Category: Radio New Zealand

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The suburbs where values rose 6 percent in three months

Source: Radio New Zealand

Thirty suburbs increased in value by more than 3 percent, many of which were in Otago. 123RF

Karitane, in Dunedin, and Blackball in Grey District experienced house value increases of 6 percent in the three months to March, while Little Wanganui, in Buller, dropped by the same amount.

It’s a mixed picture that shows the uneven nature of the housing market at the moment, property data firm Cotality said.

It has released its latest update of suburb-level house value data, which shows 56 percent of suburbs tracked had flat or rising standalone house values in the three months to March.

That is up from 44 percent three months earlier.

Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said it showed that while at a high level the market seemed to be trending sideways, buyers and sellers around the country would have varying experiences.

“The proportion of suburbs that have seen price increase is starting to grow a little bit. I think that’s consistent with what we’ve seen over the past couple of months in higher-level home value indices… perhaps signs of a little bit of growth there and it’s just reflecting that broadening out across more suburbs.”

Thirty suburbs increased in value by more than 3 percent, many of which were in Southland, Otago and the West Coast.

Davidson said relatively better affordability and the strength of the farming sector at a regional level had probably supported housing demand in those regions.

“Many areas where we are seeing growth are the sort of provincial regional areas where affordability is a bit better, the farming sector is going well which is supporting cash flow in those areas and just general economic activity and confidence.

“Affordability’s better, not only in terms of the absolute level of house prices, but in relation to incomes as well.

“So affordability is a bit more supportive, the underlying economy is a bit more supportive, so we’ve seen a bit more growth, as opposed to parts of the main centres where service activity is a bigger part of the economy, and that’s still struggling a little bit, and values are a bit more restrained in those areas.

He said lower mortgage rates were also likely to have helped confidence over the period.,

But he said it should be characterised as resilience rather than a boom.

In the main centres, Crofton Downs and Kelburn in Wellington were up 3 percent to 4 percent while Stillwater in Auckland and Aranui in Christchurch were up 2 percent.

Little Wanganui in Buller fell by around 6 percent, while Wellsford in Auckland’s Rodney district dropped by almost 3.5 percent.

“”When you drill down to suburb-level data, conditions become much more varied. Some areas are already seeing values stabilise or edge higher, while others remain softer depending on local economic conditions, supply levels and affordability,” Davidson said.

Among standalone houses, Herne Bay in Auckland was the country’s most expensive suburb, with a median house value of around $2.99 million, followed by Saint Mary’s Bay at $2.86 million.

At the other end of the spectrum, several suburbs had median house values below $300,000, including Patea in South Taranaki, Blackball in Grey District, and Clinton in Clutha.

Davidson said international conflict was likely to keep a lid on confidence in the short term.

“It’s not difficult to imagine that buyer and seller confidence remains pretty cautious, and common indicators a little bit better, mortgage rates are down, but that caution factor could hang around, or in fact even get a bit more cautious.

“You’d imagine that housing market indicators could well remain pretty soggy for the next little while too, so you’ll see how it plays out.

“We’re seeing property values pretty flat, rents pretty flat, house building costs are flat, so there’s lots of inflation concerns, but the housing market for once is not one of those concerns.

So that’s a bit of a silver lining for the Reserve Bank.”

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Wellingtonians’ water bills jump by hundreds of dollars, more increases to come

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tiaki Wai is replacing Wellington Water and inheriting the region’s assets – managing and providing drinking water, wastewater, and piped stormwater services from July. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Wellingtonians will face “really steep” increases in their water bills over the next decade as its new water entity tries to fix old, failing infrastructure, its chairman says.

That would start with an average increase in water charges for Wellingtonians of 14.7 percent, or an extra $310 this year, with charges possibly increasing by 28 percent in 2027-2028, and more than doubling by 2036.

Put another way, an average household across Wellington’s four cities – Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua, was set to pay about $2418 per year this coming year, and pay $6831 (with inflation) by 2036.

Releasing the indicative charges in its water services strategy on Wednesday, Tiaki Wai board chairman Will Peet said he knew the price rises would be unpopular under cost-of-living pressures, but the topic needed to be addressed now.

Chair of Tiaki Wai Will Peet. Supplied / Tiaki Wai

“We’re conscious that everyone’s been facing rising costs over the past few years, and that any increase is challenging for people.

“And I think, also for me, It’s taken 30 years to get to this position, and it will take more than five minutes to fix.”

Tiaki Wai was replacing Wellington Water and inheriting the region’s assets – managing and providing drinking water, wastewater, and piped stormwater services from July.

Wellingtonians – those living in Wellington City, Porirua, Hutt City, and Upper Hutt – who had been paying for water through council rates, would receive a separate water bill from 1 July for water services, and would have to set up a new payment plan.

Peet said this year, the exact amount of bills would vary from city to city and property to property in the same way rates varied.

For example, this year Porirua residents would pay an average increase of $368 per year for water charges, Lower Hutt residents an extra $349, Upper Hutt residents an extra $278 and Wellington residents an extra $275.

The four councils’ rating model was being transferred to Tiaki Wai for the first year’s bills, but over time, the organisation would move to a common pricing model.

Peet said he wanted to be upfront with residents about what costs would look like, and to ask them for feedback on the organisation’s strategy.

“That said, these are still really steep increases and I know you’ll see some of that from other water authorities around the country, but these are significant increases.”

He said no one would have their water turned off if they were struggling to pay a bill.

Wellingtonians are facing “really steep” increases in their water bills. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

According to its strategy document, Tiaki Wai had a hardship policy, including issuing reminder notices and contacting external debt collecting agencies if necessary, but Peet told reporters debt collecting was not what the organisation was considering right now.

Peet was blunt about the challenges for the organisation, saying it would take many years to catch up with decades of underinvestment.

“Infrastructure everywhere, you can’t keep on kicking the can down the road otherwise it comes back to bite you,” he said.

“We have been deferring expenditure in water for a long time, and it’s not my place to determine past decisions, what I can tell you now is that we need to make the hard decision and start to invest.”

The strategy document noted many critical assets were in a poor condition, too old and presenting a “significant risk of failure”, including that three out of four wastewater treatment plants were non-compliant, with problems going back many years.

Wastewater networks were overflowing and stormwater systems were regularly contributed to flooding and pollution, it said.

Added to this was the organisation’s financial position – Tiaki Wai needed more money to operate, Peet said.

The organisation would take over $9 billion of water assets and around $1.7b of debt from the councils, but the amount of revenue being collected by councils – about $385 million in 2025-2026 – had not been enough to meet the long term cost for water services.

One of the organisation’s main priorities from July is to fix the Moa Point Treatment Plant. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

One of the organisation’s main priorities from July was to fix the Moa Point Treatment Plant, Peet said, which was still spewing raw sewage into the sea after a catastrophic failure in February.

Peet would not comment on if there was a plan to stop that, and said it was a “bit early to say” how much it would take to fix the plant, referring those questions to current owner Wellington City Council.

“We’ll be working really closely with Wellington City, as they work through the Moa Point issue. I live near the South Coast myself, I know what an impact it’s having, we all know we need to do the right fix, at the right time to make sure it stops.”

He would also not comment on any current suppliers operating the plants, including Veolia.

The organisation had been set some strict targets by Wellington regions’ mayors and mana whenua partners, including that it would not receive any abatement notices, fines, or prosecutions from Greater Wellington Regional Council for non-compliant plants.

Peet said it was the right target to aim for, but with long-standing infrastructure issues, it would not happen in first year.

“We won’t be meeting those in the initial stages, because Wellington Water is not meeting them.

“What happens on the 30 June, will be pretty much what happens on 1st July – that said I think it’s an entirely reasonable expectation that the people of Wellington, through the partner’s committee, should set us some aspirational goals to improve things.”

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Fuel prices keep drivers off roads

Source: Radio New Zealand

AFP / ROBERT MICHAEL

Rising fuel prices appear to be keeping some travellers off the roads in the main centres.

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub helped RNZ compile NZ Transport Authority data showing traffic at sites throughout the country.

It shows Auckland’s light vehicle traffic numbers are down 2.2 percent and Wellington 4.5 percent.

Christchurch’s are up and heavy vehicle activity is also up across the country.

“Essentially what we are seeing in the very latest data from Auckland and Wellington is the volume of car driving has come off a bit, and that suggests that people are responding to the increase in prices and the uncertainty around fuel supply.”

He said that was a trend that was likely to continue.

“I think prices have risen even more since then and high prices discourage people from driving, so it’s not surprising.”

He said the early shift was likely to be among people who were able to choose to work from home but some people would find that difficult.

“We remember back during Covid, those people who were essential workers still had to come to work. Back then it was about exposure to virus, now it’s about exposure to cost.”

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said it would take time to show the trend in the data.

“Some people will still be burning through the remaining fuel they might have purchased beforehand.

“I think it’s more one of those things that, given we have heard of a high level of public transport use, it does seem like there are some early suggestions that people are moving their sort of transport means and methods.

“But I think probably too early to make it definitive that you’re seeing an absolute switch in activity.”

AA spokesperson Terry Collins said he had noticed an increase in public transport use.

“The train to Greytown last week was chocka with 56 standing.”

At Gaspy, founder Mike Newton said he had heard from a number of people who were driving less or switching to cycling.

“People are definitely looking for alternatives.”

People who were able to work from home were likely to be doing so more often, he said.

But he said the drop in crude oil prices in recent days should help to stop prices from increasing as quickly.

“There’s so much uncertainty … I’m not sure we’ll see a drop but we might see the price levelling.”

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Father’s meningitis plea after daughter’s death

Source: Radio New Zealand

Gerard Rushton and his wife Claire hold a picture of their daughter, Courtenay, who died of meningitis in 2014, at 16 years old.   Mike Clare / clickmedia.nz / supplied

A grieving dad renews his call for free meningitis vaccines as cases hit NZ students, and a deadly UK outbreak grows.

A grieving Kiwi dad, who lost his only daughter to meningitis, is renewing calls for free vaccinations for all New Zealand students as fresh cases emerge in Dunedin and a deadly outbreak unfolds at a United Kingdom university.

Gerard Rushton, chair of the Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa, has spent more than a decade campaigning for change after his 16-year-old daughter Courtenay died suddenly from the disease after Christmas in 2014.

Now, amid renewed concern about the spread of meningococcal disease among young people, both here and overseas, he says not enough is being done to protect students.

“We are calling on the government to do the right thing, to protect our young people, because we are losing the lives of our young people to a disease that is vaccine-preventable,” Rushton tells The Detail, arguing that the current vaccine eligibility window is too narrow and leaves many young people exposed.

“People do not need to die.

“We are losing these young people, these great young people – they are our future – and we are playing roulette with their lives because at present we haven’t got enough money to fund the vaccination project.

“People just aren’t aware of this fast-moving and incredibly aggressive disease that can take a life in 24 hours.”

Put simply, meningococcal disease is an infection caused by bacteria. It can lead to two very serious illnesses: meningitis – an infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, and septicaemia – blood poisoning.

There are different types of meningococcal bacteria, including A, B, C, W, and Y. Here, in New Zealand, most cases are caused by group B bacteria.

The disease is spread in similar ways to the common cold – by coughing and sneezing, or by contact with saliva, such as from kissing.

Meningococcal disease can develop rapidly and be life-threatening. It can become deadly in just a few hours.

People who survive meningococcal disease often have serious long-term effects, including amputation of limbs, hearing loss, seizures, brain injury, and permanent skin scarring.

Meningococcal vaccines are currently funded for children under 5 and for people aged 13 to 25 entering close-living situations like boarding schools or university halls.

But Rushton says that leaves a large number of students – including those flatting or living at home – without protection.

He wants universal access to the vaccine before students leave school, saying the current system is “not good enough”.

“All that people need to be aware of is they need to be protected from A, C, W, Y, and MenB, so there is one vaccination for A, C, W, Y, and they require two vaccinations for MenB, and they have got to be up to 8 weeks apart.

“That’s the concern; it does take a wee while to get our kids fully protected.

“And it is a concern that those in a lower-decile community simply cannot afford the vaccination. They are about $150 each, and you need three of them, so they are simply out of reach for a lot of New Zealanders. So, we can’t see why the government is not funding this.

“This present policy is really confusing, and we believe it actually discriminates against a large proportion of our at-risk population. And we can’t understand why New Zealand has a health policy at present that discriminates against these people.”

New Zealand Health authorities are dealing with at least two confirmed meningococcal cases in Dunedin this month, with officials treating the situation as an outbreak.

The cases involve students linked to the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, with close contacts offered antibiotics and vaccinations.

It comes as a major meningitis outbreak linked to students at the University of Kent in England has left at least two people dead and dozens infected this month.

Health authorities in the UK have since widened vaccine access and rolled out emergency antibiotics, with scenes reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic as students queue for treatment.

The outbreak has reinforced fears about how quickly meningococcal disease can spread in close-living environments such as university halls.

“We are watching the UK situation closely,” Rushton says. “It’s really concerning for us because we know this can happen in New Zealand at any time, because of our present low vaccination rates amongst our adolescent population.

“It is devastating for us to see it personally because we know the life-long effects it can have on family members, whānau, and the community.”

For Rushton, the campaign is deeply personal.

His only daughter, Courtenay, a “normal, healthy 16-year-old”, had received a standard meningitis vaccine as a youngster, but her family later learned she wasn’t fully protected against “all of the different strains”.

Twelve years ago, over the New Year period, she complained to her parents of feeling unwell.

“We took her to the doctor three times in two days, all after-hours, and it wasn’t until the last visit that she collapsed in the medical centre. She was ambulanced to Timaru … then flown to Christchurch … but then sadly we found out it had got to her brain and they had to turn the life support off.”

He says no family should have to endure what his has – and believes wider vaccine access could save lives.

“It’s been 12 years since I lost my daughter, and I still have tears in my eyes now. Every time we hear about a case, it just rips your heart out because you know what’s going to happen to those people. You know what their life’s going to be like, and you know it just doesn’t need to happen, that’s the crux of it.”

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Combat deployment of NZ troops to Middle East unlikely, even if help asked – law professor

Source: Radio New Zealand

A MarineTraffic map showing ship movements in the Strait of Hormuz . AFP / JONATHAN RAA

A law professor says if New Zealand was asked to support ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a combat deployment is unlikely.

But Professor Alexander Gillespie said a joint statement between 19 countries condemning Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Gulf was “effectively just scoping”.

“Nothing’s been nailed down, and it would be premature to nail it down until you know what’s happening with the wider war.”

If a request was made to New Zealand, Gillespie told RNZ it could be helping with intelligence, or picking up patrolling obligations for others so they could deploy to the region.

Another option was actual deployment, which he thought was unlikely.

On Tuesday, the Foreign Minister said people should not be alarmed that “we’re going to be engaged in some military exercise” after the government signed the joint statement.

Labour had raised concerns about the “broad nature” of the statement, criticising the government for not detailing what that commitment might look like, with leader Chris Hipkins saying New Zealanders had a right to know.

But Winston Peters said there had been “scaremongering” from critics who said the government was “rushing to contribute military forces to this conflict”.

“What absolute crap, what absolute nonsense – New Zealand is not a party to this conflict, and we have absolutely no intention of joining it,” he said at Parliament on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters. RNZ / Mark Papalii

It also came as the head of NATO included New Zealand as one of 22 countries “coming together” to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

On Tuesday the government said it had not made any commitment towards military action in the Middle East, but Hipkins said he was very concerned about “what the government had signed us up to”.

He was referring to the joint statement the government signed with 19 other countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany, condemning Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Gulf.

They called on Iran to immediately cease threats, laying mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block commercial vessels from travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the statement read.

The statement also expressed its signatories would be ready “to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait”.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon clarified any such future support would need to be considered by Cabinet.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Luxon also outlined nothing had changed in terms of the government position on the initial attacks that started the war, after being asked about condemning Iran’s strikes, while “acknowledging” the strikes by the United States.

“What we’re talking about now is a second order consequence, which is Iranians holding hostage a whole bunch of ships that should be freely traveling to bring fuel and fuel and critical supplies to places like New Zealand.”

Gillespie said it was a “notable inconsistency”.

He said New Zealand should treat “all violations of the UN Charter the same”.

“In as much as we condemn Russia for their illegal war against Ukraine, we should act consistently with the US and Israel.”

On the ‘right side’ – law professor

Gillespie said New Zealand was on the “right side” in supporting an international principle – the freedom of navigation – but “we have to be very cautious and have our eyes wide open as we walk forward”.

He said the statement had the backing of the UN Security Council with regards to the protection of international waterways in freedom of navigation.

He said New Zealand was in good company with the other signatories, and pointed out it was not an initiative from the United States, Israel or Iran.

The protection of international waterways was a longstanding principle, “No country can effectively strangle international commerce by trying to control a waterway,” he said.

Professor Alexander Gillespie. Alexander Gillespie

“You just can’t do that.”

In terms of the wording “appropriate efforts” in the statement, Gillespie said that could be anything, “it could be civilian, but it’s likely to be military”.

In regards to what New Zealand could offer if support was requested he pointed to the operations in the Red Sea, where the contribution had been “modest”.

The personnel had helped with intelligence, and part of the operations of a much larger system, he said.

A second option was offering “our military to relieve other militaries to be deployed to the region”.

“So we might pick up the patrolling requirements and select some American vessels in a safe area to allow the American vessels to then be deployed to the strait.”

The third option was deploying the Air Force or Navy to the war zone, which he thought was “very unlikely”.

“We’re more likely to be doing the other two, if asked.”

Ultimately he said New Zealand needed to be “very careful what we commit ourselves to, because you can start off in these exercises with a fairly good objective, but then you can find yourself in a very sticky situation that can take years to unravel”.

‘New Zealanders have a right to know’ – Hipkins

On Tuesday, Hipkins said the government had “basically” signed the country up to say “we’re ready and willing to participate in securing the strait”.

“I don’t think we should be making a broad commitment like that at this point. Any support that New Zealand provides should be after a United Nations mandate, and at this point that doesn’t exist,” Hipkins said.

“The government has signed us up to an open ended commitment to re-open the strait, without detailing what that commitment might look like.

“New Zealanders have a right to know what the government is signing us up to.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Since the statement was released, speaking to Fox News, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said countries including Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Bahrain and the NATO alliance were working to “implement [US President Donald Trump’s] vision of making sure that the Strait of Hormuz is free, is opening up as soon as that is possible”.

Asked for clarification about this comment, Peters said Rutte did not speak for New Zealand and he had probably been misinformed.

“We haven’t been asked, and should we be asked – we would consider it. That’s all I’ve said,” Peters emphasised.

On the joint statement, he said it was “specifically narrow”.

In Parliament during an urgent debate on the conflict in the Middle East, Peters said the government was committed to working with partners to try and address one of the consequences of this conflict, that was higher fuel prices for New Zealanders.

“But that is not the same as saying we are definitely going to contribute.

“If we receive a request, or if an international coalition was established in the future to safeguard commercial shipping, any possible contribution would be a matter for – guess who – the Cabinet first of all, to determine based on careful consideration of New Zealand’s interests.”

Currently, the government would not comment on what potential resources would be considered or committed if New Zealand was requested to help, due to it being a hypothetical issue.

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Iranian New Zealanders mark Nowruz at Parliament with mixed feelings

Source: Radio New Zealand

A dancer performing at the event. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

Iranian New Zealanders gathered at Parliament on Tuesday night to celebrate Nowruz, or Iranian new year, while grappling with a “mix” of feelings due to the ongoing conflict.

Those in attendance told RNZ they hoped a new year would bring new hope, and that “peace prevails”.

The event was also a memorial to those who were killed in Iran’s deadly crackdown earlier this year, and the scores of children killed at an Iranian girls’ school by a targetting mistake in a US strike.

One organiser for the event, Hoda, told RNZ last year was the inaugural event at Parliament, and it was a “happy moment”.

“But this time, the event is a little bit different. It’s a mix of feeling – Nowruz is felt differently by people, they are sad but hopeful.”

Hoda, one of the organisers of the event. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

She explained Nowruz meant ‘new day’, or a new beginning: “This is the first year that we felt that from the bottom of our hearts, there might be some hope.

“People, they are sad, but they are hopeful.”

She said she hoped for a “big change” and a “new life for our people”.

“They’re suffering from many years, and finally, they can see that some change might happen.”

Another organiser for the event told RNZ they had prepared a Haft-Seen table, a traditional part of the new year where seven symbollic items starting with the letter ‘s’ are spread on a table representing hope, renewal and prosperity.

The Haft-Seen table. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

One item was serke (vinegar), meaning patience.

“It also tells us that the new year is not always going to be a happy year, and we need a lot of patience, especially during these difficult times that Iran is going through right now,” said one member of the community.

She pointed to the posters representing those killed “as a result of the brutality of the regime or the war, especially there is one poster dedicated to the children of Minab, who were killed”.

There was also a dance performance, a moment of silence held and dates were served alongside the wall of remembrance.

Posters of those who had been killed, alongside a remembrance table. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

Other members of the Iranian community were in attendance including Soodeh who joined with her husband and young son.

She said Nowruz was an important cultural celebration in Iran, and always celebrated.

“It’s very important for us. It doesn’t matter how we feel. We always celebrate this celebration. That’s why we are here.”

She also hoped something new was going to start in Iran by changing the regime and installing a new leader.

Both Soodeh and Hoda said one thing the New Zealand government could do in response to what was happening was to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity, as other countries around the world had done.

Soodeh (L) with her family. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

The designation has been under consideration for some time. The issue was raised again last year following Australia’s decision to make the designation.

Soodeh also criticised a lack of media coverage in New Zealand regarding the protests in Iran earlier this year, which led to a deadly crackdown.

Mehdi told RNZ he hoped peace would prevail, but also indicated the wish of those in Iran was “freedom” and he hoped that was implemented.

“Freedom of women, freedom of country, and freedom of thought is what what they need.”

Ehsan (L) and Mehdi (C). RNZ / Lillian Hanly

He said the use of ideology in a bad way was the “worst thing that can happen” and that was what happened in Iran, and “really upset people”.

Ehsan agreed, saying they wanted a new democratic system. He did not want a regime based on any idea, religious or non-religious. He wanted a system where what people were saying was accepted, and the ruler accepted the majority consensus.

That was what the war was about, he said.

“We don’t like war, but this is imposed on us.”

Iranian New Zealanders gathered at Parliament on Tuesday night to celebrate Nowruz, or Iranian new year, RNZ / Lillian Hanly

Labour MP Megan Woods hosted the event, and acknowledged those who could not gather “so freely”.

“As the Haft-Seen table reminds us – with its symbols of renewal, growth, and health – this is a time for both personal reflection and shared solidarity.”

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Government announces new diabetes roadmap but keeps details secret, for now

Source: Radio New Zealand

Maungakiekie MP Greg Fleming. RNZ / Felix Walton

A new diabetes roadmap hopes to slow the disease’s progression and decrease the number of amputations.

The government’s roadmap would be released publicly, but not for a number of weeks while its details were finalised.

Maungakiekie MP Greg Fleming announced the plan on behalf of an airborne health minister Simeon Brown at the Tongan Health Society clinic in Auckland’s Onehunga.

“Health New Zealand estimates that diabetes care in 2024-2025 (fiscal year) translated to an estimated $2.1 billion, and even that figure likely underestimates the true cost,” he said.

“The National Diabetes Roadmap sets out a clear and coordinated direction for responding to these challenges, and recognises a vital truth: that diabetes cannot be managed by individual effort alone, it requires system-level leadership and it requires long term commitment.”

Fleming said that accountability would be provided by an oversight group led by epidemiologist Sir Jim Mann.

Mann was clear he intended to flex his role as overseer.

Sir Jim Mann. Billy Wong/University of Auckland

“Please warn Minister Brown that he will be hearing from me, and I hope lots of others, frequently,” he told Fleming.

“I have been in this country for 40 years now and I feel more positive today than I have felt before in my work in diabetes. I am absolutely determined that we’re not going to lose the momentum.”

Mann described the prevalence of diabetes in New Zealand as an epidemic akin to measles or Covid-19.

“People have talked about the ‘epidemic of diabetes,’ but it’s kind of been like ‘epidemic’ with a small ‘e’ instead of epidemic with a capital ‘E’.”

He said it would not be solved overnight.

“We are realists, we know what is written in that roadmap cannot be implemented tomorrow. We know there are a lot of constraints on public money, there are a lot of things that need to be funded, but this is clearly a priority.”

Health New Zealand’s Dr Richard Sullivan, also on the oversight committee, had his sights set on a number of priority areas.

Health New Zealand chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan. RNZ / Calvin Samuel

“There’s areas we just know we need to tackle. Some of those things are foot care, weight management guidelines, opportunity around potentially a diabetes register,” he said.

“[On Wednesday], in fact, a small group are sitting down and looking at how we come up with a prioritisation framework, so we’ve got the roadmap, we’ve got the baseline review, we know the costs, so actually where do we start and where do we invest, and putting together that plan over the months ahead.”

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‘Impactful’ weather event heading for upper North Island

Source: Radio New Zealand

Unsplash / Erik Witsoe

MetService says an “impactful” weather event is heading for the upper North Island this afternoon, with Northland likely to be upgraded to a red weather warning as it develops.

An orange heavy rain warning was in place for Northland from 4pm Wednesday and for Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula early Thursday, lasting until Friday.

Meteorologist Silvia Martino said the impacts might not be seen right away.

“This will be a long event, it carries on for a couple of days, so while we might not get to warning amounts [today], we are expecting over time that rain to build up to warning levels.”

She explained forecasters would be working with local authorities to determine if a red warning was needed.

“The decision about whether to go to a red warning is one that’s made based on what the impacts are likely to be.

“What our expert forecasters will be doing is talking to the council, talking to people on the ground about what the impacts are expected to be from the amount of rain we’re forecasting, and then together they’ll make the decision about whether a red warning is appropriate.

“With the heavy rain, we’re looking out for the risk of surface flooding, of possibly areas being cut off, and reminding people to avoid floodwaters. If you can avoid travel then that’s for the best.”

Clear the gutters, put anything away that could be a source of danger from wind, Martino said.

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Two senior Corrections staff under investigation

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ understands both involve senior staff. RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

Two senior Corrections staff are under investigation including one who faces an allegation of sexual harassment.

The other person has been suspended following multiple allegations of bullying and harassment.

Corrections said the two cases, which both involve staff at Mt Eden prison, are separate matters and do not relate to each other.

RNZ understands both involve senior staff, however they are not at an executive level.

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

In response to questions from RNZ, Corrections deputy chief executive people and capability, Rebecca Powell, confirmed in a statement both staff worked in Pae Ora at Mt Eden prison.

According to Corrections’ website the Pae Ora Group is “responsible for delivering evidence-informed, culturally responsive health and rehabilitation services to people under Corrections management”.

Powell said Corrections could confirm one person had been placed on alternative duties outside of the workplace following an allegation of sexual harassment.

“Another staff member within Pae Ora has been suspended following allegations from multiple internal and external sources of bullying and harassment,” she said.

“These are separate matters and do not relate to each other.”

Powell said Corrections was one of the largest government departments in New Zealand with about 11,000 staff.

“The overwhelming majority of our people act with integrity, honesty and professionalism in what is often a high pressure and challenging environment.

“We are committed to ensuring that our workplaces are free from bullying and harassment. Our clear expectation is that staff uphold the standards of behaviour in our Code of Conduct and comply with the law.”

Powell said the outcome of any employment investigation cannot be pre-determined. Any employment investigation process must follow the requirements of the Employment Relations Act and uphold procedural integrity.

A staff member may be suspended when the staffer has admitted to misconduct but there would be some delay before a decision is made on any disciplinary action to be taken, or if the allegations were of such a serious nature that it is not appropriate for the staff member to continue to perform their duties or to remain in the workplace while an investigation is undertaken.

A staffer could also be suspended if their presence in the workplace or their contact with colleagues or offenders “might hamper a full and fair investigation” and/or potentially raise a safety risk to other staff, people in Corrections management, or themselves.

RNZ earlier revealed that Corrections commissioner of custodial services Leigh Marsh was facing an employment investigation.

In response to questions about the inquiry into Marsh, Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot said Corrections could confirm one senior leader would be investigated by an external independent investigator.

“The concerns raised relate to alleged conduct around management processes and bullying within the employment relationship.”

Marsh was one of three operational deputy chief executives who is going to undertake a six-month secondment into different DCE roles within Corrections.

“I had already been considering moving the operational DCEs into each other’s areas later this year. This is because I believe these secondments will allow each operational DCE to deepen their understanding of each other’s respective areas so we can continue building a coherent, cohesive organisation.

“Their employment agreements were developed to allow such secondments to take place.

“The decision to do this now was brought forward to ensure that a thorough and fair employment process for both parties in relation to the above complaint can be carried out.”

Marsh will be moving to Pae Ora.

RNZ asked Corrections what involvement Marsh would have with the investigations.

“In the two cases you are referring to, these were initiated while Juanita Ryan was deputy chief executive Pae Ora so any tier 2 (that is, deputy chief executive level) involvement in these matters, if required, will remain with her.”

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Dunedin City Council considers sanctioning first-termer Benedict Ong for code of conduct breach

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dunedin City councillor Benedict Ong. Supplied

The Dunedin City Council will consider sanctioning first-term councillor Benedict Ong for breaching its code of conduct after publicly criticising a staff member.

Ong last month sent an email complaining about the staff member’s performance to the council’s chief executive and two local journalists.

The email accused the worker of “apparent political bias” and a “lack of political neutrality”.

An independent investigation by senior lawyer Steph Dyhrberg found Ong seriously breached the council’s code of conduct and his actions could have been a deliberate attempt to retaliate against the staff member for not supporting his account in an earlier complaint he made against another councillor.

Ong used social media to call the findings he victimised or discredited the staff member “wholly false”, saying he had never publicly named the staff member and claimed he had been forcibly silenced and forced to leave a council meeting. He was escorted out of a February meeting with tape over his mouth following concerns about his behaviour.

The council would decide on Wednesday if it agreed with Dyhrberg’s conclusion, provide Ong with an opportunity to address the council and consider possible sanctions if councillors agreed the code was breached.

Possible sanctions included a letter of censure, a demand to publicly apologise, a vote of no confidence, removal of council-funded privileges or an invitation to resign.

Ong also faced losing two external council representative roles that could cost him $15,000 in annual pay.

Sophie Barker. Supplied

Mayor Sophie Barker made the request due to behaviour she described as “extremely disrespectful”.

Ong’s first six months as a councillor had not been smooth sailing with a series of controversies including speaking out after being asked to remain quiet about a code of conduct complaint he made against colleague John Chambers.

Ong claimed Chambers made inappropriate comments towards him.

Dyhrberg also investigated that complaint, but it was dismissed after her preliminary investigation found it lacked substance.

Part of the evidence she considered was a phone call transcript with a staff member who did not support Ong’s account of what was said.

The staff member also raised concerns Ong was known to share information with the media and might breach her privacy, prompting Dyhrberg to ask Ong to keep the information confidential when she shared it with him.

Ong sent the email to the council chief executive and local journalists about half an hour later in what might have been a deliberate attempt to retaliate or discredit her, Dyhrberg said, in a report following her investigation.

She regarded his attempt to discredit the staff member as a witness in a code of conduct process as particularly egregious.

While the staff member was not named, she was readily identifiable, Dyhrberg said.

He risked bringing the council into disrepute and compromising its obligation to be a good employer, as well as exposing it to potential litigation, through his public disclosure of sensitive material, she said.

Dyhrberg noted Ong was given several opportunities to respond to the concerns raised or comment but chose not to.

Ong had continued to defend himself in social media posts.

“I know in my heart and I know in my veins I am Right and I work relentlessly every moment every day for our Great City,” he said, in one such post.

Ong also faced possible removal from his council representative roles on the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board.

Barker wrote to Ong in February to inform him he was no longer deputy of the council’s technology portfolio and she was withdrawing the privilege of attending informal meetings with herself, councillors, MPs and invited guests after his “extremely disrespectful behaviour” towards her and his refusal to remove disparaging online comments about the chief executive.

She told him she would reconsider her decision when he removed the posts and apologised in writing.

Chambers was recommended to replace Ong as the new council representative for the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board.

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