Recent incidents include the iconic green and yellow signs being riddled with bullet holes, being driven into, and being ‘keyed” so that information can’t be read, or signs removed altogether.
Figures reveal that in the South Island alone, there are 902 DOC signs flagged in the works system for replacement or repair. That compares with a total of 1155 signs being replaced or repaired in the three-year period from July 2022 to now.
DOC Asset Inspector Charlie Barnett has seen it all. His job is to undertake condition assessments on bridges, huts, signs and other structures. He says he sees at least two or three badly damaged signs a month in his inspection rounds.
“It’s really frustrating to see the needless destruction of DOC signage and infrastructure. It is also a safety concern, as people could be walking the tracks while signs are being shot at with projectiles travelling far beyond the eye. The signs riddled with bullet holes are usually out in the back country, while closer to town it’s mainly graffiti or being knocked over or driven into,” he says.
Charlie Barnett says it’s a huge amount of work to carry in new materials to replace or fix signs and they are often in remote locations. His message is clear.
“Be the better person in nature. Save target practice for the range and leave the signs alone.”
DOC has 26,759 signs across Aotearoa and it’s a huge job maintaining and replacing them. The department spent $350,523 on signage in the 2024/2025 financial year. Next year’s budget has increased to $587,248.
DOC Strategic Asset Manager Kushla Tapper says it’s not just a vandalism issue – it’s about keeping the public safe.
“Some signs lose their reflective quality when vandalised and that means they can’t be seen in poor weather conditions or the dark. This can be the difference between safety and significant harm for travellers. These signs contain essential information.
“We want the public to know that the time and costs we spend on repairing and replacing signs, could be better spent on doing other work to protect biodiversity or maintaining huts and tracks. We have a finite budget and are always trying to prioritise our work. We could maintain more visitor assets if we didn’t have to keep reassigning funds to fixing vandalism of essential signage.”
Kushla Tapper says as we head into another busy summer season, it’s a timely reminder to those heading out ‘naturing’.
“Ultimately our message is please, leave the signs alone. We love that more people are enjoying the outdoors, but this is the opposite of what ‘naturing’ is supposed to be about. Naturing is about respecting and caring for the environment, and that includes our signs.”
Members of the public who see any damaged DOC signs are encouraged to record the location, take a photo if possible, and send the information to the local DOC office.
NATURE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM HERE
Nature isn’t scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It’s behind our identity and our way of life.
The new Wakatu Quay building at nightPhoto: LDR/SUPPLIED
Kaikōura’s Wakatu Quay will open again in time for summer.
The site has been closed this year while work has been completed on the first building as part of the redevelopment of the historic wharf.
With the building due to be completed this week, Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said the site will be opened up for community use next month.
”There is still ongoing landscaping work, and we will probably wait until the spring (next year) for some of the planting.
”But it’s exciting to see the first building coming together.”
Mr Doughty said the council is discussions with a number of potential tenants, with the hope of opening the building up for a restaurant or hospitality type business.
”We are in no hurry,” Mayor Craig Mackle said.
”We’ve always had the view of ‘build and they will come’, so we are under no pressure.”
The council hopes this will be the first of several new buildings on the site.
The project is being funded by a $10.18m grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with the council taking the lead on the project and loan funding any shortfall.
The grant was received from the Government in 2019 to redevelop the area after it suffered damage in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016.
Local company LMC Building and Construction Ltd was granted the tender for the first building in September.
Company manager Luke Chambers said the build is due to be completed this week, with the site handover set for 31 October.
Mr Chambers grew up in Kaikōura and spent many hours fishing off the Wakatu Quay wharf.
”It’s always been a popular place to be and on a nice day it’s pretty hard to beat.
”It’s been a fantastic project to be involved with and to be able to give a new lease on a pretty magic location is pretty special.”
The new building at Wakatu Quay is ready to be handed over to the Kaikōura District Council this week.Photo: LDR/SUPPLIED
Mr Chambers said project has provided employment to locals and he has brought in local contractors whenever possible.
”There was a large emphasis on that from the council to use locals, so it has been good to able to deliver on that.
”It has been an interesting project with a unique design and location, surrounded by ocean.
”It’s not everyday you come across something like that.”
He said the completed project will have ”a pedestrian feel to it”, with vehicle access to be restricted, and prominent street lighting installed.
The lighting complies with the council’s new dark sky lighting rules and was tested recently.
”It will be a nice place to come to at night. It’s very low key, but it creates a nice atmosphere.”
The building has been designed to reflect whatever light is available, so it blends in well in with sun rises, sunsets and on cloudy days, he said.
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
The New Zealand Defence Force has deployed a liaison officer to Israel to help inform the Government on possible next steps on the Gaza peace deal, Defence Minister Judith Collins says.
“The liaison officer will work out of a United States-led centre focused on the next steps to implementing the peace plan in Gaza,” Ms Collins says.
“The Government agreed that the deployment should initially be for six weeks.”
United States Central Command opened the Civil Military Coordination Centre in Israel on 17 October. It will act as a coordination hub for support to Gaza, monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and support the implementation of the 20 Point Peace Plan to end the war in Gaza.
“The deployment will improve New Zealand’s understanding of coordination efforts on the ground and enable us to better assess options for any potential future contributions to the centre or other initiatives in support of sustained peace in Gaza,” Ms Collins says.
“Any future deployment will be a decision for the Government.”
Welcome to spooky season, e hoa! This year, instead of the fiction you’d expect around Halloween, we’ve decided to bring you some real-life scares from the biosecurity world.
Sometimes, after all, reality is way scarier than the imagination…
Frightful Fish – Koi carp
When you think about the zombie hordes, you probably imagine people. Well, try fish.
A wall of flesh, seething ever onward, destroying all in its path and leaving devastation in its wake. No, it’s not Night of the Living Dead. It’s koi carp.
Maybe you think I’m being dramatic, so let’s get this straight; I’m definitely being dramatic. But also, look at this:
Is that dramatic enough? This is the aftermath of an operation to remove some of these invasive fish from our waterways. And that’s only a fraction of these invasive pests, which have now spread across the country.
Koi carp are an ornamental strain of the common carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) native to Eastern Asia. This species probably first arrived in New Zealand in the 1960s as a stowaway in a goldfish consignment.
Now I’m sure you’re thinking “Yeah that’s a lot of fish, but it’s still just fish right? They’re not that scary, you handsome devil.” Well, dear reader, you’re half right. But while a few thousand fish aren’t scary for many of us, they represent an existential threat to much of our freshwater ecosystem. Koi carp feed like fishy little Roombas; they stir up sediment and splash around in shallow water to get their food, filling the water with silt and literally choking our native (and yes, endangered) species.
That’s bad enough but for me, the real horror is that a huge part of their spread was intentional. Yup; a bunch of people thought coarse fishing was more important than preserving our country’s unique native biodiversity.
You can help fight this fishy foe by joining DOC’s Always Be Naturing movement…
The Blob from Beyond – Didymo
It’s big, it’s slimy, and it’s damn near impossible to get rid of. Yes, it’s didymo.
Honestly, I’m here to convince you that didymo is a nasty little nightmare. Looking at the picture, and the hundreds like it in the DOC vaults, this really shouldn’t be that hard.
Didymo is gross, guys. Like really gross.
Sometimes invasive species look nice or cute. Hedgehogs are cute little guys, despite all the damage they do to our native invertebrates, and even koi carp have their place (elsewhere) as ornamental fish. But no such luck with didymo, which looks as bad as it is for the environment.
Didymo is a triple threat invader. Not only are the massive algal blooms it forms dangerous to swimmers and waders, it also messes with the insects our native fish rely on for food. It can also clog water filters and hydroelectric generators, by gunking everything up with its slimy-looking… well, the scientific term probably is just gunk.
Didymo is found in many lakes and rivers. Frankly, that’s already too many places, and it’s already past the point of eradication being an option. Following the Check, Clean, Dry protocol before leaving a known didymo area is the way to keep it contained. And, actually, Check, Clean, Dry prevents the spread of all freshwater pests, not just didymo. So, you know, do that. If I can manage to do it, anyone can!
Creepy Clams – Corbicula
Ok, you think, he must be joking now. There’s no way a clam can be considered horrifying, unless it’s insanely huge or something. Well, think again; the Corbicula clams are one of the world’s most invasive species, and they’re an ecological nightmare.
The clams grow up to the size of a two dollar coin. Oooh, spoooooky, physical currency! They also breed constantly, and form carpets of shells up to two metres deep, and simply can’t be removed once they’ve taken hold, without destroying everything else in the water too.
Yeah. Now they’re scarier, right? $2 coins don’t do that, or else I’d be a millionaire and not writing edu-tainment blogs for DOC.
We’re actually quite lucky here in Aotearoa that the clams aren’t more of a problem. At least, not yet. Look at Ireland, where a 2011 report found a maximum of over 9000 clams per square metre. Not a typo, by the way. Nine. Thousand. That’s no longer an itty-bitty shellfish committee. That’s a… well it’s a township, I guess.
It’s certainly not something we want here, so Check Clean Dry, unless you want all our rivers choked with clams. Honestly, it’s only through community efforts and Check, Clean, Dry that these things aren’t everywhere already.
If you see any of these around, let DOC or MPI know. But don’t remove them yourself, as they can get mixed up with our natives; the last thing we want is some kind of clam witch hunt!
Clouds of Doom – Toxic Algae
Do… Do you really need me to explain why something called ‘toxic algae’ is nightmarish? It’s not called super-fun-happy algae for a reason.
OK, so this isn’t TECHNICALLY biosecurity, and DOC doesn’t manage it. But I decided to include it for humanitarian reasons, since it’s dangerous and pretty scary.
Also commonly called ‘harmful algal blooms’ (which, c’mon, isn’t nearly as catchy), these aren’t even really algae. It’s a form of cyanobacteria which, during warm, dry weather, explode in population, clouding rivers and other waterways with their blooms of babies. Except instead of nice fluffy clouds, these ones can kill you if you accidentally eat it. And, while you’re obviously not going to try and munch on some bacterial blooms, you’ve definitely swallowed water while swimming before, so think how easy it’d be to get a couple of grams of this into you.
Adults are able to handle this better, but children and especially dogs are really vulnerable, since they do like a thirsty drink after a swim. It can also cause skin irritation: ever see ‘Cabin Fever’? That’s a (barely) exaggerated version of this. You don’t want it.
Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) have a great resource for water health, which you can find here. If you see soupy water or excessive slime on rocks, and it’s not showing as a risk, reach out to LAWA.
The Things from the Waterways– Aquatic Weeds
Look, I couldn’t pick just one. And I won’t apologise for that; I’m sorry, it’s just the way I am.
It’s pretty irritating when something is terrible for the environment but also has a very funny name. For example, hornwort is ranked New Zealand’s worst submerged weed, and smothers all other aquatic plant beds, including native and exotic. But it also sounds hilariously innocuous. Same with Elodia densa, or Brazilian pondweed, and everyone’s favourite curly waterweed, Lagarosiphon major.
Diver covered in invasive weed (Egeria densa). Photo: Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand
This could be any of us if these weeds continue to spread… Or if you’re diving to collect Elodia densa. I just think it’s a great picture.
But let’s take hornwort. Native to the USA but first found in Napier in 1961, this plant has now spread to much of the North Island. Once used in the aquarium trade for its fast-growing capabilities, that same strength is now why it’s an absolute mission to deal with. It also got its name from the little ‘horns’ it seems to have; oooh, spooooooky!
Hornwort close up Lake Tutaki Pouto Peninsula Northland. Photo Kerry Bodmin
The South Island is largely free of hornwort, except for Christchurch, where it was recently re-discovered. And we would like to keep it this way; we don’t want to see it spread further, and we’d even like to eradicate it where possible.
Lagarosiphon major at Roys Bay waterfront Photo: Earth Sciences New Zealand
Here’s some Lagarosiphon major. Look at it there, lurking. Smothering everything else. Bloody ominous, that is. Watch out for this floating around. If it gets stuck to any of your gear (especially propellors), get rid of it and Check, Clean, Dry to make sure it’s gone for good.
Pharmac has confirmed a change in the funded brand of fulvestrant injection, a medicine used to treat certain types of breast cancer.
From 1 December 2025, the funded brand will change to Fulvestrant EVER Pharma (InterPharma). Faslodex will be delisted on 1 May 2026, and Fulvestrant EVER Pharma will then hold Principal Supply Status until 30 June 2028.
“Fulvestrant is the only funded selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD) available in New Zealand. Ensuring an appropriate brand of fulvestrant is funded, as well as maintaining continuity of supply is critical for the health and wellbeing of people undergoing treatment,” says Pharmac’s Director Pharmaceuticals Adrienne Martin.
The change follows consultation through the 2024/25 annual Pharmac Tender. To improve transparency around the annual tender process, Pharmac introduced an additional engagement step in 2024/25. As part of this, we engaged with medical professionals, patient advocacy groups, consumers, suppliers, and professional bodies to get their feedback on support required for any brand changes to funded medicines.
Pharmac received over 30 responses, including feedback specific to fulvestrant.
“We heard concerns about safety, tolerability, and treatment continuity,” says Martin.
“We took these concerns seriously and worked with clinicians and consumers in Australia, where multiple generic brands of fulvestrant are available, to understand how the generic brands are used and their experiences with them.
“The feedback we received from patient advocacy groups, clinicians, and suppliers directly informed our selection of the preferred supplier.”
Fulvestrant EVER Pharma does not require refrigeration, which may reduce injection site discomfort and improve ease of use. Most people will not notice any difference in how the medicine is given or how it works. It is approved and widely used in Australia, and it meets the internationally agreed standards for safety, quality and efficacy.
Pharmac is committed to supporting both health professionals and people receiving treatment through this change. Educational materials, brand comparison charts, and patient information leaflets will be available on the Pharmac and Healthify websites. Health professionals are encouraged to discuss the change with patients.
If people experience any issues with the new brand, there are pathways in place within the Exceptional Circumstances framework to access an alternative if clinically necessary.
After carefully considering industry, stakeholder, and public feedback on a proposal to change maximum residue levels (MRLs) for glyphosate in wheat, barley and oats, New Zealand Food Safety has decided to set a limit of 0.1mg/kg (the same as the current default level) and to restrict the permitted use of glyphosate for these arable crops.
The decision reflects recent changes in how New Zealand growers are using glyphosate, says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
“Consequently, we’ve decided the existing glyphosate MRL of 0.1mg/kg is appropriate and can be set as the limit moving forward.
“Although we are confident the proposed limits would not have presented any health risks to consumers, after considering more than 3,100 submissions and meeting with a broad range of submitters and stakeholders, we found compelling evidence that the way glyphosate is used in New Zealand has changed over the past 5 to 6 years.
“Growers and millers have increasingly entered into contractual arrangements that require no, or extremely low, glyphosate residues in grains used for food, effectively prohibiting pre-harvest use of glyphosate.
“For dry field peas, we have decided to set the MRL at 6mg/kg as proposed. This is in line with industry agricultural practice and aligns with the Australian, European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and Codex MRLs of 10mg/kg for dry peas, and the United States’ 8mg/kg limit. Dry field peas are a relatively small crop in New Zealand, and the majority of product is exported to markets with similar MRLs,” Mr Arbuckle says.
To ensure that industry practice is maintained and controlled, New Zealand Food Safety will require (through labelling changes) that when glyphosate is used on wheat, barley, and oats grown for human consumption, it can only be applied before crops emerge. It will no longer be allowed to be applied directly onto cereal crops grown for human consumption.
Agricultural chemicals, like glyphosate, are critical for farmers and growers, Mr Arbuckle says.
“They help manage outbreaks of pests and diseases, they reduce the risks to plant and animal health, and they help keep food prices down, because crops and animals can produce more when there are fewer pests.”
New Zealand Food Safety regularly reviews MRLs and always consults over proposed changes. You can read the summary of submissions here:
Headline: Local Cleaning Company Introduces Hyper Steam Carpet Cleaning in Christchurch
Christchurch-based Hyper Carpet Cleaning launches its new Hyper Steam Carpet Cleaning technology, offering a deep, hygienic clean using advanced steam tools that minimise chemical and water use.
[Joint Statement delivered by the Foreign Ministers of the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and New Zealand, at the Nordic 5/New Zealand Foreign Minister’s meeting, Stockholm 29 October 2025]
At a time of intense geostrategic change, we, the Foreign Ministers of the five Nordic countries and New Zealand, wish to underline the alignment of our values, our commitment to international law and the careful management of geopolitical issues, as well as our firm commitment to sustainable economic development and partnerships.
We will continue to work collaboratively to uphold and strengthen the rules-based international order. The norms contained therein address significant issues – including global environment issues, security and disarmament, human rights, development, trade and economic issues – and contribute to their peaceful, equitable and just management. We reiterate in this context the important role of international courts and reaffirm our unwavering support for the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
We are all steadfast supporters of an effective and inclusive multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core, that delivers effective, measurable impact on the ground, where it is most needed. We strongly support an effective and fit-for-purpose United Nations. This is why we highlight ambitious and innovative reform under the UN80 initiative initiated by the UN Secretary-General. It is essential to enhance respect for the United Nations Charter, including the respect of the sovereignty and, territorial integrity of all states, and the prohibition on the threat and use of force in international relations.
We are deeply concerned about the proliferation of armed conflicts around the globe and will contribute to the best of our ability to the prevention, management, and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
We condemn Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression on Ukraine, which continues to inflict human suffering and has serious consequences for Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security. We support efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, including by increasing pressure on Russia to reciprocate Ukraine’s call for a comprehensive ceasefire and engage in meaningful peace negotiations. Our support to Ukraine is unwavering. We reiterate the need to ensure accountability to bring justice to the victims and to uphold the international rules-based order. We are committed to working together to deprive Russia of revenue from its oil trade, and countering shadow fleet activity. We condemn deepening Russia-DPRK military cooperation, especially North Korea’s continued military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We urge China to cease any material support to Russia’s war efforts as well as to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.
We very much welcome the agreement on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict put forward by President Trump and call on all parties to fully implement the agreement without delay. We stand ready to contribute to the implementation of the plan. We have consistently urged all relevant parties to work towards the two-state solution, which is the only way to ensure security and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians. We call on all relevant parties to facilitate safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and adhere to international law.
We value our dialogue and cooperation within the NATO framework, as Nordic NATO members and as one of the Indo-Pacific partners of NATO, recognising our shared defence, security, and resilience interests, including cooperation in the defence industry.
We are committed to an effective rules-based international trading system, with the WTO at its core. We look forward to advancing WTO reform at MC14. We welcome the instruments in place, such as the European Union – New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, the Agreement on Climate Change Trade and Sustainability, and the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership. We look forward to further exchanges on trade policy, including the anticipated EU-CPTPP Trade and Investment Dialogue, given our shared commitment to facilitating and boosting trade that delivers for our businesses and communities.
We are committed to fostering science, research, and innovation between our countries. We will look to engage together through initiatives like Horizon Europe.
We are all dependent on a strong bioeconomy. We seek to provide solutions for our people and through trade with others. We have shared interests in aquaculture recognising Nordic leadership and New Zealand’s growing capabilities and investment in the sector.
We look to collaborate in the lead-up to the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2032/33.
We welcome Nordic support for the Pacific, including through multilateral advocacy, and value our continued collaboration that supports Pacific priorities as set out in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s oil trade while meeting with the Nordic 5 Foreign Ministers in Stockholm.
“New Zealand is sanctioning 65 shadow fleet vessels involved the shipment of Russian oil, a key source of revenue funding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Mr Peters says.
New Zealand has also sanctioned actors from Belarus, Iran, and North Korea, involved in refining and transporting Russian oil, and in facilitating oil-related payments.
“These actors are part of a broader network enabling the trade in Russian oil, undermining global efforts to curtail funding for Russia’s illegal war,” Mr Peters says.
“By targeting the oil supply chain, New Zealand is acting decisively in support of international efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table.”
Since the Russia Sanctions Act came into force in March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 1,900 individuals, entities, and vessels, alongside a range of trade measures. This is New Zealand’s 33rd round of Russia sanctions.
More information about New Zealand sanctions, travel bans, and export controls against Russia, as well as diplomatic, military and economic support for Ukraine, can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website here.
Note: The Government has implemented the following actions in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine:
Passed the historic Russia Sanctions Act under which New Zealand has implemented sanctions (including those announced today) targeting:
Vladimir Putin and key members of his inner circle.
Senior leadership of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
All 620 members of the Russian parliament (State Duma and Federation Council).
All Russian Ministers and Governors.
More than 400 entities including state-owned enterprises, entities that are part of Russia’s military industrial complex, Donbas militia groups, and Belarusian defence entities.
More than 110 oligarchs and immediate family with close ties and influence with the Russian Government.
20 financial institutions, including Russia’s Central Bank.
7 Belarusian financial institutions.
62 individuals and entities involved in disinformation and cyber-attacks on Ukraine.
15 members of the Central Election Commission.
Almost 100 Russian-directed leaders in occupied Ukrainian regions.
The Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.
Iranian individuals and entities involved in the supply of Iranian military materiel to Russia for use in Ukraine.
Individuals and entities involved in the supply of DPRK military materiel to Russia for use in Ukraine.
Banned all Russian and Belarusian Government and military aircraft and vessels from NZ.
Banned exports to Russian and Belarusian military and security forces.
Suspended bilateral foreign ministry consultations with Russia.
Endorsed the UK-initiated Call to Action on the “shadow fleet” engaged in sanctions circumvention by carrying Russian oil and gas. The Call to Action promotes compliance with international standards for maritime safety, environmental protection, and insurance.
Trade measures
Implemented a 35% tariff on all Russian imports to NZ.
Banned the import of Russian gold into NZ.
Significantly expanded the export ban on Russia and Belarus to cover more industrial products of strategic importance (by adding more than 700 new prohibited tariff lines).
Banned the import of Russian oil, gas, and coal.
Banned the export of oil exploration and oil production goods to Russia.
Banned the import from and export to Russia of certain luxury goods.
Implemented the oil price cap on Russian-origin oil, which has since been lowered to further restrict Russia’s revenue from energy exports.
Other assistance to Ukraine
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, New Zealand has pledged over $168 million in financial assistance and in-kind support to Ukraine. This includes:
support for military training, equipment, and materiel valued at $110.3 million, including up to 100 NZDF personnel deployed to Europe.
$39.9 million in humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected Ukrainian communities in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.
$6 million in support for recovery and reconstruction.
$5.2 million in support for international legal processes and human rights monitoring
