Category: Public Media

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Ousted Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris says expulsion ‘a joke’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris. RNZ/Lillian Hanly

A meeting yesterday between ousted Te Pāti Māori MPs and their former colleagues was a chance to “sit down together, spend some time, have a cup of tea” and talk through recent events, says Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris.

The newly independent MPs, Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, had their first day back in Parliament on Thursday since being expelled from Te Pāti Māori on Monday, posting a video to social media with a song titled ‘Welcome back’.

In a sitdown interview with RNZ, Ferris described the expulsion process as a “joke” and underhanded.

He said Te Pāti Māori MPs Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke were now “trapped” in the party which was behaving “way below the line”.

“Our mates, they weren’t told we were getting expelled. They were told by the press release. This is the degree of the conduct, right? It’s way below the line.”

He said that would lead people to “naturally come to the conclusion, well, you can’t exist in that”.

“We’re now expelled, so now Hana and Oriini are stuck, are trapped there. What are we going to do? Just leave that there like that? I don’t think the people will agree with that.”

Ferris, Kapa-Kingi, Kaipara and a representative for Maipi Clarke held a hui on Wednesday without their co-leader.

Ferris said the meeting was simply about “getting back together” and they did not discuss the possibility of forming a new party.

The office of newly independent MPs Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. RNZ/Lillian Hanly

Last week, ahead of the expulsion, Ferris, Kapa-Kingi and Kaipara sent a letter to the National Council of Te Pāti Māori requesting an “immediate audience” to discuss some of their concerns about the party and the experiences of those three MPs.

Ferris said they had yet to receive a response.

“It’s just sitting there being ignored, but it’s got three signatures,” he said.

“Three current MPs have signed that letter. Fifty percent of your caucus have signed that letter – and they just ignored it and expelled two of them.”

Kaipara and Maipi-Clarke have yet to speak publicly following the expulsion, but both have posted on social media addressing their electorates.

Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara. VNP/Phil Smith

Ferris said it was going to be “extremely awkward” and “extremely difficult” for Kaipara and Maipi-Clarke in the party’s offices at Parliament.

When asked about the meeting between the MPs, Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said on Wednesday they were entitled to meet with “whoever they want to meet with”.

She wasn’t concerned about what was being discussed or potential implications for the party.

Back at Parliament

Ferris told RNZ he was back at Parliament to “do a job” and was planning to get on with his work as the representative of Te Tai Tonga.

He said both he and Kapa-Kingi were still Te Pāti Māori MPs when it came to the kaupapa.

“We’re here for the kaupapa of Te Pāti Māori, not the personnel of Te Pāti Māori. We’re here for the vision that Whatarangi Winiata had and that Tariana Turia had, and that Pita Sharples had.”

Te Pāti Māori MP, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi speaking in the House. VNP / Phil Smith

Ferris confirmed he intended to challenge the expulsion process, questioning why so few people were part of the meeting where the decisions was made.

He said just 11 people attended that meeting when there should have been 36, and only two MPs when there should have been six.

“The amount of holes in it, it’s just so easy to debunk.”

Ferris said no one had explained to him yet how he had breached the constitution.

“No one’s come to explain to me exactly what the breaches are and explain how the breach occurred and whether there is or was an actual breach.”

RNZ understands one breach was Ferris doubling down on racially charged comments during the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, comments party president John Tamihere later supported in essence.

Ferris flatly rejected Tamihere’s accusation that he had been plotting a leadership coup. Asked directly if he had leadership ambitions, he said he was “leading Te Tai Tonga”.

He said a lot of meetings were still to take place before the upcoming AGM in early December, and the people of Te Tai Tonga would be issuing a ‘please explain’ about his expulsion.

“They all want answers from the executive. They expect answers.”

Ultimately though, Ferris said the party “has suffered” and “continues to suffer reputational damage” and an assessment would need to be made at some point whether that could be repaired.

“Do we have the time or the energy or the resources available to repair that, whilst we’ve got to move all our people towards making sure that the government goes away next year?” He said.

“The people will speak up. The pressure will be so immense from outside that the only option will be to reorganise the party, and the National Council will step in and do the job they’re supposed to do.”

Ferris said Tamihere needed to step down, else the party would have no future.

“No future because the people won’t follow it,” he said. “And if there’s no people, there’s no nothing.”

Te Pāti Māori has been approached for comment.

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Controversial Regulatory Standards Bill passes third reading

Source: Radio New Zealand

Minister for Regulation David Seymour. RNZ

The Regulatory Standards Bill has passed with the backing of the coalition parties.

National and New Zealand First agreed to pass the bill into law as part of their coalition agreements with ACT.

The bill has faced fierce pushback from the public, with more than 98 percent of public submissions opposed.

The legislation sets down principles for lawmaking which would not be enforceable in court but – if a piece of law would breach them – politicians would need to explain.

It also sets up a Regulatory Standards Board which would assess current laws for their adherence to the principles, and

Its critics say the principles are ideological, could favour big corporations, and would add delays and cost to lawmaking.

Changes were made to the bill after the select committee – but constitutional experts have warned the changes do little to address the bill’s failings and the ideological way it’s written mean it’s unlikely to have lasting impact.

ACT leader David Seymour

The bill’s primary champion, David Seymour, argued in his speech in the final reading in Parliament the legislation was about avoiding putting the costs of law changes on regular people.

“If you want to pursue some cause, then you need to be open about whether it is going to impact people’s value that they get from their property and the value they get from their time,” he said.

“The costs of the restrictions are immense and they are felt throughout our society,” he said – giving the examples of teachers who he said complained they only ended up filling out forms and complying with bureaucracy, or builders who complained it took longer to get permission to build something than to actually build it.

“Where this bill leads us is a more respectful and more civilised society.”

He said the bill’s critics “have been many, but in my view poorly informed”, arguing principles missing from the bill could still be pursued “through collective action”.

“The point of the Regulatory Standards Act and its principles is to identify the costs of those laws and those collective projects on individuals.”

Repeal guaranteed – Labour

Labour’s Justice spokesperson Duncan Webb promised Labour would repeal it within 100 days if it won the next election.

He said the bill’s critics were “overwhelming” rather than “many”, and the bill was wasteful and unnecessarily duplicated existing processes.

“It seeks to put in place a set of far-right values that come out of a theory of economics which basically says the most important right is the right to private property – it throws aside every other right we hold dear.

“What it amounts to is baking in a libertarian set of values into our lawmaking process …. yes, we can do it better – we can do better regulatory impact statements, we can do better departmental disclosure statements – but what we don’t need is another piece of paper … that public servants have to go and undertake.”

He argued the bill would mean hand-picked public servants second-guessing the work of Parliament.

“This is the place for deliberation, this is the place for scrutiny, this is the place for examination – and to say that there is another group of people who you have no control over, unelected people, it’s fundamentally undemocratic.”

The final irony of the bill, he said, was that it did not follow the proper rules for lawmaking, with “deeply flawed and skewed” public consultation, a failure to consult Māori, and had a regulatory impact statement that fell short of Treasury’s requirements.

“The idea that he stands up and says ‘I’ve got this great piece of legislation about regulatory quality’ when he doesn’t follow his own rules about regulatory quality is outrageous.”

The party’s Deborah Russell said it was “odious” and again promised to repeal it within 100 days of the next Labour government.

Cockroaches and rats – Greens

Green MP Tamatha Paul said the bill was like a cockroach – “we keep stamping it out but it just won’t die”.

“They tried this three times before … and every single time it failed. They tried it again with the Treaty Principles Bill and what happened with that … it got chucked in the bin.

“The danger in this bill is not actually in how damaging it will be … the danger of this bill is how eyewateringly boring and technical it is so that most of the general public aren’t necessarily paying attention to the consequences.

“That’s how a cockroach lives, isn’t it – in the dark, in the night, not in broad daylight being clear about the intentions of what they hope to achieve.

“Or maybe it’s like a rat … you see one, you think that’s it, there’s 20 more where that came from.”

She said the bill’s intention was erasing the Treaty of Waitangi, ransacking the environment, and putting corporate greed over the public good.

Paul harked back to a time in New Zealand when everyone could get good healthcare, a public education was available to all, university-level training was free, and parents could stay home and raise their children.

Māori Development Minister ‘didn’t know it was happening today’

Heading into the debating chamber, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said he was unaware the bill’s third reading was set down for later in the day.

“Didn’t know it was happening today but it was foreshadowed through a coalition agreement, it’s happening today and I’m sure Minister Seymour will carry it through.”

He acknowledged it was a big deal to Māori, but it was among “a lot of confronting challenges in front of us right now, and the most important of which is the cost of living and the economic challenges”.

He said he hoped the passing of the bill would lead to improved regulatory oversight without being overbearing – but asked if he expected that would be the case said he did and that’s what it had been set up to do.

“And if it isn’t, well, we’re going to have to look at it again.”

Asked if he welcomed the bill, he said “oh, no, I support the coalition agreement and this has come out of the coalition agreement and I stand by Minister Seymour and others as a result of that”.

Pushed on whether that meant he supported it, he only said “I’m willing to say that this is a bill the coalition agrees to, I’m part of the coalition, I’m part of the National Party, and we support this agreement.

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Codeine stocks in short supply

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ /Dom Thomas

Stocks of the prescription-only painkiller codeine are in short supply due to shipping delays.

Pharmac today confirmed the supply issue affected all three strengths of the subsidised Noumed brand codeine.

The next shipment was expected to arrive in the mid-November but it could take another one to two weeks for products to reach pharmacies around the country.

The drug-funding agency said there was currently no stock of 30mg tablets, and low stocks of both 15mg and 60mg.

Additional stock ‘overlabelled’

Meanwhile, some other supplies of 15mg and 30mg codeine tablets are being dispatched to wholesalers this week after being re-labelled with a new expiry date.

Previously, codeine tablets in New Zealand had a 24-month shelf-life from the date of manufacture – but this was changed to 36 months in July.

“The supplier held stock of codeine phosphate tablets that was labelled with a 24-month expiry date,” Pharmac said.

“Medsafe fast-tracked an approval to over-label this stock with the 36-month shelf-life to ensure people can still access this medicine.”

This over-labelled stock will start being distributed to wholesalers by the end of this week.

“We have prepared a flier to reassure people that the over-labelled product is safe and effective.”

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‘Guess who’s coming to you’: Killer Nathan Boulter makes 600 calls to victim before fatal stabbing frenzy

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nathan Boulter appearing at the Auckland District Court in 2011. NZPA / David Rowland

A man who harassed and stalked a woman, making nearly 600 calls to her in two weeks, hid behind a tree waiting for her to get home with her children before fatally stabbing her 55 times.

In 2012, Nathan Boulter was jailed for eight years and six months for kidnapping and assaulting his ex-girlfriend over a 38 hour ordeal on Great Barrier Island.

On Thursday, Boulter pleaded guilty in the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday to murdering another woman on 23 July. The woman’s name is currently suppressed.

A summary of facts released to RNZ on Thursday reveals that Boulter and the victim had been in a brief relationship which began in May.

After Boulter was recalled to prison, the woman terminated the relationship and told him she did not want any further contact from him.

Boulter “developed an unhealthy fixation with the victim,” the summary of facts said.

“Once released, the defendant began a significant electronic harassment of the victim, by making 581 calls to the victim between 7 July 2025 and 20 July 2025, which she tried to ignore.

“In response, the victim made 0 calls.”

Boulter used multiple cell phone numbers and social media profiles to harass, stalk, and threaten the woman.

On 14 July, he sent several messages to the woman via email threatening to “chop u down to nothing…” and “one two guess who’s coming to you! Your lack of human compassion and empathy will be the

death of you one day soon my Lil hoe! Xxx”.

The woman began locking her front gate with a padlock to keep herself safe. She also told her friends and family of Boulter’s threats.

On 22 July, Boulter purchased a pig sticker knife.

The following evening, about 6.50pm, Boulter was watching the woman’s home that she shared with her children, flatmate and her flatmate’s children.

Boulter hid behind a street tree opposite her home and lay in wait.

About 7.50pm, the woman and her children returned home from the supermarket and drove up the long driveway.

The summary said that Boulter then left his hiding spot and as the woman came down to close the gates behind her leapt out and attacked her with the knife.

“He started stabbing the victim in a frenzied attack leaving behind a total of 55 stab wounds.

“The victim’s children ran into the house as the defendant was stabbing their mother.”

The woman died within minutes.

Boulter then left the property on foot, entering a home on Queenspark Dr that was occupied by a family who he did not know.

He placed the knife on their kitchen bench, and after being told to leave, went outside onto the driveway.

He then called his stepfather and then police, saying that he had just killed his ex.

“I just killed her now, I stabbed her to death, I f****d up, bro, I need you guys to come get me, I just killed her bro,” he told police.

He was arrested a short time later.

Boulter declined to be interviewed by police.

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Kylie Wihapi confrimed as Porirua Māori Ward councillor

Source: Radio New Zealand

There were just nine votes separating the top two candidates. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

A recount has confirmed the outcome of a closely contested seat in Porirua’s local election.

Parirua Māori Ward councillor Kylie Wihapi, who was deputy mayor last term, has been confirmed winner by nine votes over candidate Jess Te Huia.

A recount in the Porirua District Court on Thursday disallowed two special votes which had previously been allowed, a Porirua City Council spokesperson said.

The recount was overseen by a Judge of the District Court, and scrutineers appointed by Te Huia, the recount applicant.

Wihapi received 934 votes, Te Huia 925 votes, Raniera Albert received 319 votes and Rawinia Rimene received 208 votes.

The council has not been able to hold its first meeting or swear in its councillors due to the recount process. Te Huia lodged a recount application in the Porirua District Court on 21 October.

Mayor-elect Anita Baker said she was “ecstatic” the council could now get started on its business.

“I’m ecstatic, we can now move forward, we’ve got a swearing in date of Tuesday the 25th.”

She said a full council on the 11 December would embark on a “huge amount of business” for the city.

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Coromandel rescue mission escalates after man taking photos of it was also swept off rocks

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person being winched at of the Whiritoa blowhole in Coromandel.

A person being winched at of the Whiritoa blowhole in Coromandel. Supplied / Police

Emergency crews already rescuing two people have had to rescue a third who was taking photos of the ordeal.

Police were called about 8.30am to the Whiritoa blowhole in Coromandel where the first two people got caught by the incoming tide and big surf.

One of them had a suspected broken leg.

But while that person was being winched out of the blowhole, another man taking photos from the rocks got washed into the surf.

“While we were winching the injured man out of the blowhole we heard about someone else who was watching the rescue,” Sergeant Bradley York said.

“He’d been taking photos from rocks nearby then been washed off ​​into the surf,” he said.

“We had to divert away from the initial rescue, and shift to the more urgent situation where he was in the sea.

Rescue crews went back to the first scene to rescue the remaining man after winching the bystander from the water.

Police, Fire and Emergency, Surf Life Saving and the Auckland rescue helicopter were all involved.

“This was a good reminder to members of the public to exercise caution near the sea as conditions can change rapidly,” York said.

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There could be another chance to spot an aurora over southern NZ tonight

Source: Radio New Zealand

Aurora Australis

Supplied / Ian Griffin

Keen stargazers could be in for another glimpse on an aurora that lit up skies at the southern end of the country on Wednesday night.

Send us your photos: iwitness@rnz.co.nz

Tūhura Otago Museum’s director Dr Ian Griffin told Midday Report the aurora was likely to be visible in the lower South Island again this evening.

Last night’s display was particularly spectacular, he said, as two coronal mass ejections from the sun collided on their way to earth.

“[It] really boosted the visibility of the aurora last night,” he said. “So those of us who were lucky enough to have clear skies, we got a pretty amazing display that pretty much went on from sunset, all the way through to the early hours of the morning.”

Under clear skies in Middlemarch, he said he was lucky enough to see beams converging overhead in what’s known as an “aurora corona”.

“Really worthwhile going out and looking at it,” he said. “There’s a good chance if the skies are clear tonight you might see another.”

Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki in October told RNZ aurora could often be caught on camera, even when they were not visible to the naked eye.

“We’re currently in a pretty high activity period with our sun, and the aurora is a direct result of solar activity interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.”

Unedited photo of Clifden Bridge, taken about midnight last night in Otautau. Taken by Edwin Mabonga. Supplied (jpg)

Unedited photo of Clifden Bridge, taken about midnight last night in Otautau. Edwin Mabonga / supplied

The further south you went – place like Twizel, Southland and Otago – the better the view. Spots with less light pollution worked best.

Aurora Australis

Supplied / Ian Griffin

Aurora Australis

Supplied / Ian Griffin

He said aurora were notoriously hard to predict in terms of how bright they would be, but people could keep an eye on the space weather forecast on the NOAA website. It was possible the lights could be seen again on Thursday night.

Many keen starspotters shared their photos of Wednesday’s light show with RNZ.

Shot from Middlemarch, Otago, about 11pm. Credit: Ian Griffin, Tūhura Otago Museum (jpg)

Shot from Middlemarch, Otago, about 11pm. Ian Griffin, Tūhura Otago Museum / supplied

Taken at Woodlands, Southland.

Taken at Woodlands, Southland. Kelly Gladwin / supplied

Meanwhile, Transpower on Wednesday issued a grid emergency notice ahead of the G4 geomagnetic storm – which is the force behind the aurora – and took some South Island electricity transmission lines offline as a precaution to prevent damage to equipment.

Transpower said this kind of action was standard when space weather reached a particular level. A plan had been developed over several years through work with Otago University, international space agencies and others in the electricity industry.

Aurora as seen at Blackhead, Dunedin, between 10.40 and 11.15pm.

Aurora as seen at Blackhead, Dunedin, between 10.40 and 11.15pm. Debbie Rutherford

Last week, the National Emergency Management Agency and other affected agencies ran through a test scenario of a solar storm response in the Beehive’s bunker, to make sure they are adequately prepared.

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‘Controlled burn’ near Tongariro ruled out as wildfire cause

Source: Radio New Zealand

The fire impacted varied terrain including, sub-alpine scrub, alpine scrub, wetlands, frost flats and pockets of kaikawaka forest. Supplied/DOC

Fire and Emergency has confirmed a “controlled burn” in the vicinity of the massive Tongariro wildfire was not the cause.

A spokesperson said there was a controlled burn in the area at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

“This was attended by the National Park Volunteer Fire Brigade to ensure it was under control. Once they assessed everything was under control they left it with the landowner.

“It was not linked to the later fire.”

FENZ was first alerted to the wildfire, the cause of which remains under investigation, at around 3.15pm Saturday.

In a statement, the Department of Conservation, which had now taken over management of the fire ground, said rain was dampening down the impacted land with the park.

Overnight 27mm fell, with more rain predicted on Thursday and Friday.

DOC staff were still assessing damage to tracks and structures. Supplied/DOC

DOC said ground crews and drone surveys had identified no new fire activity.

“With more precise mapping we have now got updated figures revealing fire has affected 2935 hectares of Tongariro National Park. This is over varied terrain including, sub-alpine scrub, alpine scrub, wetlands, frost flats and pockets of kaikawaka forest.”

After a tough few days, some DOC firefighters are being stood down.

“The situation will continue to be managed by the local DOC office, with out-of-town DOC firefighter crews heading home. The local office will continue to ensure appropriate fire containment and safety assessments occur as they start to look towards recovery and restoration of the impacted area.”

DOC staff were still assessing damage to tracks and structures.

“It will take some time for us to get the full picture of damage. Some structures have been significantly damaged or destroyed, while others have emerged entirely unscathed.

“Our initial understanding is that Mangatepopo Hut, the only hut in the affected area, is in good condition, but services like water supply have been affected.”

DOC said it expected to give an update on access and track conditions on Sunday 16 November

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing and tracks in the vicinity of Whakapapa Village remain closed until at least Monday.

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Dunedin bottle store to close earlier after backlash

Source: Radio New Zealand

Bottle O Cumberland originally applied to increase its off-licence hours to 9am until 10pm each day. 123RF

A North Dunedin bottle store in the student quarter has agreed to close an hour earlier after facing backlash.

Bottle O Cumberland originally applied to increase its off-licence hours to 9am until 10pm each day.

Currently, its hours vary from 10am to 8pm on Monday and Tuesday, 10am to 10pm on Wednesday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday.

The Dunedin City Council’s district licensing committee held a hearing on the application on Thursday, receiving opposition from the University of Otago Proctor, police, a Ministry of Health delegate, the Chief Licensing Inspector, and a member of the public.

They raised concerns about the extended hours might undermine the Local Alcohol Policy’s aim to reduce alcohol related harm

Acting Sergeant Chelsea Didham said the student population was regarded as a vulnerable community to the effects of alcohol harm.

“Statistically, the peak hours for alcohol related harm astronomically skyrocket after 9pm and don’t slow down until about 3am the following day,” Didham said.

“It’s widely known that the student quarters are a hive for alcohol-related activities, which brings with it a high proportion of alcohol-related harm.”

Company director Brendan McCarthy told the hearing that he agreed with their evidence that harm spiked after 9pm in a high risk area, saying there were definitely more people denied service closer to closing.

He amended his application to close at 9pm instead.

“The change resolves all agencies concerns and also creates a safer outcome for the community as a reduction from the current licence which permits 10pm closing on four nights a week, which I deem are the more harmful nights of the week,” McCarthy said.

He sought to extend the closing time on Sundays because local customers kept complaining the store closed too early, he said.

The police submission also questioned the suitability of applicant’s shareholders Patricia and Kenneth McCarthy who previously failed to have their off-licences renewed due to non-compliance.

The submission said Patricia McCarthy was also discharged without conviction last year after pleading guilty to one charge of selling alcohol to an unlicensed person. She was also fined $20,000 earlier this year for the unjust dismissal of an employee and upheld a personal grievance that she bullied and harassed them.

Didham said that when the application was made, Patricia McCarthy was a director and shareholder of the company Kitt Enterprises, but she was removed as a director in August and replaced by her son, Brendan McCarthy, Didham said.

Police were notified in October that Patricia and Kenneth McCarthy would not exercise any control or authority in decision making or trading, she said.

Brendan McCarthy said he had been the sole operator of the store over the past 20 years and the only things the shareholders, his parents, had done for the company was payroll which he had already taken over more than a year ago.

Public submitter Scott Stücki said McCarthy never would have asked for the initial extended hours if he understood the vulnerabilities of the community.

In North Dunedin, alcohol related harm was extremely common and the harm was commonly extreme, he said.

Stücki urged the committee to remember its responsibility to minimise the harm this vulnerable community faced.

Chief Licensing Inspector Tania Morrison told the hearing she was pleased to see the proposed change in hours, but questioned why the store sought to open an hour earlier at 9am.

“Given the locality of students, I would be surprised if there was an influx of customers that early in the morning,” she said.

She confirmed that a site visit earlier this year, checking the incident log and touring the store including the back areas where there was an extensive security system in place.

“We’re quite impressed with the systems in place and the knowledge of Mr McCarthy at the time,” she said.

Medical officer of health delegate Aaron Whipp agreed that the amended trading hours supported the minimisation of harm, but raised concerns about the extended Sunday trading hours.

The committee reserved its decision.

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Homegrown maritime surveillance platform may help in fight against meth – Prime Minister

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christopher Luxon talks maritime intelligence with Mat Brown of Starboard. RNZ / Phil Pennington

The Prime Minister says a homegrown maritime surveillance platform might help in the fight against meth.

Starboard Maritime Intelligence’s technology is already being used to combat pirates as well as the sabotage of vital subsea cables.

Four government ministers and Wellington’s new mayor Andrew Little helped open the firm’s new headquarters in the capital on Thursday morning.

On a big screen at the opening, the story played out of the system earlier this month detecting pirates boarding a fuel tanker, the Hellas Aphrodite off Somalia. It showed the tanker changing course after being boarded. The crew took refuge in a safe room and were later let out, safe, when a Spanish warship saw off the pirates.

Christopher Luxon said the value of a platform using satellites to monitor swathes of ocean in near real-time could be taken further.

“When we see submarines or ships that are coming in with huge supplies of meth because they think it’s more attractive to sell into Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, tools like this can pull that information together and actually help us all in a fight like that,” the prime minister told RNZ.

Starboard began six years ago with government funding and a first contract with MPI to monitor ships that might pose a biosecurity pest threat.

Now it provides subsea cable monitoring in the North Sea, and Singapore had just deployed it against drug trafficking and transnational crime, the company said.

Starboard’s Mat Brown shows the platform monitoring for subsea cable risks off the UK coast. RNZ / Phil Pennington

Luxon said this sort of tech could help build out a new domestic defence industry.

About 800 local companies supply to the Defence Force – but their industry body, the NZ Defence Industry Association which represents 200 of those, said this was a step short of having an actual “defence industry” in the country.

Luxon said the $12 billion in the defence capability plan could move the dial.

“We actually want off the back of that to create a defence industry here in New Zealand that can plug into our partners and friends and their defence acquisition programmes, whether that be in Europe, whether that be in North America or Australia as well.”

The country had to make sure it was “incredibly well positioned” in what was becoming a more volatile, power-based world order, he said.

Starboard was one of over 100 companies that registered to get briefings from the Defence Ministry in Wellington in May and Auckland in June, on what the defence capability plan was looking for.

These included massive US defence contractors like Boeing and Lockheed, and their tech cousins Amazon and Microsoft, as well as small local aerospace-oriented firms and ones building underwater drones.

Several companies also opted to have one-on-one meetings with Defence officials on 20 May, an Official Information Act response said.

Starboard said its platform was getting a lot of interest from governments as oceans became ever more strategic.

“Did you know that the US Navy is using Starboard to monitor North Korean sanctions compliance right now?” company chair Jonty Kelt asked the assembled dignitaries, including Associate Defence Minister Chris Penk.

Footage shown to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Thursday morning at Starboard showing a fishing boat’s movements in the western Pacific and satellite imagery so powerful it can see the nets, at left. RNZ / Phil Pennington

‘Warfare is fast moving’

Demand is ramping up, along with the pace.

Defence Industry Association chair John Campbell said the government’s strategy was a “great step forward and what we want to see now is just the meat on the bones”.

The next six months were the real test.

“Today’s warfare is fast moving, it is faster than it’s ever been,” said Campbell.

“We can’t afford to have a system that takes two to three years to get to contract.

“The whole of industry needs to see it speed up – how they do that, it’s up to them [but] if we’re not careful industry will outpace defence.”

Starboard’s chief revenue officer Mat Brown shows off to government ministers on Thursday at the company’s new Wellington headquarters with a copy of real-time monitoring of fishing vessels in the northwest Pacific. RNZ / Phil Pennington

Militaries worldwide are notorious for being slow to get going.

The US is trying to upend that, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth just last Friday giving an order to prioritise speed over cost when buying weapons. “We’re looking to inject urgency,” a Pentagon chief said.

Hegseth said US allies would benefit from getting arms orders on time, as quoted by Politico, which called it America’s arms sale shakeup.

Kelt said “speed is a necessity”, adding he was “very impressed” with the decisions the NZDF was making.

A widespread view is that start-ups and small tech firms like Starboard have an edge in this speed-first environment over the big contractors.

Luxon said he was already taking defence companies with him in delegations around the world.

“It’s already happening.”

Starboard just raised $23 million in a private sector funding round, however, the prime minister put government contracts in the mix.

“The government getting in behind and actually negotiating and doing its own deals and being a customer of the company like this, is really kind of important.”

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