.
Foundation medical director Professor Bob Hancox said the opportunity to introduce a more effective and accessible RSV immunisation was “a critical step for child health”.
“RSV is one of the most common and serious respiratory infections in infants, and it places enormous strain on our hospitals every winter.
“This new treatment could dramatically reduce hospitalisations and health inequities,” he said.
RSV immunisation is used in 40 other countries, and data shows it can cut RSV hospitalisations among babies by up to 90 percent.
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: New Zealand Transport Agency
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has revoked 440 commercial driver licences following the discovery of fraudulent activity.
The licences have been revoked after the discovery of false or altered documentation provided by individuals converting overseas licences to New Zealand licences.
Inconsistencies in the documents provided during the conversion process were discovered during an audit undertaken by NZTA in July 2025.
Deputy Director of Land Transport Mike Hargreaves says the licences have been revoked following a thorough investigation of issues identified during the audit.
“We have systems in place to identify, investigate and respond to suspected fraudulent activity and we will act swiftly when we find it by holding people to account,” Mr Hargreaves says.
NZTA is in the process of contacting the affected individuals advising that their licences have been revoked and must be surrendered.
Providing false or misleading information as part of driver licence application is an offence under the Land Transport Act 1998, punishable by an infringement fine of up to $750.
Source: Radio New Zealand
Mitchell Santner. Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz
The fourth T20 international between the Black Caps and West Indies has been wiped out by rain in Nelson.
There were just 6.3 overs played before rain took hold at Saxton Oval and didn’t abate enough for a return to the field.
The Black Caps lead the series 2-1, with the final match due to be played in Dunedin on Thursday afternoon.
Play was first halted after five overs, with the West Indies 30 for none after Mitch Santner won the toss for the Black Caps and decided to bowl.
Drizzly weather turned to steady rain and the players retreated to the pavilion.
There was a break in the weather a short time later but they only managed 1.3 overs before the rain returned. In that time the West Indies progressed to 38 but lost the wicket of Alick Athanaze who skied a delivery from Jimmy Neesham, and Daryl Mitchell took the catch.
The players were fated not to return and the skippers shook hands with the decision to abandon the match at 4.08pm.
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
NZTA is in the process of contacting the individuals involved. 123RF
The New Zealand Transport Agency has discovered and revoked 440 fake commercial driver licensees.
NZTA said they discovered false or altered documentation that converted overseas licences to New Zealand licences.
The discovery was made in an audit during the “conversion process” in July 2025.
“We have systems in place to identify, investigate and respond to suspected fraudulent activity and we will act swiftly when we find it by holding people to account,” deputy director of land transport Mike Hargreaves said.
NZTA is in the process of contacting the individuals involved.
Providing false or misleading information as part of driver licence application is an offence under the Land Transport Act 1998, punishable by an infringement fine of up to $750.
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 group of Wellington students has turned a page on history, moving some of the last books into the capital’s redeveloped central Library.
Te Matapihi has been closed since 2019 after it was deemed earthquake-prone.
Following years of construction, the library is set to reopen in March next year. Now, its shelves are starting to be filled once again with books, thanks to the helping hands of 50 students from Rongotai College.
About 10am on Monday, a queue of boys snaked outside the library as they lined up behind a red Crown moving truck ready to slide boxes of books to the students.
The human train walked back into the building and up its three levels to where empty bookshelves and librarians were waiting for them.
It harkened back to when students from the same school moved books into the old city library in 1940.
Rongotai College Deputy Principal Geoff Hall told RNZ they had just 45 minutes to move the books.
“I’d be more than happy for it to go on a little bit longer than that, I think it is really good that these boys are giving back to the community as much as anything.
“And every time I suppose they shift a book, they feel that story.”
Hall said it was great to context with the school’s past 85 years on.
“We have got our centenary in two years’ time, so it is sort of a good way to kick start that I think.”
Wellington City Council head of Creative Capital Gisella Carr told RNZ the event links the past with the present.
“As we said to the boys this morning, in 85 years’ time through our archival function those future schoolboys will be looking at pictures of these schoolboys.”
Carr said every inch of the building has been redesigned with the public in mind.
“We are standing on the floor now where there is 30 percent more public space available so it is amazing.”
She said alongside the books the library would offer a range of services such as recording studios for bands and podcasters and a green screen for film makers.
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little helped out the students by bringing a box of books into the space.
Little told RNZ it was his first time seeing the library fully fitted out after it shut in 2019.
“Seeing it like this yeah, just stunning it is actually just amazing.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand