Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Domestic violence experts warn they are seeing an alarming increase in abusive partners stalking their exes using mini tracking devices and mobile phone apps.

The social service Help at Hand, funds technology to help reduce family violence and its general manager Gavin Healy said the majority of the refuges they deal with report tracking devices are a problem.

“They’re being found everywhere, they’re being found slipped in handbags, kids teddies if they know there’s a toy the kid brings everywhere with them they’ll stick it in there, back of the car,” he said.

“We’ve also come across a situation where someone had access to the PlayStation and was actually able to turn the camera on the other side to see what was going on when the kids were playing.”

Healy said in a recent survey of 778 survivors of domestic voilence, 38 percent were fearful their former partner was tracking them digitally and 20 percent reported their ex had taken control of their social media, bank accounts or codes.

He said digital tracking was also occurring via phone apps.

“We’re just getting our heads around it and the perpetrators are streaks ahead but the data’s definitely there to show that this is becoming a really significant issue.”

Healy said Help at Hand was in the initial stages of working with organisations on the frontline to help them identify and reduce digital tracking.

Eclipse aims to prevent family violence and train those working in the sector, its director Debbs Murray is herself a survivor of domestic violence.

She said they began offering a technology family violence workshop mid-2025 because of the prevalence of digital harm.

“We’re actively training our frontline now about it…It is a whole new form of coercive control in itself, it’s brutal.”

She said mini tracking devices were used but so were everyday household devices.

“Anything that can be controlled by an app can be used as a form of coercive control or family violence tactics,” Murray said.

“If you imagine that the primary victim’s sitting in their home and suddenly the curtains start opening and closing or the wifi’s shut down or the power’s turned off.”

She said children’s toys could be used to track whereabouts, and pets.

“I heard a story about a woman who was tracked down by her predominant aggressor through a microchip in a cat,” Murray said.

“Anything that’s got cameras on it, children’s toys there’s pet dispensers that have cameras on that can be used to surveil and monitor. It’s so big.”

Women’s Refuge this year found more than 80 percent of people using their services had experienced digital abuse through their phones and other technology and 56 percent had been tracked and had their movements monitored.

Its principal policy advisor Dr Natalie Thorburn said mobile phone apps were most commonly used.

“While occasionally we do have perpetrators who will use things like air tags or other associated GPS technology that are separate from their phones to stalk, to monitor, to keep an eye on their victims, most of the time it actually happens just as effectively using everyday technology,” she said.

“The apps you already have on your phone, the ones that you use on a regular basis, those things are actually far more likely to be maliciously utilised by perpetrators than any of the new technology.”

Thorburn said it was concerning.

“As our lives become increasingly digitally mediated, so does the forms of violence that we experience so it’s the same kind of violence, but just enacted through a different mechanism,” she said.

“It does make perpetrators’ ways of abusing people more efficient and give them greater reach and that’s kind of the terrifying part of it.”

Legislation to make stalking a specific criminal offence has passed its third reading in Parliament and will come into force in May 2026.

The legislation amends the Crimes Act to make stalking and harassment punishable by up to five years in prison.

“The new stalking law will make it a lot easier to identify those examples of tracking, monitoring, spying behaviour basically as stalking, especially in an intimate partner scenario where there’s reason to be fearful of someone’s response,” Thorburn said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Bargain hunters have started their Boxing Day shopping early to avoid crowds and traffic.

Auckland woman Lara finished her shopping at Sylvia Park shortly after the mall opened at 9am.

“I only went to Lush, so I went really early to be on time for Lush. The parking was fine because I got here about 8.30am to be in time.”

Lush opened at 9am, but Lara said there was already a long queue from 8.30am.

Shoppers arriving after 9am said it was hard to find parking.

But the mall was not as busy as in previous years, some said.

Patrick, who arrived at the mall at 9.30am, said it seemed less crowded than in previous years.

“I’ve been here a couple of times on a Boxing Day – I’d say this year around has probably less people around.

“I’d probably say it’s more towards the cost of living that affected everybody’s opportunity to come here.”

People should prepare for stormy, wet weather, as they head out on Boxing Day, MetService warned earlier.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 4500 unwanted Christmas gifts had already been listed for sale online by 8:30am on Boxing Day, according to Trade Me.

Interesting listings include De Walt power tools listed by someone who prefers Ryobi, a large Kathmandu jacket gifted to a “tall skinny young man who never wears a large” and a bag of Licorice Allsorts gifted to someone who does not eat sweets.

The company’s spokesperson Millie Silvester said bargain hunters were also out in force.

“Boxing Day is a prime time for Kiwi to head to Trade Me to scope out the presents that didn’t make the cut,” she says.

“Last year, we saw almost 60,000 searches for ‘unwanted gifts’ on the 26th itself, and this year is already looking similar with over 10,000 searches yesterday – most before Christmas dinner had even been served.”

A recent Trade Me survey showed the trend of receiving lacklustre gifts continues.

“The data shows a significant number of New Zealanders, 42 percent to be exact, typically unwrap at least one present they didn’t want,” Silvester said.

“It’s become a bit of a tradition for Kiwi to list their unwanted Christmas pressies on Trade Me.

“This year, our survey found that one in four Kiwi (25 percent) are planning to list any duds they get. We’re expecting to see thousands more of these items pop up over the next few days.”

She also said that sellers shouldn’t feel guilty, as most people are not offended if a gift is on-sold.

Trade Me survey also showed that over half of New Zealanders (51 percent) were fine if a gift they gave was sold on, with only 5 percent saying they’d be upset.

“We think this shows that people just want their loved ones to be happy with their gift, even if that means swapping it for something they’ll get more use out of.”

The company also said a massive 70 percent of Kiwis will pretend to like a gift they were not happy with.

Silvester said including the words “unwanted gift” in the tile will help attract bargain hunters and clear, well-lit photos would also make a difference.

“A good backstory can help your item sell, but if you’d rather keep the sale on the quiet, it’s best to avoid any details that might identify you to the person who gave you the present,” she said.

“It’s also best to avoid listing handmade or highly personalised items, as they can be tricky to sell.”

The company’s survey found that popular choices of dealing with unwanted presents also include donating them to charity, regifting, or stashing them in a cupboard to be forgotten.

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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 Professional Firefighters’ Union has decided to stop Boxing Day’s one-hour strike that was meant to begin at midday.

It acknowledged that it was Boxing Day, and for those not rostered to work, it was an important opportunity to be with whanau.

The withdrawal meant volunteers who would feel obligated to respond during the strike could relax.

Collective bargaining between Fire and Emergency and the Professional Firefighters’ Union broke down, and the Employment Relations Authority this month sent them into facilitation.

The union will instead strike for one hour on 2 and 9 January.

Meanwhile, firefighters have put out a grass fire on the bank of the Waimakariri River near Swannanoa, north of Christchurch.

The fire was reported just after 11pm on Thursday and when firefighters arrived, they found a blaze of about 80 by 10 metres.

It took three hours and three tankers to extinguish the grass fire, which was fanned by high winds.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

People should prepare for stormy, wet weather, as they head out to Boxing Day sales.

Several weather watches have been issued as thunderstorms are expected for the upper North Island and southeast of the South Island.

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Canterbury High Country, North Otago, Central Otago, Dunedin, Clutha and Southland from 1pm until 8pm on Friday.

It said there was a possibility of hail larger than 20mm in these areas.

“A cold unstable air-mass affects parts of the South Island today. For coastal Canterbury from the Banks Peninsula southwards, eastern Otago and Southland there is a moderate risk of thunderstorms. These storms may become severe this afternoon and evening with hail, larger than 20mm.”

Meanwhile up north, a complex trough embedded in a moist unstable air-mass was expected to move east across the upper North Island, the forecaster said.

It issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua from 2pm until 8pm on Friday. Bay of Plenty and Gisborne are also under a watch from 7pm until 11pm Friday.

MetService said the downpours could bring hourly rainfall amounts of 25 to 40mm an hour.

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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 quake described by GeoNet as “strong” shook the lower North Island on Friday morning.

It measured 4.7 and struck 10 km southwest of Pongaroa at a depth of 17km at 7.16am.

Pongaroa is southwest of Hastings and northeast of Wellington.

Felt reports were lodged from the top of the South Island up to around Lake Taupō.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire and Emergency will be relying on volunteer crews to fight fires in the main centres on Boxing Day between midday and 1pm, as its paid staff go on strike.

Talks between the fire service and the Professional Firefighters’ Union broke down, and the Employment Relations Authority this month sent them into facilitation.

The union said Fire and Emergency could come to the table outside that process, but the employer said it had no plans to do so.

It said its volunteer firefighters will respond to 111 calls during the strike hour, but it was also asking people to be careful when doing anything that could start a fire.

Meanwhile, firefighters have put out a grass fire on the bank of the Waimakariri River near Swannanoa, north of Christchurch.

The fire was reported just after 11pm on Thursday and when firefighters arrived, they found a blaze of about 80 by 10 metres.

It took three hours and three tankers to extinguish the grass fire, which was fanned by high winds.

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