NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s not something many of us are born with, being okay with uncertainty.

Climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards has made it her day job.

She’s listed among hundreds of authors from all over the world on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, and is about to begin work on the seventh. She’s given climate change talks at Glastonbury, and appears on the BBC Radio 4 podcast “39 Ways to Save the Planet”.

That, she says, is one of the things she’s most proud of – giving people tangible solutions to help the planet, and ease that sense of dread.

She’s in New Zealand this month to give this year’s S.T. Lee Lecture, on the topic of uncertainty around sea-level rise in Antarctica.

“How do we figure out what our error bars are on our predictions? If we’re trying to think about the future, what’s the range of different possible futures that we might face?”

Despite New Zealanders’ affinity with the great white continent, Edwards explains scientists now think far-off places like Greenland are more likely to affect sea-level rise around our shores.

“When you lose ice from Antarctica, the local sea level right around Antarctica actually goes down because it’s no longer pulled up by the sort of gravitational attraction of the ice sheet,” Edwards says.

“Instead, when that water goes into the global oceans and gets spread around, it affects maybe the northern hemisphere more. So [New Zealand] would be affected by Greenland more.”

Sea level rise is “a very complicated area of science”, she says. “It’s lots of different disciplines working together.”

Communicating all of the different aspects of the public, even to other scientists, can be quite complicated. Small changes in averages – average sea level rise, average global temperature – can translate into huge changes in extreme weather and coastal flooding.

“If you increase sea levels globally by perhaps half a metre, that doesn’t sound much, right? You just think, oh, half a metre, that’s knee level – you wouldn’t think that would be too bad.

“But the knock-on effect on coastal flooding can make it hundreds of times more likely to flood. A one-in-100 year event suddenly becomes something that could happen every year.”

She says she feels a responsibility to communicate uncertainty. Science is not a book of facts but a living body of knowledge, constantly evolving.

“I think it’s really important to say, ‘Well, look, we can’t know everything, some things are hard to pin down, but here’s the stuff we are confident about’.

“Maybe we know the direction of travel, but we don’t always know how quickly we’re going to get there.”

The Paris Agreement set a target to limit warming to 1.5 degrees – does Edwards think that’s still possible?

“I think it was always going to be really difficult,” she says – but she urges people not to think of it as a cliff-edge.

“It’s not something where we say, okay, if we get to 1.6 degrees of warming, everything is burning, everything is extinct,” she says. “But at the same time, we’re already seeing effects on our weather at 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 degrees. So it’s important to limit warming.”

With 15 years of science communication up her sleeve, she’s discovered most people aren’t motivated by fear – they need to know they can still make change.

The early days of discourse concerning climate change were “scary”, she says, punctuated by verbal attacks on twitter, gendered abuse, and public disagreements between scientists: “Should we be talking about uncertainty or should we be focusing just on certainties?”

“The conversation has really moved away from that,” Edwards says. “Climate science and the need to act on climate change is mainstream.”

“It almost feels like if you were pushing on a door really, really hard and then suddenly someone opens it and you kind of fall in the room,” she laughs.

When it comes to making change, she says people should never underestimate the value of pester power. “Think about how you can push on the levers of other people who are more powerful than you.”

She’s expecting work on the seventh IPCC report to be intense, just as it was with the sixth, published in 2023.

“And what people probably don’t realise is that when we work on the IPCC reports, it’s completely voluntary,” she says. “There were times I was doing maybe a 50 hour week of teaching and 20 hours on the IPCC over the weekend.”

Each chapter could have thousands of review comments, and everything needed to be considered, answered, and potentially included in the copy.

“It was quite a spreadsheet,” Edwards says.

The seventh report is due out in 2029, and work is already underway to engage hundreds of experts and divide their collective knowledge neatly into chapters, in one of the biggest collaboration efforts in science.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Far-right US influencer Candace Owens’ Auckland event next year has been cancelled, after the commentator was earlier denied entry into Australia.

Owens lost her bid to enter Australia after the country’s highest court backed the government’s decision to deny her a visa over concerns she could “incite discord” in the community.

The NZ event’s venue Trusts Arena confirmed the event was cancelled some months ago, due to its controversial nature.

Trusts Arena chief executive Marcus Reynolds said the event had no ongoing association with the venue.

“We’ve reached out to the promoter and asked for The Trusts Arena details to be removed for their event page,” he said.

Owens, who is known for controversial views including downplaying the holocaust and claiming Muslims started slavery, was denied entry to Australia in October 2024 after she announced the speaking tour.

Groups, including Young Labour, urged the government to also ban her from New Zealand.

She had an application for an Entertainers Work Visa denied in November 2024, and had requested ministerial intervention.

At the time, Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk said the decision to overturn New Zealand’s ban was made after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech.

Promoters Rocksman told RNZ that Owens was “very keen” to come to New Zealand and continue her tour.

“This will likely be mid-year 2026.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New figures from ACC show 11 claims for babies or toddlers with carrier related injuries in 2024, more than twice the number than the year before.

There has also been eight claims so far this year, however there are no specific details of the incidents.

It has prompted renewed calls for the government to introduce official safety standards for baby carriers, wraps and slings.

It also follows a rise in social media videos often showing babies snuggly strapped to an adults fronts, in some cases with their faces and airways obscured.

In 2019 in Australia a three week old baby suffocated in a cloth sling, where he was completely cocooned in fabric, carried by his mum as she waited for his check-up at health clinic.

Louise Tanguay, founder of The Sleep Store and community organisation Babywearing Aotearoa believes there are many people wearing carriers incorrectly.

She told Checkpoint it is concerning to see these carriers used in an unsafe way.

“They’re choosing carriers that are too big for the size of the baby, or they’re wearing the carrier low on their body, so when they lift up the front of it, it goes right over the baby’s head.”

“The carrier is not an unsafe carrier, but the way it’s being worn is unsafe and potentially covering baby’s airways.”

However Tanguay said she was also concerned about the lack of standards to prevent unsafe carriers being sold.

She said this included models imported from overseas, as well as knock off carriers being sold in New Zealand.

“It is very common in New Zealand for people to look at Facebook marketplace for cheap carriers, they’re on a tight budget and they want a name brand carrier,”

“If the price looks too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true – most of the ERGO baby carriers that we’ve seen bought on marketplace are fake and potentially quite unsafe… the fabric can be toxic, the buckles are not tested, they don’t come with proper instructions.”

Many overseas models have also been found to be unsafe, with some determined to be potentially fatal.

While using a carrier is great for calming newborns, bonding and being able to carry on with everyday life, Tanguay said many parents are being caught out by not knowing how to use the carrier, or not following instructions.

“Often we see now too on social media, there’s people of influence or just other content creators showing carriers worn in a way that’s unsafe.”

“There is this inconsistent message of what safe carrying looks like because of people not taking the time to check that their baby’s airways are clear and that the carrier is below the baby’s neck leaving fresh air for baby to breathe.”

She said the best way to use a carrier was by putting the baby where you would when holding them in your arms, high up on the chest.

“Hold baby high on the chest, hold baby close enough to kiss… against the firm part, not down in the soft, squishy part of your chest,”

“Then put the carrier on nice and high and then tighten it so babies held securely and do a good check that your baby’s face is clear of all fabric – fabric from your clothing, fabric from the carrier not putting the carrier over the baby’s head, that’s a really good place to start.”

The baby’s nose and mouth should be visible at all times.

Tanguay believes there is a lack of safety information provided to families about how to safely carry their baby.

“People do childbirth education classes or see a midwife or see a well child provider and there’s either inconsistent or no safe baby wearing advice provided in a lot of those spaces.”

She said there should be some sort of official safety standard around carriers, however it doesn’t need to be unique to New Zealand.

“We’re not asking for New Zealand to have a ridiculous specific standard just to New Zealand because that just adds crazy compliance costs to businesses and pushes the price of products up, or makes them unavailable.”

“I would just like to see those international standards recognised here so when a family goes to a shop or orders a carrier online, they at least have the basic safety checks covered that the buckles have been tested, that it has good instructions, that it comes with the mandatory warning label.”

“Then it also gives the government agencies the ability to stop the importing of unsafe carriers that we do see coming into New Zealand.”

There is no plan by the Government to introduce regulations for baby carriers.

Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson urges people to follow manufacturers’ instructions on safe use, and said retailers, online sellers and manufacturers are responsible for making sure the products they supply are safe.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Taranaki Regional Council says New Plymouth’s Lake Rotomanu will be closed to motorised boats from tomorrow after the discovery of an invasive fresh water clam.

It’s the first time the clam, Corbicula fluminea, has been found outside of the Waikato River and Lake Taupō Aqua Park.

Taranaki Regional Council’s Environment Services Manager Steve Ellis said it was unknown how the clams got into the lake, but the focus now was making sure they did not spread to other Taranaki lakes or rivers.

“We are working closely with local partners and Biosecurity New Zealand, and we will have robust plans in place to deal with this Corbicula incursion,” he said.

New Plymouth District Council will close the lake to motorised boats, which are at the highest risk of spreading clams, from Wednesday.

Other’s on the lake will be required to thoroughly check, clean and dry all gear before leaving the lake shore, and additional signage will be put up by the weekend.

Staff will be at the lake to ensure the rules are followed and to advise people how to correctly clean their gear.

“The initial closure of Lake Rotomanu allows us time to gather all the information, while managing the risk from motorised boats,” Ellis said.

He was urging those who had been on Lake Rotomanu or other waterways to check, clean and dry everything that had been in contact with the water before moving between waterways.

“We appreciate it is coming into summer, and the lake is a favourite spot for many boaties. But they will understand how important it is we act quickly – Corbicula can take over a waterway and have long-term effects on not just recreation, but also the environment.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has been placed on leave from his role as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, following the release of a damning Independent Police Conduct Authority report.

The report found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police, including Coster, over how police responded to accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and a woman who was a non-sworn police employee at the time.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report says when police did eventually refer the woman’s claims to the authority, several months after it was recommended they do so, senior police attempted to influence the investigation.

Coster took on the role as Secretary for Social Investment in November 2024, after stepping down as Police Commissioner.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins said it was agreed between Coster and the Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche that Coster would be on leave while Sir Brian undertook his own investigation.

She said the report showed a “massive” failure of leadership, and while it was now an employment matter, she said the report spoke for itself.

“If this was me being named in this report, I would be ashamed of myself. And I think that’s what I can say. I would be deeply ashamed.”

She was unable to put a timeline on when the investigation could be completed.

Social investment minister Nicola Willis said she was “shocked and appalled” by the IPCA report’s findings.

“I have conveyed my views to Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche. The matter now sits with him as Mr Coster’s employer,” she said.

More to come

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Far-right US influencer Candace Owens’ Auckland event next year has been cancelled, after the commentator was earlier denied entry into Australia.

Owens lost her bid to enter Australia after the country’s highest court backed the government’s decision to deny her a visa over concerns she could “incite discord” in the community.

The NZ event’s venue Trusts Arena confirmed the event was cancelled some months ago, due to its controversial nature.

Trusts Arena chief executive Marcus Reynolds said the event had no ongoing association with the venue.

“We’ve reached out to the promoter and asked for The Trusts Arena details to be removed for their event page,” he said.

Owens, who is known for controversial views including downplaying the holocaust and claiming Muslims started slavery, was denied entry to Australia in October 2024 after she announced the speaking tour.

Groups, including Young Labour, urged the government to also ban her from New Zealand.

She had an application for an Entertainers Work Visa denied in November 2024, and had requested ministerial intervention.

At the time, Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk said the decision to overturn New Zealand’s ban was made after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech.

Promoters Rocksman told RNZ that Owens was “very keen” to come to New Zealand and continue her tour.

“This will likely be mid-year 2026.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

“The public need to have trust in the police,” say government ministers, who will appoint an Inspector General of Police, after a damning report into handling of the Jevon McSkimming case.

An investigation into police handling of complaints against the former Deputy Police Commissioner – released today – was critical of the actions of former Commissioner Andrew Coster.

McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop in May amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA)’s report says when police did eventually refer the woman’s claims to the authority several months after it was recommended they do so, senior police attempted to influence the investigation.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins said the report’s findings were “extremely concerning and disappointing”, and it found serious issues within the former police executive.

Speaking to media early this evening, Collins said it was “very clear” the woman at the centre of the complaint was failed by senior police.

“What is also clear is that this cannot continue to happen.”

She described the events as a “massive failure of leadership”.

“This could have been avoided if senior police at the time had acted with integrity, called out bad behaviour when they saw it, and promptly investigated allegations when they were made.”

She said the government was “acting decisively” in response and will implement the strongest statutory oversight mechanism available, an Inspector General of Police.

She said the public needed to have trust in the police and leaders in the public sector.

“And they have a right to expect that when things go wrong, people are held to account, and that is what we are doing.”

Coster is now the chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, but is currently on leave from that role.

Collins said the Public Service Commissioner and Coster agreed he would go on leave while the Public Service Commissioner carried out his own investigation.

Collins said it was currently an employment matter and cannot comment further, but said the report speaks for itself.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he expected police to uphold the “highest levels of integrity, transparency and accountability”.

“The report highlights significant flaws in the decision making, judgement and actions of a group of individuals, including those at the top of the previous Police executive.

“Their actions have raised serious concerns about integrity and culture within the then executive,” he said.

Mitchell said at the centre of this, a woman had been “let down by the former police executive and the system”.

“I cannot express how frustrated and disappointed I have been since becoming aware of the situation.”

The ministers said the report raised questions around whether there was “sufficient independent oversight” of the police to prevent these issues happening again. It also raised questions about “probity checking” of McSkimming by the Public Service Commission (PSC) when he was appointed Deputy Police Commissioner in 2023.

The matter was “picked up” during the Police Commissioner recruitment process in 2024, and McSkimming was suspended, then resigned.

Collins said New Zealanders will understandably have questions around “how McSkimming was able to be considered for roles at the highest level of Police given what has come to light.” She said the PSC was taking these concerns “very seriously”.

The IPCA made 13 recommendations for police and two for the government regarding police oversight. Collins said all had been accepted.

“It is imperative New Zealanders have confidence in our police. That is why we are choosing the most robust level of oversight available to the government,” said Collins.

Mitchell said police have accepted all the recommendations in the report, including “strengthening integrity and conduct processes, amending the code of conduct to provide for mandatory reporting, and refreshing integrity training.”

He emphasised that all those in the executive who were involved in the case at the time have now left the police. He also emphasised the report findings should not be seen as a “reflection on our police service as a whole.”

Mitchell said it was important to emphasise the report findings should not be seen as a reflection on our police service as a whole.

“I commend the staff highlighted in the review as having showed exceptional moral courage. They have done themselves, their colleagues and their organisation proud.

“It is imperative New Zealanders have trust and confidence in the police. That’s why the government is taking these findings extremely seriously.”

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