Author: MIL OSI Publisher

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Plan ahead for roadworks at SH2 at Te Puna, and south of Katikati throughout October

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is reminding drivers to plan ahead and expect some delays at roadworks sites on SH2 with the busy construction season getting in to full swing.

This coming weekend (Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October), contractors will be felling trees alongside  State Highway 2 at Te Puna between 7am and 7pm, with traffic management in place on the southern shoulder near Loop Road. Traffic will held in both directions at times to allow for the safe felling of trees. This work cannot be safely undertaken at night.  

Drivers should also anticipate some delays on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 October at the SH2/Pahoia Road intersection and on the SH2/Lockington/Matahui roads roundabout site, south of Katikati, as work is undertaken as part of the Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project. Stop/go traffic management will be in place between 9am and 4pm.

At SH2/Pahoia Road, crews will be drilling holes into the roadside embankment and installing and testing “soil nails”, the first step in the construction of a retaining wall. The work is expected to take two days to complete.

Crews will be installing median islands and kerbs between 9am and 4pm on Wednesday 11 October at the Lockington/Matahui Roads roundabout. Intermittent stop/go traffic management will continue at the site on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 October as contractors push to complete the work before the busy Labour weekend.

Note the above information is accurate at the time of release. Many of the above works are dependent on a number of factors, particularly weather, and may be postponed at short notice. For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, motorists are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)). 

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“Sirens and explosions went off during classes”: A teacher’s account from the frontline in Ukraine

Source: Save The Children

Olesia poses for a photo in the middle of her classroom at a damaged school in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Oleksandr Khomenko / Save the Children

Background: Since the war in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, children’s access to learning has been severely impaired. Around 3,800 education institution have been damaged in shelling and air strikes, and 380 schools have been destroyed. According to Save the Children estimates, 1.7 million children in Ukraine are forced to study online due to the continuous missile threats.

Olesia Zabrodska is a primary school teacher from Mykolaiv, a frontline city in Southern Ukraine. Since the war started, schools in the area have only been allowed to provide online classes. Olesia is a teacher for an inclusive class, where children with special education needs study alongside everyone else. While their school remains closed, Olesia and her students attend Save the Children’s Digital Learning Centre in Mykolaiv to spend time together and to keep up with crucial learning. This is Olesia’s account of what it is like to be a teacher in Ukraine today.

OLESIA’S STORY:
 

“On February 24, 2022, I woke up as normal. My home is in the suburbs, so I did not hear any explosions. I was halfway to the school where I work when messages from parents and other teachers started coming in: the war had started, and our city was being shelled.

I could not believe it.

For the next few weeks, my students and I were in limbo. Some of the children and their families stayed in Mykolaiv, but most fled to safer parts of Ukraine or even abroad. We were only able to restart classes in late March, and even then they were just online. We had gotten used to online learning during the COVID lockdown, but this time everything was different.

Now, many of my students are depressed, anxious, and terrified. On most nights they are woken up by sirens and explosions and are forced to take shelter. This has a huge impact on them both mentally and physically. Parents are also afraid, which of course impacts the children. How are children meant to have the capacity to learn, when families are focused on surviving?

Often, sirens and explosions go off during online classes. In the beginning there were very few underground bunkers in the city, so we were not able to take shelter like we do now. Instead, we followed the “behind two walls and away from windows” instruction and resumed the lesson. During these moments, my students would ask me to not leave them alone. To distract them from the atrocities taking place outside, we would read books out loud or just chat about different things.

We made a big effort so the students were able to communicate with me every day, even if it was just online. Later, when we got a bit more used to the situation, we began to meet in person as well. Coming together is so important for the children who remain in Mykolaiv, and of course has a positive effect on their studies.

Many students struggle with online learning as the family might only have one laptop or phone for several children to share, or the parents might need the devices for their own work. Online learning also makes the children feel exhausted. We try to do physical exercises and different activities, but sometimes this creates more issues; if a child is wearing headphones and suddenly gets up, the headphones may fall, the phone disconnects – it’s terrible.

One of my students, Khrystyna*, is a very talented girl and had excellent grades while at school. However, she struggles with online classes as she’s often home by herself while her mother is at work. When we meet in person, she works hard to catch up.

Khrystyna*, 9, poses for the portrait in the Digital Learning Center for teachers in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Oleksandr Khomenko / Save the Children

Having Save the Children’s digital learning centre with all the electronic devices is very helpful for us. My students attend it three times a week to study and to just meet with friends. Even children who have left the city and are enrolled in other schools outside of Mykolaiv or Ukraine join us online. It is an important way to keep in touch with home. They miss their classmates and their school.

During the COVID pandemic, I saw how first graders were affected by the deprivation of face-to-face communication. They were acting out and could not communicate with each other. That is why I also take next autumn’s first grade class to the centre for pre-school activities – we can help children build their social skills before school even starts.

At the moment it is too dangerous in Mykolaiv to re-open schools in any capacity, but I really hope that we can return to in-person learning sooner rather than later. Our school has a reliable bomb shelter 6.5 metres underground. When the building was hit by missiles last August, the families who were in the basement thankfully remained unharmed.

The missile strike destroyed the entire fourth floor and the school needs costly repairs. I believe it is our common goal now – of parents, school staff, local and state authorities – to find ways to refurbish it. It is an investment in the future of our children, and without our children we have no future. Without their education, we have no future.”

*names changed to protect identity

———————————-

NOTES:

  • In Ukraine, Save the Children helps to rehabilitate damaged schools, kindergartens, and shelters. The aid organisation also trains teachers to maintain children’s and their own wellbeing, develops offline applications so children can enjoy reading at any time, and distributes Education Kits which contain pens, colouring pencils, notepads, and educational materials.  
  • In frontline Mykolaiv region, Save the Children established a Digital Learning Centre for teachers so they have access to electronic devices whenever they need to hold online classes, and can host in-person lessons with some of their students. The aid organisation also runs mobile learning groups to bring education to children in remote communities severely affected by war. The aid organisation has established 80 Digital Learning Centres (DLC) across Ukraine for children to have safe and supportive environment that provides access to electronic devices and learning software.
  • As of 29 September 2023, 363 education institutions in Ukraine have been destroyed, and 3,417 have been damaged.
  • As per Save the Children estimates, more than 40% of children in Ukraine have not been able to go back to school fulltime this Autumn, and have to rely on online or hybrid learning due to a lack of bomb shelters in schools and threat of air strikes.
  • As the second academic year in wartime started, the number of children set to attend in-person education is expected to increase to 2.3 million from 1.3 million last school year. But an estimated 1.7 million children – or 42% – still have limited access to in-person teaching, according to assessments by Ukraine’s Ministry of Education. This includes about one million students who will rely solely on remote learning.

For more information please contact:

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

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5 October 2023 Porirua neighbourhood comes together for clean-up event Good things happen when people work together – which is exactly what happened when communities in Eastern Porirua gathered for a neighbourhood clean-up event in September.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The event was part of Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Clean Up Week, and Te Rā Nui worked alongside members of the community to make the event a success. Te Rā Nui is the Eastern Porirua Development partnership that consists of Kāinga Ora, Porirua City Council and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

The event was sparked by an idea raised in community engagement meetings where residents expressed a desire to see their neighbourhood cleaned up. As a result, Te Rā Nui organised the event to bring the community together and create a cleaner, more liveable neighbourhood.

Throughout the event, community members worked together to collect rubbish throughout the four neighbourhoods that form part of the project precinct – Cannons Creek, Waitangirua, Rānui and Ascot Park. Te Rā Nui provided rubbish bags and skip bins to help with their efforts.

As well as the clean-up itself, the event also provided the opportunity for people to bring items they no longer needed, but that still had plenty of life left in them to pass on. These donated items were placed in special marquees where other members of the community could have a look and take home things they needed. Anything that wasn’t claimed on the day was given to a second-hand shop for redistribution within the community.

Abbie Mckoy, Manager of the Community Engagement and Partnerships team for Greater Wellington said “the community’s response to the event was fantastic. Many people turned out to get involved on the day, which was a great opportunity for people to connect with their neighbours while doing something positive for the neighbourhood.“

The success of the event shows what can be achieved when a community comes together – and was a great reminder of the importance of looking after our local communities and helping keep New Zealand beautiful.

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Greens welcome new marine reserves for South East Otago

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is today welcoming the Government’s announcement that there will be six new marine reserves on the South East Otago coast.

“This is a wonderful step forward and shows what can happen when the government, community and iwi work together for the health of the moana. We particularly acknowledge Kāi Tahu for their leadership and role as kaitiaki of this coastline and in managing the new marine reserves,” says Green Party oceans and fisheries spokesperson Eugenie Sage.

“The Greens also acknowledge the massive mahi of the South-East Marine Protection Forum which recommended this network of marine reserves. It is disappointing that the Forum’s recommendation for five additional Type 2 marine protected areas with restrictions on fishing have not been finalised.

“The Green Party has been consistent in calling for action to protect marine life, habitats and ecosystems for years. What the Government has announced today is good progress but we need to be much more ambitious.

“Last year, the Government signed up to a target of protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030. The Green Party would make sure this is achieved by putting the target into law.

“Our proposed Healthy Ocean Act commits to protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030 through a new framework that upholds Te Tiriti, and turns around our dismal record of protecting only 0.4% of the seas around New Zealand.

“It has been a decade since the South-East Marine Protection Forum was established. The time it has taken to create these new reserves shows the need to overhaul the Marine Reserves Act to create better and more timely ways to protect the ocean.

“The Green Party’s plan to establish a network of marine protected areas will help Aotearoa implement the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and meet our international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

“Tackling climate change and protecting our oceans also go hand in hand. Warmer and prolonged marine heatwaves contribute to mortality events for marine life. The oceans have absorbed most of the excess heat and carbon from burning fossil fuels, and play a big role in regulating the climate.

“The Green Party will make it a top priority in negotiations to have a Green Minister for Oceans and Fisheries at the Cabinet table, so we can give this the urgency it deserves,” says Eugenie Sage.

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Funding injection to support Kaitāia Airport’s resilience

Source: New Zealand Government

The funding will come from the National Resilience Plan, a $6 billion fund established to support infrastructure resilience after significant weather events.

“Kaitāia Airport is a critical resource for Te Tai Tokerau’s communities but is in dire need of urgent upgrades to stay operational, which this funding will allow. This is an important investment in regional resilience,” Kelvin Davis said.

The airport land was offered to Ngāi Takoto as part of their Treaty settlement in 2012, on the condition that airport operations would continue. Ngāi Takoto intend to purchase the airport land as part of their Treaty settlement provisions and have been working with hapū of Ngāti Kahu, who also have interests in the airport land, to finalise the agreement.

“Kaitāia Airport is key to the resilience of the Far North community. It provides direct access to health services, has been used previously for civil defence purposes and is an alternative when State Highway 10 closes,” Kelvin Davis said.

“Te Tai Tokerau’s road access to the rest of the country is regularly severed by slips and floods – these investments will help communities as well ensuring the ongoing utility of existing infrastructure.”

The $5.4 million funding, combined with funds set aside by the Far North District Council to support work on Kaitāia Airport, will enable a series of priority works to be undertaken to ensure Kaitāia Airport’s continued reliability, resilience, and operation.

This includes works to the main runway and maintenance of the existing drainage network, the replacement of security fencing; upgrades in airfield lighting, installation of aircraft fuelling facilities, and load improvements.

Today’s announcement builds on the recent $44 million investment made by the Government to ensure the state highways in Northland are also resilient.

 

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Man in custody following serious assault, New Windsor

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Please attribute to Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin, Auckland City CIB:

A man is in custody and Police investigations are continuing following a violent assault in New Windsor this morning.

At around 10.41am, Emergency services responded to a report of a person who had been stabbed at a dairy on New Windsor Road.

A number of people in the store at the time intervened and managed to apprehend and restrain the offender.

They have also provided assistance to the injured man as well as a secondary victim, a woman, who also sustained injuries.

The male victim was taken to Auckland Hospital in a critical condition, the woman was also transported to hospital in a stable condition.

Police arrived quickly and took a 24-year-old offender into custody.

Police remain at the scene, which is near the busy intersection with Maioro Street.

Police are still in the early stages of determining the exact circumstances of what has occurred.

Further updates will be provided when we are in a position to do so.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

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Poroporoaki: Jason Wynard

Source: New Zealand Government

Ka taka, ka taka

E, ko taku mōtoi taringa ka taka 

He aha raini tāku e rongo ake nei

He mūmū tai he wāwā whenua

He tangi rā ki aku mate. 

Te tai rā

Te tai rā

Te tai e pari ana ki Taumārere, kiā. 

E pari ana ki te kakau o te toki  kua ngaro atu I te ao ko riro atu ki te po! 

He Toa

He Hautupua

He Tuatangata 

Ma wai e hahau I te toki kua tau ki tana uhunga. E Kara, e Jason haere atu ra!

It was with much sadness that I learned of the passing of accomplished sportsman Jason Wynyard MNZM (nō Ngāpuhi, me Ngāti Maniapoto) on Wednesday.

Jason followed in the footsteps of his father, Pae Wynyard, to become a true icon of the wood-chopping world. Born in the Bay of Islands town of Kawakawa, Jason first picked up an axe aged six. At 16, he was the youngest ever competitor when he first represented New Zealand with the New Zealand Axemen Association Team in 1990.

His relentless passion and commitment saw him go on to set dozens of New Zealand records and a number of world records, one of his oldest was set in 1994 for the 350mm Underhand Tarire. He dominated the sport across the world for decades, winning nine senior world championships and more than 230 titles.

While Jason is indeed world famous for his sporting prowess, he is also loved across Aotearoa for his humble nature and willingness to accomodate the crowds. It was his strength of character that made him a true ambassador for the sport. He played an important role in developing the contests, which included promoting the Hot Saw Competition, and successfully inspired growth in younger membership.

Just as Jason learned many of his talents from his father, Jason’s son, Tai Wynyard, also found sporting success having represented New Zealand in basketball. Both father and son were the first ever joint winners of the supreme Albie Pryor Memorial Maori Sports Person of the Year award in 2014 and he was rated as one of the top 5 influential Māori sportspeople of the past 30 years in the 2021 Maori Sports awards special.

Jason was a legend of the sport. He has been described by his contemporaries as an “icon” and “the Michael Jordan” of wood chopping. 

He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the sport of wood chopping in the 2017 New Year Honours. Earlier this year, he was announced a joint-winner of the Courtesy Ford Lifetime Legacy to Rural Sports Award at the New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.

Jason’s achievements will inspire and motivate others to strive for excellence for years to come.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his whānau at this time.

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Serious Crash, Middleswamp Road, Temuka near Timaru

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Emergency services are responding to a serious crash near Temuka.

Initial reports show that the crash, involves a single vehicle near the intersection of Middleswamp Road and Guild Road, and was reported to Police around 11.45am.

Indications suggest three people have received critical injuries.

Road closures are currently in place and motorists are asked to please avoid the area while emergency services are at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Energise Ōtaki “Business Energy Service” Launch

Source: New Zealand Government

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā raurangtira mā.

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Thank you for welcoming me so warmly this morning to the Energise Ōtaki Business Energy Service Launch.

I know you were expecting a different face today and it’s unfortunate that our Prime Minister isn’t able to be here.

I’ve heard that he’s well and truly on the mend and looking forward to getting back out tomorrow.

Can I begin by acknowledging the work of Energise Ōtaki Charitable Trust, Trustee Dr Gael Ferguson, the Business Energy Service and Leigh Ramsey for the wonderful introduction.

Can I also acknowledge their worships Janet Holborow, Kāpiti Mayor and Bernie Wanden, Horowhenua Mayor.

To our Ōtaki Principal Andy Fraser, thank you for hosting us.

And to the students – it was so awesome to see your creativity and ingenuity on our way into the hall and the results of your “EVelocity” competition.

After seeing your ideas, I wouldn’t be surprised if the world’s next generation of EVs include some of the features on display today.

I’m also fortunate to be joined by my colleague and one of the proudest supporters of Ōtaki, local MP Terisa Ngobi. Fa’afetai tele lava.

Energise Ōtaki is a prime example of what can be achieved when a community comes together.

Generating community owned renewable energy and then selling the excess power back into the grid is an impressive achievement.

I’ve also been informed that you then take it a step further, by using those funds to reinvest in Ōtaki, supporting community projects and those who call this place home.

As many of you will know, the Government’s vision is for a thriving low-emissions economy.

To get there we have two goals:

  1. Net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; and
  2. For 50 per cent of all energy consumed to be produced from renewables by 2035.

To achieve these goals, we must transition our economy away from fossil fuels, and communities and small business have a key role to play in this transition.

I also want to acknowledge that these are ambitious. But we need to be with the growing impact of climate change on our shores.

We know that extreme weather events will only become more common.

This year we’ve already seen the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle, record flooding in Auckland and more recently in Southland.

Besides lower costs and increasing access to energy, small scale solar projects also increase the resilience of communities in the face of these events.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, more than 50,000 homes were without electricity, some for weeks.

Households with solar panels and batteries that managed to keep essential appliances and internet communications operating when the main grid was damaged, demonstrating the value such community energy projects can have.

As we lower our emissions and electrify our economy, some estimates have found that we will need to grow our electricity production by up to 170 per cent.

By using community generated solar energy to power your wastewater treatment plant, for example, you are demonstrating the possibilities of using renewable energy to help decarbonise our economy.

We want all communities to have the opportunity to benefit from New Zealand’s of renewable energy resources.

To get there, we’ve committed to funds that help get community scale renewable energy projects off the ground.

The Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund is a great example of this.

In 2020, we invested $28 million into the fund to trial small-scale renewable energy technologies.

Our commitment has also seen in the Community Renewable Energy Fund which was established by the Government last year.

As we reflect on what’s happened this year, this fund recognises the value of community projects to build resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.

In the short term, the fund is rolling out renewable energy systems for community buildings in affected regions. A community energy Capability Building Hub is also being established to provide technical advice to communities seeking to develop renewable energy projects.

Today’s milestone is a testament to the work of Energise Ōtaki as we celebrate the launch of the Business Energy Service.

Community led organisations such as yourself have shown what can be achieved in this space and are an inspiration to others.

I know that the success of your projects is no coincidence, and it is commendable that the rest of your community can now benefit more directly from your experiences in this field.

My takeaway for you would be that as we electrify, we can’t afford to leave behind the most vulnerable among us, nor can we afford to wait any longer if we are to meet our climate change commitments.

This is a journey that we’re all on together.

Once again, congratulations and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.

I look forward to hearing all about your success.

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Ia manuia. 

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Release: New Anti-Scamming Unit will help protect Kiwis’ cash

Source: New Zealand Labour Party

Labour will establish a new Anti-Scamming Unit to better protect New Zealanders being targeted by illegal scammers says Labour Commerce and Consumer Affairs spokesperson Duncan Webb.

“Too many New Zealanders are being targeted by criminals seeking to swindle innocent Kiwis out of their money through increasingly complex scams – we want to stamp it out” Duncan Webb said.

“Many victims are amongst our most vulnerable and cross sector support and cooperation is vital to ensure Kiwis are being protected. We have already been working closely with banks in this area for some time. Falling victim to a scam can be catastrophic – especially people lose a large part of their life savings – this can be doubly devastating for our elderly.

“We know that 9 out of 10 New Zealanders were targeted by scams in the last 12 months. Reports show that Kiwis were scammed out of a record $20 million last year alone.

“Labour wants to stop scammers in their tracks, and ensure their victims are being supported and educated to avoid being stung in future.

“The Anti-Scamming Unit will include both government and industry, bringing together the work being done from detection, prevention and education, through to finding and prosecuting criminals.

“Prevention through education is only one way we can support those effected. Part of the Unit’s work will be to clarify the steps banks should take to detect and shut down scams, and where liability for compensation should fall,” Duncan Webb said.

The Unit, made up of a core of 15-20 experts, will sit inside the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and include support from other agencies such as the Reserve Bank, MBIE and Police. Representatives from banks, telecommunications firms and social media companies will be included in the Unit’s work, as will non-government agencies such as consumer advocates.

“In Government we’ve made good progress, broadening work which prevents and responds to scams. CERT NZ (National Cyber Security Centre) and Police have continued their critical roles at the hard end of security and law enforcement respectively.

“The FMA has increased its activity receiving and investigating complaints, monitoring international activity, publishing warnings and alerts, taking enforcement action and shutting down imposter websites, and running community education sessions.

“This worked meant only 1 in 10 Kiwis fell victim to the scams they faced last year, and small and medium enterprises saw their scamming rates drop from 47% to 34%.

“But there is still more to do – scammers are persistent and continue to get more sophisticated and find more victims and we want it stopped,” Duncan Webb said.

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