Category: Public Media

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Government announces new diabetes roadmap but keeps details secret, for now

Source: Radio New Zealand

Maungakiekie MP Greg Fleming. RNZ / Felix Walton

A new diabetes roadmap hopes to slow the disease’s progression and decrease the number of amputations.

The government’s roadmap would be released publicly, but not for a number of weeks while its details were finalised.

Maungakiekie MP Greg Fleming announced the plan on behalf of an airborne health minister Simeon Brown at the Tongan Health Society clinic in Auckland’s Onehunga.

“Health New Zealand estimates that diabetes care in 2024-2025 (fiscal year) translated to an estimated $2.1 billion, and even that figure likely underestimates the true cost,” he said.

“The National Diabetes Roadmap sets out a clear and coordinated direction for responding to these challenges, and recognises a vital truth: that diabetes cannot be managed by individual effort alone, it requires system-level leadership and it requires long term commitment.”

Fleming said that accountability would be provided by an oversight group led by epidemiologist Sir Jim Mann.

Mann was clear he intended to flex his role as overseer.

Sir Jim Mann. Billy Wong/University of Auckland

“Please warn Minister Brown that he will be hearing from me, and I hope lots of others, frequently,” he told Fleming.

“I have been in this country for 40 years now and I feel more positive today than I have felt before in my work in diabetes. I am absolutely determined that we’re not going to lose the momentum.”

Mann described the prevalence of diabetes in New Zealand as an epidemic akin to measles or Covid-19.

“People have talked about the ‘epidemic of diabetes,’ but it’s kind of been like ‘epidemic’ with a small ‘e’ instead of epidemic with a capital ‘E’.”

He said it would not be solved overnight.

“We are realists, we know what is written in that roadmap cannot be implemented tomorrow. We know there are a lot of constraints on public money, there are a lot of things that need to be funded, but this is clearly a priority.”

Health New Zealand’s Dr Richard Sullivan, also on the oversight committee, had his sights set on a number of priority areas.

Health New Zealand chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan. RNZ / Calvin Samuel

“There’s areas we just know we need to tackle. Some of those things are foot care, weight management guidelines, opportunity around potentially a diabetes register,” he said.

“[On Wednesday], in fact, a small group are sitting down and looking at how we come up with a prioritisation framework, so we’ve got the roadmap, we’ve got the baseline review, we know the costs, so actually where do we start and where do we invest, and putting together that plan over the months ahead.”

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‘Impactful’ weather event heading for upper North Island

Source: Radio New Zealand

Unsplash / Erik Witsoe

MetService says an “impactful” weather event is heading for the upper North Island this afternoon, with Northland likely to be upgraded to a red weather warning as it develops.

An orange heavy rain warning was in place for Northland from 4pm Wednesday and for Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula early Thursday, lasting until Friday.

Meteorologist Silvia Martino said the impacts might not be seen right away.

“This will be a long event, it carries on for a couple of days, so while we might not get to warning amounts [today], we are expecting over time that rain to build up to warning levels.”

She explained forecasters would be working with local authorities to determine if a red warning was needed.

“The decision about whether to go to a red warning is one that’s made based on what the impacts are likely to be.

“What our expert forecasters will be doing is talking to the council, talking to people on the ground about what the impacts are expected to be from the amount of rain we’re forecasting, and then together they’ll make the decision about whether a red warning is appropriate.

“With the heavy rain, we’re looking out for the risk of surface flooding, of possibly areas being cut off, and reminding people to avoid floodwaters. If you can avoid travel then that’s for the best.”

Clear the gutters, put anything away that could be a source of danger from wind, Martino said.

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Two senior Corrections staff under investigation

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ understands both involve senior staff. RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

Two senior Corrections staff are under investigation including one who faces an allegation of sexual harassment.

The other person has been suspended following multiple allegations of bullying and harassment.

Corrections said the two cases, which both involve staff at Mt Eden prison, are separate matters and do not relate to each other.

RNZ understands both involve senior staff, however they are not at an executive level.

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

In response to questions from RNZ, Corrections deputy chief executive people and capability, Rebecca Powell, confirmed in a statement both staff worked in Pae Ora at Mt Eden prison.

According to Corrections’ website the Pae Ora Group is “responsible for delivering evidence-informed, culturally responsive health and rehabilitation services to people under Corrections management”.

Powell said Corrections could confirm one person had been placed on alternative duties outside of the workplace following an allegation of sexual harassment.

“Another staff member within Pae Ora has been suspended following allegations from multiple internal and external sources of bullying and harassment,” she said.

“These are separate matters and do not relate to each other.”

Powell said Corrections was one of the largest government departments in New Zealand with about 11,000 staff.

“The overwhelming majority of our people act with integrity, honesty and professionalism in what is often a high pressure and challenging environment.

“We are committed to ensuring that our workplaces are free from bullying and harassment. Our clear expectation is that staff uphold the standards of behaviour in our Code of Conduct and comply with the law.”

Powell said the outcome of any employment investigation cannot be pre-determined. Any employment investigation process must follow the requirements of the Employment Relations Act and uphold procedural integrity.

A staff member may be suspended when the staffer has admitted to misconduct but there would be some delay before a decision is made on any disciplinary action to be taken, or if the allegations were of such a serious nature that it is not appropriate for the staff member to continue to perform their duties or to remain in the workplace while an investigation is undertaken.

A staffer could also be suspended if their presence in the workplace or their contact with colleagues or offenders “might hamper a full and fair investigation” and/or potentially raise a safety risk to other staff, people in Corrections management, or themselves.

RNZ earlier revealed that Corrections commissioner of custodial services Leigh Marsh was facing an employment investigation.

In response to questions about the inquiry into Marsh, Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot said Corrections could confirm one senior leader would be investigated by an external independent investigator.

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

Marsh was one of three operational deputy chief executives who is going to undertake a six-month secondment into different DCE roles within Corrections.

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

“Their employment agreements were developed to allow such secondments to take place.

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

Marsh will be moving to Pae Ora.

RNZ asked Corrections what involvement Marsh would have with the investigations.

“In the two cases you are referring to, these were initiated while Juanita Ryan was deputy chief executive Pae Ora so any tier 2 (that is, deputy chief executive level) involvement in these matters, if required, will remain with her.”

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Dunedin City Council considers sanctioning first-termer Benedict Ong for code of conduct breach

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dunedin City councillor Benedict Ong. Supplied

The Dunedin City Council will consider sanctioning first-term councillor Benedict Ong for breaching its code of conduct after publicly criticising a staff member.

Ong last month sent an email complaining about the staff member’s performance to the council’s chief executive and two local journalists.

The email accused the worker of “apparent political bias” and a “lack of political neutrality”.

An independent investigation by senior lawyer Steph Dyhrberg found Ong seriously breached the council’s code of conduct and his actions could have been a deliberate attempt to retaliate against the staff member for not supporting his account in an earlier complaint he made against another councillor.

Ong used social media to call the findings he victimised or discredited the staff member “wholly false”, saying he had never publicly named the staff member and claimed he had been forcibly silenced and forced to leave a council meeting. He was escorted out of a February meeting with tape over his mouth following concerns about his behaviour.

The council would decide on Wednesday if it agreed with Dyhrberg’s conclusion, provide Ong with an opportunity to address the council and consider possible sanctions if councillors agreed the code was breached.

Possible sanctions included a letter of censure, a demand to publicly apologise, a vote of no confidence, removal of council-funded privileges or an invitation to resign.

Ong also faced losing two external council representative roles that could cost him $15,000 in annual pay.

Sophie Barker. Supplied

Mayor Sophie Barker made the request due to behaviour she described as “extremely disrespectful”.

Ong’s first six months as a councillor had not been smooth sailing with a series of controversies including speaking out after being asked to remain quiet about a code of conduct complaint he made against colleague John Chambers.

Ong claimed Chambers made inappropriate comments towards him.

Dyhrberg also investigated that complaint, but it was dismissed after her preliminary investigation found it lacked substance.

Part of the evidence she considered was a phone call transcript with a staff member who did not support Ong’s account of what was said.

The staff member also raised concerns Ong was known to share information with the media and might breach her privacy, prompting Dyhrberg to ask Ong to keep the information confidential when she shared it with him.

Ong sent the email to the council chief executive and local journalists about half an hour later in what might have been a deliberate attempt to retaliate or discredit her, Dyhrberg said, in a report following her investigation.

She regarded his attempt to discredit the staff member as a witness in a code of conduct process as particularly egregious.

While the staff member was not named, she was readily identifiable, Dyhrberg said.

He risked bringing the council into disrepute and compromising its obligation to be a good employer, as well as exposing it to potential litigation, through his public disclosure of sensitive material, she said.

Dyhrberg noted Ong was given several opportunities to respond to the concerns raised or comment but chose not to.

Ong had continued to defend himself in social media posts.

“I know in my heart and I know in my veins I am Right and I work relentlessly every moment every day for our Great City,” he said, in one such post.

Ong also faced possible removal from his council representative roles on the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board.

Barker wrote to Ong in February to inform him he was no longer deputy of the council’s technology portfolio and she was withdrawing the privilege of attending informal meetings with herself, councillors, MPs and invited guests after his “extremely disrespectful behaviour” towards her and his refusal to remove disparaging online comments about the chief executive.

She told him she would reconsider her decision when he removed the posts and apologised in writing.

Chambers was recommended to replace Ong as the new council representative for the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board.

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Board accused of interfering in Columba College, accuses ministry of ‘overstepping’ in turn

Source: Radio New Zealand

Columba College in Dunedin. RNZ

Documents show staff at Dunedin’s Columba College complained to education officials multiple times accusing the school’s board of bullying and interfering in the day to day running of the school.

In response, the college would later say the Ministry of Education’s apparent concerns were “not made out on the evidence” that it was “at risk of overstepping” and even that the board was concerned those involved at the ministry “may not be impartial”.

In a statement to RNZ this week the school said its relationship with the ministry was “highly collaborative and positive” and that information provided by the Official Information Act (OIA) process was a “valuable opportunity for transparency and reflection on previous issues”.

In October, the school announced its principal Charissa Nicol would not be returning.

Nicol, who had been in the role since June 2023, had been on leave since 30 July. The school earlier declined to say why she was on leave.

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

RNZ requested under the Official Information Act the total number of complaints made to the Ministry of Education regarding Columba College in the past two years, a summary of the complaints, and a copy of all correspondence between the school and the ministry regarding the complaints last year.

The OIA reveals the ministry received 19 complaints regarding the school last year.

In April the Ministry of Education Dunedin/South Otago manager of integrated services Judith Forbes emailed the presiding member of Columba College Board Graeme Riley and Nicol asking for a meeting.

“The Ministry of Education has received some complaints about the Columba College Board, and our first step in any situation like this would always be to discuss with the Presiding Member and the Principal the concerns that have been raised with us.

“I acknowledge that it may be unsettling to hear that the Ministry has received such correspondence.”

Ahead of the meeting, Forbes sent a summary of the complaints to Riley and Nicol as well as the president of the Board of Governors Amy Columb.

“Complaints have come from a number of staff [redacted] relating to the actions/behaviour of the Columba College Board. Summary statement from one complainant is that the board is ‘overreaching and interfering with the day to day running of the school, as well as not following policies/procedures – either by demanding certain things do or do not happen or by attempting to circumvent the limits of their reach to enforce what they wish to happen’.”

There were several examples given including the process for investigating and decision-making around a complaint against a teacher raised by more than one complainant as a breach of policy, applying additional scrutiny to departments and writing new policies to enforce decisions which would normally be made by management.

“We were particularly concerned to note that complainants stated that they were afraid to raise their concerns because of the perceived risk that they would then be targeted by past and current members of the board, with one stating that ‘targeting of complainants has unfortunately occurred in the past’.”

Ministry of Education Dunedin/South Otago manager of integrated services Judith Forbes. RNZ / Ian Telfer

‘This seems like an escalation already’

In response, Riley said the board thought the usual process would have been to refer the complaints back to them in the first instance, or that any staff concerns would first have been raised with the board through Nicol.

“So this seems like an escalation already, and we are concerned that the Ministry seems to have made decisions about an appropriate process without the benefit of hearing the Board’s views or establishing the facts.”

Riley said the summary of concerns was “markedly similar” to concerns that had previously been expressed and were already being addressed by both the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees.

He added the school had engaged education consultant Cleave Hay to work with it as a “specialist governance advisor”.

On 23 April, Forbes sent an email following the meeting.

“As discussed, the Ministry is concerned to have received complaints from staff regarding the way that the boards have been operating. These complaints have a common theme: that the boards may have, over time, developed an unusual degree of involvement in the day-to-day management of the school, and that this may be having a negative impact on the smooth operation of the school and on the wellbeing of its staff.”

Forbes said the ministry was “pleased” that Hay had been contracted to support the boards, and it was “reassuring” that both Columb and Riley were “perturbed” to hear staff did not feel safe raising their concerns more directly.

She said some school boards had, in such situations, done a staff wellbeing survey with “the protection of anonymity for all respondents”.

“It would be helpful to hear back from you what plan of action the school board is thinking of putting in place to address the concerns raised, so that the Ministry can determine whether or not any further action from us is warranted and/or necessary.”

Ministry concerned about ‘ongoing operation of the school’

On 9 May Forbes received an email from Anderson Lloyd partner John Farrow who said the school’s boards had asked for advice on her email from 23 April.

He said the boards were concerned she seemed to be “forming opinions about the College without providing the information on which those opinions are apparently based, and without properly explaining the apparent concerns”.

Farrow said the boards had taken the complaints “seriously” and were taking steps to address them, in consultation with Nicol and Hay.

“In those circumstances your follow-up email, and the indication that you were still considering ‘further action’ is cause for concern. We do not see how any Ministry action could be considered at all appropriate or necessary.”

On 23 June, the ministry’s Otago central manager of integrated services Chris Bryant sent an email regarding a meeting they had the day prior referring to several matters that had been discussed.

This included that the ministry had heard from a few sources, that there was a “significant break down in the relationship between the Governance and Management. This raises concerns for the Ministry about the ongoing operation of the school”.

‘The Ministry is at risk of overstepping’

On 11 July, Farrow emailed David Tapp, the director of education for Otago and Southland on behalf of the school board and Board of Governors regarding a meeting requested by Bryant.

“Mr Bryant’s email records an option the Ministry has is to consider using its legislative powers to compel such a meeting.”

Farrow said the boards considered the ministry’s apparent concerns were “not made out on the evidence; the Ministry is at risk of overstepping; and it is too early for Ministry intervention.”

The board said the ministry may be “taking into account irrelevant considerations, including complaints made with specific agendas unrelated to concerns about the governance and effective operation of the school”.

He also said the board was “concerned those involved at the Ministry may not be impartial”.

Farrow said it was “premature” for the ministry to require a meeting with the whole school board and “almost certainly too soon for the Ministry to formally intervene”.

In response, Bryant said the purpose of the meeting was for the ministry to gain assurance that Columba College could “continue to operate effectively”.

“This is not an intervention…”

The ministry still wanted to meet with the boards.

A meeting took place in October between the Ministry of Education, Riley, Columb, Hay as well as Farrow and Fiona McMillan from Anderson Law. Following the meeting Tapp sent an email to those who attended.

Most of the email was redacted.

In a subheading titled ‘complaints process’, the email said the ministry had received 11 complaints to date. Where the complainants had included their name and email addresses, the ministry had referred them back to the school’s complaints process.

A “fear of retribution” was the common theme among the complaints.

“We positively note that the actions in Cleave’s report show that the Board is reviewing its complaints and [Professional Learning and Development].

“We are keen to see your progress on this and importantly to see how you intend to have a well-functioning complaints process which is free from the perception of fear of retribution.”

‘We have seen improvement’

In a statement to RNZ, Tapp said the ministry was in “regular contact” with the school and continued to meet with school representatives to support both the board and the leadership team.

“Last year we identified concerns about governance and leadership at the school. Columba has taken positive steps since then. We consider progress needs to occur more quickly. Several key governance matters remain unresolved, and the school is clear about the performance expectations that must be met.

“We have seen improvement. The Boards of Governors and Trustees engaged an independent governance adviser, and a working group involving staff and union representatives was established and is meeting regularly. These actions show constructive movement to resolving the governance issues identified, and we are confident the school is heading in the right direction.”

Tapp said the school continued to “operate effectively” for students on a day-to-day basis.

“At this time, further intervention is not being considered.”

In response to questions from RNZ the school’s acting principal Aaron Everett and Riley released a statement they said had been reviewed and “endorsed by staff” and was supported by both boards and the principal.

The statement said there had been changes within the school board, with seven new members joining since the board election in September last year.

The boards and staff were “working in close, positive collaboration” the statement said including formalising a dedicated working group comprising board and staff members to “ensure a unified approach and a commitment to open communication”.

They were also working together to review procedures related to the management of concerns or complaints.

“We view the information provided via the OIA process as a valuable opportunity for transparency and reflection on previous issues. It allows us to gain visibility of feedback and provides the opportunity to address these historical concerns and issues.”

The statement said the school’s relationship with the ministry was “highly collaborative and positive”.

“We welcome their partnership as we strive to provide the best possible environment for our students, staff and wider community.”

They were “encouraged” by the ministry’s confidence in the school’s current direction and its confirmation that intervention was not required.

Asked about the concerns raised about impartiality from the ministry, the statement said any “historical queries” regarding impartiality had been “fully addressed”.

“Both Boards have complete confidence in the MOE’s impartiality and look forward to our continued partnership.”

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4am wake-ups: Can anyone be a ‘morning person’?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nadia White wakes up at 4am to make bacon and egg butties for the regular truckies loggers, shearers, boaties and fishers passing through Martinborough.

“We can’t do anything until we have the magic brown juice and once that magical juice is running through our veins and then, then we’re just into it,” she says. (She likes it long, black with a dash of cream.)

Kitchener’s, on the main drag in and out of Martinborough, officially opens at 5am. The family-run café cracks the door open from 2am, when White’s older sister Christy Anne is on site cooking and baking everything from scratch (she is in bed by 4pm, with an alarm set at 1am).

Nadia White (l) with her family who own and run Kitchener’s Cafe in Martinborough.

Supplied

Do women really need more sleep than men?

“[We open] to get those early bird people because they are out there and we’ll make some money before the normal people wake up to go to work,” 43-year-old White says. She’s mainly front of house, meeting and greeting, but she also makes coffees and the occasional slice.

White’s parents have owned the business for 30 years and before that, had a place in Wellington (“we were born and bred into hospo,” she says). White and her sister have been at the helm for two years – they spied the opportunity to catch the early-rising, breakfast hungry crowd.

While she doesn’t worry about her safety, it’s not all lovely locals and friendly faces. Sometimes there are people with no pants. One time there was an intoxicated man who came in soaking wet after crashing his car in the river 5km away.

“Two or three times a year we get the odd crackhead in.”

Kitchener’s Cafe on the main drag in and out of Martinborough.

Supplied

When her alarm goes off, White “gets in the shower, gets on with it and walks out the door”. Her partner drops their two young kids off for a hot chocolate before they scooter to primary school.

The café closes at 1pm. By 2pm White is at the gym, then amps up for her second “unpaid job” – running the kids to activities, coaching sports and prepping for an early dinner at 4.30-5pm. She and the kids head for bed after a cuddle at about 7pm and a chamomile “sleepy tea”.

“I put my little eye patches on and have white noise, and I’m out to it by about 8’o’clock probably.

“… I spring out of bed, that’s never been a problem for me. I’m one of these people non-morning people hate,” she says. “I never hit snooze or else I will never get out of bed.”

But she recognises her “crazy start times” aren’t for everyone (“a lot of people would be freaked out”) and in the afternoon she still “feels a million bucks”.

“I credit that just to keeping healthy, keeping fit, just keeping on top of things.”

Is there such thing as a ‘morning person’?

For optimal functioning, most people should wake around 6.30-7am and go to bed about 10.30-11pm, explains associate professor Karyn O’Keeffe from the Sleep/Wake Research Centre.

But, there are a smattering of sleepers at either end of the spectrum who are night owls or “morning types”. Those early birds find it easier to go to bed and wake earlier than the typical person.

However, O’Keeffe says most people who are getting up very early are still cutting into their sleep according to their body’s physiology.

“People can feel like they’ve got used to it and they might develop strategies to cope with getting up early… but it’s still likely that if you have to get up at, say, 3 in the morning to get to work at 4, that you’re still cutting into your sleep need both for duration and for quality.

“So you’re missing out on vital sleep stages. You’re not getting enough sleep, and you might be having poor sleep quality overall if you’re trying to sleep early.”

O’Keeffe says age and stage can also come into play with one’s circadian rhythm – our preferred body clock preferences. For instance, research backs up teenagers as night owls, and that preference can stick around.

O’Keeffe, who has 25 years’ experience working in sleep, is herself a night owl (1am bedtime is the norm).

Sleep researcher Karyn O’Keeffe.

Supplied

Through her 20s she worked as a clinical physiologist at a Wellington sleep clinic diagnosing sleep disorders – rostered on rotating evening and night shifts for five years. Night work isn’t the same as early starts, which she doesn’t think she could cope with given her natural rhythm. But the nocturnal hours took their toll.

“Everything was quite cloudy sometimes in my head. I knew I wasn’t processing information that well, making decisions that well,” she says, recalling a near miss through a set of traffic lights during that time.

“I felt incredibly isolated sometimes when I was working evenings and nights because everyone else was at home hanging out and I was young.”

Learning to be a morning person

Sourdough prepper Euan Welsh started as an apprentice baker at 18, and despite 11 years on the tools, has not got used to waking up hours before the sun rises.

Euan Welsh is the head of sourdough preparation at Daily Bread.

RNZ

“It’s abnormal behaviour for sure. You’re working parallel to society.”

Welsh is the head of the mixing department at Daily Bread HQ, in Auckland’s New Lynn. He’s in the kitchen prepping up to 1500 sourdoughs, 400 focaccias and stacks more rolls and loaves from 4am (2am on Thursday and Friday).

“My dad has said to many people, out of all the jobs in the world, he didn’t expect one with the earliest starts possible would be for me.”

Welsh admits when he first began waking at 4am as an apprentice at Countdown he “missed quite a few early starts”.

Now, he sets his first alarm (of many) 90 minutes before he really needs to be up, with stacks of snoozing, but sleep-ins can still happen.

“I’ll set like four or five different alarms. The first one will be maybe an hour and a half before I need to get up. And sometimes, no matter how many you set, you still miss them all.”

Euan sets a whole roll of alarms – and sometimes can still sleep through.

RNZ

Welsh kicks off by smashing a filter coffee at work, then fasts until his shift ends at 2.30pm. He goes without food for weight control, but he also he finds food makes him feel sluggish and steals focus.

Once home at about 3.30pm he will often crash out straight away (“and hopefully sleep all the way through”).

“But sometimes you wake up and you’re just kind of stuck where you you’re not tired anymore and you can’t fall back asleep and that’s a nightmare.”

O’Keeffe reckons Welsh’s circadian timing could still be set to night mode “which means that every morning when that alarm clock goes off, their body says you should still be asleep right now”.

She explains: “It’s possible when they try to go to bed early to get enough sleep that some nights they can get off to sleep because they kind of crash – their pressure for sleep is high. But other nights they find it really hard to fall asleep, because if they’ve got enough sleep for a couple of days, then it might have worn off that high sleep pressure.

“They’re basically trying to go to sleep on their natural timing, which is a bit later and so then their sleep’s cut short overall, so they can’t fall asleep, alarm clock goes off and then they have to get on with their day.”

O’Keeffe admits she must set multiple alarms herself “because I cannot get out of bed, and I get up at a normal time”.

“Some people use alarms as a way, like a process to wake up. There’s nothing wrong with using an alarm if you need it. I think sometimes there’s that bit of a judgement that comes with, oh, you just set your alarm and just get out of bed. But not everyone’s able to do that.”

Welsh says for the last seven or eight years he’s felt like “I’m just getting by, like I’m just managing to make it work”. Now, he’s not “absolutely destroyed” at the end of each shift and wants to ensure this job he loves has some longevity. He sees a therapist weekly, is focused on eating better and trying to kick off a regular routine that allows some social life to slide back in.

The best tip O’Keeffe has for people who want to become an early riser is exposure to bright light as soon as the sun rises – but that’s not easy if you’re starting work before the world wakes up.

“It does sound like I’m saying there’s not a lot of options, but in essence there aren’t. Like you’re working against your physiology … it affects your whole quality of life.”

To figure out how much sleep you need, O’Keeffe suggests considering your routine on holidays – that’s the quota of ZZZs you should aim for on working days.

“It might be that it’s more strategic to have a bit of a nap when you first get home and then get back into bed a bit later,” she says. This would also allow some room for social life to slip back into the calendar.

“It does suck that you have to sort of be very careful with your sleep over, you know, somebody who can just do what they like nighttime. But to feel at your best, it might be the better way to go.”

In terms of eating – she says light snacks during odd wake hours is better for your physical health than heavy meals. Exercise in the late afternoon can help shift the circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality.

In the short term, O’Keeffe says poor sleep can alter one’s ability to make decisions, stay safe, and get on with others.

“All that cognitive or brain function is all wrapped up in your quality of life and therefore your mental health as well.

“… Mental health impacts the ability to sleep well and then not sleeping well impacts your mental health. It’s a vicious cycle kind of thing.”

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

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John Beckenridge killed himself and stepson in 2015, coroner rules

Source: Radio New Zealand

John Beckenridge, left, and Mike Zhou-Beckenridge. SUPPLIED

John Beckenridge killed himself and his 11-year-old stepson in a vengeful act against his estranged wife, a coroner has ruled.

Coroner Marcus Elliot said the Queenstown man was angry, self-righteous and vengeful when he drove his car off a cliff in the Catlins in 2015.

Beckenridge and his stepson Mike Zhou-Beckenridge were last seen near Curio Bay in Southland in March 2015 and the 64-year-old’s car was later found in the sea at the bottom of a cliff.

Coroner Elliot, in a decision released on Wednesday, said the pair were not missing but had died in the crash in 2015.

It follows a coronial hearing in 2023, during which the boy’s mother Fiona Lu expressed doubt they had died and instead believed Beckenridge had staged their deaths and fled the country with her son.

The coroner did not intend to hold an inquest in the deaths but would instead issue in-chambers’ findings based on existing evidence.

The pair vanished after Beckenridge broke a court order and picked up Mike from school on 13 March 2015.

Beckenridge had been in a relationship with Lu since 2006 and they married in 2007.

They separated in 2013 and there was conflict over where Mike should live.

When police looked into the pair’s disappearance they determined the pair had died in a murder-suicide but Mike’s family are convinced they escaped overseas.

Coroner Elliot said he had looked at the theory but decided Beckenridge would have had to pull off the “perfect crime”.

That would have involved Beckenridge pretending to be increasingly angry, irrational and desperate and faking his dire financial situation, the coroner said.

“In short this theory requires Mr Beckenridge to have put on a convincing act, a complete sham, for months and even years portraying himself as someone other than who he really was,” he said.

The car belonging to John Beckenridge that was found in the waters of Curio Bay. Otago Daily Times

However, he decided Beckenridge was fuelled by rage when he drove his car over the cliff, killing himself and Mike.

“Mr Beckenridge’s willingness to use Mike as a weapon against Ms Lu reveals a callous disregard for the harm he was causing Mike. He did everything he could to turn Mike against, and incite hatred of, his mother and [Lu’s new partner Peter] Russell,” Coroner Elliot said.

“The only conclusion one can draw from Mr Beckenridge’s indoctrination of Mike against his mother is that he was at least indifferent to the harm he was causing to Mike. He had become so vindictive towards Ms Lu and so self-obsessed and self-righteous that he was willing to harm Mike.”

Private detective Mark Templeman told the coroner, on behalf of Lu, that the pair had staged the crash and left the country.

Templeman claimed Beckenridge rigged a driverless vehicle to go off the cliff and left the country with Mike – probably by boat – travelling to a country or countries overseas and establishing new lives under new identities.

Part of the plan involved creating the impression Beckenridge could not afford to stage an escape from New Zealand, Templeman said.

However, he claimed Beckenridge had other funding options, including $11,400 in a Superannuation Fund in Sweden, which had not been investigated.

Beckenridge was born in Sweden and originally named Knut Lundh.

He lived in several countries as an adult and changed his name first to John Lundh and then John Beckenridge.

Templeman said Beckenridge set up the site at the top of the Cliff to create the illusion he had committed suicide.

Beckenridge was an experienced diver and sailor and was very familiar with the tide and currents, he said.

Beckenridge selected the spot so the car would submerge and be difficult to locate and reach, Templeman said.

The cove near Curio Bay that was at the centre of the search for Michael Zhao-Beckenridge, 11, and his stepfather John Beckenridge. RNZ / Ian Telfer

The car is believed to have gone over the cliff on 20 March 2015 and debris was spotted two days later. But it could not be accessed by divers until 29 March due to the condition of the sea and the car was not recovered until early May.

Templeman said it would be dangerous to conclude Beckenridge and Mike were dead as all international monitoring would cease, which was exactly what Beckenridge wanted to happen.

But Coroner Elliot said the staging and escape theory was implausible.

“Mr Beckenridge’s actions illustrate that he either did not have or did not display the characteristics of the intelligent, resourceful, rational and well-prepared criminal which Ms Lu and Mr Russell believe him to be,” said Elliot.

The coroner also heard from Dr John Raine, Emeritus Doctor of Mechanical Engineering at Auckland University of Technology, who provided an independent report about the vehicle and clifftop scene.

Dr Raine said he did not think a driver could have left the vehicle as it was driven towards the edge and the only way the vehicle could have been launched off the cliff without a driver would be if it had been rigged to accelerate hard in a straight line towards its launch point.

When Dr Raine inspected the remains of the vehicle there was no sign of any fixtures to enable remote control and nothing was seen by the Police national dive squad.

It was “very, very improbable that a remote-controlled actuator system was used,” Dr Raine said.

Coroner Elliot said he had concluded Beckenridge and Mike were dead and their bodies lost at sea.

Mike was 11-years-old when he went missing and would now be 22 if he was alive.

Lu did not want to comment on the coroner’s decision. But at the hearing she said she thought about her son everyday and believed one day he would come back to her.

Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said the coroner had reached the same conclusion as police.

“We know this outcome will be difficult for members of Mike and John’s families, some of whom have held on to hope that the pair may still be alive. Our thoughts are with them today.”

Coroner Marcus Elliot said he now intended to open an inquiry into the pair’s death and would make findings using existing evidence.

He invited interested parties to make further submissions, including on whether an inquest should be held.

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‘You can find anything in there’: Exhibits from Tirau Museum up for auction

Source: Radio New Zealand

The museum’s collection was a labour of love for Geoffrey Ernst, who died in 2023. Supplied / Emma Faire

Hundreds of pieces of New Zealand history are set to be sold next month, as exhibits from the Tirau Museum go up for auction in the Waikato town.

The collection was a labour of love for local man Geoffrey Ernst, who died in 2023 – and was dedicated to preserving New Zealand’s rural and social history.

The collection comprises of and estimated 5000 items, including vintage signage, machinery, farm equipment, bottles, vehicles and even an aeroplane propellor.

Auctioneer charged with selling the collection William Britton told Morning Report the museum had been Ernst’s lifelong passion.

Ernst had been gathering the items since he was nine years old, and the collection had grown to cover some 13,000 square feet, he said.

“It covers everything that you can think of. You can find anything in there.”

The collection includes countless items of petrol station signage, William Britton said. Supplied / William Britton

One of the most prized items in the collection – an Indian motorcycle from 1941 – had been a service vehicle during WWII, he said.

“This bike’s very much complete and it’s not been restored which is quite rare these days.

“This one would have come over from America during World War Two and would’ve done service here. It’s missing a few pieces but it’s all there and it’s ready for someone to love again.”

The 1941 Indian motorcycle was brought over from the US as a service vehicle during WWII. Supplied / William Britton

Other interesting and rare lots included an antique ginger beer filling machine, the oldest tractor in the Waikato district and countess vintage petrol signs.

There was even an old TVNZ camera, which was one of six brought into the country in 1955, he said.

“It is very much a New Zealand collection.”

The collection included a rare antique ginger beer filling machine. Supplied / William Britton

The auction comprised of 350 lots, amounting to about 1500 individual items, Britton said.

There had been lots of interest in the auction “from all walks of life”, he added.

Pre-bidding has opened online, but the auction itself will be held in Tirau on 12 April at 10am.

Britton said he was expecting strong bidding, but with auctions like these it was impossible to say which lots would garner the most interest.

“Sometimes we get surprises.”

‘It feels bittersweet’

Ernst’s daughter Emma Faire said throughout his life, Ernst had been many things to many people.

“Many of our memories of dad are of him either working hard at our family business, Tui Apiaries, or collecting all sorts of ‘things’ for his beloved museum,” she said.

“So many family outings ended in detours to wonderful places, searching for the next piece.”

“Mum often said he loved the hunt for anything old with a story. She remembers going out with him bottle digging, anywhere there was an old historic dump, he’d be there! It was so exciting, especially when you’d find a nice, whole bottle.”

Ernst had loved giving things a place where they would be appreciated, she said.

Even later in life, Ernst was never far from the museum, Emma Faire said. Supplied / Emma Faire

“A lot of our childhood was spent helping keep the museum spick and span. We spent hours playing and keeping things clean. Looking back, we probably took it for granted.”

Even later in life, Ernst was never far from the museum, she said.

“We all knew this day would come. Dad didn’t have the heart to close the doors and sell his collection. Now, as it goes up for auction, it feels bittersweet for our family.

“If we had it our way, it would stay just as it is forever. But we know that if it had to go, dad would have wanted it to go to people who will appreciate the stories, the passion, and the little pieces of his and our heart that each item holds.”

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Canterbury tops economic survey: ‘It’s an ever-growing city’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Canterbury outperformed the rest of the country in nearly every measure, including employment, retail spending, housing activity, and population growth. 123rf.com

Christchurch locals say the city is prospering and heading in the right direction, on the back of an ASB report finding Canterbury is the best place to be in the country economically.

The region topped ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard for the second quarter in a row.

The survey – covering the final quarter of 2025 – showed Canterbury outperformed the rest of the country in nearly every measure, including employment, retail spending, housing activity, and population growth.

Most locals RNZ spoke to in central Christchurch on Tuesday felt the city was doing well.

“I agree [with the report], it’s a great place to live. It’s an ever-growing city, it has grown so much since the earthquakes, the people and the city that it’s growing into is very cool,” a woman said.

“I think the confidence is pretty high, people seem to be quite happy, you’ve got more flights coming into the airport, tourism is doing well. Fuel’s a bit of a worry now, I think there’s a bit of uncertainty now so hopefully things keep going as they have been,” a man said.

“It doesn’t feel like the economy is that great. It feels like every week we’re spending more and more. My friends and colleagues in Christchurch we’re all talking about I dipped into my savings this week, and ‘oh did you see how much it costs to park now’, everything feels like it’s going up in price,” one woman said.

Paige Parnell, the manager of fitness clothing store LSKD in the central city, said business had been booming and they had been getting about 1000 people through the door every Saturday.

She believed Christchurch was a top tier place to be for a retailer.

“I’ve worked with other retailers, we’ve opened up down here and it just thrives, so Christchurch does really well. I think it’s the culture, everyone here is so lovely, I’m originally from Auckland so I’ve kind of travelled around a little bit but everyone here is just so friendly, everyone wants to stop and have a conversation and everyone wants to come into a store and see the vibe,” she said.

Christchurch central Bohemian Bakery manager Barsha Gurunj said strong business had meant the bakery chain had been able to expand to five locations in the city.

She said her store had great support from locals, but there was good and bad with Christchurch being so in demand for businesses.

“I think it is a tough competition, since a lot of bakeries are opening and a lot of cafes are opening as well, but since we are open for a pretty long time like five to seven years I think it is going good,” she said.

ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley said there had been a lot of development in Canterbury.

“So you’ve had the stadium, and you’ve also had quite a lot of other development happening in that region as well. So it’s all been very supportive of employment growth, retail spending, and the housing market also doing relatively well in the region,” he said.

The ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard had Otago and Waikato tied for second place, with Auckland climbing to fourth.

Wellington ranked last of the 16 regions thanks to a weak housing market, low construction and discretionary spending, despite an improving jobs market.

ASB warned the conflict in the Middle East would create fresh headwinds for both growth and inflation.

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Small eruption spotted at Whakaari-White Island

Source: Radio New Zealand

A still image from the video from Earth Sciences’ Whakatāne camera, about one minute after the eruption occurred. Earth Sciences NZ

There has been a small eruption at Whakaari-White Island, with a plume of ash briefly visible.

Earth Sciences New Zealand said the volcano erupted at 5.35pm, with “a single slug of dark grey volcanic ash” rising to about 1300 metres.

It dissipated within a few minutes, but not before it was captured on an Earth Sciences camera on the Bay of Plenty mainland.

In a bulletin issued about the eruption, Earth Sciences duty volcanologist Steven Sherburn said the volcanic alert had been lifted to level to 3 because of the eruption – that indicated minor volcanic activity.

“While eruptive activity has ceased for now, volcanic activity could re-escalate with little or no warning,” he said.

“Further sudden, more explosive events could therefore affect the crater floor and immediate vicinity of the island, although ashfall affecting the mainland remains unlikely.”

The aviation colour code was lifted to orange which indicated heightened activity but little or no ash.

Whakaari had some had some minor volcanic activity and steam emissions in the past few weeks, Sherburn said.

Today’s eruption was also visible on MetService satellites.

Earth Sciences would continue to closely monitor the island for any changes in activity, but Sherburn noted they were relying on cameras and observation flights because there were no sensors on the island.

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