NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

Council leaders on both sides of Cook Strait say lives could be put at risk due to its emergency tug being off-contract from this month.

In November it was announced the government had sunk plans to station an open ocean tug in the Cook Strait long-term after it said the costs outweighed the benefits.

The government also announced it would end the contract for the MMA Vision open ocean tug this month, rather than June when it was contracted for.

For years local government leaders on either side of the North and South Island had been calling for open ocean tugs after several near-miss accidents.

One of these was in January 2023 when the Interislander ferry Kaitaki was sailing into Wellington Harbour with 854 passengers on board and lost power, which resulted in a mayday call.

Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter said the absence of an emergency tug posed unacceptable risks.

“Cancelling the MMA Vision contract puts lives and economic lifelines in peril.”

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor agreed, saying it was one of the most complex stretches of water in the world to navigate.

“It’s also a shipping route of national significance where the government is responsible for safety.”

The two leaders had penned a letter to Transport Minister Chris Bishop asking for an extension of the MMA Vision’s contract. They said not having the tug nearby would risk human safety, financial stability and the environment given the clean-up cost and damage if a large ship sank.

Ponter said from July, the closest vessel that would have emergency open ocean tug capability would be 1200 nautical miles away in Australia.

“That’s about five days of travel time. We cannot depend on harbour tugs for open-ocean rescues. They are not designed, equipped or crewed for towing large vessels in Cook Strait – where conditions are frequently beyond their operating parameters.”

RNZ has approached Bishop for a response.

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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 woman who helped her son and his wife buy a house has been offered $10,000 in compensation for the way the bank handled the dispute when the relationship went sour.

The case went to the Banking Ombudsman, which published a case note last month.

It said the woman wanted to help her son and daughter-in-law onto the property ladder. They formed a partnership and borrowed $320,000 in October 2008 to buy a house.

The loan was in each of their names.

But when the couple decided to separate, the mother and daughter-in-law decided to sell the property. The son told the bank there was a dispute and it froze the loan accounts and refused to act on any instructions until the dispute was resolved.

The mother offered to repay the loan in full so the mortgage could be discharged, but the bank still refused to act.

The Banking Ombudsman scheme said it raised concerns with the bank about its refusal to allow the woman to pay off the loan.

“We pointed out the dispute among the three borrowers had no effect on the right of each borrower to repay the loan at any time. The terms and conditions of the loan allowed for just such a step…. [she] held a 77 percent stake in the partnership so was able to pass resolutions without the consent of the other two partners.”

The bank offered the woman $10,000.

Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said partnerships could be a good way to get into the property market, but the case was a reminder that it was important everyone was clear on their rights and what would happen if circumstances changed.

“When relationships end, joint accounts, loans and partnerships can become tricky. It’s crucial to understand how your accounts are set up, and what your rights and obligations are. This knowledge can prevent a difficult situation from becoming even more stressful.”

She said people should decide in advance how they would divide assets if they separated and get legal advice if they needed formal arrangements.”

Mortgage adviser Jeremy Andrews, from Key Mortgages, said he dealt with people wanting to buy in partnership several times a year.

“There are some advantages such as being able to combine everybody’s deposit together to get the best possible interest rates, and combining everybody’s incomes together to get the highest approval figure based on income servicing.”

He said the case highlighted the main downside – what would happen when one of the parties wanted to get out of the joint ownership, such as to buy a different property.

“If they are jointly and severally liable for the loan, which is typically higher than a single or couple’s income alone could have allowed, this could be a dealbreaker without selling the property.

“There needs to be a clear understanding of the future implications at that point, before entering into such [an] agreement, and we always recommend each party seeks independent legal advice on this.”

He said sometimes people would own a house as tenants in common, which gave them an agreed and specified percentage of the ownership.

“If the property increases in value over time, then each party receives their respective percentage increase in value each when the time comes to sell – hopefully for an overall profit.

“There are also downsides to this type of arrangement, such as if one or more of the co-borrowers wish to retain ownership of the property, and then based on the income they have at the time, can they buy out the other exiting parties share of existing mortgage – plus typically accumulated equity on top of that.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Campers are shocked and devastated as a Hawke’s Bay campground is evacuated due to the “extreme” risk of a landslide, the manager says.

It comes three weeks after six people died in Mount Maunganui when a chunk of the maunga crashed onto a holiday park.

The Hastings District Council said it evaluated “at-risk” sites including the Clifton Motor Camp after that tragedy.

At 4.30pm on Thursday, the council told campers and permanent residents they had 24 hours to leave because a geotechnical report has found an extreme risk of landslides affecting the grounds.

“Heavy or prolonged rain, elevated groundwater levels, or an earthquake could cause the slope to fail,” the council said.

“If that occurred, soil, rocks and large trees would fall directly onto buildings and caravans located at the base of the slope.”

Hawke’s Bay is under a heavy rain watch from 3pm today.

The council said there would be little warning and limited opportunity to escape safely if a landslide occurred.

The council said making the site safe would require significant engineering and drainage works, likely costing several million dollars.

Unless that work was undertaken, the campground could not be considered safe to occupy.

There had been slips there in the past: one in 2011 damaged the toilet block and covered the playground, and one in 2019 that put two tourists in hospital.

Hastings District Council chief executive Nigel Bickle said the decision was not a “knee-jerk reaction”.

“The advice is clear – the level of risk is extreme and cannot be ignored.”

Bickle understood it was distressing news for people who used the campground – some for many decades.

“But when expert advice tells us there is a credible threat to life, we have a responsibility to act.”

Campers shocked, devastated

Clifton Reserve Society’s Piki Wellwood-King – which leases the land from Hastings District Council – said the advice came out of the blue.

“Everyone here is in shock around the short notice, absolutely devastated trying to comprehend what’s really happening,” she said.

“The camp composes of people who live here permanently, people who live here seasonally, and the public who come in and rent a site,” she said.

“It’s really weighing heavy on everyone … it’s huge.”

Some had camped there for generations, and more than a dozen lived there permanently, she said.

But Wellwood-King said the advice to leave made “perfect sense” given the safety risk.

The council said staff were working with the society and support agencies to help residents with accommodation and support services, and to ensure they could retrieve their personal belongings.

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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 Auckland man promised two people a better life, but instead kept them as slaves for several years, police said following his sentencing.

Moeaia Tuai was on Thursday jailed for 16 years and four months for dealing in slaves, rape and numerous other sexual assaults.

Detective Inspector Warrick Adkin of Counties Manukau CIB said the Samoan chief arranged to bring them to New Zealand in 2016.

He praised the bravery of the complainants for standing up in court, saying they gave compelling evidence.

“Initially the victims were promised a good education and a better way of life. But that’s not what happened – instead he put them to work, kept their wages and assaulted them.

“The charges are the result of more than two years of work by Immigration New Zealand and New Zealand Police, dating back to 2024 when the first allegations of Tuai’s offending were brought to our attention.”

Specialist agencies supported the two young people through the process and five-week trial, he added.

Immigration investigations manager Jason Perry said slavery was often a hidden crime, and urged people to report migrant exploitation.

“Immigration New Zealand is committed to supporting police to ensure those who deliberately harm or take advantage of others are held accountable. Immigration investigators worked closely with police throughout the operation, helping to ensure those responsible for these often hidden crimes are brought to justice.

“Coordinated action like this is essential to protecting vulnerable people and raising awareness. If you see signs of exploitation, report it.”

Tuai, 63, was sentenced to a non-parole period of eight years.

The High Court in Auckland heard he put the male complainant straight to work at an Auckland boarding house run by his wife’s sister, before moving both victims to Australia, where the young man escaped in 2020.

It took another four years before the young woman, back in New Zealand, also managed to run away.

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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 person is in a stable condition in hospital after being shot and injured in the Auckland suburb of Mission Bay.

Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk says police were called to a property about 9.15pm on Thursday.

She said it appeared a group of people had turned up at the house where some kind of altercation took place.

An investigation was underway to track down those responsible.

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