Category: KB

Posted on

Dogs that injured three people in Christchurch could be euthanised, councillor says

Source: Radio New Zealand

Animal control officers seized two dogs after the attack in the Christchurch suburb Brywndwr. Sam Sherwood / RNZ

The two dogs that attacked and injured three people in Brywndwr yesterday could be euthanised, a councillor says.

One person has critical injuries, another was seriously injured, and a third was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Animal control officers seized two dogs after the attack.

Fendalton ward councillor David Cartwright said it was “absolutely devastating”.

“My thoughts go out to [the victims], their family, and obviously the first responders who would have been faced with what I understand is quite a gruesome situation when they arrived.”

Staff would now work through what happens to the dogs, he said.

“My understanding is that there will be an investigation, and then a possible euthanasia for the dogs, if it’s found that they are … violent or uncontrollable.”

Staff would work alongside police, talk to any witnesses, and be sure that they had impounded the correct dogs, said Cartwright.

The Dog Control Act says dogs can be impounded if they’ve attacked a person or another dog.

The owner of a dog that causes serious injury can be imprisoned for up to three years or fined up to $20,000.

The court will also order the dog destroyed if they owner is convicted, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Christchurch City Council referred RNZ to police, who are investigating.

Cartwright said he also planned to ask staff to review local bylaws to ensure they were fit for purpose.

But he said a central government review of the Dog Control Act would have the biggest impact in preventing attacks.

Shane Jones says dog owners must be held accountable with hefty jail terms RNZ / Mark Papalii

The Christchurch attack comes the same week 62-year-old Mihiata Te Rore was killed by dogs while visiting a home in the Northland town of Kaihu.

Northland local and cabinet ministerShane Jones said the current laws were not fit for purpose and “homicidal dogs” were scattered around Northland – with the problem worsening over years.

Dog owners must be held accountable with hefty jail terms, he said.

Te Rore was the fourth person in New Zealand killed by dogs in the last four years, three of which were in Northland.

Elizabeth Whittaker was killed in an attack in 2023 while Neville Thomson died in a 2022 attack. A four-year-old boy was also killed in an attack in the Bay of Plenty last year.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

Property Market – $40m wiped from property market in Q4, but figures show improvement on last year – RealEstate

Source: RealEstate.co.nz

  • 1,374 listings recorded a price drop in Q4 2025, the lowest number in two years
  • Only 3% of all listings were reduced, the lowest portion in two years 
  • $41,309,345 million was the total value of price reductions, the lowest total price drop in a quarter
  • Stable OCR could be first sign of a property market recovery in 2026.

Latest data from realestate.co.nz shows that more than $40 million was trimmed from property asking prices across New Zealand in the last quarter of 2025.

In a shift that may signal improving market conditions, the total amount that dropped out of the market was $14 million less than the $55 million slashed in Q4 of 2024 *

In Q4 2025, fewer properties reduced the price of their listing. And of the listings that did drop their price, they did so by slightly less than any other quarter.

*This data reflects the difference between a property’s original asking price when listed on realestate.co.nz and its price at the point of sale or withdrawal. While it doesn’t show the final sale price, it provides a strong signal of how much sellers are adjusting to meet buyer demand.

Is the property market in recovery?

Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says the latest figures could be an early indicator that the market is beginning to swing in a different direction.

“While $40 million coming out of the market is still significant, fewer vendors reduced the price of their property last quarter than we’ve seen over the two years prior, an indication that the overall amount trimmed from the market in Q4 is a result not of smaller reductions but by fewer properties needing to reduce their price.”

Williams says: “This indicates that sellers may be starting to price more realistically from the outset, and buyer confidence could be slowly returning. It’s not a full recovery yet, but it could be one of the first signs that conditions are beginning to stabilise.”

How much are sellers cutting property asking prices by?

Nationally, vendors who reduced their asking prices in Q4 2025 took an average of $30,065 off each listing.

Regionally, Marlborough recorded the largest average drop, with sellers trimming $50,500 from their original asking prices. Gisborne followed at $49,333, while Northland, Wellington, and Coromandel rounded out the top five with average reductions of $38,479, $37,607, and $35,645, respectively.

Overall, fewer vendors dropped their prices in the final quarter of 2025, with the lowest percentage of price drops occurring in 11 of the 19 regions.

Signs of stabilisation heading into 2026?

The data suggests the intense repricing seen throughout 2025 may be easing.

“The significant amounts we saw slashed from the market in the earlier quarters of 2025 certainly hasn’t continued, which is a sign confidence is slowly returning to the market,” says Williams. “The stability of the OCR in this week’s announcement should also be an encouraging sign that the market may not be too far away from hitting its stride in 2026.”

realestate.co.nz is helping buyers and sellers move. Properties listed on realestate.co.nz that drop their price can receive free billboard advertising, while buyers who have saved them are alerted instantly.

About realestate.co.nz | New Zealand’s Best Small Workplace (2025)

Realestate.co.nz – your home for property search.

We’ve been helping people buy, sell, or rent property since 1996. Established before Google, realestate.co.nz is New Zealand’s longest-standing property website and the official website of the real estate industry. We are certified carbon neutral (2024 & 2025) and in 2025, realestate.co.nz was crowned Best Small/Micro Workplace in New Zealand by Great Place to Work.

Dedicated only to property, our mission is to empower people with a property search tool they can use to find the life they want to live. With residential, lifestyle, rural and commercial property listings, realestate.co.nz is the place to start for those looking to buy or sell property.  

Whatever life you’re searching for, it all starts here.  

Want more property insights?

Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and trends over time: https://www.realestate.co.nz/insights

 Glossary of terms:  

Average asking price (AAP) is neither a valuation nor the sale price. It is an indication of current market sentiment. Statistically, asking prices tend to correlate closely with the sales prices recorded in future months when those properties are sold. As it looks at different data, average asking prices may differ from recorded sales data released simultaneously.  

Price drop reflects the difference between a property’s original asking price when listed on realestate.co.nz and its price at the point of sale or withdrawal. While it doesn’t show the final sale price, it provides a strong signal of how much sellers are adjusting to meet buyer demand.

MIL OSI

Posted on

PSA Responds – How dare you blame unions Mr Peters. You blew chance to block anti-worker law

Source: PSA

PSA calls on NZ First to put workers first, not big business
Winston Peters is simply wrong to blame unions for being too slow to convince New Zealand First to block the Fire at Will Bill when his party knew about unions’ concerns in August last year.
Winston Peters told RNZ NZ First could have stopped the Fire at Will / Uber Bill but unions came to the party too late. The party failed to vote against the Employment Relations Amendment Bill which passed its Third Reading on Tuesday.
“How dare Winston Peters claim unions were too slow when they contacted his party last year when there was plenty of time for him to make a difference,” said Fleur Fitzsimson, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“He had all the time in world in fact – 196 days in fact between the PSA’s first meeting with NZ First last year and the passing of the Bill this Tuesday.
“It’s as simple as this – the party lacked the guts to stand up to the ACT party despite expressing concerns in speeches about the Bill.
“They committed in the Second Reading to make changes to the personal grievance provisions. We held out hope, but nothing happened. Why?
“So, ACT got to write a bill that rips up personal grievance provisions and allows Uber to exploit workers on contracts.
“Here are the facts:
“I got in touch with New Zealand First in August last year and met with their staff in Mr Peters’ office on 5 August. It was a useful meeting, and they put me in touch with their Employment Relations spokesperson, Mark Patterson .
“There were two further constructive meetings with Mark Patterson before the Second Reading of the Bill. He really seemed to give us a fair hearing and asked for possible amendments to take the harsh edges off the proposed legislation.
“And we made a last minute, constructive plea to the party last week delivering a handwritten card to Mr Peters.
“This is the man who claims his party is all about ‘the responsible face of capitalism’. Responsible capitalism means basic protections for workers from unfair treatment which is what personal grievance remedies are all about.
“Mr Peters had every chance to walk the talk but turned a blind eye.
“Once again, Winston Peters and NZ First, have ignored workers, and voted for the most anti-worker legislation in three decades, adding to his party voting with National and ACT to scrap Fair Pay Agreements and pay equity for 150,000 women, supporting 90-day trials and suppressing low minimum wage increases.
“The facts speak for themselves. NZ First, like National, is simply the lap dog of the anti-worker ACT party. You must wonder what price has Mr Peters extracted for his party to back the Bill.
“Workers will never forget this latest betrayal – the PSA will be reminding voters come the election what NZ First really stands for – putting the Coalition Government’s business mates first, not New Zealand workers.”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

MIL OSI

Posted on

Arts – 2026 NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki & Kaituhi Mentor Programmes for Kaituhi Māori

Source: NZSA

Open For Applications February 20th – April 10th

He karanga tēnei ki ngā kaituhi Māori, he pōwhiri hoki kia kawea ō pūkenga tuhituhi ki tētahi taumata kounga hou. Whakaae ki tā mātou wero ki te tuhi i a koe anō ki tētahi wāhi e tū ai koe i waenga i ō hoa aropā, i ō hoa kaituhi hoki e titiro ai ki anamata. Nau mai, piki mai, kake mai!

Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei

Ko tā ngā hōtaka o te NZSA e kīia nei ko ngā hōtaka Kaituhi, Kupu Kaitiaki hoki, he tautoko i te whakarahi i ngā reo Māori, i ngā kōrero Māori kia kitea ai, hei te mutunga iho, kia nui ake te tā me te whakaatu i aua mahi. Kua whakatauiratia aua hōtaka ki ngā hōtaka kaiakopono me te aromatawai kua 30 tau e haere ana, he mea whai pānga, angitu hoki hei tautoko i ngā kaituhi. Whakarato ngātahi ai te NZSA me Ngā Kaituhi Māori i aua hōtaka motuhake mā ngā kaituhi Māori.

These two programmes aim to support the amplification of Māori voices, Māori stories, and ultimately see greater publication and performance of these works.  They are modelled on NZSA’s 30-year successful and impactful mentorship and assessment support programmes for writers. NZSA offers two dedicated programmes for Māori writers through Ngā Kaituhi Māori.

Kaituhi Māori Mentor Programme:

Designed for emerging writers who whakapapa Māori to have the opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable state. We welcome applications from kaituhi who write in te reo Māori and/or te reo Pākehā, in the genres of fiction including short fiction, on any topic(s). We welcome kaituhi of all ages – from rangatahi to kaumātua.
 
Over a period of up to six months, this mentorship provides opportunities to discuss ideas and issues – practical and editorial – and benefit from the experience, mōhio and mana of experienced kaituhi Māori to help aspiring kaituhi Māori develop further skills to sustain and strengthen their future career. Modelled on a tuakana-teina relationship, this kaupapa aims to offer a safe and supportive space for emerging kaituhi to develop their craft; gain encouragement and accountability, along with substantive feedback. As well as mentorship, part of this programme is to provide constructive suggestions for the refinement of a work in progress.  
 
There are four (4) mentorships for kaituhi Māori available in 2026.

Kupu Kaitiaki:

This kaupapa is an assessment programme and aims to provide new and emerging kaituhi with valuable feedback from a skilled Kupu Kaitiaki, for the refinement of a part of a manuscript written in te reo Māori or in English. The proposed work can be in the genres of poetry, fiction (excluding plays), short fiction or non-fiction (excluding screenplays and picture books), on any topic(s), of up to 30,000 words. The two selected successful manuscripts will be read by an experienced te reo Māori pūkenga and literary advisor – a Kupu Kaitiaki – who will compile feedback in a brief report. It offers kaituhi an opportunity to further develop style and direction, and receive support for a project in the early stages of development.

The desired outcome is to champion Māori writers and Māori writing and in particular, works by kaituhi Māori in te reo Māori. To apply, kaituhi can send in a piece a 1-2 page synopsis along with a sample (max 5,000 words) of the manuscript they are seeking feedback on. There are two opportunities available in 2026. Assessments of the recipients’ works will begin shortly after selection, and will be completed on/by 30 June 2026.

Applications for these programmes are open from 20 February – 10 April 2026. Applicants will be notified within 4-6 weeks of the result.

How to Apply

MIL OSI

Posted on

Research – Strategic hiring, rising pay pressures and a borderless workforce

Source: Robert Walters

Robert Walters identifies New Zealand’s key labour and salary trends for 2026

Auckland, New Zealand, 19th Feb 2026 - 2026 will be a year of strategic hiring, increased pressure on salaries, and rising workforce mobility across New Zealand, according to new research from global talent solutions partner Robert Walters. 

The findings come from its latest Salary Guide, which surveyed over 2,300 white-collar New Zealand professionals across 12 different industries.  

Shay Peters, CEO, Robert Walters Australia & New Zealand: ”The New Zealand labour market is showing a renewed sense of optimism, but caution remains. Businesses are hiring again, skills shortages persist, and employees are carefully weighing where they work, what they earn, and whether to relocate. This combination is reshaping the workforce: organisations face pressure to attract and retain talent, address capability gaps, and balance pay with cost-of-living concerns, while employees are increasingly strategic about career moves and mobility. How companies respond now will have a direct impact on productivity, growth, and their ability to secure and retain the talent they need for success in the future.” 

Key labour market trends 

Hiring rebounds, but jobseekers remain cautious after 2025 turmoil

Market confidence is gradual but strengthening, with 76% of New Zealand businesses planning to hire in 2026, up from 66% in 2025. 

Hiring demand varies regionally. Canterbury leads hiring intent at 78%, followed by Auckland (75%) and Wellington (72%). 

Despite this uplift in business confidence, employee mobility has cooled. 53% of New Zealand professionals are considering a role change this year, down from 63% in 2025, suggesting a more cautious workforce. 

Shay comments: ”Hiring intent has increased since last year, signalling that businesses are ready to move forward. However, employees are taking a more considered approach. From conversations we’ve been having with job seekers, we know the unstable condition of the 2025 labour market is making people concerned about job prospects in 2026. Economic uncertainty over the past year has made many professionals very risk-aware. The labour market is gradually rebalancing, rather than surging.” 

Rising relocation trends are creating a borderless workforce

Mobility remains a defining feature of the New Zealand workforce. 58% of professionals are open to relocating for work. 

Interest varies regionally. In Auckland, 64% would consider relocating, compared with 53% in Wellington and 51% in Canterbury. 

Australia is the most attractive destination, with 65% naming it as their top choice. Domestically, 54% would consider relocating within New Zealand. Internationally, 23% would consider moving to the UK and 21% to Europe. 

The primary drivers of relocation are higher salaries (71%), better job opportunities (65%), lifestyle changes (53%), and cost of living (38%). 

Interest in Australians relocating to New Zealand has increased this year to 17% (up from 2% in 2025). 

Shay comments: ”The strength of interest in Australia underscores how interconnected the two labour markets have become. For many professionals, relocation is no longer aspirational, it is a strategic financial and career decision. 

New Zealand employers must recognise that they are competing not just locally, but internationally. Organisations that create compelling career pathways, competitive remuneration and flexible work models will be better positioned to retain talent in an increasingly borderless market.” 

Salary growth remains modest as cost-of-living pressures persist

In 2025, 57% of New Zealand professionals received a pay rise, although most increases fell within the modest 2.5%-5% range, limiting their real impact. 

67% of New Zealand businesses intend to offer salary increases in 2026, while 56% of professionals expect one. 

42% of employees feel underpaid, but 83% of employers believe salaries are keeping pace with the cost of living, highlighting a perception gap. 

Salary dissatisfaction varies regionally. In Canterbury, 46% of professionals do not believe their salary matches the cost of living. In Auckland this stands at 42%, and in Wellington 39%. 

Shay comments: ”As businesses come out of last year’s restructures, organisations have an opportunity to reassess remuneration. Where salary increases are not feasible, employers must focus on career progression, flexibility, and skills development. It’s no secret the movement of New Zealand talent to Australia is well underway. Dissatisfaction around pay is a high retention risk, especially as overseas markets actively target New Zealand talent.” 

Skills shortages squeeze productivity across key sectors

Skills shortages remain critical, with 81% of New Zealand employers experiencing gaps over the past year. 

Regional pressure varies, with 52% of Auckland employers reporting shortages, followed by Wellington (49%) and Canterbury (39%). 

The most acute gaps are in industry-specific expertise (52%), digital and technology capability (37%), and leadership skills (31%) - these areas closely linked to productivity and organisational performance. 

Hiring challenges are compounded by unsuitable applicants (62%) and a lack of formal qualifications (53%). 

 Shay comments: ”Skills shortages are a severe productivity issue. When capability gaps persist, delivery slows and growth opportunities are missed. 

New Zealand organisations must take a long-term view, investing in leadership development, digital capability, and structured workforce planning. Skills gaps directly impact productivity and growth, and with more talent continuing to move to Australia, this challenge will intensify unless decisive action is taken now. Waiting for the market to correct itself is no longer a viable strategy in a competitive global talent landscape.” 

AI adoption accelerates, but concerns remain

AI integration is gaining momentum. 86% of New Zealand businesses are actively promoting AI, and 70% of employers say AI skills are important. 

Adoption at employee level is already high, with 69% using AI in their roles. However, 51% express concern about AI’s future impact on their job.

Shay comments: ”New Zealand businesses are embracing AI at pace, but adoption must be matched with transparency and training. The fact that over half of employees are concerned about AI’s future impact highlights the importance of clear communication and structured upskilling. 

At the speed AI is developing, it’s critical that soft skills like leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving are not lost but actively encouraged alongside new technology. 

Done right, AI can increase efficiency, boost productivity, and complement human talent, supporting the goals outlined in New Zealand’s 2025 AI Strategy for a productive, future-ready workforce.” 

About the Salary Guide: The Robert Walters 2026 Salary Guide provides a comprehensive overview of hiring intentions, salary trends, skills shortages, and workforce mobility across New Zealand. With insights from over 2,300 respondents, the guide highlights how businesses and employees are navigating an evolving labour market shaped by cost-of-living pressures, technological adoption, and mobility opportunities.

About Robert Walters:  

With more than 3,100 people in 30 countries, Robert Walters delivers recruitment consultancy, staffing, recruitment process outsourcing and managed services across the globe. From traditional recruitment and staffing to end-to-end talent management, our consultants are experts at matching highly skilled people to permanent, contract and interim roles across all professional disciplines. 

MIL OSI

Posted on

Lower Hutt man ‘left with nothing’ after large slip hits family home

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Lower Hutt man whose family was forced to flee their home when a large slip fell away from beneath the building says they will be “left with nothing”.

Aaron Pahl said time appeared to go into slow motion when a 10 by 30 square metre expanse of his back yard slid away on Monday – leaving the deck and the rear foundation hanging exposed.

“I was outside and I heard it start cracking, like all the trees just start cracking and crunching. So I pretty much screamed out to my kids ‘get your arses up here now!’ and I watched the whole thing just slide down the bank,” Pahl said.

Pahl said nearly 16 years of saving and hard work had gone down the drain as he, his partner and three children salvaged what they could from the building and sought advice as to what options they had following the slip.

“I don’t see a light. I don’t know, I honestly don’t know. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody man. It’s just like another test, I guess, but it’s not one that I was in any shape or form prepared for,” Pahl said.

The view from Stokes Valley painter Aaron Pahl’s house after a slip left the house uninhabitable on Monday morning. Supplied

The family’s home was issued with a dangerous building notice following the slip.

Pahl said he’d been told re-stabilising his property with retaining walls could take years but demolishing the home would exhaust practically all of his insurance for property.

“The reimbursement from my insurance company would be enough to cover the remainder of my mortgage and then the demolishing fee.

“I was talking to one of the engineers and he’s like ‘if they were to demolish it you’re looking at a couple of hundred thousand dollars. There wouldn’t be much left from that’.

Stokes Valley painter Aaron Pahl says he shouted to his children to get to safety when a large slip fell away from the base of his home – leaving the house uninhabitable -on Monday morning. SUPPLIED

“I’ve worked for the last 16 years to provide this for my family. To get to where I am today and I’m literally going to walk away with nothing. It’s just painful,” Pahl said.

Pahl said his insurance company had agreed to provide just under $12,000 in an accommodation supplement but the money was only likely to house his family for the next three or four months.

Until they could find a place the family of five – with two pets – were staying at Pahl’s father in law’s three bedroom home in Featherston.

Pahl said he was hugely grateful but the small space and extra distance to work and his children’s schools were adding to the family’s burdens.

“It’s added three hours plus a day just to get the kids to school and get myself to work and get my wife to work and it’s breaking man. The two younger one’s are sharing a double bed. They had their own rooms and stuff at home and they’ve just been crammed into a room and ‘that’s where you sleep’,” Pahl said.

He said he’d barely slept since the slip and – while he had some friends he could talk to – the events of the last week were weighing heavily on his shoulders.

“I work for myself and I’ve not been able to work since this happened because I’ve had so much to deal with and [I’m] just watching everything just crumble.

“I’ve got some really good friends and they’re always there to lend and ear. But I still feel like this is my problem and I’ve got to deal with it. I’ve always been that type that is like ‘you carry the shit that’s on your shoulders mate’. I’m tradesman that’s what we do,” he said

Pahl said the family had started a give-a-little page under the heading Help Support Our Family After Stokes Valley Landslide.

“I didn’t want to at first. I didn’t want to ask but, it’s like, if we don’t we’re absolutely screwed. They always say it’s going to get worse before it gets any better but I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” Pahl said.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Posted on

UPDATE – University Research – Penguins prefer white plastic, new study shows – UoA

Source: University of Auckland – UoA

White plastic appears to pose a particular hazard for penguins, new research from the University of Auckland has found.

University of Auckland research fellow Dr Ariel-Micaiah Heswall tested plastic colour preferences of king and gentoo penguins at Kelly Tarlton’s Sealife Aquarium in Auckland.
 
She found the 46 gentoo and 23 king penguins interacted far more often with white plastic than other colours, possibly because white reminds them of prey, eggshell or their own feathers.
 
Penguins are known to eat plastic bottlecaps, so red, blue, black and white caps were used in the experiment.
 
The seabirds chose white almost twice as often as black, and about 45 percent more often than red or blue.
 
White plastic could be a “sensory trap” for penguins, because it might lure them with a colour that appeals to their senses, but has harmful consequences when they eat it, says Heswall, from the University’s Faculty of Science and Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society – Ngā Ara Whetū.
 
Previous studies have found more white and clear plastics than other colours in the guts of seabirds in New Zealand and internationally.
 
Some scientists have suggested that’s because white and clear plastics make up the bulk of the millions of tonnes of plastic floating in the ocean.
 
However, Heswall’s new research shows penguins select white plastic, even when it’s not more plentiful than other colours.
 
A study she published in June last year showed white and clear plastics were most often found in the guts of 13 species of North Island seabirds.
 
Yellow and gold plastics were the next most commonly found inside the seabirds.
 
While red and green plastics were widespread on Auckland beaches, they were less often found in the seabirds’ guts.
 
Plastic was found inside all 19 of the Buller’s shearwaters they examined.
 
“It’s a big problem, but at least we’re beginning to understand it better,” says Heswall.
 
Putting a lid on the production of white and clear plastics could reduce the threat for many seabird species, she says.
 
The penguins showed least interest in the black bottlecaps and seldom pecked the blue ones.
 
“Generally, black plastic is least often found inside most species of seabirds internationally.
 
“There needs to be more research, but if manufacturers replaced white plastics with black, that could potentially make a big difference for seabirds,” Heswall says.
 
Globally, 28 percent of seabirds are classified as threatened and seven percent are critically endangered.
 
Eating plastic poses risks of starvation, as plastic can fill or obstruct the birds’ gut.
 
Sharp plastics can puncture the gut, but soft plastics, such as balloons, are more likely to result in immediate death for seabirds, Heswall says.
 
Microplastics can leach into seabirds’ blood streams, changing hormone balances and sometimes causing plasticosis, a disease marked by chronic inflammation and scarring in the digestive tract.
 
Heswall says the penguin experiments were carefully designed to avoid stressing the birds or posing a risk of plastic being swallowed.
 
Even though the penguins were free to move around the enclosure, some chose to interact with the plastic caps in all but three of the 41 trials.
 
Two or three times, the penguins responded to the bottlecaps with courting or reproductive behaviours, flapping their wings and bowing repeatedly.
 
“It was quite funny to watch.
 
“The penguins sometimes tried to rotate and turn a bottlecap, a behaviour they typically only display with their eggs.”
 
Having grown up in Brunei, Heswall only discovered the wonders of seabirds when she moved to New Zealand ten years ago.
 
“I had no idea of the diverse world of shearwaters and petrels, let alone that New Zealand was the seabird capital of the world.
 
“I fell in love with seabirds during my university studies,” says the 28-year-old.

MIL OSI

Posted on

Banks Peninsula locals frustrated by flood clean-up response from authorities

Source: Radio New Zealand

Community-led cleanups are continuing in flood-damaged Banks Peninsula, but nagging frustration remains over the response from local authorities.

The peninsula was still under a state of emergency as efforts to restore access to isolated properties continued, almost 72 hours after the region was hammered by a merciless storm.

Although State Highway 75 had reopened and telecommunications restored, some properties remained cut off with multiple local roads still blocked.

The Christchurch City Council’s response teams were using helicopters to get into areas inaccessible by road.

A total of seven local roads remained shut with another eight roads restricted to residents and emergency services.

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Helicopters could be regularly seen and heard over Okuti Valley on Thursday.

Meanwhile, business owners previously cut off were getting on with the recovery, helped by overdue sunshine and 28 degree temperatures.

Little River Campground owner Marcus Puentener said this week’s flooding was the worst he had seen in 30 years.

Two days earlier he awoke to the nearby Okuti River pouring through the campground, washing away an on-site bridge and leaving a trail of debris.

Puentener said a task-force of volunteers would help with the clean up in the coming days.

Little River Campground owner Marcus Puentener. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

“We’ve got our services up and running again. We’ve got toilets, showers and kitchen area all usable, so we are open,” he said.

“However the drive into the camp is a bit rough. We’re mainly looking at ground works at the moment, clearing the river, putting shingle down on the drive to make it a little bit safer for people to drive in.”

Assistance with the clean up was needed with the campground on Okuti Valley Road due to host multiple events, including a wedding in two weeks.

Although community support for affected property owners remained a prominent feature, the response from authorities had room for improvement, Puentener said.

Damage in Little River. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

“People have got water, people have got food, that’s the main thing. But people are trapped in their properties,” he said.

“This is where it gets slightly frustrating. We’ve had a lot of clip boards and not many foot soldiers on the ground. The clipboard-to-digger ratio is all wrong.”

The resilience of Okuti Valley locals had been bolstered by a community-led emergency radio network to communicate during emergencies when power, internet and cell coverage was down.

Okuki Valley Rd resident Rennie Davidson said the nearby community hall stored essential supplies, including a generator, batteries, gas canisters, a cooker and first aid kits.

Rennie Davidson. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

“Some of the older people in the community find the ability to communicate really reassuring, that we are working as a community and we are,” he said.

“We’ve just been organising water for someone’s toilet that can’t flush. There’s a whole heap of stuff that we can do which doesn’t cost a lot of money, but supports people that otherwise might be struggling.”

The network was self-organised into eight “clusters”, arranged by location.

The community was still largely reliant upon Civil Defence during significant weather events, Davidson said.

Dave Harvey, who lived on State Highway 75 in Coopland east of Little River, admitted he was one of “the lucky ones”.

Apart from a snapped tree that protruded over his next door’s neighbours section, he mostly evaded the brunt of the deluge.

“We had a bit of inundation in the shed. Other than that this whole valley survived pretty well. Obviously I’m devastated for the neighbours further down the river who have been gravely impacted.”

Council local controller Anne Columbus said roading crews had been prioritising known communities to restore roading access to those affected.

“With the reinstatement of communication channels on the Peninsula [on Thursday], we are now starting to form a clearer picture about the damage to properties and infrastructure,” she said.

“The assessment of damage will continue over the next few days as our ground crews gain access to affected areas.”

Two rubbish skips had arrived in Little River, which residents could use to dispose any flood-damaged waste.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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