Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Allegations of bullying against one of the most senior staff at Corrections were raised more than a month ago.

RNZ earlier revealed Corrections commissioner of custodial services Leigh Marsh was facing an employment investigation in relation to allegations of bullying.

On Wednesday, Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot confirmed the concerns were raised on February 15.

“No other formal concerns have been raised about this individual, and they have not previously been subject to an employment investigation.”

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

After receiving the concerns, advice was sought from the human resources team and support was put in place for the staff member who raised the concerns, Lightfoot said.

“The decision was then taken to undertake a formal employment investigation.”

Lightfoot said it was important staff felt confident raising any concerns.

“And as an employer I have a duty of care to ensure the ongoing privacy and wellbeing of those involved.

“For these reasons, it would not be appropriate for us to provide further details about this employment matter at this time. I acknowledge the public interest in the conduct of our senior leaders and Corrections is committed to being transparent about the findings of this investigation at the appropriate time and in line with our obligations under the Official Information Act and Privacy Act.”

In response to questions about the inquiry into Marsh earlier this week Lightfoot told RNZ he expected “high standards of all our staff and take any allegations raised about their conduct extremely seriously”.

“Corrections can confirm that concerns have been raised about one senior leader that will be investigated by an external independent investigator.

“The concerns raised relate to alleged conduct around management processes and bullying within the employment relationship.”

The staff member who raised the concerns with Lightfoot was “being supported while this employment matter is ongoing”.

He also confirmed three operational deputy chief executives, including Marsh, would be undertaking six-month secondments into different DCE roles within Corrections.

“I had already been considering moving the operational DCEs into each other’s areas later this year. This is because I believe these secondments will allow each operational DCE to deepen their understanding of each other’s respective areas so we can continue building a coherent, cohesive organisation. Their employment agreements were developed to allow such secondments to take place.

“The decision to do this now was brought forward to ensure that a thorough and fair employment process for both parties in relation to the above complaint can be carried out.”

The secondment sees Marsh move to DCE of Pae Ora.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

People who are not eligible for the government’s fuel relief package – including beneficiaries or those living in rural communities with no children – say it is a “kick in the guts”.

The government announced on Tuesday that more than 140,000 working families with children will get an extra $50 a week to help counter rising fuel prices, with another 14,000 families qualifying for a part payment.

The government said the payment will target those struggling the most, but people living by themselves, without children, receiving the pension and living rurally feel as though they have been squeezed out.

A Christchurch single mother – who works part-time and receives a benefit – said she was left with just $93 for food after her bills were paid and her petrol tank was filled up.

“That doesn’t even take into account if someone needs a pair of shoes, or the car breaks down. $93 is all that is left over, with this increase in petrol.”

Sarah* said the $50 boost would have made a big difference to her family.

“It means that you’re constantly having to mentally juggle what choices you can make and what you can afford. Everything has to be calculated because it is so expensive.

“You end up eating the same thing over and over and having to make a batch of bolognese and that just goes for a whole week.

“My poor daughter has to moan and groan because there’s hardly any food for lunch boxes.”

In the past three weeks, Sarah has had no choice but to go to her local food bank, twice.

“We don’t buy takeaways at all, so there’s no stopping for an ice-cream on the way home, obviously the ability to buy clothes is non-existent.

“I had to buy my daughter a pair of sports shoes on Sunday, that money had come out of the power and internet that’s due, so I have to find that somewhere which is probably going to come out of food.”

A mum living in rural Mid-Canterbury, who did not want to be named, said she has to drive more than 100 kilometres each way to get to work, costing her $180 per tank of petrol.

But because she and her partner’s combined income added up to $130,000, they were just over the threshold to get the $50 boost.

“We’ve cut the shopping bill, luckily we have a decent amount of land, so we grow our own fruit and vegetables.

“But there will be more of a focus on growing as much of a winter crop as we can, although we are an alpine village so we get a lot of snow, so that cuts down on what we can grow.”

A woman living in rural Otago – who also did not want to be named – receives the pension and works part time, alongside caring for her elderly mother.

She has to drive 20 kilometres into town often to take her mother to her GP appointments, but it meant she would have to cut down on other things to be able to afford petrol for the week.

“It will be like blankets and jerseys and going to bed early, rather than having the heating on, but here down south it does get pretty cold in winter.”

Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston was asked on Tuesday at Parliament about the assistance beneficiaries can access if they were struggling with fuel costs.

“One of the requirements at the moment is that they are fulfilling their obligations and if they have challenges meeting, for example, fuel costs, there is assistance available through MSD.

“I would always expect them to be talking to their case manager and to MSD about any challenges they face.”

But Sarah said it felt like a kick in the guts that the government had not taken single people and retirees into account.

“I just thought that was so offensive and a kick in the guts to block out, especially single parents who do work part-time, as non-working Kiwis.

“What’s the problem in supporting a parent to be a good parent? Is that not a form of work? I think to be excluded from that bracket was just so uncaring and humiliating.

“It feels like the sentiment is that being on a benefit is a choice, when it’s not a choice.”

The temporary $50 top up is being delivered through a boost in the in-work tax credit starting from April.

It is set to last a year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks.

*Name changed to protect identity

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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 man has died after being arrested by police in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill this morning.

Acting Auckland City District Commander Inspector Grant Tetzlaff said a critical incident investigation was now underway after the man’s death in custody.

The man was arrested shortly before 10am this morning on Morrie Laing Avenue, after officers responded to several reports of “a disorder”.

He was arrested without incident and taken to the Auckland District Custody Unit, where he collapsed.

An ambulance was called and first aid was given to the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tetzlaff said next of kin had been informed. He said support had been provided to the family, as well as police staff who had been involved.

“Several investigations will now get underway, including the critical incident investigation, which will examine the course of events this morning.

“As part of this process police have notified the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Conservationists in Otago are celebrating the return of whio to the Rees Valley after more than 50 years.

Southern Lakes Sanctuary staff spotted a pair of the endangered blue ducks on a recent trip to install a new trapline in the valley, north of Glenorchy.

Southern Lakes Sanctuary chief executive Paul Kavanagh said the sighting was very significant and exciting following years of predator control work by his organisation, the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, Rees Valley Station, Ngāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation.

“Our staff were lucky enough to be watching a pair of takahē feeding beside a pair of whio on the river. It’s so exciting and I guess it’s validating for the work we’ve been doing in partnership with many people for quite a long time,” he said.

“This why we do this sort of mahi, so we’re absolutely delighted.”

Takahē were released in the Rees Valley last year but the whio had returned of their own accord, Kavanagh said.

“Whio are really good indicators of healthy waterways but also the threats that face whio are the same that face takahē and the same that face kea, so the work that we’re doing to protect takahē do have that kind of cascade impact,” he said.

Iris Scott, who has lived at Rees Valley Station for more than 50 years, said it had been a personal dream to see whio return.

“I remember seeing them when I first started farming here in the 1970s,” she said.

“Seeing whio again is beyond what I’d hoped for.”

The return of the river birds followed that of the western weka last year, which also had not been seen in years.

Southern Lakes Sanctuary trustee Estelle Pura Pērā-Leask (Ngāi Tahu, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Ruanui) said the return of the native species was of deep significance to mana whenua.

“For Ngāi Tahu the return of species like whio reflects the restoration of relationships between people, whenua and waterways and the responsibility of kaitiakitanga to protect them for future generations,” she said.

Kavanagh said conservationists hoped the whio would draw others to the area though it was too early to know if the whio were a breeding pair.

Whio were vulnerable to stoats and the new trapline in the alpine – consisting of 50 traps – would play a key role in protecting them, he said.

“Our conservation efforts, it just has to keep going. You can’t take your foot off the gas so hopefully this pair of whio stay in the area, others naturally return and we get a breeding population of whio soon.”

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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 plan is needed to ensure Aotearoa’s food production is protected, says Eat NZ.

McCain announced yesterday it will close its Hastings frozen vegetable plant early next year.

Wattie’s has also proposed stopping all frozen vegetable production, as well as some other food products, which would see three manufacturing plants close.

Growers have also been feeling the bite from both rising fuel and fertiliser prices, and Angela Clifford – chief executive not-for-profit Eat New Zealand – says now is the time for a national food security plan.

“We tend to lurch from crises to crises without doing the work in between times to make us more resilient for the next time these crises arrive.”

Clifford highlighted the Hunger Monitor report, which showed that one in three Kiwi families struggled for food in the past year, and she says New Zealanders are losing access to their own food.

“That is often framed as our fault because we can’t afford it, but I would argue that there is also an opportunity for supermarket to ensure our own food remains on our shelves to create better long-term security for our country.”

Clifford said more and more of the food New Zealanders eat was imported, such as US butter being sold in supermarkets as the cheaper option, as well as the sourcing of supermarket homebrand lines from overseas.

When asked about this, Foodstuffs said nearly 70 percent of the products that it sourced for its own brand Pams was from New Zealand.

A spokesperson told RNZ that Wattie’s was a significant supplier of Pams frozen vegetables and other items and it was now looking for alternative suppliers.

Foodstuffs said it was always looking to work with local producers.

“At the same time, any supplier needs to be able to deliver consistent quality, reliable volume at scale, and good value for customers. Where New Zealand producers can do that, they’ll absolutely be part of the mix.”

Woolworths said about 45 percent of its own brand frozen vegetables were grown in New Zealand, and Wattie’s and McCain are not among the suppliers.

“Across our Own Brand range we will always look for New Zealand-sourced products where we can find solutions that meet our customers’ needs and offer them value.”

It added that it was a low-margin, high volume business.

“Of every dollar spent in our stores, around 62 cents goes to our suppliers. We keep about 2.3 cents and the remainder goes to paying wages and other operational costs, and investing in our store network.”

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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 traditional symbol of connection will embrace visitors when they enter the arena at the $50 million Tūparikino Active Community Hub when it opens in New Plymouth racecourse in 2028.

With groundworks and design work done and the project on budget, the district council said, construction will begin in May.

The indoor arena will host sport, recreation and cultural activities, and feature six basketball or netball-sized courts that can be configured into 12 volleyball courts, 16 badminton or pickleball courts, or three futsal courts.

The façade design symbolises two interlocking hīnaki (woven eel nets), traditionally used by mana whenua to gather tuna (eels) from the nearby river.

Ngāti Tūparikino spokesperson Rita Rukuwai said it acknowledged the shared history of Ngāti Te Whiti and Ngāti Tūparikino, reflecting both the past and the future of the site as a place where communities came together.

“Tuna was a staple food source for Māori and represents the relationships woven over time between the two hapū, and the importance of their connection to the local landscape and waterways.

“We felt this represented not only the historical significance of this site, but also the connections that will continue to grow within the Tūparikino Hub. This place will see many different groups of people coming together for health, well-being and prosperity.”

New Plymouth firm Clelands Construction was awarded the construction contract for the indoor arena which would include an upper-level community space for local organisations and groups, a café, and event facilities.

Mayor Max Brough said the project was significant for the local economy.

“This will support jobs for more than 20 local subcontractors and suppliers at a time when the construction industry is feeling the pinch, so the benefits of this building work will flow back into our community.”

Brough said the stadium had been designed as a flexible and accessible space that could support a wide range of activities, from grassroots recreation and school groups to cultural performances, regional tournaments and everyday community use.

Additional playing fields inside the racecourse would be developed as further funding became available.

Sport Taranaki chief executive, Michael Carr, said the Tūparikino Hub would have far-reaching benefits for the region’s sport, recreation and well-being.

“Tūparikino will be a place that inspires people to be active, to connect and to belong.

“It will bring together people from across codes, activities, ages and backgrounds. The benefits will extend well beyond sport. It’s about health, confidence and community spirit.”

At a glance:

• The Tūparikino Hub will have a new indoor stadium and sports fields that could hold national sports tournaments and events such as kapa haka.
• Cost $50m.
• Groundworks started in late 2024
• Opening early 2028.
• An energy-efficient, low-maintenance building.
• The hub will share the site with Taranaki Racing, which has a 33-year lease.

Follow progress on @tuparikinohub on Instagram or find out more at npdc.govt.nz/Tūparikino.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Families of those killed in the Pike River Mine disaster fear the government’s proposed health and safety law changes will remove worker protections and risk another tragedy.

Sonya Rockhouse, who lost her 21-year-old son Ben, and Anna Osborne, who lost her husband Milt, told the Education and Workforce Select Committee on Wednesday they wanted health and safety laws strengthened.

A methane-fuelled explosion ripped through the Pike River coal mine in the rugged Paparoa Range on the South Island’s West Coast on 19 November 2010, killing 29 workers.

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament last month and the government said it was intended to reduce death and injury rates while also cutting compliance costs by focusing on the most serious critical risks and reducing confusion.

But critics said the changes could weaken worker protections and result in more workplace injuries.

Osborne said her husband’s death was preventable, it was not bad luck or an act of God.

“He was killed by a company that put its profit ahead of his life and the lives of 28 others, and that was allowed to happen by years of people, sitting in the same seats you are now, weakening the health and safety laws and regulations again and again,” she told the committee.

“This should never have happened and the travesty of justice that followed is a blight on New Zealand’s soul.”

‘This bill takes that away’

Workplace health and safety laws were strengthened in 2014 after the mining disaster, which had kept workplace deaths and injury rates at bay despite the population of the country growing larger, she said.

“People could be confident in speaking up and employers began to feel they needed to listen,” she said, of the 2014 changes.

But that was still not enough and Osborne and Rockhouse wanted to a corporate manslaughter charge introduced in New Zealand law.

“Milt always looked out for his people – he was a volunteer fireman, a local councillor – I have always thought that among all the bad that came from Pike he would have taken some heart in the fact his death helped keep others safe even just by a little bit,” Osborne said.

“This bill takes that away. It takes it away from every person at work in New Zealand and it takes it from the memory and the legacy of Milt and all the men he is lying with in that shithole of a mine.”

The pair made the submission on behalf of Stand With Pike outlining their concerns with the proposals in the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill.

Rockhouse said Ben was a intelligent, articulate, gentle boy who believed people were good.

“I don’t know what he would have made of how hard we’ve had to fight for truth that should have been ours by right. We should never have had to fight, protest and campaign for justice, accountability or truth,” she said.

“I don’t even know what to think of this right now, of the fact that we are having to come here again to tell people yet again about the consequences of taking people’s rights to health and safety from them.”

Osborne and Rockhouse met with Workplace Safety Minister Brooke van Velden at Parliament last November on the 15th anniversary of the disaster.

The minister, who admitted she had not read the Royal Commission’s report on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, and did not support the introduction of a corporate manslaughter charge, instead preferred to focus on “upfront guidance” for businesses.

Rockhouse said everyone had the right to go to work in the morning and come home safely.

“It feels like the authors of this Bill have failed to learn from history, they have wilfully ignored it and it makes me sick and angry”, Rockhouse said.

“To wind back health and safety despite the price our men and us – their families – have paid, despite the fact that all of New Zealand has seen that cost? Shameful does not even begin to describe it.”

‘Absolute conflict of interest’

Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March asked the pair about their concerns with the law change.

Rockhouse said both her sons – Dan was one of just two survivors from the disaster – told her if they tried to raise issues around health and safety, no matter how big or small, they were told to “just shut the F up and get on with your job, basically that was the mentality”.

Several miners told her they had been worried about an explosion at the mine and the chief executive had said, “if you don’t like it there’s the door, leave, you’re not in Australia now”, she said.

“It’s very hard in that context to think the CEO would have identified the appropriate critical risks under the financial pressure they were under.”

Osborne said methane levels in the mine peaked over 19 times in the two weeks before the explosion.

“Those 19 times the men should have been out of the mine and, until that mine re-ventilated, they should not have been allowed to work but [Peter] Whittle and the managers there wanted production to happen,” she said.

“It was almost like they were playing a game of Russian roulette – production over safety.”

Stand With Pike advisor Rob Egan said the Bill assumed the workplace health and safety regulator could police and provide guidance and consultation to employers.

“That’s exactly what happened at Pike River … it is an absolute conflict of interest,” he said.

Earlier this year police said they were nearing the final stages of the criminal investigation into the disaster.

Detective superintendent Darryl Sweeney said the investigation was legally complex and police had been working with the Wellington crown solicitor for more than 18 months.

Further investigation was still needed and an update was likely to be several months away, he said.

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