Posts

Posted on

Transporting New Zealand welcomes return to original speed limits

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Today’s announcement by NZTA that 43 sections of state highway will revert to their previous higher speed limits, in line with community feedback, has been welcomed by road freight peak body Transporting New Zealand. The reversals must be implemented by July 1, 2025.
Between 30 January and 13 March 2025, NZTA consulted on 49 sections of state highway around the country to determine public support levels for keeping speed limits at lowered speeds.
Based on community feedback, speed limits at 43 of the 49 sections will return to their previous speed limits.
For six locations, consultation demonstrated majority public support to keep the current lower speed limit:
– SH30 Rotorua South
– SH5 Waipā State Mill Road
– SH5 Waiotapu,
– SH3 Whanganui
– SH3 Palmerston Northeast to Whakarongo
– SH94 Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound
Chief executive Dom Kalasih says the partial rollback is a positive outcome that respects local views and demonstrates that the Coalition Government’s 2024 speed limit rule change strikes a careful balance between efficiency and safety considerations.
“We were pleased to see the end of the previous Government’s policy of blanket speed limit reduction. This one-size-fits all approach slowed everyone down, led to frustrated drivers and increasing disregard for lowered limits.
“In contrast, the Coalition Government’s approach of lower speed limits in areas with high crash risk, variable speed limits outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times, and meaningful community consultation is a big improvement.
“Free-moving traffic benefits all road users, maximises productivity, and keeps the 93 percent of New Zealand’s freight that travels via road moving efficiently,” he says.
NZTA received 21,500 submissions on 49 sections of the state highway system, with the level of participation and volume of submissions making the speed reversal consultation one of NZTA’s largest to date.
There are other areas on state highways where decisions have yet to be made, and these are what NZTA calls “urban connectors” which range from Northland to Rakaia.
  Consultation closes May 14.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
Posted on

EMA – Northwest Busway will transform Auckland’s western suburbs

Source: EMA

The decision today by the NZ Transport Agency to endorse the Northwest Busway investment case is welcome news for West Auckland residents, says EMA’s Head of Advocacy, Alan McDonald.
“We’ve seen the success of the Northern Busway in significantly reducing traffic on the Auckland Harbour Bridge,” he says.
“There is no doubt that the Northwest Busway will have a similarly transformative impact on Auckland’s burgeoning north-western suburbs.”
Today’s decision follows other significant infrastructure announcements by the government this week, including the preferred corridor for a four-lane connection over the Brynderwyn Hills to Whangārei, as well as the Tauriko four-laning and Takitimu North projects in Tauranga.
“Together, these major roading projects will generate thousands of jobs and provide much needed work for the construction sector.”  
Posted on

Aid cuts threaten the lives of 110,000 children with severe malnutrition reliant on emergency treatment from Save the Children

Source: Save the Children

At least 110,000- severely acutely malnourished children supported by Save the Children in 10 countries could be left without access to life-saving ready-to-use emergency food and nutrition programmes as aid cuts hit supplies in coming months, according to a Save the Children analysis.
Globally, one in five deaths among children aged under 5 are attributed to severe acute malnutrition, making it one of the top threats to child survival. Community-based programmes combining medical treatment and therapeutic foods, including a fortified peanut paste, have a 90% success rate.
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is an energy-dense, micronutrient paste typically made using peanuts, sugar, milk powder, oil, vitamins and minerals that is packaged in foil pouches with a long shelf life and no need of refrigeration. Over the past 30 years this emergency therapeutic food has saved the lives of millions of children facing acute malnutrition [1] [2].
At a time when global hunger is skyrocketing [3], the current global supply of RUTF is already not even meeting 40% of global needs, Save the Children said, leaving millions of children without access to this life-saving intervention.
In 2024 there were large-scale breaks in the supply of RUTF as rising malnutrition rates drove up demand and due to disruptions in global supply chains and insufficient funding. This situation is expected to worsen in 2025. An analysis by Save the Children of the 10 countries forecast to have the biggest gaps in supplies found 110,000 malnourished children could miss out on this vital treatment by the end of the year. RUTF supplies are expected to run out in many locations from next month due to a lack of funding.
Globally at least 18.2 million children were born into hunger in 2024, or about 35 children a minute, with children in conflict zones from Gaza to Ukraine, to Haiti, Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), struggling daily to get enough to eat. Famine has been declared in several parts of Sudan where people are resorting to eating grass to stay alive.
Hannah Stephenson, Head of Hunger and Nutrition at Save the Children, said:
“Right now, funding shortfalls mean essential nutrition packs are not reaching the children who desperately need them. We know we have the expertise and the track record to reach children around the world but what we urgently need now is the funding to ensure children can receive life-saving treatment. We are running out of time, and t his will cost children’s lives.
“We also need to see long-term commitments to tackle the root causes of hunger and malnutrition, or else we will continue to see the reversal of progress made for children.”
In Kenya, one of the countries where Save the Children treats acute malnutrition cases, 18-month-old Ereng has just recovered from malnutrition with treatment from Community Health Promoter Charles, who was trained in basic healthcare by Save the Children.
Lomanat and Daniel, Ereng’s parents, walked for several kilometres to reach Charles’ clinic. The family are pastoralists, but recent droughts have killed their livestock, and the family now has no sustainable income and no reliable food source.
They know how important treatment is for children like Ereng, who gained 2.4 kgs (5.3 pounds) in two months once she started receiving nutrition treatment using the fortified peanut paste which has about 500 calories in each portion. Lomanat said:
“Our  child was in a very bad shape, and the doctor helped by giving her peanut paste. I am very happy, because she is cured.”
In Somalia, where Save the Children also treats child with acute malnutrition, 7-month-Mukhtar- arrived at a health centre in Puntland after contracting flu which led to breathing difficulties and malnutrition.
His mother Shamso, 40, who has eight other children, feared her son would not survive with the family struggling after drought killed all but six of their herd of 30 goats. But after receiving medical care and treatment for malnutrition with peanut paste, Mukhtar recovered and returned home.
“His condition was serious when I brought him in and I didn’t expect him to reach the town alive ,” said Shamso. “My biggest worry is the children, whether my own, those of the relatives or those of my neighbours. When drought comes, it follows that hunger will strike.”
Children are always the most vulnerable in food crises and, without enough to eat and the right nutritional balance, they are at high risk of becoming acutely malnourished.
Malnutrition can cause stunting, impede mental and physical development, and increase the risk of contracting deadly diseases.
About 1.12 billion children globally – or almost half of the world’s children – are unable to afford a balanced diet now, according to data from Save the Children released last month.
In 2025, Save the Children aims to treat 260,000 children for severe acute malnutrition at outpatient sites in 10 countries that are now experiencing therapeutic food shortages.
Save the Children is urgently trying to raise $7 million to provide 110,000 severely malnourished children with life-saving RUTF and the critical services needed to treat malnutrition 1 including skilled health workers, community follow-up, immunizations, safe spaces for treatment, safe water, hygiene and sanitation support.
In the United States, actress and Save the Children ambassador Jennifer Garner launched her #67Strong4Kids campaign on her birthday last week. For #67Strong4Kids she is running a mile a day for 67 consecutive days to raise awareness about Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). The amount $67 covers a six-week course of RUTF that treats a child suffering from severe acute malnutrition and potentially saves their life.
-Methodology: Save the Children used the target reach figures for all outpatient severe acute malnutrition treatment in 10 countries facing the largest disruption to the RUTF supply and compared with the current funding gaps for RUTF in those countries. Given the continued uncertainty in supply funding these figures are preliminary and up to date as of 26 March 2025. The 10 countries facing the largest disruptions are Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
REFERENCES
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
Posted on

Fire Safety – Marlborough eases outdoor fire restrictions

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is changing the restrictions for outdoor fires throughout Marlborough at 8am on Thursday 24 April, until further notice.
The Marlborough South area will move from a prohibited to a restricted fire season, which means all outdoor fires need a permit approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
The Marlborough North area will move from a restricted fire season to an open fire season, which means people can light outdoor fires without an approved permit.
All Department of Conservation land in Marlborough remains in a restricted fire season.
Nelson Marlborough Group Manager Chris Hayles says recent rainfall has lowered the fire danger in both areas, although the southern area is still drier after a hot summer.
“There has been new grass growth across Marlborough, but long dry grass can enable fire to move extremely fast in windy conditions,” he says.
“It’s still critically important that people lighting permitted fires comply with the conditions required.
“Even where no fire permit is required, the person lighting the fire has a responsibility to do this safely.
“Fires need to be kept to a manageable size and not allow smoke drift to become a hazard for motorists.
“If you’re not sure what the fire season is in your location, go to checkitsalright.nz to find out, and follow the advice provided.”
Posted on

Custody officer uses unjustified force in Manukau Custody Unit

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

Custody officer used unjustified force in Manukau Custody Unit

17 April 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a custody officer used unjustified force on a male prisoner in the Counties Manukau Custody Unit.

On 14 November 2023, a 19-year-old man was received into the District Custody Unit at Manukau. While in a holding cell, he began banging his head backwards against a concrete wall. Custody officers told him to stop and warned him that he would otherwise be placed in a restraint chair. However, the man banged his head a further three times.

While a restraint chair was being prepared, Custody Officer A went into the cell alone and pulled the man to his feet. The man resisted and moved into a corner of the cell, where Custody Officer A struck him while attempting to restrain him.

Two other custody officers entered and assisted in removing the man from the cell. As they escorted him towards the door, Custody Officer A punched the man in the face, saying that he believed the man was about to spit at him.

We found that custody officers should have made further attempts to stop the man from banging his head before looking to use a restraint chair, which should only be used as a last resort. Custody officers also failed to seek authority from a supervisor before using the restraint chair, as is required by Police policy.

We found that Custody Officer A should not have intervened on his own as there was no immediate threat to the man’s safety, and that it was unreasonable and unjustified for him to strike the man while in the corner of the cell.

Custody Officer A was justified in using force to stop the man from spitting at him. However, by punching him in the face, he used excessive force to do so.

Police completed their own investigation. They concluded it was not in the public interest to charge Custody Officer A but conducted a disciplinary process regarding his use of excessive force. We agree with this process and outcome.

The Authority completed its investigation in July 2024 but was obliged to wait for Police processes before publishing its report.

Public Report
Posted on

Police actions during the investigation and prosecution of defendants for the murder of Mr Palmiro MacDonald

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

The Independent Police Conduct Authority examined complaints regarding the actions of three Police officers, referred to as Officers A, B, and C, involved in the investigation and the subsequent trial of the defendants accused of murdering Mr Palmiro MacDonald on 23 March 2016.

The defendants’ legal representatives raised concerns regarding all these officers.

Officer A interviewed a prisoner, Witness A, who reported that a defendant in the same facility admitted to his involvement in Mr MacDonald’s murder and implicated co-defendants. The defence counsel complained that Officer A did not adequately document his interactions with Witness A or disclose necessary records before the pre-trial hearing.

Officer B, the second in charge of the murder investigation, was responsible for disclosure. The defence counsel complained that he failed to disclose a letter of assistance that Witness A received for cooperating, which was vital for challenging Witness A’s credibility. It was also said that Officer B did not inform the Solicitor-General about this letter when submitting an affidavit supporting the Crown’s application for Witness A’s anonymity, and that he wrongly asserted that Witness A had no reason to be dishonest. The Crown Prosecutor initially dismissed the defence’s concerns about the undisclosed letter. It was only during cross-examination at the pre-trial hearing that the letter was acknowledged and disclosed to the defence.

The application for anonymity was unsuccessful. Following this, Officer C, along with the Crown Prosecutor and his junior, met with Witness A in prison to discuss the situation and ascertain whether he would be willing to give evidence without anonymity. After their meeting, the Crown Prosecutor instructed Officer C not to record his presence or that of his junior in his notebook. Officer C did note their presence in his notebook, but later submitted a job sheet to the Court that omitted this information. The defence counsel expressed concerns that Officer C’s notebook was not disclosed as it should have been and that his actions misled the Court and could potentially constitute an offence of perverting the course of justice.

The Authority has found that:

• Officer A’s notetaking was adequate.

• Officer A’s failure to disclose his interview notes and Witness A’s letters, while not intentional, constituted a breach of his obligations.

• Witness A’s letter of assistance should have been disclosed to the Court.

• The failure to disclose the document was a mistake rather than a deliberate act.

• Officer A should have informed the investigation team that he had uploaded a copy of the letter of assistance into the special case folder he had created.

• Officer B should have followed up with either Officer A or D about the status of this document.

• Officer C should not have omitted to record the presence of the Crown prosecutor and his junior at the meeting in his job sheet.

• Officer C did not mislead or attempt to mislead the Court.

• Officer C’s conduct did not amount to an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

• Officer C did not state that he disclosed all the information he had.

• On the evidence, it is not possible to make a finding on the issue of disclosure of Officer C’s notebook.

The Authority is recommending that Police prescribe in policy that interviews conducted for the purpose of taking statements from prison informant witnesses should be audio or video recorded as standard practice.

Posted on

Fatal crash following Police pursuit near Otaki

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

Fatal crash following Police pursuit near Ōtaki

15 April 2025

On 26 April 2024, Police began a brief pursuit of a stolen Ford Courier ute traveling south from Levin on State Highway 1, because it had been involved in an aggravated robbery in Ōtaki. The pursuit was abandoned promptly due to the excessive speed.

Subsequently, the ute was observed driving north in the southbound lane of the expressway. The ute ultimately collided head-on with a Toyota Fortuner SUV north of Ōtaki. The driver of the Ute, 16-year-old Reihana Hawea, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, Tama Whakarau, later succumbed to injuries at the hospital, while a third passenger sustained serious injuries but survived the incident. The four occupants of the Toyota Fortuner sustained injuries ranging from serious to moderate, but all survived.

The Authority conducted an independent investigation, which concluded that, overall, the Police managed the fleeing driver incident appropriately. Notably, the Police considered closing the road to minimise risks to other road users. However, this option was ultimately deemed unfeasible given the circumstances.

We identified some minor breaches of the ‘Fleeing driver’ policy, including:

• Officer B, who was a crew member in the leading pursuit vehicle, should have managed the radio communications;

• Officer D should not have followed the fleeing vehicle with his warning lights activated, as this briefly recommenced the pursuit; and

• Officer A should not have activated his warning lights without first obtaining permission from the pursuit controller.

The Authority is recommending that Police amend their ‘Fleeing driver’ policy to specify that when a Police vehicle is carrying crew members, those crew members are responsible for managing Police communications during pursuits.

Public Report

Fatal crash following Police pursuit near Ōtaki (PDF 625 KB)

Posted on

Police breach policy during fatal fleeing driver incident at Manukau

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

10 April 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that officers at Manukau breached policy when involved in a fleeing driver incident that resulted in a crash and death of a man (Mr Z).

At about 11.42pm on 17 June 2024, a Police unit in the Manukau CBD stopped and briefly spoke to Mr Z due to his car having stolen number plates. Mr Z drove away at speed. Within a minute, another Police unit signalled Mr Z to stop but he failed to do so. Officers in that second unit failed to comply with policy when they did not abandon a pursuit by way of stopping and turning off their emergency lights.

Two other officers were a short distance away on Lambie Drive and heard events on the Police radio. They decided to set up road spikes to try to stop the car. The Authority found that these officers breached policy by not informing Comms of their plan, although we acknowledge the event was fast moving.

When an officer stepped out from behind a signboard to throw the spikes onto the road, Mr Z swerved and lost control of the car, which struck a tree and caught fire. Officers summoned assistance and used fire extinguishers to put out the fire, before assisting Mr Z and his female passenger. Their actions in this respect were commendable.

Mr Z died at the scene and his passenger was seriously injured.

It transpired that the car was stolen (separately from the stolen number plates), Mr Z had methamphetamine in his system, he was breaching a court-imposed curfew, and he was driving dangerously. However, we found that if officers had complied with existing Police policy, this crash might have been avoided.

This case highlights the need for officers to understand the ‘Fleeing Driver’ and ‘Tyre Deflation Devices’ policy requirements and the reasons behind them, which are for their own safety as well as the safety of others. We did not recommend that Police consider charging any of the officers involved with a criminal offence.

The Authority acknowledges this matter involves the death of a man and injury to a woman and we extend our sympathy to those involved.

Public Report

Police breach policy during fatal fleeing driver incident at Manukau (PDF 562 KB)

Posted on

Police officer unjustified in driving into and punching a man in Whitianga

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

8 April 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a Police officer was unjustified in ramming a man with his patrol car and punching him seven times, after the man used a skateboard to smash the patrol car’s windscreen and window. Both the officer and the man were injured.

The incident occurred on 9 March 2023, when two officers went to an apartment complex in Whitianga to arrest the man for aggravated robbery. One officer drove to the scene while the second approached on foot from another direction. As the first officer drove into the carpark, the man walked towards him, yelling and raising his skateboard before striking the windscreen and the driver’s window.

The officer was covered in shattered glass which got into his eyes. He said he feared for his life. Although he initially started driving away, he decided to turn back. He says he did this out of concern that the man would attack the second officer. Upon seeing the man again walking towards him holding the skateboard, the officer rammed him with the patrol car. The man became airborne before landing between the car and a fence. The officer then got out of his car and punched the man seven times in the head area before the second officer arrived and handcuffed the man. The incident was captured on CCTV.

Police charged the man with intentional damage and intentionally injuring the officer. On 12 June 2023, the man was convicted on both charges.

Police also charged the officer with common assault and assault with intent to injure. The case was tried before a judge and jury on 16 May 2024, and the officer was acquitted.

While the Authority accepts that the officer acted in defence of himself and the second officer when ramming the man with his car, we found that the officer’s response was a disproportionate and unjustified use of force, considering that the slightest miscalculation or loss of control could have resulted in a fatality.

In respect of the punches, the Authority did not accept that the officer genuinely believed the man still posed a threat. This use of force was, therefore, also unjustified.

Public Report 

Use of Police vehicle as a weapon and punching in Whitianga unjustified (PDF 408 KB)

Posted on

Stats NZ information release: Employment indicators: March 2025

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Employment indicators: March 2025 – 29 April 2025 – Employment indicators provide an early indication of changes in the labour market.

Key facts
Changes in the seasonally adjusted filled jobs for the March 2025 month (compared with the February 2025 month) were:

  • all industries – up 0.2 percent (3,548 jobs) to 2.36 million filled jobs
  • primary industries – up 0.4 percent (462 jobs)
  • goods-producing industries – up 0.1 percent (453 jobs)
  • service industries – up 0.2 percent (2,762 jobs).

Files: