Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A first time Nelson councillor may have to vacate her seat and face prosecution over a local government law Nelson’s Mayor has labelled “an ass”.

Nick Smith said councillor Lisa Austin was the victim of a daft interpretation of outdated rules.

The Audit Office agreed that the law had shortcomings, but said guidance for candidates was provided to all councils before the election and the rules meant a candidate could be made ineligible for election or disqualify them from office once elected.

Lisa Austin was a top polling candidate in the central ward at last year’s October local elections.

She co-owns Austin Transport Tippers with her husband that Nick Smith confirmed did not have any direct business with the Nelson City Council, but it did some work for two of the council’s contractors.

The Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act prevents people from being elected or appointed as a member of a local authority if they are “concerned or interested” – either personally or through a spouse or partner – in contracts or subcontracts from that authority totalling more than $25,000 per year unless the Auditor-General grants an exemption.

The Audit Office confirmed that the council had flagged Lisa Austin had financial interests in various subcontracts with the council when she was elected on October 16.

She was sworn in on October 30 – a week later, on November 6, the Audit Office said the council applied for retrospective approval of her existing contracts.

But the Auditor-General did not have the power under the Act to approve contracts between a council and a candidate when they were standing nor could contracts be approved after they became a councillor, the Audit Office said.

“The Act does not allow us to do that. We only have the power to approve contracts entered into after the person is elected.”

The Audit Office told the council that it did not have the power to retrospectively approve Lisa Austin’s subcontracts on April 17.

“While prosecutions under the Act are very rare, we are required to consider whether to prosecute individuals when breaches of the Act come to our attention. We intend to advise the council of our decision very shortly.”

Nick Smith said Austin had done nothing wrong and she had fully complied with registering her interests.

“She was democratically elected last October and it is neither fair to her – nor, more importantly, to the people of Nelson who voted for councillor Austin – for her to be excluded from council,” he said.

“The combination of the law being an ass and daft interpretations is undermining our local democracy.”

He was surprised when he received advice that the company’s work could potentially create a problem with the Act but council staff made a cautious approach to contact the Audit Office in November.

“Many approvals have been granted in the past. They’ve never been an issue. The assumption was made that it would be able to get the approvals from the Auditor General’s office,” he said.

Smith said it was difficult to quantify the value her company had received due to the nature of the work – it was estimated to be above the $25,000 threshold, but “nowhere near” a $1 million.

A by-election could cost ratepayers $200,000, he said.

The Audit Office’s view conflicted with that of Nelson City Council’s own legal advisor.

Smith had written to the Office of the Auditor-General to ask for a decision on whether Austin would be prosecuted as soon as possible.

“The difficulty with your legal team’s view is that it creates a catch-22 situation where a candidate cannot apply for approval prior to the election but neither can they apply after the election as a councillor,” Smith said in the letter.

Dismissing a councillor who chose to stand for the good of their community and had been an effective and constructive member around the council table could have a “corrosive effect on people’s public confidence in our local elections and people’s willingness to stand for council”, the letter said.

“The uncertainty is compromising the democratic governance of the city,” he said.

“I have some sympathy for the Auditor-General as the law is outdated and an ass. The Auditor-General has previously advised Parliament that this Act is ‘poorly drafted’, has ‘an unclear rationale’ and has said: ‘We have expressed doubts about whether the contracting rule continues to serve a useful purpose at all’.”

The council had been working with its legal advisers for months to get the approval.

Austin said she stood for council in good faith and had been careful to keep her business interests separate.

“This situation is very distressing,” she said.

“I do not feel able to participate in council meetings today and tomorrow with this hanging over me. I do not wish to resign and believe I have done nothing wrong.”

She had been transparent and open about her business interests, Austin said.

“I am aghast that I face the risk of being prosecuted and ousted.

“I am caught in a catch-22 situation where the Auditor-General will not consider an application from a candidate like me before an election and will not consider applications retrospectively after being elected as a councillor. I cannot understand the logic of why, if I was a councillor re-standing, I could get an approval.”

The Audit Office said the eligibility rules around contracting were an effect of the Act, not a decision of the Auditor-General.

“We have previously written to Department of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Internal Affairs about shortcomings of this 1968 legislation and intend to do so again.”

The Audit Office confirmed it had no power to remove or dismiss a councillor from office.

The maximum penalty under the law is a $200 fine.

RNZ has approached the Local Government Minister for comment.

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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 New Zealander onboard a cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak has not requested consular assistance to date, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

A ministry spokesperson said no further information will be shared for privacy reasons.

The outbreak on the MV Hondius has killed three people.

They said consular officials in Wellington and in New Zealand embassies in the Hague and Madrid continue to engage with consular partners and local authorities about the situation of the passengers on the MV Hondius.

No New Zealand-specific quarantine measures were mentioned in the statement, instead the ministry pointed RNZ to the measures listed on the Dutch cruise company’s website.

Earlier, Spain’s Health Minister said Spanish nationals would be quarantined in a Madrid hospital and people on the boat would need to follow their respective countries’ health protocols.

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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 30-year-old is facing murder charges in relation to the December deaths of Brendon and Trina Cole.

The bodies of 56-year-old Brendon Leigh Cole and 54-year-old Trina Michelle Cole were found at a rural property in Ruatiti, west of Ruapehu, on 13 December.

On Thursday, Detective Inspector Gerard Bouterey said the arrest represented a “significant milestone” in the investigation.

“While this is great result, considerable work remains and investigators will continue to pursue all outstanding lines of enquiry.

“We acknowledge that there are members of the public who may have information relevant to this investigation that has not been shared with us.

“We strongly encourage anyone who has information or knowledge of this incident, including the events, movements, or items involved, to contact us if they have not yet done so.”

During the investigation, police had determined that a semi-automatic shotgun was missing from the Coles’ address.

It has yet to be located, with investigators believing it has likely been modified – with the end of the barrel cut down.

Bouterey said finding this firearm remained a priority.

A search of the Murumuru Road scene continues, he said.

“We want to reassure the community that this investigation is ongoing and remains active.

“The cooperation shown by the community has been invaluable during our investigation, and we thank them for their support.

“We continue to follow all lines of enquiry and carefully assess information as it is received. We are committed to ensuring the safety of the wider community and at this stage, there is no information to suggest any ongoing risk to the general public.”

The accused is due to appear in Whanganui District Court today on two counts of murder.

Information for police could be provided through 105, either online or over the phone, referencing file number 251213/6207 or Operation Murumuru.

Alternatively, people could provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has outlined six major system failures in a report on the loss of power aboard the Interislander ferry Kaitaki in 2023.

The ship shut down and drifted for an hour, dangerously close to rocks near Wellington Harbour, with 864 people on board on 28 January, resulting in a mayday call.

According to the report, “a very serious marine casualty” was narrowly avoided.

In the months following the incident, a preliminary inquiry found an out of date safety-critical rubber expansion joint [REJ] ruptured and prevented the engines restarting.

According to this report: “When the Kaitaki was approximately one nautical mile off Sinclair Head, the starboard shaft generator tripped. As a result, the vessel suffered a blackout.”

“Shortly after, an REJ [rubber expansion joint] on the port auxiliary engine ruptured. This resulted in the loss of water from the high-temperature cooling water system, which provided cooling to all main and auxiliary engines.

“The loss of water pressure from the cooling system meant none of the four main engines could be restarted safely. As a result, propulsion could not be restored quickly.”

The preliminary report said the expansion joint installed in the engine’s high temperature water cooling system had been in service for at least five years and was nearly 18 years old when it failed. Interislander’s Failure Mode and Effects Analysis [FMEA] recommended these parts be replaced after two years of use.

The commission said safety action taken by Maritime NZ and KiwiRail in response to the preliminary report meant it did not issue any further recommendations relating to the findings of the preliminary report.

Today’s TAIC report highlighted six safety issues:

• The deterioration of rubber expansion joints;
• Interislander’s failure to implement safety management processes to assess and mitigate risks specific to the ships in their fleet;
• Management of risks associated with the ageing Cook Strait ferries which had not “kept pace” with increasing risks associated with their age and condition;
• A lack of sufficient and readily available towage and salvage capability;
• A lack continuous improvement and exercise of maritime mass rescue operations to ensure preparedness and co-ordination between emergency response agencies;
• Duty controllers’ without access to specialist maritime expertise and a lack of an adequate decision making processes to respond to maritime incidents.

KiwiRail, in a statement, said it accepted the report and welcomed the clarity it provided – and reiterated its commitment to safe Interislander operations.

‘Organised chaos’ on board

The report found the ship’s master and bridge team responded “appropriately and in a structured way” to the emergency.

However, “a more structured and well-exercised engineer’s response would have likely resolved the mechanical failure and returned propulsion sooner. This would have been critical had the ship’s anchors not arrested the drift towards the shore”.

According to the report: “An engineer on board described the scene as ‘organised chaos, everybody was everywhere trying to do everything’. Various crew members attempted to restart the main engines and the auxiliary engines.”

“A lack of communication further hampered the recovery efforts. When the first blackout occurred, several engineers were attempting to reset tripped circuit breakers by toggling them on and off. They were unaware that others were simultaneously trying to start the pumps locally, which required the circuit breakers to be on.

“Time was critical, and if the ship had not been arrested by its anchors, a very serious marine casualty was virtually certain.”

The report found the Kaitaki was not subject to International Maritime Organisation guidelines for evacuation capabilities, as it was constructed in 1995, before the mandatory compliance window.

However, following the guidelines would have been best practice for passenger safety, it said.

Interislander had conducted drills to assess preparedness for emergencies such as fires, abandon ship or man overboard, but they were done on “an ad hoc basis” and there appeared to be shortcomings against international standards.

The commission noted that since the incident Interislander had commissioned a second EERA [Emergency Evacuation Rescue Analysis] and created an Emergency Towing Booklet for the Kaitaki.

Recommendations

Today’s final TAIC report made five recommendations which were put to Maritime NZ and KiwiRail in March:

KiwiRail should:

• review their emergency response planning, training, resourcing and risk mitigation process to ensure effective response to a maritime emergency;
• implement decision-support systems for its vessels’ engineering departments.

Maritime NZ should:

• revise guidelines on evacuation analysis for new and existing passenger ships and conduct regular Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analyses (EERAs);
• prioritise the review of its Maritime Incident Readiness and Response Strategy including specific Cook Strait response plans and an across agencies exercise programme;
• work with the Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders to continue to identify areas susceptible to “serious marine casualty, particularly mass fatality events” implement a wider maritime incident response strategy and strengthen the salvage and rescue capability.

The report noted that some of these recommendations would also require the involvement of Bluebridge ferries.

In response to the report, KiwiRail said it welcomed the clarity it provided on the causes of the incident and the safety lessons for the wider maritime sector.

KiwiRail had already accepted full responsibility in court under the Health and Safety at Work Act, and gave formal apologies to those impacted by the incident.

Chief operations officer Duncan Roy said the incident had prompted a comprehensive reassessment of how the company managed and maintained its ferries, and how crews were supported to respond in emergencies.

Since the incident, Interislander had strengthened emergency response training, introduced engineer-based emergency response simulation and training and expanded the scope and frequency of emergency exercises, including multi‑agency scenarios, to ensure crews were well prepared.

Interislander had undertaken a full review of its asset management practices, supported by global maritime experts to ensure world‑class standards, and actively monitored around 10,000 individual components across its vessels, as well as all critical onboard systems, “a level of detail and specificity that is unusual within the maritime industry”.

It had also established a Technical Advisory Group (TAG), made up of senior maritime experts, to provide oversight and advice.

Since returning to full service after the incident Kaitaki had made more than 3600 crossings of Cook Strait, and its reliability to sail over that period has been 99 percent (excluding weather).

The current Interislander fleet had been independently assessed by international maritime experts DNV, which found there are no systemic issues preventing the vessels from operating safely until at least 2029, “subject to enhanced levels of maintenance investment, which KiwiRail is committed to delivering”.

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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 police recruit asked unsolicited sexual questions of another recruit and showed them pornographic material on his phone while masturbating, the police watchdog has revealed.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) released a summary of a police investigation the Authority oversaw into the recruit on Thursday.

The IPCA said the allegations were that a recruit asked unsolicited sexual questions of another recruit and then showed them pornographic material on his cell phone while masturbating.

“The two recruits were off-duty and alone inside a vehicle parked on the side of a public road, late at night, in the greater Wellington area.”

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

The IPCA said police initially decided against a criminal investigation, saying it was unnecessary and instead began an employment process.

“We asked police to reconsider and undertake a criminal investigation, as the complaint suggested a criminal offence, but they did not.

“Police progressed their employment process for the recruit and upheld the allegations made against him as serious misconduct. The Authority wrote to police stating that while we agreed with their finding and outcome for the employment process, we did not agree with the decision not to undertake a criminal investigation.”

Police then began a criminal investigation into the complaint.

“We oversaw this investigation. Police found there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal offence. In our view, Police conducted the criminal investigation appropriately and we agree with the conclusion reached.

“During the criminal investigation, police identified another complainant who alleged that the same recruit showed this recruit pornographic material. Police assessed this incident as part of the criminal investigation and found insufficient evidence of criminal offending.”

A further employment process was then carried out and the recruit resigned before it was completed.

“Nonetheless, police concluded their investigation and did not uphold the further allegations.

“Contrary to agreed process, police only informed the Authority of the outcome after police finalised matters with the recruit. We were therefore not provided with an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed police finding.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Pasifika people continue to have the highest unemployment rate out of any ethnic group in Aotearoa.

Unemployment figures released Wednesday show an 11.9 percent unemployment rate for Pasifika in the first quarter of 2026, compared to a national rate of 5.3 percent.

For Pasifika, it is a slight improvement from the December 2025 quarter, but it is one percent higher than this time last year.

In Auckland, where nearly two-thirds of Pasifika people live, the unemployment rate fell slightly to 13 percent, compared to 6.6 percent nationally.

At the same time 20.1 percent of Pasfika are underutilised in their work, a 2.4 percent drop from last quarter.

The figures show an increase in employment coinciding with around 8700 more Pasifika in the working-age population.

The Māori unemployment rate is slightly lower at 11.5 percent, but their underutilisation rate is higher at 22.3 percent.

NZ Labour Party deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni told RNZ Pacific the reduction is minor, bordering on meaningless.

“It’s still double what the national average is,” she said.

“We know that there are 20,000 fewer jobs in the construction industry, and that many of our Pacific people have been working and serving in that industry.”

RNZ Pacific has reached out to Pacific Peoples Minister Paul Goldsmith’s office for comment.

‘Complex needs’ holding Pasifika back

This comes after the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) revealed that a seven million dollar programme to help Pasifika find employment has so far only put 84 people into full-time work.

The Pacific Employment Action Plan (PEAP) Fund kicked off in June 2024. It offered funding to community groups supporting unemployed, uneducated Pasifika to enter the workforce. MSD said they have so far spent around $2.4 million.

In a 12-month progress report published last month, MSAD reported that for 624 enrolled participants, the “realities of the job market” were holding most of them back.

But even though some people found part time or casual work, more than half were no better off than before.

MSD said this was not unexpected, but that “these people are still currently participating in the programme, and MSD expects that employment and education outcomes will increase over time.”

“When there are fewer opportunities for employment, people often choose to undertake education and training instead,” the report noted.

Around 253 of participants were able to complete some form of training, such as CV writing, a first aid course, or getting a driver’s licence.

Aside from external conditions, MSD said most had complex needs that held them back.

“One of the main barriers to getting work was participants’ level and complexity of needs upon joining – such as mental health, justice involvement, and low self confidence.”

“Many participants were early on their employment journey… practical obstacles like language, literacy, access to technology, and missing credentials further limited progress.”

Another government funded employment initiative, Tupu Aotearoa, lost around $22m in funding over four years in the last budget.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

After 19 months of bargaining and several strikes, senior doctors have ratified a pay agreement with Health NZ.

Ninety-four percent of members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists had endorsed the offer in an indicative ballot this week.

Te Whatu Ora said it would affect about 5500 senior doctors.

The agreement includes a cumulative pay increase of 5.9 percent over the next two years, backdated to January 2026.

The union’s executive director Sarah Dalton said it had been a long journey.

In September last year, Health NZ called for the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to step in and force doctors into a contract, saying the union had breached the obligations of good faith, [. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/580344/health-nz-fails-to-get-employment-relations-authority-to-force-senior-doctors-into-contract-amid-pay-dispute-deadlock but the ERA declined].

Dalton said the agreement was good news, but there remained significant and ongoing challenges in the public health system that needed to be addressed, including safe staffing levels.

“The first increase effective from January this year is a 2.9 percent increase across the board, and then there is a second step-increase payable on July 6 which ranges from 2.5 percent at the top of the scale, to four percent at the lowest step of the specialist scale,” she said.

“That is to reflect that the bottom steps have not kept pace with inflation to the extent that the top step has.”

It was also intended to maintain relativity with the pay of junior doctors – some doctors were being offered a pay decrease when they qualified as specialists, Dalton said.

Two lump sum payments of $4000 were included – but those were “a sugar hit”, rather than providing lasting value for members, Dalton said.

The agreement also fully restored doctors’ personal grievance work rights, which had been removed by amendments to the Employment Relations Act earlier this year, and enshrined Te Mauri o Rongo New Zealand Health Charter into the collective agreement, Dalton said.

It also included an increase to the continuing medical education fund, which doctors could draw on to upskill and renew qualifications, and a workforce planning clause, which Dalton hoped would allow them to take a more active role in staffing decisions.

HNZ executive national director Robyn Shearer said the agency welcomed the decision.

“We acknowledge and thank ASMS for their commitment to reach this settlement,” she said. “Health NZ values our senior doctors who protect and improve New Zealanders’ health and wellbeing every day.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown has also welcomed the ratification.

“Senior doctors are instrumental in delivering on the government’s health targets. I appreciate the dedication and professionalism they bring to their work, and their ongoing commitment to putting patients at the centre of everything they do,” he said.

It follows the recent approval of collective agreements for APEX pharmacy members, APEX psychologists, PSA Allied Public Health, Scientific and Technical members, APEX dietitians, PSA Public and Mental Health Nurses, and STONZ Resident Medical Officers.

“I want to acknowledge ASMS and Health New Zealand for their constructive engagement in reaching this agreement, which provides certainty for senior doctors and helps ensure New Zealanders continue to receive the care they need.”

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