Police have made arrests following an early morning burglary at a Devonport apartment building.
Two offenders were seen allegedly breaking into the Queens Parade complex just before 2am.
Waitematā East Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant CJ Miles says Police quickly deployed into the area.
“Our staff were on scene quickly and located a vehicle travelling away from the scene,” she says.
“The vehicle was stopped on Lake Road in Hauraki and its occupants were spoken to.”
A 39-year-old woman, who was a passenger, has since been charged with a raft of offences.
She will appear in the North Shore District Court today charged with burglary, possession of instruments for burglary, resisting Police and possession of methamphetamine utensils.
Another passenger taken in custody, a 27-year-old woman, had warrants for her arrest for failing to appear in court.
Police enquiries remain ongoing into the burglary.
“I’d like to acknowledge the work of our night shift team in their response,” Senior Sergeant Miles says.
“It highlights the benefits of having good quality CCTV operating around your property.”
Before this date, under the NES-F 2020, consent was required to convert to dairy farming.
At the time those temporary restrictions on dairy conversions were put in place, the expectation was that regional councils would notify new freshwater plans or change existing plans, to manage effects on water quality.
Central Government has since introduced restrictions on plan changes that would have given effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. A replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) is currently being prepared and will give new national direction on managing water quality.
While consent is no longer required for a change in land use to dairy farming, there are still consenting controls in place under the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) to protect the environment. Both existing and new dairy farms must hold consent for animal effluent discharges.
Farms may also require water permits for the taking and use of water in the dairy shed.
Applications for these activities still need to be considered through the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) process with a consideration of the effects of these activities on the environment.
A consent may also be required for the use of land for farming in general, but that requirement isn’t specific to dairy farming.
Farming and the environment
We know that water quality is degraded in some parts of Waitaha. This means we carefully consider all consent applications for the discharge of animal effluent to evaluate the effects of the proposed discharge relative to the existing state of the local environment. Every consent application is considered on a case-by-case basis following RMA process; we can’t pre-determine decisions.
The likelihood of a new dairy effluent discharge permit being open for public input (being publicly notified) and/or being granted will depend on the state of the receiving environment, the effect of the proposed operation, and the proposed mitigations.
For example, declining water quality trends in the area where dairy farming is proposed may require a consent applicant to demonstrate how the conversion will not worsen, or in some cases improve, local water quality outcomes.
If the likely adverse effects of the proposal are deemed to be more than minor, they will be publicly notified to give the wider community an opportunity to be heard.
Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines
The Matariki Festival programme for 2025 launches today via the Matariki Festival website.
This season’s programme celebrates wai (water), with a whakataukii at its heart:
Waitaa ki te Maanuka,
Waitii ki te Mangatangi,
Waipuna ki te Rangi.
Ngāti Tamaoho, in partnership with Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council), is proud to present Matariki Festival for their second year as iwi manaaki (partner iwi).
Ngāti Tamaoho invites Aucklanders and visitors to be drawn to the cultural, environmental, and spiritual significance of water, guided by a reflection on three stars in the Matariki star cluster in particular.
Matariki star cluster can be seen mid-left.
Waitaa is the star of the sea and ocean, Waitii is the star of fresh water, and Waipunarangi symbolises rain.
For Ngāti Tamaoho, Waitaa connects through Te Maanukanuka o Hoturoa (the Manukau Harbour), Waitii connects through the Mangatangi Awa (a river flowing through the Hunua Ranges) and Waipunarangi connects with the rain bringing life to their fertile lands in the southern part of the Auckland region – Pukekohekohe.
Matariki Festival is a celebration of the Māori New Year for all to enjoy across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This year it spans five weeks from 7 June to 13 July.
Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki (Matariki Festival Day) at Auckland Botanic Gardens on 20 June. Photo credit Grant Apiata.
Matariki Festival, known as Matariki ki te Wai in 2025, will see Ngāti Tamaoho hosting cultural activities, community events, water blessings and storytelling focused on their whakapapa (genealogy) and kaupapa (purpose).
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Regional celebrations, with community events, exhibitions and workshops will take place across the Auckland region with Matariki ki te Manawa in the city centre. These activities will bring local iwi, environmental groups and artists together.
Matariki Festival closes with a concert featuring Māori artists to celebrate the promise of the new year.
Head to the Matariki Festival for the full festival line-up.
Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki (Matariki Festival Day) on 20 June celebrates the rising of the Matariki star cluster above the horizon in the north-east skies at dawn.
The city centre with the most visibility of te ao Māori (Māori worldview) in its streetscapes in the world, will light up at around this time also, with a full programme heralding the Māori New Year.
Tūrama returns to Queen Street for Matariki Festival 2025; photo Auckland Council.
Ngāti Pārau Hapū Trust has requested a temporary closure offshore of Napier Port, Hawke’s Bay, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.
The requested closure would prohibit the take of all finfish, shellfish, and seaweed for 2 years. The closure is to be called Te Oho o Parapara rāhui.
This request follows a previous temporary closure known as Te Rāhui o Moremore. The new request is to provide additional time to support further species establishment in the area and to develop long-term protection strategies.
Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from anyone who has an interest in the species concerned, or in the effects of fishing in the area.
The proposed area is approximately 0.11 square kilometres, and encompasses the artificial reef located approximately 6 km northeast of Napier Port. The reef was created as a result of the development of the port’s new wharf, named Te Whiti.
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Spatial Allocations Fisheries Management Fisheries New Zealand PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
Public notice
A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the ‘Hawke’s Bay Today’ on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
Related information
Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in respect of an area, if satisfied that the closure, restriction, or prohibition will recognise and provide for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
An eagle-eyed camera operator alerted Police to a person possessing a firearm in Paihia overnight.
“At around 2am Police were notified by Kaitaia cameras that a male had been seen on CCTV pulling what appeared to be a firearm from his pants,” Mid North Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Mark Barratt says.
“He was observed holding it on camera for a few seconds before adjusting it and placing it back into his pants.”
Units were dispatched to the location and located the man a short distance away after carrying out area enquiries.
Senior Sergeant Barratt says the firearm he was allegedly possessing has not been located at this stage and enquiries are ongoing.
Police have since located methamphetamine paraphernalia.
“This was great work by the camera operator who as part of proactive prevention has observed this male, and we were able to locate and charge him,” Senior Sergeant Barratt says.
“We will continue to act on this sort of information to keep our communities safe.”
A 37-year-old male, who is a patched Black Power member, has been charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm and possessing utensils for methamphetamine. He will appear in the Kaikohe District Court today.
A 22 year old Lake Taupo mystery involving a Russian stuntman has been solved thanks to some useful information being sent in following an appeal by Police.
Artour Melikov was 36 when he was reported missing on 10 September 2002. Turangi Police located his vehicle at the Jellicoe Reserve, 400 metres north of Bulli Point at Lake Taupo.
Despite extensive search efforts, there was no sign of Artour and Police established he hadn’t been seen since he left Auckland two days prior.
On 9 January this year, Police were called to a holiday park at Motutere, where several bones were located near a walking track. Police believed the bones were those of Artour, but extensive enquiries had been unable to lead to a positive identification.
Senior Constable Barry Shepherd QSM, of the Taupo Area Search and Rescue Squad, said following an appeal for information two people have come forward with photos which have enabled Police to formally identify Artour.
“The two photos sent in have shown clear evidence of his gold teeth and clothing he was wearing when he was found,” Senior Constable Shepherd said.
“I want to thank these people for coming forward to allow us to formally identify Artour and provide some closure.”
Train commuters and businesses moving goods around the country will see more reliable rail services, thanks to the Government’s investment of $604.6 million for rail upgrades and renewals through Budget 2025, Rail Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Chris Bishop say.
“The funding provides $461 million to maintain and renew the rail freight network, and $143.6 million to replace and upgrade the Auckland and Wellington metropolitan rail networks, and will deliver a more productive, efficient and reliable rail network that supports economic growth and productivity,” Mr Peters says.
“We want railways to succeed for this country – rail freight backs our business, and business backs our cities and provinces.
“Rail currently moves 13 per cent of national freight and a quarter of New Zealand’s exports, complementing our road freighters’ short-hauls by doing the heavy-haul weights, the long-distance runs, and being the efficient clearing house so coastal ports can handle more export ships.
“The Rail Network Investment Programme for 2024-2027 is now funded, meaning maintenance, network operations, asset renewals and modest improvements are funded.
“This programme replaces decades’ old bridges, culverts, and other assets with infrastructure to last for generations to come, and provides the bedrock for growth by the commercially-funded freight operations to move our goods.
“We have a legacy for rail freight and this builds on it. The Northland line is upgraded from Swanson to Whangārei, new locomotives and shunts are arriving, new wagons are serving customers and more are being assembled in Dunedin, and rail ferries are being secured on the Strait,” says Mr Peters.
The Government is also funding critical network renewals in Auckland and Wellington.
“Metro rail investment in Auckland and Wellington will improve the level of service for passengers by addressing overdue and critical renewals work,” Mr Bishop says.
“A backlog of overdue renewals has made services less reliable, with commuters experiencing ongoing disruption in recent years. Piecemeal network maintenance has increased overall costs and has not delivered the high-performing metro rail service that our cities need to flourish.
“The poor state of our metro networks has flow-on impacts for performance. For example, temporary speed restrictions are often needed as a safety precaution, leading to increased travel times and disrupting service schedules.
“The Budget investment in metro rail will continue to support delivery of modern networks that are more reliable, can be efficiently maintained, ease congestion on the busiest parts of the network, and allow for increased future demand. It will also ensure a better experience for commuters who already make 24 million journeys on the networks each year.
“Auckland Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council will also need to meet their fair share of costs to deliver the services we want for metro rail.”
Editor’s notes for the metro networks and the Wairarapa:
Recent rail investments include funding through previous Budgets and the National Land Transport Fund of:
$159.2 million funding to complete the Rail Network Rebuild programme in Auckland, and to address historic formation, drainage and track issues. This investment is critical to prepare the network for the opening of City Rail Link
$107.7 million in Budget 2024 funding for metro rail networks was split between Auckland and Wellington to address the renewals backlog and deliver more reliable services for commuters in our main cities:
$48.8 million for Auckland
$52.9 million for Wellington
$6 million of contingency funding to manage cost escalations on maintenance and renewal works.
$137.2 million for upgrades to substations on the Wellington metro rail network, to improve the reliability of services
$802.8 million investment into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail network infrastructure and rolling stock to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island.
Ngāti Wakarara – Ngāti Hau Takutai Kaitiaki Trust has requested 2 temporary closures at:
Tangoiro/Waihirere
Motuoroi.
Both areas are north of Gisborne. If granted, the closures would prohibit the take of finfish and shellfish (including crustaceans and rock lobster) for 2 years, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.
The request follows a rāhui and previous temporary closures. The request states that additional time is needed for:
further population recovery after Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle
data collection over a sufficient timescale
to establish longer-term protection strategies.
Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from anyone who has an interest in the species concerned, or in the effects of fishing in the areas.
We are accepting submissions from 20 May until 5pm on 18 June 2025.
The area of the proposed Tangoiro/Waihirere temporary closure covers about 0.7 square kilometres and includes the fisheries waters offshore of Tangoiro and Waihirere Beachs. The proposed area excludes the rock platform at the southern end of Waihirere Beach.
The area of the proposed Motuoroi temporary closure covers about 1.2 square kilometres, and includes the fisheries waters between Motuoroi Island and the mainland, from the Lockwood Woolshed to south of the shore caves.
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Spatial Allocations Fisheries Management Fisheries New Zealand PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
Public notice
A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the Gisborne Herald on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
About temporary closures
Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in respect of an area, if satisfied that the closure, restriction, or prohibition will recognise and provide for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
Former NZ Associate Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Hon Matt Robson, has called on the New Zealand Government to uphold International Law.
“New Zealand prides itself on being in the forefront of countries supporting the international rule of law and not the international rule of might ”, said former Associate Foreign Minister in the Helen Clark government, the Hon Matt Robson.
“To uphold this principled position Foreign Minister, the Hon Winston Peters, must strongly condemn the US action of placing Cuba on its “List of Non-Cooperative Terrorism countries.
“This illegal act is a further breach of international law alongside the ever-tightening unilateral sanctions on Cuba, in place since 1960, which have been condemned as illegal by an overwhelming vote in the UN General Assembly, including that of New Zealand vote” said the Hon Matt Robson.
“Cuba is recognised by the UN for its commitment to anti-terrorism measures. The irony is that it has been the United States that has supported terrorism against Cuba from the attempted assassination of its leaders, military invasions ,economic sabotage to the bombing of a Cuban airliner and protection in the US of the culprits.”
“Cuba is renowned not for terrorism but for sending medical professionals to the poorest countries of the world since 1960, training doctors in Cuba from those countries, including many from Pacific nations, and during Covid providing specialist health personnel, including to developed Italy , to world acclaim”.
“The Hon Winston Peters should place New Zealand on the side of the vast majority of countries supporting international law and condemn the United States for its illegal persecution of a developing country,” Hon Matt Robson said.
Defence Minister Judith Collins has announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry, highlighting the significant contribution they make to New Zealand’s security, economy and workforce. “Congratulations to this year’s winners, whose work strengthens New Zealand’s defence capabilities and demonstrates the highest standards, skills, innovation and impact on local communities,” Ms Collins says. “The winners include a New Zealand and Tongan-based construction company, which built the Pacific Leadership Development Programme classrooms and fale in Tonga, and an augmented and virtual reality developer who built simulated training courses with the Royal New Zealand Navy. “Defence looks forward to enhancing its partnership with industry to supply military assets, equipment and infrastructure following the release of the 2025 Defence Capability Plan, which outlines $12 billion of planned commitments over the next four years.” Associate Defence Minister Chris Penk says this year’s recipients demonstrate industry is a trusted partner to Defence. “About 800 companies supply critical products and services to New Zealand’s Defence industrial base, bolstering its resilience,” Mr Penk says. “Defence is a major contributor to the economy, spending hundreds of millions of dollars locally on engineering and commercial services, maintenance, repair and training support.” Notes to editor: More information about the award recipients can be found on the Ministry of Defence website: www.defence.govt.nz/business-and-industry/industry-awards/2024-awards-of-excellence-for-industry Imagery of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry event at Parliament will be available at 10am on 20 May: www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdfmedia Ministry of Defence Youtube channel here: https://youtube.com/@NewZealandMinistryofDefence 2024 Category Winners: Category A – Prime Contractor of the Year – Hawkins Category B – Sub-contractor/Small to Medium Enterprise of the Year Product – (two winners) Build N Concrete and Seipp Construction Category C – Sub-contractor/ Small to Medium Enterprise of the Year Service – The Sysdoc Group 2024 Special Award Winners: Tū Kaha (Courage) – Dr Laura Robichaux (Beca) Tū Tika (Commitment) – (two winners) Krystal Paraone (StaplesVR) and Rodney Bosch (PAE) Tū Tira (Comradeship) – Paul Grant (Kuehne + Nagel Limited) Tū Māia (Integrity) – Damian Little (Hawkins) Kotahitanga (Unity) – Annette Smith (The Sysdoc Group)
The Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry are administered by the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council on behalf of the Minister of Defence.
Former NZ Associate Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Hon Matt Robson, has called on the New Zealand Government to uphold International Law.
Hon Matt Robson. Image, Scoop.co.nz.
“New Zealand prides itself on being in the forefront of countries supporting the international rule of law and not the international rule of might ”, said former Associate Foreign Minister in the Helen Clark government, the Hon Matt Robson.
“To uphold this principled position Foreign Minister, the Hon Winston Peters, must strongly condemn the US action of placing Cuba on its “List of Non-Cooperative Terrorism countries.
“This illegal act is a further breach of international law alongside the ever-tightening unilateral sanctions on Cuba, in place since 1960, which have been condemned as illegal by an overwhelming vote in the UN General Assembly, including that of New Zealand vote” said the Hon Matt Robson.
“Cuba is recognised by the UN for its commitment to anti-terrorism measures. The irony is that it has been the United States that has supported terrorism against Cuba from the attempted assassination of its leaders, military invasions ,economic sabotage to the bombing of a Cuban airliner and protection in the US of the culprits.”
“Cuba is renowned not for terrorism but for sending medical professionals to the poorest countries of the world since 1960, training doctors in Cuba from those countries, including many from Pacific nations, and during Covid providing specialist health personnel, including to developed Italy , to world acclaim”.
“The Hon Winston Peters should place New Zealand on the side of the vast majority of countries supporting international law and condemn the United States for its illegal persecution of a developing country,” Hon Matt Robson said.
Environmentalists in the Cook Islands have criticised former Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) head Henry Puna for joining the board of a deep sea mining company.
Puna, who finished his term as PIF secretary-general in May last year, played a pivotal part in the creation of multi-use marine park, Marae Moana, in 2017.
The marine protected area extends over the entire country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), covering an area roughly the size of Mexico.
It prohibits large-scale commercial fishing and seabed mining within 50 nautical miles of each of the 15 islands.
Puna has now joined the board of deep sea mining company Cobalt Seabed Resources (CSR) — a joint venture between the Cook Islands government and the Belgian company Global Sea Mineral Resources.
CSR is currently undertaking exploration in the Cook Islands EEZ, along with two other companies. It also has an exploration licence in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, located in the high seas in the central Pacific Ocean.
Environmental advocates say Puna’s new role conflicts with his conservation work.
Simultaneously pushing for Marae Moana The Te Ipukarea Society said Puna was interested in the deep sea mining industry while simultaneously pushing for the creation of Marae Moana during his time as Prime Minister.
“It is something to be wary about with his new role and maybe how he will go about green washing how the deep sea mining company operates within our waters and their actions,” the environmental charity’s director Alana Smith said.
While in Parliament, Puna was an MP for the Northern Group atoll Manihiki.
Manihiki resident Jean-Marie Williams said Puna was a good man
However, Williams believes the benefits of deep sea mining will not be seen on his island.
“We could make money out of it,” he said. “But who’s going to make money out of it? Definitely not the people of Manihiki.
“The corporat[ions] will make money out of it.”
‘First to know’ However, William Numanga, who previously worked for Puna as a policy analyst, does not view it like that.
“Remember, Henry lives on an atoll, up north, so if there is any effect on the environment, he would be first to know,” Numanga said.
“I do not think he will be putting aside a lot of the environmental concerns or challenges. He will be making sure that those environmental concerns are factored into this development process,” he added.
Henry Puna ended his term as the PIF secretary general in May 2024 . . . a “passion for environmental protection”. Image: RNZ Pacific/Eleisha Foon
He believes Puna’s “passion for environmental protection”, coupled with his desire for economic development, makes him a good fit for the role.
Auckland doctoral student Liam Koka’ua said the company, which has the aim of extracting valuable minerals from the seabed, went against the purpose of Marae Moana.
“If you truly believe Marae Moana is a place that must be protected at all costs and protected for our sustained livelihood and future and be protected for generations to come, then I don’t think rushing into an experimental industry that could potentially have huge impacts is aligned with those intentions,” Koka’ua said.
RNZ Pacific has made multiple attempts to reach Puna for comment, but has yet to receive a response.
However, in a statement, he said CSR was “uniquely placed to make advances for the people of the Cook Islands”.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
American film star celebrity John Cusack, who describes himself on his x-page bio as an “apocalyptic shit-disturber”, has posted an open letter to the world denouncing the Israeli “mass murder” in Gaza and calling for “your outrage”.
While warning the public to “don’t stop talking about Palestine/Gaza”, he says that the “hollow ‘both sides’ rhetoric is complicity with power”.
“This is not a debate with two sides that can be normalised — and all the hired bullshit in print and on tv will never change the narrative,” he said.
Palestinian freelance photojournalist Fatma Hassouna . . . murdered in an Israeli air strike on after it was announced about her film on Gaza being screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Image: Fatma Hassouna
His statement comes as hundreds of directors, writers, actors have denounced Israeli genocide in Gaza and the film industry’s “silence,” “indifference” and “passivity” coinciding with the Cannes Film Festival.
More than 350 prominent directors, writers and actors signed an open letter condemning the genocide and the “official inaction” of the film industry in regard to the mass suffering.
The industry open letter was published on the first day of the Cannes festival. It began by calling attention to the fate of 25-year-old Fatma Hassouna, a Palestinian freelance photojournalist, who was murdered in an Israeli air strike on April 16.
She was assassinated after it was announced that Iranian director Sepideh Farsi’s film Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, in which she Hassouna was the star, had been selected in the ACID parallel, independent film section of the festival.
“There is a genocide unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. Not a metaphor, not a tragedy in the abstract — a genocide. Carried out in real time, in front of satellites, smartphones, and sanitized press conferences. And what has the so-called “land of the free” done? Applauded. Armed. Rationalised. Looked away.
London protest: ‘No to another Nakba” Video: Al Jazeera
“The blood in Gaza does not just stain the hands of those launching the missiles. It stains every hand that signs off on the bombs, every hand that wrings itself in liberal anguish but does nothing, and every hand that beats its chest in right-wing bloodlust cheering it all on.
“The American far right sees in this mass killing a projection of its own fantasies — walls, camps, and the unrelenting dehumanisation of the “other.” No surprise there. And where are the liberals? Their silence is violence. Their hollow “both sides” rhetoric is complicity with power. And mass murder. And the machine of empire—greased with our taxes, shielded by our media, and excused by our moral debauchery . How’s everybody at the Met gala doing tonight ?
American actor John Cusack . . . “If you claim to care about justice – if you ever marched, ever lit a candle for any cause – then your voice should be raised now.” Image: Wikipedia
“If you claim to care about justice — if you ever marched, ever lit a candle for any cause — then your voice should be raised now. Or it means nothing. The children of Gaza do not need your sorrow. They need your outrage. Your pressure. Your courage.
“End the siege. End the weapons shipments. End the lies. Call this what it is: a genocide.
“And if your politics cannot confront that—then your politics are worthless.
“In furious solidarity
“John Cusack”
Here’s a template –
To Whom It May Still Concern,
There is a genocide unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. Not a metaphor, not a tragedy in the abstract—a genocide. Carried out in real time, in front of satellites, smartphones, and sanitized press conferences. And what has the…
Business price indexes: March 2025 quarter–19 May 2025 –Business price indexes (BPI) includes the producers price index (PPI), capital goods price index (CGPI), and farm expenses price index (FEPI).
Key facts In the March 2025 quarter compared with the December 2024 quarter:
the output producers price index (PPI) rose 2.1 percent
the input PPI rose 2.9 percent
the farm expenses price index (FEPI) rose 0.4 percent
the capital goods price index (CGPI) rose 0.5 percent.
Source: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment MBIE (2)
The visits will identify any breaches of the Act and prompt action by landlords who are found to be not complying with their legal obligations.
Acting TCIT National Manager, Clare Lyons-Montgomery, says landlords must provide rental homes that are warm, safe and dry.
“Young people are a priority population for our team, as they can be vulnerable and unaware of their rights because they are new to renting.
“Landlords have obligations and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act and must provide a rental home that complies with all building, health and safety requirements in additional to tenancy law,” Clare Lyons-Montgomery said.
Landlords have responsibilities throughout the life of each rental, including at the commencement. This includes attending to maintenance and repairs in a timely manner.
All rental properties must also comply with the healthy homes standards by 1 July 2025. Landlords are responsible for ensuring their properties meet the healthy homes standards and continue to do so over time. All new tenancies from 1 July must comply with the standards immediately.
“This visit is an opportunity to change the perception that living in a run-down student flat is a ‘rite of passage’ and just part of university life. We want to make it clear to landlords what their responsibilities are and what the consequences of non-compliance are,” Clare Lyons-Montgomery said.
“MBIE regularly engages with student associations, including those at the University of Otago. This visit is another opportunity to encourage them to speak with their landlords about issues in their rental homes and then if they cannot resolve issues between themselves they can speak with us.”
Otago University Students Association (OUSA) President Liam White say many Otago students are forced to live in cold, old, and mouldy flats and their landlords must be held to account.
“We’re proud to support MBIE’s flat inspections and hope to send a clear message: if you rent a flat, you must meet legal standards or face the consequences,” Liam White said.
“Students often tell us they hesitate to raise issues with landlords or property managers out of fear — fear of jeopardising future references or creating more problems for themselves. Even when they do speak up, many face radio silence or endless delays.
“Otago students deserve better. Warm, healthy homes aren’t optional — they’re the legal minimum. We back every move to ensure these standards are enforced, and through OUSA Student Support, we continue to empower students with advice, advocacy, and education across the academic year,” Liam White said.
If a tenant thinks the property they are renting is not up to standard they should speak to their landlord. If they are still not satisfied they should put their concerns in writing to the landlord giving them a reasonable time to fix any problems, or issue a 14-day notice to their landlord.
If the landlord still doesn’t fix the issue or satisfy the tenants’ concerns they can make a complaint on the Tenancy Services website or apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to make a decision on the dispute.
MBIE’s Tenancy Services website provides information and tools to assist tenants and landlords understand their rights and responsibilities at every stage of their tenancy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will visit Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India from later this week.
Mr Peters is travelling first to Adelaide to undertake six-monthly Australia-New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Consultations with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong.
“New Zealand’s partnership with Australia is our closest and most important,” Mr Peters says.
“We consider it vital to get across the Tasman as soon as possible after Australia’s general election to make plans for the period ahead. Our cooperation with Australia has never been more important as we navigate an ever more challenging, uncertain and disordered regional and global landscape.”
Mr Peters then travels to South Asia, with programmes in Sri Lanka, Nepal and India.
“We are committed to bringing greater focus and energy to New Zealand’s relationships with South Asia.
“New Zealand must work alongside partners to contribute to a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.
In Colombo, Mr Peters will undertake the first visit by a New Zealand Foreign Minister to Sri Lanka since 2013, meeting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
“New Zealand and Sri Lanka have invested considerably in boosting our bilateral relationship over the past five years, including by opening High Commissions in Colombo and Wellington. This visit will provide political momentum and leadership to that process.”
In Kathmandu, Mr Peters will undertake the first ever visit to Nepal by a New Zealand Foreign Minister, meeting President Ramchandra Paudel, Prime Minister KP Sharma and Foreign Minister Rana Deuba.
“This visit will reflect on the special relationship between New Zealand and Nepal, coinciding with the anniversary of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mount Everest. It also reciprocates a visit to Wellington by Nepal’s Foreign Minister last year.”
Mr Peters will then travel to New Delhi to meet External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
“Over the past 18 months, New Zealand and India have worked hard to build a stronger, broader-based relationship for mutual benefit. This visit will take stock of our progress.”
Mr Peters departs New Zealand on 23 May and returns on 31 May.
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Regulatory Standards Bill will be read in the House.
“New Zealand’s low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation. To raise productivity, we must allow people to spend more time on productive activities and less time on compliance,” says Mr Seymour.
“To lift productivity and wages, the ACT-National Coalition Agreement includes a commitment to pass a Regulatory Standards Act. Today is another significant step towards that as Cabinet has given approval to introduce the Bill to the house, with the target being enactment by the start of next year.
The Regulatory Standards Bill:
provides a benchmark for good legislation through a set of principles of responsible regulation
enables transparent assessment of the consistency of proposed and existing legislation with the principles
establishes a Regulatory Standards Board to independently consider the consistency of proposed and existing legislation, and
strengthens regulatory quality by supporting the Ministry for Regulation in its regulatory oversight role.
“In a nutshell: If red tape is holding us back, because politicians find regulating politically rewarding, then we need to make regulating less rewarding for politicians with more sunlight on their activities. That is how the Regulatory Standards Bill will help New Zealand get its mojo back. It will finally ensure regulatory decisions are based on principles of good law-making and economic efficiency,” Mr Seymour says.
“Ultimately, this Bill will help the Government achieve its goal of improving New Zealand’s productivity by ensuring that regulated parties are regulated by a system which is transparent, has a mechanism for recourse, and holds regulators accountable to the people.
“The law doesn’t stop politicians or their officials making bad laws, but it makes it transparent that they’re doing it. It makes it easier for voters to identify those responsible for making bad rules. Over time, it will improve the quality of rules we all have to live under by changing how politicians behave.
“In a high-cost economy, regulation isn’t neutral – it’s a tax on growth. This Government is committed to clearing the path of needless regulations by improving how laws are made.”
Particular acknowledgements go to Dr Bryce Wilkinson, whose book “Constraining Government Regulation” laid important groundwork for this Bill. Special thanks also go to Dr Graham Scott, Jack Hodder KC, and other members of the Regulatory Responsibility Taskforce, who refined the Bill in 2009
The Government is removing tax roadblocks to investment, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.
“Budget 2025 sets aside $75 million over the next four years to encourage foreign investment in New Zealand infrastructure and make it easier for startups to attract and retain high quality staff.
“These changes demonstrate the Government’s commitment to driving the economic growth needed to create jobs, lift incomes and fund public services New Zealanders rely on.
“Low capital intensity and low rates of foreign direct investment are key contributors to New Zealand’s relatively low rates of productivity.
“To generate growth, New Zealand needs more foreign investment and the international know-how it brings with it. It also needs rules that make it easier for enterprising new businesses to get established.
“Presently, New Zealand’s thin capitalisation rules limit the amount of tax-deductible debt that foreign investors can put into New Zealand investments. The purpose of these rules is to prevent income being shifted offshore and to protect New Zealand’s tax base.
“However, there is a risk that the rules may be deterring investment, particularly in capital-intensive infrastructure projects that are typically funded by large amounts of debt. We need to strike a balance.
“Therefore, the Budget sets aside $65 million for a change to the rules, pending the outcome of consultation on the details.
“The Budget sets aside another $10 million to defer tax liability of some employee share schemes to help startups and unlisted companies.
“Currently, problems arise if tax bills for share income arrive when employees are unable to realise the value of their shares. The changes we are making will allow tax to be deferred until a liquidity event, such as the sale of the shares, occurs.
“These changes come on top of work under way to modernise and reduce compliance costs associated with fringe benefit tax rules and further adjustments to the foreign investment fund residence and other rules to make New Zealand a more attractive destination for migrants and digital nomads.
“To shift onto a faster growth track, New Zealand needs to make it easier for businesses to access capital and talent.”
Monday 19 May 2025. It’s now been over two months since any humanitarian aid has been allowed into the Gaza Strip — the longest stretch without relief since the conflict escalation began on 7 October 2023. Combined with more than 18 months of conflict, the ongoing blockade is pushing Gaza’s children to the brink.
For two months, children have gone without the food, water, medical care, and support they urgently need. Instead, they’ve been living through constant airstrikes, growing illness, and unimaginable loss.
Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, on the killing of at least 45 children in the Gaza Strip in recent days:
“The reported killing of at least 45 children in the Gaza Strip [on May 15 and 16] is yet another devastating reminder that children in Gaza are suffering first and foremost, having to starve day after day only to be victims of indiscriminate attacks.
“These past 19 months, Gaza has been deadly for children and there are no safe spaces. From North to South, children are being killed and maimed in hospitals, in schools-turned-shelters, in makeshift tents, or in their parents’ arms.
“Only in the past two months, more than 950 children have reportedly been killed in strikes across the Gaza Strip.
“Children in the Gaza Strip are facing relentless bombardments while being deprived of essential goods, services and lifesaving care since the beginning of the conflict. For the past two months, the situation has further deteriorated, due to the imposed blockade of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The threats to children’s lives go beyond bombs and bullets. The living conditions too, threaten their survival. With each passing day of the aid blockade, they face the growing risk of famine, illness, and death.
“Children’s rights in Gaza are being gravely violated every day and urgent action is needed to protect children from widespread grave violations of their rights and threats to their survival. Nineteen months into this conflict, children have suffered violence without relent, including indiscriminate attacks. They have suffered multiple months-long blockades, denying them of essential food, water, and health supplies. They have suffered repeated displacements – being forced to relocate again and again, in search of safety and shelter. They have suffered in ways unimaginable. Their scars will endure a lifetime.
“UNICEF is once again urging parties to the conflict to end the violence, and states with influence over parties to the conflict to use their leverage and influence to end the conflict. International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties, allowing the immediate provision of humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages, and the protection of civilians from attacks. The daily suffering and killing of children must end immediately.”
The Green Party is urging the Prime Minister to get rid of the Regulatory Standards Bill after the Waitangi Tribunal found that the Bill breaches the Crown’s Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
“The Regulatory Standards Bill is another thinly veiled attack on te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Prime Minister failed to show leadership on the Treaty Principles Bill, he can begin to make amends by abandoning this Bill,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the promise of protection, for people and planet. We have seen hundreds of thousands of people show up in support of te Tiriti o Waitangi, we know our communities will not stand for this.
“The Bill is the same tired politics we have seen time and time again from the Government, attacking Te Tiriti o Waitangi to make it easier for wealthy companies to exploit our whānau and our taiao for profit.
“For a Bill that claims to attempt to embed ‘good law-making’, the Bill has already breached te Tiriti o Waitangi in its policy development and has completely ignored the significant opposition and feedback provided in over 22,000 submissions.
“The last time the Prime Minister showed up to Waitangi, he said that te Tiriti o Waitangi was our past, present, and future. As Prime Minister, it would be wrong for him to again ignore the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal and allow this Bill to proceed without real engagement with Māori on such constitutionally significant legislation.
“Governments come and go. Politicians come and go. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is foundational and enduring. Honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi is the constitutional obligation of every Prime Minister – something Christopher Luxon must take personal responsibility for by scrapping the Regulatory Standards Bill.
“Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua. Whatungarongaro te Kāwanatanga, toitū te Tiriti o Waitangi. People disappear, while the land remains. Governments come and go, while te Tiriti o Waitangi is forever,” says Marama Davidson.
Source: PISA results continue to show more to be done for equity in education
Agencies that respond to fire and smoke incidents
Several agencies work closely together during smoke or fire-related incidents, especially in a large-scale event. This ensures all available resources, expertise, and equipment are available for an effective response.
Leads messaging to the affected communities in a fire emergency, with support from Health New Zealand’s Public Health Service.
If a fire is dangerous or a threat to a person or property, call 111 and ask for the fire service.
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Te Whatu Ora provides advice on potential health risks when there is a significant smoke event that may affect public health.
Christchurch City Council
Christchurch City Council plays a supporting role in fire response. Depending on the community’s needs, the Council also may have a role in post-emergency recovery, including some wildfire prevention measures and building community resilience.
Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines
Auckland Emergency Management’s ability to deliver urgent response operations has been further enhanced, with eight new vehicles and three catering trailers ready to hit the road.
Each highly specialised vehicle in the new emergency response fleet is purpose-built and equipped with tools and provisions that allow teams to go off-road and safely undertake a wide range of activities.
The upgraded fleet supplements existing equipment and resources and is a big step forward in strengthening AEM’s local coordination capabilities and ability to help Aucklanders in emergencies like flooding, particularly in remote and rural areas.
“The new fleet gives us the tools to get where we need to go, stay there as long as we’re needed, and support the communities who need us most,” says John Cranfield, Head of Operations, Auckland Emergency Management. “It’s about being ready for anything—today and into the future.”
One of the new class 2 trucks equipped with a wide range of specialist tools and gear to support response activities.
The new equipment also enhances AEM’s ability to support wider civil defence needs across the country. Whether delivering supplies, supporting civil defence centres, or managing field operations in remote areas, the enhanced fleet will help our responders deploy to impacted areas and remain self-sufficient whilst there, so as not to place further strain on local resources.
The fleet includes two new 4×4 class 2 trucks with a raised chassis, which enables operations in and around floodwaters when it’s safe to do so. These trucks are equipped with hydraulic ladder systems, winches, and specialised search-and-rescue lights. They will be used by response teams in the North and West to undertake response activities as needed, says John.
Three new 4×4 command vans will provide invaluable situational awareness to coordinate response efforts from out in the field. Each specialised van is equipped with computers, Low Earth Orbit satellite internet capability and radio repeaters, enabling the vans to function as a small mobile office. The vans are fully self-sufficient, with a generator and fridge, making them particularly useful in isolated areas.
Three Ford Ranger Wildtrak utes have also joined the AEM fleet, providing further capacity to navigate floodwaters and off-road terrain. With searchlights, winches, and specialised tools and equipment onboard, the utes will be used in rescue activities and everyday operations.
To help deliver hot meals and drinks to New Zealand response teams and community members in need, three new catering trailers have been acquired to boost AEM’s capability at Civil Defence Centres and in remote or isolated areas.
“We are ready to respond wherever these new vehicles are needed. The additional capability means we have more opportunity to assist when there are multiple events occurring across the region at the same time,” says John.
The new fleet has been blessed at a ceremony, led by local iwi Ngāti Tamaoho and attended by councillors, emergency services personnel, New Zealand response teams, and other key partners.
Funding for the vehicles came through Auckland Council’s storm recovery fund and AEM’s capital expenditure budget and is a critical part of the region’s ongoing commitment to build resilience to manage severe weather events.
Traffic will be back using the Holland Road/Marshmeadow Road intersection on Wednesday 21 May, following final surfacing work for the safety upgrade of the State Highway 1B Telephone Road railway crossing.
While the road will reopen, the rail crossing on Telephone Road itself must remain closed for another couple of months until KiwiRail has completed their signalling work, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
“The signalling work is a vital part of the upgrade to safely allow vehicles to start using the Telephone Road rail crossing once again,” explains NZTA’s Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations, Roger Brady.
“We appreciate this has been a disruptive period and ask the Puketaha community to bear with us for just a couple more months until the crossing can fully reopen.”
To prevent vehicles using the rail crossing, shipping containers will be installed across the road tomorrow and remain in place until KiwiRail have completed their work, which is expected to be in late July.
“Unfortunately pedestrian access across the rail crossing will also no longer be possible, including the Puketaha School students who have been able to walk across twice a day,” Mr Brady says.
Both Puketaha School and the Ministry of Education, who manage the school bus routes, have been notified.
Alongside lowering the risk of vehicles damaging the rail tracks, NZTA has also added escape lanes to ensure vehicles do not get stuck on the crossing at busy times.
“As we hit the home stretch for the roading component of this project, we’d like to once more thank the community for your patience while SH1B Telephone Road remains closed at the rail crossing.”
Temporary traffic management will be in place until July showing the SH1B detour around Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road. This is the same detour that was in place from when the crossing first closed in 2022 until the start of the upgrade project in February this year.
Attribute to Detective Inspector Christiaan Barnard
Police have restrained more than $650,000 in assets, following the arrest of a Wellington-based man on Friday as part of an FBI investigation.
The man appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday for his alleged involvement in an organised criminal group that stole cryptocurrency from seven victims valued at US$265M (NZD$450M).
The Wellington High Court has now issued restraining orders under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 for assets valued at $670,000 including cash held in bank accounts, cash held in a lawyer’s trust account for the purchase of a property, cryptocurrency, and high value goods.
We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the United States to recover assets alleged to have been stolen by the organised criminal group.
An interim name suppression order remains in place.
The Government is unlikely to fund pay equity for hospice and Plunket nurses, care and support workers and other workforces made up of mostly women.
On ThursdayBrooke Van Velden told Parliament that she understood that “the Government, under Minister Nicola Willis’ pay equity reset, suggested that the funded sector would not be funded by the Government for pay equity.”
The pay equity reset last year also disbanded the pay equity taskforce, but until now it had not been clear the Government was looking to wash its hands of funding pay equity claims for these sectors altogether.
On Wednesday the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon either didn’t know his government had made that decision or was deliberately hiding the truth about the funded sector.
“What this could mean is that women in this sector, whose claims have now been extinguished by the law passed two weeks ago, will no longer have a pathway to pay equity,” Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.
“These are the care and support workers who look after our parents and grandparents when they can no longer look after themselves. Who provide dementia and disabled care. Plunket nurses who support new mums, and hospice nurses who provide end of life care.
“Brooke Van Velden appears to have confirmed on Nicola Willis’ behalf that there isn’t a pathway to raising women’s wages in these sectors, because the Government isn’t intending to contribute to raising their pay.
“If Nicola Willis never intended to fund pay equity in the funded sector, then she has been stringing women along for months before the law change two weeks ago. Without government support, pay equity in these sectors is unlikely to happen.
“This is beyond bad faith. It is betrayal,” Jan Tinetti said.
Northland Police are continuing an appeal for information in relation to the death of Whangārei man Geoffrey Ware.
A homicide investigation has been underway since the 55-year-old’s body was found at his Parakao home on May 9.
Detective Senior Sergeant Michelle Harris, of Whangārei CIB, says a portal has been set up for any photos or video that could assist the case.
“Police are still seeking information and sightings in the areas Mangakahia Road, Otaika Valley Road and State Highway 14 towards Whangārei, between 2pm and 8pm on Friday, May 9,” she says.
“We are also interested in sightings of a 1999 blue and silver Mitsubishi L200 ute, and a man reportedly seen walking along SH14 that afternoon and evening.”That portal link is https://cossar.nc3.govt.nz/
Detective Senior Sergeant Harris says the enquiry team is continuing to follow strong lines of enquiry.
“Police would like to thank members of the public who’ve provided information to the enquiry team to date.”
Anyone with additional information can also update Police online now or call 105 using the file number 250509/6749.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines
Better connections around the Manukau Domain have been unlocked with a new walking track now open.
The paths consist of a new track, linking with the Opened Stone sculpture, and a second path connecting to the existing Manukau Domain track.
Chair Ella Kumar is excited the improved connections on the domain are completed.
“It’s great to see so many Puketāpapa projects in action, such as the Waikowhai boardwalk and coastal tracks, as well as now better connections on Manukau Domain.
“We live in a beautiful and coastal part of Tāmaki Makaurau, and the board is providing investment to unlock greenspace for the community to enjoy these picturesque spaces.”
The new 133-metre pathway is the result of early advocacy from Lynfield residents.
Opened Stone is one of five artworks created as part of the 1971 International Sculpture Symposium. The red granite sculpture by the late Japanese sculptor Hiroaki Ueda was inspired by traditional Shinto shrines.
The sculpture stood outside the Auckland Art Gallery for 35 years and was reinstalled in Manukau Domain in 2016.
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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house
By Sarah Wilcox
Volunteers atop Big Sandhill looking south to the Ernest Islands and The Gutter | Riki Everest
In January 2025, I was part of a volunteer crew doing maintenance work on the Island Hill Homestead near Rakiura Stewart Island’s west coast.
As one of the oldest buildings on the island it holds a significant place in local history. It’s named after Island Hill, a granite mound you pass on the track between Mason Bay and Freshwater Huts.
The homestead, woolshed and grounds have been cared for by DOC since 1987. The buildings are used as a work base by staff, hut wardens, contractors and research students. It’s been especially useful for accommodating people working on the dune restoration and pukunui (southern dotterel) projects in the bay.
My husband Mark and I had passed the homestead on previous tramping trips. We spent a memorable evening there with the hut wardens eating fresh pikelets on the porch, reading from old logbooks and being investigated by several kiwi.
When we spotted the opportunity for a 10-day volunteer stint, we decided to apply. We loved the idea of spending time in remote and beautiful Mason Bay, living in the historic homestead and giving something back.
A short history of Island Hill Homestead
The homestead was built in 1880 and housed farmers and their families for nearly 90 years. Many were familiar local names: William Walker, Arthur and Mateen Traill, Stanford and Dolly Leask and Tim and Ngaire Te Aika.
The site oozes struggle, refuge and resourcefulness. It feels isolated today but would have been extraordinarily remote in the 19th century. Prevailing westerly winds sweep up the valley, with a macrocarpa wind break providing some shelter from the worst of the gales.
Some farmers profited from grazing sheep and cattle on the marginal land, but it was never easy. Hardly surprising. Half sand dune, half wetland, the land required a network of drainage ditches to get enough grass to grow. Access was also challenging. It was heavy work to maintain a road to Freshwater Landing across the ‘chocolate swamp’, but even that was better than loading a ship on the wild Mason Bay coast.
Besides its place in local history, this building is the world’s southernmost woolshed | Sarah WilcoxThe wool press was recently returned to this site from the Rakiura Museum | Sarah Wilcox
Most residents added on to or modified the homestead during their time, so it tells the story of their habitation. I read of an abundant vegetable garden next to the house in 1916.
The Te Aika family lived there from 1966 and Ngaire home-schooled their two daughters. Historian Olga Sansom describes finding them, “dressed for school…with shoes polished, hair well-groomed and with neat, pleated skirts and white blouses like any other college girls.”
In 1986, the Te Aika family relinquished the farm’s lease to the Crown because it had become uneconomic.
I enjoyed making bread in the homestead kitchen, following in a long line of farm cooks | Sarah Wilcox
Fast forward to 2025
We arrived after a 10-minute helicopter flight across the island. No ancient farmers were there to meet us – just a gorgeous warm summer’s day and hundreds of bumble bees. The bees are thought to descend for the kanuka flowering and are madly attracted to anything blue. We had been warned – and had studiously removed everything blue from our clothing and kit.
Also in our group were volunteers Janet Dunn and Dugald Wilson. Riki Everest from Rakiura Māori Lands Trust and Jaega Banga, ranger also came for a few days each. The trip was led by Andrew King, supervisor, Rakiura National Park.
From left Mark Wilcox, Dugald Wilson, Andrew King, the author and Janet Dunn pause for morning tea on the homestead porch | Sarah Wilcox
Andrew loves this place. “I’ve been coming out here for 20 years. I have a keen interest in all the historic work, because you have to keep the stories alive”.
The stories of previous inhabitants were told as he showed us around the area – homestead, woolshed, shower, implement shed and nearby trampers’ and hunters’ huts – and hinted at our work ahead.
Looking after a heritage building
There were a couple of big jobs for us – build and fit a new window to replace a rotten one, and build and install a new kitchen cupboard. There were also lots of small maintenance jobs to work through depending on the weather and how long things took.
“We’re careful to respect the building’s heritage values, and change as little as possible. So we don’t fill over screw heads or try and make things look new. I name and date all the new cabinetry we fit and document everything.
“Borer is a big issue. We’re slowly replacing anything that’s too bad to restore. If you can’t hold it then you replace it with like for like, as much as possible. I use wood collected from the beach, look out for second-hand timber and source macrocarpa for the interior so it fits in. It’s more effort but it’s worth it.”
Every morning after breakfast we talked about work for the day and people chose what they wanted to do. Andrew would patiently explain the tasks and how to do them. There was never any time pressure.
I’d often hear an encouraging “gettin’ there”, “there’s no hurry” or “looking good” as Andrew kept a weather eye on our progress.
I think this relaxed attentiveness really paid off with a happy crew, no injuries (just one bee sting for me) and only a few fixable mistakes.
A steady stream of trampers stopped to say hello on their way through. We enjoyed showing them around the site and talking about our work.
Dolly Leask excavated and planted this waterlily pond at her former home, just north of Martin’s Creek Hunters Hut | Sarah WilcoxMany unusual plants like Craspedia uniflora are flourishing as marram in the dunes is controlled | Sarah WilcoxLong evenings allowed for trips as a couple to explore the area, look for kiwi and have some time out. Here, stunning evening light seen from Big Sandpass | Sarah Wilcox
Jobs done – and done well
Janet, Dugald and Andrew (kneeling) working on the new window | Sarah Wilcox
What we did achieve over the time was significant:
• built and fitted a new window • applied wood preservative to fence and woolshed • scraped back and repainted window exteriors • cleaned gutters on homestead and Mason Bay Hut • set traps – 1 possum, 1 feral cat caught • built and fitted new kitchen cupboard, sanded and cleaned original doors to reuse • put in new fence posts • scraped rust off tractors and wool press and applied metal preservative • cleaned Mason Bay Hut and toilets • cut long grass beside the woolshed • sorted timber in woodshed • replaced borer-ridden skirting boards • cleaned homestead and swept woolshed • shared out the cooking and dishes
Mark and Riki at work scraping rust off the old Massey Ferguson tractor before metal preservative was applied | Sarah Wilcox
One job I particularly enjoyed was re-wallpapering a kitchen wall. This involved choosing from a stash of period rolls in the back cupboard, applying scrim (what a marvellous way to prep a rough wooden wall!), then sticking up the fresh wallpaper. It was hugely satisfying to put all the spreads, spices and sauces back into the new, clean cupboard that others had built, knowing it would be well-used in years to come.
With a wry smile and twinkle in his eye, Andrew clearly got huge satisfaction from enabling us to be stretched a bit while making sure the jobs were done to a high standard.
“The value of this project is introducing people to what DOC workers do. We teach them a lot of new stuff but it goes both ways – we learn off each other.”
He says the Stewart Island visitor and heritage team has always been very strong on using volunteers as hut wardens and on historic, hut cleaning and painting trips and track trimming trips.
“We do a lot of hours with volunteers every year.”
Māori history and archaeological sites
European history on the island is short compared with the centuries-old association that Māori have with Rakiura and its offshore islands – especially the tītī islands.
Riki Everest joined us for the first part of the trip. He’s a captivating storyteller and former pāua diver who now lives on the island.
“We grew up on the legends of Tim Te Aika and George, Stanford and Dolly Leask. When you come into this place and see the state of the buildings and how hard it would have been for them as pioneers, you pay homage to those who’ve been on the land before you. They don’t have to be Māori to be legends.”
On our second day in perfect weather, Andrew took us all on a walkabout in the dunes to check on the mapped iwi archaeological sites in the area. Unfortunately most had been covered by sand and weren’t visible. Others had been swamped by fast-growing weedy lupins.
Possibly a shell midden, one of many iwi archaeological sites in the bay | Sarah WilcoxRiki on his way to the beach to catch a fixed-wing flight back to Halfmoon Bay | Sarah Wilcox
Undeterred, Riki is keen to come back to look around on his own another time.
“It was a complete privilege to come over to Mason’s on behalf of the trust and spend time here. My cup is just a wee bit full.”
Riki says he’s really impressed that DOC wants to strengthen ties.
“We feel the same, it’s absolutely reciprocal. We’re all kaitiaki of Rakiura.
“I think DOC is an incredible resource. They have all the protocols in place to care for the iwi sites and the best people – experts with years of experience. We can learn a lot from them and they’re really willing to teach. I can’t thank them enough.”
About the Southland Volunteer Programme
The Southland volunteer programme has been running for 20 years.
Andrew explains that the organisers are not looking for specific skills but for a mixture of people.
“It can be couples or single people – anyone can do it. Everyone has different skills but everyone is keen to learn. Most volunteers haven’t done any building work or anything like this before. I’ve found the older ones easier to manage and more keen to get out than some of the younger ones!”
Good food made for happy volunteers. When faced with a large meal, we were urged to “put on our big boy pants” to reduce leftovers for the next day | Sarah Wilcox
So what makes a great volunteer experience? Here are Andrew’s top tips:
Food is very important, so everyone normally gets fed well. (Superb understatement by Andrew – the food was generous and hearty!)
If people don’t want to do something they’re usually pretty honest about it. It’s got to be that open conversation right from the start.
I like to give people the knowledge they need to do a job then let them get on with it. I encourage questions.
There’s no rush, if it doesn’t get done one day, there’s always another day.
10 days can be a long time for some, so the trick is to make sure everyone gets along and respects each other. If there are any niggles we get onto it pretty quickly.
Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant David Thompson, Manawatu Area Investigations Manager
A 20-year-old man is before the courts following an aggravated robbery in Ashhurst.
On Saturday 17 May, Police were alerted to a person armed with a weapon entering a commercial premises on Cambridge Avenue at around 2pm.
The alleged offender threatened the store employee with the weapon before demanding and taking cash.
Prior to Police arrival, the man left the area in a vehicle.
Thankfully, the employee is uninjured, however is understandably shaken by the incident.
After initial enquiries, Police identified the alleged offender and a vehicle of interest.
At around 9am today, a Police unit saw the vehicle of interest on Napier Road.
The vehicle was signalled to stop and a 20-year-old man was taken into custody without incident.
The man is due to appear in Palmerston North District on 20 May, charged with aggravated robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.
We are pleased to have made an arrest and put this man before the court in relation to this matter.
This type of offending creates harm not only to the victims involved but the wider community as well, and we will continue to find, arrest and hold the offenders responsible.
We would like to remind the public to contact Police as soon as possible if you see suspicious or unlawful behaviour.
Please call 111 if it is happening now, or 105 in non-emergencies.
