NZ Engine

Source: Privacy Commissioner

26 Sept 2025, 10:30

Right to Know Day on 28 September is a good reminder to New Zealanders of their right to access and correct their own information, the Privacy Commissioner says.

International Right to Know Day recognises the right to request access to information. The Privacy Act reinforces the importance of transparency and building trust in organisations.

“Organisations make decisions about people based on the information they hold, but these details and circumstances can frequently change, so it’s important people can access their personal information and check it’s accurate, Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says.”

“All New Zealanders can ask what personal information organisations and businesses hold about them, and they can also ask to have this information corrected if it’s wrong.

“You can ask small and large businesses, government departments, schools, sports clubs, charities, and community groups and they must respond to your request within 20 working days. 

“An incorrect date of birth, address or name could affect a person’s ability to access services, funding or support, so it’s important people are able to check their details and make sure they’re accurate.”

Access to personal information is an important provision under the Privacy Act as people should be able to see what information agencies hold about them, while the correction of personal information gives people the right to ask agencies to correct information they think is wrong.

Further information:

Source: Worksafe New Zealand

26 September 2025

As the days grow longer, spring is the perfect time for farmers to take stock—not just of their livestock and crops, but of their health and safety practices too.

Source: New Zealand Police

A driver allegedly reaching speeds of more than three times the speed limit has been caught out by our eye in the sky.

The Police Air Support Unit was travelling over Pakuranga last night at about 11pm when they spotted a vehicle driving dangerously on Botany Road.

Counties Manukau East Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Ann Wilkie, says Eagle immediately contacted units on the ground and directed them to the vehicle’s location.

“The vehicle was estimated to be travelling in excess of 150kmh.

“Staff were able to safely stop the vehicle on Hope Farm Road where the driver underwent a breath screening test.

“He was subsequently found to be more than twice over the legal alcohol limit.”

Inspector Wilkie says there are four factors that can lead to fatalities and serious injuries on our roads – restraints, impairment through alcohol and drugs, distractions, and speed.

“Motorists are urged to take greater responsibility on our roads and ensure everyone in their vehicle is able to reach their destination safely.

“It’s incredibly lucky this incident didn’t have a different outcome.”

The 34-year-old man had his vehicle impounded and enquiries are ongoing.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and Port of Auckland Limited have embarked on a journey to develop a world-class Fatigue Risk Management System, aimed at protecting the health and safety of port workers.

Port staff are engaging in a five-day intensive risk assessment workshop facilitated by Chronosafe, a specialist risk management consultancy from Australia.

The process will bring together workers, MUNZ representatives, and management to identify and control fatigue-related hazards in 24/7 port operations.

The initiative comes after years of advocacy by MUNZ for systemic change to address the dangers of worker fatigue in New Zealand’s port industry.

MUNZ Local 13 Secretary Grant Williams said this proactive and scientific approach was a vital step forward for the industry.

Mr Williams says fatigue is a killer on the waterfront, where workers have been exposed to the risks of cumulative fatigue from long hours and demanding roster patterns.

“This isn’t box ticking, this is about understanding the science of fatigue and building a system that keeps our people safe.”

“It’s a positive and significant step to see Port of Auckland working with MUNZ on this project. By engaging world-renowned experts and listening to the workers on the ground, together we can create a system that ensures every stevedore gets home safely to their family at the end of their shift.”

The workshop began this week with a comprehensive education session from leading fatigue expert, Professor Naomi Rogers-Woodhouse, on the science of human biology, sleep, and circadian rhythms.

This training provides the foundation for the risk assessment group to analyse the unique operational situations and roster designs that contribute to worker fatigue.

The project will use the Port Health and Safety Leadership Group’s Good Practice Guidelines as a framework, with the goal of creating a robust, science-backed system that manages risk and educates workers on the long-term health effects of shift work.

This initiative marks a commitment from both MUNZ and Port of Auckland to lead the industry in creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable working environment for port workers.

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

On World Maritime Day (Thursday 25 September), the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) is calling for greater recognition for the invisible workforce of seafarers and waterfront workers who form the backbone of the nation’s economy.

MUNZ National Secretary Carl Findlay says the work thousands of skilled and dedicated workers onshore and on the sea underpins our entire way of life.

Established by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) and first observed in 1978, World Maritime Day recognizes the contribution of the international maritime industry to global trade and society.

For an island nation like New Zealand, which relies on sea freight for over 99% of its trade by volume, the day holds particular significance.

Mr. Findlay says that while consumers see the final product on the shelf, the complex, demanding, and often dangerous work that gets it there is easily forgotten.

“Our members work around the clock, in all weather, to ensure ships are loaded and discharged safely and efficiently. Seafarers spend months away from their families, facing the challenges of the open ocean, to keep global supply chains moving,” says Mr. Findlay.

“Waterfront workers, or stevedores, manage the complex logistics of our ports, operating heavy machinery to move millions of tonnes of cargo each year. Their skill and commitment are the reasons our exporters can reach world markets and our importers can stock our shelves.”

World Maritime Day highlights the need for continued investment in the welfare and safety of maritime workers, and in the resilience of New Zealand’s domestic shipping capabilities.

“If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that we cannot take our supply chain security for granted,” says Mr. Findlay.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand is campaigning for a national ports and shipping strategy that includes building up New Zealand coastal shipping.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police can now release the name of the man who died following a crash in Mt Wellington on 15 September.

He was David Govindasamy Chetty, 66, of Auckland.

Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are continuing.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Police

Police can now reveal further details about the assets and resources deployed during the search for Tom Phillips and his children.

In mid-December 2021 Phillips and his three children disappeared — for the second time in three months — from their farm in the small rural town of Marokopa, in Western Waikato.

The Police operation to locate them, which would later become known as Op Curly, came to an end in the early hours of Monday 8 September 2025 when Phillips shot and critically injured an officer before he himself was shot and killed by Police.

Over that period, the active investigation limited Police from disclosing the considerable measures employed during the search.

Detective Superintendent Ross McKay says while the specifics of the Police response will be subject to debriefs and reviews, some further detail can now be released.

“The vast area in which Phillips kept the children is difficult, steep terrain almost completely obscured from all angles by dense bush.

“At various times during the operation, Police specialist units such as Special Tactics Group, Armed Offenders Squad, Search and Rescue and Tactical Operations Group, were used.

“There was also support from the New Zealand Defence Force, with helicopter and ground assets.

“Other resources included geospatial imagery, thermal imagery, covert technology such as motion-activated cameras, and Airbus Flexrotor drones.”

The drones, supplied and operated by Airbus, flew for 111 hours over a period of two weeks in April this year.

“Police never stopped trying – thousands of hours were dedicated to the search,” Detective Superintendent McKay says.

“Intelligence played an important role in informing decisions and planning for possible outcomes.

“We knew Phillips had firearms and was motivated to use them.

“We also knew, based on previous actions and behavioural science analysis, that Phillips was unlikely to surrender easily and was prepared to put the children in harm’s way.

“The primary objective was locating and returning the children safely.

“Police focused on two key things to achieve that – finding a campsite or a supply route.

“The family regularly moved around and adapted their behaviour, meaning no sites were found.

“They were detected in transit on occasion but never in circumstances that allowed Police to safely intervene.

“While Operation Curly has concluded, it would not be appropriate for Police to provide further details ahead of the subsequent and ongoing investigations and reviews.

“However, I hope the information released today provides some reassurance about the lengths Police and its partner agencies went to in order to resolve this complex situation, as well as some clarity on the difficulties faced in achieving that safely.”

The children are in the guardianship of the Family Court, with Oranga Tamariki as the agent of the court.

Officer A has been discharged from hospital and his recovery is progressing.

The Police investigation into the critical incident on Monday 8 September is ongoing.

Police also continue to investigate the likelihood Phillips received outside support and are following strong lines of enquiry.

ENDS

Note for media:

NZ Police is releasing the above information following a significant number of media queries in relation to the actions taken during Op Curly, and in awareness of the public interest in having as many of those questions answered as possible.

However, due to ongoing investigations, there are still limits on the amount of detail that can provided.

Detective Superintendent Ross McKay will not be available for interviews at this point, due to those ongoing investigations and enquiries into this matter.

Source: New Zealand Government

Courts Minister Nicole McKee says the Government’s focus on faster justice is delivering real results, from resolving civil disputes sooner, to reducing family wait times for coroners’ findings.

 

“Justice delayed is justice denied. Every day a case drags on is another day of stress for families, victims, and businesses. That’s why we’re focused on fixing what matters and getting the courts moving again,” says Mrs McKee.

“Attention often goes straight to the criminal jurisdiction of the District Court, but progress is also being made in a number of other jurisdictions that also have a big impact on the lives of New Zealanders.

“The civil courts have focussed on completing older cases, the Disputes Tribunal is modernising with electronic case files, and associate coroners are easing the backlog in the Coroners Court. Together these changes are giving people a justice system that works better and faster.” 

In the civil jurisdiction of the District Court, the active caseload decreased by 20 per cent in the 12 months to 31 July 2025 from 12,795 to 10,267, with completed cases increasing by eight per cent and new cases decreasing by seven per cent.

“This improvement in performance has been driven by targeting and managing older cases to completion along with careful judicial oversight, direction and guidance,” says Mrs Mckee.

“The average age of active civil cases has also dropped sharply. The average age of all active civil cases in the District Court decreased by 36 per cent to 211 days.

“We’re seeing the effects of a focus on completing older cases over the past year. The average active age of cases is expected to decrease even further in the coming months as more of these older cases are completed.

“Progress is also being seen in the Disputes Tribunal – one of the busiest forums in the civil justice system.

“I am pleased to say that over 900 more cases were completed in the 12 months to 31 July 2025 than in the previous year, due to targeted case management. As a result, we have seen a decrease in active cases despite an increase in new business.

“The Tribunal has really focused on completing aged active cases – cases over 180 days old. The past year saw a 21 per cent decrease in aged cases (134 fewer than in July 2024).

“I expect this to move even faster as work progresses to remove the Tribunal’s dependency on physical files by creating an electronic case document repository.

“Then there’s the Coroners Court, an area that can cause families immense pain when delays occur. In the year to 31 July 2025, active cases in the Coroners Court decreased by 15 per cent from 5,882 to 4,990.

“The introduction of associate coroners and clinical advisors has enabled cases to progress more quickly, helping to reduce the Court’s overall workload. 

“I want to acknowledge the efforts of all involved in these improvements, including joint efforts from the judiciary and wider ministry, as well as court staff who help people access justice every day.

“There’s still a long way to go. But these results show that when you focus on fixing what matters, you can deliver a justice system that serves the people.”

Note to editors: 

District Court (civil cases): Active caseloads have dropped by 20 per cent in the past year, and the average time cases sit in the system has fallen by 36 per cent.
Disputes Tribunal: More than 900 extra cases were completed in the past year, with aged cases (older than 180 days) down by 21 per cent.
Coroners Court: Active cases have reduced by 15 per cent, thanks to the introduction of associate coroners and clinical advisors helping families get closure sooner.

The Ministry of Justice is undertaking an evaluation to evaluate the impact of introducing the Associate Coroner and Clinical Advisor roles. The evaluation will be completed in 2025/26.

Source: New Zealand Police

A pair who allegedly stole a vehicle while the driver was collecting a food order will now face Court.

At about 12.25am, Police received a report of a vehicle stolen on Karangahape Road while the driver was busy collecting a meal order.

Senior Sergeant Tony Turner, Auckland City Police, says vigilant camera operators were able to backtrack and trace the vehicle’s movements.

“The vehicle was sighted on New North Road, Morningside and has continued through to Kingsland.

“Police units, supported by the Eagle helicopter, responded quickly and were able to block the vehicle in.”

Senior Sergeant Turner says two occupants were taken into custody.

“This is a great example of staff working hard to hold those responsible to account for this type of crime in our communities.

“It also serves as a reminder that Police and our partner agencies will continue to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, and we will respond accordingly.”

A 41-year-old woman will appear in Auckland District Court today charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and driving with excess breath alcohol.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Police

An eagle-eyed neighbour who spotted suspicious activity at the property next door has aided in the arrest of two burglars in Hillpark overnight.

Just after 2am this morning, Police received a report of a suspected burglary taking place at a property in David Avenue.

A raft of Police resources, including the Police Eagle helicopter, arrived quickly at the scene.

“Two people were located at the address and taken into custody without incident,” Counties Manukau Central Area Commander, Inspector Adam Pyne, says.

“Police actively target burglary offenders every single day, and we continue to ask members of the public to report any suspicious activity.

“I would like to acknowledge the member of the public who acted quickly and called Police straight away.

“I also want to commend our Police staff who flooded the property quickly in order to locate these alleged offenders.”

Anyone who sees any unlawful or suspicious activity should contact Police on 111 immediately.

To report after the fact or in non-emergencies, please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz or call 105.

Two men, aged 35 and 41, will appear in Manukau District Court today charged with burglary.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police