Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

MetService is forecasting downpours across the North Island on Wednesday, with RELATED] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/513904/weather-watches-and-warnings-what-they-mean-and-when-they-re-triggered possible thunderstorms] in some places, and a number of watches and warnings in place.

A heavy rain warning is in place from 11am until 11pm on Wednesday for Bay of Plenty and Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti north of Ruatoria and the inland ranges, thunderstorms and downpours are also possible in these areas.

Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the most notable warning was for Bay of Plenty, with 80 to 120 millimetres of rain set to fall before the end of the day.

“With thunderstorms in the mix we could see shorter periods of more intense rain bringing those possibilities such as flooding as well as slips and difficult driving conditions.”

At 10.15am, MetService’s weather radar detected severe thunderstorms near Matamata, Waharoa and the Kaimai Ranges.

These severe thunderstorms are moving towards the southeast, and are expected to lie near Matamata, Tirau, the Southern Kaimai Ranges, Te Poi, Okoroire and Hinuera at 10.45am and near Putaruru, the Mamaku Plateau, the Southern Kaimai Ranges, Te Poi and Okoroire at 11.15 am. These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain.

Thunderstorms may also occur in Taranaki and Whanganui, she said.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for a large part of the North Island including Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taupo from 1pm-6pm on Wednesday.

Some of these thunderstorms may become severe on Wednesday afternoon with localised downpours of up to 40mm/h, large hail and strong wind gusts of up to 90km/h.

MetService said there was even a slight chance of a tornado, but that thunderstorm activity was expected to ease by Wednesday evening.

Northerly winds are forecast to turn southwesterly with gusts of up to 90km/h forecast.

Heavy rain watches are in place for a number of places throughout the day including Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula, Taranaki, Wairarapa, the eastern hills and ranges in Wellington, and central North Island areas including Waikato and inland Whanganui.

There are also strong wind watches in place later on Wednesday for Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Horowhenua to Wellington, parts of the Tararua and Hawke’s Bay districts and Wairarapa.

In the South Island heavy rain watches are in place for the Kaikōura Coast and the Chatham Islands, where a strong wind watch is also in place.

There may also be thunderstorms in Central Otago on Wednesday afternoon or evening.

Wind watches are also in place for Marlborough and parts of the Nelson region from 5pm Wednesday until 3am Thursday.

Makgabutlane said things were set to improve from Thursday onwards.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Mike Wesley-Smith

Solving the murder of Darcy Te Hira inside Mt Eden Prison was never going to be easy.

The reason was as apparent to me decades later, doing the Nark podcast, as it was to the team of detectives who arrived at Mt Eden Prison on 6 January 1985. There was no forensic evidence pointing to the killer, meaning police had to extract the truth of what happened from a bunch of criminals. Many had dishonesty convictions, and most were muzzled by an inmate code of silence.

It is a context that must be remembered by anyone who assesses what then happened during the police investigation and murder prosecution of Ross Appelgren. Police and prosecutors bear a considerable legal and social burden to ensure murderers are held to account. Evidence sometimes comes easily, but even when it doesn’t, society still seeks quick justice – particularly when a killing occurs inside a supposedly secure prison.

In the end, the conviction of Ross Appelgren relied entirely on the eye-witness testimony of a fellow inmate – a “nark” to use prison vernacular. His name is suppressed, so in the podcast, he’s called “Ernie”.

Even in 1985, there were rules that detectives and prosecutors had to follow, because building and maintaining a conviction is like building and maintaining a house; it must have a solid foundation and an immovable watertight frame that can stand the tests of time and resist the winds of scrutiny. Because, as in Appelgren’s case, even when the convicted die, their quest for justice doesn’t always die with them.

And don’t be fooled into thinking the case’s age somehow diminishes its relevance – its lessons are just as valuable today as they were then.

My Nark podcast, which has been released over the past six weeks and is now fully available online, has revealed many instances of police and prosecutors failing to follow their own rules. The full list would take me beyond this article’s word limit, but here are just some of the most serious examples Appelgren’s lawyers have discovered in police and court documents:

• Police failed to record all their interactions with Ernie – including the meeting where they told him he was either a witness or a suspect (something they never told the juries or Appelgren’s lawyers). This was significant, as prosecutors maintained Ernie had no reason to implicate Appelgren other than his desire to see justice done.
• Prior to taking a formal statement from Ernie, police discussed compensation with him in exchange for his evidence. At the time Ernie was a penniless inmate with over 200 previous convictions for fraud, who’d given conflicting accounts before formally documenting what he had to say.
• Police assured him of early prison release before he testified.
• At the first trial, the prosecution failed to disclose Ernie’s initial police statements, including his anonymous note that “I never saw it done”. This resulted in Appelgren’s first conviction being quashed.
• At the 1992 retrial, the prosecution failed to disclose inmate “Danny’s” confession that he had ordered the hit on Te Hira and that Appelgren was not involved. This led the Governor-General to refer Appelgren’s case back to the Court of Appeal in 1994, because it might have resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

That appeal was never heard before Appelgren died.

Now his widow, Julie, hopes to resurrect it, not just because she believes her husband is innocent, but also because of the police and prosecution failures outlined.

In setting this all out, I am not asserting that the Crown case was without merit. Two juries and two appeal courts found Ernie convincing enough to convict Appelgren.

When I tracked him down and spoke to him for hours, he remained steadfast in his account. It also cannot be presumed that a Court, apprised of all the new evidence that has emerged since the 1992 retrial, would rule Appelgren’s conviction is unsafe. So listen to the podcast and decide for yourself.

Going into my investigation, I knew that I would have a lot of contact with Julie Appelgren and learn a lot about her questions regarding the prosecution case.

What I didn’t know was that I would also come to know Te Hira’s widow, Suzanne Young, just as well. She believes Appelgren is guilty, but I discovered she nonetheless has many long-standing doubts about what happened to her husband. There was so much she only found out for the first time from me.

Suzanne’s perspective, unheard before, was one of the most significant revelations for me in this project. Through her, I finally learned who Te Hira really was. A much-loved husband who is still sorely missed.

Both Julie and Suzanne hoped for different outcomes in this case, but both expected that two trials would deliver the truth, however difficult or painful to hear.

After my years-long experience with this case, I don’t think they or the rest of us yet have that truth. For that reason, I believe Suzanne deserves the answers to her questions and that Appelgren’s appeal deserves its day in Court.

None of this will be easy, but then nothing about this case ever was.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A prisoner has been placed on directed segregation after allegedly assaulting his cellmate who remains in hospital with serious injuries.

It comes amid a Corrections review of a risk assessment tool used in deciding whether prisoners are suitable to share a cell, after two suspected murders in nine months.

Mt Eden Corrections Facility general manager Dion Paki confirmed to RNZ staff found a prisoner had been injured at 10.40am on Saturday.

“The prisoner was assessed by on-site medical and taken to hospital for further treatment, where he remains. The alleged perpetrator was immediately secured and placed on directed segregation.”

The prisoner was also subject to an internal misconduct charge.

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

Police were notified and attended the prison on Saturday. Corrections would carry out a review into the incident, including what risk assessments were done such as the Shared Accommodation Cell Risk Assessment (SACRA).

“Violence in prison is not tolerated and anyone who resorts to this behaviour will be held to account,” Paki said.

“Our staff manage some of New Zealand’s most dangerous people in a complex and challenging environment. Over 80 per cent of the prison population have convictions for violence in their offending histories, and more than 90 per cent have had a lifetime diagnosis of a mental health or substance abuse disorder.

“The safety of our prisons is our absolute priority.”

RNZ earlier revealed there had been two suspected murders, both involving double-bunked cells, in nine months at Mt Eden Corrections Facility.

Corrections used the SACRA tool to review the compatibility of individuals before they were placed in a shared cell.

The SACRA tool identified key risk factors to consider before placing a person in a shared cell.

If a person was deemed not suitable to double bunk, a Not to Double Bunk (NTDB) alert was activated on their profile.

Corrections custodial services commissioner Leigh Marsh earlier confirmed he requested a review of the SACRA process which was under way.

“The review is in its early stages, so we have limited information to provide at this stage.

“However, we can confirm that our Custodial, Pae Ora and Intel teams will be considering the questions asked to inform suitability, the process to determine compatibility, and the review processes relating to SACRA. This will help inform what improvements can be made to the SACRA process.”

Corrections had also taken steps across all prison sites regarding shared cell risk assessments, including instructing that all assessments must be reviewed within 24 hours of completion to check whether any further or outstanding information had been received.

“This is because we often receive people from the courts late in the evening and information can sometimes be limited.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person is in critical condition following a crash on the South-Western Motorway near Māngere overnight.

The two-vehicle crash, involving a car and a truck, was reported at 4am on northbound lanes by the Coronation Road off-ramp.

The car driver of the car had to be extracted from the vehicle and was taken to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition.

UPDATE 8:30AM

All lanes of the motorway and the Coronation Rd off-ramp have now reopened. ^KF https://t.co/gvdQLt1MPr

— NZ Transport Agency – Auckland & Northland (@nztaaklnth) December 2, 2025

Two northbound lanes of the motorway were closed alongwith the off-ramp while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said on X traffic was heavy as far back as the link from State Highway 1.

However, in an update at 8.30am it said all lanes and the Coronation Rd off-ramp had now re-opened.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch principal has denied there being a “political agenda” behind speaking publicly about mouldy meals that were served to children.

Students at Haeata Community Campus were served mouldy mince meals through the government-funded school lunch programme, which some of them ate before realising they were off.

NZ Food Safety has said it was more than likely that some lunches provided by Compass Group last Thursday remained at the school and were not refrigerated.

It said the school then accidentally re-served the food alongside fresh meals on Monday.

But principal Peggy Burrows said there was video proof that the meals weren’t left from a previous week.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour accused Burrows of being a “media frequent flier”.

“It will be investigated but I also note this particular principal is a frequent flyer in the media complaining about quite a range of government policies… I think people need that context.”

Burrows told Morning Report, she had no political agenda when speaking about the mouldy lunches and just wanted the “systems failure” looked at.

“I’ve never been a critic, simply pointed and highlighted when issues have arisen. I’m very grateful our school receives those lunches.”

Burrows said NZ Food Safety concluding the school re-served old meals was “very disappointing and totally incorrect”.

“The meals on Thursday last week were delivered about 9.30am and we have that on camera footage there were eight containers, the person from Compass Group came back at 2pm and took the eight containers away.

“At 5am every morning one of our staff goes around the buildings to check everything is fine. There’s absolutely no way that finding can be accurate. We watched the footage together with food safety officers of the eight arriving and being picked up.”

Burrows said she knew they had the visual evidence on tape of what actually happened and did not now how it had been “misreported”.

She said if it was up to her she’d release the footage now, but needed to check with the school’s lawyers before publicly releasing it.

“There’d probably be legal implications for that.

“I cannot understand how three investigators can hear what I heard and then that conclusion is made later in the day. I don’t understand that.”

MPI reiterated it was more than likely the issue arose from human error at the school.

“On the day of the complaint there were 15 other schools that received meals from the same distribution centre and MPI received no other complaints.”

New Zealand Food Safety’s deputy director-general Vince Arbuckle said NZFS had a team onsite at the school and Compass on Tuesday investigating the affected meals.

“We have considered all possible causes.

“We think it is more than likely that the affected meals at the school had been delivered the previous Thursday, remained at the school without refrigeration, and then were accidentally re-served to students alongside fresh meals delivered on Monday. This would explain the deterioration of the meals.”

In a statement, Paul Harbey – a spokesperson for the School Lunch Collective, which represents Compass Group – said one of the heated containers the meals were kept in was left behind at the school on Thursday.

“There were nine Cambro [food storage] boxes of the savoury mince and potatoes meal delivered to Haeata Community Campus on Thursday 27th November, however records show only eight were returned to us.

“One Cambro box has sat at ambient temperatures at the school since that date.

“[On Monday] more than 73,000 lunches of the same recipe were served nationwide, with no concerns raised by any other school.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died following a crash in Tāneatua, 13km south of Whakatāne in Bay of Plenty last night, a police spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The single vehicle crash on White Pine Bush Road was reported just after 6pm.

One person died at the scene, and a second person was seriously injured.

It was reported last night that the car crashed into a river off State Highway 2.

The road was closed overnight but has since re-opened.

Inquiries to determine the circumstances of the crash are continuing, the spokesperson 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

Critics of a second Mt Victoria tunnel in the capital have launched a campaign against the plans, saying the project is too expensive, too disruptive and too focused on cars.

Green MPs Julie Anne Genter and Tamatha Paul hosted a public rally in Mount Victoria on Tuesday night, where former and current councillors also spoke out against the project.

Expected to cost between $2.9-3.8 billion, the proposals included building a second tunnel at Mount Victoria and The Terrace, and would see traffic moving in both directions around the Basin Reserve.

Changes would be made in Te Aro, with three lanes on Vivian Street and Karo Drive, as well as a widening of Ruahine Street and Wellington Road in Kilbirnie on route to the airport.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said the changes could save commuters up to 10 minutes from Ngauranga Gorge to Wellington Airport.

Genter said the consultation period had been insufficient for such a major proposal.

“The reason we decided to hold this meeting, is because the New Zealand Transport Agency announced limited details on a proposed roading project. The consultation – it’s not really a consultation – the feedback period, it’s only four weeks.”

She said the project was hugely expensive for lanes in each direction, and questioned what the average savings on travel time would be – saying that was not clear from the information provided by NZTA so far.

“You can’t build your way out of congestion, even the current transport minister has said that.

Chair of Wellington regional council’s public transport committee, Ros Connelly, said a bus rapid transit scheme through Wellington to the airport would save 11 minutes, and cost less money.

“Why on earth are you going to do this over other public transport projects that would deliver better time savings and cost a whole lot less money. Is it because this government loves roads at the expense of doing what is best for Wellington residents?”

A loud burst of applause came for city councillor Jonny Osborne, who said the proposals were “irresponsible” for dedicating billions to car travel.

“This project completely and utterly ignores the reality of climate change.”

Former city councillor Chris Calvi-Freeman was one of the few speakers to identify some advantages to widening routes near the airport.

“The regional benefits in terms of people being able to access the regional hospital and the airport, but there are also, at the other end of the scale, benefits for the people in the eastern suburbs, who want to escape the city – for whatever reason – or come into the city.”

Calvi-Freeman said it’s a matter of when, not if, a second Mount Vic tunnel goes ahead.

But Save the Basin co-convenor Iona Pannett said she’s “100 percent certain” the campaign would stop the project.

“I’m confident Wellingtonians are going to mobilise to stop this highway, and we’re going to mobilise around public transport, and walking and cycling.”

Pannett said the plan would cause disruption to residents and schools in the suburbs affected.

NZTA said it’d identified 176 properties it might need to buy, and another 146 properties where it might need to buy below-ground land, for the construction of the two tunnels.

It also said some town belt land might be affected by the proposal.

Friends of the Town Belt chairperson John Bishop said that concerned him.

“It’s a major facility of the city, it has been for 150-odd years … The citizens of Wellington have fought very hard to retain all the elements of the Town Belt and get it back to as pristine a condition as possible.”

Both NZTA and the Transport Minister Chris Bishop rejected criticism the consultation period was too short.

Bishop said in advance he would not attend the Greens’ political rally, saying he hoped people were using NZTA’s public consultation sessions to find out information and give feedback.

“There is a four-week consultation (closing Sunday, December 14) so the public can give feedback on the proposed design. There have also been many other consultations and feedback processes on this project over the past few years, and those have been incorporated.”

Bishop said he backed the project, and included that it would reduce congestion, travel times, create better walking and cycling links and speed up movement through Wellington city.

“This project has been talked about for decades, and I am pleased to see it finally coming to fruition under this government.

“It will cut peak travel times by up to 10 minutes, improve travel time reliability by 40 percent, deliver better walking and cycling links – including a new separated shared path through the Mt Victoria tunnel, and mean 20 percent less traffic on the Harbour Quays, enabling increased use of buses.”

Bishop has previously said there’s a good case for the investment in the project, which he said would bring strong benefits.

A spokesperson for NZTA said the agency was running a “thorough and wide-ranging” public engagement process, including several public information days around Wellington, as well as an online survey running from mid-November to 14 December.

About 500 people had attended one of the four information sessions held so far, the spokesperson said.

Two information sessions remained, one on Wednesday at All Saints Church Hall in Haitaitai, and one this Saturday at Mt Cook School Gym.

“Extensive engagement is also continuing with councils, iwi, landowners, and other key stakeholders.

“All of the feedback we receive will be taken into consideration and help to inform the next design phase of the project.”

The spokesperson said the transport proposals were “significant”, and could have “a major impact on Wellington’s transport infrastructure”.

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