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What to pack in emergency ‘grab and go’ bags

Source: Radio New Zealand

When an earthquake, tsunami warning or flood strikes, you won’t have time to decide what to take.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recommends a small bag for each person with essentials, such as sturdy walking shoes, warm clothes, raincoat and hat, water and snack food, hand sanitiser, portable phone charger, cash (small notes/coins), and copies of important documents and photo ID (printed or scanned to your phone).

Don’t forget any regular medications and special-diet items, first aid kit, mask/face covering, torch and battery/solar/wind-up radio (plus batteries) for outages. For people with disabilities, include items such as spare batteries for hearing-aids or pen and paper for sign language users.

This video is hosted on Youtube.

As for what kind of food and how much water, Ngāi Tahu iwi’s emergency guidance recommends three days’ worth of non-perishable, ready-to-eat food and a can opener plus two 500ml water bottles and purification tablets. These should be checked annually and replaced if expired.

An example of food rations employers might consider including is provided by NEMA, but the agency also notes the type of work being done should be factored in. For example, physical labour versus office desk jobs.

Consumer NZ recommends long-life food items that don’t require refrigeration so they can be placed in your bag ahead of time. The organisation also suggests adding thick gloves and hygiene supplies (tissues, wet wipes, toothbrush/toothpaste).

Wellington Region Emergency Management Office advises writing a list of evacuation actions in advance (turn off utilities and locking doors).

Some “nice to haves” may include entertainment (pack of cards, book, music player, etc), glow sticks, matches, flash drive with photos of all the rooms and contents, small shovel, hi-vis vest, Swiss army knife, waste disposal bags, and a local map marked with destinations and contacts.

Consumer NZ doesn’t recommend including sleeping bags or blankets in grab bags, unless they’re light enough to not add too much weight over a long walking distance.

“Emergency evacuation centres, such as community hubs, will usually have blankets for emergencies,” the say.

If you’re away from home

In winter driving conditions, keep a brush, shovel, tyre chains, windscreen scraper, warm clothing, walking shoes, waterproof jacket, medicines, snacks, water, phone charger lead and a torch in the vehicle.

Schools and ECEs

Early childhood centres’ emergency plan may include supplies for keeping children warm/dry as well as age-appropriate supplies, such as infant formula, clean bottles, nappies, based on numbers and needs. But there is no set supplies list, according to the Ministry of Education.

Check your child’s school evacuation plan and whether you must provide a waterproof container of items or what their plans in an emergency are.

Workplaces

NEMA says employers should hold three days’ supplies for everyone onsite (including visitors) and encourage staff to keep work grab bags in case they must walk home.

Plan for serious injuries — have blankets, stretchers and a full first aid kit until emergency services arrive.

Animals

Include pets and livestock in emergency planning — failing to plan for them puts lives at risk, NEMA says.

RNZ, the statutory civil defence lifeline broadcaster, offers additional emergency guides, including phone-use tips, protecting sentimental items and managing medication.

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

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Prisoner with burst appendix not taken to hospital for six days

Source: Radio New Zealand

The prisoner was seen by multiple nurses in the six days she was ill before being taken to hospital, but most basic clinical observations were not recorded in that time. (File photo) RNZ/ Finn Blackwell

A prisoner with a burst appendix was told it was a stomach bug, and waited six days to be admitted to hospital for surgery.

The Health and Disability Commissioner said multiple registered nurses saw the woman, but their clinical impression was that of a viral infection.

On her admission to hospital on 5 July, 2022, she was diagnosed with a burst appendix, and the next day she underwent an operation to remove her appendix, drain a pelvic abscess, and remove a section of her large intestine.

Her symptoms were first flagged after a standard morning medication round, when two nurses noted that the woman, who the report calls Ms A, had been vomiting for the past three days and unable to keep food down.

Ms A told the commissioner investigating her case that a nurse told her it was a stomach bug, and when her symptoms persisted at the next appointment, she was told to “ride it out”.

The prison has denied clinical staff said this. It explained the woman’s treatment was focused on managing nausea and vomiting, and maintaining hydration, as nurse assessments indicated a viral illness and an absence of any red flag symptoms.

The woman was seen by multiple nurses during the next six days for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, but there was no record of observations like temperature, blood pressure, or pulse, no abdominal examinations, and no description of bowel movements taken at these assessments.

There was also no evidence her fluids were monitored, despite the vomiting, and no clear record of the effect of pain medication provided.

She was eventually referred to the local hospital by a medical officer, following blood tests on 5 July.

She spent nine days in hospital, and was discharged on 14 July. She complained to the Health and Disability Commissioner the following month, on 22 August.

Commissioner Vanessa Caldwell found the Department of Corrections had breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights by failing to provide appropriate care to Ms A, and to escalate her care in light of her symptoms and multiple presentations.

Department of Corrections accepts the care was below standard, blames staff shortages and high turnover

According to the HDC report, the Department of Corrections accepted the nursing assessments and documentation did not meet professional standards – or the department’s own expectations.

However, it explained its health team was experiencing high volumes of staff vacancies, staff turnover, and unplanned absences at the time of these events.

The prison, which is not named in the report, also had no permanent health centre manager nor access to a clinical quality assurance advisor at the

time, it said.

Ms A said she was in a vulnerable and dependent state, and the clinical staff did not do enough to escalate her care. She said the consequences of these events have greatly affected her, and she has since undergone a second surgery.

Changes since the incident

The prison told HDC the following changes had been made since the incident:

Commissioner also recommends a written apology

The commissioner said the prison should write an apology to Ms A, to be sent to HDC within three weeks for forwarding.

When Corrections was approached for further comment, Juanita Ryan, deputy chief executive Pae Ora, said she would like to reiterate the department’s apologies to Ms A.

“The medical care Ms A received fell short of what is rightly expected of us. It is critical that while someone is in our custody, we support and improve their health, ensure their physical safety, and treat them with dignity and respect. In this instance we did not provide adequate healthcare for Ms A and for this we are truly sorry. We have apologised to Ms A directly.”

She said they had done or were on track with a number of other recommendations made by the commissioner – including providing copies of relevant guidance documents and audit findings.

Corrections now also required evidence that all staff at the prison had completed the Graduate Certificate in Nursing: Rural Assessment of the Deteriorating Patient at Ara Institute of Canterbury, she said, and a new online training module on pain management was on track to be completed by the end of March.

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

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Man with multiple sclerosis choked to death while being fed in bed

Source: Radio New Zealand

A standing hoist was not used because of safety concerns due to Mr B’s violent swaying and involuntary body movements. File photo. Bret Kavanaugh / Unsplash

A man with multiple sclerosis died from choking while being fed by a healthcare assistant sitting up in bed.

A Health and Disability Comissioner (HDC) report by Carolyn Cooper looked into the events, after his family made a complaint following his death amid concerns about his overall standard of care.

The man – named Mr B in the report – was aged in his late 20s and had lived at Lonsdale Total Care Centre in Foxton for about six months before his death in May 2022.

As well as multiple sclerosis, he was diagnosed with mental health co-morbidities, was sight-impaired and required assistance for all aspects of daily living – including to feed and reposition himself.

The family’s complaint queried why he was not showered for the six months he was there – but Lonsdale explained it was because he had requested not to be showered, and preferred to be washed daily, despite attempts by staff to encourage showering.

The hoist

In their initial complaint, Mr B’s family questioned why he was confined to his bed due to a broken hoist.

Up until late March of that year, Mr B was lifted out of bed on request – usually to smoke, which the home believed was important for his mental health – and that was usually done with a hoist.

But Lonsdale said that at no point was a standing hoist unavailable, but it was not used because of safety concerns due to Mr B’s violent swaying and involuntary body movements.

The HDC report concluded: “It is my view that Lonsdale has provided a plausible explanation of why these issues occurred, and I acknowledge that the staff were respecting Mr B’s wishes.”

The choking incident

Lonsdale noted Mr B had choked once before, and a plan was made for him to sit upright when eating to mitigate the risk.

However, Lonsdale told the HDC: “It is a fair question if more should have been done to recognise and mitigate the risk of choking, in particular by referring [Mr B] for specialist assessment. It’s one we have asked ourselves.”

Recommendations

The HDC found Lonsdale in breach the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, and was critical that Mr B’s risk of choking was not identified earlier and made part of a more comprehensive care plan.

Lonsdale has accepted this finding.

Ms B, who is Mr B’s mother and the one who laid the complaint, responded that she regretted placing Mr B in their care.

A registered nurse, who was asked to give feedback on the situation for the HDC report, said: “It appears that the care team knew Mr B well and were responsive to his needs; however, I consider the lack of personalised care guidance to have potentially created increased risk, particularly for those who were not familiar with Mr B’s care requirements.”

Since the incident, Lonsdale had made a number of changes to improve documentation and evaluations for those in their care.

The HDC report commended Lonsdale for apologising to Mr B’s family and for the prompt improvements, and made no further recommendations.

Approached by RNZ for further comment, Lonsdale general manager Mark Buckley said the team strove to provide the highest level of quality care to all their residents.

“All of us here at Lonsdale continue to extend our sincere condolences to our resident’s family,” he said. “This was a distressing event for everyone involved.”

Since the event in 2021, they had worked to improve aspects of care such as planning, communication and documentation, along with a change of GP practice to a more ARRC (Age-Related Residential Care Agreement) focused provider and the upgrade of patient management software. A clinical manager and additional management support were appointed in 2022.

“We continue to do all we can to make sure that an incident like this can’t happen again.

When approached by RNZ for further comment, Lonsdale general manager Mark Buckley said the team strove to provide the highest level of quality care to all their residents.

“All of us here at Lonsdale continue to extend our sincere condolences to our resident’s family,” he said. “This was a distressing event for everyone involved.”

Since the event in 2021, they had worked to improve aspects of care such as planning, communication and documentation, along with a change of GP practice to a more ARRC [Age-Related Residential Care Agreement] focused provider and the upgrade of patient management software. A clinical manager and additional management support were appointed in 2022.

“We continue to do all we can to make sure that an incident like this can’t happen again.”

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

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First kākāpō of this year’s breeding season hatches on Valentine’s Day

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tīwhiri’s new, one-day-old chick. Lydia Uddstrom / DOC

Department of Conservation (DOC) staff are confident a kākāpō chick born on Valentine’s Day will be the first of many this breeding season.

Yasmine of Pukenui/Anchor Island hatched an egg on Saturday, bringing the total number of the critically endangered flightless parrot to 237.

While that is below the 2022 high of 252 individual kākāpō, DOC says with more breeding-age birds than ever before, hopes are high.

“The kākāpō population was once down to just 51 birds which created a genetic bottleneck we are still managing today,” DOC operations manager for kākāpō/takahē Deidre Vercoe said on Monday.

“Kākāpō are one of the most intensively managed species in the world and while numbers are still so low, the breeding season requires a lot of intervention.”

Kākāpō only breed every two to four years, and not every egg they lay is fertile. So far this season – the 13th of DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme since it began in 1995 – there have been 187 eggs, just 74 of them are fertile.

Not all the fertile eggs will hatch, and not all chicks will survive long enough to leave the nest.

Alison hatched in 2019 and is named after Kākāpō Files producer Alison Ballance. She only has sight in one eye. JAKE OSBORNE

The new chick’s biological mother is Tīwhiri, who has laid four fertile eggs this season, while Yasmine had none. Vercoe said kākāpō mums “typically have the best outcomes when raising a maximum of two chicks”, so Yasmine – an experienced foster mum to other birds’ babies – was given this one.

DOC prioritises “eggs and chicks that are less well-represented across the gene pool”, Vercoe said, and takes a “more hands-off approach” to others, hoping to “answer questions around what a natural breeding season might look like one day”.

Each of the 236 other kākāpō wore a small backpack radio transmitter to track where they went and how active they were.

In addition to Pukenui Anchor Island, there were breeding spots on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island near Rakiura and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.

The next kākāpō egg expected to hatch – in about a week – is currently being sat on by Rakiura on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island. DOC said it could be the first time viewers got to see a kākāpō born, via its live cam.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome the first kākāpō chick, beginning what we hope will be a bumper breeding season,” Meridian Energy CEO Mike Roan said. Meridian has supported the breeding programme since 2016.

“Every chick is a milestone for the species, and we’re excited to play a part in helping these incredible birds thrive for generations to come.”

Ngāi Tahu, which has worked with DOC on the programme since it began, hoped to one day bring the species back to Rakiura.

“While it is wonderful to see the manu thriving on this island due to its predator free status, we need to continue our collective efforts to create other safe havens for the chicks of the future,” representative Tāne Davis said.

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

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Turning a Lunar New Year staple into a daily delight

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Taiwanese family in Auckland is turning a Lunar New Year staple into an everyday purchase, producing about 300,000 dumplings a week as demand grows on mainstream supermarket shelves.

While eaten year-round, many families in China eat dumplings around midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on 16 February this year.

The dumplings’ shape is traditionally believed to resemble ingots, signalling greater wealth in the year ahead.

Such symbolism helped fuel a seasonal rush each year, said Amy Sevao, chief executive of Old Country Food, an Auckland-based dumpling manufacturer.

While consumed year-round, many families in China eat dumplings around midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve. RNZ / Yiting Lin

The Lunar New Year was the company’s busiest time, she said.

The factory produces about 300,000 dumplings a week, or roughly 1.2 million a month, and orders from mainstream supermarkets typically rise by as much as 20 percent during the festival period.

Sevao, who moved from Taiwan to New Zealand with her parents in 1995, is married to a Samoan man. The couple has two young sons.

She said dumplings had become a thread that tied together different generations in her family.

“It’s such a traditional food,” she said.

“You get together for Lunar New Year, have dumplings and the parents or older relatives will say, ‘Oh, look, this looks like an old gold ingot. It means good fortune, money.’ Those stories get passed on, and that’s always really fun.”

Amy Sevao and her parents will eat dumplings to celebrate Lunar New Year on Monday night. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Drawing on memories from her childhood, Sevao said dumplings were everyday fare in Taiwan and had steadily gained popularity in New Zealand.

In her view, that rise has tracked the broader story of Asian immigration in the country.

Old Country Food had been in business for about 35 years, she said.

It was founded by immigrants from Hong Kong and has since changed hands several times among Asian immigrant families, before Sevao’s parents bought the business in 2015.

“In a way, the history of OCF (Old Country Food) reflects the history of Asian immigration in New Zealand,” she said.

A Taiwanese family in Auckland needs to produce about 300,000 dumplings a week as demand for the dish grows. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Sevao said breaking into the mainstream market could be challenging for businesses owned by migrants.

“When I first started in the business, we were 100 percent in Asian supermarkets,” she said.

“After a while, we thought the mainstream market was much bigger, we should give it a go,” she said.

“We started selling to independent grocery stores like Fresh World or Fruit World,” she said.

“Now we’re in PAK’nSAVE and New World [stores] across the North Island and also in the South Island.

A Taiwanese family in Auckland needs to produce about 300,000 dumplings a week as demand for the dish grows. RNZ / Yiting Lin

She said immigrants had less support because they often didn’t have extensive networks in the community.

“We often have to overcome language barriers,” she said.

“There are lots of laws and regulations, and the way business is done in New Zealand can be very different from the way it is done in Asia.

“To overcome all of that, to have a great team working toward the same goal and to have that effort recognised not only by supermarkets, but by everyday people who go and buy our food, our products every single week, that’s a really great feeling.”

Sevao’s parents agreed that breaking into the mainstream market could be difficult for migrant-owned businesses, but said it was not impossible.

Bingnan Cai, 72, and Lingxin Huang, 66, bought the dumpling manufacturer a decade ago, hoping to help make dumplings a more mainstream part of New Zealand’s food landscape.

“After we moved here, we really missed the taste of our hometown,” Huang said. “Dumplings are one of them.

“We wanted to integrate into society,” she said. “We wanted to help popularise traditional cuisine, so we started this dumpling factory.”

While consumed year-round, many families in China eat dumplings around midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Cai said sushi, long a symbol of Asian cuisine abroad, had gained popularity among New Zealanders.

Seeing that sushi was now sold in most shopping malls, he was confident his dumplings could also become part of everyday eating in New Zealand.

Cai said he wanted dumplings to become one of New Zealand’s signature foods.

“If you want to enter the mainstream market, you must accept this challenge,” Cai said. “The number of people eating dumplings here would not exceed 15 percent [of the whole population].

“It’s really challenging to grow such a small market into a big one,” he said. “But everything is possible.”

Sevao was confident dumplings had become a staple for many households in New Zealand.

“I think good food is cross-cultural,” she said.

“If it tastes good, it doesn’t matter what culture you come from. … I think dumplings are a very universal food.”

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

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Independent review into Moa Point failures

Source: New Zealand Government

A Crown Review Team will conduct an independent review into Wellington Water’s Moa Point sewage plant failure, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says.

“The failure of a key part of our capital city’s critical wastewater infrastructure and the ensuing impact on communities, the local economy and the environment are completely unacceptable,” Mr Watts says.

“After discussions with Wellington Mayor Andrew Little we have agreed an independent and transparent investigation is required to determine the causes of this failure. 

“The public is owed the assurance that we understand what led to this failure and that we are taking steps to prevent it from happening again.”

The team will comprise independent senior water services sector figures with relevant technical engineering, governance, commercial and legal expertise.

The plant is owned by Wellington City but Wellington Water Ltd is responsible for its operation. Therefore, the review team will be appointed to both Wellington City Council and to Wellington Water Ltd in a parallel process to ensure it has the necessary scope to fully investigate and report on the failure of the Moa Point Plant.

“The review team will be tasked with delivering clear, actionable recommendations which set out concrete next steps, including specific actions for Wellington City Council where necessary,” Mr Watts says.

Under Local Water Done Well, management of the metropolitan Wellington region’s water services will soon transfer from Wellington Water to the new council-controlled organisation (CCO) Tiaki Wai Ltd.

“Given this imminent change and the ensuing transfer of assets to the new CCO, including the Moa Point plant, we need timely findings and recommendations,” Mr Watts says.

“As a nation, the need to invest more in our water infrastructure is clear as we fix the basics and build the future. We need to make sure ratepayers’ investment in water infrastructure is used wisely.”

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Multiplying cells: A tale of two prisons

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A prison expansion is on such a fast track that it prompted officials to ask if compromises were being made.

Corrections is rushing to build two new high security units to cope with an unexpectedly rapid rise in the prison population nationwide since last year.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison was chosen as it had available land, official reports showed. The project was using a stripped-back design of no roofs between cell blocks, which was “untested” for operational, maintenance and amenity impacts.

This was to speed up to finish by next January.

“Speed of delivery will be the biggest driver,” Corrections told ministers.

A prison architecture expert called it a “band-aid” solution that could force inmates to be locked up for longer in bad weather.

Christine McCarthy of Victoria University had been reading the plans.

“They’re very clear; they are not intending to use this design again,” she said. “It’s kind of like, we have to do something, we don’t have any options.”

‘Less amenities’

Papers released under the Official Information Act showed officials last year suggested that ministers asked Corrections: “Have compromises been made in the shortened project development/design that create delivery risks or that impact on operational efficiency, adaptability, future costs, future investment requirements or create prisoner management risks?”

The government said it had been advised there would be no compromises on the highest standards of security and safety.

Corrections’ own business case said the new design was “seen to represent a compromise in amenity compared to the X-wing design” for Waikeria Prison’s much bigger, longer expansion.

The cells would be regular ones, but the shared spaces were changed. It might necessitate additional security measures.

“It has less amenities for prisoners… and is untested in terms of its ‘no roof’ design and the operational and maintenance impacts that may result from that.”

On the flip side of the Hawke’s Bay rush, Christchurch Men’s Prison’s expansion – again, much bigger and longer-term – had been going so slowly by last July that Treasury officials held it up as a case study in “significant lag between funding and action”.

‘Rapid unexpected’ growth exacerbates risks

Prisoner numbers topped a record 11,000 in January and were forecast to reach more than 14,000 in a decade. Over 40 percent of inmates were on remand awaiting a court hearing or sentencing.

Risky prisoners were having to be held in lower security, “increasing operating costs and risks”.

Just months after the government’s 2024 long-term prison plan was completed, it was already outdated, while not even factoring in more muster rises from the government’s new tough-on-crime policies and law changes.

“Rapid unexpected actual and projected growth means capacity limits may be exceeded by 2027, exacerbating operational and security risks,” said a report last July to Chris Bishop’s new Infrastructure and Investment Ministers Group, released to RNZ.

The prison population is now projected by next June to be 1853 higher than the 2024 projections. In response, the government hatched the Accelerated Capacity Programme or ACP mid-year.

“Our work to restore law and order is paying off,” said Mitchell in November, announcing ACP’s cornerstone, the expansion by 316 beds at Hawke’s Bay.

Corrections told RNZ it had accelerated the project “while still retaining checks and safeguards”.

‘Complete commitment to a compromised building’

McCarthy said the department was just reacting to the fact that double-bunking everywhere and reopening old facilities could not cope with a bed shortfall forecast to peak in 2027-29.

“This is a smart way in the situation that has been created, but it’s not going to be the last time this happens.

“This is really quite a fundamental question … can we build our way out of this? So that’s what’s interesting here: there’s a complete commitment to a compromised building.”

The UK, by contrast, said no, it cost too much to keep expanding prisons, and was looking for alternatives, she said.

Reports showed the UK was adding cells https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prison-building-boom-to-make-streets-safer but was also looking at the likes of early release for good behaviour amid “a broader overhaul of sentencing policies aimed at cutting the number of inmates before cells run out”, according to the New York Times.

Labour said National talked tough but could not deliver, with prison projects “stalled in Christchurch and rushed planning in Hawke’s Bay”.

‘Without any compromises to … safety and security’

Corrections told RNZ changes to the Hawke’s Bay design were “to allow for faster delivery without any compromises to the safety and security of the facility”.

The papers released under the Official Information Act revealed how the department planned to speed things up:

The speed of this prompted officials to suggest in July 2025 that Bishop’s ministerial group ask, “Why was the RFP [tender] released prior to Cabinet approval? How will the resulting risks with the market be managed?”

And: “What plans does Corrections have to manage the risks of not undertaking independent assurance of the project at an early stage, and how will any adverse findings of the proposed Gateway review in early October be managed?”

Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ the Gateway review “commended the department for active efforts to manage all risks”.

He supported the approach, he said in a statement.

“My expectation is that the new units … will meet the highest standards in safety and security, and I have been advised there will be no compromises on that.”

Corrections said it was saving four to six months on an otherwise 22-month build.

The fast track had built-in “off-ramps” if an affordable solution could not be found.

Corrections said it got independent assurance and review, including the cost estimates and a risk estimate, from industry experts.

Builder Naylor Love won the job on 31 October. The expansion is being funded from the department’s baseline. The cost was blanked out of reports.

Double bunking: ‘They’re going to get angry’

Corrections told RNZ the design had less internal communal space but an open-air courtyard instead. It had less admin space for staff, but there was space for that in other parts of the prison.

It was more efficient and better for keeping tabs on prisoners than a courtyard design.

The 160 new cells will nearly all have double-bunking. Squeezing inmates in that way was regularly widely criticised, and New Zealand is a signatory to a convention against it.

Cosmo Jeffrey. Supplied

Howard League prison reformer Cosmo Jeffrey said the crowding would cost lives.

“So you can’t even walk around each other without banging into each other,” said Jeffrey.

“It’s like, what do they think is going to happen… locking people up like that? Obviously, they’re going to get angry.”

There were three double-bunk deaths at Mt Eden prison last year. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/581339/three-double-bunk-deaths-at-mt-eden-prison-in-a-year

‘Significant lags’

At Christchurch Men’s Prison, earthworks had begun.

The privately operated prison expansion is a $1.5-billion-plus four-phase project that aims to open its first new beds in 2029, and others from 2032.

Jeffrey said some inmates had already been moved out to make way for the expansion.

“This guy’s waited four years to get on the rehabilitation programme, and with 24 hours’ notice, he gets shunted down to Dunedin.

“To put it mildly, he’s heartbroken.”

Another inmate he knew had just started a prison job at Christchurch, then been shifted south.

Corrections said the project should sign up a builder in July. Three groups were shortlisted last year – one had a private US prison operator, Honeywell, on board, and another was multinational Serco that already ran Auckland South prison.

Treasury told ministers last year that the 15 months or so it was taking between Budget 2025 funding and signing the contract had put Christchurch Men’s into a group of two major projects – another was a mental health build – for a time lag of over a year.

It suggested the ministers shared “lessons” from the lag.

“Billions in new Crown funding are being committed each year, but we are seeing significant lags between Budget decisions, signing contracts, and commencing delivery and construction activity,” the report for the June 2025 quarter said, looking ahead to Budget 2026 bids.

Mitchell told RNZ he had been assured Christchurch Men’s was on schedule. It was very different from Hawke’s Bay and should not be compared, he said.

Hawke’s Bay’s existing high-security units overheated in summer, sparking a fix-it project last year.

Corrections said when it planned prisons, it took into account basing prisoners close to family where it could, the security level of prisoners, as well as the services they required.

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

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In pictures: Heavy rain and wind hits Wellington region bringing down trees, flooding roads

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Heavy rain and wind is hitting the capital, flooding streets in Lower Hutt, closing multiple schools, cutting off power, and bringing trees and debris down in the city.

Meanwhile, the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is under a state of emergency, where some evacuations have taken place in Manawatū and on the coast of the Tararua district.

Waipā and Ōtorohanga in South Waikato remain under a states of emergency after significant flooding over the weekend.

In Wellington, regional and metro trains have stopped, while ferries and flights have been cancelled.

Streets in Epuni and Naenae appear flooded, with reports on social media of some cars getting stuck in Lower Hutt.

On Monday morning, Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network had lost connections, and in the Wellington region about 10,000 had had their connections cut.

The storm has left a big mess for the owner of a Polish restaurant at Plimmerton, north of Wellington, to clean up after an exterior wall blew in.

High winds blew an exterior wall in at Topor Bistro, a Polish restaurant in Plimmerton. Supplied

Owner of Topor Bistro, Steve Askew said luckily another local business alerted them as otherwise they might not have been back in till Wednesday.

“I’m sure we’re going to be closed a couple of weeks,” he said.

“All of the ceiling on the inside has gone. All the studs and stuff they’re quite wet, I don’t know if they need to be replaced or if they can just be dried out. The hole in the wall needs to be fixed.”

Askew said the kitchen and main appliances are on the other side and escaped.

He said up till this the bistro had not been doing too badly recently.

A growing list of schools in the Wellington region are also closed due to the terrible weather.

Those include Wellington High School, Wellington East Girls’ College, and St Orans College in the Hutt Valley.

Wind damaged trees at Rongotai College in the Wellington suburb of Kilbirnie. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Rongotai College in Wellington has closed for the day with tree debris littering its grounds.

Principal Kevin Carter said he was at the boys’ school in Kilbirnie at 5pm on Sunday and everything was fine, but on Monday morning it was a different story.

“The grounds are covered with branches from trees that have come down … It’s pretty wild and unsafe here on the south coast,” he said.

Some gutters were down but otherwise buildings were not damaged by the look of it. He had had a quick walkaround and would do a closer check later in the hopes they could clean up and the wind would drop.

Carter said they would decide later whether to reopen tomorrow. All families had been advised by email or text the school was closed, he said.

High waves at Houghton Bay on Wellington’s south coast on Monday morning. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer Alex Marren told Nine to Noon nearly 100 flights have been cancelled in and out of Wellington on Sunday and Monday morning.

All flights in the capital, Palmerston North and Napier have been paused until at least 11am, at which point the airline will reassess the weather conditions, Marren said.

She said there had been some “infrastructure impacts” and the airline was working closely with Wellington Airport on that.

Air New Zealand cancelled flights in and out of Wellington because of high winds. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

In Wairarapa, evacuations are underway in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.

Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down were the biggest risk.

He said there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Trees blown down in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Flooding in Epuni in Lower Hutt. RNZ / Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Trees fallen in the Wellington suburb of Tawa. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Fire and Emergency staff at a Newlands property. RNZ/Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in Plunket Street in Wellington. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

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Weather: Ashhurst residents evacuated as river threatened to breach its banks

Source: Radio New Zealand

Grace Guo and daughters Kerry and Claire had a sleepless night ahead of being evacuated from their Ashhurst home. RNZ / Robin Martin

About a dozen Ashhurst residents were evacuated in darkness in the early hours of the morning as the Pohangina River threatened to breach its banks.

Severe weather hammering the lower North Island has downed trees, left tens of thousands of households without power, closed roads, and forced flight and ferry cancellations.

Emergency services went door-to-door on Saddle and River roads in Ashhurst, waking locals from their slumber and moving them to the safety of the hall at the Ashhurst Village Centre.

Grace Guo and teenage daughters Kerry and Claire decided to stay in their home when neighbours first warned them they may have to evacuate at about 9pm Sunday.

She said conditions didn’t appear as bad as during ex-Cyclone Gabrielle, but the trio still had an anxious night fearing floodwaters would come through their home as happened in 2023.

“I was just a bit panicked actually. We couldn’t sleep. We were awake the whole night.

“About 3 o’clock or something in the morning we got a call from them again ‘saying hey you guys have to evacuate’, so we came here.”

Guo said unlike ex-Cyclone Gabrielle she was prepared for the evacuation when it came and even the family’s two dogs came with them to the Ashurst Village Centre hall.

She was full of praise for the emergency services.

Wendy and Digger Morley gave breakfast at the Ashhurst Village Centre hall their seal of approval. RNZ / Robin Martin

Wendy Morley, who lives on Saddle Road near the Pohangina River, said they had received warnings during evening of a possible evacuation, and her family received a call at 3am.

“We couldn’t see much in the dark, so had left it at that and next minute – boom.

“We were expecting it, so we had to wake up and get the kids ready and get the cars out and get going.”

Wendy Morley’s son, 10-year-old Digger, was shaken up at first.

“It was scary because I never did this before.”

He hadn’t slept but breakfast got his seal of approval.

“It was good. I had Coco Pops and hot chocolate and lollies.”

Happy with ‘cautious’ approach

Cherie O’Leary and her family had been evacuated from River Road.

“It was just a bit rainy that was it. No flooding. You couldn’t even see the river from our place not like 2023 for Cyclone Gabriel.”

But she was still happy Civil Defence had taken a precautionary approach.

“Yeah, definitely. You’ve got to be cautious and be safe for everyone, so I’m happy with that.”

The O’Learys had spend the night drinking coffee and catching up with neighbours.

“We’ve been having a few laughs and they cooked us a really yummy breakfast, so that was great.

“We had bacon and eggs and cereals, all sorts, fruit. I must say Civil Defence are really cool.”

Cherie’s dad George Pilcher was taking it all in his stride.

“I got up at about 1.30am to see what was happening and it all looked good, so I went back to bed, and then Craig my son-in-law came and tapped on the door and said ‘we’ve got to evacuate, we’ve been told we have to get out’.

“We’ve been sitting here since 3am and we’re ready to go home again by the sound of it.”

He too was happy to be safe rather than sorry.

Emergency Management Officer Zarra Houpapa said with the weather system overnight and the amount of water coming down the river the decision to evacuate had be made.

“The main concern was the raising river levels particularly around Saddle Road, so we’d been monitoring it all yesterday afternoon and last night and in the early hours of this morning the decision was made to evacuate.”

Zarra Houpapa said at the halls the residents were given somewhere they could get some sleep and know that they were safe.

At about 10am Monday they got the news they could go home.

“So, just know we’ve let them go back home because the river levels have fallen to a point where we are comfortable that they will be safe to go home and get some sleep.”

Grace Guo was overjoyed.

“Oh, I’m really pleased. We are really happy, finally we can go home my two dogs as well. They were very unsettled.”

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Wind gusts measuring up to 240km/h recorded on lower North Island’s east coast

Source: Radio New Zealand

A tree blown onto a car in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

Wind gusts measuring up to 240km/h have been recorded on the east coast of the lower North Island with gusts of up to 190km/h hitting high parts of Wellington.

MetService said the strong winds and heavy rain were set to linger over the lower North Island before gradually heading southwards later on Monday and on Tuesday.

Gusts measuring up to 240km/h have been recorded at Cape Turnagain on the east coast of the lower North Island.

While in Wellington, winds have reached up to 190km/h in high parts – and about 130km/h in the city.

MetService meteorologist John Law said a low pressure system sitting to the east of the North Island was expected to track slowly southwards.

He said heavy rain and severe gales were expected to continue over central and southern parts of the North Island as well as reaching eastern parts of the South Island and Chatham Islands.

“The good news is – as we head through the day today – we should start to see those winds easing off – so we’ve probably seen the peak of those winds. But even by Wellington standards it’s a very windy start to the week,” Law said.

A flooded Waiwhetu stream in Lower Hutt. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Law said “intense bursts of rain” had seen up to 200mm of rain fall over parts of Wairarapa overnight Monday.

“With that low pressure out to the east of the North Island it’s been pushing the rain in particularly across those lower parts. Cape Palliser has seen some of the highest rainfall. Intense bursts of rain through there and just prolonged rain through the night-time. As we saw In parts of the Hutt Valley that combination of strong winds and heavy rain are bringing all sorts of impacts,” Law said.

He said hard hit parts of southern Waikato, such as Otorohanga, should see clearing conditions over the oncoming days.

“The good news – as we head through today – this rain is clearing away down towards the south. Still a few showers possible but nowhere near the level we’ve seen in recent days. While a few showers are still possible for today things are getting better,” he said.

Law said that more weather warnings could be on the way as the low pressure system slowly headed southwards.

“This weather system is sticking with us. A big area of high pressure out to the east is blocking the movement of this low so it stays close by. It will sink southwards which will push that rain in towards parts of the South Island. So places like the Kaikōura Coast, parts of Canterbury particularly – places like Banks Peninsula – already have some severe weather watches and warnings. We may well find more issued for parts of those eastern areas of the South Island,” Law said.

Law said rain over the eastern side of the South Island was less likely to be as intense as the system migrated southwards over coming days and south westerly flows were expected to help clear the system during Tuesday and early Wednesday.

“That’s when we finally say good-bye to this weather system,” Law said.

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