Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire investigators looking into the blaze in Tongariro National Park are asking for dashcam footage from drivers in the area.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it wanted to hear from anyone with a dashcam who was on State Highway 47 on Saturday afternoon between 1-3pm .

A particular area of interest was SH47 from the intersection with SH4 to the intersection with SH46, it said.

FENZ said SH47 would reopen at 5pm on Tuesday with speed restrictions in place.

FENZ district commander Nigel Dravitzki said aerial mapping has confirmed 2935 hectares of the park has been scorched, and while no obvious signs of fire had been seen, it was still being treated as a live fireground.

“There may be patches of smouldering vegetation that would reignite very easily in windy conditions. That is common fire behaviour, especially in an environment like this where the vegetation dries out easily.”

He said 35 firefighers had been patrolling tracks inside the fireground today, and that FENZ would remain on site to respond to any flare ups.

The main Tongariro track is expected to stay shut until at least next week after devastating wildfire.

Recent rain is helping hugely to bring the massive Tongariro National Park blaze under control, Fire and Emergency says.

Thirty-five crews of Department of Conservation firefighters remain at the site on Tuesday, while drones with thermal imaging equipment have begun checking the flanks of the fireground for hotspots.

A helicopter is on standby to fly over and assess the full extent of the damage. However, low cloud has meant it has been unable to do an aerial assessment of the site, which is estimated to cover up to 2800 hectares.

Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka’s office said part of the National Park is open, but the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro Northern Circuit, Tama Lakes and walks near Whakapapa Village would be closed until at least Monday.

“We will be in a better place to give an indication of when tracks and huts will re-open and any impacts on summer tramping once the fire has been controlled and FENZ have confirmed it is safe for us to assess damage,” a spokesperson said.

“But there will be some time before everything is cleared away and we know the true extent of biodiversity loss,” Potaka said.

He said police were investigating the cause of the fire.

“We have managed to protect some key infrastructure so we hope to be able to reopen the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit (except Oturere Hut) quickly,” Potaka’s office said.

About 605 people were booked for the day crossing over this week, however it is expected others would have booked closer to the time at short notice.

There were 92 people booked in a hut or campsite until Friday night, with those people informed the area was closed and their cost refunded.

FENZ assistant commander Renee Potae said recent rain had been a huge help.

“The key thing has been the rain, especially the runoff from the mountain. That runoff is running into the fireground and really helping us get control of this fire.”

However, while flames may no longer be visible, it does not mean the fire has been fully extinguished.

“While you can’t see too much sign of fire right now on the surface, it doesn’t mean it’s not still burning underground,” Potae said.

“So while we’ll start to see some of the resources start to demobilise over the next few days, there will be, for several days, some crews continuing to monitor the fire just to make sure it’s out.”

Meanwhile, an iwi representative said the rāhui over the scene will give the whenua time to breathe.

Two rāhui have been put in place, covering the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track and any burnt areas.

Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro representative Te Ngaehe Wanikau said: “The restoration is not about excluding, it’s not prohibiting.”

Wanikau said the restorative rāhui was not in the usual sense of rāhui which happens after a tragedy.

A restorative rāhui was about focusing on bringing the area back to what it should be, he said.

The “greatest” fear was the burnt area going into the “too hard basket and then we see yellow flowers of broom all over our mountain”.

The rāhui was an opportunity for “everyone and anyone” to focus on making it a restorative project that showed what the area could look like if the problem was dealt with.

He said they would work with agencies to determine the extent of the damage.

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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 lawyer for a woman who accused former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending says police failed his client by dismissing her complaints and ultimately prosecuting her for speaking out.

The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and the woman who at the time was a junior non-sworn police employee.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former Commissioner Andrew Coster in relation to how police responded to the claims.

An internal report in February 2024 identified that emails allegedly sent by the woman raised potential criminal and Police Code of Conduct concerns relating to McSkimming and recommended referring them to the National Integrity Unit and IPCA with a view to possible investigation.

But this didn’t happen instead the only investigation focused on potential offences by the woman under the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

The woman was charged in May last year with causing harm by posting digital communication in relation to over 300 emails she allegedly sent to McSkimming’s work email address between December 2023 and April 2024.

The emails included abusive and derogatory language directed towards McSkimming and other people.

The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence.

However, a suppression order on McSkimming’s identity as a complainant remained until it was lifted on Tuesday.

In a statement to RNZ, the woman’s lawyer Steven Lack, said police “failed my client”.

“Over a period of years, she attempted to report allegations of serious physical, psychological and sexual offending by Mr McSkimming, then one of the most senior Police Officers in the country. Instead of being heard, she was dismissed and ultimately prosecuted for speaking out and raising her concerns.

“At every stage, the Police had the opportunity to engage with her, to properly assess what she was saying, and to investigate her allegations. They could have viewed her as a traumatised victim. They chose not to. They accepted Mr McSkimming’s denials without meaningful inquiry and placed the full weight of the criminal justice system on my client for more than a year until the charge against her was withdrawn. Understandably this has had a devastating impact on her.

“The way her complaints were handled should alarm all New Zealanders. It suggests that the Police were more focused on protecting Mr McSkimming’s career and advancement than on properly assessing serious allegations of offending against him.”

Lack said the police were an organisation “entrusted by the community to protect and serve”.

“In my client’s case, they did neither.

The report

The Independent Police Conduct Authority earlier announced it was investigating allegations of misconduct by McSkimming following a complaint from a member of the public.

“This comprises oversight of a police investigation into whether there has been any criminal wrongdoing by Mr McSkimming and a review of whether there has been any related non-criminal misconduct.”

It was also investigating if there was misconduct or neglect of duty by any other police officers or employees in the course of responding to the allegations.

The final report was shown to a group of people on 24 October.

It is yet to be released publicly due to a suppression order that lifted today in relation to a charge that was laid against the woman who accused McSkimming of sexual misconduct.

An affidavit filed by the IPCA in opposition to the suppression and obtained by RNZ, outlines a summary of the IPCA’s investigation.

The allegations of sexual misconduct arose from a sexual relationship between the woman and McSkimming that began in 2016 and 2017.

McSkimming was 42 at the time, and the woman was about 20 years younger.

After the relationship ended towards the end of 2017, specific allegations against McSkimming appeared in an anonymous Facebook post in 2018.

The allegations were not picked up by police or the IPCA because neither had systems in place at the time to identify them as a possible complaint.

However, the IPCA had identified a number of serious failings in the subsequent response to the woman’s complaints during 2023 and early 2024, before police took preliminary steps to investigate in mid 2024.

The failings included neither McSkimming nor Coster adequately disclosing to the Public Service Commission the sexual relationship between McSkimming and the woman and the allegations, during the appointment process for statutory Deputy Commissioner in early 2023.

In April 2023, further allegations apparently made by the woman were tagged to the Police LinkedIn announcement that McSkimming had been appointed as a statutory Deputy Commissioner.

The IPCA’s affidavit said there was no consideration of the need for an investigation.

The affidavit included several extracts from three specific complaints against McSkimmming made via the Police 105 online reporting portal in late April 2024.

The complaints claimed to come from McSkimming himself but contained allegations of sexual offending by him.

They accused McSkimming of sexual misconduct, including an allegation that he threatened to provide an intimate visual recording to other people if the woman made a complaint about him and that he misused police resources, including a police credit card, in connection with the sexual relationship.

Once again, the IPCA found a number of serious failings in the way in which the police responded to those complaints and undertook a preliminary investigation.

The IPCA was not notified in accordance with normal processes, there was an “unacceptable delay” in initiating an investigation, which effectively did not commence until July, and the terms of reference were “inappropriately worded” and did not comply with Police Adult Sexual Assault policy.

It wasn’t until October 2024, that the police notified the IPCA. It was then, the authority said that senior officers made attempts to influence its investigation.

“Those attempts were perceived by some others within police as an attempt to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise McSkimming’s prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police.”

McSkimming was placed on “special leave” as the IPCA began its investigation in November.

The following month, police began a criminal investigation into that allegation. McSkimming was formally suspended on 23 December.

It was during that investigation that police found the objectionable material on his work devices and a second criminal investigation began.

The report did not find that the senior officers colluded in the way in which they responded to the complaints, but it did conclude that there was serious misconduct by a “significant number of very senior officers” and other senior police employees that had “undermined the integrity of the organisation as a whole”.

“Those findings were made in respect of, among others, the then Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner, two Assistant Commissioners, and a Detective Superintendent.”

The IPCA said police failed to act on the allegations the woman made, and instead focused only on her actions.

There should have been parallel, but connected investigations. This did not occur until well after she had been charged.

“In essence, police officers and employees dealing with the matters displayed an inability to balance a proper concern for Mr McSkimming and his family in relation to the harassing emails, with the need to consider that the emails contained complaints of potential misconduct by Mr McSkimming that needed to be investigated.”

The IPCA found this partly occurred because officers “simply accepted without question the narrative presented to them by Mr McSkimming”.

The IPCA concluded that the current structures and processes to protect the integrity of policing were inadequate and had recommended that several significant changes, both internal and external to police, were required.

In September, Police announced McSkimming would not be charged in relation to the allegations of sexual misconduct.

Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said Police had completed its investigation into allegations against a former senior police member.

“The investigation concluded that the evidential test for prosecution had not been met, therefore no charges will be laid.

Johnson said the investigation and decision not to charge were independently reviewed by a King’s Counsel and peer reviewed by a Crown Law appointed barrister.

“The investigation was thorough and led by a Detective Superintendent. It had independent engagement throughout from the IPCA and a Crown Law appointed barrister.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporting

Landscape architecture students have placed Māori history and values at the heart of their reimagining of Waitohi Picton’s Nelson Square.

The group of 14 second-year students from Victoria University of Wellington has opened an exhibition of their work at the Picton Library and Service Centre – Waitohi Whare Mātauranga.

The exhibition, which runs until November 19, features 10 concept designs for a revamped Nelson Square, and residents are invited to provide feedback on the designs via a QR code.

Students also presented their designs to Marlborough District Council, which would consider them as part of a deliberative process on the future of the square.

The exhibition was the culmination of a months-long project, which included a research trip in July to scope the site, and speak to residents and mana whenua about what they wanted from the space.

Many of the students, who worked in pairs, took inspiration from local Māori history, legends, and the environment in their designs.

The Tohorā Thread, by Charlotte London and Isla Hawkins, took its main inspiration from the Tohorā, or Southern Right Whale.

“To Māori, the Tohorā represented navigation, exploration and guidance across the ocean, much like the ferries that arrive in Waitohi today,” London and Hawkins wrote in their explainer.

Their design featured a Corten steel wall shaped like a whale that told the story of Te Atiawa’s voyage to Waitohi and water-activated concrete paint that revealed other parts of Te Atiawa’s story when it rained.

Two groups where inspired by Te Ihu Moe One, the snout of the taniwha Tui Ngarara, whose journey toward the ocean after getting stuck in mud created the Tuamarina River Valley, otherwise known as Waitohi Valley.

Samuel Fauth and Billy Lamont said the main path of their design, Te Haerenga o te Taniwha, would symbolise the taniwha’s journey to the ocean, the path would be surrounded by mounds, showing how the taniwha moved the earth around it.

Their communal area would represent the carving out of Koromiko, where the taniwha was said to have thrashed around and created a bowl shape, Fauth and Lamont said.

Ruby Gregson and Georgia Van den Broke wrote that their design Te Ara Whetu was inspired by Matariki.

Navigation was a big part of their design, by using directional markers designed with mana whenua to orient visitors and introduce the stories of the stars, Gregon and Van den Broke said.

“Pathways branch like constellations, linking the central campus, Auckland reserve, and the waterfront into a sequence of spaces in their own celestial network.”

An amphitheatre would mark the centre of the constellation, as a place for people to gather under the stars.

Other projects featured an octopus playground inspired by the legend of Kupe and Te Wheke-o-Muturangi, as well as a fragrance garden, a tea house for Rongoā tea, and seats made of recycled railway sleepers.

Victoria University teaching fellow Maria Rodgers said it was exciting for the students to be able to work on a “real world project”.

“The students have worked very hard on this because they care,” Rodgers said.

“Some of the designs are ambitious but hopefully there will be elements in them that the public will feel a connection to which could in turn lead to a redesign of Nelson Square.

“We would like to thank all those people whose passion for Waitohi Picton has supported this project.”

Vice-chairperson of Te Ātiawa Trust and chairperson of Waikawa Marae Rita Powick said design and development was an importance medium for understanding local history.

“Sharing knowledge and pūrākau (stories) that acknowledge our special landmarks and people, help bring depth and purpose into a space as it’s reimagined,” Powick said.

The project came from work between the council, Victoria University, Te Ātiawa and Kūmānu’s landscape architecture team, who co-ordinated the project with Better Off Funding provided by central government.

Visitors could provide feedback on the designs on the Reimagining Nelson Square website.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Emergency services are swarming a central Wellington street, which has been closed to the public.

Police were called to an incident on Willis Street at 3.30pm, and say the road is now shut between Manners and Dixon streets.

An RNZ staffer says firefighters are using a crane to reach the upper levels of a building.

Fenz has confirmed they’re “assisting police”.

Five police cars and ambulances are also at the scene.

The public has been asked to avoid the area.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mining company OceanaGold has consent to keep mining gold at its Macraes site in East Otago for another five years.

The Otago Regional Council has approved the Macraes operation until 2030, through a non-notified process.

The company had been planning a major expansion of the mine and intends to submit a fast-track application for that work next year.

OceanaGold’s senior vice president for legal and public affairs Alison Paul said the consent was a narrow application to keep the mine running in the meantime.

“These consents allow mining to continue at Macraes through to around 2030 and authorise the clearance of a small area of grass and tussock on land we own adjacent to the Innes Mills Pit, and for us to continue depositing tailings into the existing Frasers tailings storage facility,” she said.

The non-notified consent process was appropriate given the minor level of additional effects, she said.

Under the company’s expansion plan – known as Macraes Phase Four – it planned to dig the open pits deeper and wider, process low-grade ore and develop new tailings storage.

Paul said the company expected to apply for consent to operate until 2035.

“While this will be the first time we use fast-track at our Macraes Operation, our experience using fast-track in a major project has shown us that the same level of detail currently required under the RMA is equally required under fast-track. The same investigative and evidential rigour, and the same environmental standards remain. We remain committed to working constructively with all stakeholders throughout this process,” she said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Armed police are searching for an offender reported to have a gun, who fled a car crash in the Christchurch suburb of New Brighton.

It plunged a nearby primary school into lockdown for around two hours.

Police said they were called to Rocking Horse Road after a car collided with two parked vehicles. No one was injured in the crash.

“It is reported the offender fled the scene with a firearm,” a police spokesperson said.

Police are making enquiries to identify and locate the offender.

A local woman, who did not want to be named, said neighbours came rushing out when they heard the crash happen.

“We all heard a giant crash and were quite concerned because it was the kind of crash where you think people have been hurt. We rushed out from all directions,” she said.

She said locals saw a young man running down the road and into a side street.

“Two older women were walking down the street, I don’t know if they actually saw it happen but they saw him running down the road and he had an air rifle in his hand. They tried to stop him, which wasn’t very wise,” she said.

“The police said they had no luck with the dogs. The young man has vanished.”

Nelson Myers-Daley said his wife was home at the time the car crashed into their parked car, leaving it badly damaged.

“She heard a big crash of metal and came running out, then she saw someone jumping out of the car and running,” he said.

Myers-Daley said the force of the crash propelled their car about four metres forward.

“It’s not what you want to have happen on sunny day on Rocking Horse Road. Hopefully they find whoever did it,” he said.

South New Brighton School in Christchurch was put in lockdown just after 2pm on Tuesday. The lockdown was lifted around two hours later.

A school representative confirmed the school is in lockdown and parents have been contacted.

A message from the school said police had advised the school of an incident in the area, and to go into lockdown.

It said police will let the school know when students could go home.

Police said cordons are in place and the public is asked to avoid the area.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An investigation into police handling of complaints against former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was critical of the actions of former Commissioner Andrew Coster, RNZ understands.

McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop in May amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.

The 52-year-old was later arrested and is facing eight charges of possessing objectionable publications, including child sexual exploitation and bestiality material over a four-year period.

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

The Independent Police Conduct Authority earlier announced it was investigating allegations of misconduct by McSkimming following a complaint from a member of the public.

“This comprises oversight of a police investigation into whether there has been any criminal wrongdoing by Mr McSkimming and a review of whether there has been any related non-criminal misconduct.”

It was also conducting an investigation into if there was misconduct or neglect of duty by any other police officers or employee in the course of responding to the allegations.

Several high-ranking members of police are believed to have been interviewed as part of the investigation.

RNZ earlier revealed the final report was shown to a group of people on 24 October.

It is understood the final report was critical of Coster in terms of his action and inaction in response to allegations about McSkimming.

RNZ earlier asked Coster, who is now the chief executive of the Social Investment Agency (SIA) for comment on the criticisms in the days after the final report was shown to a group of people.

A SIA spokesperson said that as the report was not released publicly it was “inappropriate for Mr Coster to comment at this time”.

“The IPCA has stated that there is no public release at this time due to ongoing Court matters.”

RNZ also asked the Public Service Commissioner’s office for comment.

A spokesperson said the commissioner had a copy of the report, and was not making any comment.

IPCA investigations manager Stu Graham also declined to comment..

The IPCA earlier confirmed it had completed its investigation into police handling of complaints against McSkimming. Other aspects of its investigation were ongoing.

The IPCA were releasing its report “in confidence to a very limited audience”.

“There is no public release at this time due to ongoing Court matters.

“We will not make any further comment”

In September, RNZ asked the IPCA for comment on draft findings that had been circulated.

Graham said at the time the authority had not at that time made any findings.

“Whatever currently exists is in draft form for the benefit of any officer who may wish to make submissions.

“In our view it would be inappropriate for you to publish anything relating to any such draft at this stage and indeed would be unfairly prejudicial to all officers concerned.”

In November last year McSkimming was placed on “special leave” as the IPCA investigated an allegation of sexual misconduct from a former non-sworn female police employee. The following month police began a criminal investigation into that allegation.

RNZ understands it was during police’s investigation that the alleged objectionable material was found on his work devices.

A second criminal investigation was then launched which led to McSkimming resigning in May and later being arrested on eight representative charges of possessing objectionable publications, namely child sexual exploitation and bestiality material knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the publication is objectionable.

Police earlier said McSkimming would not be charged in relation to the sexual misconduct allegations.

Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said the investigation concluded that the evidential test for prosecution had not been met.

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