Category: Public Media

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Wellington’s City to Sea bridge saved but most seismic work off the table

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s City to Sea bridge. Paul McCredie

A popular footbridge connecting Wellington’s waterfront to the central city has been saved from demolition – but its seismic risk won’t be addressed.

There’s been a years-long fight over the City to Sea bridge – and the former Capital E building underneath – with officials saying the council could not afford the estimated $85 million strengthening work required.

Advocates for saving it argued cheaper strengthening options were available.

In December 2024, the council agreed to demolish the bridge, but works were paused while Wellington City Council awaited the outcome of the government’s earthquake-prone building review.

The decision to tear the bridge down was revoked in December last year.

On Thursday, councillors voted unanimously to spend about $15m to “renew” the City to Sea bridge and “minimally strengthen and upgrade” the former Capital E building.

“The significant seismic vulnerabilities of the former Capital E building are addressed, with some remaining seismic issues,” meeting agenda documents said.

“Seismic resilience risks identified with the City to Sea Bridge would not be addressed.”

The Capital E building would become a “cold shell”, which is safe for the public but inappropriate for most commercial operations.

Specific types of operations could benefit from its simplicity and flexibility, council officials wrote.

“Potential tenants would complete a fitout at their own cost, protecting the council from cost escalations, delays, and budget and scope creep risks.”

They said the decision required a higher tolerance to seismic risk and was a “significant departure” from the council’s previous approach to resilience within Te Ngakau Civic Square, which the bridge is connected to.

City having ‘a heart transplant’

Councillor Nicola Young said she was happy with the decision, which was democracy in action.

“It’s impossible to please all of the people, all of the time,” she said.

“At last, Wellington’s premier public space is being returned to the city. The bridge has been reopened, the former Capital E structure will have a new life, the central library opens next month, the City Gallery later this year, and the beautiful Town Hall reopens next year.

“Wellington is having a heart transplant.”

The council’s city strategy and delivery committee chairperson, councillor Nureddin Abdurahman, said the decision was practical and made possible by the greater flexibility in the government’s proposed reforms to the earthquake-prone building system.

“This decision balances upgrading the bridge and the former Capital E building with affordability and delivering what Wellingtonians most need and value,” he said.

“We’re able to keep and refurbish the bridge, build a bridge with the community, upgrade the former Capital E site so it can be used, and ensure our investment reflects appropriate financial restraint.”

Officers advised councillors the option provided the best value to benefit ratio.

The work would lift the former Capital E building to the minimum level required under current regulations, and the strengthened building would be considered a non-earthquake prone building under new regulations.

Work would start this month, and be completed by April 2027.

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

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Waitangi 2026: Thursday in pictures

Source: Radio New Zealand

The people of Ngāpuhi deliver a powerful haka, welcoming parliamentarians onto the upper Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

The prime minister and other MPs were welcomed back onto the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Thursday morning as the long weekend gets underway.

RNZ photographers and journalists were on the ground covering the events.

Here’s how the day unfolded in pictures.

The grounds on Thursday morning. MARK PAPALII / RNZ

The calm before crowds arrived. MARK PAPALII / RNZ

Banners put up by protestors around the Treaty Grounds. CRAIG MCCULLOCH / RNZ

Preparing for the pōwhiri at Waitangi. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

People gather at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. GILES DEXTER / RNZ

Shortly before the pōwhiri. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

Many people were wearing red blankets emblazoned with words referring to Te Tiriti, whenua and He Whakaputanga. Pokere Paewai / RNZ

The pōwhiri. GILES DEXTER / RNZ

Protesters at Waitangi led by Wikitana Popata. CRAIG MCCULLOCH / RNZ

The pōwhiri. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

Politicians watch on. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

The Prime Minister Christopher Luxon being welcomed alongside side NZ First leader Winston Peters. RNZ/Mark Papalii

The pōwhiri. MARK PAPALII / RNZ

Many donned Paraikete whero (Red blankets). MARK PAPALII / RNZ

Luxon and Peters talk at Waitangi. RNZ/Mark Papalii

Crowds at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Thursday. MARK PAPALII / RNZ

A Waitangi guest. MARK PAPALII / RNZ

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Wellington’s City to Sea bridge saved but $85m in seismic work off the table

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s City to Sea bridge. Paul McCredie

A popular footbridge connecting Wellington’s waterfront to the central city has been saved from demolition – but its seismic risk won’t be addressed.

There’s been a years-long fight over the City to Sea bridge – and the former Capital E building underneath – with officials saying the council could not afford the estimated $85 million strengthening work required.

Advocates for saving it argued [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572994/protestors-battle-council-over-plan-for-wellington-city-to-sea-bridge-demolition

cheaper strengthening options were available].

In December 2024, the council agreed to demolish the bridge, but works were paused while Wellington City Council awaited the outcome of the government’s earthquake-prone building review.

The decision to tear the bridge down was revoked in December last year.

On Thursday, councillors voted unanimously to spend about $15m to “renew” the City to Sea bridge and “minimally strengthen and upgrade” the former Capital E building.

“The significant seismic vulnerabilities of the former Capital E building are addressed, with some remaining seismic issues,” meeting agenda documents said.

“Seismic resilience risks identified with the City to Sea Bridge would not be addressed.”

The Capital E building would become a “cold shell”, which is safe for the public but inappropriate for most commercial operations.

Specific types of operations could benefit from its simplicity and flexibility, council officials wrote.

“Potential tenants would complete a fitout at their own cost, protecting the council from cost escalations, delays, and budget and scope creep risks.”

They said the decision required a higher tolerance to seismic risk and was a “significant departure” from the council’s previous approach to resilience within Te Ngakau Civic Square, which the bridge is connected to.

City having ‘a heart transplant’

Councillor Nicola Young said she was happy with the decision, which was democracy in action.

“It’s impossible to please all of the people, all of the time,” she said.

“At last, Wellington’s premier public space is being returned to the city. The bridge has been reopened, the former Capital E structure will have a new life, the central library opens next month, the City Gallery later this year, and the beautiful Town Hall reopens next year.

“Wellington is having a heart transplant.”

The council’s city strategy and delivery committee chairperson, councillor Nureddin Abdurahman, said the decision was practical and made possible by the greater flexibility in the government’s proposed reforms to the earthquake-prone building system.

“This decision balances upgrading the bridge and the former Capital E building with affordability and delivering what Wellingtonians most need and value,” he said.

“We’re able to keep and refurbish the bridge, build a bridge with the community, upgrade the former Capital E site so it can be used, and ensure our investment reflects appropriate financial restraint.”

Officers advised councillors the option provided the best value to benefit ratio.

The work would lift the former Capital E building to the minimum level required under current regulations, and the strengthened building would be considered a non-earthquake prone building under new regulations.

Work would start this month, and be completed by April 2027.

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

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Damage to Moa Point wastewater plant ‘as bad as we feared’ – Wellington Water

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty says he had never seen damage like this before. Samuel Rillstone

Wellington Water’s chief executive says the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant is not in good shape, with 70 percent of it flooded and 80 percent of its equipment damaged.

An equipment failure flooded the site and is sending raw sewage spewing directly into the southern coastline – rather than through a longer pipe, nearly 2 kilometres into Cook Strait.

Doughtery said he hoped the long pipe would be fixed by the end of the weekend, but it would likely be months before the plant was fully repaired.

He said as a water engineer, he was used to seeing damaged plants but he had never seen anything like this.

Their priorities would be to get the sludge out of the plant so it did not turn anaerobic and stink, getting a camera in to look at the outfall pipe to understand what went wrong that caused a back-up into the building and working to get power on to parts of the building so they can start to use the long outfall, Dougherty said.

Today’s inspection showed the damage was “as bad as we feared”, he said.

But Dougherty said so long as they managed to get the long outfall pipe operating fairly quickly, the tides would take care of it and he did not expect there would be long term environmental damage provided they could get the outfall going.

Untreated waste water is leaking onto the capital’s south coast beaches due to the Moa Point Treatment Plant flooding. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Wellington surfers fear return of ‘turds in the waves’

Meanwhile, surfers and surf lifesavers are devastated Wellington’s south coast is off-limits while sewage spews into the sea, worrying it’s a return to a time when there were “turds in the waves”.

Wellington mayor Andrew Little earlier labelled it a “catastrophic failure” and an “environmental disaster”.

Wellington Water is focusing on cleaning up the flooding so it can safely restore power and allow sewage – still untreated – to be pumped through the long outfall pipe nearly 2km into Cook Strait, rather than into Tarakena Bay close to shore.

People have been told not to swim in the water, RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

In the meantime, people are being urged not to enter the water, collect seafood, or walk their dogs on the beach, and a rāhui is in place.

Jamie McCaskill from Wellington Boardriders told Morning Report he was gutted and devastated.

“We’ve got a few events coming up, this is a bad time for us … it’s just really not a good time, especially at this time of year.”

The worst part was not knowing when the water would be safe, McCaskill said. He wanted clear communication from Wellington Water about that.

McCaskill worried it would be a return to decades prior, before the long outfall pipe was built.

“I’ve been talking to a few of the legend surfers, and kind of before 1989 there was just … raw sewage, smells on the rocks, on the wall, surfing in barrels with turds in the waves,” he said.

“There were sicknesses, ear infections, skin infections, gastro, so we’re just trying to avoid that, that’s for sure.”

Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant has been shut down and staff evacuated from the site, after an equipment failure flooded multiple floors. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

There were no other places nearby to surf, he said.

“We could go to Wainuiomata or over to the Wairarapa but it’s just such a long way, it’s a bit of a bummer that we just can’t go locally.”

‘It’s really concerning’

Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving Club chairperson Matt Flannery said his members were as disappointed as the rest of the community.

“We can’t use what is a beautiful part of the city,” he said.

“It’s really concerning.”

The club has had to reschedule this weekend’s planned competitions, and it has disrupted members’ training for national competitions.

“We’re at the final part of the season where we’ve got very regular use on the beach, with probably 70 or 80 club members in the water on a daily basis, so that’s a fairly big impact,” Flannery said.

“It’s at a time of the year that we’re training for national championships four weeks out, and obviously the uncertainty about when the beach will reopen is of a major concern for us.”

That uncertainty made their rejigged training plans “a bit of a guessing game”, Flannery said.

Lifeguards would not be patrolling the beach this weekend, and a red flag would fly at the club to show the beach was unsafe.

The mayor told Morning Report he shared residents’ anger and frustration.

“This is my neighbourhood, this is where I take my dog for a walk, and along that coastline is where I spend my time, that’s where I go kayaking and swimming,” Andrew Little said.

Wellington Water is taking water samples from a wide area and expected to provide an update later on Thursday.

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‘We are all connected’: Indigenous, Pacific leaders unite at Waitangi

Source: Radio New Zealand

Taiātea Symposium at Waitangi 2026 – all photo credits to WAI 262 – Kia Whakapūmau / wai262.nz / projects@wai262.nz WAI 262 – Kia Whakapūmau / wai262.nz / projects@wai262.nz

As Waitangi Day commemorations continue drawing people from across Aotearoa and around the world to the Bay of Islands, Te Tii Marae has become a gathering point for Indigenous ocean leadership from across the Pacific.

Taiātea: Gathering of the Oceans held its public forum on 4 February, uniting more than 20 Indigenous leaders, marine scientists and researchers from Canada, Australia, Hawai’i, Niue, Rapa Nui and the Cook Islands.

The forum forms part of a wider 10-day wānanga taking place across Te Ika a Māui (North Island).

Taiātea Symposium at Waitangi 2026. WAI 262 – Kia Whakapūmau / wai262.nz / projects@wai262.nz

With a focus on the protection and restoration of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean, kōrero throughout the day centred on the exchange of knowledge, marine protection, ocean resilience and the accelerating impacts of climate change.

A key message remained prevalent throughout the day – the moana is not separate from the people, but a living ancestor, and a responsibility carried across generations.

‘Continue that path of conservation, preservation’

Solomon Pili Kaho’ohalahala, known as Uncle Sol, on board the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise en route to Kingston, Jamaica for a summit of the ISA in 2023 © Martin Katz / Greenpeace Martin Katz / Greenpeace

Hawaiʻi’s Solomon Pili Kaho’ohalahala, co-founder of One Oceania, a former politician, and a respected elder, framed his kōrero around the belief that there is no separation between human and nature – we are all one.

For Kaho’ohalahala, being present at Waitangi has been a powerful reminder of the links between past, present, and future.

“Waitangi is a very historical place for the Māori people,” he said. “It is where important decisions were made by your elders. So to be here in this place, for me, is significant.”

“We are talking about historical events that have happened to our people across Oceania, preserved by the elders who had visions to create treaties … decisions that were going to be impactful to the generations to follow,” Kaho’ohalahala said.

“It brings the relevancy of these conversations. They are what we need to negotiate and navigate the challenges we face in the present. The purpose for this is, ultimately, no different to the kupuna (Hawai’ian elder), that this was intended for the generations yet unborn,” he added.

Kaho’ohalahala also reflected on the enduring connections between indigenous communities across oceans.

“To be a part of this conversation from across the ocean that separates us, our connection by our culture and canoes is to help us understand that we are still all connected as the people of Oceania.

“But we need to be able to reiterate that, and understand why we need to emerge from that past to bring it to our relevancy to these times and issues, to continue that path of conservation, preservation, for those unborn.”

‘Our ocean … a living organism,’ advocate says

Louisa Castledine Cook Islands News / Losirene Lacanivalu

Cook Islands environmental advocate and Ocean Ancestors founder, Louisa Castledine, reiterated the responsibility of indigenous peoples to protect the ocean and pass knowledge to future generations.

She said Waitangi was the perfect backdrop to encourage these discussions. While different cultures face individual challenges, there is a collective sense of unity.

“One of our key pillars is nurturing our future tamariki, and the ways of our peu tupuna, and nurturing stewardship and guardianship with them as our future leaders,” Castledine said.

“It’s about reclaiming how we perceive our ocean as being an ancestor, as a living organism, as whānau to us. We’re here at Waitangi to stand in solidarity of our shared ancestor and the responsibility we all have for its protection,” Castledine said.

She said people must be forward-thinking in how they collectively navigate environmental wellbeing.

“We all have a desire and a love for our moana, our indigenous knowledge systems of our oceans are critical to curating futures for our tamariki and mokopuna,” she said.

“We want to ensure that generations that come after us will continue to be able to feed generations beyond all of us. It’s about safeguarding their inheritance.”

Learning about shared challenges

Wuikinuxv Nation Chief Councillor Danielle Shaw with the Coastal First Nations Great Bear Initiative. CFN Great Bear Initiative

Canadian representative Chief Anuk Danielle Shaw, elected chief councillor of the Wuikinuxv Nation, said the challenges and goals facing Indigenous peoples were often shared, despite the distances between them.

“This is [an] opportunity to learn about common challenges we may have, and how other nations and indigenous leaders are facing those challenges, and what successes they’ve been having,” she said.

“It just makes sense that we have a relationship, and that we build that relationship.”

She noted the central role of the marine environment for her people.

“It’s not lost on me that my people are ocean going people as well. We rely on the marine environment.

“Our salmon is the foundation and the backbone of our livelihood and the livelihood of all other beings in which we live amongst. I’m a world away, and yet I’m still sitting within the Pacific Ocean.

“So the work I do at home and how we take care of our marine environment impacts the people of Aotearoa as well, and vice versa. And so it just makes sense that we have a relationship, and that we build that relationship, because traditionally we did,” she added.

Following the public forum, indigenous leaders will visit haukāinga in the Tūwharetoa and Whanganui regions for further knowledge exchanges and to discuss specific case studies.

A sunrise sets over Te Tii beach as Waitangi commemorations commence. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

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Live: ‘Sort yourself out’, politicians told as they are welcomed to Waitangi

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister and other parliamentarians have been welcomed to the lower Treaty Grounds at Waitangi.

A pōwhiri was held at 11am, before they gathered for speeches.

Christopher Luxon, who was absent from the Treaty Grounds last year, had promised to bring a message of unity.

After meeting with Māori leaders at the Iwi Chairs Forum on Wednesday, he said they were “aligned” on issues like localism, devolution and lifting Māori outcomes in health, education and law and order.

Follow our live coverage of all the action through the day at the top of this page.

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Part of Mt Maunganui landslide road cordon set to be lifted

Source: Radio New Zealand

The cordon in late Janaury. RNZ/Lauren Crimp

Tauranga City Council says it is aiming to lift part of the temporary road cordon around the Mt Maunganui landslide around lunchtime on Thursday.

At that point, Adams Avenue between Maunganui Road and Marine Parade will be open to both vehicles and pedestrians.

But permanent fencing around the affected area has been installed to keep people out as the site is still hazardous.

The council said areas behind the permanent fencing remained closed and must not be entered.

Mauao tracks and other landslide-affected areas would remain closed until further notice.

A rāhui was still in place for affected areas around Mauao.

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Canterbury primary school mourning student hit and killed by car

Source: Radio New Zealand

Leeston Road, Canterbury. Nathan McKinnon / RNZ

A rural Canterbury primary school is mourning the death of one of its students who was hit by a car.

Police said the child was walking on Leeston Road near Springston when they were hit at about 3.30pm on Wednesday.

They died at the scene.

In a statement, the Springston School Te Kura o Makonui board said its thoughts were with the child’s family, and staff and students were being supported.

“We have had a tragic passing of a student of our school. We are unable to provide any further details at this point as the police investigation is continuing,” they said.

Police were investigating the cause of the crash.

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People across North Island report second possible meteor sighting within a week

Source: Radio New Zealand

People across the North Island are reporting possible sightings of a meteor.

Social media users, including one in Kaitaia, have shared videos of or reported seeing a bright flash light up the sky in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki said he had received at least a dozen reports of the event, which appeared to be similar to the meteor in Wellington last week.

He said a meteor or “shooting star” was fairly common but rare to see.

Astronomer Josh Aoraki says the event appears to have been similar to the meteor in Wellington last week (pictured here). Supplied/ PredictWind.com

“It’s usually a small point of light moving fast over the sky.

“From the reports today, it sounds like it was what’s called a fireball, which usually moves a bit slower and is a lot brighter. Often you can see an object breaking up and flashing with light, and they have a distinct green hue, very different from a satellite or a comet.

He said that while these meteors were common occurrences, it was rare to see one.

“Meteors themselves are not rare. Astronomers estimate that about 100 tonnes of debris, which is essentially stuff from space, falls to Earth every day.

“The rarity is actually seeing them because we don’t usually get very bright ones. Most happen over the ocean, so to see it over a populated area is very rare.

A social media user in Kaitaia reported a bright flash lighting up the sky in the early hours of Thursday morning. Supplied / Screenshot

“It’s luck we’ve had two really bright ones recently.”

He said expected the meteor could have been seen from several areas across the North Island.

Stardome was working to confirm the sightings and it was possible, if it was big enough, that a meteorite could have hit land, Aoraki said.

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‘Really serious’: Call for urgency as review of insurance commences

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Consumer NZ says New Zealand is facing a “really serious” situation with insurance becoming increasingly unaffordable and potentially inaccessible – and a new review needs to urgently tackle the problem.

It was revealed this week that the Council of Financial Regulators has been asked to conduct a review of insurance affordability for households, and the Commerce Commission has been asked for an initial market assessment.

Plans to introduce new levies as part of the Natural Hazards Insurance Act have been paused until the review can happen.

It comes amid reports that AA Insurance has pulled back from offering home policies in some South Island towns.

In a cabinet paper recommending the review, Treasury said home insurance premiums had grown at three times the rate of the consumer price index since 2011, and there had been a 40 percent rise in the past two years.

“Premiums have grown even faster for some people in high-risk areas. Insurance remains largely available, but access is becoming more difficult in areas facing both high earthquake and flood risk. With improved scientific understanding of seismic and climate risk, further increases are expected, and coverage may soon become unavailable for some people at any price.”

The first stage of the insurance review is expected to take six months and will be followed by a second phase, of policy development.

Treasury said there was some evidence that insurers had higher profit margins in New Zealand compared to Australia.

Jon Duffy Jon Duffy

“New Zealand’s higher risk profile is likely a contributing factor, with investors demanding higher returns for the higher risk. However, it could also indicate weaker competitive pressures in New Zealand.”

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy said he would be surprised if the Commerce Commission did not conclude that there were the same issues in insurance as were seen in the banking sector and the supermarket sector. “And others they’ve done market studies on that are problematic from a competition perspective.”

He said it was likely that a broader market study would be justified. A market study would allow more rigourous economic analysis of the profitability of insurance businesses as well as the factors that might make the market unique.

New Zealanders seemed to be getting a tough deal from insurers.

“Wellington is the most expensive place in the country to live. We live on multiple fault lines, we live close to the sea… increasingly it’s becoming too difficult for people, especially apartment dwellers in Wellington to afford what is the basic of living in a first world economy. You need to be able to insure your property. There are lots of factors that go into it but one of them appears to be that Australian-owned insurers – there’s really only two players in the market in home insurance, IAG and Suncorp – appear to be earning higher returns in New Zealand than they do in Australia.”

‘A prudential risk for banks’

He said he hoped to see some urgency from the government, and for it to accept it was an interlinked problem with climate adaption and the fundamentals of the market.

“The banking sector needs to be made aware of this, because if suddenly insurance isn’t available on a whole lot of properties that have mortgages over them, and that means those mortgage holders could be in breach of their mortgage terms and conditions, what happens where those mortgage-holders default? Or there is a natural disaster, and suddenly all of those mortgages can’t be called in.

“That’s a prudential risk for the banks, especially in an economy like New Zealand, where it has been a housing market with a small economy tacked on. This is really serious stuff, and I guess that’s why the Treasury’s kind of woken up and gone, actually, we’d better do something here.”

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said it was not surprising that premiums had increased.

“Does anyone remember Cyclone Gabrielle a couple of years ago? Those increases are very much being driven in many regards by reinsurance costs and the risk factors New Zealand has.”

He said the rate of annual inflation in dwelling insurance peaked at 25 percent in the March 2024 quarter, and contents insurance lifted by 28 percent in the same year.

“Before then, there was a bit of a burst in dwelling insurance that peaked at 18 percent back in 2018.

“We noted as well, though, last year, the level of rising challenges that you’re facing out there in the environment, the number of states of emergency continuing to lift… we’ve seen a 237 percent increase in the number of days that parts of New Zealand spent under a state of emergency in the last 12 years compared to the previous 12.

“So there’s a much more sustained level of pressure that’s putting pressure on the insurers who need to be able to pay for all these claims.”

He said in 2006, total insurance costs were 1.7 percent of overall household spending.

That increased to 3.16 percent in 2020.

He said there had also been a shift towards dwelling insurance and away from other types such as life insurance.

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