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Hide and seek ends with dirt bikes seized

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have seized three dirt bikes following two separate incidents in south Auckland this week.

On Wednesday afternoon Police were called following a number of reports relating to dirt bikes being ridden dangerously along Springs Road, Ōtara.

Senior Sergeant Simon Cornish, of Counties Manukau East Police, says as the bikes were allegedly gathering at the intersection of Springs Road and Smales Road and have attempted to block the road.

“One of the riders allegedly hit a member of the public’s vehicle and his front wheel has buckled and caused him to fall off the bike.

“Witnesses reported that the other riders present have then ridden around the vehicle trying to intimidate the driver.”

Senior Sergeant Cornish says Police arrived quickly, and Eagle was deployed to the area to assist in locating the group.

“Our eyes in the sky were able to track one rider to an address in Heron Place, Pakuranga Heights where he was taken into custody and his bike seized.”

He says while officers were on the ground patrolling, a member of the public alerted them to a bike which was hidden behind a nearby tree.

“The damaged bike has also been seized.

“Officers completed a number of follow up enquiries however we are yet to locate the victim in this matter so if this was you, or you know who this driver was, please get in touch with us.”

The following day, on Thursday, Senior Sergeant Cornish says Police were notified about a dirt bike rider travelling in a dangerous manner on Gilbert Road.

“Staff arrived quickly and located the rider on Alexander Crescent and he was swiftly taken into custody and his bike seized.

“He is now facing a range of charges including dangerous driving and possession of methamphetamine.

“We want to thank the community for assisting with our enquiries and continue to encourage people to report anti-social motorcycle riding.

“This is a reminder to people that it is illegal to ride a dirt bike on the road unless it is roadworthy with a current warrant and registration.”

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

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Students should be in school, not on strike

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Education Minister David Seymour says students going on strike today would make a bigger difference by showing up to school, working hard, and taking every opportunity to learn.

“The previous government said protesting instead of attending school could be justified. In my view, that is unacceptable. My expectation is that schools will treat students protesting today as explained but unjustified absences,” says Mr Seymour.

“If students want to show how much this cause means to them, they could march on Saturday in their own time. That would send a stronger message than taking a day off school.

“The silver lining is that we’ve come a long way since 2019, when around 170,000 students took the day off school. Only a fraction of that number is taking part now. That is evidence that attitudes towards school attendance are improving as the Government, schools, parents, and students make it a priority.

“I appreciate some students have passionate views and feel anxious about their futures. To them I say: if you want to make real change in the world, you need to turn up to school and get a good education now.

“Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Those outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, greater job stability, and stronger participation in communities. These are opportunities every student deserves.

“I encourage students, parents, and educators to prioritise education. That is what this Government is doing, and it is what New Zealand needs for a better future.”

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Healthy School Lunch Programme saves more money

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will continue delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme (the Programme) in 2027, saving taxpayers another $122 million. 

“When schools open in 2027, the programme will offer nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day, at a cost affordable to the taxpayer,” Mr Seymour says.

“Since the beginning of Term 1 2025, the Programme has delivered over 48 million meals to over 1,000 schools. By the end of 2027 the Programme is expected to save about $360 million compared to how Labour funded it.

“The Programme continues to improve. After fixing some teething issues, the Programme now delivers a good service. On time delivery is almost 100 per cent every day and complaints have fallen by over 92 per cent. We are getting the same results as the old programme, but cheaper.

“Under the Labour-led government, lunches cost up to $8.68 per student. Under this Government the weighted average meal cost across all suppliers is $3.58. Through innovation and embracing commercial expertise, we’re delivering a better programme.”

Budget 2026 provides $212.4 million of funding to extend the Healthy School Lunches and ECE Food programmes for another year. 

“The Healthy School Lunch programme is expected realise taxpayer savings of $122 million in 2027. $4.8 million of those savings each year will go to ensuring up to 10,000 children in early learning services receive a taxpayer funded lunch every day,” Mr Seymour says. 

“The ECE Food programme will continue in 2027. The Ministry of Education is going to market to strengthen this important programme. We need to be sure the best quality lunches are delivered in the way that works best for ECE services.

“$2.9 million from Budget 2026 will go towards exploring new approaches to make the Programme better. For example, the equity index based eligibility of the Programme means that some students who need taxpayer funded lunches don’t get them, because they are at an ineligible school. Funding will go towards piloting ways to best understand who should get taxpayer funded lunches, and how to get lunches to those children,” Mr Seymour says. 

“When the Government manages its accounts like families and businesses have to, money goes a lot further.”

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Luxon confirms criminalisation of those he’s made homeless

Source: Green Party

Luxon’s decision to provide Police with the power to issue move-on orders to homeless people as young as 14 will have disastrous consequences for our country and our most vulnerable, says the Green Party. 

“Christopher Luxon has chosen to make more people homeless, and now he’s criminalising them for being homeless,” says Green Party Co-leader and Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick.

“It costs $200,000 a year to chuck someone in prison, for worse and worse outcomes. The Government refuses to spend a fraction of that on actually supporting people who need it, which not only would improve and save lives, but also save money in the long run as people are able to get back on their feet.”

“Police have been clear they’re not social service workers. Social services are crying out for the resources to actually solve the problem. The Government responded with cuts, and now criminalisation.”

“If you want to solve homelessness, house people. Instead, Luxon’s pushed more people into homelessness and is now criminalising people for not having a home, and nowhere else to go.”

“I’ve invited Luxon for two years to the streets of Auckland Central to meet the people, including the children, who his decisions have made homeless. He’s refused to engage. Today, he’s decided to lock up those as young as 14 for the ‘crime’ of not being able to get support.”

“This is not leadership. It’s punching down on the most vulnerable people you could imagine, after ripping away their support,” says Swarbrick

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‘Never seen anything like it’: Fuel prices rocket upwards, food stays flat

Source: Radio New Zealand

  • Inflation surge coming driven by fuel prices
  • Petrol up a third, diesel nearly doubled in two months
  • Energy and airfares also higher
  • Food inflation takes a rest, flat for the month, annual rate lowest in a year
  • Items make up just under half consumer price index

The price of fuel and transport has skyrocketed while food costs have held steady, in a partial inflation survey.

Stats NZ data confirmed steep price rises for petrol and diesel over the past couple of months as the Middle East conflict broke out, leading to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.

“In the two months since February 2026, petrol has increased 33.6 percent and diesel has increased 94.9 percent,” Stats NZ spokesperson Nicola Growden said.

The world oil benchmark Brent Crude has averaged more than US$100 (NZ$170) a barrel since the start of the conflict.

Domestic airfares increased 4.2 percent, and international airfares increased 6.2 percent in April on the previous month.

“Easter, school holidays, and Anzac Day fell in April this year,” Growden said.

“Airfares reflect pricing set up to 12 months in advance, so movements can be influenced by a range of factors.”

Annually, domestic airfares fell 6.9 percent, and international airfares fell 6.5 percent in the 12 months ended April.

‘Off the scale’ price rises sending people into debt

Brad Olsen. LDR

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen told Midday Report the fuel price rises were “off the scale”.

“For the likes of diesel you’ve never seen anything like it, even for petrol things are bigger than they’ve ever been.”

He said the speed of the price rises has caught many firms by surprise and they had no chance of catching up in recovering the higher prices, while it also meant households having to reorganise their budgets.

“What do you plan for, because that uncertainty in the market, and how quickly those prices have shot up are a real concern.. we’ll be watching confidence and spending, how are people responding to this.”

Waikato student nurse and mother-of-four Poihaere Whare told Midday Report financial pressure was hitting hard for students all over New Zealand.

“We have to do what we do to get by and that’s including the bare necessities like food.

“I haven’t had fresh fruit and vegetables for a wee while… I always put myself last.”

She said every student was struggling differently and many had no choice but to get into Afterpay debt.

Whare said she tried to fill her car at times when it was cheaper, but did use Afterpay if she could not wait for those times.

“I’m a mum. I have to prioritise what’s important at the moment.”

She said her kura was offering her some support and many universities were offering hardship grants to students.

Cheaper fruit and vegetables, notably kiwifruit and apples, along with legs of lamb offset slightly higher avocados, meat pies and chocolate blocks. Unsplash / Getty Images

Food inflation falls

Offering some relief from fuel price rises were flat food prices for the month, and a slowdown in the annual food inflation rate.

Cheaper fruit and vegetables, notably kiwifruit and apples, along with legs of lamb offset slightly higher avocados, meat pies and chocolate blocks.

Annual food inflation slowed to 2.6 percent, the lowest rate since February 2025, with meat, coffee, and bread notable increases.

Electricity prices were the other significant price rise for the month, gaining 2.3 percent, taking the annual increase to 13.1 percent, while gas prices were up 10.4 percent for the year.

“Electricity prices have been increasing every month from December 2024,” Growden said.

The items represented about half the consumer price index and back forecasts of an inflation spike caused by the conflict.

Cash rate rises coming

ASB senior economist Mark Smith estimated the inflation spike for prices was about 1.3 percent for the month, although the overall survey was a bit softer than he expected.

“What appears to be apparent, however, is that consumer caution and the subdued demand backdrop is having more of a moderating impact on inflation.

He was forecasting annual inflation to hit 4.3 percent in the June quarter from 3.1 percent in March, with the outlook uncertain as to how long it would stay high.

But Smith said it was a certainty the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) would raise the official cash rate (OCR).

“We expect the RBNZ to begin normalising monetary policy settings from July, with hikes in 25 basis point increments and the OCR ending the year at 3.25 percent.”

“The timing is tricky, and the case can be made for an earlier (May) or later (September) start to OCR hikes.”

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

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Immunisation rates for tamariki Māori up 10 percentage points

Source: Radio New Zealand

Between late 2024 to the end of last month, immunisations for two-year-olds had gone up by about 10 percentage points. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Māori immunisation rates for two-year-old children are rising, according to new Health New Zealand (HNZ) figures.

Between late 2024 to the end of last month, immunisations for the age group had gone up by about 10 percentage points.

Rates for full immunisation at two years old went from 60 percent to 71.5 percent.

However, a gap remained between Māori and non-Māori immunisation rates.

“While the increase is encouraging, we acknowledge there is more work to be done,” HNZ said.

For the same period, the gap between Māori and non-Māori immunisation rates narrowed by 2.3 percentage points, from 14.3 percent to 12 percent.

Health New Zealand said the progress reflected the continued efforts of whānau, communities, and health providers working together to protect tamariki and support healthy futures.

The agency said it had been focused on improving immunisation uptake by bettering access to care, offering home visits to tamariki who are overdue on an immunisation.

“We remain committed to continuing this momentum, working alongside iwi, Hauora Māori partners, and communities to further improve immunisation rates.”

The government’s health targets set out in 2024 included improved immunisation.

Its goal was to see 95 percent of children fully immunised at 24 months of age, the same target as Australia, the UK and Canada.

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

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Hamilton police charge man after 125 packages of synthetic drugs seized

Source: New Zealand Police

Hamilton Police have seized dozens of packaged synthetic drugs ready for sale during a search warrant recently, resulting in one man facing charges.

Our Prevention teams recently executed a warrant at a Hamilton property, locating 125 individually packaged quantities of synthetic drugs, with an estimated street value of approximately $2,500.

Also located were cannabis, drug utensils, and cash believed to be proceeds of offending, along with unlawfully held ammunition. 

A 58-year-old man has been charged with supplying a psychoactive substance and possession of cannabis.

This type of product can have serious adverse effects when consumed, as well as addiction and associated offending, and police are committed to disrupting the supply of such harmful substances from our communities.

If you have information about suspicious behaviour or possible drug-related offending, please report it by calling Police on 105 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Your information helps us keep our communities safe.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

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Waitangi Tribunal calls for immediate halt to changes to education legislation affecting Treaty

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Mark Papalii

The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended an immediate halt to draft legislation weakening government obligations to the Treaty in education, which it says is as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill in its attempt to erase the Crown’s duty to the Treaty.

In its stage one report, the Tribunal found the Crown breached the principles of partnership and good government when it planned to either weaken or entirely erase the Treaty clauses in the Education and Training Act (ETA).

In her letter addressed to Ministers Paul Goldsmith, Erica Standford, David Seymour, Tama Potaka and Shane Jones, presiding officer Rachel Mullins said the Tribunal only found out about the Crown plans the night before their inquiry was due to start.

“On the eve of hearing, Crown counsel filed a memorandum revealing your intention, as agreed by Cabinet on 23 February 2026, to downgrade the treaty standard in multiple sections of the Act to no higher than ‘take into account’, to amend or repeal section 536A(1), and to replace references to te Tiriti with a reference to both texts.”

“Cabinet’s decisions were new to us and had been made without any consultation or engagement with Māori,” she said.

The report found the Crown failed to meaningfully engage with the Māori on the proposed changes by only reaching out to one national Māori body, the National Iwi Chairs Forum, after “substantive decisions” had been made.

“We found Minister Goldsmith’s view that the select committee would otherwise provide a sufficient opportunity for others to provide input to be manifestly inadequate and an insult to Māori.

“We considered that the Crown acted contrary to officials’ advice and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the (likely and advised) harm to the Māori-Crown relationship that would result from its approach,” Mullins said.

The inquiry was filed by Ngāti Hine, Te Kapotai and education union NZEI Te Riu Roa and was originally set to look into the removal of school boards’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and plans to reset the national curriculum.

The Tribunal expanded the scope of the inquiry in light of last minute revelations and has granted urgency to a separate inquiry into proposed changes to Treaty clauses across eight other Acts.

‘Ripple effects’

The report also found the Cabinet agreed to the proposals despite “clear and repeated” advice from its own officials that not enough was known about the potential impacts of the proposals.

Minister Paul Goldsmith RNZ / Mark Papalii

“What was known, however, was the proposals carried a risk of harm to the Māori-Crown relationship and, as treaty provisions can act as safeguards for Māori interests, reducing or repealing obligations therein could disproportionately impact Māori. We agreed with officials that downgrading treaty standards in the Act to as low as ‘take into account’ would signal a shift in the Crown’s commitment to the treaty as it applies to education.”

“Minister Goldsmith is yet to make decisions on changes to the purpose provisions in the Act, which refer to giving effect to and honouring the treaty. He seems likely to downgrade those commitments too, the potential impact of which would send ripple effects across the Act.”

Mullins wrote that the decision to diminish the Crown’s treaty obligations in the Education and Training Act to one of the lowest standards of ‘take into account’ – despite the lack of engagement and the strongly worded official advice not to do so – represents a major breach of the treaty and its principles.

“It is as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill in its attempt to erase the Crown’s duty to comply with the agreement made between Māori and the Crown in 1840. It may even be worse, because the Treaty Principles Bill in theory was never going to be enacted.

“It is, as we put it, an attempt by the Crown to takahi the mana of the treaty and its place in the laws of Aotearoa. We do not have jurisdiction to discuss the amendments intended for other pieces of legislation, but we would be surprised if our findings did not apply equally to those as well.”

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

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Baby Soul Turany’s violent death never discussed by mother and partner, inquest told

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tony Farmer. Pool / Chris Skelton / Stuff

The two people suspected to be responsible for the death of baby Soul Turany never discussed how the boy suffered his catastrophic head injuries, an inquest has heard.

Police say either the boy’s mother Storme Turany or her then-partner Tony Farmer must have inflicted the injuries that killed the 16-week-old, some time on the morning of 30 August, 2014 at their rural home near Darfield.

Soul died early on 31 August, 2014.

Clinicians have told the inquest into Soul’s death that he could not have injured himself, the person who did it would have known what they had done and Soul would have been unconscious soon after the assault.

Coroner Ian Telford advised Turany and Farmer of the privilege against self-incrimination before they gave evidence in Christchurch.

During more than nine hours on the stand Turany did not invoke that privilege and strenuously denied any involvement in her son’s death, instead pointing the finger at Farmer.

On Friday, Farmer also denied ever harming Soul.

A possibility put to Farmer by counsel assisting the coroner Jamie O’Sullivan was that, “You were not Soul’s father, you’ve been in a stressful situation, Storme’s snapping at you, you became stressed and annoyed at Soul?”

“No, I wasn’t,” Farmer responded.

“Have you ever become frustrated with Soul and handled him roughly?” O’Sullivan asked.

“No,” Farmer responded. Farmer said he had also never handled his own child roughly.

Asked what he would say in response to suggestions he had harmed Soul, Farmer said “that I didn’t”.

Farmer went to Soul’s funeral and stayed with Turany for several days afterwards.

He told the inquest he wanted to remain in a relationship with her.

“I loved Storme,” he said. “Maybe now I might not have been in as much love as I thought I had been, but at the time, yep.”

Farmer said the couple never spoke about how Soul died, despite both being told by police one of them must have caused the non-accidental injuries.

“She said she was confused, but we didn’t discuss anything to do with Soul or cause of death or anything like that,” he said.

Asked why not, he responded, “I don’t know – just neither of us did.

“Obviously she wasn’t doing too well. She was upset so I didn’t really want to bring it up. It sounds silly, such a raw subject. You might have questions but you don’t want to upset someone further.”

Soul Turany. Supplied / Facebook

On the morning Soul was injured, he woke between 3am and 3.30am and was unsettled. Turany spent much of the morning trying to settle him, including giving the child paracetamol and a nasal spray.

Farmer admitted going into the child’s room and placing a dummy in his mouth while Turany prepared a bottle.

Soul was still unsettled at 5.29am and Farmer sent a message asking Turany if she wanted help.

Turany called Healthline at 6.23am but hung up after 17 seconds.

Turany then made a series of unanswered calls to her sister and left a voice message saying she was going to take Soul to hospital.

She again called Healthline.

Turany and Farmer agreed Soul was alert at this time. Soul was sitting on Farmer’s knee and Turany said she went outside at some stage during the nine-minute call.

Farmer and Turany agreed Soul was limp at the end of that call.

Clinicians told the inquest Soul’s fatal injuries were likely inflicted about six to 12 hours before his first scan at Christchurch Hospital at 10.20am on 30 August. They said he was likely unconscious immediately following the assault or very soon afterwards.

O’Sullivan asked Farmer if he had injured Soul while he was sitting on his lap.

“Is there anything you could have done with Soul that harmed him either accidentally or in another way?” she asked.

“No,” he said.

Farmer’s evidence is continuing on Friday.

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

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Greens call on Luxon to abandon racist education reforms

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is urging Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon amendments to the Education and Training Act following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing report on the proposed changes.

“The Waitangi Tribunal has been clear: Luxon’s Government has breached its Tiriti obligations. It can no longer mask the racism in its education reforms,” says Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson. 

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a promise to take the best possible care of each other. Its place in the education of our tamariki, our taonga, our tomorrow, is not up for debate.

“Our Tribunal mātanga, our experts, have found that the failure of Luxon’s Government to engage meaningfully with Māori represents an affront to the mana of Māori.

“They have also found that these reforms have a similar purpose to the Treaty Principles Bill. If this doesn’t tell Luxon’s Government what it needs to know to immediately halt its changes, we don’t know what else can.

“The Green Party is committed to reinstating te Tiriti o Waitangi in section 127 of the Education and Training Act, re-centring Te Mātaiaho to its original intent and direction, and halting any changes to the curriculum until there has been meaningful consultation with the sector and engagement with Māori.

“In short: The Green Party is committed to upholding its obligations to te Tiriti and to our tamariki.

“The Tribunal ruled that Luxon’s Government’s Tiriti-inconsistency is calculated. We can’t let our tamariki pay the price for political games,” says Marama.