Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Authorities are warning residents in the Otago town of Palmerston near a pine tree blaze to keep their windows and doors shut due to smoke.

The fire started at 2:35pm on Thursday near Goodwood Rd and had been fought by ground crews and four helicopters.

It was now contained, but burnt through 25 hectares of pine.

Fire and Emergency said there was no risks to homes but smoke may blow towards the town on Thursday night.

“People in the vicinity of the fire should keep windows and doors shut and stay inside if possible.

“Remember to also keep the ventilation systems in your house and car turned off.”

Fire crews were expected to mop up the blaze on Friday morning.

It was one of nine fires across Otago and Southland on Thursday which had all been contained or extinguished by 9pm.

Near the Southland town of Mataura, State Highway 96 would remain closed over Thursday night between State Highway 1 and Waimumu due to a now contained fire which was 300 x 200m in size.

Nine fire trucks and two helicopters tackled the fire at a forestry block.

It would be extinguished on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, four crews were called to a paddock fire in Papakaio in the Waitaki district sparked by a trampoline blowing into powerlines.

Two crews were working on a smouldering tree near Whitstone.

The wind blew three branches onto two cars in Oamaru but Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said a dog in one of the cars was not hurt.

A paddock fire that broke out on Johnston Rd on the outskirts of Balclutha about 1pm had been contained.

FENZ said 30 firefighters on the ground and two helicopters with monsoon buckets were now working to put it out.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Aucklanders are overwhelmingly against a plan to trial fortnightly rubbish collections.

Auckland Council received 5086 submissions on a proposed trial to halve the number of kerbside collections in Te Atatū, Panmure, Tāmaki, Clendon Park and Weymouth from February to August.

About 80 percent of written submissions were against the trial.

Auckland Council’s general manager of waste solutions, Justine Haves, said there were some common themes.

They included worries about managing fuller bins, smells, hygiene and whether they would have enough bin space, particularly in big households.

The council had ideas about to help, he said.

“If the trial goes ahead, we will offer additional and larger bins at no cost, support households with higher waste needs, and provide a one-off rates remission for participating ratepayers,” he said

There was some positive feedback.

“Supporters highlighted the need to reduce waste to landfill and the opportunity to test the service before any wider decisions are made,” he said.

“Some also noted they don’t produce enough rubbish to need a weekly collection,”

The trial was part of a plan by the council to reduce household kerbside waste by 29 percent by 2030.

There were 2377 written submissions from the trial area, with another 2090 from other places.

About 5 percent of people made face-to-face submissions, with those people more likely to be evenly split.

A decision on whether to go ahead would be made next month.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Dunedin City Council will ask for expressions of interest to set up a housing outreach service in a bid to help address a growing homelessness crisis

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The council was originally discussing setting up an in-house service immediately for $270,000, but a new motion opted to ask for proposals from community providers and report back to council with the options instead.

The vote narrowly passed by eight votes against seven.

A report tabled at Thursday’s council meeting said homelessness and housing insecurity were rising among Dunedin’s young people, and the city’s transition home was under increasing pressure with a long and growing waiting list.

During the debate, different councillors flagged the horror stories they knew about in the city – mothers living in cars with babies, tents set up in parks and reserves, and a family of seven sleeping in two cars.

Councillor Andrew Simms put forward the new motion, saying it was clear the elected members all believed that council had a role to play in addressing homelessness in the city, the debate was around how to achieve that.

His motion was not shutting the door on an in-house outreach service, but sought to hear from trusted and established providers about what they could do before they examined all of the proposals, he said.

He believed there could be more cost effective ways of creating an outreach service than the proposed $270,000 in-house service that included two full time equivalent staff and a moderate operating budget.

The passed motion allows the chief executive to develop the terms for service including an initial three year service starting in April, performance measures and community outcomes, and annual reporting, before staff ask for expressions of interest to deliver the service.

Councillor Marie Laufiso did not support the motion, instead foreshadowing that she would support setting up a council-led housing outreach service immediately.

This service needed to be built yesterday and it was frustrating that they had not been able to give staff the resources they needed to set one up, she said.

Councillor Christine Garey said the message from the community on the frontline was they were looking to the council for leadership.

She called for a bold, courageous decision, saying they needed to put their money with their mouth was and should go with an in house model.

Councillor Russell Lund, who supported the motion, said it was naive to think that the council could provide the same kind of service that established organisations offered in such a short timeframe.

Councillor Lee Vandervis also backed the motion, saying it potentially gave them the best of both worlds by ensuring those with expertise were involved, allowing for local sponsors and had the potential to get up and running quicker.

Councillor Jules Radich called the proposal “practical”.

Councillor Brent Weatherall said he believed the problem was out of control and existing outreach services were the most cost effective option.

Councillor Mandy Mayhem, who voted against the motion, said they needed urgent and immediate action.

Councillor Steve Walker said it was clear they wanted a solution, but they were getting bogged down on how to get there.

He backed setting up an in house model before considering possible transitions further down the track.

Mayor Sophie Barker supported the plan to explore different proposals, saying they needed to make the right decision rather than a fast one.

In the original proposal, the council said the new service would connect people to the appropriate support service, help them use the services, respond to people at high risk of harm and work with emergency services to de-escalate situations.

During the public forum, Aaron Hawkins from the Otago Housing Alliance told the council that more public housing was needed in the long term, but right now more support was needed for people experiencing homelessness.

“There’s no outcome of any review that won’t tell us that this outreach service is needed and needed urgently in our city,” he said.

The government had acknowledged that the need existed, but they had not gone far enough, he said.

The report said the Ministry of Social Development had recently funded Catholic Social Services to support people experiencing homelessness and help to link them to the Ministry’s services.

That initiative was expected to run for up to one financial year.

The Alliance surveyed council candidates ahead of the election with the overwhelming majority stating they believed the council had a role to play in addressing homelessness in the city, he said.

“This is the first opportunity you have as elected members to make a meaningful contribution to that work.”

He would love for central government to see this as a core part of its responsibilities and resource it adequately.

“But they don’t and we can’t wait for government to come and save us, we need to be in control of our own destiny.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The construction of a controversial sewerage pipeline near a Rotorua lake is set to head back to court.

The Rotokākahi Board of Control (RBOC) was taking the Rotorua Lakes Council to the High Court over the Tarawera Sewage Scheme which would connect about 440 Lake Tarawera properties to the public wastewater network.

Part of the pipeline, 1.4km of it, would run along Tarawera Rd parallel to Lake Rotokākahi an area considered wāhi tapu by mana whenua, with tūpuna (ancestors) buried nearby during the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption.

The construction of the pipeline had been intermittent, with protests, an occupation of the area and seven arrests for trespass in February 2025.

Speaking to RNZ in February, Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Andrew Moraes said the scheme would remove the need for properties in the vicinity of Lake Tarawera to have septic tanks which often leak into the lake.

“We have almost 20km of pipe throughout the district of similar type and construction that is installed a similar distance from our other lakes and we’ve had no incidences of those pipes leaking in the history of this district,” he said.

Board spokesperson Te Whatanui Leka Skipwith said the council’s refusal to honour genuine consultation with mana whenua had pushed this into the courtroom.

“We welcome our day in court – because we’ve had enough. Council has ignored consultation, disrespected the process, and pulled last-minute legal stunts whenever we pushed back.

“On December 1, they’ll have to front. No more hiding behind rushed paperwork, closed-door deals or political convenience. This is a chance for mana whenua to finally challenge the council on neutral ground – and to make it clear that we will always protect Rotokākahi, no matter who tries to silence us.”

Skipwith said the message from the RBOC consultation must be real, legal obligations must be honoured and mana whenua decision-making must be respected.

A previous bid to stop the pipeline being installed had failed in the Environment Court.

The hearing at High Court at Rotorua was set to begin on Monday, December 1.

RNZ approached Rotorua Lakes Council who said as the matter was before the courts, it would not be appropriate to comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Bioeconomy Science Institute is planning to ask for voluntary redundancies from all permanent staff.

The institute – formed in July – saw the merger of AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion into a single organisation as part of an overhaul of the science sector.

CEO Mark Piper said the proposed voluntary redundancy offer was part of a financial improvement process to support the new organisation.

It employs 2300 people and its headquarters is at the Lincoln University Campus in Canterbury.

Piper said voluntary redundancy, “would give individuals space to reflect on their own aspirations as we shape the next phase of our institute”.

“These steps will help us build a more connected and resilient organisation, positioned to support our partners and continue delivering research that matters. Our priority through this process remains maintaining continuity across our research and supporting New Zealand’s bioeconomy.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Millions of dollars have been spent on a new speedway track at Auckland’s Waikaraka Park, with drivers calling it “a win” for the motor sports community.

An $11 million construction project has finished just in time for the first Auckland race of the 2025-2026 speedway season on Saturday.

Speedway New Zealand, the governing body of the sport in Aotearoa, certified the safety of the new track on November 26.

It was the first new speedway track the country had built in the last 25 years.

Midget car driver Ben Morrison was stoked to test out the track for the first time on Thursday, a year after the upgrades were first announced.

“We’ve all followed the progress on social media and seen how it’s tracking. Huge credit to the people who have been building this in the wettest months of the year, and they got it done just in time.

“It was a whole lot of fun out there. I think it’s got potential to be the best track in the country.”

In October 2024, Auckland Council made the controversial decision to end nearly 100 years of speedway racing at Western Springs and move all speedway to Waikaraka Park in Onehunga.

Sprint car driver Luke Brown, who also owned and worked on his car, said it was sad to see speedway end at Western Springs.

“It is sad that Western Springs is gone. Awesome place, awesome venue, awesome history.”

But he said the new track was a massive improvement from what the city had to offer before, and it made more sense to have a single venue for motorsports.

“For me, I think it’s a vast improvement in terms of spectator viewership and potential sponsorship. It’s one facility run by two different groups. It’s the best of both worlds; you can pick and choose which [speedway] classes you want or don’t want to see.

“The facilities are good, and they’re only going to get better. Overall, I think it’s a win.”

After its facelift, Waikaraka Park now sported a wider track, new lighting and toilet facilities, and an improved speedway safety wall and catch fence.

A new pit area had been built, fitting up to 130 racers at a time, 40 more than before. The pit would also be open to fans during racing, for them to mingle with drivers.

There was also a new heritage wall, honouring the track’s history from when speedway racing started there in 1967.

Auckland Stock and Saloon Car Club, which hosted speedway events at Waikaraka Park, said at the moment, the venue could accommodate 4500 spectators at a time, with 3000 in the grandstand.

Club promoter Bruce Robertson said the new track, designed by an architect who is a former speedway driver, was similar to international speedway tracks.

“We’ve really got a great facility here for racing and the track’s banked as well, which is unusual for a New Zealand track; there’s only one other that has a banked track. This is something they’ll get used to and enjoy American-style racing.”

He said the consolidation of speedway in Auckland to just one venue means drivers and fans would have a better experience.

“There’s still some thinking Western Springs [speedway] should continue on. But if this [upgrade] wasn’t done, they would have nowhere to race.

“I’ve invested a lot in Western Springs, unfortunately, but times have changed.”

They were expecting sell-out crowds for their upcoming events.

Waikaraka Park had a lease in place until 2051, with the club, which would now host all four-wheel speedway classes, including the open wheel classes that previously raced at Western Springs.

Meanwhile, the Western Springs Speedway Association was taking Auckland Council to court.

Spokesperson Jason Jones believed having just one venue for speedway would not help the sport’s growth.

“We’re happy for Waikaraka, but it’s not a solution for the entire sport whatsoever.

“Anyone who says it’s a great thing for speedway moving forward is not being truthful.”

He argued Western Springs could accommodate larger crowds, which would attract more money from sponsors.

“A key aspect of the business model with motorsport is sponsorship, if you own a car or your race, and that’s solely based around bums on seats. The less people you have at a venue, the less exposure you have for your branding, and the less likely it is for you to gain sponsorship.”

Celebrating the opening of the new track, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) chief executive Nick Hill said focusing on Waikaraka was the right call.

“Not everybody has been supportive of these changes and the consolidation, but that’s the history of all sporting venues when they consolidate or move somewhere new.

“People are very passionate about their experiences with sport, and there’s a lot of history with the [speedway] venues. But this secures the future of speedway in Auckland in one place, and at one venue.”

TAU were looking at adding more spectator seating at Waikaraka Park in the future.

Auckland Council was expected to make a final decision about how Western Springs Stadium will be used going forward early next year.

Racing will return to Waikaraka Park from Saturday, November 29, for stock and saloon cars, followed by open-wheel racing on Saturday, December 13.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A proposed 66 house subdivision near the shores of Lake Whakamaru in Waikato has sparked a land occupation by a local hapū.

But the issues Ngāti Te Kohera were fighting for go much deeper than the one development; and they might not be easy to solve.

When Jonathan Quigley set about asking for his land to be rezoned from rural to rural-lifestyle, he thought he did everything right.

“We consulted extensively with iwi and they helped, through conversations with them, they helped essentially inform the end result,” he said.

He said the feedback from iwi leaders he engaged with was that the consultation had been well done.

“So, you can imagine our surprise when we then had an occupation start on the end of the first day of the [plan change] hearing,” he said.

Ngāti Te Kohera hapū representative Craig Ahipene said they had problems with the proposed development culturally, environmentally and legally – and thought it would just be an eyesore.

However, many of the group’s concerns go back to the history of how the land fell into private hands, and to the way the crown developed the hydro lake in the first place.

“The river was flooded to form the new hydro lake that is there today. Unfortunately, the crown at the time didn’t allow us, and other hapū, to remove our dead,” Ahipene said.

This meant any development near the lake which might result in pollution of the river was deeply concerning to the hapū.

“Human waste that goes into that river is a grievous cultural harm to the mana and tapu and mouri of our dead ancestors, and ourselves as well because we are the protectors of that.”

Quigley said the proposal took that concern on board and had been developed so no sewage could get in the river, along with mitigating other environmental concerns.

Local Hope Woodward was against the development and said it might be well planned but the lakeside was not the place for 66 houses.

“It’s going to be an environmental experiment basically and this space just doesn’t need it,” she said.

She wanted the area to be protected as undeveloped land.

“We don’t have a lot of spaces like this left around our country and this is only going to set a precedent for further developments.”

The occupation was not on Quigley’s land but on the public land reserve right in front of it.

He said he’d been told the area was now under a rāhui and restrictions apply to when and how he and his family could use the reserve.

A South Waikato District Council spokesperson said it was aware of public access being restricted to the site and had seen reports of an apparent rāhui being put in place for part of Lake Whakamaru Reserve.

“However, this has not been officially communicated to us in any form. Raukawa, as the iwi who carry mana and responsibility for the hapū currently occupying the area, are the appropriate body to work with the group on this matter,” the spokesperson said.

The council said it respected the group’s right to peaceful protest, with maintaining public access to the site and the safe management of any fire present being its key concerns.

Both Quigley and those occupying the land said interactions at the lake are generally respectful, though online things have got personal.

“I’ve received death threats via Facebook, so that’s not fun,” he said.

Quigley felt lies had been spread about him and the development online, and it was an enormously stressful situation for his whole family.

“My wife is pretty strung out knowing what I’m going through, my kids are old enough to see that it’s having an effect, and it’s all for stuff that’s not actually accurate.”

Jacinta Rata had been occupying the land since day one and said the occupation was affecting those taking part.

“We’ve all had to sacrifice a lot to be here on the ground,” she said.

She said it wasn’t a situation anyone wanted, even those taking part in the occupation.

“But you know, I think if we didn’t do it, it would be harder to live with… if we didn’t do anything,” she said.

Ahipene said regardless of the outcome of the proposed development, the hapū expected the occupation to continue until they could preserve the land.

And that’s bigger than Quigley.

“The crown basically has created this problem through its processes in history and so the crown needs to be part of the solution as well,” said Ahipene.

Not that he had much faith in the current government. His faith was with where he felt the mood of the public was.

“The majority are against this [government’s] attack on the environment, we’re against this attack on Māori rights,” he said.

The proposed plan change was now with South Waikato District Council planning commissioners, and a decision was expected in the next few months.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has been charged with arson in relation to a house fire in the Southland town of Waikaia that happened almost two years ago.

Emergency services were called to the home on Elswick Street on 21 February 2024, where the blaze caused extensive damage.

On Wednesday police charged a 35 year old Dunedin man with arson who was due to appear in Gore District Court on 17 December.

Detective Sergeant Brian McKinney thanked members of the public who provided information to police for their investigation.

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