Category: Radio New Zealand

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NRL: NZ Warriors v Newcastle Knights – what you need to know

Source: Radio New Zealand

Jackson Ford and Tyson Frizell will face off, when the Warriors take on the Knights. Photosport/RNZ

NRL: Newcastle Knights v NZ Warriors

Kickoff 5pm, Saturday, 21 March

McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

Live blog updates on RNZ website

Analysis: For just the fourth time in club history, NZ Warriors have a chance to start an NRL season with three straight wins – but so do Newcastle Knights.

The Auckland-based outfit have succeeded in that aim just once, when coach Stephen Kearney guided his team to five consecutive wins in 2018.

Both teams are unbeaten, but both are also hit hard by injuries.

Here’s what you need to know:

History

Newcastle Knights remain one of the Warriors’ most beatable opponents – in 53 previous outings, the Warriors have 27 wins and the Knights 25, with one draw.

They also have 27 wins against North Queensland Cowboys across just 49 games.

The 18-18 draw against Newcastle came in 2000, before the introduction of Golden Point.

The rivals are 5-5 over their last 10 meetings, but the Warriors are 4-1 in the last five, including both games last season.

Their last encounter was the memorable 20-15 finish at McDonald Jones Stadium, where the Warriors trailled 15-14 into the final seconds. Tanah Boyd’s field goal attempt was charged down, but the ball fell to teenager second-rower Leka Halasima, who rolled 40 metres for the winning try.

The Warriors lost their next three games and limped into the playoffs, winning just one of their last eight. Two weeks after the Halasima miracle, they lost in identical circumstance against the Dolphins.

Meanwhile, the Knights would lose their next six games by an average of 33 points.

Newcastle’s biggest win of this rivalry came in the very first encounter, when they inflicted a 48-6 hiding in 1995 round nine. Centre Nathan Barnes had three tries and Andrew Johns kicked 8/9 from the tee.

Leka Halasima rumbles to a gamewinning try against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium. David Neilson/Photosport

Four years later, the Warriors had a measure of revenge, matching the winning margin and hold their opponent scoreless in a 42-0 win at Ericsson Stadium (Mt Smart). Lock Jason Death scored two tries and Matthew Ridge kicked 7/8, while also finding the tryline.

Form

Unbelievably, both these teams are unbeaten after two rounds of the 2026 NRL.

Maybe you can believe the Warriors going unblemished, even though they have faced title contenders Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders early.

Somewhat against expectations, they have put 40 points on each of these heavyweights and restricted them to a combined 12 second-half points.

Their 82 points are the most the club has scored in the opening two rounds of any season and their +58 points differential is bigger than at any time last season.

They rank among the competition leaders in set completion (84 percent), possession percentage (56) and post-contact metres (1280).

Newcastle were last season’s wooden-spooners with six wins and 18 losses, after winning their opening two games and three of their first four.

Their two victories this season have come against North Queensland Cowboys and Manly Sea Eagles, who are both winless over the first two weeks.

According to official NRL stats, they somehow lead the competition in try assists (12), despite scoring only 11 tries.

Warriors half Tanah Boyd lead the competition in scoring, with a try in each of the first two games. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

Teams

Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 11. Leka Halasima, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd. 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 12. Jacob Laban, 17. Marata Niukore, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Demitric Vaimauga, 16. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 18. Morgan Gannon, 23. Mitch Barnett, 20. Alofiana Khan-Pereira

Reserve: 22. Jett Cleary

Late change in the Warriors line-up, with centre Adam Pompey remaining in Auckland on babywatch. Halasima will step into the midfield, with second-rower Marata Niukore promoted into the starting line-up.

Co-captain Mitch Barnett nears a return to play, after suffering a season-ending knee injury last June. He was named among the reserves and has made the extended interchange bench.

With Chanel Harris-Tavita and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad under concussion protocols, Luke Hanson is named at five-eighth for his NRL debut, while Taine Tuaupiki takes the fullback spot.

Knights: 1. Fletcher Hunt, 2. Dominic Young, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Greg Marzhew, 18. Tyson Gamble, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Jacob Saifiti, 9. Phoenix Crossland, 10. Trey Mooney, 11. Dylan Lucas, 12. Jermaine McEwen, 13. Tyson Frizell

Interchange: 14. Thomas Cant, 15. Mat Croker, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Francis Manuleleua, 19. Harrison Graham, 21. Cody Hopwood

Reserves: 22. James Schiller

Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook has lost his two marquee players – Kalyn Ponga (hamstring) and Dylan Brown (knee) – in injury. Fletcher Hunt will start at fullback, but five-eighth Fletcher Sharpe has also succumbed to injury and will make way for Tysson Gamble.

Newcastle will be without Kalyn Ponga for a month with a hamstring injury. Chris Hyde

The Knights still have plenty of firepower among the backs with international wings Greg Marzhew (Samoa) and Dom Young (England), and Origin centre Dane Gagai and Bradman Best.

Player to watch

With playmakers Ponga and Brown sidelined, the keys to the Knights are held by Sandon Smith, who played 47 games for Sydney Roosters, but was shuffled out the side door last season, as Daly Cherry-Evans arrived in a limo and walked the red carpet out front.

He took over the goalkicking, after Ponga limped off last week, and victory was well in hand (30-10), when Brown didn’t return for the second half, so the pressure will be on him this week.

Kiwi player to watch

Hooker Phoenix Crossland has played every minute of the opening two games and led the Knights in tackles (48) in their Vegas win over North Queensland.

With no specialist dummy half on the Knights interchange, he can probably expect a heavy workload again against the Warriors, but strangely, he has made exactly no dummy-half runs this season.

They said it

“You can definitely see they’re confident, they’re happy with the way they’re playing and they’re definitely playing with a lot of spirit.”

Warriors coach Andrew Webster assesses the Knights’ turnaround

“Plenty, but only the obvious ones and that’s wise, so everyone’s clear on what they have to do, when they get called upon, and we don’t miss a beat.”

Knights coach Justin Holbrook tested a few halves combinations in the pre-season.

What will happen

Big difference in the quality of opposition for these two teams so far. McDonald Jones is a formidable home venue for the Knights – but it won’t be enough.

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White Ferns take lead in T20 series against South Africa Proteas

Source: Radio New Zealand

White Ferns take series lead with six wicket win in Auckland.

Some big-htting by the middle order has given the White Ferns a lead in the T20 series against South Africa courtesy of a six wicket win in game three in Auckland.

Chasing 150 for victory, White Ferns number four batter Sophie Devine scored a quick-fire unbeaten 55 runs off 38 balls and was backed up by Maddy Green who scored 34 off 25 as the hosts recovered from losing three wickets in the first 10 overs.

The run chase was over in in the 19th over at Eden Park as a misfield by the South African wicketkeeper allowed the ball to run away to the boundary.

Earlier South Africa had won the toss and opted to bat, but lost early wickets to be two down for 9 runs in the third over.

Devine took two wickets as did Suzie Bates.

Game four of the five match series is on Sunday in Wellington.

See how the game unfolded in our blog:

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‘The silence is deafening’: Mariameno Kapa-Kingi yet to speak with Te Pāti Māori leaders

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“The silence is deafening.”

That’s the word from newly reinstated Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi who said she was yet to speak with her party’s leadership team following months of internal ructions and a bitter High Court battle.

In a wide-ranging interview with Mata host Mihingarangi Forbes, Kapa-Kingi said since returning to Parliament, all the she had received from party co-leader Rāwiri Waititi was a text message asking if she would be available for a short, 10-minute kōrero, and had not spoken to the party’s president John Tamihere since November 2025.

“Rāwiri messaged and asked if I was available at a particular time… we haven’t managed to pull that off.” she said.

“My view is it requires more than 10 minutes, tāku nei whakaaro. Nothing [has been] offered up, no real significant or important conversation set aside yet.”

Kapa-Kingi was reinstated to the party last week, after the High Court ruled her suspension and expulsion from the party was unlawful.

In a press statement released shortly after the court ruling was made public, the party said it would make no further comments on the matter.

Kapa-Kingi told Mata she was also yet to receive an apology.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Mihingarangi Forbes. RNZ

“The silence is deafening, e pono ana, and I would say their press release probably reflects where their thinking is at and their practice.

“I would expect that at the least, which means there’s time and there are acts of remorse shown. Those things have to be evident going forward.”

Asked what accountability would look like for her, Kapa-Kingi said the “ball” was “in the court of the membership now in terms of the party” and suggested an SGM (Special General Meeting) should be on the table.

“There is clearly 55 pages of evidence to say this occurred and it was unlawful. Any right thinking Māori in a membership or even individually should recognise that we need to do something with this… we need to act on this.”

In late November, a meeting was held between Taitokerau iwi and party members to decide how the electorate should respond to their MPs expulsion. They called on president Tamihere to step down and for Kapa-Kingi to be reinstated to the party instead of remaining as an independent MP.

Kapa-Kingi said her electorate executive still supported her being in Parliament, but were concerned about whether she would still be “valued” in the party.

Rāwiri Waititi. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Asked if she had a “deadline” to decide if she wanted to remain in Parliament, Kapa-Kingi she did not but could feel the “tension” around it.

“When I first ever spoke about this, I talked about Te Tai Tokerau as voting for me, pushing for me, requiring me to do the right job for Te Tai Tokerau, to show up, to do the work, to represent with all my heart and mind present to it.” she said.

“The kaupapa itself, I don’t think belongs to any individual alone or even any party.”

Asked if the ructions within the party had taken a toll on her whānau, a tearful Kapa-Kingi said it had.

“I do fancy myself as a bit of a tough girl… but also vulnerable. This could have been figured out better.” she said.

“Not everybody’s suited to it, leadership. My message [to the leadership] is we should have done better. And we can, we can do better, we need to.”

The full interview is available on the RNZ website and on Youtube.

RNZ has approached Te Pāti Māori for comment.

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For sale Slipper Island expected to fetch more than $10 million

Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied / Paul C Schrader

Slipper Island, an exclusive chunk of land off the Coromandel Coast is up for grabs.

It is estimated that it could sell for more than $10 million.

It is one of fewer than two dozen private islands in Aotearoa.

Slipper Island is a short boat ride from Pauanui, with white sand beaches and resort style accommodation.

Supplied / Paul C Schrader

Diana Cussen is selling the property through Barfoot and Thompson and also lives on the island.

She told Checkpoint the island offers clear waters, along with white and pink sand beaches.

Supplied / Paul C Schrader

“It’s absolutely magical, just imagine just coming up in your boat… you can dive in and it just makes you feel fabulous.”

The island is being sold alongside a number of different accommodation options, all set up for holiday accommodation.

The sale will include an old style lodge, a two bedroom chalet, two one bedroom chalets, along with two safari style tents.

“All you need is your food and your favourite bikini and a towel and you’re away.”

Supplied / Paul C Schrader

With such a high price, the buyer pool may be small, but Cussen expects it will be a local that ends up calling Slipper Island their own.

“Kiwis are pretty good at making waves in the world and all the technology and their businesses. So more than likely, you know, it’s going to be a local, local Kiwi and there is a bit of money around in New Zealand.”

“But it’s going to come down to who would love to be the next custodian of Slipper Island.”

Supplied / Paul C Schrader

The government’s introduction of the ‘golden visa’ scheme means overseas investors could also easily buy the property.

The scheme offers a fast tracked residency process to investors willing to spend at least $5 million.

Supplied / Paul C Schrader

“There are checkpoints in place there to make sure that if there was an overseas buyer… what would they contribute to the community? How they would look after the island?”

There are 10 properties on the island, including the ones for sale now.

Across the island’s 217 hectares, seven hectares are shared across nine lots, which feature five houses and five semi-permanent residents.

Getting to the island only takes around 20 minutes by boat from Tairua or Pauanui, and if the buyer has a little more change in their pocket, they can take an half an hour plane ride from Auckland, Hamilton or Tauranga.

Slipper Island is being sold by tender, which will close on 15 April.

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Man found guilty of sexually assaulting teen at his bach over 30 years ago

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A man has been found guilty of sexually violating a teenager at his Canterbury bach over 30 years ago.

The victim, who was aged about 18 at the time of the offending, told the Christchurch District Court he was so intoxicated when he was assaulted he thought he might have been drugged.

A jury unanimously found the 68-year-old guilty on Friday afternoon following a week-long trial.

The man’s name suppression will be revisited by the court next week.

Judge Paul Kellar remanded the man in custody.

The judge thanked the jury for their service, saying he could tell they had not found the process easy.

“It is very difficult to sit in judgement on someone. It’s my job and I still don’t find it easy,” Judge Kellar said.

The victim gave evidence that when he was a teenager he would regularly meet with the older man after school to smoke marijuana at the man’s house.

The victim knew the man was gay but had no concerns the man’s motivations were sexual until the night of the attack, the victim said.

The man will be sentenced in May.

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‘Will be a bit of chat’: Former Crusader prepares to tussle with old team-mates

Source: Radio New Zealand

Joel Lam made his Moana Pasifika debut last weekend against the Blues. Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz

Former Crusader Joel Lam is expecting plenty of banter as Moana Pasifika get set to meet his old side.

Lam has been handed halfback duties for Moana in Saturday night’s round five clash, his first start in Super Rugby, against the side he earnt his first cap with.

He anticipates a few verbal jabs to be thrown his way on the pitch.

“I’ve got a a lot of mates in the Crusaders team that I went to the academy with straight out of school, so definitely a lot of familiar faces in that line-up, so, there will probably be a bit of chat.”

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Lam, who started the year without a Super Rugby contract.

“I got brought in on a player interim contract for the pre-season block and managed to secure myself a few more weeks after the pre-season. Last year was full of challenges and growth, it was actually quite funny the way it played out.”

Lam wasn’t even playing the same code in 2025, before Samoa came out of nowhere to offer him an international debut.

“I got a bit of a taste of playing hooker at league and said, ‘why not?’ So signed up to the Hornby Panthers, played a few club games there, and then moved over to the ditch to Brisbane and played for Souths Logan Magpies. Then got a call from Manu Samoa and I was back on tour.”

Lam scoring a try for Samoa in 2025. Stephen Parker / www.photosport.nz

The 23-year-old made his Samoa debut in a loss against Tonga last year.

He said the reconnecting with his cultural roots had been special.

“Jack, my cousin, skipper of Samoa. He has been a great mentor to me. Being exposed to Samoa has obviously led me down the path of reconnecting with that side of my family.”

Lam comes from rugby royalty, Pat, AJ, Ben and Jack among the famous names in the game.

“There’s a good chunk of us, 350 plus of us, granddad’s a brother of 21. There’s a lot of us in our aiga, which is pretty cool and special to me.”

After making his mark for Samoa, Moana came calling.

“They had always known I was from the Crusaders region, there’d been a few conversations along the way, they said, ‘we’ve seen and heard about you. We’re really keen to get you in.’ And as soon as I stepped in the door, I’ve just felt welcomed. It definitely feels at home here.”

Lam said his time in league helped sure up his defensive skills.

“It definitely gave me some, I don’t know if I can say this, but it gave me some balls. Making tackles off the back fence.”

Back in union, Lam has already spent more time on the field for Moana, having only played ten minutes off the bench for the Crusaders in 2023.

Lam’s rugby journey began in the Canterbury academy. Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

Despite limited opportunities, he looks back on his time in Christchurch fondly.

“The standards that they hold is something that I still carry to this day and how I go about my professionalism. I’ve taken a lot from what the organisation preaches.”

But after his time in the 13-man code, the nuggety number nine said his game has evolved.

“Moana Pasifika flair suits me more. The aggression, energy, and collisions.”

Lam gets the chance to unleash that new-found aggression on some old team-mates, who he said will be sure to remind him of his Crusader’s roots.

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Former Wellington mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast admits to having driver licence suspended

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dame Kerry Prendergast had her licence returned last week, with a remaining 60 demerits on it. 123RF

A former Wellington mayor has admitted to having her driving licence suspended after getting caught speeding five times.

Dame Kerry Prendergast told Nick Mills, the host of Wellington Mornings on Newstalk ZB live on air that she had lost her licence for three months before Christmas.

Prendergast admitted it while discussing whether speeding fines should be raised to reduce road deaths.

She told RNZ that she was “shocked” when her licence was suspended as she had not noticed the demerit points adding up over two years,

“Suddenly, you get a letter and you’re not allowed to drive,” she said,

NZTA suspends licences after 100 demerits are accumulated in a two-year period.

Prendergast had her licence returned last week, with a remaining 60 demerits on it, as the points gradually taper off.

“I’ve learnt my lesson and I won’t be speeding because I cannot go through the trauma of losing my licence again,” Dame Kerry said.

She said she struggled with the loss of independence and was upset with herself for speeding.

She had to rely on her husband to get around and walked a lot while she was not allowed to drive.

Her grandchildren were “shocked to find that their grandmother had been caught speeding not just once but five times”.

“They didn’t think it was funny at all.”

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Du Val property group collapse: Forensic accountants continue to find ‘areas of concern’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Du Val co-founder Kenyon Clarke. kenyonclarke.com

Forensic accountants are continuing to find “areas of concern” as they look into the accounts of the failed Du Val Group.

Statutory managers have released their latest six-month report into the group of about 70 entities that collapsed in 2024 owing more than $300 million to hundreds of people.

Its founders Charlotte and Kenyon Clarke have had their personal assets and passports frozen.

In the latest report, the statutory managers said they could not give many details about their latest discoveries because they did not want to prejudice any formal action that may come later.

The Financial Markets Authority was also investigating the group and had the power to pursue charges if warranted.

Today’s report showed the statutory managers still had many unanswered questions – the Clarkes had refused to be interviewed and had gone to the Court of Appeal seeking the right to refuse.

The managers said extensive forensic accounting analysis needed to continue partly because of the group’s “materially incomplete” accounting records.

“While investigations have progressed and further related issues have been identified for analysis, to ensure that any potential subsequent formal action is not prejudiced, no further information is currently able to be disclosed regarding our ongoing investigations into these areas of concern,” they said.

Broad concerns identified in earlier reports remained, including about GST transactions and the lack of clarity about goods paid for by the company but possessed by the Clarkes.

Since the last report, the debt owed by the group had fallen from $268 million to $226 million.

That was partly because some of its property developments had been sold including the Earlsworth, Sunnyvale and Edmonton residential projects.

None has been sold for a high enough price to cover the debt owing on them.

Investors in Du Vals Build to Rent Fund were likely to receive about 41 cents in the dollar on their investment after the sale of the fund’s residential properties in May last year, the report said.

Work was underway to sell to more developments, it said.

The report also gave an update on a British legal case against some Du Val entities that had wound up in New Zealand’s courts.

The British courts ordered Du Val to pay $1.35m (NZD) in damages and $164,205 (NZD) in costs.

The person awarded the costs was seeking to have the judgement recognised in New Zealand but the statutory managers opposed that in the High Court, the report said.

The judgement was pending.

The statutory managers are John Fisk, Stephen White and Lara Bennett.

They had previously been working under the PWC banner but the company sold its business restructuring arm to the global firm Teneo earlier this year.

The Authority said today it could not provide any update on where its investigation was at for “legal and confidentiality” reasons.

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Analysis: PM Christopher Luxon takes the reins and risk on looming economic crisis

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealanders are really starting to feel the pinch from the United States and Israel’s attacks as fuel prices get close to $4/litre at the pump. RNZ / Quin Tauetau

Analysis – An unexpected address from the Prime Minister in Wellington this week spoke volumes about the economic crisis the government is staring down the barrel of.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and the minister responsible for fuel security, Shane Jones, have been doing the heavy lifting on what the impacts may or may not be for New Zealand’s economy if the conflict in Iran drags on.

Already suffering a cost of living crisis, New Zealanders are really starting to feel the pinch from the United States and Israel’s attacks as fuel prices soar past $3 at the pump and the flow-on effects mean almost everything else – food, services, flights – also climb to unaffordable levels.

It’s an attack on the economy and that’s an issue National has pinned its electoral hopes on in November after promising in 2023 to get the country back on track.

Late last year Labour surpassed National as the party most trusted to respond to the economic challenges, and in the most recent Ipsos Monitor this month the two parties were neck-and-neck on the issue.

Labour is also seen as more capable on inflation and cost of living.

That’s no small concern for the major governing party as it prepares for a tightly-contested election, while simultaneously dealing with an economic shock not of its own making.

Enter Christopher Luxon.

While the foreign affairs’ nuances of the war in Iran are certainly not Luxon’s forte, on the economy he feels more comfortable and has a reputation at least as a former chief executive for knowing what he’s talking about on that front.

But until Thursday he wasn’t doing the talking – Willis and Jones were.

Luxon had tasked the pair with leading the work and then jumped on a plane for four days to the Pacific at about the exact time the situation reports got bleaker back home.

The ministerial advisory group is having online meetings every morning to get updates from officials, and Willis has been doing blanket coverage media interviews and press conferences for the past couple of weeks.

Jones has taken the lead on the fuel security element and has been very much second in command.

So not surprising Luxon chose to high-tail it down to the Beehive for a face-to-face meeting with his officials on Thursday morning about what the state of play is.

For the seven days prior he’d only been receiving updates via reports and phone calls and was keen to hear the lay of the land from those at the coal face of the government’s response.

It led to a last-minute decision to hold a media conference at Parliament, alongside Willis, where the substance of what the government was doing hadn’t changed but the tone certainly had.

The purpose of the media conference was two-fold: tell New Zealanders they need to be realistic about what might be coming down the line and how bad it might get, and put the prime minister in charge of a looming crisis.

The hope for National is that it can claw back the narrative of being a safe pair of hands when the economy is in choppy seas, but the flip side is that if things do get worse before they get better and things haven’t improved at all for Kiwis’ backpockets come the election, then it’s Luxon and Willis who will wear all of it.

The war coming to an end soon is crucial to their success because even if it does end in the next week or three, the lag effect is such that it will still take time for the economy to bounce back.

With an election just shy of eight months away, it isn’t a lot of runway.

The biggest take-away from Thursday’s update was the work being done to prepare cost-of-living relief for some people if the pain at the pump, the supermarket, and almost everywhere else, continues.

Willis has signalled she’s tasked Inland Revenue with finding the best way to get targeted, temporary, and timely funding to those working Kiwis who will be impacted the most.

The biggest problem she has isn’t how to administer it, but when to pull the trigger on it.

Go too early and the government books end up looking worse for longer, but go too late and voters feel like they’ve been abandoned.

Expect discussions on the specifics of that payment to be high on the agenda at Monday’s Cabinet meeting.

National has talked a big game on being fiscally prudent.

If there’s even a whiff of Willis and Luxon sliding into cost-of-living relief creep to try keep as many voters as possible happy in the months ahead, it will be deputy prime minister and Act leader David Seymour shouting the loudest.

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Isolated communities grappling with rising fuel costs

Source: Radio New Zealand

Town of Waitangi on Chatham Island. Vk2cz / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

Chatham Island council is meeting this afternoon to try and come up with a way to soften the blow as diesel prices jump a dollar a litre for the isolated community.

Meanwhile, in Waiheke Island, petrol prices are sitting [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/590158/foodstuff-s-petrol-stations-continue-to-offer-discounts-despite-stores-running-dry close to $4 and the main Waiheke ferry is making some timetable changes to accommodate increasing fuel costs.

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a bump in drivers filling up amid fears over the Iran war and potential shortages, but Chatham’s runs slightly differently.

The islands ship petrol and diesel to the island. It’s heavily reliant on diesel as the main form of fuel to power the island.

Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust chief executive and council interim CEO Bob Penter said diesel was at $2.29 per litre and petrol at $4.50 per litre before the conflict in the Middle East.

He said they have capacity to store 400,000 litres on the island, but the problem will arise when they have to buy more at the current prices.

“Diesel has experienced much greater price increases rather than the increases we are seeing with petrol, so diesel is where we are experiencing most of our pressure at the moment.

“The higher prices are starting to flow through to what we need to purchase to top up our on island supplies, so we will have to consider over the next few days, looking at when we need to announce price adjustments and the price is obviously likely to increase.

“It’s risen about a dollar in purchase cost.”

But Penter is determined not to put that increase directly on islanders.

“The main concern for us is if we are able to soften the blow for Chatham Islanders, rather than the price climbing up a steep faced waterfall, if we can have a bit more of a gentle slope with gradual increases rather than a sudden shock.”

“We will give people as much forewarning as we can of any price changes. It won’t be a price at 11.59pm and another price at 12am and they don’t find out till morning.”

He said because the island had some resilience with storage and stock levels there was hope.

“We can potentially absorb some of the price increases from the new stock coming in as we release the old stock, so its just how we manage that in terms of a timing pathway and ensuring that we are meeting our purchase price that we have to pay.”

Chatham Islands was already the most expensive place to buy petrol in New Zealand before the conflict at $4.50.

He said it had to be that price because it was a expensive and dangerous process to get it.

“Petrol is probably ok at the moment because we do have some reserves… we are watching it really closely… if the current pricing structure we are seeing for petrol in New Zealand continues then I’m afraid inevitable it’s going to flow through to the Chathams and what we are able to price petrol for.”

As for the Hauraki Gulf, ferry company Fullers said despite the rising costs they have no current plans to make changes to the pricing.

It said they will make timetable changes to some destinations so they can ensure a reliable and sustainable service.

Fullers said it will revert to its off peak timetable slightly earlier than planned, starting Saturday.

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