Category: Radio New Zealand

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Auckland boarding houses investigation finds significant non-compliance with Healthy Homes Standards

Source: Radio New Zealand

Inside a Mt Eden boarding house. (File photo) MBIE / SUPPLIED

An investigation of boarding houses in Auckland found significant non-compliance with Healthy Homes Standards, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) says.

In April, the ministry’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team (TCIT) visited 15 properties in south and central Auckland during a three-day operation.

The investigation team’s national manager, Brett Wilson, said 14 of the 15 properties inspected in the operation did not comply with Healthy Homes Standards.

“Maintenance issues were identified at most of the properties visited, primarily involving structural upkeep of the property, such as doors, windows and guttering, as well as the condition of kitchens and bathroom facilities.”

He said the properties required moderate to extensive repairs to bring them up to the required standard.

“One landlord also disputed that their property was subject to the Residential Tenancies Act and requested TCIT officers leave the premises,” he said.

“Boarding house tenants are typically among the most vulnerable and often lack knowledge of their rights under the Residential Tenancies Act.”

Monitoring boarding house compliance was an ongoing focus for the investigations team, he said.

“Boarding houses have been required to meet the Healthy Homes Standards since 2021 and these targeted visits were an opportunity to assess compliance at a selection of properties, including some that were previously assessed as meeting the standards in 2023/24.”

Wilson said TCIT was working with the landlords to address the issues identified, and reserved the right to take further enforcement action if the issues were not addressed.

The checks were carried out alongside Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Auckland Council.

Auckland Council compliance manager, Adrian Wilson, said staff had been working alongside other agencies through its boarding house inspection programme to address compliance issues.

“This collaborative approach supports compliance across all relevant legislation and helps ensure boarding house tenants’ living conditions and rights are protected.”

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, a boarding house has, or intends to have, at least six tenants at any one time, and a boarding house tenancy lasts, or is intended to last, for at least 28 days.

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

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Whangārei man praised for tackling man fleeing police

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Whangārei man has been praised for tackling a man who was fleeing police.

Whangārei area response manager, Senior Sergeant Rene Rakete, said police received multiple calls on Tuesday morning reporting disorderly behaviour from a man in Whangārei CBD, primarily along Cameron Street.

“The male was observed kicking shop windows, which resulted in one shop front being smashed, and throwing outdoor furniture as he moved through the area.

“Officers responded quickly and located the man, who fled on foot upon seeing police.”

A Whangārei man has been praised for tackling a man who was fleeing from the police. NZ Police / Screenshot

As officers were chasing the man towards Vine Street at about 7.40am, a member of the public who was outside Honey’s Coffee Shop intervened.

“This member of the public has seen the alleged offender running towards him and tackled him to the ground, allowing the officers directly behind him to safely take him into custody.

“I’d like to acknowledge this man’s actions, his intervention prevented further damage and ensured the matter was brought under control quickly,” Rakete said.

“While we encourage the community not to take matters into their own hands, this individual definitely came to the aid of police and we are grateful.

“I also wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a call up from the All Blacks after watching that tackle.”

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Police emergency calltakers will take fire calls during strike action

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police emergency calltakers would take calls but transfer them to fire leaders not on strike. (File photo) 123rf

Police 111 calltakers are stepping in to take fire calls for Wednesday’s one hour strike at Fire and Emergency.

Unionised FENZ communications centre workers and firefighters would strike for an hour from 4.30pm on Wednesday, in addition to the ongoing Friday one-hour strikes.

FENZ told staff about it on Monday.

“This is a temporary public safety continuity measure only,” Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler said in an email.

“To date ComCen Leadership have been able to manage the response during strike periods but they are unable to on this occasion.”

The professional firefighters’ union said it understood two leaders had been allowed to go to Australia for a conference.

“They could’ve managed their staffing better,” the union’s national secretary Wattie Watson said.

NZ Professional Firefighters Union Secretary Wattie Watson. (File photo) RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Public safety was always a factor due to failure to resource the front line, she said.

FENZ said police would only take the calls then transfer them to fire ComCen leaders not on strike for dispatching any crews and trucks.

The calltakers/dispatchers shared office space in close quarters often.

“Importantly, police are not replacing Fire and Emergency staff and are not involved in employment, bargaining or industrial matters,” Stiffler said.

“They must not be asked to explain, justify or defend this arrangement.”

Police said they were meeting their obligations as a statutory public safety agency.

The “predicted call volume over that hour is a small amount compared to police’s call volumes, and as such, the arrangement is not expected to significantly impact our ability to meet our own demand”, police said.

What callers would have to do, and support and advice, had been offered, acting director of emergency comms and dispatch Mike Higgie said.

“Both organisations have communicated clear expectations about the ongoing professional conduct expected from our respective people.”

Watson said the union had limited information but it appeared this was a one-off for this Wednesday.

“We’ve asked for an explanation, we’ve yet to receive a response from them.”

FENZ was not bargaining so strikes were continuing to try to get them back to the table with a new offer, she said.

Stiffler said in a statement to RNZ, “We have continued to urge the [union] to call off their strikes because they put lives at risk.

“An example of this was last Friday when a commander responded during the paid firefighters’ strike rescuing a person from their smoke-filled home.”

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Highlanders centre Jona Nareki suspended for red card tackle

Source: Radio New Zealand

Jona Nareki has been suspended for two matches. John Cowpland / www.photosport.nz

The Highlanders have suffered a blow in their bid to make the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs with in-form centre Jona Nareki suspended for two weeks for a dangerous tackle.

Nareki was issued with a yellow card for the high tackle on Waratahs prop Jack Barrett midway through the second half of their match in Duendin on Saturday. It was upgraded to a 20-minute red card on review by the TMO.

The Highlanders played with only 14 men for most of the last 20 minutes, just hanging on to beat the Waratahs 31-26 in a frenetic finish.

Super Rugby Pacific’s Foul Play Review Committee found Nareki guilty of a dangerous tackle.

It said the tackle merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks or matches, but applied the full 50 percent reduction in sanction in view of Nareki accepting the charge, and his remorse and disciplinary record.

It then said a three-week sanction would be disproportionate to the player’s fault and the consequences, and reduced it to two weeks.

That would mean missing the Highlanders’ last two regular season matches – against the Chiefs on Friday and the Hurricanes on Saturday, 23 May.

But Nareki was also given permission to apply to take part in World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme as a substitute for the final match of the sanction.

The Highlanders sit in seventh place on the points table and with the top six teams heading to the playoffs after the regular season, they will probably need to beat both the Chiefs and Hurricanes if they are to get through. They have the bye in the final round.

Crusaders charge goes to hearing

A judicial committee hearing will be held tonight over Crusaders winger Kurtis MacDonald’s red card in the game against the Blues on Friday night.

MacDonald initially got a a yellow card for dangerous play, when he contacted Stephen Perofeta who was leaping to catch a high ball. It was upgraded to red on review.

MacDonald opted to for a full hearing on the charge when it was considered by the foul play committee last night.

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Luxon calls OECD warning on government’s LNG plans ‘load of rubbish’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has dismissed the OECD’s warnings about the government’s LNG plans as “a load of rubbish” and says he remains “very interested” in setting up an import facility.

In its annual economic survey of New Zealand published last week, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the LNG proposal locking in fossil dependence and instead recommended investment in non-gas generation like biomass or pumped hydro.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament on Tuesday, Luxon said he was “not interested” in the OECD’s findings or recommendations.

“The report’s a load of rubbish,” he said.

Luxon said the coalition government was not going to tolerate “bumper sticker” policies or the sort of “kumbaya and mush” that Labour pursued while it was in power.

“We’re the ones that are dealing with a failed energy policy from the last administration.”

In February, the government announced a “definitive decision” to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in Taranaki, designed to reduce price spikes in dry years and the associated risk premium built into power bills. The whole-of-life cost was to be spread across all electricity users through a new levy.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Luxon later softened his rhetoric, after conflict flared up in the Middle East, and said no final decisions had been made on the proposal: “If it doesn’t stack up, we won’t be doing it.”

On Tuesday, however, Luxon said the government remained “very interested” in the plan.

“We’re continuing our procurement process. We said that we’d come back in the middle of the year having looked at the business case for it. We are very interested in it,” he said. “It’s just making sure the commercials stack up.”

Luxon said the government was pursuing an “and-and-and” strategy by also encouraging a “renewables boom” and strategic reserves in Huntly and Marsden Point.

Speaking separately, Energy Minister Simeon Brown said the government would take into account the situation in the Middle East when making final decisions on its plan of action.

But, asked about the OECD’s findings, Brown said the government had considered all the alternatives and had identified the LNG facility as its “preferred option”.

He then turned his sights on the Labour Party, accusing its leader Chris Hipkins of being “the man without a plan”. He said Labour’s Lake Onslow hydro proposal was a “boondoggle” which would not have delivered any energy till 2037.

“We cannot stand by and wait till 2037 to resolve this issue. It needs to be resolved much faster than that,” Brown said.

“Look, there will be alternatives that companies continue to invest in – more renewable energy generation, geothermal and others. But we need to solve the dry year risk.”

Hipkins told reporters the LNG import facility was a “gold-plated bad idea” which would cost New Zealanders more through a new gas tax.

“It’s going to cost every New Zealand household more money in their power bills. It’s going to raise the price of power in New Zealand, and it’s going to make us more dependent on highly volatile fossil fuels.”

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Xero founder Sir Rod Drury withdrawn from speakers event amid allegations

Source: Radio New Zealand

Xero founder Sir Rod Drury. supplied

Xero founder Sir Rod Drury has been withdrawn from a list of keynote speakers due to speak at the Electrify Queenstown business event next week.

It comes after a number of women raised allegations of inappropriate behaviour by the former New Zealander of the Year.

Former Xero staffer Ally Naylor first raised the allegations of misconduct against Sir Rod last month.

The business tycoon rejected “any allegation of wrongdoing” and described his relationship with Naylor as “limited” and “consensual”.

Since then, further allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been raised by media outlets Stuff, and entrepreneur Jenene Crossan.

Sir Rod returned his 2026 New Zealander of the Year award last week, with the awards office confirming the award would not be re-awarded.

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Christchurch City Council refunded $250k after being overcharged for streetlights by Contact Energy

Source: Radio New Zealand

Contact has accepted it breached the code, and potentially faces a penalty of up to $200,000. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Christchurch City Council says it has been refunded $250,000 after being overcharged for its streetlighting by Contact Energy.

It comes after the Electricity Authority lodged a formal complaint with an independent rulings panel against the power company.

The authority alleges that between early March 2022 and the end of September 2025, Contact failed to maintain an up-to-date distributed unmetered load (DUML) database for the council.

It also failed to take all practicable steps to ensure submission information was complete and accurate.

Contact has accepted it breached the code, and potentially faces a penalty of up to $200,000.

The authority said Contact was responsible for the council’s streetlight database in the period.

It further noted Contact failed to address DUML accuracy issues identified across several audits, resulting in the overcharge.

“The investigator assessed the market impact as high, with an over-submission of 4.94 gigawatt hours of electricity between March 2022 to September 2025,” the authority said.

Christchurch City Council head of facilities and property Bruce Rendall said the discrepancy was identified by an independent auditor, after which Contact confirmed the overcharge.

“The matter is limited to streetlighting charges,” Rendall said. “Council is not a party to the Electricity Authority’s current complaint process.”

The council manages a streetlighting network of approximately 44,000 lights.

The largely LED network was operated through a central management system with smart controllers on individual lights.

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New Te Tai Tokerau Party may not be able to contest election under that name, Bishop says

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. (File photo) RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The new Te Tai Tokerau Party may not be able to contest the election – at least not under that name – because the name could breach electoral rules, a senior government minister has suggested.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced on Monday she is splitting from Te Pāti Māori and launching Te Tai Tokerau Party – named after her electorate – to contest this year’s election.

Senior National MP Chris Bishop was asked on Tuesday whether his party would consider working with Kapa-Kingi’s, and he said it was an “immaterial conversation”.

“I don’t think they’re going to make it because they’re not going to be allowed to call themselves the Te Tai Tokerau party,” he said.

“I think Mariameno’s about to discover that it doesn’t allow her to call herself the name of her electorate.”

The Electoral Commission said for a name to be accepted, it must not be indecent, offensive, excessively long or likely to confuse or mislead voters.

“There’s no specific rule about an electorate name being used as a party name,” it said.

“However, it is something that would be considered in the process outlined above.”

“As the MP’s announcement has only just been made, the party name hasn’t been considered by the Electoral Commission. To date, we haven’t received an application from the party for registration.”

The commission’s board considered party names, and the public could also comment on a proposed name if a party applies to registration, it said.

Kapa-Kingi said the Electoral Commission had not raised any concerns with her about the name.

The party needs 500 financial members to be registered, and Kapa-Kingi said she had already amassed about 200.

Speaking in Whangārei on Tuesday, Kapa-Kingi said she was vying to win the electorate – but the party vote was still an option for voters.

She will stand against Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime and the Greens’ Hūhana Lyndon.

Kapa-Kingi said people had already told her: “‘We want to vote for you as the candidate, because we already see that Hūhana and Willow-Jean are high on the list’, so they’re already in.

“‘But where do we put our [party] vote?’ So I think it provides a genuine choice about Te Tai Tokerau Party, as a party choice.”

She had not yet considered whether candidates could stand in other electorates under her party banner in future.

“Because imagine if Waikato decides to do something similar, or Tai Tonga decides to do something similar, I think that’s exciting, and I think that I would support that completely.”

Kapa-Kingi said her party would be “really Tai Tokerau-centric, but we can also be … game enough and open enough to say, ‘these things also matter to other rohe’.”

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Auckland lagging on life jacket rules – water safety group

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

A water safety group says Auckland is lagging behind the rest of the country and internationally on making life jackets mandatory.

It comes after the council said it was proposing changes to the region’s navigation by-laws to make the wearing of life jackets compulsory on vessels under six metres.

Under current rules, whoever was in charge of the boat could give people permission not to wear them.

Auckland councillor Alf Filipaina, who is on the by-law review panel, said the proposed update would go a long way towards preventing drownings associated with small boating accidents.

Head of communications at Coastguard Kai Moana and part of Wai Ora Tamaki Makaurau, Kimberley Waters, told Nine to Noon there needed to be more national consistency.

“Every time a region like Auckland Council for example does a bylaw review, the public has an opportunity to have a say,” she said.

“I think that we’re hopeful this time around that people will kind of see the data, understand the importance of wearing a life jacket.

“People travel across regions; we need to build consistency. Auckland has the largest boating population.”

Waters said national legislation was different, which she hoped would change too.

“We need to start to build consistency and it’s time kind of Auckland caught up with the rest of the country.”

Waters said other regions had already made life jackets mandatory.

“There are quite a few regions across the country that already have made life jackets mandatory. Waikato absolutely has seen greater compliance rate,” she said.

“If we also look overseas internationally in Tasmania and Victoria, after they introduced the legislation change, they reduced the number of fatalities.

“That’s something we anticipate we would see here in New Zealand. “

Waters said around 33 percent of people calling in for Coastguard assistance told them they had life jackets on board, but were not wearing them.

She said they would like to see a single consistent rule so everybody on board small vessels wore one.

Water said occasionally they would be told by people that they didn’t need a life jacket because they could swim, or they found them uncomfortable.

“From our perspective, there is support around the fact that when people kind of talk about life jackets being uncomfortable, there are so many different options out there … we really challenge that question.

“Half the time, you wouldn’t even know you’re wearing a life jacket, particularly with the new sort of inflatable ones.”

She said discrepancy around rules across the regions made it more challenging for people.

Waters said their volunteers were facing both success stories and tragedy.

“They want success stories all the time, and in order to have those success stories, we need people to be wearing life jackets.

“No one necessarily expects to end up in the water. But time and time again, it happens unexpectedly.

“Wearing a life jacket is the safest way to help you stay alive if you end up in the water.”

It’s no difference to wearing a seatbelt in a car or wearing a helmet on a bike, Water said.

“Our volunteers want to be able to bring people home to their loved ones from a great day out on the water and not have to, sadly, recover bodies.”

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One killed in crash on Waikato Expressway

Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. Aerial view of Waikato Expressway. RNZ / Nick Monro

A pedestrian has died following a crash on the Waikato Expressway in Ōhinewai on Tuesday morning.

Emergency services responded to the crash involving a car and a pedestrian, south of Te Kauwhata, about 7am.

The pedestrian died at the scene, police said.

The Expressway was still closed at 12pm, southbound from Te Kauwhata while the Serious Crash Unit examined the scene.

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