Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

An ordinary annual insect survey has uncovered an extraordinary grasshopper.

Department of Conservation ranger Jen Schori said she could not believe her eyes, as colleagues called her over to see a deep pink grasshopper near Lake Takapō.

Schori was taking part in the annual grasshopper survey in the Mackenzie Basin, when the discovery was made.

The pink female robust grasshopper (Sigaus robustus) was sunning itself on stones.

“I’ve been studying these amazing creatures for years,” Schori said. “They are usually grey or brown coloured, like river stones.

“I’d heard rumours about a pink one, but never seen one myself. It was so exciting.

“Pink grasshoppers are exceptionally rare. It’s likely caused by a genetic mutation called erythrism, which results in an over-production of red pigment and less of the usual natural pigment that the species has.”

DoC said the robust grasshopper was New Zealand’s largest lowland grasshopper, only found along the edges of braided rivers in the Mackenzie Basin, and nationally endangered.

“These grasshoppers are so unique,” Schori said. “They look almost prehistoric.

“They can jump fairly well, but are renowned for their clumsy landings. They’re also very vulnerable.

“The pink one will unfortunately stand out even more to predators, which is why this sighting is so special.”

In 2018, a predator fence was built around a small area of grasshopper habitat in the Mackenzie Basin, but Schori said this pink grasshopper was outside the fence and would have had to fend for herself.

“They do live up to their name,” she said. “They’re quite robust and the females are double the size of the males.

“Maybe she will breed and we will see some more pink ones.

“She has certainly become a bit of a celebrity in our office, and we joke about the paparazzi coming and taking loads of photos. I’m just so happy I got to see one after all these years.”

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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 carpenter says he never saw an alleged slavery victim work at three lodges or a campground.

Suli Tuilolo has been giving evidence at Moeaia Tuai’s trial at the High Court at Auckland.

Tuai, 63, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of dealing in slaves. He also denies two rapes, assaults, eight charges of indecent assault, and six of sexual violation by unlawful connection.

Tuilolo, a lodge employee, said the complainant would only visit the lodges to play volleyball, denying he worked 50-60 hours a week in jobs that included cleaning up, repairs and gardening.

Under cross-examination, he was shown a photograph of himself and a young male complainant wearing hi-vis vests.

He denied the man worked there, but may have worn the fluorescent vest to keep warm when he visited, suggesting he played there.

“Are you suggesting that in this photograph [he] is about to go and play volleyball?” asked prosecutor Chris Howard.

“As I said previously, I’m a carpenter, I did my job,” said Tuilolo. “And I always say, he does come around and look around sometimes.”

The only time he would see the complainant was playing volleyball or seeing a young woman he liked, said Tuilolo.

Previously another witness gave evidence, saying she had never seen Tuai hit the female victim, and denying the family turned a blind eye to what Tuai was doing.

‘Blowing the whistle’

In the closing prosecution address Howard said Tuai had been controlling the two young people and their finances, holding them in modern slavery, and beating and raping the female complainant.

Neither was allowed to speak to anyone they did not know, nor to each other in case they told people about the way they were being treated, said Howard.

Tuai’s own diaries have been read to the jury, in which he sets out when beatings happened, working hours and wages, he added.

One complainant had to get a new passport to run away, the court heard, and Tuai made the other one take out a $7000 loan.

She said that after sexually assaulting her, Tuai threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

When the young woman ran away, Tuai called police claiming she had been raped by a different man and and told Internal Affairs she should be deported or lose her citizenship.

It was not a hollow threat as he might also have hoped to stop her ‘blowing the whistle’, said Howard. “The moment she stops being a money-producing asset, he wants her gone.”

The trial continues.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Slain Dunedin man Gurjit Singh planned to install security cameras, after discovering his garage door was open weeks before his death, a friend says.

Singh was found dead on the lawn of his home in January last year, stabbed more than 40 times.

A 35-year-old man, known only as Rajinder, is on trial at the High Court for murder.

Rajinder’s defence lawyer insists he had no reason to kill his former employee and there was no animosity between the men.

Friend Jagmeet Buttar told the court Singh was not worried about security, but kept his doors locked, perhaps because he lived alone.

He bought security cameras days after finding his garage door open and had asked Buttar if he had come over to borrow some tools.

When Buttar told him he had not paid a visit, Singh said he planned to install front and backdoor cameras.

“He was not worried about security, he just wanted to just make sure if somebody come here, he can see who’s coming,” he said.

Buttar said Singh was happy, when he called in to pick up a car he had borrowed the night before he was found dead.

Singh told Buttar he was planning a three-day trip to pick up his wife, who was expected to arrive in Christchurch from India.

Buttar left before Singh got ready to go to a pizza party with friends in Helensburgh.

Buttar told the court he was working in Mosgiel the following morning, when he received a call to say that Singh was dead. He drove straight to his house, where he was stopped by police and gave a statement at the station.

Singh and Rajinder had previously worked together at Downer, which had a contract with Chorus to install fibre.

Buttar said Singh did not talk a lot about his work with Rajinder, although he mentioned that he might buy Rajinder’s car and some tools for $20-40,000.

At one stage, Singh told him Rajinder owed him money from their work together in about 2020.

Another friend and former flatmate Sunil Umat described Singh as a person who loved to crack jokes and was always laughing.

They were close friends and he was invited to Singh’s wedding in India.

They would go to the gym together, hang out, and go to BBQs every now and again, Umat said.

When asked if he knew if Singh had any problems with Rajinder, Umat told defence lawyer Anne Stevens KC that he had never brought anything up.

The trial is scheduled for three weeks.

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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 parent fielding concerns from others after testing found asbestos in a range of coloured play sand says they feel like nobody is giving them clear advice on what to do with sand in their homes.

Several schools and early learning services are closed after asbestos was found in rainbow sand from Educational Colours and coloured sand from Creatistics.

The products were recalled because Tremolite (a naturally occurring asbestos in quartz) had been found in samples during lab testing.

The recall expanded to four Kmart products over the weekend.

Kmart’s advice was to stop using the sand immediately and to wear gloves and a mask while getting rid of it according to local rules.

A Kmart spokesperson said trace amounts of asbestos were found in an Anko-brand 14-piece sand castle building set. It also recalled three other magic sand products in blue, green and pink.

A mother, Janelle Hill, told Midday Report, it felt like the buck was being passed.

She said parents were confused about how much cleaning, testing or decontamination was needed.

“You’re asked to contact your local council, WorkSafe… what does this mean when it has been played with in your whare?

“The knowledge around it is so low… what is the risk and how are we getting rid of it? What happens if it was in your house five years ago and you threw it out four years ago?”

Hill said she wanted more guidance for parents that have had the sand in their homes. She wanted to know how things should be cleaned and what should be done with your vacuum if you had vacuumed it up.

Health NZ advice

On its website, Health NZ said people did not need to take any immediate steps to manager their health if they had been exposed to the products.

“We appreciate that the presence of asbestos in products that are used by children may cause worry for parents and caregivers. We are working rapidly with other agencies to assess the health risk posed by these products and will share more information when it is available.

“At this stage we do not have enough information to quantify the risk to people’s health, but we advise people to take a precautionary approach and stop using the products.”

Health NZ said anyone using the products in their home should stop immediately and if it was still in its original container place it into a thick plastic bag sealed securely with tape.

“Place that bag or container into a second thick plastic bag, seal it securely with tape, and label it clearly as asbestos-contaminated material.”

It needed to be taken to a landfill rather than going in a normal bin, it said, and parents should contact their local council for advice on where to go.

If the sand was not in its original container, PPE should be worn while cleaning it up. It should be put in a sealed container or thick plastic bag. All surfaces surrounding where it was should be wiped down with a damp cloth.

Full information was available here.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Hospital will have a new $16 million operating theatre by early 2028.

Health Minister Simeon Brown said Health New Zealand had approved the funding for what’s known as a hybrid theatre.

It allows for both traditional surgery and the use of imaging technology – meaning teams can complete complex procedures in one place, without having to move patients between theatres and imaging suites.

Brown said moving patients can create delays and extend recovery times.

“The new $16.25 million hybrid theatre directly addresses those challenges, delivering the highest standard of care in a single, seamless environment,” he said.

“It will replace the current model where a single patient may need to be seen by two different teams in separate rooms.

“By consolidating care in one space, Wellington Regional Hospital will be able to increase its surgical output, allowing more patients to receive timely, quality treatment.”

The theatre will be built on the hospital’s third floor, replacing a non-clinical space. It will have direct access to the emergency department, intensive care unit and post-anaesthesia care unit.

The build will begin mid-to-late 2026, and the theatre will be operating between late 2027 and early 2028.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are scaling back the search for a man missing off the Northland coast four days after a fishing trip came to a tragic end.

Northland police search and rescue leader Paul Overton said Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol joined the aerial search on Tuesday morning.

Police, including the national dive squad, and the navy searched a large area of sea and shoreline on Monday in the hope of finding the man’s body.

Daily shoreline searches would continue in the hope that changing currents and water pressure would help to return the missing man.

“We have extensively searched a vast area since we were first alerted on Friday night, in the hope of bringing the missing man home to his family,” Overton said.

“Our search has by no means stopped, but on Tuesday we’ll scale back and consider what other options are available to us.”

The missing boat, a six-metre runabout, was found empty and adrift near Bream Bay’s Hen and Chicken Islands on Saturday. One body was found at Pātaua North later that same day.

Family members raised the alarm on Friday evening when the pair failed to return to Pātaua South, east of Whangārei.

Overton said agencies and volunteers involved in the search included the Police Eagle helicopter, Land Search and Rescue, Coastguard Tūtūkākā and Coastguard Whangārei.

Police appreciated the many offers of help and supportive messages they had received from the public and those wishing to help, he said.

“It’s been a really challenging time for everyone involved and we are grateful to each and every person who has assisted us during the past few days.”

He urged anyone who saw anything unusual in the water in the area where the fishermen went missing to call police on 111.

A rāhui, or customary ban on swimming, fishing and seafood gathering, has been placed on the coast from Tutukākā to south of Waipu Cove, including Whangārei Harbour and the Hen and Chicken Islands.

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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 prosecution has downgraded charges against a soldier accused of strangling his former partner.

The Army corporal, who has interim name suppression, was initially facing a court martial hearing at Burnham Military Camp on two counts of strangulation.

Judge Tini Clark told the military panel on Tuesday morning that the prosecution had amended the charges to male assaults female due to a discrepancy around the date of the accusations.

During cross-examination on Monday by defence lawyer Andrew McCormick, the complainant conceded she was unsure whether the events happened in 2018 or 2019.

A specific charge of strangulation was introduced into law at the end of 2018.

It carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail, compared to only two for male assaults female.

On Tuesday morning, the court heard the soldier chose not to comment when approached by the Defence Force Serious Investigations Branch.

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