Category: Radio New Zealand

Posted on

Police search bank accounts, phone records of missing Southland farmer Kevin Belling

Source: Radio New Zealand

Invercargill man Kevin Belling, 62, was last seen at his Motu Rimu farm on Friday 9 January. Supplied / NZ Police

Police have searched the property and bank accounts of a farmer missing for over four months.

Kevin Belling, 62, was last seen at his Motu Rimu farm on Friday 9 January and was reported missing on 18 January.

Detective sergeant John Kean said police were continuing their investigation, and had completed extensive searches of Belling’s property.

Officers also checked his bank accounts and phone records, but it failed to shed light on his possible whereabouts, Kean said.

“We continue to appeal to anyone who has any information that could help us find him,” Kean said.

“Police urge the community to be vigilant and check their rural properties for any signs of Kevin.”

If you have information that could assist in the search to locate Belling, contact police online at 105 or call 105, using reference number 260118/6964.

Information could also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Mystery door on Wellington beach just a ‘stunt’, police say

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Police now say a door found on a beach near Wellington’s Ōwhiro Bay was a “marketing stunt”.

A woman out for a walk on the city’s south coast had told RNZ she was surprised to come across what appeared to be part of a door from a plane.

Catherine* took pictures and video, with them showing a cream coloured curved panel with a small broken window wedged under a driftwood log, surrounded by yellow tape.

The police told RNZ on Monday they knew nothing about the object.

RNZ followed up with police on Tuesday to ask if there were any updates and a spokesperson replied they had now found the case.

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“A plane door situated on the beach at Owhiro Bay area is found to be a marketing stunt,” they said.

“It was placed on the beach on 30 April encompassed in emergency tape and was to remain there for 1-3 days.”

Do you know more? Email sammy.carter@rnz.co.nz

Catherine had shared her images and video on social media, as did another person separately, with the posts sparking dozens of comments from people trying to work out what the object was.

“I thought it was very strange, my first thought is it looked like it was from a plane because of the shape of the window,” Catherine told RNZ.

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The mystery sparked dozens of comments, with some saying its numbered markings seem to indicate it was from a plane.

“(I) haven’t heard of anything happening in this area, so when I saw it, I assumed it maybe had washed up from overseas.”

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

* RNZ has agreed to not use her full name.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Abbey Caves inquest: Water in cave may have reached neck height in as little as 30 seconds

Source: Radio New Zealand

Karnin Petera died in the flash flood. SUPPLIED

A teacher on a fatal school caving trip says he didn’t consider waiting out a flood in a higher passage because at that time he believed the safest option was to get out of the cave.

The teacher, who was cross-examined on Tuesday in an inquest into the 2023 Abbey Caves tragedy in Whangārei, said when he decided to cut the trip short the main risk was that the students could roll their ankles in the knee-deep water.

At the time – based on his many visits to Organ Cave, including after heavy rain – he didn’t believe flash flooding was a risk.

He knew the two other caves in the area, Middle Cave and Ivy Cave, did flood.

The teacher said there was light drizzle as the Year 11 group entered the cave, but the colour and level of the water at the entrance was normal for the time of year.

He noticed the water rising – he put it at “2 to 3 inches” – and decided the safest thing to do was to exit the cave, regroup outside, have some food, and go back in to continue exploring an area known as The Squeeze if conditions allowed.

If they had decided to wait in the upper passage, the group had limited light, no food, and no idea of how long they would have to wait.

The teacher was also aware heavy rain was forecast that afternoon.

Coroner Alexander Ho. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

He said it was only when the group passed an area called The Rockfall and got close to the exit that the water started rising with alarming speed.

He described the water as going from knee deep to neck deep in a period of, at most, two minutes – but possibly as little as 30 seconds.

The teacher told the court he still could not understand why the water rose so quickly, and said he had not seen anything like it in all his years of caving.

He had thought about it often and wondered whether part of the cave had been blocked by debris, or if a blockage upstream had suddenly burst.

“It almost came in like a wave, which is not what caves do … That’s still a mystery to me.”

Ellie Harrison, lawyer for the family of Karnin Petera, the 15-year-old who died, quizzed the teacher about why he did not consider staying in the upper passage.

The teacher said he had hopped into the water to check the level in the main passage and found it was only knee-deep.

Had the flash flood hit minutes earlier, they would have stayed in the upper passage, he said.

Brother Jordan and parents Alicia Toki and Andre Petera with a photo of Karnin “Tino” Petera outside the Whangārei Courthouse. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Harrison also asked about the group’s lack of emergency communication.

She said Karnin’s father, Andre Petera, had called the school twice to raise concerns about flooding in Whangārei city, but the receptionist had “brushed him off”.

Even if the receptionist had tried to pass on those concerns, there was no way of contacting the group because there was no cellphone coverage beyond the Abbey Caves car park.

The lack of another form of communication had also caused a delay in raising the alarm, with some of the boys having to run to a nearby house to call 111, she said.

However, the teacher said having a satellite phone would have made little difference, because it was only a short distance uphill to reach cellphone coverage.

In any case, he would not have had a chance to make a satellite call because he was still inside the cave rescuing students when the alarm was raised.

The second adult on the trip would to start giving his evidence this afternoon.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Government gives councils amalgamation ultimatum

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government has given councils an ultimatum: come up with amalgamation plans within three months or the government will do it for you.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced the move on Tuesday afternoon, giving a three-month deadline for reorganisation plans to be delievered.

It followed an announcement in November that groups of city and district mayors – with some government oversight – would be formed to come up with such plans.

But the ministers on Tuesday said if councils failed to make use of the new ‘Head Start’ approach, they would be forced into changes.

“Our message to councils is simple: lead your own reform, or we will do it for you. Either way, change is coming,” Bishop said.

File photo. Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop RNZ/Mark Papalii

Watts was explicit that proposals should focus on creating larger, more efficient unitary authorities.

He said the government was providing councils with “real flexibility”.

“Proposals don’t need to cover an entire region, but they must show clear support, strong leadership, and real benefits for communities.”

The proposals would be considered by government officials against criteria including practicality, simplicity, value for money, effective representation, timeliness and how it works with the new resource management system.

Decisions would be made this year, then developed in detail and signed off in 2027 to be implemented ahead of the 2028 local elections.

“For areas that do not come forward through the head start pathway, the government will implement a backstop process to ensure reform still happens across the country. This will involve a standardised approach, including transitional governance arrangements while changes are put in place,” Watts said.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Foreign Minister Winston Peters condemns Iran’s attacks on United Arab Emirates

Source: Radio New Zealand

Foreign Minister Winston Peters. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has condemned the latest attacks on the United Arab Emirates, saying Iran has violated its ceasefire.

In a social media post, Peters said the attack was unhelpful for peace negotiations.

“New Zealand condemns Iran’s latest attacks on the United Arab Emirates. Iran’s actions violate the ceasefire and are unhelpful for peace negotiations,” the post said.

“We reiterate the urgent need for de-escalation. Iran must honour its commitment to the ceasefire and respect international law, including the protections afforded to civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“We urge Iran to prioritise political agreement on a permanent solution to end this crisis. The conflict will not be resolved through drones and missiles.”

BBC reported the strike caused a fire at the oil port of Fujairah, and came alongside attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz as the United States seeks to guide ships through it and out of the Persian Gulf.

US President Donald Trump said the United States had also struck seven Iranian ‘fast boats’ in the strait.

He has warned Iranian forces would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attempted to target US ships in the Strait or the Gulf.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Outcome of research into low-emitting bulls ‘disappointing’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Heifer calves at Tauwhare research farm, near Hamilton. Photo credit: Stephen Barker / Barker Photography. ©LIC Stephen Barker

New research looking at whether low-emitting bulls pass these traits onto their milking daughters has suffered a “disappointing” setback.

The Livestock Improvement Corporation – or LIC – and Ag Emissions Centre just completed the latest phase of a five-year methane research programme, initiated in 2021 and supported by CRV, to identify low-emitting bulls.

The hypothesis was that these bulls would pass the trait on to their milking daughters – with about 80 percent of methane emissions in dairy come from lactating cows as this is where most of the feed is consumed.

LIC chief scientist Dr Richard Spelman explained as a relatively small number of bulls sire the next generation of dairy cows, this approach offered a cost-effective and innovative way to introduce low methane emissions into the national herd.

“One advantage we have in our industry between LIC and CRV we generate 85 percent to 90 percent of the replacement heifer calves,” he said.

“So what we were hoping to do, could we measure this trait in a young bull – and between LIC and CRV we buy about 300 bulls per annum – and if we could bring those animals in, measure their traits for methane then that would be a very efficient way of working out what are the best genetics for the industry.”

Richard Spelman, chief scientist LIC RNZ/Carol Stiles

The team started by identifying high and low-emitting sires and chose 25 from each to breed 400 heifers that were then measured at 8-10 months of age.

He said early findings were “encouraging”, with lower methane emission traits identified in young bulls, and clear evidence these traits were passed on to their growing daughters.

“What we are trying to find is which animals actually produce less methane per kilogram of dry matter eaten. We don’t want to have a low methane cow that doesn’t eat much, we want a cow that still eats a lot, produces a lot of milk but the amount of methane she emits per kilogram of dry matter eaten is lower.”

However, this was not the case for lactating cows after the heifers were tested this milking season.

“The results we have to date have shown that there is no difference, or no significant difference, between the high and low methane cows when they’re lactating. That has been a little disappointing for us. Obviously the hypothesis we had – we could measure it in a young bull, very efficient and that could be the way of getting that information and disseminating genetics into the industry – hasn’t come to fruition.”

Dr Spelman said the work had confirmed the methane variation was related to genetics so there was still scope to use it as a tool for reducing emissions – the advantages over other tools like boluses and vaccines – being it didn’t require a change to farm operations with many farmers already using artificial insemination with their herds.

He said more investment for research was needed to continue studying a larger volume of cows to better understand such variations.

LIC chief executive David Chin said the insights gained were currently being applied within its dairy beef breeding programmes.

“Alongside sector partners, LIC remains committed to supporting efforts to reduce emissions intensity through breeding more efficient cows. The role genetics may play in reducing gross emissions is one of several possible solutions we will continue to explore.”

Ag Emissions Centre executive director Naomi Parker said while the outcome was disappointing, the findings were still valuable, and the job now was to shape the direction for future research.

“Genetics still can have a meaningful role in reducing gross methane emissions. For beef and sheep, we are still confident in the approach, and we will be feeding the insights from this trial into work underway in these areas. For dairy we will consider taking a different approach that will likely focus on measuring lactating cows for methane production to generate a DNA based selection criteria.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Court rules against ANZ in class action lawsuit

Source: Radio New Zealand

AFP

ANZ has been unsuccessful in its fight in the High Court against a class action from borrowers.

The court has awarded summary judgment against the bank in relation to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA) class action proceedings.

Between 2015 and 2019, the law said that a lender that was in breach of its disclosure requirements had to repay borrowers all the interest and fees they were charged during the time when they were not compliant with the rules.

The class action claims that between 30 May, 2015 and 28 May, 2016, a coding error in one of ANZ’s systems failed to take into account interest that had been accrued and not yet charged.

As a result, loan variation letters contained incorrect information. ANZ said it meant customers were undercharged by about $2 a month.

ANZ said it was considering the judgment and its potential next steps, including an appeal.

“We opposed the claim because we felt strongly that the law was not intended to operate in the way the plaintiffs and the litigation funders suggested,” chief executive Antonia Watson said.

“We maintain that the potential consequences under the current law are disproportionate and not aligned with any actual harm caused.”

The class action case against ANZ NZ relates to around 17,000 customers who on average underpaid their mortgages between 2015 and 2016.

ANZ NZ identified the issue itself, reported it to the Commerce Commission, and effectively wrote off the underpayments.

“ANZ NZ self-reported the issue, took accountability and paid more than $35 million to affected customers,” Watson said.

“As a result, all customers were left better off than they would have been if the issue had not occurred.”

The High Court found that ANZ breached section 22 of the CCCFA and that the representative plaintiffs were not liable for costs of borrowing on their loan for the period of breach and has directed ANZ to refund them $32,728.42.

ANZ NZ is considering how this judgment may apply to other members of the class.

ANZ NZ’s estimate of its maximum potential liability for costs of borrowing arising from this decision is approximately NZD$125 million.

Earlier, ASB agreed to pay $135,625 to settle a class action against it for similar breaches.

The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee has recommended changes to the law that confirm the court’s ability to make orders that are just and equitable in relation to costs of borrowing between 2015 and 2019 where lenders breached their disclosure obligations.

In 2019, the law was amended to apply to breaches from that point, but this change would apply to breaches before that time, too, if they had not been dealt with by a court already.

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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

Posted on

Kiwi aboard MV Hondius cruise ship with deadly hantavirus outbreak

Source: Radio New Zealand

A general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. AFP

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it’s aware of a New Zealander onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is experiencing a suspected deadly hantavirus outbreak.

A ministry spokesperson says it’s in contact with the New Zealander, who hasn’t requested consular assistance.

The ship, which was travelling from Argentina to the Canary Islands, is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.

The Dutch cruise company, Oceanwide Expeditions, says the number of confirmed hantavirus cases connected to the outbreak onboard has risen to two.

Hantavirus tended to be spread by rodents and New Zealand microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles said it was not expected on a cruise ship.

In a statement, Oceanwide Expeditions said two MV Hondius crew members, one British and one Dutch, continued to present with acute respiratory symptoms and required urgent medical attention.

One had mild symptoms, the other had severe, it said, without specifying further.

“At this time, no other persons with symptoms have been identified,” the company said.

“Dutch authorities are actively preparing a medical evacuation of the two symptomatic individuals along with an individual associated with [a German guest] that passed away on May 2,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.

It would include two specialised medical aircraft but the timing of the evacuation had not yet been confirmed, it said.

The first identified case was confirmed in a British national who the company said remained in a critical but stable condition in South Africa.

The ship was at its highest health response level with isolation measures, hygiene protocols and monitoring in place, the statement said.

The company said the World Health Organisation has confirmed hantavirus was also present in a Dutch woman who died in Saint Helena.

Her husband, a Dutch national as well, died onboard on 11 April.

She was accompanying his repatriation back to the Netherlands when she also fell ill during the return journey and later died.

Her husband’s cause of death and that of the German national were not yet known.

Oceanwide Expeditions said a definitive disembarkation point for the 149 passengers still onboard had not yet been finalised.

“The atmosphere on board MV Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed. Oceanwide Expeditions is working to provide clarity and reassurance to guests,” it said.

The company said it was in close contact with those directly involved and their families.

Timeline provided by Ocean Expeditions:

  • On 11 April, a passenger died on board. The cause of death could not be determined on board.
  • On 24 April, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation.
  • On 27 April, Oceanwide Expeditions was informed that the wife had become unwell during the return journey and had later died. Both passengers were Dutch nationals.
  • On 27 April, another passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa. This British national was currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg in a critical but stable condition. A variant of hantavirus had been identified in this patient.
  • On 2 May, another passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established. This passenger was of German nationality.
  • On 4 May, a variant of hantavirus was identified as being present in the Dutch woman who died in Saint Helena.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Woman out for walk finds possible plane door on Wellington beach

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

A woman out for a walk on Wellington’s south coast says she was surprised to come across what appears to be part of a door from a plane.

Catherine* took pictures and video, with them showing a cream coloured curved panel with a small broken window wedged under a driftwood log, surrounded by yellow tape.

Do you know more? Email sammy.carter@rnz.co.nz

She popped it onto social media, as did another person separately, with the posts sparking dozens of comments from people trying to work out what the object was.

“I thought it was very strange, my first thought is it looked like it was from a plane because of the shape of the window,” Catherine told RNZ.

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The mystery has sparked dozens of comments, with some saying its numbered markings seem to indicate it was from a plane.

“(I) haven’t heard of anything happening in this area, so when I saw it, I assumed it maybe had washed up from overseas.”

The yellow tape around the door caught Catherine’s attention, at first assuming it was a bonfire or broken glass.

“It’s not something you expect to see on a morning walk.”

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

RNZ sent pics to Ardome Flying School chief executive and aviation commentator Irene King.

She said the object appeared to be the interior of door from a small plane.

“Our engineers have had a look at it and they think that it’s an interior fit out of an aircraft. Of course, the great mystery is – how the heck did it get there?”

The Civil Aviation Authority said no one had contacted it about the item.

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

But it reviewed the picture sent by RNZ, and based on the numbers printed on a section of the door it appeared part of it was manufactured in September 1982.

It said unfortunately it could not identify it further.

King said that, considering how unmarked the object looked, she did not believe it had been in the sea for a long time.

“It’s very clean. Normally, when aircraft parts sit in water for any period of time you get all sorts of barnacle and sea life build up.

“It looks quite pristine, and it looks like somebody’s just placed it there.”

She referenced the infamous MH370 disappearance in 2014, where pieces of debris were found by members of the public on coastlines in the years after, including a part of the ring wing.

She also said it’s hard to lose interior pieces of aircraft’s “just like that”, saying a plane had to be disassembled.

“It’s very unusual.”

The massive flooding event in Wellington last month saw Ōwhiro Stream flood, damaging homes and washing debris out to the bay.

* RNZ has agreed to not use her full name.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

‘Let the kid on’: ACT wants children to be able to hop on any passing school bus

Source: Radio New Zealand

File image. Toby Williams

The ACT Party wants children to be able to hop on any passing school bus as long as there’s space onboard.

Under existing rules, students can use the free bus transport only if they attend the nearest school they can enrol at. They must also live more than 3.2km from their primary school or intermediate or more than 4.8km from their high school.

ACT MP Andrew Hoggard said some families in rural areas were “burning fuel” driving their children to school despite the bus on the road in front of them having empty seats.

“Fuel isn’t cheap, time isn’t free, and rural families have better things to be doing than running a second transport system because of a Wellington rulebook.”

ACT MP Andrew Hoggard. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Hoggard said the existing settings were out of step with the realities of rural living, where families chose schools for all sorts of reasons beyond location.

“The bus is already running. The seat is already paid for. Let the kid on. We should be using what we’ve already got, not making families pay taxes for a bus that leaves their kid stranded.”

If the routes filled up and extra buses were required, the Education Ministry could fund them out of its existing budget, Hoggard said.

“It doesn’t need another review or working group. It just needs a bit of common sense,” he said.

“We want diesel in tractors, not wasted on school runs that shouldn’t be needed.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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