Category: Public Media

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Local councils need to be doing more to prepare for flooding, report shows

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

A government report has found local councils need to be doing more to prepare for flooding and to mitigate the risks it poses to communities.

In a report tabled in parliament today, the Auditor-General found flood risk was not consistently understood nationwide.

It looked at how two councils, Tasman District Council and Waikato Regional Council, mitigate flood risks from rivers and other waterways and found both need to carry out more work to make better-informed decisions about intended levels of service for mitigating those risks.

Auditor-General Grant Taylor said appropriate planning, investment, and monitoring could reduce the impact of flooding.

“Communities need confidence that council flood defences are in the right places, built to the right standards, and properly maintained.”

The report made four recommendations, that the Tasman District Council prepare a framework to prioritise the maintenance and capital work needed for its flood protection infrastructure and prioritise improvements to its asset management processes.

It also recommended that both councils improve their understanding of flood risk, including by assessing the full impact of potential flooding for a range of flooding scenarios and improve their engagement with the public to ensure that their communities understand flood risk and the extent of flood protection in their regions.

The report said flooding was New Zealand’s most frequent natural hazard and its impact could be significant, disrupting critical services like roads and hospitals and energy and wastewater infrastructure.

It also caused disruption to livelihoods and in worst cases, loss of life.

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

The report said the recommendations in the report were relevant to all councils that were responsible for flood protection infrastructure, in order to mitigate flood risks effectively.

Report comes of the back of Tasman’s worst flooding in decades

The Tasman District experienced back to back storms in June and July, described as the worst in 150 years, that caused damage to farms and rural properties, with land lost to swollen rivers, crops inundated with silt and fences washed away.

More than 60 roads were closed due to flooding, landslips and fallen trees and hundreds of homes were assessed for damage with a small number deemed unliveable.

The repair bill after the floods is estimated at $48 million, with around three quarters of that covered by insurance payouts or government contributions, leaving just over $11m in costs to the council.

Of the total costs, an estimated $20m will be spent on the river network.

Office of the Auditor-General manager of performance audits Evaan Aramakutu said one of the weaknesses identified in Tasman was the council’s understanding of the condition of its flood protection infrastructure and the lack of a regular schedule of inspections.

“Waikato had a pretty systematic approach to inspecting all of their assets and updating their asset information around the condition. If they got a bit of wear and tear, would that affect their performance? Tasman didn’t have that, or not to the same extent as Waikato, so they tended to rely on the age of their assets or observations they’ve made when they’re out in the field to make decisions about renewals or maintenance work.”

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

Aramakutu said both councils had a good understanding of where flooding was likely to occur in their regions, but more work was needed to quantify the damage and the potential costs associated with it, to inform the spend on providing protection.

He said there would always be a trade off between the cost of flood protection and the risks it protected against, so councils needed good understanding of the community’s priorities and individuals needed clear information about what was protected and what wasn’t, so they could be prepared.

The Office of the Auditor-General would check back in with both councils around a year after tabling the report, to see what progress had been made on its recommendations.

Recommendations welcomed by councils

Both Tasman District and Waikato Regional councils welcomed the reports findings.

Tasman District Council said since the audit began last October and following the flooding in June and July of this year, it had begun a comprehensive overhaul of its asset information on data and information collection/management processes.

Flooding was the most common natural hazard the district had to deal with.

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

“While our current intended levels of service for our flood protection infrastructure are largely based on the design standard that the stopbanks were initially built to, we remain focused on ensuring long – term resilience and protection for our river and floodplains to continue benefiting those who live and rely on them.”

The council had taken steps to further inform the community, including release of a natural hazards map viewer and updated natural hazards information about flooding on its website.

It undertook community engagement on a natural hazards issues and options report earlier in the year to seek community views to inform work on the review of the Tasman Resource Management Plan’s natural hazards provisions.

Since 2024, it had reinstated annual community Rivercare meetings across the district to discuss river management activities, including flood protection. The most recent meetings were held in mid-November.

“At the core of our future objectives is a safe and resilient river network, delivered sustainably and in close collaboration with landowners.”

Waikato Regional Council chair Warren Maher said it had already progressed projects that addressed several of the report’s recommendations.

“We could do more,” he said. “The question is how much more can be done at a time when the central government has imposed rates capping, affordability is an issue for our communities, and significant changes are proposed to the structure of regional government.”

The council’s flood protection and land drainage assets include floodgates, pump stations, spillways and channels, as well as 620 kilometres of stopbanks, most of which are in the Waihou-Piako and Lower Waikato, some of which were developed in the 1960s. They are all supported by a network of automated rain gauges and river level/flow recorders.

The council estimates it will cost $2.9 billion over the next 50 years to operate, maintain and renew its flood infrastructure.

Maher said the report should give communities comfort the council was doing a good job when it comes to the management of flood protection assets, while at the same time providing direction for the ongoing understanding of flood risk.

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Christchurch couple jailed for operating a $4 million Ponzi scheme

Source: Radio New Zealand

Alexander Kokouri Tuira and his former partner Aroha Awhinanui Tuira were sentenced at the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A Christchurch couple have been jailed for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 55 investors of nearly $4 million.

At the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday, Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira was was sentenced to six years, four months and the court ordered he must serve 45 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

His former partner Aroha Awhinanui Tuira was sentenced to five years, two months imprisonment.

The couple had earlier pleaded guilty to two representative charges of obtaining by deception.

The pair targeted Māori communities over seven years between 2014 and 2021, paying some investors with funds raised from others, and spending the rest on themselves.

Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira, known as Alex. File picture. LINKEDIN

Between May 2014 and May 2021, the pair deceptively obtained $3.9 million through 106 transactions.

“They presented themselves as experienced, well-connected investors who could deliver returns for clients, when in reality they did not invest funds or operate an investment business,” the Serious Fraud Office said in a statement.

Many of the victims of their offending had limited prior experience in investing and the pair developed close personal relationships with investors before exploiting them.

SFO director Karen Chang said Ponzi schemes caused lasting harm to victims who lost not just their money but potentially their trust in others.

“The guilty pleas meant those affected were spared the stress of a trial, and today’s sentences hold the offenders to account for the significant harm they caused.”

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Do the All Blacks need more coaches, or fewer?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Analysis – Even in the increasingly chaotic environment of rugby coaching, the news that Jason Holland has returned to the Hurricanes feels odd. Holland was the head coach in Wellington from 2020-23, before leaving to take up an assistant coach role with the All Blacks. His departure from Scott Robertson’s set up sees him back at the Hurricanes, albeit in an office down the hall as Clark Laidlaw is the head coach now.

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    • It said a bit that not only Holland, but Leon MacDonald gave up head coaching roles to be All Black assistant roles. They’re not alone either, John Plumtree followed the same route as Holland out of the Hurricanes to an ultimately unsuccessful stint in Ian Foster’s set up, and while Foster himself is probably the best example of someone going from helming a Super Rugby side into an assistant coaching job with the All Blacks, the history of those making that transition isn’t great.

    Jason Holland Photosport

    Because really, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from an employment point of view. Despite Holland’s well-earned reputation as an easy going personality, he went from being the loudest voice in the room to one who had to wait for his turn to speak. Just how the dynamic will work between Holland and Laidlaw will be interesting, but right now the Hurricanes have bigger issues to worry about off the field.

    The wider dynamic is worth having a look at too, because there is no certainty Holland will be replaced in the All Blacks or simply folded into the other coaches’ responsibilities. It’s understood that Robertson is looking at candidates, but one of the main issues in the job market right now is just who is available.

    Then, now and comparing coaching set ups

    Scott Robertson and Rassie Erasmus. ActionPress

    That’s because an awful lot of the people that may well be All Black assistant coaches are already employed. One of Robertson’s great strengths during his time at the Crusaders was the ability to assemble heavyweight coaching groups, to which he’d delegate the day to day running of the team, but that was Super Rugby.

    Test rugby isn’t an environment for staff to learn on the job, so Robertson needs proven performers at test level like other teams have assembled and probably more than what he’s got right now. The common historical perception among New Zealand rugby followers is that too many cooks spoil the broth, but one look at the All Blacks’ main opponents reveals a completely different story.

    Rassie Erasmus currently has eight coaches on his staff, including Tony Brown, and it’s strongly rumoured that Jacques Nienaber will rejoin the Springboks sometime before the next World Cup.

    England have eight coaches as well, with the most notable development lately being former rugby league great Kevin Sinfield focusing on individual skills and the kicking group. Really that’s a role Robertson should be looking to add to his group, especially since both of the aforementioned teams are picking players out of kick-heavy domestic competitions.

    Closing the gap

    Will Jordan competes for the ball with Tane Edmed. Daniel Carson/Photosport NZ

    The addition of a dedicated skills coach would very much help close the gap in an area that has become a somewhat problematic one for the All Blacks. Super Rugby Pacific’s incentivisation for the running game has been fantastic for the competition as a product and long may it continue, but it does come at the cost developing kicking and high ball skills.

    That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, with the business end of this year’s competition seeing a big change in approach, culminating in a tense but ironically dour final. But this is more about exposure and repetition of those core skills overall, given that the average young outside back coming through the New Zealand school, club and domestic system would’ve fielded far less bombs than his South African or English counterpart.

    There’s a conversation to be had about coaching philosophy in general around the country, but the pressing concern is for that gap to be closed, and this is a situation where the job market is a bit richer. Rugby isn’t the only sport that deals in high kicks and skills related to it, so potentially Robertson can look across the Tasman and find someone in the NRL or AFL.

    It’s that sort of compromise that needs to be reached, especially since part of Robertson’s appointment in the first place was his ability to bring what he needed to his staff and work on overall strategy. That second part is what he’s certainly been trying to do with the All Blacks, but it only works if he gets the first part right and the team is winning.

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    The House: MPs’ week begins with an RMA shakeup precursor

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    RMA folio Bill McKay

    While many people ease into Christmas, head to drinks, write cards and mentally check out, in its penultimate sitting week of 2025 Parliament is doing the opposite.

    This is one of MPs’ busiest weeks of the year.

    Ten new bills across different portfolios were introduced, a matching number for Santa’s reindeer (including Rudolf). Probably the most high-profile of them were three comprising the surprise arrival of the government’s major shake-up of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

    News of the legislation’s arrival at Parliament took place during an lock-in event reminiscent of Budget Day, in which the government gave opposition MPs, officials and the media a couple of hours to familiarise themselves, before releasing a full outline of its RMA reform plan at 1pm.

    The RMA is to be replaced by two new laws – one focused on development planning and one on the natural environment.

    Those two bills were introduced this week, but the government opted not to progress them under urgency this week to give “members a good chance to digest them”, Minister for RMA Reform Chris Bishop said.

    Those two bills are moving through the default legislative process, so they won’t pass until a few months into next year. They aren’t scheduled to take effect until 2029.

    To bridge the three-year gap and provide some certainty in the interim, the government began urgency with a third, RMA related bill – the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill.

    “At the moment, consent holders face an unnecessary burden,” Bishop told the House on Tuesday.

    “Many of them are required to renew resource consents under the current system, even though the new system will be in place; that will streamline processes. It’s our view that that is inefficient and unnecessary. So these are temporary yet urgent changes that will avoid uncertainty, stress, and cost.”

    The third bill extends resource consents that are due to expire before the new RMA regime is passed (end of 2027), and it reinstates and extends recently expired consents in cases where a replacement application has already been lodged.

    The RMA was originally passed in 1991 by the fourth National government and was, at the time, internationally novel. More than 30 years later, there’s general agreement that reform is needed. Where political parties’ ideas deviate is how those changes should look.

    Because the opposition hadn’t had much time to delve into the details of the extension bill, their grievances on the bill included the use of urgency.

    “Minister Bishop and Simon Court have been very, maybe ‘collaborative’ would be too strong of a word, but they’ve involved us at some points along the way in the resource management development. I want to give them credit for that.” said Lan Pham, Green Party spokesperson for RMA.

    “What was really disappointing with this was not having any heads-up about it at all. That would have been a really basic thing to do, right? If this is so important and urgent to the transition, just let us at least know about it, right? Then we can actually understand it.

    “The fact that we’ve just got this bill, literally an hour or two before it goes through all stages in urgency, is absolutely unacceptable.”

    Governing party MPs seldom speak for long in the current Parliament, but under urgency they get very terse. This bill was set down for all stages under urgency, and coalition backbench contributions were barely elevator-pitches. Opposition MPs filled their allotted speaking times.

    After a long evening in the Committee of the Whole stage, with Opposition MPs happy to slow proceedings, the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill eventually passed all stages about an hour into Wednesday morning. It’s likely to be signed into law next week.

    To listen to the audio version of this story, click the link near the top of the page.

    RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.

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    In-form Breakers target top four at NBL mid-point

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Breakers forward Sam Mennenga aims for the basket. Photosport

    At the halfway point in their Australian NBL season, the NZ Breakers have turned around a shaky start to be in the play-offs picture.

    After losing four games to start the season, and seven of their first nine, the new-look Breakers struggled to keep pace with the competition.

    The Breakers still have a losing record – seven wins, 10 losses – but are on their longest winning streak of the season with three victories across the last two rounds.

    Sitting in sixth on the ladder, the Breakers are currently holding the final spot for the end of season play-in tournament. But a lot can happen over their remaining 16 regular season games.

    Import guard Izaiah Brockington has now found his rhythm in his first season in the NBL. The 26-year-old said he felt more comfortable and confident four months in and was in the best physical shape he had been “in some years”.

    Brockington believed the team chemistry off the court was now on show on the court and where each player fit in the team jigsaw was clearer.

    “I feel like we play better when I’m aggressive and when I’m another player that the defence has to worry about. We got Parker [Jackson-Cartwright] out there drawing so much attention, Sam [Mennenga] who is playing great down low, so I’m just going out there and making us really hard to nail down because we have so many options.”

    The former G League player said “vibes were high” during the winning run but he warned that they could not let that turn into “complacency”.

    “We’re only at the halfway point of the season and we’re only just barely in the play-offs so just not being satisfied with having a couple of wins under our belt, really coming for those top four teams,” Brockington said.

    Brockington felt the Breakers did not get the credit they deserved across the Tasman.

    “If guys want to come out lackadaisical against us in the beginning we’ll just jump on them and show them why they shouldn’t.”

    On Saturday, the Breakers are away to another of the in-form teams of the competition, South East Melbourne Phoenix.

    The Phoenix had the opposite win-loss record to the Breakers with 10 wins and six losses so far and were among the leading teams in both in offence and defensive statistics.

    Coach Petteri Koponen said the Breakers’ stats were also worth taking note of.

    “The last 13 games we have been one of the best defences in the league and that’s the key,” Koponen said.

    “Especially how we want to play, when we get stops we get to the open court and we can be dangerous and we need to keep taking pride in that.”

    Izaiah Brockington of the Breakers LUKAS COCH/PHOTOSPORT

    `

    While the Breakers struggled offensively early in the season Koponen, a former shooting guard, believed the team needed to keep shooting.

    “First part of the season we didn’t shoot the ball really well and in our last games we were able to make some threes which obviously helps in this game when you can put the ball in the hoop.

    “We keep working, we keep grinding and we know it’s a long way to go but we’ve been competitive a long time and now I’m just happy we were able to take those wins and we try to keep building on that.”

    Koponen had noted “sloppy” behaviour earlier in the season and after a couple days off he saw hints of it again so had urged the players to keep the right mindset.

    “We can’t afford that, we have to have the same mentality every time we step on the floor and we can’t lose that and I think the last games we found that and we can’t fool ourselves that we are better than we are.

    “Every game from now on is so important and the league is so tight we can’t lose our focus.”

    Coming into a run of away games during the festive period, which meant the Breakers would not be playing at home again until the new year, a focus on the “boring stuff” would be important if the Breakers were to continue “stacking up the wins”.

    Someone who had plenty of experience playing for the Breakers while the rest of the country was in holiday mode was former captain Tom Abercrombie.

    Abercrombie, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 season after a 16-year professional career with the club, had his No.10 playing singlet retired by the Breakers at practice on Thursday.

    The Auckland native is still involved with the club behind the scenes and he gave the current playing group a pep talk about the commitment needed at this time of year and how during a time when it was easy to be distracted by festivities that it separated the players that really wanted success.

    Breakers captain Reuben Te Rangi would have the potential added distraction of a new baby boy this Christmas after his partner gave birth to their second child this month.

    “It’s going to be tough, my partner’s family is going to be over as well so it’ll be all hands on deck. It’s always hard going away but I’ve done it so often that it doesn’t really feel like Christmas.”

    After the Phoenix, the Breakers play in Cairns on 19 December, Brisbane on 22 December and Tasmania on Boxing Day.

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    Businesses on busy road suffering as shops barricaded by roadworks for a year

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Barriers surround the front of Avi’s Pies and Patisserie which the owner says has severely impacted business. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    Behind a sea of road cones, diggers and traffic chaos, businesses on a busy Auckland road are crying out for help.

    Shop owners in Grey Lynn say they have been struggling to stay afloat since a year-long roadwork project began on Great North Road in January.

    With access often cut off and shops hidden from view, one business is surviving off loans, while another said times are the toughest they have been in 23 years, including during Covid.

    High metal fences surround the frontage of Avi’s Pies and Patisserie.

    It is part of the Great North Road Improvement Projects, aimed at making the busy road more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.

    Despite the project’s end date being set for later this month, one morning this week a digger sat unmanned, the road was quiet and the work looked far from complete.

    The bakery’s owner, Raj Singh, said it has been this way for months now.

    Owner of Avi’s Pies and Patisserie Raj Singh says his business has been impacted so badly that he’s surviving off loans. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    “The foot traffic has dropped down, people can’t see if we are open or closed because of the machines in front of our shop, barriers, everything.”

    Since the roadworks appeared in front of his shop in October, he said sales have dropped by around 40 percent.

    Since everything is baked fresh on site, if product isn’t sold it can’t be kept, meaning most days he finds himself throwing out countless pies.

    He has even had to take out multiple loans in order to pay rent on the shop after being denied compensation by Auckland Transport.

    “When the sale is not going it’s hard to pay staff, and for me I’m not taking any salary because when I earn some money, I just buy the food for my bakery and make it.”

    Singh said Auckland Transport has told him works will done by Christmas, but after multiple delays he does not feel confident.

    “I took the loan because I was thinking for two months, I can survive with no one helping me, they will be gone, nearby Christmas, before Christmas, but they’re not so now I have to keep asking the loan company can you help me a little bit more so I can survive for another two months.”

    Fences and cones have been a feature outside Avi’s Pies and Patisserie for months now. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    The last thing Singh wants to do is close the doors on his dream business that he only opened last year, but he fears if things don’t wrap up soon, it could come to that.

    “Maybe I will close the business then, because it’s a financial hardship, I already took so many loans for surviving, now I don’t know how it will go because I asked the council, I asked AT, I asked the landlord for compensation to help me for a couple of months until the roadworks are gone.”

    Down the road, Steven Joeng from the Newton Fish and Chippery is also feeling the pinch.

    The roadworks have been constant outside his shop since June.

    “The last two or three months business has been so so bad. Especially during lunchtime, I think I’m losing business by 50 to 60 percent.”

    Earlier in the year high fences surrounded his shop, completely blocking it from view.

    “I’ve been here for 23 years and it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened. Covid is not that bad, this is worse than Covid in terms of the business, in terms of the sales.”

    Owner of Alloy Wheel Repair Ashley Ghillam can’t count how much money the business has lost as a result of the roadworks. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    Joeng is frustrated at the slow progress of the project and said many businesses on the street have reached out to Auckland Transport in hopes of a helping hand.

    “We emailed Auckland Transport to see whether we can get some compensation, even a little bit to cover the loss, and their feedback to us is that this is not their responsibility. Their responsibility is to look after the road so it’s safe for everyone, I said this is not the case, safe or not safe, this is a case of I’m losing so much business because of this project.”

    Across the road from the chippy, the owner of Alloy Wheel Repair, Ashley Ghillam said he was forced to close his business for a week while work was done in front of their driveway.

    “It has certainly affected the business with people not being able to access the business, half the time they couldn’t even get into King St. I don’t know what it has cost us, but it’s definitely had an impact on the business, and on staff. The yard was out of action for a week, so there’s a week’s rent gone, about $1700.”

    No compensation was offered by Auckland Transport to cover the losses.

    Owner of Charlie Boys Coffee Company Nick Meng says the roadworks have been a disaster for business. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    Further up the road, owner of Charlie Boys Coffee, Nick Meng said if it hadn’t been for a loyal group of regulars, his business would have struggled to pull through.

    The roadworks first popped up outside Meng’s café in March, and for two months a high fence completely blocked the café from view.

    “It was disaster, there were no people all day,”

    Like many other businesses, Meng is frustrated by the lack of parking available during the construction.

    He said this cut out an entire portion of their customer base.

    “The reason we survived is because this a long running café, it’s been here for 15 years… because the regulars support us we can survive.”

    The Newton Fish and Chippery has seen up to a 60 percent drop in business since construction began outside the shop in June. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    He said they were told work would occur on their section of the road for two months, but nine months later, cones are still scattered outside the storefront.

    In a statement, Auckland Transport said construction has been ongoing since January and they plan to have the road resurfacing done by 19 December, however work may be delayed by bad weather.

    They said everything possible is being done to maintain access to businesses, including allowing parking in areas where we are not working directly outside of, and providing information about the project and who to contact with any issues they have.

    Work is now taking place overnight to allow for more extensive road closures.

    Given the agency provided the necessary communications prior to and during construction, AT said there is no justified claim for compensation.

    Mayor Wayne Brown, who has frequently decried the excessive use of road cones and lane closures in the city, was unavailable to comment.

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    Proposal to remove mana whenua voice at Napier City Council fails

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Napier City Council. RNZ / Tom Kitchin

    A proposal from new Napier Mayor Richard McGrath to remove mana whenua voices and voting rights in the council’s standing committees for the next council term has failed.

    It was an at times tense council meeting, with a packed public gallery, including members of local iwi Ngāti Kahungunu.

    During the last triennium, there were two Nga Mānukanuka o te iwi representatives – representing a mana whenua voice – on each of the council’s four standing committees, under McGrath’s proposal those two representatives would be removed..

    Councillor Graeme Taylor asked what is the fundamental reason for making the change from the previous triennium.

    “For me it comes down to… having elected members who have sworn an oath to the city of Napier and to uphold the Local Government Act. As a rule we attend all the workshops, all the pre work, the induction process,” McGrath replied.

    McGrath said it was a new committee structure that was being appointed rather than anyone being removed.

    Deputy Mayor Sally Crown also questioned the proposal, saying the issue was one of partnership which means valuing the knowledge of councillors and mana whenua equally.

    “So what the proposal in my mind today is, it’s a demonstration of gross misjudgement and disrespect not of just our mana whenua but also of our elected members a key part of leadership is to bring people along with you and I’ve heard from elected members that they themselves have been blindsided by the proposal that was presented.”

    Councillor Shyann Raihania asked for an amendment to the proposal, which included Ngā Mānukanuka o te Iwi appointments remaining on all standing committees as specialist, voting members with full speaking rights.

    She also requested the Mayor to engage with Ngā Mānukanuka o te Iwi members as mandated mana whenua representatives and return with a revised Terms of Reference, including options analysis and legal advice.

    McGrath said he would speak against the amendment raised by Raihania.

    “While I understand the partnership and representation side of things Māori will still have many opportunities throughout our council,” he said.

    He was then interrupted by a someone in the crowd, who asked “What are you afraid of?”

    “It’s nothing to do with afraid,” McGrath replied.

    The amended proposal was put to a vote and passed with six votes in support and four against, with two abstentions.

    When the result of the vote was announced there was applause from the gallery, which then broke into a rendition of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi.

    Napier City Council Voting Tally

    For: Whare Isaac-Sharland, Sally Crown, Keith Price, Ronda Chrystal, Shyann Raihania and Graeme Taylor.

    Against: Craig Morley, Nigel Simpson, Richard McGrath and Roger Brownlie.

    Abstained: Te Kira Lawrence and Greg Mawson.

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    Coalition strains over stewardship land shake-up

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. RNZ / Mark Papalii

    The Conservation Minister has re-classified swathes of stewardship land on the West Coast of the South Island.

    Tama Potaka is making some of the changes through an ‘order in council’ process that legitimately circumvents Cabinet sign off.

    New Zealand First’s deputy leader Shane Jones conceded Potaka holds the power to do so, though he disagrees with the decision.

    “We are a pro-extractive, pro-mining, pro-development, pro-jobs party,” Jones told RNZ.

    Stewardship land is public conservation land that has not yet had its natural and historic values assessed.

    Potaka outlined how 80 percent of the West Coast’s land would be treated.

    Key changes include:

    • Six proposals referred to the New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA) to consider the suitability of adding 4298 hectares of land to existing national parks.
    • 63 proposals for disposal investigations, covering up to 3352 hectares of land.
    • 151 proposals for protection under the Reserves Act covering 192,973 hectares of land, including historic and scenic reserves.
    • 157 proposals for protection under the Conservation Act, including increased clarity through classification as conservation parks, and additional protections for ecological areas.

    Potaka said the changes were the most significant reclassification since DOC’s inception in 1987.

    “The vast majority of areas will finally have the accurate classification as they deserve, reflecting their conservation and cultural values.

    “Existing rights on stewardship land – such as concessions for tourism activities, mining, and grazing licences, for example – can continue.

    “Reclassifying this land will deliver more certainty on land use options for our tourism, farming, mining and hunting sectors. New concessions will be easier to obtain.”

    Potaka said the new classifications would provide certainty and clarity for those operating on these areas.

    “I am particularly excited about the creation of the 181,000ha Tarahanga e Toru Historic Reserve, which recognises the significance of the area for Poutini Ngāi Tahu, alongside protecting the extensive natural and recreational values.

    “The reserve does not result in a change in ownership, decision making, or joint management and public access remains the same.”

    New Zealand First’s deputy leader Shane Jones. RNZ / Mark Papalii

    New Zealand First wants ‘unfettered development’ – Shane Jones

    Jones said New Zealand First had a long standing remit that a lot of stewardship land should be taken off the Department for Conservation and “opened up for unfettered development.”

    “It was only shoved in DOC in 1987 because people were too lazy back there to find a better home for it.

    “Obviously we’re pro-mining, pro-extraction and this decision never went through Cabinet so it’s fair to say that it’s not aligned with the party stance on stewardship land.”

    However, Jones acknowledged Potaka was entitled to make the changes.

    “Technically speaking, I’m advised that Tama has the total authority under the DOC Act. As you know, I don’t like DOC, and I’ve been invited to take these more fundamental concerns to the next election.

    “I accept you can’t get your way every time, but know this from me, we are a pro-extractive, pro-mining, pro-development, pro-jobs party.”

    On some of the land going to iwi control, Jones said Parliament was not the place to speak to his concerns in this area.

    “I understand Ngāi Tahu would like to expand their footprint and that’s rational and I don’t want to get into a war of words with Ngāi Tahu. I like to leave that kōrero to the marae, but I do feel that DOC is taking far too long to issue concessions and entitlements and rights and we need to grow the economy.”

    ACT leader David Seymour said the government had to work within the reality of the Ngāi Tahu settlement that did provide for some claim on the divestment of public land.

    “We’ve supported a wider deal that allows a lot more activity. I think that’s a good thing. If it also comes with transfer to iwi, we’ve had a history of treaty settlements for a long time.

    “Sometimes some public land goes to Māori, probably not the way I would do it if I could start New Zealand 180 years ago but it’s where we are.”

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

    Posted on

    Christmas comes early for fans of speed reductions

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Some 80km/h sections are being reduced to 50km/h for Christmas. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

    New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is pumping the brakes and reducing speed limits on several sections of a popular holiday route in time for Christmas.

    Four sections of State Highway 25 will drop to 50km/h from 80 or 70km/h.

    Waka Kotahi said there were 982 submissions on the speed review in the Coromandel region, and the majority saw benefits in lowering the speed limits.

    It said the new speed limits will kick in ahead of the summer holiday peak.

    Almost two kilometres of SH25 between Thames and Tararu is going down to 50km/h. Linda Davidson owned a bed and breakfast on that stretch, and told Checkpoint the current speed limit of 70km/h created noise issues.

    “It’s too loud for us. The roads along here, because they’re old miners’ cottages, they’re really close to the road… when cars are going past at 70km/h, it’s just outrageous.

    “It’s so loud that if it was a party, it would be shut down.”

    Despite her B&B having double glazing, she said there were still problems.

    “In peak times particularly, people complain about the noise.”

    Davidson said the noise got so bad in busy periods she had to close the B&B between Christmas and New Year’s.

    She said after seeing multiple accidents and many close calls, she was confident the reduction would make a significant difference.

    “There’s a big reserve across the road from us and it’s really popular, when people are coming out of there it’s really unsafe, people come around the corner and hit people coming out of the reserve.”

    “It means that we can open up our windows in summer, easy to get in and out of our properties and safer on the road for everyone.”

    Davidson said she felt great about the change and hoped it would help keep the “gobsmackingly beautiful” area safe for residents and visitors.

    Three other 1km stretches of SH25 will also have speed limits reduced.

    Two sections of road near Kūaotunu will drop to 50km/h from 70km/h. A 1km stretch at Wharekaho from near Leah Road to near Harbour Lights Terrace will also be reduced from 80km/h down to 50km/h.

    A section of State Highway 1 near Lake Taupō was also getting a speed reduction – a short section of road either side of Motutere Holiday park dropping from 100km/h to 50km/h.

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

    Posted on

    Do the All Blacks need more coaches, or less?

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Analysis – Even in the increasingly chaotic environment of rugby coaching, the news that Jason Holland has returned to the Hurricanes feels odd. Holland was the head coach in Wellington from 2020-23, before leaving to take up an assistant coach role with the All Blacks. His departure from Scott Robertson’s set up sees him back at the Hurricanes, albeit in an office down the hall as Clark Laidlaw is the head coach now.

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    • It said a bit that not only Holland, but Leon MacDonald gave up head coaching roles to be All Black assistant roles. They’re not alone either, John Plumtree followed the same route as Holland out of the Hurricanes to an ultimately unsuccessful stint in Ian Foster’s set up, and while Foster himself is probably the best example of someone going from helming a Super Rugby side into an assistant coaching job with the All Blacks, the history of those making that transition isn’t great.

    Jason Holland Photosport

    Because really, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from an employment point of view. Despite Holland’s well-earned reputation as an easy going personality, he went from being the loudest voice in the room to one who had to wait for his turn to speak. Just how the dynamic will work between Holland and Laidlaw will be interesting, but right now the Hurricanes have bigger issues to worry about off the field.

    The wider dynamic is worth having a look at too, because there is no certainty Holland will be replaced in the All Blacks or simply folded into the other coaches’ responsibilities. It’s understood that Robertson is looking at candidates, but one of the main issues in the job market right now is just who is available.

    Then, now and comparing coaching set ups

    Scott Robertson and Rassie Erasmus. ActionPress

    That’s because an awful lot of the people that may well be All Black assistant coaches are already employed. One of Robertson’s great strengths during his time at the Crusaders was the ability to assemble heavyweight coaching groups, to which he’d delegate the day to day running of the team, but that was Super Rugby.

    Test rugby isn’t an environment for staff to learn on the job, so Robertson needs proven performers at test level like other teams have assembled and probably more than what he’s got right now. The common historical perception among New Zealand rugby followers is that too many cooks spoil the broth, but one look at the All Blacks’ main opponents reveals a completely different story.

    Rassie Erasmus currently has eight coaches on his staff, including Tony Brown, and it’s strongly rumoured that Jacques Nienaber will rejoin the Springboks sometime before the next World Cup.

    England have eight coaches as well, with the most notable development lately being former rugby league great Kevin Sinfield focusing on individual skills and the kicking group. Really that’s a role Robertson should be looking to add to his group, especially since both of the aforementioned teams are picking players out of kick-heavy domestic competitions.

    Closing the gap

    Will Jordan competes for the ball with Tane Edmed. Daniel Carson/Photosport NZ

    The addition of a dedicated skills coach would very much help close the gap in an area that has become a somewhat problematic one for the All Blacks. Super Rugby Pacific’s incentivisation for the running game has been fantastic for the competition as a product and long may it continue, but it does come at the cost developing kicking and high ball skills.

    That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, with the business end of this year’s competition seeing a big change in approach, culminating in a tense but ironically dour final. But this is more about exposure and repetition of those core skills overall, given that the average young outside back coming through the New Zealand school, club and domestic system would’ve fielded far less bombs than his South African or English counterpart.

    There’s a conversation to be had about coaching philosophy in general around the country, but the pressing concern is for that gap to be closed, and this is a situation where the job market is a bit richer. Rugby isn’t the only sport that deals in high kicks and skills related to it, so potentially Robertson can look across the Tasman and find someone in the NRL or AFL.

    It’s that sort of compromise that needs to be reached, especially since part of Robertson’s appointment in the first place was his ability to bring what he needed to his staff and work on overall strategy. That second part is what he’s certainly been trying to do with the All Blacks, but it only works if he gets the first part right and the team is winning.

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