Category: Public Media

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Supermarkets ‘know how far they can push people’: How to get a good deal on Christmas groceries

Source: Radio New Zealand

What surprises does Santa have in store this Christmas? 123RF

Shoppers who look beyond the cheapest price tag might be able to save on their Christmas groceries in supermarkets trying to extract top dollar from them, Consumer NZ says.

Spokesperson Gemma Rasmussen said there was a risk people buying the item with the lowest advertised price might miss out on something that would be cheaper on a per-unit basis.

“We know the supermarkets will be filled with specials like multi-buy deals and member prices as we get closer to the big day – using unit pricing can help you cut through the promotions and figure out the best value.

“Grocery shopping can be stressful and expensive at the best of times. Unit pricing is an easy way to see through all the different brands, quantities and promotional chaos. So, instead of just grabbing the big container of custard, thinking it’s better value, you can check that it really is. You might find you’re paying less per 100g if you buy the smaller container.”

Supermarkets are now required to display a unit price for items as well as the overall package price, to make it easier to compare different sizes.

Rasmussen said Consumer research showed many people found that useful when products came in different sizes or when something was on special and they wanted to work out which size was the most price-effective.

“If you need eggs for whipping up the pavlova, unit pricing will make it easy to see what you’re paying for each egg regardless of whether you’re comparing six-, 10-, 12- or 18-packs.”

Consumer looked at the cost of creating a pavlova at Rasmussen’s local supermarket. The shopping list included eggs, caster sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour and cream.

Eggs can vary in price. Morgane Perraud / Unsplash

“We compared the cost of buying the cheapest and then the cheapest unit price option for each item.

“The cheapest overall picks cost a total of $18.61 and would have been enough to make one pavlova, with a small amount of leftover sugar and plenty of vanilla extract and cornflour to spare.

“When we went for the cheapest unit price items we would have spent more in total, at $37.37, but we would have bought enough produce to make three pavlovas. This version equated to a cost of just under $12.50 per pavlova, with two eggs, sugar, cream, cornflour and vanilla to spare.”

She said shoppers would have a lot of things vying for their attention in the supermarket.

“Maybe you’ve got a lot of things that you need to buy, there’s a lot of pricing and promotional activity that’s happening with signs and the unit pricing is very small.

“So sometimes it can be hard to give your attention to that, but we have heard that 64 percent of New Zealanders have said that unit pricing is helping them.

“Often when we are looking at a product, maybe you’re looking at Weetbix for example, and one packet which is smaller might be on sale and so automatically you think that is a better deal, but if you to look at the unit price of the Weetbix between multiple sizing, you’ll actually be able to see where the best value lies.

“We completely understand that sometimes purchasing more is not cost-effective for families, given how stretched many budgets are particularly around Christmas time, but by looking at the unit pricing, it really does enable you to understand the value of a product and how much you could be paying for that.”

She said supermarkets sometimes made their savings sound better than they were.

“We would really advise people to try and cut out the noise with that type of with the specials and the promotions and to lean on that unit pricing a little.”

She said anyone going to the supermarket at the moment would think there were deals to be had everywhere.

“Supermarkets are really good at creating this feeling of savings and promotions. Supermarkets are experts of customer behaviour and they know the things people are going to be buying around this time of year.

“Obviously there are benefits like things like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries… we get these seasonality benefits where the price of certain items do come down, but I think that those supermarkets’ modus operandi is to get as much money as possible from shoppers, and I think they employ really sophisticated technology in terms of those price points and knowing how far that they can push people, particularly around the festive season.”

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Schools’ spending on cruises, travel, hospitality scrutinised

Source: Radio New Zealand

Stock photo. The auditor-general’s annual report on schools’ 2024 accounts said more schools than the previous year were struggling financially or spent money inappropriately RNZ/ Nick Monro

Auditors have called out schools for spending their money on boat cruises, food for local families and travel for principals – and in some cases their partners.

The auditor-general’s annual report on schools’ 2024 accounts said more schools than the previous year were struggling financially or spent money inappropriately, and many still failed to plan ahead for building maintenance.

The report said 27 schools needed Ministry of Education guarantees for their finances – about four times as many as the previous year.

It said schools needed guidance on “sensitive expenditure” and on planning maintenance for their buildings.

The report said one school board provided so little financial information auditors could not give an opinion on their accounts.

That was the combined board of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa and Te Wharekura Manurewa and applied to their 2021, 2022 and 2023 audits.

“The school board did not retain accounting records and relevant supporting documents to underpin the financial statements,” the report said.

“We also could not obtain evidence that controls over the school’s expenditure and payroll were in place and operating effectively during the years that we were auditing.”

It said auditors highlighted issues in 64 audit reports and at 21 schools this related to use of schools’ $6000-a-year fund for professional coaching and support for principals.

“We drew attention to some spending on personal travel for the principal and, in some instances, companions because there was no clear business purpose for it,” the report said.

“In some instances, there was a lack of documentation or receipts to support the business purpose of the principal’s travel. For most of these, there was a clear business rationale for the travel, but there was additional travel and spending (such as on tourist activities) that appeared to be personal in nature.

“Any personal travel incorporated into business travel should be at no additional cost to the school.”

Some of the larger sums involved included:

  • Glenview School in Hamilton spent $29,458 on trips to Canada, Vietnam, and Samoa that had business purposes but did not provide enough evidence that all the spending had a clear business purpose or was in keeping with expectations about how public funds were used.
  • Fairfield College in Hamilton paid $17,155 for its principal to travel to Alaska and Canada. The travel through Alaska and Canada was for research, but there was not enough evidence that all the spending, including during stopovers in Hawai’i and New York, had a clear business purpose.
  • Haeata Community Campus School paid $18,500 for a trip to Queenstown for professional coaching and well-being for its senior leadership team but did not provide enough evidence that all the spending had a clear business purpose.
  • Maraenui Bilingual School in Napier paid $9086 for the now-former principal to attend a relative’s tangi and $7058 for that principal and a family member to travel to Rarotonga but did not provide enough evidence that the spending had a clear business purpose linked to student outcomes.

The report said the Ministry of Education had developed new guidance and criteria for spending on professional coaching and well-being support which would be published early next year.

Other sensitive spending issues included:

  • Rotorua School’s principal spending $38,882 of school funds on meals and entertainment for 44 students and adults on a trip to the US in 2023 but not providing receipts.
  • Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Mangere spending $35,025 on hospitality and entertainment for staff including “$22,833 on a boat cruise for 45 people and other spending that we consider is neither moderate nor conservative”.
  • Sutton Park School, which spent $11,017 for a staff planning meeting at SkyCity and “distributed $14,227 of food to families of school pupils during the Covid-19 lockdown and gave $4000 of Pak’nSave gift vouchers to families of school pupils for the vaccination drive, which did not have a clear business purpose”.

      • The report said auditors noted some instances where schools broke the law.

      It said two schools met the costs of an international student through a scholarship, even though legislation required schools charge fees that at least covered the costs of tuition and capital facilities.

      Eight schools borrowed more money than they were allowed to and 10 schools breached conflict of interest requirements by entering contracts with board members worth more than $25,000 without the secretary for education’s approval.

      The report said 51 schools did not provide enough evidence about their plans for ongoing maintenance of their buildings.

      The report said some schools did not keep adequate records of community-raised funds or sports fees.

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I accidentally got sunburnt – what should I do?

Source: Radio New Zealand

As more of us head outdoors for beach days, hikes and barbecues, experts are reminding us that sunburn isn’t just uncomfortable — it can cause long-term damage.

Dr Sharad Paul from Skin Surgery Clinic says it can speed up aging, cause pigmentation, and increase your risk of skin cancer.

Dermatology Society spokesperson Dr AJ Seine adds sun damage often starts young.

Dermatology Society’s spokesperson AJ Seine is based in Tauranga at Skin Centre.

Supplied / Wayne Tait Photography

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NZ Cricket CEO Scott Weenink ‘on leave’ as governance spat escalates

Source: Radio New Zealand

NZ Cricket CEO Scott Weenink is understood to be entering mediation over his job. Alan Lee

NZ Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink has stood down from day-to-day duties at the national body amid an ongoing fight for his survival.

RNZ understands Weenink went on leave as of 5pm on Friday ahead of mediation with the NZ Cricket board over his future.

It is understood Paul Wicks KC is advising the board on the process ahead, including the possibility of negotiating an exit agreement with Weenink.

In a statement, NZC’s manager of public affairs Richard Boock denied the national body had started an employment process with Weenink.

“He’s taken some time off to be with his family at the start of the school holidays,” Boock said.

Boock added an agreed date for return had been set for 19 December.

However, sources say Weenink offered to go on leave as his position at NZC has become increasingly untenable as he has been sidelined from attending key events.

“He basically exists in a state of purgatory right now,” said one insider.

Weenink’s sudden absence marks a dramatic escalation in a battle that has been brewing over several months.

RNZ last month reported Weenink was “fighting for his survival” amid a power struggle over the future of the domestic game.

Weenink faced allegations of working to “actively undermine” a bid by a private consortium to establish a new T20 franchise competition – a proposal supported by all six major associations and the NZ Cricket Players’ Association (NZCPA).

All of six of the major NZ Cricket associations are supporting a bid for a new privately-funded T20 league. Photosport

However, several senior cricket figures told RNZ while a proposed private Twenty20 franchise league has been a flashpoint for tensions, the crisis runs far deeper.

According to one source, concern around Weenink’s leadership has been simmering for several months, culminating in a letter sent to the NZ Cricket board on 16 October following a series of meetings between the six major associations.

In that letter, the major association chairs warned the board that the relationship with the CEO had become “irretrievable”, stating the network had lost “respect, trust and confidence” in Weenink.

The source said concerns about Weenink were also raised directly with the NZ Cricket board chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon and later by follow-up letter in July – well before the concept of NZ20 was first pitched to the national body.

It is understood the major associations have obtained independent legal representation from high profile employment lawyer Stephen Langton, who has gone through a process of formally documenting the concerns of each of the regions.

Asked about the issues raised by the major associations over a period of several months, Boock responded: “NZC wouldn’t comment on that type of speculation.”

Martin Snedden, a former CEO of NZ Cricket, was part of a group alleging a “campaign to remove” Weenink as CEO Photosport

Plea to stop ‘playing the man’

While the major associations and NZCPA are keen to divorce the NZ20 from the conversation over Weenink’s leadership, there is a feeling among some in the cricket community that his lack of support for the concept has led to a “campaign to see the CEO removed”.

Last week, a group of four NZC life members wrote to the board chairs and directors of the national body, each of the major associations, the NZCPA and the NZ20 establishment committee to express their “dismay” at the damage caused to cricket’s reputation and leadership of the game as a result of the “growing dysfunction within New Zealand’s cricket family”.

“Currently it appears that the focus on NZ20, and other T20 opportunities, has been somewhat sidelined, as the dysfunction within the NZC board, NZC’s troubles with the MAs and with the NZCPA, and a campaign to see the NZC CEO removed, is publicly laid bare day after day,” said the letter, signed by Sir Richard Hadlee, Lesley Murdoch, Stephen Boock and Martin Snedden.

“We are deeply saddened by and worried about the resulting damage already impacting cricket’s reputation.

“We urge all those involved to stop ‘playing the man’ and, instead, focus solely on ‘playing the ball’.”

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Government to reveal Resource Management Act replacement

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (R) and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The government will release its long-awaited replacement to the Resource Management Act, which the Prime Minister has described as a “game changer” for New Zealand.

Details of exactly what the replacement will look like will be revealed on Tuesday afternoon, but the government has already signalled the RMA will be replaced by two new pieces of legislation.

Both pieces of legislation will have more of a focus on private property rights.

A Planning Act will be focused on regulating the “use, development, and enjoyment” of land, while the Natural Environment Act will be focused on the use, protection, and enhancement of the natural environment.

On Monday, Christopher Luxon said the RMA was “broken” and was the “root cause” of many of New Zealand’s economic challenges.

“Everyone knows that the RMA is broken,” he said.

“It has held us back for 30 years, and it’s turned us into a country that says no far too often. With our government’s new planning system, there will be less talking and filling in forms, and more building, and more growing.”

Luxon said officials had estimated up to 46 percent of consent and permit applications required under the existing RMA could be removed under the new planning system.

Shortly after the coalition came into government it repealed Labour’s replacement of the RMA, which had only passed into law two months before the election.

The Natural and Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act were instead replaced by the old RMA until the coalition could introduce its own replacement.

Despite repealing Labour’s reforms, Luxon said the government had reached out to Labour to seek bipartisanship on its own reforms.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he had a few “informal conversations” with RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop about the legislation.

“I don’t think that this merry-go-round of constant repeal and replace, repeal and replace, repeal and replace, is sustainable,” Hipkins said.

“So if we can find ways to support large parts of what the government are doing, we will do that. If there are areas where we disagree, we’ll be clear on what those areas are. But they won’t necessarily involve a whole other cycle of repeal and replace.”

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Mariameno Kapa-Kingi resolute on her return to Parliament

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi is returning to Parliament for the first time after being temporarily reinstated to Te Pāti Māori. VNP / Phil Smith

MP for Te Tai Tokerau Mariameno Kapa-Kingi is returning to Parliament for the first time after being temporarily reinstated to Te Pāti Māori.

Kapa-Kingi contested her expulsion in court last week and got her membership back in time for the party’s annual general meeting in Rotorua over the weekend.

She told RNZ she wanted to be included in the Māori Party’s weekly caucus meeting, though she was yet to get an invite.

“It makes Parliamentary sense to me to do that and I’ve prepared myself for that but I would expect that a discussion or a reaching out would happen. We’ll see.”

Regardless of getting an invite to the party’s weekly hui, she said she would be showing up and working this week.

“I’ve already had a couple of meetings in terms of the next two weeks. We know that the House is likely to go into urgency because there’s still quite a bit of work to push through.

“I’ll be there as usual, first thing in the morning … and we’ll set ourselves up in that way. I haven’t heard anything from the party, anything formal yet, but I’ll be at the House and ready if any of that comes through.”

Kapa-Kingi said she had received a lot of respect and love at Te Pāti Māori’s AGM over the weekend.

“There was certainly a lot of photo interest and the number of people, I’m talking from across the hui, not just people who I know, but definitely a number from across each of the electorates who were overtly kind, respectful, loving and supportive. They were all of those things directly.

“It didn’t surprise me that a lot of them were women, wahine Māori and wahine Pākehā, that were overtly expressing you know, that sort of ‘good on you Meno’, that kind of thing.”

Expelled Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris wasn’t at the AGM but published an Instagram story at the weekend, saying, “What Te iwi Māori doesn’t need is a political leader driven by UTU’.”

While Kapa-Kingi didn’t have a speaking slot at the hui, she said Dame Naida Glavish spoke on behalf of Tai Tokerau.

“She got really straight and plain in her reo Māori that only Tai Tokerau can take Meno out because it’s Tai Tokerau voters that put her in.”

Kapa-Kingi said Glavish also laid down key messages from a large hui at Kohewhata marae in Kaikohe a few weeks ago.

Te Pāti Māori’s leadership had been invited but did not attend.

“She laid that down very clearly and had the executive hear that. Obviously up to them how they understand it,” Kapa-Kingi said.

Glavish also shared a message from women in Northland about how they thought the Te Tai Tokerau MP had been treated, she said.

“They are absolutely disgusted with the way the president has treated me and the way in which he would address and assault me.

“Their kōrero was you are not suitable to be the president … and that we will persist with our plans for the Tai Tokerau from the voice of people.

“It’s not the executive that runs the people, it’s the people, the voices of the people, that will decide what is best for Tai Tokerau.”

Dame Naida Glavish spoke on behalf of Tai Tokerau at the AGM, Kapa-Kingi said. Lucy Xia

Asked if she thought the executive had understood this message, Kapa-Kingi said it was loud and clear for everyone that was present.

“Naida is very straight. There was nothing grey, no nuance in her kōrero. What they then do with that is yet to be seen.”

Kapa-Kingi said it was too early to say if the party had made any progress at the AGM.

“I haven’t watched or heard [Tamihere’s] discussion after the AGM but there was certainly a lot of contest to the discussion from the front table inside the room.

“There was a lot of contest and questioning and clarification, which is typical actually in an AGM, but there was definitely an edge to this.”

She said she didn’t have any interactions with the party’s president John Tamihere or party co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi over the weekend.

“You need to keep yourself safe, I don’t mean that in a dastardly way, I just mean you need to contain and moderate yourself.

“Naida was very clear, she was very clear with me; Tai Tokerau, I will carry that voice.

“It’s one of the most comforting things when you’ve got a he kahurangi, he rangatira just saying it’s okay, you’ve done your bit, you’ve done the heavy lifting. We’ve already got this decision from court so we’ll take this now.”

Kapa-Kingi said she was looking forward to taking a break over summer and would not change her mind about contesting the Te Tai Tokerau seat next year.

“Not at all. I am as resolute as I was when we first made the decisions to move a particular way and in fact I’m as resolute as I was when Tariana asked me to run.

“Of course there’s ups and downs and life is always present and this situation now, but I’m as resolute as I was then and I’m determined.”

She wanted those in her electorate to take a break over summer too.

“Keep connected to the idea that by Māori, for Māori, and all those things Māori that you value, those are still the things that in my heart our party is about.

“Fundamentally, tikanga is critical, te reo is critical, your connections to your marae and all of those very deeply traditional Māori things are critical.

“So connect, reconnect over Christmas with everybody that you love, care about and want to spend time with and just focus on those things because there’s a lot to come in the next year.”

A substantive hearing into Kapa-Kingi’s future in Te Pāti Māori will be heard in the High Court in Wellington on 2 February 2026.

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Childcare company removes detergent from centres after children chemically burned

Source: Radio New Zealand

Seven people were taken to hospital after a dishwasher chemical was mistakenly used on a children’s slip and slide in Woolston. Nathan McKinnon / RNZ

The childcare company responsible for children suffering chemical burns has removed the detergent that caused the injuries from all of its centres.

Seven people, including five children, were taken to Christchurch hospital after a dishwasher chemical was mistakenly used on a children’s slip and slide at Kindercare in Woolston.

In a letter to parents, Kindercare said additional supplies of the detergent had been removed from its centres.

The provider said it was investigating alternatives to the chemical.

In a statement, Kindercare said the centre reopened on Monday morning.

“We are overwhelmed at the trust families have placed in us, despite Friday’s incident, and we are encouraged to see that all of the children who attended hospital on Friday, have returned to our care today. We will continue supporting our families and team.

“Our investigation is underway and we’re committed to working cooperatively with WorkSafe and the Ministry of Education through this process.”

Kindercare said it would not be making further public comment until the investigation had concluded.

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Firefighters fear wind change could cause 322ha Tongariro blaze to flare up

Source: Radio New Zealand

Firefighters are battling another blaze in Tongariro National Park. Supplied / Shane Isherwood

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) fears a wind change forecast for Tuesday morning at Tongariro National Park could cause flare-ups, as it battles a major blaze.

Crews have been at the site overnight.

The fire started on Monday – one month after a blaze covering almost 3000 hectares ripped through the park.

FENZ Incident Controller, Assistant Commander Renee Potae, said the latest fire had burned 322ha of alpine vegetation and was 50 percent contained on Monday night.

“Fortunately, the fire has moved towards the area which was burnt last month, and this has enabled the aircraft to contain the southern flank of the fire.”

But she said the wind change could push the fire into unburnt vegetation.

Fire crews from across the country are on standby to help.

Alpine Crossing closed

The Department of Conservation (DoC) has closed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing as firefighters battle the blaze.

In a statement, the DoC said it had cancelled bookings for Mangatepopo Hut, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and the Tongariro Northern Circuit on Tuesday as a precaution.

It also suggested visitors should leave the Whakapapa Village area for their safety.

DoC said it was not aware of any structural damage, but anticipated significant impacts on biodiversity in the affected area.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for mana whenua, Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, said the fire had been deeply felt across the hapū.

“Tongariro is our living ancestor – the foundation of our whakapapa, and the spiritual and cultural heart of Ngāti Hikairo. To see fire return to this area so soon after the last major event is emotionally heavy for our people.”

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‘That man ruined my connection with my family’, sexual abuse trial hears

Source: Radio New Zealand

Michael Ian Mclean in court. RNZ / Finn Blackwell

A man who befriended a boy at a campground became a close family friend while sexually abusing the boy into his teenage years, the Crown says.

Michael Ian Mclean, 58, faces 33 charges, including performing indecent acts on a person under 16, grooming, and sexual violation, and has pleaded not guilty.

‘It was crushing’ – family torn apart by secret

On Monday afternoon, the Auckland District Court watched a video statement taken from the victim, who can not be named.

In it, he spoke about the harm his relationship with Mclean had caused.

He said keeping the secret from his family tore them apart.

“That man ruined my connection with my family,” he said

“Once I finally told them, it was crushing.”

The victim said Mclean was the manager of the Glen Innes Swimming pools and YMCA.

He said what happened had left him with serious mental health issues.

“It damaged me so much mentally, it caused me a million more bad things than good, and I wish I could’ve just stayed a bit more innocent and live my childhood, and not have to keep a secret from my parents for seven-plus years.”

The victim said he and Mclean had been close to getting caught a number of times.

Court hears openings from lawyers

In her opening address to the jurors, Crown prosecutor Liesel Seybold said Mclean initially exchanged nude photos with the 12-year-old boy after meeting him and his family at a campground in 2015.

“He would tell [the victim] to delete the chats, and even check his phone to make sure that it was all deleted,” Seybold said.

Seybold said Mclean began touching the boy and they would see each other over the years, with Mclean becoming a close family friend.

The sexual abuse continued as the boy became a teenager, Seybold said.

It was not until the victim’s mother’s birthday party two years later when someone saw the victim stroking Mclean’s crotch, with Mclean doing nothing to stop it, Seybold said.

The guest raised it with his parents, going so far as to ask if Mclean could be trusted.

Mclean’s lawyer Ron Mansfield KC urged the jurors to treat the allegations they had heard as exactly that.

“There are 33 charges, but you’d need not get too caught up in that because this man says that those allegations are nonsense,” Mansfield said.

“They didn’t happen, and they could not have happened.”

Mansfield told jurors Mclean himself would give evidence later in the trial.

He cautioned the jury about jumping to conclusions.

Earlier, Judge Simon Lance warned the jury about misconceptions surrounding sexual crimes.

“Research shows that widely held assumptions about how frequently sexual offending occurs, and when, where, and against whom it occurs, are usually incorrect, and do not reflect the reality of sexual offending,” he said.

“It’s therefore important for you to know that there is no such thing as typical sexual offending, a typical sexual offender, or a typical victim of sexual offending.”

Judge Lance said sex offences could happen in a variety of circumstances.

The trial continues.

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Man dumps home insurance over Tower Insurance’s sea surge assessment

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tower Insurance says the high sea surge risk rating reflected the likelihood of flooding through nearby water systems. File photo. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A Christchurch man has ditched his home insurance after his premiums went up by more than 30 percent a year – or by $1000 – based on new risk pricing.

Tower Insurance has taken into account the risk of sea surge and landslips for the Burwood home, as well as earthquakes and flooding.

But Trevor Taylor says his home is several kilometres from the sea, and he can not understand Tower’s sea surge assessment.

He has challenged that assessment, but said the insurer will not budge.

Taylor has asked to the see the evidence used to assesses his property, but Tower has refused to release specific information.

Taylor told Checkpoint he thought the odds of him being caught up in a sea surge were close to zero.

“They are doubling down and saying ‘no, I am at risk here’ and I just think it’s a load of rubbish.

“If you actually look at the journey where the water would have to go, it’s actually quite ridiculous.”

Taylor said he had done his own research into the journey the sea surge may take to get to his property.

He said it involved the water travelling up an estuary and a river, bursting through stop banks, and travelling uphill past houses before it reached his home.

While Tower had told him that its risk assessment was based off close to 200 million data points, Taylor was sure his own research negated some of the company’s findings.

“I’ve done a bit of my own research and according to the Ministry of Environment, storm surges rarely exceed 0.6 metres on open coasts around New Zealand.”

The Ministry of Environment noted that surges can be higher in some estuaries and harbours, with the largest recorded a 0.9 metre storm surge in Kawhia Harbour in May 2013.

Taylor said he thought Tower was overestimating the risks.

He said he had filed a Privacy Act request, asking for all the information Tower had on his property, but was refused based on the grounds it was commercially sensitive.

“I’d actually like someone from Tower to get out of their ivory tower in Auckland and come down and we’ll drive around and have a look and I can just show them how ridiculous it is.”

Taylor said he felt there was a disconnect between Environment Canterbury, the council and government agencies, as he struggled to find a uniform set of data to base the risks upon.

“I think risk pricing is fair, the thing is, I think they’re actually making up the risk.”

He said a government body should have a responsibility of investigating risk assessments by insurance companies if people felt they were wrong.

“The government or local councils can work together and then they could figure out ways to mitigate these hazards.”

Tower said in a statement that the high sea surge risk rating given to Taylor’s property reflected the likelihood of his flooding through nearby water systems, including the Avon River, Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park and Horseshoe Lake.

“If a storm coincides with high tides, water levels can rise, and waterways can carry water many kilometres inland, causing flooding during a sea surge event. Our assessment is consistent with the Christchurch City Council’s flood map which notes the property as being in the council’s flood hazard management area, with a one in 200-year flood risk.”

Tower said fewer than 10 percent of properties with higher sea surge or landslide risks would see an increase in the natural hazards portion of their premiums. A third of those would see a premium increase of less than $100 a year, and the majority would be less than $300 a year.

“For some customers with significantly higher risks, the natural hazards portion of the premium will increase by more.”

Tower would not release detailed data because “it would not help customers understand the risks”.

“For example our sea surge model considers a range of different historical and possible tidal heights within storm scenarios – sharing this detailed data would not help customers understand their risks. It is also commercially sensitive. Instead, we simplify this information into a risk rating, which represents our evaluation of the insurance risk for a property based on this data.”

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