Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

About 10,000 insurance claims have been lodged as a result of the wild weather that battered New Zealand last month.

Severe wind and heavy rain warnings were issued for much of the South Island and the lower North Island.

A wind storm on 23 October cut power to tens of thousands of homes, tore off roofs, and downed trees and fences, leading to a state of emergency being declared in Southland and Clutha.

The Insurance Council said about 70 percent of claims were from Southland and Otago.

“Most of the claims received to date are for wind-related damage, and insurers are working with customers to assess and progress these as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.

FMG – the country’s biggest rural insurer – said it had received more than 3000 claims from severe wind on 23 October that were expected to cost more than $28 million.

“Of these claims, approximately 1,500 are from Southland and 700 are from Otago,” a spokesperson said.

“We had over 650 claims for Canterbury and over 80 of those related to irrigators.

“We’re not expecting the number of claims to change significantly now. We’re continuing to work to resolve claims as quickly as possible – with 10 percent of claims closed and over $1.5m already in communities.”

FMG had also received about 350 claims from severe wind on October 21 with about 100 coming from Canterbury.

Tower’s head of natural disaster response Lisa Maxwell said Tower received 850 claims from the storm.

“260 of these are from our customers in the Southland region and 150 from our customers in Otago,” Maxwell said.

“The majority of claims are for minor damage, for example, fences, roofing and damage from debris.”

An IAG spokesperson said its AMI, State and NZI brands had received more than 4300 claims from 23 October.

“More than 3,000 of those claims were received from customers in Southland and Otago regions,” the spokesperson said.

“Most of the strong wind damage caused smashed windows and doors, flying roofs and sheds, and also spoiled food as a result of the power outages.

“Additionally, the hailstorm affecting Timaru and South Canterbury on 15 November has prompted more than 1,000 claims.

“At this stage, it’s too early to put a cost to these events.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland dentist accused of treating patients while his license was suspended can now be named.

Dr Jacob Goldenberg and his company, Total Health Dentistry in Ponsonby, face 21 charges under the Health Practitioners Competence and Assurance Act 2003 and the Fair Trading Act 1986.

The charges, filed by the Ministry of Health, alleged he worked as a health practitioner without holding a current practising certificate and falsely claimed dental services were being supplied by a registered dentist.

Goldenberg has not entered any pleas to the charges.

He had his practising certificate suspended by the Dental Council in March 2023, pending the completion of an investigation.

His practice was put into liquidation in April 2024.

He was granted temporary name suppression when initial charges were filed against him by the Ministry of Health in 2024, after previously being named by RNZ in its investigation of Goldenberg’s practice.

But at the Auckland District Court on Wednesday morning, Judge Kevin Muir denied Goldenberg’s request to keep name suppression until a verdict was delivered.

Speaking to Judge Muir in court, Goldenberg argued that he should not be named until he could give evidence because he considered the allegations against him to be inaccurate.

“The clinical facts won’t support the charges,” he said.

Judge Muir said there was no evidence that publicly naming the dentist would cause him extreme hardship and that the public had a right to know about the proceedings.

He said Goldenberg was given “ample time” to file an application in support of his bid for name suppression, which he did not do.

RNZ also opposed name suppression on the basis that publication might assist in alerting other people who might be affected to come forward.

Judge Muir decided Goldenberg’s name suppression would lapse at 4pm on 20 November, to allow him an opportunity to obtain legal advice.

Goldenberg is due back in court in January when a trial date is expected to be set.

Judge Muir urged Goldenberg, who has chosen to represent himself, to get legal representation.

He said standby counsel would be appointed to assist Goldenberg during the trial.

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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 wildfire expert says a proposal to axe wildfire specialist roles could lead to underprepared firefighters being sent to tackle blazes.

Staff were told last week of proposed changes designed to slash $50 million from Fire and Emergency’s (FENZ) annual costs.

FENZ said the restructure would not include any front line roles, but more than 140 jobs could be cut if the changes go through including six wildfire specialist roles and 45 in its prevention branch.

Former FENZ regional rural manager Richard McNamara, who is currently a Marlborough Civil Defence Controller, told Nine to Noon there was a huge difference between the specialist skills needed for rural and urban firefighting.

“Just talk to some of the rural crews and they’ll quickly tell you that it’s not all about, as some of our urban colleagues would say, ‘putting the wet stuff on the hot stuff’, because a structure doesn’t walk away.”

Wildfires were considered a “complex adaptive system” because of their ability to spread rapidly and adapt to their environment, McNamara said.

“If you looked at the Tongariro fire and the speed at which that accelerated, from some rather small burns to something that encased thousands and thousands of hectares.”

FENZ needed a plan if it was going to disestablish the roles, as the risk of wildfires was increasing, McNamara said.

“We’re getting more and more wildfire conditions, or pre-conditions occurring.

“You only have to look at our cousins in Australia, California and what happens in Europe now almost every year to see that human habitation is increasingly being threatened by wildfires.”

FENZ told RNZ it would not comment while proposals were under consultation – which would end on 17 December.

It said it remained committed to consulting with staff about the proposed restructure.

FENZ said in its proposal document some of the suggested changes were to reflect a “broader focus” across both the natural and built environments.

“You need resources, and you need expertise and you need knowledge to deepen that pool. And if you’re broadening it, it sounds like you’re going into the shallow end of that pool,” McNamara said

FENZ needed to be clear to the public about how they were going to deal with the increasing risk of wildfires, he said.

Firefighters’ Union delegate Peter Hallett, who is also a senior advisor for risk reduction at FENZ, told Nine to Noon that prevention and risk reduction roles were incredibly important, and should be considered front line roles.

“It’s always been considered an operational forward-facing front-line role, and we interact with the same members of the public, building owners, fire investigations, people at fires.

“Every day we’re out there in uniform,” Hallett said.

He was concerned the proposed changes could put people who had potentially less expertise in charge of specialists – such as the risk reduction team.

‘Last resort’

FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory said the proposal was about ensuring it was positioned to deliver a “modern and responsive emergency service”.

“The primary focus is to provide a trusted service that keeps New Zealanders safe. Our dedicated team does an amazing job looking after our communities and this proposal is about ensuring we are best positioned to continue doing that,” he said.

“I acknowledge this is difficult for the teams and individuals impacted. We are committed to constructively working through their feedback to ensure we get the best outcome.”

Subject to consultation, the proposed restructure would impact about 700 roles across the organisation, he said.

FENZ would not comment on any specific proposals until all feedback was considered and decisions were made.

Gregory wrote in the proposal document that the overall changes were not personal.

“I know for some of you, the changes we are proposing may feel personal and disrespectful towards the amazing effort you put in. They are not,” he wrote.

“The reality of our rapidly evolving operating environment, the variability of our levy revenue and the need [to] have space to reinvest, reinforces the need for us to make smart, disciplined choices,” Gregory said.

FENZ promised no changes to what it responds to, whether that be fires, medical emergencies or flood rescues, but Gregory had also told staff, “we can’t keep doing everything for everybody”.

“Redundancy will be a last resort,” he told staff in an update previously obtained by RNZ.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland secondary school is mourning the loss of a much-loved maths teacher who died following a diving accident in Fiji.

Kevin Hu, was the head of calculus at Takapuna Grammar School.

In a notice to the school community, the school said it was informed of Hu’s death earlier this week.

It said Hu had been loved by his students and colleagues and made a significant impact during the three years he worked at the school.

“Students enjoyed being in Mr Hu’s Maths class because he made the subject accessible and fun.

“This week, we have shared stories about Kevin and supported one another,” it said.

“We have received so many lovely messages from parents, students, and members of the wider community, and we truly appreciate them.

“Our thoughts are with Kevin’s family, friends, and everyone who knew him.”

The school had professional help available for anyone who needed it.

Hu had previously been a maths teacher at Avondale College and before that spent seven years teaching in Nanjing, China.

Avondale College have been approached for comment.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) confirmed they were aware of reports of the death of a New Zealander in Fiji.

The spokesperson said MFAT had not been approached for assistance.

You can attribute to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: “We are aware of reports of the death of a New Zealander in Fiji. We have not been approached for assistance.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died following a crash in Auckland’s Mt Eden.

Traffic was being diverted on Dominion Rd following the single-car crash at 10.18am.

Initial reports had suggested one person had been critically injured, however police have since confirmed the person died at the scene.

The road has since reopened and an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

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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 person who saw a crash between two buses and a car in Auckland’s Glen Innes says he thought a bus was going to crash into nearby shops.

Emergency services were at the scene of the crash on Apirana Avenue, which was reported just after 9am.

Police said one person had been taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

Apirana Avenue was closed between Taniwha Street and Delwyn Lane while the scene was cleared.

Dom Nash told RNZ he was in the butchery when he heard loud bangs.

“I saw a bus hit another bus, then a car driving up the road swerved towards us, which I thought the bus was going to come into the shop, all of a sudden it hit the brakes, and yeah, chaos everywhere.”

Nash said the road was cleared shortly after 10:30am.

Diversions were in place and motorists were told to expect delays.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Interim radiocarbon dating on a partially excavated waka in Chatham Islands has revealed the waka arrived on the islands in the mid 1400s.

A previous report concluded the waka, unearthed by father and son Vincent and Nikau Dix, was of pre-European construction and likely from a time before significant cultural separation between Aotearoa and the Pacific.

Lead Archaeologist Dr Justin Maxwell, from Sunrise Archaeology, said recent archaeological research has suggested that the first arrival of people on Rēkohu occurred between 1450 and 1650 AD.

“Additional evidence from ancient peat samples shows that significant changes to the environment began after 1500 AD.”

The newly obtained dating results show:

• Most results show narrow ranges between 1440 and 1470 AD, indicating this as the likely growth period of these plant tissues.
• One piece of cordage predates 1415 AD.
• A sample suggests cultivation around 1400 AD or earlier.

This is the first known bottle gourd, also known as calabash or hue in te reo Māori, found in an archaeological site on Chatham Island, Maxwell said.

“Short-lived local plant materials tested are of similar age and suggest the cultural layer surrounding the waka was formed shortly after its arrival.

“Testing short-lived plant materials is important to get accurate dates for a find such as this. We don’t want to date the timbers because trees can live for a long time.”

“Radiocarbon dates obtained from wood can be much older than the event we are interested in – which is when this waka was in use.

“Together, these findings point to the arrival of the waka on Rēkohu Wharekauri Chatham Island between 1440 and 1470 AD. It is important to note that nearly all dated samples from the waka were on short-lived materials, such as cordage that may have been replaced over time. Some materials were older, suggesting the main components of the waka itself could be considerably older than the dated items,” Maxwell said.

Pou Mataaho o Te Hua Deputy secretary delivery and investment, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Glenis Philip-Barbara, said the interim radiocarbon dating results had been released ahead of the final archaeological report.

“The final report released by February 2026 will provide finalised radiocarbon results with further analysis and context. These interim results mark a significant milestone in understanding the early settlement and cultural history of Rēkohu Wharekauri Chatham Island.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Operators of the country’s largest fire trucks with the longest ladders are going to get a bigger say in a long overdue national strategy.

“I have invited specialist aerial frontline firefighters to provide those insights and they are scheduled to start meeting in early December 2025,” deputy national commander Megan Stiffler told RNZ.

Fire and Emergency was told five years ago to come up with a plan for what type of big trucks it needs and where to put them, but has not.

A big-ladder truck, called an aerial, had to travel two hours from Auckland to a big fire on Tuesday at Port Whangārei.

The Professional Firefighters’ Union said a strategy was crucial to answer questions like whether Northland needed its own aerial, or Tauranga, given both had ports and industry where the extra reach of an aerial to fight a fire can be crucial.

“Probably the most important [thing] is how are those aerials going to be staffed. Because if we’re adding extra trucks there, it may be that we need to add extra firefighter positions,” union national vice-president Martin Campbell said.

The inquiry into the 2019 Auckland international convention fire told FENZ to hurry up with a strategy for replacing aerials.

“Here we are, six years, still not done,” Campbell said.

“Now… Megan Stiffler has come and joined the organisation and recognised that what they’ve been working on wasn’t fit for purpose, so it’s pretty much having to go back to the drawing board.”

FENZ only revealed its change of tack late on Wednesday after RNZ asked why the strategy had been in draft form for at least six months.

“Fire and Emergency New Zealand recognised the draft strategy needed further consultation with frontline operators to ensure insights and contributions captured operational needs and experience,” Stiffler said in a statement.

The meeting with operators had been pushed back to next month at the unions’ request, to allow firefighters to have input to FENZ’s proposed mass restructure, she said.

How long now? Union asks

Campbell said Stiffler asked him two months ago about which experts to include.

“To her credit, she has taken up that advice and has shoulder-tapped some of those people,” he said.

“Hopefully it doesn’t mean we’re going to have to sit and wait for another five years before something’s produced.”

Lock the right people away and they could produce a strategy in two months, he said.

However, the restructure had meant everything that was “not critical has been put on the back burner”.

On Tuesday, FENZ said a draft of the aerial strategy was under active development, which was the same thing it had said in May.

It refused to release the draft on the grounds that was likely to inhibit officials working on it, and “could compromise the quality of the final advice and decision-making process”.

Later, it said it was going back to the operators.

“At least now, Megan has recognised the need for operational input from firefighters,” Campbell said.

Campbell said a working group that included firefighters had input to an initial aerial strategy draft.

“Unfortunately, it seems those recommendations weren’t acted upon.”

The union last saw the draft two years ago, when it told FENZ it was not fit for purpose, he said.

He had since made multiple Official Information Act requests to get a copy but had been refused.

Delay getting new aerials

There were already five new aerials on order, however, FENZ said they were a year late – instead of getting them in mid-2025 it would now be mid-2026.

Together worth over $11m, the five have been on order since at least the Loafers Lodge fire in 2023, and since last year had been getting bodywork and lockers done in Wellington and Brisbane.

Only the main centres that already had an aerial would get one of the new ones: Auckland the one with the longest 45m ladder; and Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin would each get a new 32m-ladder truck.

In addition, various brigades had trucks with 17m ladders (about 20 trucks all up).

The 29 larger-ladder trucks are on average 20 years old – the newest 12 and oldest 39 years old. Some may be retired when the five new ones arrive.

The union had protested since at least 2018 that a lack of aerial trucks and the old ones breaking down, were putting lives at risk, which FENZ had routinely disputed.

The readiness of the country’s whole fire truck fleet had been a feature of the ongoing industrial dispute between the two sides.

Earlier this month FENZ said it had inherited an ageing fleet in 2017 but had a fleet programme that had replaced 317 fire trucks, with 78 more in the pipeline, including heavy aerial trucks. Many of the others were smaller utes.

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