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Tracks cleared as more damage found

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  14 November 2025

Most of the damage has occurred in the DOC Greymouth District, and rangers have been diverted from other routine maintenance work to clear the windfalls.

Work to reopen tracks has included engineers checking bridges, windfall clearance by chainsaw operators, and blasting to remove large rocks.

In the Greymouth District, repair work has been completed on the Point Elizabeth Walkway, Velenski Walk at Moana, Arnold Dam Walk, Paparoa Track – Porarari gorge section, Pike29 Memorial Track, Lake Daniell Track, and Murray Creek Track in Reefton.

DOC Principal Ranger Sam Symonds says although the crews are making good progress on track clearances, more reports of damage are coming in, with the most recent being Waitahu Track, just north of Reefton, where Sam says “nature ate our track.

“We’ve closed the four-wheel drive road and the track up the Waitahu River as there are multiple windfalls, slips, and erosion of the track by the river, making the track dangerous for use,” Sam says.

“Unfortunately, this type of damage is increasing as severe weather events become more frequent.

“We are looking at options to reopen access to the wider track network up the Waitahu River, but the damage is extensive, and the repairs are not straightforward.

“We know people are keen to get out and about naturing, so please let us know about any further damage by calling 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) to report it.

“Even if there are no updates or alerts on our website, I urge visitors to exercise caution and be prepared to turn back if necessary,” Sam says.

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Universities in ‘battle of the century’ with journal publisher Elsevier

Source: Radio New Zealand

Universities could lose access to more than 1000 journals. (File photo) 123RF

Thousands of academics and students in New Zealand and Australia are poised to lose access to critical research journals next year.

Negotiations between the Council of Australasian University Librarians and academic publishing giant Elsevier have broken down in what academic described as universities’ “battle of the century”.

The council announced on Friday, it had “paused” talks with Elsevier over a contract covering all of the two nations’ universities.

“CAUL has paused discussions with Elsevier after both parties were unable to reach agreement on major commercial terms, including pricing, agreement structure and inclusion of gold open access journals,” it said in a statement.

One New Zealand university told its staff all universities in New Zealand and Australia would “lose some degree of access” to Elsevier’s 1600 titles from the start of next year.

Another said New Zealand’s eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.

Academics told RNZ universities were playing hardball and the negotiations were a “battle of the century” with publishers.

CAUL also announced it had sealed a deal with another of the major research journal publishers, Taylor & Francis.

“The agreement means that all Australian and New Zealand university research published by Taylor & Francis can be freely accessed by members of the public,” it said.

“The deal with Taylor & Francis is the first to be struck under CAUL’s new negotiation framework, established in response to mounting pressure on university budgets and growing concern about the rising cost of open access publishing.”

Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan said universities wanted a better deal from the various publishing companies.

“Until now, each individual university across Australasia, Australia and New Zealand, has had their own licence agreement with the big academic publishers. What we’ve been doing is entering into collective negotiations to see if we can get a better return for taxpayer funds,” he said.

Whelan said universities had individual contracts with Elsevier so the expiry of the contracts would affect each institution differently.

“It’s highly likely that some universities will be losing access to Elsevier journals from the start of the new year, others will have as part of their agreement continued access on some sort of basis,” he said.

Whelan said the universities wanted free public access to the research their taxes had funded.

“We have a mutually-beneficial relationship with these publishers. We need them to be able to publish and for other researchers to be able to access knowledge and build on it so they play an important part in the research ecosystem,” he said.

“But on the flip side, their research is hidden behind paywalls. If you’re a member of a university community your library will have a have a licence to access it. But members of the public generally can’t see behind those payrolls. So there’s a lot of research that ultimately has been paid for by New Zealand.”

Association of Scientists co-president Troy Baisden said the negotiations were the battle of the century for universities, whose staff wrote, edited and peer reviewed articles for various journals, often for free.

Association of Scientists co-president Troy Baisden said universities would play “hardball”. (File photo) Waikato University

“The cost of library subscriptions to these major journal houses is one of the most broken issues that universities face. It was built up in the 20th century and needs to be fixed in some way in the 21st century,” he said.

“Universities are going to play hardball, and they’ve had a long-term plan to try to get these costs under control.”

Baisden said New Zealand universities already had a system for ensuring the public had free access to their research.

But he said universities and academics were tied into the journal-publishing world because publication in prestigious journals helped with international rankings and promotion.

RNZ has approached Elsevier for comment.

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

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Government completes four bills in a week of political sideshows

Source: Radio New Zealand

Parliament

Last week, much of the political focus was on the ongoing tensions within Te Pāti Māori. This week has been much the same, with the addition of the release of a report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

While these sagas dominated headlines Parliament continued to consider legislation, with four government bills completing their legislative journeys this week. Two of the four enjoyed relative consensus across the House – the other two not so much.

Third readings this week

A third reading is the last stage of debate that a bill undergoes in the House before it heads off to be confirmed as law.

The Medicines Amendment Bill passed its third reading on Wednesday morning during an extended sitting. It seeks to increase the accessibility of medicines to New Zealanders by (among other changes) employing “the rule of two”, whereby if a medication is approved for use in two recognised overseas jurisdictions it can be fast-tracked for approval here.

In charge of the bill was Associate Minister of Health David Seymour, who in giving the bill a sort of farewell to the House, noted that it was a rare instance in which parties were in agreement.

“This has been a collaborative effort,” the ACT leader said. “I note that the rule of two was campaigned on by all three coalition parties and so far has had support from every party in this Parliament. It’s a very good example of how politicians can actually hear people’s concerns in the community, formulate a solution, stay the course, implement it confidently, and make New Zealand a better place to live, one step at a time.”

Another third reading this week was the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill, which may be better known as the congestion charging bill. Like the Medicines Amendment Bill, it enjoyed relatively smooth sailing through the House, with Labour calling it a “very good bill”.

Differences emerge

That sense of legislative kumbaya wasn’t to last though as the House got to another two third readings, which this time made for fiery debate between government and Opposition.

The first of those two bills was the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 2) which gives effect to new government education policy in the form of putting educational achievement at the centre of decision-making. It was the amendments added in the committee stage though that had the Opposition riled up.

In that committee stage, Minister of Education Erica Stanford tabled Amendment Paper 428, which made further changes to section 127 of the bill, which pertained to schools upholding the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Stanford had her Cabinet colleague Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds filling in for her during the third reading.

“This government considers that it is unreasonable to expect elected parents, who volunteer their time, to discharge the Crown’s legal responsibilities in respect of the Treaty. Instead, the government believes that it is the Crown’s responsibility to support Māori educational success,” Simmonds explained.

Amendments are put forward during the committee stage, which is a bill’s penultimate hurdle in the House before royal assent (when it is signed into law). Labour’s Willow Jean-Prime argued that making these further changes after the time for engagement with the public (select committee submissions) had been and gone was “a travesty”.

“The two amendment papers tabled by the minister last week in the committee of the whole House stage of this bill did not go through a select committee process, so the public did not have an opportunity to make submissions on the proposed changes to remove the section regarding Te Tiriti o Waitangi for boards or the changes to the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand,” Prime said.

“Now this is a travesty, because what we have here are two really significant changes which, as I just said, have had no consultation, no select committee process, and, actually, very little debate.”

The last third reading of the week was David Seymour’s Regulatory Standards Bill, which is probably the most contentious of the four bills to finish up their legislative journey this week.

It seeks to limit future lawmakers from introducing what Seymour considers unnecessary red tape into legislation, prioritising private property rights.

A version of the Regulatory Standards Bill has been something ACT had been keen on for over a decade, so when getting up to speak on it, Seymour may have been pinching himself at finally seeing shepherding it through its last hurdle in Parliament.

VNP/Louis Collins

“The Regulatory Standards Act means that politicians need to at least be open and honest about the impacts that they have on individuals when they pursue their goals,” Seymour declared.

“That is what we need to be doing in this Parliament. It is a movement towards a more civilised society where adults treat each other respectfully. That is something that I look forward to implementing over the next six months as this bill comes into force. I am very proud to stand behind it.”

While Seymour celebrated its inevitable passage into law, The Greens’ Tamatha Paul lamented it, comparing the bill to a cockroach.

“The danger of this bill is how eye-wateringly boring and technical it is, so that most of the general public aren’t necessarily paying attention to the consequences of this bill,” Paul told the House on Thursday.

“They’d be forgiven for thinking that it was just a boring old bill, because the ACT Party can’t get it by standing on what they really want, so they couch it in legal and technical and constitutional terms to try and get their foot in the door-just like a cockroach. That’s how a cockroach lives, isn’t it? In the dark, in the night-not in broad daylight, being clear about the intentions of what they hope to achieve.”

The Regulatory Standards Bill now just awaits royal assent, which is the process whereby the governor-general signs a bill into law. This is likely to happen next week.

To listen to the audio version of this story, click the link near the top of the page.

RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.

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

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What to do if you have the coloured sand recalled for asbestos in your home

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tremolite – a naturally occurring asbestos – had been found in samples during lab testing. Supplied / Product Safety NZ

Nearly 60 schools and early childhood centres have contacted the Ministry of Education over possible asbestos contamination from recalled coloured play sands. Here’s what we know.

What is the product that was recalled?

The sand is brightly coloured and used for play, craft and classroom activities. The recalled products are:

  • Creatistics Coloured Sand
  • Educational Colours Rainbow Sand

Tremolite – a naturally occurring asbestos – had been found in samples during lab testing. Asbestos contamination had been found in similar products in Australia.

How dangerous is tremolite asbestos?

Inhalation of asbestos fibres is associated with an increased incidence in a number of respiratory diseases, including asbestos, mesothelioma, pleural and lung cancers, ABC Australia reported.

MBIE said while testing of New Zealand product is ongoing, as a precautionary measure, the company Educational Colours has issued a recall notice.

“Asbestos is a serious health hazard and we are working with Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the Ministry of Education and WorkSafe to provide guidance for consumers and educational facilities which may have bought these products.”

What shops stock the sand?

The sand was sold at

  • Paper Plus
  • Hobby Land
  • NZ School Shop
  • Office Products Depot
  • Discount Office
  • Acquire

It was also sold at Qizzle, Modern Teaching Aids, Creative Classrooms Ltd and ACME Supplies.

MBIE said it may have also been sold online.

The sand was sold at a number of stores as well as online. Supplied / Product Safety NZ

How long has it been on shelves?

“At this stage we do not have enough information to quantify how widespread the use of the product is in schools and early learning services,” Ministry of Education head of operations and integration Sean Teddy said on Thursday.

How is it being handled?

Earlier this week the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said people needed to stop using the products immeidately.

“We urge anyone who has bought these products, either for personal use or potential use in a school or other setting to act immediately,” said Ian Caplin, MBIE product safety spokesperson.

“Stop using the sand, contain it, secure it in a safe place and arrange for safe disposal through licensed professionals, a list of these is available on the WorkSafe website.”

Caplin said people should avoid trying to clean any loose particles themselves

“It’s not a question of hoovering it up and chucking it in a waste bin, call an expert.,”

RNZ had been in touch with a number of asbestos removal firms who said they had been notified of the product by WorkSafe, and were awaiting further information before formulating plans to address potential contamination.

What should parents do?

  • Stop using it immediately
  • Place the sand in a sealed container and store it securely away from people.
  • Do not dispose of it in general waste. WorkSafe strongly recommends engaging a Class A licensed asbestos removalist for safe disposal. A list of licensed removalists can be found on the WorkSafe website.

Once secure, it encourages people to reach out to the supplier to organise a refund under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

What should schools and ECEs do?

“We’ve been contacted by around 30 schools and 30 early childhood services from around the country, and we are working with them to validate if the product they have on site is the product that is being recalled, as well as if the product they have is in active use or not,” Teddy said.

  • If the product is in a sealed container move it to a secure location away from people.
  • If the sand is currently being used in your facility, please instruct everyone to leave the area, block it off and make sure it is not accessible.
  • Do not vacuum or sweep floors where there is sand, or attempt to clean it up.
  • Contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation. Details of Class A licensed removalists are available in the Asbestos Removal Licence Holders Register.
  • Do not return to the affected area until the extent of contamination is established, and after the area is remediated by an expert.
  • If individuals are currently using the sand, they should put it down and relocate to a sand-free, well-ventilated area.
  • If an educational facility has identified that the sand has been used at their facility, they should notify Ministry of Education that the sand has been used on site, and detail the actions that have been taken so far.

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

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Police say delay in responding to reports of disorder in Tauranga due to another incident

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say they did attend and disperse a crowd in Welcome Bay on 1 November after multiple complaints, though not immediately. RNZ / REECE BAKER

Police say a delay in responding to reports of disorder in Tauranga earlier this month was due to being busy elsewhere.

On the evening of Saturday 1 November, police said they received multiple reports of a large group of people on a street in Welcome Bay.

One request came from Tauranga City Council’s noise control team which asked for assistance.

“Our contracted Noise Control officers received three complaints on Saturday, 1 November and attended Victory Street to assess the situation. Due to health and safety concerns arising from the large number of people present, Noise Control requested Police assistance to serve an Excessive Noise Direction,” said the council’s general manager regulatory & community services Sarah Omendsen.

However, she said police did not attend while council staff were still there.

The New Zealand Herald reported the disorder calls as relating to a “massive brawl”.

Police told RNZ they did eventually attend and disperse a crowd, though not immediately.

“Police will prioritise events based on risk, and attendance or non-attendance, will reflect that risk,” a spokesperson said.

“In this case, while we were unable to respond immediately due to another serious disorder incident, we gathered appropriate resources, attended the scene and dispersed the crowd.”

Omendsen said police were the ones who needed to deal with events that got out of control or caused problems for neighbours.

“Residents experiencing public disorder are encouraged to report it directly to police, who are responsible for and best equipped to respond to these types of incidents.”

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Manufacturing sector expands for fourth consecutive month in October

Source: Radio New Zealand

A reading above 50.0 indicates expansion in the BNZ-Business New Zealand PMI, in October the score rose by 1.3 points to 51.4. 123rf

  • Manufacturing activity expands, rises 1.3 points to 51.4 – above 50 is expansion
  • Four of five sub-indexes also in expansion – employment still contracting
  • Manufacturing expanded four months in a row, first time in three years

New Zealand’s manufacturing sector expanded for a fourth consecutive month in October, led by a rise in new orders and improved demand.

The BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance Of Manufacturing Index (PMI) for October rose by 1.3 points to 51.4 from 50.1 in September.

A reading above 50.0 indicates expansion.

BNZ senior economist Doug Steel said the lift to 51.4 from September’s 50.1 was not large, but was moving in the right direction.

“The October result sees the PMI now boasting four consecutive months above the break even 50 mark for the first time in three years.”

BusinessNZ director of advocacy Catherine Beard said that after two months of flatlining activity in the sector, at least October showed more signs of life.

“Four of the five sub-index values were in expansion during October, lead by New Orders, which showed its highest level of expansion since August 2022.”

Production and Finished Stocks also rose, but Employment remains in contractionary territory at 48.1.

Steel said manufacturers were still shedding workers and employment was usually the last sector to rise in an economic recovery.

Manufacturers were also less negative above the future, the proportion of negative comments fell in October to 54.1 percent, down from 60.2 percent in September and 58.1 percent in August.

Manufacturers reported a lift in orders and improved demand, helped by seasonal activity, new customers/products, and signs of economic confidence returning.

Many also noted better efficiency and productivity, with process improvements and automation supporting stronger sales and output.

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Australian company to supply police’s new roadside drug-testing kits

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police will start testing for THC, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine using the new oral-fluid testing devices. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Police have confirmed a deal with an Australian company to provide detection devices for roadside drug-testing.

Roadside testing for four types of drugs will begin in Wellington next month, with a nationwide rollout by mid-2026.

Police will start testing for THC, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine using the new oral-fluid testing devices.

Director of road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said Australian-based company Pathtech Pty Ltd would supply the devices, as well as oral fluid collection kits to collect samples to be sent for laboratory analysis.

The Securetec DrugWipe 3S devices were used in police jurisdictions throughout Australia, as well as other overseas nations.

The DrugWipe detects the presence of drugs in saliva at or above a threshold that detects current or recent use.

Drivers will take an initial swab test, with a positive result triggering a second test. If confirmed, the driver faces an immediate 12-hour driving ban, and their initial sample is sent to a laboratory for evidential testing.

Greally said it followed an extensive global procurement process, and Pathtech had “extensive knowledge” of introducing drug detection equipment across Australia.

“Many countries, including New Zealand, have seen a rise in the number of drivers testing positive for drugs in recent years, and the direct correlation to the number of people being seriously injured or killed on our roads,” he said.

“The focus now shifts to the implementation and our processes as our staff prepare for this crucial change.”

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Why an ‘Inspector-General’ might not have stopped the Jevon McSkimming cover-up

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police Conduct Association founder Shannon Parker says the move to bring in an Inspector-General is a knee-jerk reaction. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

An advocate supporting people with complaints about police misconduct says bringing in an Inspector-General is a knee-jerk reaction that may not make much difference.

The government revealed on Tuesday it plans to set up an Inspector-General of Police as part of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA), which will be expanded to become an Inspectorate, with additional resourcing and powers.

The National Integrity Unit in Police has also been bolstered with six additional investigators, and a lawyer has been tasked with investigating current police employees involved.

The moves are a response to the damning IPCA report into the failures of police leadership to investigate or follow up complaints of sexual offending by McSkimming.

The complaints are thought to have been made by a woman 20 years younger than McSkimming, who he had an affair with.

The founder of the Police Conduct Association, Shannon Parker, told Nine to Noon host Kathryn Ryan she set up the NGO after her own difficulties making a complaint about police.

“I found the process very difficult, and basically didn’t know what I was doing, and I felt that many people would have the same problem,” she said.

Jevon McSkimming. RNZ / Mark Papalii

She said the move to bring in an Inspector-General was a knee-jerk reaction and several avenues for investigating police conduct already existed: the IPCA; the Police Professional Conduct Group inside police; and the National Integrity Unit also within police.

“In my mind, all [were] set up for the purpose of protecting the police reputation as opposed to protecting victims of police conduct … I can’t see how an Inspector-General of Police is going to make any difference if you put that person sitting at the IPCA.”

She said the IPCA had admitted there were times it could have stepped in sooner or done more to prevent the McSkimming scandal, and an Inspector-General would only know what they had been notified of.

“If someone’s instructed not to forward an email on, not to notify someone, how is it going to have made any difference? … he only knows what he knows. He only knows what he’s notified of.

“What’s the difference between that and any other avenue they already have for communicating anonymously?

“I think it’s another thing that’s going to cost a lot of money that is not going to offer the victims or complainants of police misconduct any value.”

She said the internal groups like the Professional Conduct Group sometimes referred complaints back to the police district the complaint originated from – and whether they were acted on often depended on “how much that person is willing to do”.

The problem with the McSkimming case was the correct processes were not followed, and Parker questioned whether having an Inspector-General would affect that.

The same was true of the idea of setting up an anonymous portal for complaints.

“We’ve got whistleblowers process, anyone can set up an anonymous email … they could have gone to CrimeStoppers, again that’s anonymous.

“I’m not saying that they should have to, or that that should be what they should have done – but I’m saying there’s already ways and means of doing that.”

Public Services Minister Judith Collins speaks after a damning report into police conduct, with Police Commissioner Richard Chambers in the background. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

More resources for IPCA a ‘great next step’

Parker said the IPCA only investigated a small portion of the complaints they received, with many instead being sent back for police to investigate themselves.

More detailed investigations by the IPCA were typically only undertaken for very serious cases like police shootings, fatal pursuits, and sexual offending, she said.

“Other than that, they are usually left with the police.”

She said some complaints were only successfully raised because the complainants had “pushed and pushed” and asked further questions.

“The bulk of those, if I’m honest, have actually only been taken seriously or relooked at after we have gone to the media and it’s got – or about to get – public attention. And that concerns me. That shouldn’t have to happen.

“It makes me wonder how many people just give up at the starting gate … because it’s too stressful, it’s too hard, or they just don’t know what to do next.”

Another difficulty with the IPCA was any complaint made would automatically be notified to the police.

Greater powers for the IPCA would be “a great idea and would be a great next step”, she said, but the priority was more resourcing.

“They are very limited in what they can do, and I do understand that … but I think they definitely need greater resourcing.

“In some cases I know that they would like to take things further and they just can’t – but not having the time and the resources to be able to go through these with a finer-toothed comb definitely has a big impact.”

She said complainants sometimes filed “incredibly long” complaints with irrelevant details that could take up police and IPCA time, and which may be exacerbating problems with ignored or lost complaints.

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Why low-flying German military planes are in New Zealand skies

Source: Radio New Zealand

Luftwaffe means Air Force in German. Samantha Gee / RNZ

Low-flying military aircraft have been seen around the country over the last week, with a deployment from the German Air Force setting up in Woodbourne, near Blenheim, where its members are training with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The joint exercise, Tūhono Rangi, involves German military aircraft doing formation and low-altitude flights and deploying parachutists and cargo around the country.

The German Air Force has brought two A400 planes from the Air Transport Wing 62 and a Airbus A330 and A321 from the Special Mission Wing to New Zealand.

Colonel Markus Knoll, who is piloting one of the Airbus A400 aircraft, said the six-day journey from Germany via Europe, the United States and Fiji, was a dream come true for a pilot.

Once arriving in New Zealand, he said they were able to fly the A400s in their full tactical spectrum.

“In Blenheim, we’ve got, from our point of view, a very short runway, so we have to take care to do some short field landings, we do some low-level flying that’s unique, we can go down to 300 feet (91m) AGL (above ground level), we’re not allowed to do this in Germany, only 500 feet (152m) AGL.

The Germans were working closely with the RNZAF Combat Support Squadron (CSS) from Base Ohakea, and Knoll said they were developing interoperability, which would allow them to work together on operations in the future.

The cockpit of a German Air Force A400 during a training exercise in NZ. Samantha Gee / RNZ

Over the next week, working alongside the New Zealand Army at Waiouru, they will practice dropping containers of kit and supplies in various locations.

“We’ve done these airdrops over the Gaza Strip for humanitarian relief, and now we have to train the four crews we’ve brought with us to use our newest software in the A400 so we can do some automatic drops.”

The joint military exercise is called Tūhono Rangi. Samantha Gee / RNZ

The German Air Force first visited Base Ohakea last year as part of the Pacific Skies exercise, marking the first time operational German and Spanish military aircraft had come to New Zealand.

Knoll said that was the beginning of a partnership between the two countries, with the current mission an invaluable chance to work together.

“We learn a lot from each other – in the military world nowadays you’re never ever on your own, you’re always in a ‘coalition of the willing’ or NATO, together with partners.

“New Zealand is one of the partners and if we train together, if you get used to each other, if our tactics fit with the others – that’s great, we are stronger together.”

German Air Force Colonel Markus Knoll flew one of the A400s to New Zealand, a journey that took six days. Samantha Gee / RNZ

Operation squadron leader Matt Williams led the exercise to mount and deploy from Ohakea to Woodbourne, ensuring all capabilities could be deployed effectively through military air assets, then set up again in location, operational and ready to support.

He said they did not often get a chance to operate with aircraft like the A400.

RNZAF pilots were able to sit alongside the German pilots in flight to gain an understanding of the systems and processes they used, while also helping them to understand New Zealand’s unique flying environment.

Flight Lieutenant Shane Leaming is a security forces officer in combat support services. Samantha Gee / RNZ

Around 60 Air Force personnel came down from Ohakea to support the mission, including Flight Lieutenant Shane Leaming, a security forces officer.

“New Zealand is very far away from the centre of the world where the big militaries are, such as Europe and America, so it’s very cool when a detachment of them comes all the way to New Zealand just to fly in our airspace and work with us.”

A German Air Force A400 flying across the Tasman Sea. Samantha Gee / RNZ

His work in combat service support involved leading security forces teams to protect aircraft and military bases in scenarios during the exercise.

“For my teams to practice their flyaway techniques and procedures, one of the hardest things for us to access is actually having ready access to an aircraft because our planes are so busy – so having the Germans here willing to fly four flights per day that my team can jump on, and we have a scenario that is safe but also tests us, that’s the best part.”

Inside a German Military A400 aircraft. Samantha Gee / RNZ

Corporal Ezra Te Awe Awe, a logistics specialist in the air movements team, said it was the first time he had worked with the German Air Force. He had been loading and unloading passengers, signing off pre-flight paperwork, securing cargo and marshalling the aircraft in and out.

“Being able to marshal them in, it’s different to what we usually do with our aircraft. Working with A400s, you don’t really get to do that in New Zealand.”

Corporal Ezra Te Awe Awe, a logistics specialist in the air movements team. Samantha Gee / RNZ

The German military aircraft will be visible in the skies for the next week, until exercise Tūhono Rangi concludes.

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‘Just looking for a result’: Scott Robertson on All Blacks’ challenge against England

Source: Radio New Zealand

England v All Blacks

Kick-off: 4:10am Sunday 16 November

Allianz Stadium (Twickenham), London

Live blog updates on RNZ

England have been installed as favourites by some local bookmakers for this weekend’s crunch match with the All Blacks at Twickenham. However, Scott Robertson isn’t reading too much into it as his side prepares for what’s being billed as the biggest game of the end of year tour.

“We’re just looking for a result,” he said when asked if the All Blacks were aiming for a statement performance.

“You look at these games, how tight they are in the margins, and there’s two quality teams both got clear DNA, how they want to play. Discipline, keep trusting ourselves and keep playing is the key.”

Robertson has made several changes to his team, most notably shaking up the loose forwards by bringing back Simon Parker to start at blindside.

“He’s a big body, he’s physical and Wallace (Sititi) will come on obviously…we still have to make our tackles and turn the ball over, whatever the style of game is, he can add to it.”

All Blacks Cam Roigard and Wallace Sititi celebrate at full-time after George Ford of England misses a drop goal attempt at the final whistle during All Blacks v England. Bob Martin/ActionPress

When asked for an assessment of England, Robertson was surprised and amused to learn of the ‘Pom Squad’ nickname that Steve Borthwick’s bench has earned. Props Ellis Genge and Will Stuart, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and loose forwards Tom Curry and Henry Pollock will be presumably injected in the second half, in a plan that has been likened to the Springboks’ successful switching of starting players to impact roles in recent years.

“Wow that’s catchy,” said Robertson.

“That’s innovation, isn’t it? The finishing of test matches is critical…(we’ve got to) bring all we need to make an impact.”

Of course, there was the inevitable question about the haka, but in the English media’s defence, the topic of how the home side should issue a response was far more thoughtful than last year’s eruption of controversy.

“We welcome that, respectfully. There’s always rules of engagement around it, but they know what we’re going to do,” said Robertson.

England players approach the New Zealand team as they perform the Haka. James Crombie / www.photosport.nz

England coach Steve Borthwick will be looking to reverse a run of three narrow defeats to the All Blacks, including a dramatic 24-22 result in the same fixture last year. He hinted at a kick-heavy game, having identified that Robertson’s gameplans have relied on Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie’s boots a great deal.

“Every game it has spiked how much they have kicked. Last year at Twickenham, they came and the first thing they did is go ‘right we are kicking this ball’,” Borthwick told media this week.

“It is that tactical element of it and it will be interesting to see if that’s what Scott Robertson has asked his team to do.”

Scott Barrett addresses the All Blacks. ActionPress

Team lists

England: 1. Fin Baxter, 2. Jamie George, 3. Joe Heyes, 4. Maro Itoje (c), 5. Alex Coles, 6. Guy Pepper, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Ben Earl, 9. Alex Mitchell, 10. George Ford (vice-captain), 11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 12. Fraser Dingwall, 13. Ollie Lawrence, 14. Tom Roebuck, 15. Freddie Steward

Bench: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Will Stuart, 19. Chandler Cunningham-South, 20. Tom Curry, 21. Henry Pollock, 22. Ben Spencer, 23. Marcus Smith

All Blacks: 1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett (c), 5. Fabian Holland, 6. Simon Parker, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Peter Lakai, 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12. Quinn Tupaea, 13. Billy Proctor, 14. Leroy Carter, 15. Will Jordan

Bench: 16. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17. Tamaiti Williams, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Josh Lord, 20. Wallace Sititi, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Damian McKenzie

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