Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: New Zealand Police

Attributable to Canterbury Aoraki Area Commander, Inspector Vicki Walker:

Police, with assistance from Wanaka Alpine Cliff Rescue Team and the Department of Conservation, are working to recover two climbers on Aoraki Mount Cook this morning.

At around 11:20pm last night Police were made aware of four climbers needing assistance on the west side of the mountain.

A helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wanaka and picked up the Wanaka Alpine Cliff Rescue Team, while a helicopter from Dunedin flew straight to the mountain and began searching.

The helicopter from Dunedin located two climbers in the group, who were airlifted from the mountain at around 2.15am.

The two helicopters completed extensive searches throughout the night for the remaining two climbers, as conditions on the mountain were calm and clear, but were unsuccessful.

The two missing climbers were located deceased at around 7am this morning.

The Rescue Coordination Centre continues to be the lead agency, and work continues in a challenging alpine environment, to recover the two remaining climbers.

Police are working to contact next of kin and until that process has been completed, details of the climbers will not be released.

The two climbers who were airlifted last night were uninjured and support is being provided.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has decided not to procure dedicated ocean response capabilities for the Cook Strait after a significant escalation in costs and little clear benefit, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.

The Government allocated $600,000 in Budget 2024 to Maritime NZ to develop a business case for emergency ocean response capability (EORC), focusing on Cook Strait.

Cabinet considered an Indicative Business Case (IBC) in November 2024, and a Detailed Business Case (DBC) in March 2025. The business case proposed procuring (via retainer style contracts) two separate EORC vessels: an EORC vessel based in the Cook Strait that could stabilise a stricken vessel, and a larger EORC vessel that could tow the stricken vessel to a safe harbour (a “two-strike solution”).

“The business case for the EORC noted there have been 23 incidents over the last five years where ready access to EORC may have supported the response. However, all of these incidents were resolved with existing capabilities and vessels of opportunity.

“Overall, while there is clearly risk in the Cook Strait, the risk is small and does not justify the procurement of dedicated EORC. The identified benefits are only realised in the top 1% of incidents, and only if the EORC solution is based close enough with a short enough activation and travel time to reach the scene of the incident. Most of the recorded incidents occurred outside the Cook Strait area, which demonstrates this limitation. The EORC vessel must also be capable enough to provide a successful response to an incident before the situation escalates to a grounding or similar outcome.

“There has also been significant cost escalation for an EORC. The indicative costs to procure the two-strike solution escalated from around $80 million over 10 years at the IBC stage in November 2024, to over $259 million over 10 years at the DBC stage in March 2025. While most of these costs were intended to be paid with the establishment of EORC-specific levies, there would still be significant cost pressures on the Crown to procure an EORC solution, and these levies would be passed onto consumers through higher prices.”

“Put bluntly, the cost to taxpayers is too high for something that’s unlikely to be needed – and unlikely to be useful even if it is.

“The Government is procuring two new Cook Strait ferries, due to enter service in 2029, which have additional safety features including power and propulsion, navigation, communications, fire safety, watertight controls, and critical monitoring. This significantly increases the vessels’ abilities to reach a safe port without external assistance, which further reduces the requirement for an emergency ocean response capability. 

The Government is also ending the contract for the MMA Vision, the ocean-going tugboat stationed in the Cook Strait part-time.

“The MMA Vision was only meant to be a temporary measure until a long-term plan was agreed. Now Cabinet has decided not to proceed with a permanent solution, it’s not commercially viable to keep the MMA Vision under the current agreement. The contract will end in February 2026, saving about $9 million.

“While incidents and mechanical issues can never be completely eliminated, emergency offshore response is just one part of keeping vessels safe. It has become clear that the required level of investment to procure towing capabilities is not cost-effective. We cannot justify government procuring these services, nor can we justify passing these costs on to users via new levies.”

Notes for the editor:

• A proactively released cabinet paper is available on the Ministry of Transport’s website.
• The cost of procuring the MMA Vision is $23,000 per day.
• The MMA Vision did not respond to any incidents involving Cook Strait ferries but did provide a tow to the vessel Golden Mind after it lost its rudder near Stewart Island in September 2025.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 30 November 2023
Last updated 30 November 2023

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This page provides information on the Sector Reference Group (SRG) for the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) Quality Evaluation 2026. 
This page provides information on the Sector Reference Group (SRG) for the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) Quality Evaluation 2026. 

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) established an SRG to provide advice and recommendations to us on operational changes to the design of the Quality Evaluation 2026. The SRG process ran from September 2021 to October 2023.
The SRG’s recommendations were developed as part of a public consultation process. Agreed recommendations formed the basis of the PBRF Quality Evaluation 2026 Guidelines published in November 2023.
SRG Co-chairs
We ran a nomination process for Co-chairs between 14 April and 12 May 2021, and received 19 nominations. We then appointed Professor Wiremu Doherty (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa) and Professor Wendy Larner as Co-chairs.
SRG members
We ran a nomination process for membership between 15 July and 27 August 2021. We received 59 nominations from across the sector. We then appointed to the SRG:

Dr Clive Aspin (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā), Associate Dean Māori, Senior Lecturer in Health, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Maria Baker, Pouwhakahaere Matua CEO, Te Rau Ora
Associate Professor Vaughan Bidois, Executive Director Academic, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Professor Craig Bunt (Te Ātiawa), Professor of Agricultural Innovation, University of Otago
Dr Christine Cheyne, Faculty Research Co-ordinator, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology)
Dr Donna Hendry, PBRF and Publications Manager, University of Otago
Professor Robert Jahnke (Ngāi Taharora, Te Whānau a Iritekura, Te Whānau a Rakairoa o Ngāti Porou), Professor of Māori Visual Arts, Toioho ki Āpiti, Massey University
Professor Bryony James, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato University of Waikato
Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato – Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru), Professor of Māori Research, Director of Ngā Wai ā Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research Centre, Unitec (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology)
Professor Kathryn McPherson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Auckland University of Technology
Dr Sereana Naepi, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, and Co-chair, Royal Society Te Apārangi Early Career Researchers Forum
Professor Steven Ratuva, Director Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury
Professor Karen Scott, Faculty of Law, University of Canterbury
Associate Professor Yvonne Te Ruki Rangi o Tangaroa Underhill-Sem, Pacific Studies, Te Wānanga o Waipapa, Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland
Professor Melinda Webber (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāpuhi, Ngati Kahu), Tumu, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland

SRG Terms of Reference
The first meeting of the Sector Reference Group on 24 September 2021 ratified the Terms of Reference (PDF 651 KB).

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

For user manuals, technical specifications, annual reports and performance information, reporting External Research Income (ERI) and measuring Research Degree Completions, see Resources and publications – PBRF.
Funding mechanism
The responsible Minister(s) issue the PBRF funding mechanism. It sets out the purpose of the fund and gives authority to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to administer the funding.
Funding requirements
Funding is agreed through a tertiary education organisation’s (TEO’s) Investment Plan.
A TEO that receives PBRF funding is required to:

Funding allocation
We use prior performance information to calculate an indicative allocation of PBRF funding for the next calendar year.
The PBRF is a mixed performance-assessment regime that uses both peer review processes and performance measures.
We calculate PBRF allocations based on the performance of eligible TEOs in three components:

the latest Quality Evaluation,
the number of eligible Research Degree Completions, and
the value of External Research Income.

For more information on these components of the Fund, see Performance-Based Research Fund.
Quality Evaluation
The Quality Evaluation part of the funding allocation, which will continue to use results from the 2018 round, is based on the award of funded Quality Categories and subject area weighting of Evidence Portfolios submitted by TEOs. It is calculated relative to:

the funded Quality Category assigned to Evidence Portfolios (EPs), which are A, B, C or C (NE)
the full-time equivalency status of the participating TEO’s PBRF-eligible staff member as recorded in the PBRF Staff Data File, and
the weighting for the subject area to which EPs have been assigned.

For more information, please see the PBRF User Manual (PDF 1.1 MB).
Research Degree Completions
The Research Degree Completions part of the funding allocation is based on a three-year rolling average of a TEO’s research-based postgraduate degree completions, weighted by:

research volume
relative costs of the subject areas
ethnicity, and
completions in Te Reo Māori.

For the definitions and rules on measuring research degree completions, see Resources and publications – PBRF.
External Research Income (ERI)
The ERI part of the funding allocation is based on a three-year rolling average of a TEO’s proportion of total ERI earned, weighted by funding source.
Indicative allocations
The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology’s allocation percentage is based on consolidation of the relevant year data for each of the three funding components for the Institute of Technology and Polytechnic (ITP) it replaces.
An indicative funding allocation may be made to a TEO that later transfers delivery to a transitional or other TEO. In that case, we will engage with the new TEO to transfer and adjust the allocation.
We will adjust the allocation of the provider receiving the largest portion of Research Degree Completions Funding if the final rounded calculations create an over-allocation of the annual funding of the PBRF. We will accept a small difference where funding is under-allocated due to rounded calculations.
For the methodology and technical specifications for calculating the PBRF indicative allocations, see Indicative allocations by year.
PBRF wash-up
For the methodology and technical specifications for the PBRF wash-up, see Funding wash-ups by year.
Funding conditions
The current and historic funding conditions specific to the Performance-Based Research Fund can be found in the yearly Funding Conditions Catalogues. See Funding conditions by year.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are investigating a robbery at a petrol station in Cambridge early today.

At around 6.35am, four people entered the Victoria Street petrol station and jumped over the counter.

Staff deployed the fog cannon but unfortunately the offenders managed to steal the till before leaving.

One of those involved was described as a male with a skinny build, wearing a black face covering, black hoodie and black pants.

Police would like to hear from anyone who has information which could help us identify and locate these four offenders.

If you can help, please contact us via 105 and quote event number 251125/6524.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source: New Zealand Police

Police can now name the child who passed away following a water incident off the coast of Pataua South on 14 November.

He was Jason Paul Wharerau, 11, who resided in Auckland.

Police extend their aroha and condolences to his whānau and friends at this time of deep mamae.

The search for the other missing person from the incident remains ongoing.

With the support of his whānau, Police can also name him today as Ethan Gordon James Neels, 23, of Auckland.

Search and Rescue teams, alongside Coastguard, continue to sweep the moana and shoreline in the hope of bringing Ethan home to his whānau.

Enquiries into this tragic incident continue, and Jason’s death will be referred to the Coroner.

He Kupu Aroha from the whānau of Jason Paul Wharerau:

As the whānau of Jason Paul Wharerau, connected whakapapa, Ngāti Tautahi Te Māhurehure, Te Hikutu, Te Waiariki Ngati Korora, Ngati Hau our hearts are heavy with pouritanga.

We acknowledge with deep gratitude the aroha, tautoko, karakia, and manaaki shown by Te Waiariki, Ngāti Kororā, Ngāti Takapari Hapū Uri Katoa, and the wider Pataua Community, and this local kura Tamaki Primary and our own whānau, Coastgaurd, Search and Rescue, Police, Royal

New Zealand Navy, Surf Lifesaving and to all the resources that helped awhi.

In these moments of darkness, you have been a light that has held us.

Jason was the youngest in his whanau Pōtiki, a precious taonga of our whānau clever, cheeky, loving, and full of wairua.

To us, he carried the spirit, curious, brave, and dearly cherished. His sudden passing has left a gap in our whakapapa that will be felt for generations.

We also hold deep aroha and sorrow for the loss of Ethan Gordon James Neels, who was more than Jason’s brother-in-law.

He was woven into his partners whānau through aroha and whanaungatanga.

Ethan’s partner has suffered the unbearable loss of both her younger brother and her beloved, in one tragic moment.

Our thoughts extend lovingly to Ethan’s whānau.

Their mamae is immense, as they wait with hope to lay their son to rest with dignity, as every parent should be able to do.

E kore e tika kia tanu ngā mātua i ā rātou tamariki.

As parents, we should not be placing our children into the whenua before us.

We ask that Aotearoa holds our whānau gently in your karakia, in your thoughts, and in your hearts as we navigate this profound loss together.

Haere rā e ngā rangatira kōtiro, e ngā puna aroha.

Moe mai rā i te takotoranga tapu.

Haere, haere, haere atu rā.

Statement from the whānau of Ethan Gordon James Neels:

We want to thank all Police, Search and Rescue and Coastguard crews for their ongoing support and assistance.

Thank you also to all the community and Jason’s whānau for their love and support through this time.

It brings us peace that Ethan found love and support from a beautiful whānau.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police