Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A report into the Moa Point disaster will be revealed to the public at the end of this week.

The wastewater treatment plant failed last month, sending millions of litres of raw sewage into the sea each day.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said a final version of the report from Wellington Water will be released on Friday, rather than a draft version intended for mid-this week.

The technical engineers’ report looks at hydraulic issues in the plant, and a draft version has been with the council since last week.

The final report will be released immediately once received, the spokesperson said.

Wellington Water previously said it has notified its insurers after doing the report, but any questions about that need to be referred to the council.

A spokesperson for Wellington Water said the agency needed to “undergo a process” to have the cause of the failure confirmed, and there was now another investigation underway too.

“We have made good progress and have commissioned a technical report into the underlying cause of the incident.

“This report is currently being finalised. Additionally, we have also commissioned a wider investigation into all factors of the incident and that work is underway.”

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little has said there are potentially multiple causes for the failure, all of which need to be investigated.

An independent Crown review into the failure is also underway, with the team led by Raveen Jaduram, the chairperson of the water services authority, Taumata Arowai. The Crown Review will release its final report in August 2026.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says she was shocked to find out a murderer and sex offenders convicted in New Zealand are among current asylum claimants.

Removing appeal rights against deportation for migrants and cracking down on asylum claims are among controversial proposals announced by the government, three months after the last immigration legislation came into force.

“If you’re said to be a refugee, it allows you a number of benefits that you will be aware of on the taxpayer’s dime that you will get as a refugee,” said Stanford. “It was very clear that we are a huge soft touch in this country compared to everybody else. And I’m just trying to bring us in line.”

Proposed changes would allow decision-makers to rule out refugee status – which brings with it access to residence visas – for those with criminal records, but still approve protection claims if people were at risk if they returned home.

“INZ has on hand 14 refugee claims from people who’ve been convicted of serious offences since arriving in New Zealand, including one person convicted of murder, five for serious drug offences, three for sexual offences, four for family violence, one for arson, and one for burglary with a weapon. And we still have to consider their refugee status.

The government is introducing the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill to Parliament on Wednesday. It would also stop asylum seekers who withdraw their claims from later applying for other visas.

Deportation appeals

Another major change would be to deportation rules for migrants.

Immigration lawyers say children will be separated from parents, and partners of New Zealanders if migrants with visitor visa lose the right to appeal their deportations on humanitarian grounds.

Pooja Sundar said visitor visas are not only for tourists, but also partners, parents and children, such as Parent Boost and partner visitor visas.

“We do a lot of appeals. Ask anyone representing cases in representing people before the tribunal and they will absolutely tell you how high a threshold that really is and how the circumstances have to be truly exceptional.

“We are not a soft touch, we just used to give a crap about about our international conventions. Clearly we don’t anymore.”

Other changes

Previously announced changes in the bill include extending the period during which a residence visa holder may become liable for deportation following criminal offending from 10 years to 20 years.

“New Zealand has one of the most lenient criminal deportation liability regimes,” said Stanford. “Australia, the UK, Canada, Ireland all make residents liable for deportation indefinitely, including for relatively minor convictions.

“As proposed in the bill, deportation liability would continue to be scaled according to the seriousness of the offending and the length of a time the person has held residence. But longer-term residents who commit very serious offences will no longer be able to avoid deportation liability. “

Migrant exploitation jail terms would increase from a maximum of seven years to 10 years under the new legislation.

Asylum claimants may not be granted refugee status if they breach ‘good faith’ rules which include not creating grounds for a refugee claim by their social media activity in New Zealand.

“So I’m aware of cases where people take action deliberately to engage in proactive political activity when they’re arriving in New Zealand, such as seeking social media or media attention in a cynical attempt to create or increase their grounds for recognition as a refugee,” Stanford told the Immigration Law Symposium in Auckland.

“These bad faith proposals will ensure that both Immigration New Zealand and the IPT (Immigration and Protection Tribunal) will have the ability to deal with these cases made in bad faith as swiftly as possible and that the benefits associated with refugee status are reserved for those who genuinely deserve them.”

Stanford said with more than 4000 asylum claims on hand, they needed to take another look at the rules.

“While there are genuine claims, there are many claims, the vast majority of claims, that are not meritorious.

“And in some instances, people lodge an asylum claim in the final days of another visa, not because they face persecution in their home country, but simply because they want to remain in New Zealand on that visa that everybody wants, the open work visa.”

She said not turning up for a a biometrics appointment without good reason was a technique asylum claimants used to spin out the time their claim takes, while continuing on asylum seeker work visas.

But immigration lawyer Stewart Dalley said until recently, claimants’ biometrics were taken at the time of their interview.

“They’ve now changed the policy to make people come to do the biometrics a couple of days after they’ve filed their claim form. So they’ve actually created a problem that didn’t actually exist. And they’re creating this deliberately, in my mind, to actually try and see if they can decline people’s claims. Because they’ve set it out to say, you’re legally required to come and do your biometrics a couple of days after you’ve lodged your claim.

“If the person doesn’t go because they don’t read English, they haven’t got an interpreter there, they don’t know how to get to the place – claim declined, you’re out of here. They’re deliberately setting people up to fail.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The world’s largest secondary school Pasifika cultural festival officially kicked off at the Manukau Sports Bowl in Auckland on Wednesday with an intimate flag raising ceremony.

The sun crept over the horizon, met with traditional waiata as the flags of the Pacific were hoisted into the air, marking the start of day one of ASB Polyfest – where the cultural diversity of Aotearoa’s students is being celebrated.

The Manukau Sports Bowl has been transformed into a cultural hub with five stages featuring the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga, as well as a stage dedicated to Diversity.

Festivals director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu was full of excitement as Polyfest began this morning with a dedication.

“It’s a very special time for our Pasifika and Diversity stages to be able to bless their flags and sing a hymn, as well as just come together as well,” she told RNZ Pacific.

“It’s a good vibe with the sunshine over us right now at the dawn service with our flags and, yes, we are excited. We can’t wait to see the kids come in.”

More than 80,000 people are expected to attend to support the 263 groups from 73 schools who are registered to perform this year.

The Samoan stage will have a kava ceremony, while Tonga kicks off their speech competition.

While Polyfest mainly showcases Pacific students, Leo-Mauu said they embrace all cultures.

The diversity stage is the place to be today as students from all backgrounds were given the opportunity to share their heritage.

“We have to embrace the fact that our children are blended and come from different cultures,” he said.

“We’ve got also a lot of smaller Pacific groups that are on that stage as well. And then we’ve also got some new ones coming in this year, so there’s Germany and Latino that are coming through to celebrate on the diversity stage.”

Breona Nassau and Joseph Tulua from Tangaroa College said the diversity stage helps them learn more about their peers heritage.

“We’ve got some of the other cultures from our school performing on the diversity stage, so I’m really excited to support them.”

“Getting a taste of all of the cultures in one, seeing cultures I’ve never seen before.”

Faith Fomai, a student from Southern Cross Campus, is attending her first Polyfest.

“One thing that I’ll probably look forward looking at is the diversity and all our countries come together to perform and to represent each other’s culture,” she said.

“I think it’s just like, at least learning your roots, staying cool, also just be connected and be one.”

Meanwhile, Halatau Teputepu from Otahuhu College said this is his last year joining Polyfest, and he wants to make it count.

“You know, showcasing our culture, embracing our culture, our ancestors, and just dancing for our last year, we’re not gonna do Poly again and hopefully we bring back the trophies.”

The Pacific and Diversity stages run until Saturday.

Manukau’s Due Drop Event Centre will host the Māori stage with performances scheduled from 30 March – 2 April.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police allege an organised crime group they’ve linked to the killing of a New Zealand man corrupted prison officers and bail officials.

It’s understood the man that was killed, Auckland courier driver Tuipulotu Vi, was not involved in the drug world.

RNZ earlier revealed that Tanginoa Tangi, one of three people charged with murdering Vi in August 2024, flew back to the USA where he has since been charged with attempting to murder someone else. If convicted there he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The homicide investigation, dubbed Operation Block, is linked to Operation Mexted, a joint investigation by the National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) and Customs, which targeted a transnational organised criminal cell.

Nine people are before the courts in relation to Operation Mexted.

Last week, Judge Yelena Yelavich lifted a suppression order on parts of a court document that details police allegations against the group. The rest of the document remains suppressed pending an appeal to the High Court.

Police claim the group, which included both New Zealand and US citizens, was responsible for the importation and dealing of methamphetamine and the trafficking of firearms.

The financial gains from the group’s activities were allegedly laundered through various construction and other companies in an attempt to conceal their source.

Vi’s death followed a series of shootings in the South Auckland area, which police claim were arranged by the syndicate, but which failed to reach the intended target.

The court document setting out police allegations against the group, details the roles police believe each defendant played in the operation.

One of the defendants, a 35-year-old Auckland man, is accused of being one of the senior members with direct reporting back to a more senior member in the US.

Police say that once he was arrested in September 2024, another person who was his “lieutenant” assisted him from outside while he was remanded in custody. This person’s role included laundering the syndicate’s financial proceeds as well as administration of the syndicate’s activities.

Police allege this included corrupting prison officers and bail address managers “to facilitate the movement of the syndicate’s property”.

After the 35-year-old man’s arrest, police claim the person also took control of a cryptocurrency account through which about $4.9 million had been transferred since the start of 2025.

Police accuse the syndicate of using various methods to traffic illegal consignments of drugs and firearms into the country, including using corrupt agents at international airports in the US and in New Zealand as well as New Zealand Post.

They claim the group rented Airbnbs at multiple addresses throughout Auckland to assist them in their activities.

In June 2025, the American syndicate members were arrested. Following this, police say the other members started attempting to move their property and assist the members in prison.

The remaining members also moved addresses.

In July 2025, three members were captured on CCTV checking into the Park Hyatt Hotel in downtown Auckland. Police allege that between 2023 and 2025 one of the “lieutenants” spent $164,000 on room bookings at the hotel, including rooms that cost as much as $1400 a night.

In that same month, police claim the “lieutenant” contacted a Corrections officer at Mt Eden prison who had been “corrupted” by the group and asked to move an associate of the syndicate to another part of the prison.

They are also suspected of arranging the officer to provide cigarettes to another person in prison.

Police allege that after the arrest of the American defendants, one of the members of the group started communicating with higher members of the syndicate, both in New Zealand and overseas.

In a 10-day period in August 2025, the man is accused of importing 7 consignments into New Zealand from the US containing almost 18kgs of methamphetamine. Forensic analysis to confirm the precise amount of methamphetamine is ongoing.

The court document also claims that while on EM bail the 35-year-old engaged in various mobile chat communications with a senior offshore member of the syndicate about ongoing efforts regarding their drug importations.

In September 2025, the man received a photograph from another defendant, who was at another EM bail address, while he was at the gym as well as photographs of him outside his bail address wearing his bail bracelet.

Later that month the 35-year-old was arrested again while walking along Tamaki Dr in Auckland with a mobile phone, in breach of his bail conditions.

After his arrest, one of the staff at the bail support service, was caught on camera clearing his room before police arrived, including removing “high value items” including a Rolex. Police claim the “lieutenant” called the staffer on Instagram while he was clearing the room.

That afternoon, the “lieutenant” called the manager of the bail support about the 35-year-old’s arrest. They were overheard saying “what are we gonna do damn it” to which the manager replied: “they can just bugger off”.

The “lieutenant” was arrested two days later at the Park Hyatt Hotel.

That same day police issued a press release announcing the five-month operation.

Acting Customs Investigations Manager Simon Peterson said at the time Customs used its “investigative and specialist expertise” to track the syndicate.

“Customs identified the suspects smuggling cannabis plants and resin into the country, tracking their smuggling activities throughout and gathering evidence.

“The offenders now face charges for the importation of 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as importation charges for cannabis.”

The US national

RNZ has obtained court documents in relation to the charges Tangi faces in the USA.

He’s accused of attempted murder, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, fleeing a pursuing police officer’s vehicle while driving recklessly, and possession of a firearm.

He has pleaded not guilty and is set to go on trial next month.

A spokesperson for the local District Attorney’s office told RNZ the office was “generally aware” that Tangi had another pending matter in New Zealand and that they were aware an extradition warrant existed.

Tangi was facing a possible life sentence with the possibility of parole, the spokesperson confirmed.

“Regarding the New Zealand matter, the DA’s office does not litigate extradition proceedings. However, we expect that once Mr Tangi’s case here in California concludes, the extradition process to New Zealand would move forward at that time.”

RNZ sent several questions to Tangi’s lawyer, who declined to comment.

“We cannot comment at this time and do not foresee being able to offer anything in the near future.”

In a statement to RNZ on Friday afternoon, police confirmed a third person had been charged with murder in relation to Vi’s death.

“The man is currently in custody in the United States for offences committed in that country and is now subject to an extradition process,” Counties Manukau CIB detective inspector Shaun Vickers said.

“We are working with the relevant authorities in relation to this.

“This is the third person charged over to Mr Vi’s death and our investigation remains ongoing.”

As the matter is before the courts, police are limited in providing further information, Vickers said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hundreds of thousands of dollars is being directed by the government to try to curb rife uncontrolled dog breeding in Auckland and Northland.

The funding comes after a spate of serious dog incidents, including the death of 62-year-old Mihiata Te Rore in a remote Northland settlement in February. The SPCA says three of the last four fatal dog attacks had been in Northland.

Almost $500,000 of money from the Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund is going toward desexing.

The SPCA, which is continuing calls for a law overhaul, is putting up a further $700,000.

There was an urgent need for preventative action to protect people, animals and communities, the SPCA said.

Together, the money is enough to desex about 3000 dogs from what’s thought to be up to 51,000 across both regions that are not desexed.

It’s enough to stop around 7500 puppies in a year or about 45,000 across the lifetimes of desexed females.

Unregistered or roaming dogs that have not been desexed were specifically in the SPCA’s sights.

The programme is for early intervention, stopping litters, reducing roaming and lowering the chances of people suffering serious bites.

The funding is ringfenced, and the programme will run from this coming 1 April to 31 March 2027.

Before Mihiata Te Rore was killed by a pack of dogs at a property at Kaihu, near Dargaville, the government appeared uncertain on the idea of law changes.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts had said there was no time for changes before the election and would not commit to changes if the government stayed in power.

After the death, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was open to changing the law.

The three dogs that attacked Te Rore were later put down.

The SPCA said there needed to be more than money, and that the current laws lacked teeth.

With the announcement on Wednesday, the SPCA called for an “urgent and comprehensive overhaul” of dog control laws as well as standardised national guidelines for every council.

It also wants a national database for dog bite incidents, strong and enforceable breeding rules, and updated Code of Welfare and ongoing funding for desexing.

In Auckland, one of the regions targeted, animal control staff have been busier than ever.

Last year Auckland Council got almost 17,000 reports of roaming dogs and more than 1300 reports of dog attacks on people.

Each year the council impounded about 10,000 dogs – releasing most of them – and it too has been calling for an overhaul of the decades-old Dog Control Act.

“We want people to be out and about, enjoying our parks, going for walks and having the fear of being attacked by a dog is not something that we want,” it said last month.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One of Auckland’s largest new housing developments – the Sunfield community near Ardmore Airport in South Auckland, given the go-ahead under fast-track rules – has raised the ire of local politicians.

Developers Winton envisage nearly 4000 homes, a town centre, retail and healthcare buildings, three retirement villages and approximately 26 hectares of parks and reserves and ecological areas. Regional development minister Shane Jones says it will deliver up to $3.2 billion to the economy and support more than 24,000 jobs over the 10- to 15-year building period.

But concerns have been raised that it sits on a flood plain, is located near an airport, and does not have the extensive transport, water and sewerage infrastructure needed to support it.

The fast-track panel that gave the go-ahead did attach a number of conditions, including the need for stormwater and drainage management plans. But Kelvin Hieatt, the chair of the Papakura Community Board, and Auckland councillor Richard Hills, chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, say those have not been met.

“We’re sort of downstream of everything, and you consider what’s got to go into that suburb and if there is a major storm, major flooding coming through, eventually their systems get overwhelmed and it’s going to be coming downstream,” Hieatt told RNZ’s Nine to Noon on Wednesday.

“Our Papakura stream is the receiving environment and it’s going to come out through our communities. So that’s the last thing we want to see.”

Hieatt said the land Sunfield was being built on was peat, “so what doesn’t drain away has to run off. And particularly when you’ve got these large storms moving through, once the ground is soaked, it has to go somewhere. You couldn’t build in enough residue, residual infrastructure up there to accommodate it. It’s got to go somewhere once you overload it.”

He said the presently rural area presently had no treated water, stormwater, power, communications infrastructure or plans for transport.

“There’s nothing. Everything’s got to come out from Papakura to that area. There was some planning in the past… but that land is noted after, particularly after the Anniversary Day storms and then Cyclone Gabrielle as being flood-prone and at-risk. There’s a lot of work gone into the future development strategy to keep those areas rural…

“One of the things with this development is there’s supposedly no cars on site.”

Sunfield’s plan involves electric shuttle buses once the population hits a certain level. But not before then. Hills called it bad city planning.

“They don’t even start the electric bus until 445 households are already in there, and they’re going to give them temporary parking for the first part of their lives there and then have the electric bus come in and I guess the cars just magically disappear… It is not normal city planning, and people expect us in all those neighbouring neighbourhoods to this site to deal with it, and we may not be able to.”

Hieatt said future residents might not appreciate being so close to an expanding airport either.

“We [don’t] want another Western Springs, where we have infrastructure that’s been in for decades, decades and decades before people move in, all of a sudden they think, ‘Oh, well, it’s my peace and quiet.’ Hang on a sec, you’ve moved in at the end of a runway, you know?”

Hills said there was little the council could do to slow down the development until it met its standards.

“Fast-track supersedes all. I mean, we only get a couple of days to respond. Most of the work can’t be done. If you look through the Watercare responses, they say they didn’t [have time to check] some of the evidence they needed.

“So it doesn’t mean that there won’t be still resource consenting processes for housing in that development… but even through this process, there’s been no work on the overland flow paths, which is a normal process. There’s sort of no real suggestion about how stormwater is dealt with in a flood situation.

“It does deal – or supposedly deal – with lighter storms or heavy rain. But we know from 2023 and from this year across New Zealand how drastically things can change and where you build is just as important as how the infrastructure is around it.”

He said unless the developer planned to look after the development “forever”, eventually problems would end up back with the council.

“We have no plans for wastewater and water supply in that site anytime soon. And so it’s just pulling out-of-sequence infrastructure spending from current urban areas to these areas, which I’m assuming we’re going to be forced to do under the fast-track.”

He said the council was not trying to stifle development, but there was only so much it could do, particularly if rates were getting capped.

Winton was invited to join Nine to Noon to talk about its plans, but no one was available.

In a statement, it said the engineering solution for the Sunfield community had been designed by a ‘tier 1’ engineering firm, and the work had been peer reviewed by a further two equally well qualified independent engineering firms.

It said the stormwater solution for Sunfield was based on stage one of the Awakeri Wetlands, which serviced part of the Sunfield site, which was designed and constructed by Auckland Council and was currently operational.

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