Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Politicians sharpen their knives and their tongues as we bump our way to 7 November

Election day is 7 November, but 28 May is the date when the fur is predicted to start flying among the coalition partners.

That’s Budget Day, and political convention dictates that after that, the gloves are off and the minor parties can start doing their utmost to distinguish themselves from the coalition leader.

“You pass your last budget as a government in election year, then you kind of – wink wink, nudge nudge – kind of fall apart a little bit,” says the Herald’s political editor Thomas Coughlan.

“You allow yourselves to differentiate a little bit more, just so that by the time you get on to the hustings, onto the campaign trail, once you do that … the parties of the government have their own unique identity and they’re not subsumed into this bigger idea of the National-led coalition.

“So ACT and New Zealand First will be, after Budget Day I think, wanting to spread their wings and take flight and step out from underneath the shadow of National.”

Coughlan says it’s interesting though that this coalition has been more, shall we say ‘boisterous’, than coalitions past – and the three members have been arguing since they were sworn in.

“That seems to have been a strategy on behalf of all three parties, but particularly those two minor ones … to keep their own separate identities in the coalition. And to be fair to those two parties, it has worked, to a certain extent. Both parties are polling above 5 percent, New Zealand First for the first time since it entered Parliament. It’s the third largest party in Parliament.”

The Detail also talks to Newsroom’s political editor Laura Walters about the lead-up to the election.

She and Coughlan agree that the economy is top of the agenda, and National will be either helped or hindered depending on how people are feeling about their personal circumstances.

“It’s the economy, but it’s also that cost of living thing as well,” Walters says.

“It’s not just whether the economy is getting better – we’ve already seen some of those economic indicators tell us that things are getting better, that recovery is on the horizon. It’s not just about that, it’s going to be, do people feel like things are getting better? Are their grocery bills more affordable, are their power bills more affordable? Do they feel like they can get ahead? Maybe they can buy that first home, they can actually put some savings away.

“It’s about the economy, it’s about the cost of living, but it’s not just about the data and the theoretical – it’s about really how people feel.”

For more on the big issues this election, including possible leadership changes, listen to the full podcast.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A semi-retired specialist investigator has been called back to active duty after an intruder was discovered in a sanctuary off the coast of Rakiura Stewart Island.

Detector Gadget, a rodent sniffer dog, is patrolling Ulva Island, Te Wharawhara after a young female rat was found in a trap there earlier this month.

The island achieved predator free status in 1997 and is home to many native species including the Stewart Island brown kiwi tokoeka, the kākā, and South Island saddlebacks.

DOC said the biosecurity network had been activated with more than 300 traps and 50 cameras now operating.

Physical surveillance had also ramped up, including bringing in Detector Gadget.

Gadget’s handler, Sandy King told Checkpoint that after thorough checking from Gadget, fortunately no rats had been found on the island.

“Gadget went for a couple of walks this week, just looking at places that are high priority or areas where rats tend to gravitate to.

“There are a few buildings on the island, some houses … we spent a bit of time checking around and under those buildings and the sort of immediate environs and some of the more popular beaches and public places as well.”

King said with Gadget’s experience, she was sure if there had been a rat on the island, it would have been sniffed out.

However, Gadget’s sensitivity to rats can depend on the conditions.

“She generally picks them up from a reasonable distance away, but it does depend on which way the wind’s blowing. She’s not very tall, so her height of nose isn’t that great – a taller dog might have an advantage in some conditions.”

The Jack Russell Fox Terrier cross stands around 25cm high and being the runt of her litter only weighs in at around 5.5kg.

Despite not catching any predators in her latest mission, King said Gadget has had many successes over her career.

“The absolute career highlight was when she discovered some live mice in a bundle of building material that was about to be loaded onto a boat and to be transported to a rodent-free island. If Gadget hadn’t found that, it probably would have gone.”

It’s not only conservationists getting excited by the possibility of a pest-free environment, with Gadget’s own enthusiasm hard to ignore according to King.

“Her little tail goes round and round, a bit like an aeroplane propeller, sometimes I’m almost expecting her bottom to lift off the ground, and you can see that she is just really excited.”

Despite being called back to duty on Ulva Island, Gadget’s recent months have been spent easing towards retirement.

“She turned 13 in November … but she’s still fairly active and capable of doing jobs like we’ve just finished. So, yeah, she came out of retirement, dusted off her vest and muzzle and went to work.

“She’s one of those active elderly, people that still keep working.”

King said that Gadget’s official retirement is on the horizon and expects her to step back from work in about six months.

However, if people want to keep up with her adventures, she has got a keen Facebook following on her Detector Gadget page.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The parents of a young teen missing after a landslide tore through a Mount Maunganui campground say their “hearts are broken”.

Sharon Maccanico, 15, was one of six victims of the deadly slip at the holiday park last week.

Pakuranga College confirmed Maccanico was among two of its students who died in the tragedy, alongside Max Furse-Kee, also 15.

Sharon’s parents, Natallia and Carmine said their daughter was born in Italy and moved to New Zealand when she was 8.

“This was where her passion for dance began. Sharon wanted to be a professional dancer, and she would often practice for hours every day,” they said in a statement.

“She participated in seven solo competitions at regional and national level and won all seven. Last year she also won an international competition in Belarus.

“We gave her all the support we could and were so proud to watch her work towards achieving her dreams.”

Her parents said they were extremely proud of Sharon, and she was loved by all.

“Our family is a very close family and always did everything together.

“Sharon and Natallia had a bond like no other, and were best friends. Sharon felt comfortable to talk to her about everything and had a very close relationship with both her parents.”

Sharon has an older sister in Belarus, who no matter how far apart they were, would always remain in close contact and had such a strong bond, they said.

She also remained close to her family in Italy and would often call them.

Natallia and Carmien said their daughter “met the love of her life Max” and they quickly formed a strong relationship.

“Max became a treasured part of our family, and he looked after Sharon and made her feel so special,” they said.

They thanked everybody for their support and messages.

“We also want to express our gratitude to the community, local iwi, and all the people who have been beside us through this difficult time. We are very grateful for their support.”

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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 new 60-bed mental health unit has opened at Auckland’s Mason Clinic, the country’s largest forensic psychiatric service.

Health New Zealand said the $162 million, three-storey building called E Tū Wairua Hinengaro will replace leaky, ageing units with ongoing air quality issues.

The clinic cares for people with serious mental health problems or disabilities who have committed or who are charged with serious crimes.

Mental health and addiction national director Phil Grady said the new unit would result in better outcomes for patients and a better working environment for staff.

“This facility represents the latest chapter in a long and important story, the evolution of the Mason Clinic and of forensic mental healthcare in New Zealand,” he said.

“The true value of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro is that it enables improved models of care and gives staff new options to safely manage patients’ needs – options that were simply not possible in the old units.”

The first patients were expected to move into the unit in late February.

Health NZ said recruitment was underway for an additional 57 full-time staff and there had been a good response from candidates.

E Tū Wairua Hinengaro, meaning quality of mind, was significantly bigger than the old units, with 10,000 square metres of floor space, Health NZ said.

It said the unit was a safe, recovery-focused place, featuring secure courtyards and enhanced ventilation.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

This story discusses graphic details of violence.

Convicted murderer Clayton Weatherston has told the Parole Board that his mutilation of Sophie Elliott was “just an F-U to everything about her”.

The 50-year-old has been declined parole and will remain behind bars until at least November 2027.

Weatherston was an academic at Otago University who lectured in economics and had been in a relationship with the honours student.

Elliott, 22, had left Weatherston and was packing up her life to move to Wellington to take up a job at Treasury on 9 January 2008, Weatherston’s 32nd birthday.

Weatherston arrived at her family home in the Dunedin suburb of Ravensbourne armed with a knife.

He stabbed her to death so viciously the knife broke and used a pair of scissors in his frenzied attack.

Weatherston inflicted 216 stab or cutting wounds as well as seven blunt force injuries and disfigured her body.

On Friday morning he appeared before the Parole Board for the first time after serving an 18-year non-parole period of imprisonment.

His lawyer told the panel Weatherston was not seeking parole and understood more time would have to pass before he was eligible.

Panel members asked Weatherston if he had reflected on his offending and had any explanation for his attack on Elliott and his actions after she was dead.

He told the board the attack was “incredibly misguided” and he was ashamed and remorseful.

“My offending was about alleviating frustration,” Weatherston said.

“It was about alleviating my distress. A lot of the things going on in my life were projected on to her, anything I don’t like about her, anything I don’t like about myself.

“It was a visceral, brutal way of wiping out someone you have perceived as hurting you in the worst way possible. It was just an F-U to everything about her and about that I am ashamed and ashamed I would channel that towards another person.”

At trial Weatherston tried to blame the attack on Elliott, claiming the partial defence of provocation.

Her death shocked New Zealand and Weatherston’s antics at trial further outraged the nation, leading to the partial defence of provocation being abolished by statute.

“I feel shifting the blame, shifting the focus of behaviour away from me was completely wrong,” Weatherston told the Parole Board.

“I certainly regret the nature of that court process. I think the focus should be on my behaviour and I really regret that, the way things played out at that time.”

Panel member Alan Hackney asked Weatherston if he had any flashbacks or nightmares about his crime.

“Yes, all of those things,” Weatherston said, impassively.

“There are certain triggers in everyday life, mentions of certain words, comments from other people. Looking back it’s just extreme regret for the tragedy of the whole situation.”

Upon reflection, Weatherston claimed his offending caused him a “high degree of anxiety and stress and shame”.

Hackney remarked that Weatherston “described that incredibly calmly” considering the distress he described to the board.

“I don’t feel calm and in fact I feel extremely emotional,” Weatherston said.

“It’s not something that’s easy to deal with. Some days I get very emotional about it and some days I say ‘you just have to accept what has happened and move forward’.

“Sitting here today and as I present to you, I’m trying to maintain myself in this environment,” Weatherston said, lifting his glasses and wiping an eye.

During his trial, the court heard Weatherston had kicked another former girlfriend and made her nose bleed.

He was asked about the conflicting accounts he had given of that assault and his responsibility for it.

He told the Parole Board he maintained he was “jumping over” the woman and it was an “accidental act that I immediately apologised for”.

The board heard Weatherston had not been involved in any misconduct during his time in prison.

He had not undertaken any rehabilitation and there was some way to go before that could happen.

Weatherston had read for more than 1000 hours and had familiarised himself with methods of psychology.

The board heard he remained at high-risk of reoffending against intimate partners.

Weatherston said he believed he had some element of neurodivergence and “some degree of personality traits”.

When it was pointed out that clinicians had assessed him as suffering from a severe personality disorder he responded, “I don’t subscribe to the high degree of narcissistic personality disorder opined”.

A support person told the panel that he had seen “a lot of change, growth and development” in Weatherston during his 18 years behind bars.

Weatherston’s lawyer Roger Eagles said his client “does feel remorse and shame for his actions” and “understands the huge distress caused for the victim’s family and friends”.

He said it was possible Weatherston would make “rapid progress” when he undertook rehabilitation because he was “undoubtedly a gifted man intellectually”.

Weatherston told the board he was a different man from the “hard-charging, younger version of me”.

“I want to verbalise my remorse and action it. I take it incredibly seriously,” he said.

Elliott’s father Gil remained sceptical about Weatherston’s remorse.

“I’m not sure whether that would be genuine or not,” he told RNZ following the board’s decision.

“Narcissists’ mental state doesn’t change because it can’t change. They are wired that particular way.

“His mental state when he went in should not be or won’t be any different then to his mental state now 18 years later.”

Gil thanked Victim Support and the Parole Board for their support and manner, which put him and his support people at ease.

He had sought a postponement order to prevent Weatherston appearing before the Parole Board again for several years, although it was not imposed.

“It was bad enough going through the hearing this time although it was certainly a lot better than we thought it was going to be because the Parole Board was so nice and accommodating,” Elliott said.

“I’m sure not sure I’d attend another hearing, but November 2027 we’ll have to go through it all again.”

Elliott said his daughter’s death and her killer’s brutality would hang over him “forever and a day”.

The Parole Board will assess Weatherston’s progress late next year.

Where to get help:

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sexual Violence

Family Violence

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

State Highway 2 north of Wellington is down to one northbound lane after a multi-vehicle crash north of Ngauranga.

Waka Kotahi said Hutt-bound drivers could expect delays while emergency services were on the scene.

There was significant congestion on the urban motorway.

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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 monster slip blocking the main access route to a series of towns on Northland’s east coast is still moving, complicating efforts to reopen the road.

Whangārei District Council infrastructure committee chairman Brad Flower said the landslide that came down on the final day of last week’s storm buried Russell Road in mud, trees and boulders weighing up to 100 tonnes.

“We’re estimating it’s around 100,000 cubic metres of material that’s there. Not all of that’s come down. There’s a portion which has come down on the road, but the bulk of it is actually sitting up above the slip, and that slip is still moving,” he said.

“As of yesterday, the cracks are still moving apart. So it’s still an active slip.”

Flower said even if contractors were able to shift 1000 cubic metres of material a day, and worked every day with no further weather interruptions, it would take 12 weeks to clear the road.

The slip meant communities at Helena Bay, Teal Bay, Ōakura, Punaruku, Bland Bay, Ngaiotonga and Whangaruru had lost their main road connection to Whangārei.

Flower said a “lifeline route” along Kaiikanui Road was open to local residents and essential services, but it was steep, unsealed and at most one-and-a-half car widths wide.

The safest and only fully sealed route to and from the coast was via the Ōpua car ferry to the north.

The slip appeared to be only 100 metres wide where it crossed the road, but it “fanned out” further up the hill, so it was significantly wider at the top.

Heavy machinery would have to start by removing loose material from the top.

Flower said Fulton Hogan, the main contractor, had brought in experts who had worked on the Brynderwyn slips of 2023-24.

The company had managed to find a dump site about 2km west of the slip, and the search was continuing for another so debris could be trucked away in both directions.

Simply bulldozing the material into the gully, as many people had suggested, was not possible, Flower said.

“First, we’d get prosecuted for doing that by the regional council. It’s not good practice to fill up a gully. Secondly, imagine putting 100,000 cubic metres into the gully, and then we have another weather event, where does that end up? That’s a 100,000-cubic-metre wall that heads towards Mōkau and ends up further down, doing damage to homes and farmland and the ocean,” he said.

“We really feel for people that are affected by this, who are cut off and can’t get in and out, but we’ve got to make sure it’s done properly, it’s safe, and it lasts.”

Contractors would use a hydraulic rock breaker to deal with the 100-tonne boulder.

If that didn’t work, explosives would be used to fracture it.

Flower said it was the only big boulder that could be seen, but he was certain there were more “big floaters” buried under the mud and debris.

Any damage to the road would become apparent only once the slip had been cleared.

The landslide came down near a slip that closed Helena Bay Hill for several months in 2007.

However, Flower said that was an “underslip” where the road itself had fallen away, making it much more difficult to fix.

The 2007 repairs had held up well in last week’s storm.

The latest slip was north of Helena Bay Café and Gallery so those businesses were still open and could be accessed from Whangārei.

Meanwhile, Flower said 35 flood-affected homes had so far been assessed by council inspectors.

Five of those had been red-stickered – meaning they were deemed too dangerous to enter – and 10 had been yellow-stickered, with some restrictions on access.

All roads in the district, apart from Russell Road, had reopened.

A few were down to one lane due to washouts or slips, but the council hoped all would be back to two lanes in time for Waitangi Day.

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