Moa Point sewage failure to be independently reviewed

Source: Radio New Zealand Moa Point. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The government has confirmed there will be an independent review looking into the Moa Point treatment plant failure. On 4 February, the plant failed, sending millions of litres of raw sewage into the Cook Strait per day. Last week, Wellington Mayor Andrew Little met with … Read more

District court judge accused of yelling at Winston Peters faces cross-examination

Source: Radio New Zealand District Court Judge Ema Aitken at the Judicial Conduct Panel on Monday. Finn Blackwell / RNZ A district court judge has told a judicial conduct panel she was her normal self and not affected by alcohol, as she fights an accusation she disrupted a New Zealand First event. Judge Ema Aitken … Read more

Universities – What New Zealand can learn from Japan on earthquake insurance – UoA

Source: University of Auckland – UoA Rohan Havelock is investigating how New Zealand’s earthquake insurance stacks up against Japan’s Shortly after Associate Professor Rohan Havelock arrived in Japan to study its earthquake insurance system, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake damaged nearly 4,000 homes and buildings in Aomori Prefecture. For the University of Auckland insurance law specialist, it … Read more

What to pack in emergency ‘grab and go’ bags

Source: Radio New Zealand When an earthquake, tsunami warning or flood strikes, you won’t have time to decide what to take. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recommends a small bag for each person with essentials, such as sturdy walking shoes, warm clothes, raincoat and hat, water and snack food, hand sanitiser, portable phone charger, cash … Read more

Prisoner with burst appendix not taken to hospital for six days

Source: Radio New Zealand The prisoner was seen by multiple nurses in the six days she was ill before being taken to hospital, but most basic clinical observations were not recorded in that time. (File photo) RNZ/ Finn Blackwell A prisoner with a burst appendix was told it was a stomach bug, and waited six … Read more

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

Source: Radio New Zealand A standing hoist was not used because of safety concerns due to Mr B’s violent swaying and involuntary body movements. File photo. Bret Kavanaugh / Unsplash A man with multiple sclerosis died from choking while being fed by a healthcare assistant sitting up in bed. A Health and Disability Comissioner (HDC) … Read more

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

Source: Radio New Zealand Tīwhiri’s new, one-day-old chick. Lydia Uddstrom / DOC Department of Conservation (DOC) staff are confident a kākāpō chick born on Valentine’s Day will be the first of many this breeding season. Yasmine of Pukenui/Anchor Island hatched an egg on Saturday, bringing the total number of the critically endangered flightless parrot to … Read more

Turning a Lunar New Year staple into a daily delight

Source: Radio New Zealand A Taiwanese family in Auckland is turning a Lunar New Year staple into an everyday purchase, producing about 300,000 dumplings a week as demand grows on mainstream supermarket shelves. While eaten year-round, many families in China eat dumplings around midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on 16 February this … Read more

Independent review into Moa Point failures

Source: New Zealand Government A Crown Review Team will conduct an independent review into Wellington Water’s Moa Point sewage plant failure, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says. “The failure of a key part of our capital city’s critical wastewater infrastructure and the ensuing impact on communities, the local economy and the environment are completely unacceptable,” … Read more

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

Source: Radio New Zealand A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii Heavy rain and wind is hitting the capital, flooding streets in Lower Hutt, closing multiple schools, cutting off power, and bringing trees and debris down in the city. Meanwhile, the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is under … Read more

Multiplying cells: A tale of two prisons

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly A prison expansion is on such a fast track that it prompted officials to ask if compromises were being made. Corrections is rushing to build two new high security units to cope with an unexpectedly rapid rise in the prison population nationwide since last year. Hawke’s Bay … Read more

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

Source: Radio New Zealand Grace Guo and daughters Kerry and Claire had a sleepless night ahead of being evacuated from their Ashhurst home. RNZ / Robin Martin About a dozen Ashhurst residents were evacuated in darkness in the early hours of the morning as the Pohangina River threatened to breach its banks. Severe weather hammering … Read more

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

Source: Radio New Zealand A tree blown onto a car in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai Wind gusts measuring up to 240km/h have been recorded on the east coast of the lower North Island with gusts of up to 190km/h hitting high parts of Wellington. MetService said the strong winds and … Read more

Northland News – Hapū-led biosecurity response framework sets new standard for community action

Source: Northland Regional Council After tonnes of the invasive seaweed exotic caulerpa washed up on Bay of Islands beaches last year, one call on the ‘kumara vine’ was all it took for Te Taitokerau hapū to spring into action, with hundreds mobilising to help with the clean-up and prevent further spread. That rapid response saw the … Read more

Storm News – Multi-day Severe Weather Event Continues – MetService

Source: MetService Covering period of Monday 16th – Tuesday 17th of February Heavy Rain Warnings and Strong Wind Warnings continue for the central and southern North Island and eastern South Island  Heavy Swell Warnings in force for the southeastern coasts of the North Island. A deluge of rain and relentless winds continue to impact a … Read more

Storm News – ASB activates support for customers affected by severe weather

Source: ASB With severe weather affecting regions across North Island, ASB is offering support options for customers who are impacted by the weather and worried about finances.   Targeted support for personal, farming and business customers affected by the extreme weather will be offered on a case-by-case basis, with options including: Deferring loan repayments for … Read more

Bic Runga’s Red Sunset is a thrilling mix of familiarity and forward-thinking

Source: Radio New Zealand Partly written and recorded in Paris, Red Sunset may have found its thematic heart in that location. Runga’s new album sounds French and seemingly draws inspiration from thatcountry’s pop music of the ’60s and ’70s. Or perhaps the acoustic strums, dampened drums and vintage synths here just coalesced into these particular … Read more

Mother’s struggles with immunocompromised daughter amid Christchurch’s boil water notice

Source: Radio New Zealand The boil water notice will not be lifted until there are at least three days of good results, the council says. RNZ/Rebekah Parsons-King Friends are delivering bottled water to a Christchurch mother whose immunocompromised daughter relies on sterile medical equipment for feeding, with 14,000 households in the city’s east still under … Read more

Power outages: What to do – and what not to do – when the electricity goes out

Source: Radio New Zealand Oroua River runs high at the rail overbridge on the outskirts of Feilding on 16 February 2025. RNZ/Robin Martin Severe weather hammering the lower North Island has left tens of thousands of households without power. Powerco says about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections, and in the Wellington region … Read more

A2 Milk posts net profit of over $112 million for six months to December

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF Infant formula maker A2 Milk showed a solid lift in first half profit on the back of double digit growth in sales allowing an increase in dividend. Key numbers for the six months ended December compared with a year ago: Net profit $112.1m vs $102.5m Revenue $993.5m vs $836.5m Operating … Read more

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

Source: Radio New Zealand A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii Heavy rain and wind is hitting the capital, flooding streets in Lower Hutt, closing multiple schools, cutting off power, and bringing trees and debris down in the city. Meanwhile, the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is under … Read more

Contact Energy net profit up 44 percent to $205 million in six months to December

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Nate McKinnon Contact Energy’s half-year profit is up 44 percent, despite a 5 percent dip in revenue. The company has made a first half net profit $205 million in the six months ended December, with underlying profit up 24 percent to half a billion dollars ($500m). Contact was also … Read more

First kākāpō chick in four years hatches on Valentine’s Day

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  16 February 2026 Kākāpō Yasmine hatched an egg fostered from kākāpō Tīwhiri on Valentine’s Day, bringing the total number of kākāpō to 237 – though it won’t be officially added to the population until it fledges. DOC Operations Manager for kākāpō/takahē Deidre Vercoe says the first chick of the breeding … Read more

World champion Luca Harrington qualifies for big air final

Source: Radio New Zealand Luca Harrington of New Zealand at the Winter Olympics, 2026. www.photosport.nz Wānaka freeskier Luca Harrington has qualified for the final of the big air at the Winter Olympics. Harrington finished fifth after three rounds of qualifying, with the top 12 from the 29 entrants progressing through to Wednesday’s final. The 2025 … Read more

Halberg Awards: World champions expected to dominate

Source: Radio New Zealand George Beamish of New Zealand in the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase at the 2025 Tokyo Athletics World Championships in Japan Athletics New Zealand / Photosport World champions are likely to dominate the 63rd Halberg Awards in Auckland on Monday night. Athletics and snow sports dominate the finalists in the two individual categories. … Read more

Storm News – Firefighters respond to over 800 calls for assistance

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand Firefighters are continuing to respond to calls for assistance from people affected by the storm moving across the country. Between 6pm last night and 8am today, Fire and Emergency New Zealand received 852 emergency 111 calls in the North Island. Most of them (804) related to storm damage, including fallen … Read more

The ultimate super-mum: Ruahine the kōkako defies age in the Hūnua Ranges

Source: Auckland Council In human years she wouldn’t quite qualify for a Gold Card but in kōkako years, Ruahine is a living legend. At around 21 years of age, Ruahine is believed to be the oldest known active breeding female kōkako in New Zealand and this season she’s once again doing what she’s done best … Read more