Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Gwenaёlle Chollet, Journalism Student

Some pets will be allowed on public transport at off-peak times in Christchurch and the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts from Monday.

Small pets will need to be in a carrier that fits on passengers’ laps or under the seat in front of them, while small dogs can be on a lead with a basket-type muzzle.

Pets will not be allowed on seats and only one carrier or dog will be permitted per person over the age of 16, along with several other conditions.

Off-peak hours are weekdays between 9.00am and 3.00pm and after 6.30pm, and all-day on weekends and public holidays.

Canterbury Regional Council public transport general manager Stewart Gibbon said people travelling with pets might be refused entry or asked to get off a bus if their pet was a nuisance or safety risk.

“Our drivers do an incredible job of keeping our services running and we ask customers to be respectful to our drivers as they navigate this change,” he said.

Pet-owners were responsible for any mess and were obliged to clean it up before getting off the bus.

Aucklanders had been allowed pets on public transport under similar regulations since 2023 following a three-month trial on trains in 2019, and shorter trials for small and large dogs on buses in 2022 and 2023.

Wellington has allowed pets to travel on buses, trains and ferries since 2018.

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

Friends fishing in Northland’s Bream Bay were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, when a huge humpback whale leapt from the sea just 50 metres from their boat.

Michele Adams, her husband and another couple were returning from a morning’s fishing trip at the Hen and Chicken Islands last Sunday, when they saw the water churning.

They pulled in their lines and were motoring closer to investigate, when the whale burst from the sea in a mighty leap.

“He was enormous, at least twice the size of the boat,” she said. “He was jumping out of the water and flapping his fins all over the place.

“He was showing off and putting on an amazing performance.”

The boat was seven metres, making the whale about 14 metres long – the size of an adult humpback.

“It was amazing, awesome and unforgettable,” Adams said. “It was so cool – that’s the only way to explain it.

“We were lucky enough to have been able to take pictures.”

After the breaching display, the whale cruised slowly away down Bream Bay.

Adams, who had a home at Langs Beach, said she had visited Bream Bay for more than 40 years.

While dolphins and smaller whales were often seen in the bay, this was the first time she had seen a humpback.

Adams said the humpback sighting highlighted her concerns about a proposed sand-mining project off Bream Bay.

Auckland company McCallum Brothers have applied for consent, through the fast-track process, to dredge more than eight million cubic metres of sand from the Bream Bay over the next 35 years.

A decision on the consent has yet to be made.

Adams said her family was concerned sand mining could drive away the seals, large stingrays and dolphins she was used to seeing in the Bay.

“We’re all into diving and fishing,” she said. “My son’s a dive instructor, so we understand the value of the ocean and we respect it.”

She had shared the photos of her humpback encounter with the Bream Bay Guardians, a group campaigning against sand mining, to highlight what she saw as a serious threat to the bay’s natural environment.

Humpbacks were once a common sight, as they migrated past New Zealand’s east coast twice a year – northwards in winter to breed and give birth in the tropics, and southwards in October to December to feed in rich Antarctic waters.

The whaling industry of the 18-20th centuries turned humpback sightings into a rarity.

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

Waikato police are seeking information from the public after an alleged shooting left a man with serious injuries.

Police were called to a property on Sapphire Place in Chartwell, at about 11.50pm on Thursday to reports a man had been shot.

Police said they found a 37-year-old with gunshot wounds, who was taken to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition.

He remained in hospital in a stable state, police said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Reece Durston said police believed it was a targeted incident.

They were asking the public for any information about the incident and for any CCTV footage from the area around Sapphire Place from Thursday night.

The investigation team were currently looking for two cars – one red and one white – that were in the area at the time of the incident, Durston said.

“We believe they may have been travelling in convoy in the area and can assist us in our enquiries.”

A scene examination remains ongoing, and there would be additional police in the area around Sapphire Place, he added.

Information can be sent to police either online or over the phone on 105 by quoting the file number, 251128/8530.

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

The wife of a guide who died while climbing Aoraki Mt Cook says his death has left an ache in the hearts of those who knew him.

Wānaka-based guide Thomas Vialletet and American lawyer Kellam Conover were roped together climbing from Empress Hut to the summit when they died on Monday night.

Two other members of the climbing party who survived were flown from the mountain early on Tuesday morning, while the bodies of Vialletet and Conover were recovered later in the day.

Danielle Vialletet said her husband was a kind, steady and deeply genuine person whose love for the mountains was matched only by his devotion to his family.

“Thomas fell deeply in love with Aotearoa’s mountains and culture, carrying them alongside his strong French heritage. He brought the best of both worlds into his guiding: the warmth and humour of his French roots, and the deep respect he developed for the New Zealand backcountry.

“His high standards, professionalism and the craftsmanship of his French guiding style enriched the New Zealand guiding scene and left a mark on everyone who had the chance to work or climb with him.”

The couple owned mountain and ski guiding company Summit Explorers and have two young children.

Vialletet and the Summit Explorers team said he touched countless lives with his generosity, warmth and quiet strength.

A Givealittle page set up to support the family has raised more than $110,000 dollars.

Conover was a Stanford Law School graduate who lived in Washington DC and worked for international law firm King & Spalding.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have made further arrests in attempts to dismantle an international organised crime syndicate smuggling Class A drugs through Auckland Airport.

Twenty search warrants were carried out across the Auckland region on Thursday by the National Organised Crime Group and Customs, with eight associates from the Brotherhood 28 MC gang arrested – including its president.

They were charged with 170 separate drug offences.

Detective Inspector Tom Gollan said since the beginning of the year, police had seized two consignments of drugs, totalling 630kg of methamphetamine worth $220 million, and 112kg of cocaine worth $50.4m, as part of Operation Matata.

During Thursday’s warrants police also seized $50,000 in cash, multiple rounds of ammunition, along with jewellery and electronic devices.

None of those arrested in this week’s search warrants were baggage handlers, but facilitators and controllers sitting over the top of the syndicate, Gollan said.

Since February, there had been 43 arrests in total, 20 of which were baggage handlers employed by baggage handling companies operating at Auckland Airport.

Police have been working in collaboration with.. Homeland Security Investigations in the US, police liaison officers in other countries, and NZ Customs.

Customs investigations manager Dominic Adams said the operation sent a strong message that attempts to exploit positions of privilege would be targeted and stopped.

“New Zealand’s high volume of legitimate trade and travel creates opportunities for criminal infiltration,” he said.

“This is not a new method used by transnational syndicates – it has been an issue around the world for several years – we are not immune to it.

“Every day, our teams work nationally and internationally to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen New Zealand’s border.”

Auckland Airport head of terminal operations Richard Deihl said: “These latest arrests demonstrate the strong and effective collaboration between police, Customs and the airport community to disrupt the global drugs trade and prevent harmful substances from reaching our community.

“Everyone in the airport system, from airlines to ground handlers and the airport company itself, is united in our commitment to stamp out drug trafficking at the border.”

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 year after criticising the government’s rushed procurement process for the Gumboot Friday mental health initiative, the auditor-general now says the contract is being managed properly and in line with good practice.

The public spending watchdog on Friday released its response to Labour MP Ingrid Leary, who last month asked it to investigate whether the Ministry of Health’s deal with the I Am Hope charity was delivering value for money.

The auditor-general said its recent audit work had concluded that the ministry’s handling of the contract was sound.

“Overall, the review found that the contract was being managed appropriately against its terms and in accordance with good practice.”

Under the arrangement, those aged 25 and under can book free counselling services through the Gumboot Friday platform run by I Am Hope, founded by comedian Mike King.

The audit found the ministry had developed a contract management plan, was receiving regular reports on counsellor numbers and sessions delivered, and had clearly defined payment milestones.

No complaints about the service had been lodged with the ministry to date.

Both the mental health minister and director-general of health also received a full review of the scheme’s performance before deciding to renew the contract in July.

As a result, the watchdog said it would not launch a further investigation unless new information came to light. It had, however, advised the ministry to consider using an independent probity auditor for any future major procurement.

The auditor-general’s office also noted that it could not examine the internal practices – such as remuneration – of I Am Hope itself, because the charity was a private organisation.

Leary was advised she could raise any further questions with the ministry at its annual review during Parliament’s Scrutiny Week in the first week of December.

In October 2024, the auditor-general issued a highly critical report on the way the government awarded $24 million to I Am Hope over four years, describing the procurement process as “unusual and inconsistent with good practice”.

The Ministry of Health had invoked an special opt-out provision to bypass a competitive process, given the National-NZ First coalition agreement had already committed the funding.

But the auditor-general found no clear justification for invoking the clause, and said the analysis appeared aimed at retrospectively justifying a decision that had already been made.

It warned the approach created risks for transparency, accountability, and value for money, and said it intended to closely monitor the initiative.

At the time, officials accepted the process had been carried out at pace and lacked adequate documentation, risk analysis and proper timing.

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 man who saw police officers taser an armed man who had trapped a woman and her baby in a Wellington bus stop has praised their efforts during a life-threatening situation.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found officers were justified when they tasered a man who then sustained a serious head injury after falling onto the road.

Police were called to reports of a man armed with a blade from a pair of hedge trimmers, who had trapped a woman and her baby in a Wellington bus-stop in January.

Police tasered the man when he refused to drop the weapon while standing within metres of the officers.

Judge Kenneth Johnston KC said they acted in genuine fear for the safety of the woman, the child, and themselves.

A man who saw what happened, who RNZ has agreed not to name, said he was at home that day when he heard a child and could not tell whether they were crying or laughing.

“Then I heard a male voice in a different tone, and it … didn’t sit well with me, and I thought, that doesn’t sound right.”

When he went outside and saw the man had a weapon, he called the police.

“It was clear that he was violent and not rational,” he said.

“He was basically waving that around belligerently, kind of seemingly at nothing, but also in a threatening manner … deliberately hacking away at the bus stop whilst the woman and child were inside that bus shelter, I guess trying to stay as far away from him as they possibly could.”

Once the man was tasered, he hit the ground hard, the witness said.

“I distinctly remember the sound of him hitting the road, [I’ll] never forget that.

“It was basically just a large slap.”

He was impressed with officers’ actions, saying it was, at maximum, one minute between their arrival and disarming the man.

“I thought their response was fantastic … they’re doing what they’re there to do, which is to protect the community, and they did it swiftly.”

If they had not, the situation could have been a lot worse, he said.

“It was an appropriate response, given that there was … at least the way it appeared to me, a life-threatening situation.”

The IPCA report said the child was uninjured and the woman suffered a deep cut to her thumb after pushing the man’s weapon away from her.

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