Category: Radio New Zealand

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Paid firefighters strike after negotiations stall

Source: Radio New Zealand

About 2000 members of the Professional Firefighters’ Union will strike between 12-1pm. RNZ / Ruth Hill

Paid firefighters are walking off the job for one hour again today over their deadlocked contract negotiations with Fire and Emergency.

About 2000 members of the Professional Firefighters’ Union will strike between 12-1pm.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said calls to 111 would be answered during that time and it will respond to fires in strike-affected areas – but there could be some delays, as callouts would be covered by volunteers.

“We have notified Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance that, for the one-hour strike, our volunteer crews won’t be able to respond to medical calls outside their patch.”

While the strike was “putting public safety at risk”, it would not affect most of the country, she said.

“The vast majority of communities are served by our more than 11,000 volunteers in nearly 600 stations across New Zealand who will respond as usual.”

Meanwhile, FENZ was urging people and businesses in towns and cities usually covered by professional firefighters to be “extra careful”, and avoid any work practices that could spark fire, and ensure tenants understood evacuation procedures.

Its offer to the union was (6.2 percent over three years) was “a fair and sustainable increase”, Stifler said.

“The Employment Relations Authority is currently considering our application to provide facilitation to bring the parties together and work constructively towards a resolution.

“We don’t see the point in putting the community at risk with this strike while that process plays out. The NZPFU’s recent settlement proposal is three times more than our offer, which was fair, reasonable and in line with other settlements across the public service.”

Union responds

The union’s national secretary, Wattie Watson, said the union had worked hard to get a settlement – but FENZ has refused to return to the table.

“FENZ has refused to adapt its position and last week refused to agree to new bargaining dates on the basis they only want to meet in facilitation. The Employment Relations Authority only received the final legal submissions yesterday and a decision is pending.

“Instead of actually trying to reach settlement and address the systemic failings of the fire service, FENZ has pushed on with an application for facilitation, attempted to present distorted information in the pursuit of that application, dropped a 260-page restructure document that culls about 160 jobs without consulting with the NZPFU or the PSA, refuses to address serious asbestos risks in Auckland, and continues to fail the community with a failing fleet and replace closed stations or those under extremely poor earthquake ratings.”

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Watch live: Latest announced in crackdown on airport staff importing drugs

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police and Customs are set to reveal the latest in a crackdown on staff helping import drugs at Auckland International Airport.

Operation Matata has been focused on a transnational organised crime syndicate working with local gangs who are alleged to have imported significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine into New Zealand.

The briefing will be livestreamed at the top of this page from about noon.

Police have identified the syndicate was allegedly smuggling Class A drugs through unattended baggage on international flights, primarily through Auckland International Airport.

Officers arrested people across two phases in June and July.

In total, 15 current and former baggage handlers working for airline baggage handling agencies at Auckland International Airport have been charged.

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Fabian Holland and Braxton Sorensen-McGee up for top NZ Rugby awards

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fabian Holland of New Zealand Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year winners Fabian Holland and Braxton Sorensen-McGee have been named among the finalists for New Zealand’s top rugby awards.

Second rower Holland, who played 12 of the All Blacks 13 tests this year, is up for All Blacks Player of the Year alongside Ardie Savea, Quinn Tupaea and Cam Roigard.

Back Sorensen-McGee was a try-scoring star performer for the Black Ferns as they finished third at the Rugby World Cup. She is a finalist for Black Ferns Player of the Year along with Jorja Miller, Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Georgia Ponsonby.

The winners will be announced on 11 December.

The Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year will be awarded to one of the winners of the major Player of the Year categories. The New Zealand Coach of the Year and New Zealand Team of the Year will be announced on the night, with all teams in black and their respective coaches eligible.

The Steinlager Salver, the most prestigious award in New Zealand rugby, will acknowledge someone who has given sustained service to the game. Previous recipients include: Sir Colin Meads, Jock Hobbs, Waka Nathan, Sir Tuifa’asisina Bryan Williams and Dr Deb Robinson.

Braxton Sorensen-McGee scores for the Black Ferns against Ireland, RWC, 2025. www.photosport.nz

2025 New Zealand Rugby Awards finalists:

Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year

Will Jordan (Crusaders)

Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes)

Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika)

Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year

Amy du Plessis (Matatū)

Braxton Sorensen McGee (Blues)

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Blues)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year

Dylan Collier

Tone Ng Shiu

Frank Vaenuku

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year

Michaela Brake

Jorja Miller

Risi Pouri-Lane

New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year

Oli Mathis (Waikato)

Dylan Pledger (Otago)

Braxton Sorensen-McGee (Auckland)

National Men’s Coach of the Year

Marty Bourke (Canterbury)

Mark Brown (Otago)

Rob Penney (Crusaders)

National Women’s Coach of the Year

Matt Direen (Otago)

Reuben Samuel (Waikato)

Willie Walker (Blues)

New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year

Maggie Cogger-Orr (Auckland)

James Doleman (Otago)

Ben O’Keeffe (North Harbour)

National Women’s Team of the Year

Blues

Otago Spirit

Waikato

National Men’s Team of the Year

Canterbury

Crusaders

Mid-Canterbury

Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year

Kurt Eklund (Ngāti Kahu)

Quinn Tupaea (Ngaati Tiipa, Ngaati Amaru)

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Kahu ki Whaingaroa/Ngāti Porou)

All Blacks Player of the Year

Fabian Holland

Cam Roigard

Ardie Savea

Quinn Tupaea

Black Ferns Player of the Year

Jorja Miller

Kaipo Olsen-Baker

Georgia Ponsonby

Braxton Sorensen-McGee

Rugby Club of the Year

Hunterville Rugby Football Club (Whanganui)

Rangataua Sports and Cultural Club (Bay of Plenty)

Waimate Rugby Football Club (South Canterbury)

Charles Monro Volunteer of the Year

Glen Devenie (Auckland Rugby Referee Association, Auckland)

Stacey Kobus (Cambridge Junior Rugby and Community Sports Club, Waikato)

Jodi Taylor (Strath Taieri Rugby Club, Otago)

Te Hāpai Community Impact Award

Cian Byrne-Hansen (Counties Manukau)

Peter Hastings (Bay of Plenty)

Sosoli Talawadua (Whanganui)

Duane Monkley Medal (NPC Player of the Year)

Sam Darry (Canterbury)

Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)

Josh Jacomb (Taranaki)

Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year)

Taufa Bason (Auckland)

Grace Houpapa-Barrett (Waikato)

Holly Williams (North Harbour)

Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Heartland Championship Player of the Year)

Declan McCormack (Mid Canterbury)

Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay)

Sam Walton-Sexton (Wairarapa Bush)

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’40-minute queues’: Drivers warned to expect delays when IKEA opens in Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

IKEA will open its doors at Sylvia Park on 4 December. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Motorists are being warned to expect 40-minute queues when IKEA opens its first New Zealand store in Auckland next week, along with potential hour-long waits for carparks.

IKEA will open its doors at Sylvia Park on 4 December and Auckland Transport along with NZTA Waka Kotahi are encouraging road users to paln ahead and allow plenty of extra time for their jounreys.

“We expect the opening day, and subsequent weeks or even months to draw big crowds to the Sylvia Park area, and for this to have a substantial effect on the transport network both locally and across Auckland,” Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) Manager Claire Howard said.

Travel times across the wider Auckland transport network are likely to be “substantially longer” than usual, Howard warns.

Traffic modelling shows that in a “worst-case scenario” there could be 40-minute-plus queues to get off the motorway at Mt Wellington and wait times of up to an hour to get into carparks at IKEA, she said.

“Surrounding streets in Mt Wellington will also be busy, with forecast delays of up to 40 minutes on Mt Wellington Highway in peak traffic.”

ATOC – a joint Auckland Transport and NZTA venture for managign the network in real time – has been working with the retail giant to ensure their traffic management plan minimises the traffic impacta s much as possible. It will be actively managing light signals and diverting traffic where possible as congestion levels increase.

“Like any popular event or destination that attracts a large crowd, it’s going to put pressure on the transport network,” Howard says.

Drivers are encouraged to allow extra time, check route and travel times and travel outside of peak hours if possible.

Congestion is expected to be at its worst during peak hour during the week and on Saturdays between 1 and 4pm – particularly heading northbound from South Auckland toward Mt Wellington.

For IKEA shoppers who aren’t planning on purchasing large furniture, taking the train might be your best bet.

“It’s a 19-minute train ride from Waitematā Station to Sylvia Park Station compared with expected travel times of more than an hour for the same journey by car, especially if you’re just window shopping or able to get your purchases delivered.” Howard says.

Staff will be on the ground at Sylvia Park Station to help direct people to the store who are travelling by train.

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Chip maker Rakon narrows half-year loss

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chief Executive Sinan Altug. Supplied / Rakon

Chip maker Rakon slashed its half-year loss on the back of increased revenue.

Key numbers for half year ended in September compared with a year ago:

  • Net loss $2.95m vs $10.4m loss
  • Revenue $54.2m vs $41.7m
  • Operating loss $4.1m vs $15.8m loss
  • No dividend.

Rakon said the first half year marked a clear return to growth for Rakon as it posted growth in sales of its specialist systems for satellites, telecommunications, and computers.

It said it increased market share in core segments, increased capacity globally, and benefited from cost cutting at its New Zealand, India and France operations.

Chief Executive Sinan Altug said the company was recovering with a 30 percent rise in revenue, and increase in its margins and underlying operating earnings, which more than doubled.

He said the restructuring of the past two years were delivering tangible results, with its India operation focusing on volume production and its France facility focusing on aerospace and defence.

“This shift continues to free New Zealand to focus on innovation and new product introductions while India scales to meet global demand.”

It expects margins to improve in the second half year as production scales up.

Rakon maintained its 2026 full year underlying profit guidance at between $15 to $25 million, saying earnings were typically skewed towards the second half of its financial year.

The company is targeting revenue of $250 million and an underlying profit of $75 million by 2030.

The company went through a boardroom tussle in August as a dominant shareholder moved to replace most directors, causing the Stock Exchange to suspend the stock until it complied with rules about the number of independent directors.

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Consumer confidence still negative, despite lift

Source: Radio New Zealand

Falling consumer arrears, employment returning to modest growth and retailers reporting improved activity boosted the index. RNZ/Nick Monro

  • Consumer confidence lifts, although pessimists slightly outweigh the optimists
  • It follows the strong business sentiment on Thursday
  • Households remain cautious on spending on big ticket items

Consumer confidence has lifted to its highest level since June, with more households expecting to be better off in a year’s time.

The ANZ Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index lifted 6 points in November to just over 98.

However, a score below 100 indicates more pessimists than optimists.

“It’s good to see a decent lift in consumer confidence this month, though it is yet to break out of recent ranges,” ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner said.

“Although it’s early days in terms of the economic recovery, this is not the only indicator suggesting that things are looking up for consumers,” she said.

A net 21 percent of respondents expected to be better off this time next year, the highest level since April.

“Consumer arrears have been declining, employment has returned to modest growth and retailers are reporting improved activity,” Zollner said.

ANZ said a net 9 percent thought it was a bad time to buy a major household item, suggesting ongoing caution.

Zollner said the ‘good time to buy’ indicator has not been positive in more than four years.

“Consumers’ reluctance to spend in recent years has certainly been felt by the retail sector.”

Zollner noted falling consumer arrears, employment returning to modest growth and retailers reporting improved activity.

“Our card spending data shows a return to growth across a broad range of discretionary categories, though overall spending levels are still very subdued compared to the Covid-era boom.”

Zollner said aside from lower inflation, the slowdown also led to household debt relative to incomes back to where it was before the housing bubble.

“Now we’ve taken our medicine, the stars are aligning for better times ahead.”

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Kiwi skipper dies in sailing accident on round-the-world trip

Source: Radio New Zealand

Lyall Babington was intending to sail Mollie around the world. UK Government

A New Zealand skipper died after being pulled into a faulty winch in the UK.

British authorities released on Friday the findings of their investigation into 74-year-old Lyall Babington’s death.

Babington had set off from New Zealand about three years earlier, intending to sail Mollie around the world.

Babington lived on the 17-metre yacht, recruiting crew members at various ports.

One crew member had been with the vessel for approximately five months, two others had only joined the day prior to the fatal accident.

Lyall Babington Supplied

On 5 August, Mollie had reached the Western Solent on its way to Poole in England when Babington’s hand became caught in a rope as he tried to raise the sail.

“As the winch continued to turn the skipper was progressively pulled tighter onto the winch drum, causing severe injuries to his arm and hand, trauma to his head and chest, and pinning him around the winch,” the report into his death said.

The crew tried to stop the winch using the control switch.

“After a number of attempts the winch stopped turning and the crew assessed the skipper for signs of life. The skipper was unresponsive and tightly wound over and around the winch,” it said.

The crew then raised a ‘Mayday’ and a lifeboat and rescue helicopter were sent to the yatch to try and free Babington from the winch.

“As they did so, and without warning, the winch activated and released the skipper and he fell onto the deck.”

Despite their efforts to revive Babington, he could not be saved.

The cockpit winches. UK Government

A post-mortem examination of the skipper was carried out, the results of which are pending.

A preliminary investigation found the wench had a known defect which sometimes caused it to continue to operate after the control switch had been released.

The powered winch had likely been installed by a small boatyard, and the installation was not mass-produced.

No further action was undertaken by authorities.

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Thirty-two more dairy farms for Canterbury; some grain growers go for milk

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cows being milked in a dairy shed in Taranaki RNZ/Sally Round

Canterbury grows most of the country’s wheat, barley and oat crops. But persistently low wheat prices coupled with a high milk payout are believed to be driving farmers out of the industry in hunt of the dairy dollar.

The Canterbury regional council said up to 25,000 more dairy cows could be added to the region’s herd this year, following an end to a temporary ban on intensive dairy farm conversions.

Environment Canterbury kept data on new dairy discharge consents as a proxy for conversions, which showed there were 32 new consents approved this year, and 15 more in progress.

It said the maximum number of cows that could be milked through the shed was 25,818 cows, among the approved consents.

Federated Farmers’ arable group chairman, David Birkett, said around half of those 32 consents would likely be arable farmers converting at least part of the farm into dairy.

“A number of arable farmers have gone down that path and are converting arable farms to dairy,” Birkett said.

He said low global wheat prices were hurting profitability locally, and animal feed was under increased pressure from imported feeds like palm kernel expeller (PKE).

“It’s a two-sided sword. I guess one, it tugs people out of the arable industry, which means there are less growers. But it also means that are we losing the critical mass of the industry?”

He said the arable industry required a lot of infrastructure collectively, including drying machinery.

“Do we get to a point where that infrastructure can’t be supported because we don’t have the critical mass of the number of growers?

“We’re not at that point yet, but I guess we’re as we lose growers, we are getting closer to that point.”

Farmer David Birkett. RNZ / Conan Young

The Leeston farmer integrated sheep into his own cropping farming system to diversify income, and said strong meat prices were a “godsend”.

“Most people we think are around that break-even point, but a lot of that additional income has probably come from the livestock that they’ve had on farm.”

The lobby group’s latest twice-annual farmer confidence survey in July found that general confidence soared to its highest level in more than a decade.

Eighty-one percent of dairy farmers surveyed were making a profit, versus just one percent making a loss.

However, for arable, 40 percent were making a profit, while 29 percent were making a loss.

This week, Fonterra dropped their farmgate milk payout price forecast for the current season to $9.50 per kilogram of milk solids from $10.

Despite the drop though, dairy could still be considered a strong industry to be in with DairyNZ’s breakeven forecast sitting at $8.68.

For arable, 40 percent were making a profit, while 29 percent were making a loss. ARNE DEDERT

Dairy cow numbers peaked a decade ago

The number of dairy cows nationwide dropped 0.5 percent in 2024/25 over the season to 4.68 million, that’s about 2 percent below the five-year average of 4.75 million, according to DairyNZ’s latest census of the dairy herd.

Meanwhile, milk solids production was up 2.9 percent.

New Zealand’s dairy cow numbers peaked in 2014/2015 at $5.02 million.

Just over 20 percent of the country’s dairy cow population were found in North and South Canterbury alone, at 940,583 cattle collectively.

Compared to the North Island, herd sizes were much larger in the South Island, covering 30 percent of the total dairy herds but 43 percent of the cow population.

What’s behind the temporary ban?

Legislation introduced in 2020 sought to temporarily restrict the expansion of intensive dairy farming, through the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

It was expected that regional councils would introduce new freshwater plans or change existing plans before the dairy conversion moratorium expired in January, ECan said.

But in July, all plan changes were halted by the government in efforts RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said would “stop councils wasting their officers’ time and their ratepayers’ money on”, ahead of an overhaul to the RMA.

Henceforth, consents were no longer required for land use change to dairy, however, they were required for animal effluent discharge.

Legislation replacing the RMA was expected to be introduced to parliament in the next couple of weeks.

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Hot days but reprieve from humid nights coming

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sun and swimmers out in Mission Bay, Auckland. RNZ / Jordan Dunn

Much of the country will continue to experience warm temperatures over the coming days, but thankfully, a reprieve from the warm nights is coming, MetService says.

It was a sweltering day across much of the country on Thursday, with temperatures also exceeded 30°C at Christchurch Airport for a second consecutive day while 33.0°C in Hastings was the day’s hottest spot.

MetService said Auckland recorded its highest November temperate on record of 27.1°C at their Auckland Airport station.

A thunderstorm brought a burst of rain at 5:30am for western parts of the North Island. This will push eastwards but clear up in time for Saturday, MetService said.

MetService head of weather Heather Keats said “we’ve got summer knocking on our door”.

She told Morning Report a heat alert was in place for Napier, which has seen temperatures in the high 20s to early 30s, but are also experiencing warm nights.

“When we issue heat alerts from this time on, for not just warm days, but when it’s really warm over night and you don’t get much of a reprieve.” Keats said.

“… Prolonged heat, especially with the humidity, it makes sleeping very difficult. We know how important it is for temperatures to be at a low level for sleep to be healthy. So, it’s an indication for people who are vulnerable to heat exposure and heat-stroke, to keep them hydrated [and] a good indication to check on elderly… [and] pets.”

Keats said Hastings and Christchurch were close to heat alerts. She said we are still seeing massive swings in weather, for example Christchurch was 15°C on Monday and on Wednesday it was 30°C degrees.

She said Auckland on Friday will be slightly cooler with high of 25°C.

“November has been warm. We’ve seen some very high temperatures, especially out in the eastern side of the country. We’ve had these increased northerly flows, we’ve got humid air masses coming down from the tropics,” Keats said.

“But, we’ve also got warmer then normal sea-surface temperatures to the north and west. We are looking already at like 21 degrees in the Firth Of Thames – that’s around what we’d expect in summer – so, that fuels the temperatures as well.”

Keats said it will continue to be warm for the next few days.

Monday will be the first day of summer, and what that will bring is “anyone’s guess at the moment”, Keats said.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) declared a La Niña event is officially underway in the Pacific for the first time since 2023.

Keats said in New Zealand, we will see more difficult La Niña conditions as we move into December such as warm sea surface temperatures. La Niña, for New Zealand, typically sees more north-easterly winds, moist and rainy conditions for eastern North Island, and reduced rainfall for the lower and western South Island.

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NZ’s longest-serving meat worker retires after 64 years

Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied

An Otatara man thought to be New Zealand’s longest-serving meat worker retired this month after 64 years in the industry.

Ken McLeod, 80, started in 1962 when he was only 16 at the now-closed Makarewa Meatworks in Southland.

“I was mostly a boner in all those years, and thanks to the Meat Workers Union we got very good money,” he told Morning Report on Friday.

“The money set me up for life and did everything else, and I’ve travelled a lot. I just enjoyed the good money and the hard work involved.”

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2019014635/otatara-meat-worker-retires-after-64-years-on-the-job

He rarely took sick days, and worked his way up to boner, his favourite of the jobs. In the mid-1960s, when he was still a teenager, he was bringing home the modern equivalent of up to $4000 a week.

“I felt like I’d robbed a bank,” McLeod laughed.

“I saw a lot of people waste it. An old fellow who had worked in the works for years, he said, ‘Save half your pay and play out the rest, because he said, you’ll find it’ll be out.’ And that’s what I did.”

As the technology changed, so did the work – not to mention the conditions.

“I know this sounds horrible, but when I first started boning, I was 20 and we only changed clothes twice a week because they had to send the laundry into town or something like that.

“But then a couple of years later, they actually built a laundry and then we changed our laundry every day, which was what it has been ever since.”

Supplied

An early computer brought in to handle payroll was unable to handle the wages – McLeod saying their pay packets had to be split in two because the amounts were too high for the machine to handle.

“We used to laugh, and they had to give us a pay worth gross of £100, and then another one of £20 or £30.”

McLeod eventually ended up at Blue Sky Pastures in 1988, where he has worked ever since. He also rose to become president of the Meat Workers Union.

But preparing meat was not what he originally intended to do with his life.

“I really wanted to join the Army and go to Vietnam, but… my mother wouldn’t sign the papers because you had to have your parents’ consent… I was only 20 at the time.

“But in hindsight it was the best thing because three or four years later I met my wife and I’ve been happily married for 56 years and [had] two lovely girls and they’re happily married and gave us four lovely grandchildren. So I’ve been very lucky in that respect.”

Supplied

While the tough physical work has taken its toll McLeod has no plans to slow down, and intends to spend his retirement staying active with walking, fishing, deer hunting and maintaining his house.

While sheep farming is not what it once was in New Zealand, McLeod predicts a comeback.

“When I started there was 70 million sheep in New Zealand. Now there’s only about 23 or 25 [million]. There’s been massive changes, in Southland three of the big works have all closed down… they’ve all closed and there’s only the big Alliance works with four chains left…

“But there is hopefully a revival of sheep meat because the price for lamb this year is very good and wool’s actually gone up in price, so there may be a swing back to more sheep farming and hopefully there is.”

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