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How AI might help you do your supermarket shopping

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Artificial intelligence could soon be helping you get your supermarket shopping done, but one AI expert is warning consumers to be wary of the potential trade-off.

Woolworths said it was working towards launching a new tool in partnership with Google.

It will use Google’s Gemini Enterprise AI to transform its chatbot, Olive, into a “shopping companion”.

It said Google and Woolworths would collaborate on the development of a “bespoke” version of the new AI tool over the coming months to customise it to Woolworths’ customers’ needs.

It would use insights collected by Olive over the past seven years.

There was no set timeline for the launch in New Zealand but Woolworths said Olive would eventually be able to help customers create weekly meal plans based on their preferences, identify specials and swaps to help shoppers stick to a budget, and act as a personal assistant when someone was shopping for a special occasion.

But Shahper Richter, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Auckland who has studied virtual worlds and genAI, said there were some points shoppers should be careful about.

“It’s classed as consumer convenience, but then you have to think who are they giving this data to?

“Are we going to have different brands asking to insert their brand or their products as a preference? If you always buy the same dishwashing liquid and then next time maybe a brand will start saying ‘oh can you suggest this to these types of consumers’ and you’ll end up always getting suggested their brand as opposed to your normal brand or cheaper brands.

“You just have to think who does it actually help, this kind of convenience?”

She said if AI was producing a ready made shopping basket for people, they were less likely to make changes to it than if products were being suggested individually, as is currently the case through Woolworths’ rewards boosts.

“If it gives you a pre-made basket because you said you wanted to make chicken tacos this week … Here’s everything you’re not going to go through and go, ‘oh, well, I don’t get this brand of tacos. I get another brand’ and so on.”

She said people often grew used to technological improvements and started to rely on them.

“When Google Maps was introduced, like suddenly everyone’s just forgotten how to get somewhere without it. .. I remember being like in the 90s, having map books and you’d really have to flip pages and think, OK, it’s the second road on the right and the left. And now you just you’re just on autopilot. Google Maps will just take me. And sometimes it takes you in weird directions. But you’re like, oh, well, it just knows better.

“Maybe Olive will become like that … we’ll think ‘maybe Olive knows something that we don’t’.

“I think we’re already being primed to accept things like that with some of what Woolworths already do, like with these rewards programs and the boosting it’s already kind of heading towards this. This just feels like another step and then another step.

“I think when they start rolling out this agentic Olive, they’ll just introduce something that looks very innocuous and very helpful … ‘based on your past five shops, you always got this. Do you want to get it again?’ And they already do that on online shopping. This will just be, oh, look, we’ve already added it to your basket. You can take it out.

“I think it won’t be now you have agentic doing everything … I think will be rolled out so slowly that we won’t even really notice it.”

Amanda Bardwell, chief executive and managing director for the Woolworths Group, said it would be a practical innovation that was “about us doing the heavy lifting for you, making shopping that little bit easier to give you time back in your day”.

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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 arrested after coward-punch assault outside bar in Arrowtown

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Police have arrested a 27-year-old man after a coward-punch assault in Arrowtown last month.

The assault happened outside the Fork and Tap bar on 21 December.

The victim was knocked unconscious, and needed hospital treatment for facial injuries.

At the time, police appealed to the public to identify members of a wedding party.

Police arrested a man and charged him with injuring with intent to injure.

He was due to appear in Invercargill District Court next week.

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

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Meet the rangatahi Māori breaking ground in both law and fashion

Source: Radio New Zealand

Ellis works in Treaty law and hopes her journey shows other rangatahi Māori- particularly those from small towns – that they belong in both academic and creative spaces. Supplied

From a town of less than 4000 people, Siadin Ellis (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe) is carving out space for rangatahi Māori in places they are still rarely seen.

At just 23, Ellis has walked the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week twice while also graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and being admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court.

Now the youngest lawyer at Tāmaki Legal, she works in Treaty law and hopes her journey shows other rangatahi Māori- particularly those from small towns – that they belong in both academic and creative spaces.

“We as Māori are so much more than the stereotypes and the statistics portray us as,” she told RNZ.

“We deserve as much as anyone else to be present in these spaces, whether it be academically or creatively.”

Supplied

Ellis was born in Taupō and spent her early childhood in Tūrangi before moving to Australia at age four. Her whānau returned home when she was 11, and she later moved to Tāmaki Makaurau in early 2020 to study law.

“There wasn’t a lot of opportunity in such a small town. I was a bit lost at that age, and I felt like law would have a lot of different opportunities that I could branch out into,” she said.

Tūrangi sits on the west bank of the Tongariro River and has a population of less than 4000 people, with more than 60 percent identifying as Māori.

Ellis said growing up there shaped her desire to challenge negative narratives.

“In our town, the statistics are so bad – teenage pregnancy, suicide, gang affiliation,” she said.

“In a way, my journey is giving back to my town, family and iwi.”

While Ellis now stands confidently in her Māoritanga, identity has been something she has grappled with throughout her life, particularly after spending her early years in Australia.

“I still feel too white for Māori spaces and too Māori for white spaces sometimes,” she said.

She recalled being teased after returning to Tūrangi for not speaking te reo Māori fluently.

“That made me whakamā to even learn back then.”

Ellis said a major driving force behind her success is making her whānau proud and being a positive role model for her younger siblings. Supplied

Now working in Treaty law and involved in the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa inquiry, Ellis said her identity is a strength – both professionally and personally.

“It’s almost the only space where I’ve felt like being Māori is a privilege,” she said, describing her Māoritanga as a “superpower.”

“Understanding tikanga, it’s a strength, not a weakness.”

The transition from a small town to Auckland was not without its challenges. Ellis said isolation, financial pressure and self-doubt weighed heavily during her studies.

“I always had impostor syndrome, and I still do to this day,” she said.

“I felt like I wasn’t in the right place, like I wasn’t as smart as everyone around me.”

Being the only person from her school year to attend university added to that pressure, as did starting during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I didn’t know anyone up here besides my partner. I went to uni, put my head down and didn’t even speak to anyone.”

What kept her going, she said, was her whānau – especially her 16-year-old brother and eight-year-old sister.

“Doing it for them and letting them see that they can do more and be more, it means so much.”

Ellis walked at New Zealand Fashion Week for the first time in 2023, returning again in 2024. Supplied

Alongside law, Ellis was also building a presence in the fashion industry. She began modelling soon after moving to Auckland, despite being told she didn’t fit traditional standards.

“I’m on the shorter side, and I had some really bad experiences with agencies declining me,” she said.

She describes herself as a “bigger-bodied model” and said visibility was a major motivation.

“I always kind of felt like a background person,” she said.

“But when I’m on the runway, I feel seen. Not in an attention way, but like people can actually see me.”

Ellis first walked at New Zealand Fashion Week in 2023, returning again in 2024. She said modelling became a vital creative outlet alongside the intensity of legal study.

“I’m a very creative mind, and when I’m doing so much theory and old legal jargon, I need something else, and that was it.”

Representation in fashion, she said, matters – particularly for Māori and curvy wāhine.

“There’s not a lot of bigger Māori models,” she said.

“It felt like I wasn’t just representing me, it was for others as well.”

Supplied / KWEST

One standout moment, Ellis said, was when she appeared in a Mi Piaci campaign where her ankle tāmoko was visible across billboards and store displays.

“I thought it was going to be really whitewashed,” she said.

“But you could see my tāmoko, and that was huge for me.”

Feedback from others reinforced the importance of that visibility.

“I had a lot of people say, ‘It’s amazing to see that.'”

Ellis hopes her haerenga encourages rangatahi Māori to push boundaries and back themselves, no matter where they come from.

“It will often feel like the whole system is against you and that’s because it is,” she said.

“It wasn’t designed for us. But we owe it to ourselves, our tūpuna, our whānau and the next generation to knock down those barriers.”

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

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NZ agencies have eye on ‘largest solar radiation storm in over 20 years’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Aurora lights up the sky in Mercer, Auckland on 11 May, 2024. Supplied / Laura Acket

A solar storm is being monitored by the National Emergency Management Agency and national power grid owners Transpower, but so far, it isn’t expected to cause disruption.

These events, also known as space weather, do not pose a physical threat to human health.

But with society increasingly dependent on technology, an otherwise harmless burst of radiation from the sun could easily disrupt business as usual, taking out the power grids and GPS.

New Zealand monitors alerts from the Unites States agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regarding solar activity.

Early Tuesday morning, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) posted on X: “An S4 severe solar radiation storm is now in progress – this is the largest solar radiation storm in over 20 years. The last time S4 levels were observed was in October, 2003.

But, it noted: “Potential effects are mainly limited to space launch, aviation, and satellite operations.”

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told RNZ the coronal mass ejection arrived in Aotearoa about 8.30am on Tuesday, “and it is not expected to cause significant impacts for NZ”.

The agency had activated its Space Weather Science Advisory Panel, which had considered international space weather monitoring and forecasting agencies, as well as current information from the NZ-based monitoring network.

“On current conditions, the panel advises this event is not concerning for NZ and no significant impacts are expected. NEMA and Transpower will continue to monitor the situation.”

A Transpower spokesperson told RNZ it was keeping an eye on the storm, but the threshold had not yet been met to make changes to the grid.

Large solar storms could send unwanted currents through the long electricity circuits which Transpower managed. When they reached transformers in stations or large hydroelectric dams, they could cause extensive damage. 

“We have been closely monitoring the solar storm since the coronal mass ejection lifted off the sun on Sunday,” the spokesperson said.

“It arrived at 8.40am this morning resulting in geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in our electricity transmission network, but these are within limits where mitigation actions are not needed.”

There was a contingency plan in place to switch out circuits to mitigate effects if needed, but there would be no impact on consumer electricity supply even if this was necessary.

The threat of disruption caused by solar storms has become increasingly understood by local agencies, and a number of them have plans in place. Nema simulated a G5 event in the Beehive bunker in November last year.

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

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New iron treatment proposed for people who have experienced low phosphate levels

Source: PHARMAC

Pharmac is asking for feedback on a proposal to fund a new iron treatment, ferric derisomaltose (Monofer), in hospitals from 1 March 2026.

Ferric derisomaltose (Monofer) is an iron infusion given through an IV drip. It is used for people with low iron levels who have experienced low phosphate levels (hypophosphataemia) after other iron infusions.

If the proposal is approved, Pharmac’s Acting Manager of Pharmaceutical Funding, Josh Wiles, says the medicine would provide an important option for people who cannot use other funded iron infusions because of low phosphate levels.

“Our clinical advisors have told us that ferric derisomaltose is less likely to cause hypophosphataemia than other iron infusions, which means it could help people maintain phosphate levels while treating iron deficiency,” Wiles says.

Hypophosphataemia is a rare but serious side effect of some iron infusions. It means having low levels of phosphate in the blood, a mineral that is important for healthy bones, muscles, and energy.

Wiles says the proposal follows the discontinuation of another iron treatment, iron as sucrose (Venofer).

“The supplier of Venofer is stopping production, and supplies are expected to run out by March 2026. Funding ferric derisomaltose will mean that people who need it will continue to have access to an iron infusion option,” he says.

Pharmac is keen to hear from patients, health professionals, pharmacists, and anyone interested in this change.

The public consultation closes at 5pm, Friday 30 January 2026. Pharmac will consider the feedback received before making a decision on the funding proposal.

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Key concession decision provides certainty for Milford tourism

Source: New Zealand Government

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed a decision to grant a long-term concession for the operation of key visitor infrastructure at Milford Sound Piopiotahi.

The next step will be to negotiate the terms and conditions of the concession.

“My focus is on fixing the basics by making sure core visitor infrastructure works well, while also building the future by providing the certainty needed to plan and invest,” Mr Potaka says.

‘We are focused on protecting our world-class natural environment, supporting jobs and regional economies, and ensuring visitors can experience Milford Sound Piopiotahi safely and responsibly.”

The concession will enable Milford Sound Tourism Limited to continue managing the visitor terminal and carparks through to 2050, providing long-term certainty for essential infrastructure in one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important conservation areas. That certainty comes with expectations to work transparently with the community and the Department to realise our aspirations for this special place.

“Milford Sound Piopiotahi is a taonga for all New Zealanders, and it is important we get the balance right between conservation protection and safe, well-managed access.”

Milford Sound Tourism Limited has operated in the area for several decades and recently announced a shareholder partnership with Ngāi Tahu.

“I welcome that partnership. It strengthens alignment with Tangata Whenua and recognises the deep cultural significance of this place.”

“I have asked officials to progress this work over the coming months, including appropriate measures to carry out statutory obligations, provide for the capital investment the area needs, and to consider wider tourism system interests.”

The decision builds on the Government’s wider commitment to conservation and tourism in the Milford corridor, including an $8.2 million investment from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy.

“This decision ensures Milford Sound Piopiotahi is cared for properly, now and into the future,” Mr Potaka says.
 

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Update on work happening at SH2 Waioweka Gorge

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Crews began clearing slip material at both ends of the SH2 Waioweka Gorge over the weekend, with 2 significant slips now been declared safe for crews to enter.

Gisborne side progress:

  • Crews have now cleared several small slips, removing 25 truckloads of material.
  • Work continues on the largest slip they can access, where 42 truckloads have now been removed.
  • Ten culverts remain blocked and will be cleared using a 5 tonne digger.

Ōpōtiki side progress:

  • Work continues on the major slip with approx. 30 large dump trucks removing material.
  • A second team is clearing vegetation and opening culverts to support drainage and reduce further risk.

SH35 and SH2 south of Gisborne remain open, however people should expect long detours. Travellers should delay travel where possible or allow significantly more time if detouring via SH35 or SH5.

NZTA is actively monitoring the MetService weather warnings, which may impact work this week.

With SH2 between Gisborne and the SH2/SH5 intersection serving as a key detour for those travelling between Bay of Plenty, Taupō, and Gisborne (in both directions), the planned overnight closures on SH2 at Devil’s Elbow in the Hawke’s Bay have been postponed. These works, which were due to begin last night for final asphalting, will be rescheduled. At this stage, no new date has been confirmed for the asphalting work. We’ll share an update when it is confirmed.

We thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this significant disruption.

Further updates will be provided as soon as additional assessments and clearance work can safely continue.

18 January 2026

Significant damage means SH2 Waioweka Gorge will remain closed for weeks

State Highway 2 through the Waioweka Gorge will likely remain closed for several weeks, following extensive damage from severe rainfall and multiple large slips.

A huge 322mm rain in 48 hours (double the area’s January average) turned gullies into waterfalls, overwhelmed and blocked culverts and triggered widespread debris flows across the road.

Crews have been working hard throughout the weekend, at both ends of the gorge, to clear smaller slips to gain access to larger areas of damage.

Geotechnical investigations and drone surveys confirm the situation is far more complex than first anticipated.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Waikato and Bay of Plenty Manager for Maintenance and Operations, Roger Brady says the scale of the damage means people should be prepared for a longer closure.

“We want to be upfront that this is not something we can fix in a few days. The damage is significant, and reopening the road safely will likely take a few weeks.

“Our crews are doing everything they safely can, but the sheer number of slips and continuing amount of debris falling mean this is a complex and challenging situation. The safety of our crews will always come first.”

There are two significant slips sites at either end of the gorge, which have now been declared safe to begin work on. Crews will proceed with caution to begin to remove slip material this afternoon.

The immediate focus is on removing debris where possible and clearing blocked culverts so the road surface and underlying structures can be properly assessed once river levels recede.

“Initial estimates indicate up to 40 slips in total, including 4 to 8 larger slips. Given the scale of damage and uncertainty about the condition of the road underneath the debris, we expect the closure to extend well beyond a short-term response,” says Mr Brady.

People are urged to delay travel where possible or allow plenty of extra time for a long detours either via State Highway 35 or State Highway 5. NZTA crews will continue monitoring and maintaining the detour route to ensure it remains safe and accessible.

Further updates will be provided as soon as additional assessments can safely continue.

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Fletcher Building to sell construction arm to Vinci

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fletcher Building headquarters in Auckland. Fletcher Building

  • Fletcher Construction to be sold for $315.6m, potentially rising to $334.1m
  • Sale includes Higgins, Brian Perry Civil and Fletcher Construction Major Projects
  • The deal is subject to regulatory approvals.

Fletcher Building has reached a binding agreement to sell its construction division to major international firm Vinci Construction.

The initial sale price was $315.6 million, but could rise to just over $334m depending on the outcome of key contract negotiations.

The sale of Fletcher Construction Holdings included its New Zealand business units, Higgins, Brian Perry Civil and Fletcher Construction Major Projects.

“Over the past year, we have been clear that Fletcher Building’s future lies in being a focused building products manufacturer and distributor, supported by a strong balance sheet and disciplined capital allocation,” Fletcher Building chief executive Andrew Reding said.

“The sale of Fletcher Construction is a significant step forward in delivering that strategy, while continuing the work underway to simplify the portfolio, lower debt and improve shareholder returns,” he said.

Reding was confident the sale to Vinci would be the right transaction for shareholders, Fletcher Construction itself and the broader New Zealand construction industry.

“I believe Fletcher Construction will find a strong home with Vinci, whose strengths are well aligned with the business, and which has a proven track record of successfully delivering major infrastructure projects globally.”

The deal was subject to regulatory approvals, including from the Overseas Investment Office and the Commerce Commission.

Fletcher Building also expected to set aside $55-$65m for probable future claims relating to legacy construction contracts retained following the divestment.

However, it did not include any allowances for potential legal liability relating to the NZ International Convention Centre project.

The decision to sell Fletcher Construction followed a strategic review of the wider Fletcher Building business in 2025.

“Following our strategic review in 2025, we received strong inbound interest for the construction business,” Reding said.

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Springboks legend won’t hold grudge if Tony Brown chooses All Blacks

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tony Brown. photosport

Former South Africa captain Jean de Villiers says he will not hold a grudge should Tony Brown decide to exit the Springboks and return to New Zealand ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Following Scott Robertson’s shock departure as All Blacks head coach last week, New Zealand Rugby are searching for his successor midway through a Rugby World Cup cycle.

Jamie Joseph has been touted as the favourite to take over and that has linked Brown to a position within the next All Blacks coaching group, despite being the Springboks’ assistant coach.

Speculation is rife that Brown and Joseph will once again combine ahead of the global tournament in Australia, with the pair long-time colleagues having coached together at the Highlanders and in Japan.

It would be a huge blow for the Springboks should that happen with Brown playing a significant role in their development since the 2023 World Cup triumph.

Brown is contracted to South Africa Rugby and has confirmed to The Post that he has no out-clause with the Springboks that would allow him to coach the All Blacks in the wake of Robertson’s sacking – and nor has he been tapped on the shoulder by NZR.

“I’m obviously contracted,” Brown told The Post. “I don’t have an out of my contract, so I’m back in South Africa [until the Rugby World Cup].”

It raises the prospect of NZR needing to pay a huge break-fee to SA Rugby if they want to pursue Brown.

De Villiers told the Boks Unpacked podcast the conundrum Brown faced is “an extremely difficult one”.

“It’s an interesting one. As a human being, I absolutely only have praise and respect for Tony Brown, I think he’s a fantastic guy,” de Villiers said.

Former Springboks captain Jean de Villiers. PHOTOSPORT

“I had the pleasure of playing one season with him at the Stormers and I’ve spent some time with him since he’s been back in his coaching role, and he is just a top person.

“You go in and you become a coach, and you want to be successful in that role as well. He’s been fantastically successful with the Springboks with what he’s added.

“If you can potentially be in the situation where he is closer to his family, it makes more sense for him in his personal capacity and for his family, and maybe financially etc. Can we hold it against him? I don’t think you can.

“But is he the kind of person who will just leave a project halfway through? I don’t think he will either, so it’s an extremely difficult one.”

On Monday, South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus took to social media by posting a meme of Brown, captioned, ‘I’m not leaving’, but there will concern among Boks fans that he will want to go back to their historic rivals.

“Either way I think the right thing will happen. Throw in Rassie Erasmus’ name there and I’m pretty sure his contract with Tony Brown will have been watertight,” de Villiers said.

NZR is in the early stages of the recruitment process, with chair David Kirk saying last week they would “cast the net wide”.

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Luxon speech devoid of policy or vision

Source: NZCTU

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi president Sandra Grey is calling out the National Party leader for failing to address the concerns of working people at a time when a positive vision for the country is desperately needed.

“Christopher Luxon evidently has no ideas to improve the material conditions and economic wellbeing of working people,” said Grey.

“The speech was devoid of any plans, policies, or actions that will help working people, their families, and communities. Luxon has instead delivered policies that have made it harder for working people to get ahead. Removing pay equity, cutting the minimum wage in real terms for three years. Ending Fair Pay Agreements.

“Despite rising unemployment, and record New Zealanders leaving the country, the speech had nothing to help lift wages or create new jobs. Despite 68% of workers getting a payrise less than inflation last year, there was nothing to help working people pay the bills.

“All we heard today was a promise that his government will continue to oversee further cuts, and the further deterioration of public services.

“Luxon gutted public services and overseen a massive transfer of wealth to the rich in the form of tax cuts.

“In the Mood of the Workforce survey released today, Luxon was put on notice by New Zealand workers who are totally sick and tired of this visionless government.

“After being elected on a platform of dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, the Government has not only failed to address it, they have actively made it worse.

“It’s time for change. We need real leadership to deal with the generational challenges that New Zealand is grappling with,” said Grey.