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Housing density to increase across New Zealand under rare bipartisan solution

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

National and the government have worked together to design new housing density rules that would allow three homes three storeys tall without a consent.

Watch the media conference here:

In a rare show of bipartisanship, Labour government ministers Megan Woods and David Parker shared the podium with National’s leader Judith Collins and housing spokesperson Nicola Willis to announce the changes at midday.

The parties worked together on the new Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which aims to make it easier to build houses.

It includes new intensification rules allowing up to three homes three storeys high to be built on most sites without resource consent, a change from district plans which typically only allow for one home of up to two storeys.

This would apply in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch, where councils would be required to adopt medium-density residential standards.

No caption

Photo: New Zealand Government

Councils could choose to make the proposed standards more permissive to builders, and developers could apply for a resource consent to go further than what the standards would allow.

“Exemptions for certain circumstances such as natural hazards or where a site has heritage value will be maintained,” Parker said.

The government said modelling by PwC predicted the new rules were predicted to result in about 48,200 to 105,500 new homes being built in the next five to eight years.

Collins said she had written to the environment minister in the last Parliamentary term, offering to work together on RMA reform, and the Bill was the result of work over the past year.

“They welcomed National’s contribution to further development of policy to allow a serious uplift in new housing in urban areas … National has appreciated the opportunity to contribute constructively to this development process.”

Woods said it made sense to work together where there was a consensus.

“Having broad political consensus on these changes gives homeowners, councils, investors and developers greater certainty. We are pleased to have National’s support in enabling New Zealanders to have access to modernising our cities in this way.”

“New Zealand has a serious housing shortage, and has simply not built enough homes to meet the needs of New Zealanders. This is making housing increasingly unaffordable with its effects felt most strongly by New Zealand’s poorest, most vulnerable and youngest generations.”

The bill would also bring the National Policy Statement on Urban Development forward by one year, so councils in metropolitan areas would need intensification policies in place by August 2023, after notifying plan changes by August 2022.

Parker said the workload for councils would also be reduced by removing some of the existing complexities in the policy statement, which would make it simpler to implement.

Collins said rolling back consenting rules was key to addressing the housing shortage.

“It is crazy to me that existing planning rules in New Zealand actually make it harder to get houses built, harder and more expensive … in April I took the step of introducing my own member’s bill and writing to all party leaders asking for their support. Our housing emergency is an absolute crisis.

“Housing is an issue that touches all Kiwis … we see young families forced to save for a decade to build a deposit and putting off decisions because of that lack of certainty.

“National supports this policy because it focuses on supply. Rather than making life harder for property owners, this policy tells them that you have the right to build.”

Local government plans to change housing rules have spurred debate Wellington and Auckland over protection for heritage areas and which suburbs to open up to higher-density zoning.

Collins made an impassioned argument against those who worried reduced regulation would mean a community losing its character.

“To those… I say this: Our communities lose their character when people can’t afford to own their own home.

“Stronger communities are formed when families can own their home and it is in the interests of all Kiwis to live in a property-owning community, where people put down anchors in their community and have a stake in local affairs; where kids get to stay at the same school; where the politics of envy aren’t fuelled by rapidly rising house prices; where our children can afford to buy a home and start a family and growing up in a property-owning democracy.”

Willis said New Zealand had some of the most unaffordable housing in the world.

“And Kiwis expect MPs to take action to address it. Homeowners and non-homeowners all know that the property ladder has simply been pulled out of reach of too many people. Our housing shortage is fuelling inequality and robbing younger New Zealanders of hope.”

Housing Minister Megan Woods, left, National MP Nicola Willis, with National Party leader Judith Collins. The parties worked together on a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act making it easier to build houses.

National’s housing spokesperson Nicola Willis alongside Woods and Collins. Photo: Pool / Stuff / Robert Kitchin

She said homeowners who preferred to live in a one-storey home with a large garden should take comfort in the knowledge they would not be forced to demolish their existing home and many such homes would remain, while those desperately seeking smaller housing would welcome far more of such housing stock.

“These measures are not about a one-time increase in housing stock, but a permanent shift in the flexibility of the supply of housing and over time it will deliver more affordable housing.”

She thanked Woods and Parker for engaging with National.

Woods said she hoped the new bill would be the death of nimbyism.

“This has been an incredibly fraught and difficult issue for so many councils in different parts of the country … when there is a housing crisis that you need to lay aside some of your differences.

“We do need to step up, take that leadership, and that we do need to help our councils work through these issues with their local communities.”

The legislation being introduced today will have first reading next Tuesday 26 October, followed by a three-week submission period, aiming to be passed in the last week of Parliament for this year by 16 December.

Covid-19 Delta outbreak: 94 cases today, including seven in Waikato

By
Kalino Latu
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare are encouraging people to continue to go out and get vaccinated.

Today there are 94 new community cases of Covid-19 in the country.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says 84 cases in Auckland across 55 households are isolating at home.

Criteria for isolating at home is based on a public health and clinical risk assessment and take into consideration factors such as whether someone lives in a place which allows them and their household to isolate safely away from others, that there’s good phone and internet access, their own transport for testing and that they are happy and comfortable, including having the supplies they need.

Based on the latest data, five people who are pregnant have been hospitalised during this outbreak, Bloomfield says.

He says vaccination is safe and highly protective for pregnant people.

Ardern says the highs and lows of case numbers is particularly hard on people.

“The cases we are seeing right now are not confined to one part of Auckland, they are across 124 suburbs.”

“The rules matter for everyone,” she says.

“This morning in our briefing a particular focus from our public health team on the fact that they have a positivity rate, so the amount of testing relative to the number of positives coming back that is of concern to them, on the North Shore. So if you are on the North Shore, experiencing any symptoms, even if you have been vaccinated, please go and get a test.”

“Please remember, this outbreak is not in one part of Auckland.”

Ardern says the highest number of cases today are across the three age ranges least vaccinated – 39 years and under.

She says of course, under 12s are unable to be vaccinated.

“If you are young, you’re sadly not invincible. Twelve of our current hospitalisations are under 39 years of age.”

Ardern asks all Aucklanders to please get vaccinated.

She also urges people to get their second dose as soon as possible, three weeks after the first dose.

She urges people to stick with the rules, “I know it’s hard but we are so so close.”

Today’s cases include people who were non-compliant with the rules, she says.

Bloomfield says region-wide testing in Waikato is very important and will help inform decisions later in the week.

“If you have not been vaccinated yet, today is the day to do it,” he says.

Bloomfield says the Covid-19 technical advisory group has recommended individuals aged 12 and older who have a compromised immune system should receive a third primary dose of the vaccine.

This is different to a booster shot for the general population, he says.

The group includes some people with chronic diseases and people who are taking immunosuppressive therapies before or after their second dose of the vaccine.

Further advice will be provided on wider booster doses and an update will be provided next week.

‘Covid-19 is on the doorstep of your houses’ – Peeni Henare

Minister Peeni Henare thanks all Māori providers, iwi, hapū, practitioners, vaccinators and DHB staff.

“You’re efforts are indeed seen,” he says.

Henare says over the past two weeks, prior to Super Saturday, he travelled to a number of DHBs and saw great work but identified a number of challenges.

He asks those who aren’t onboard for their help. “Our whānau need you and to many of them you are the trusted person that will be key to them making an informed decision about the vaccination.”

Significant funding has already been provided to Hauora Māori to support and build capability for the vaccine programme, he says.

He says if you need support to make your decision, get your information from official sources or you can speak to kaumātua and kuia who are currently leading vaccination rates amongst Māori communities.

An announcement will be made later in the week regarding support for the Māori vaccination effort.

“We’ve seen the threat that this current Covid-19 outbreak is to the wellbeing of Māori communities with a total of 560 Māori cases recorded. In the last two weeks, Māori have made up 45.7 percent of total cases vs 28 percent throughout the entire outbreak. Although sobering, these number reinforce why vaccinating our communities is so important.”

“So I say to the Māori people, Covid-19 is on the doorstep of your houses, do not let it enter and the best course of protection still remains for us to vaccinate our people.”

Ardern says they’ve always been concerned with creating a space where it can be interpreted that there’s room for people to be left behind. They’ve been thinking about Māori vaccination rates in the work they are doing ahead of Friday.

She says the work going on right now with Māori providers, and the government needing to make sure it provides all the resources required, is critical.

“Regardless that needs to continue until we reach everyone.”

Henare says vaccination is key not just for the community in Tāmaki Makaurau but everywhere.

Ardern says rates for older Māori are high. But there is a group of, particularly young people and certain parts of the country, who don’t think it’s real or it effects them.

Henare says he spoke to a number of PHO and GP clinics were who were focusing on the day to day work in their clinics rather than the vaccination numbers and it is them he implores to them continue to help drive up the numbers. But he acknowledges a number he met with were heavily involved in the vaccination effort.

There is an R value of between 1.2 and 1.3, Ardern says.

She doesn’t want people to rely on vaccination at this stage, “The rules also need to be followed.”

Henare says some of the challenges are around funding distribution and the speed it is being put out to Māori health providers.

“I’ve also noticed a lack of strong leadership amongst the community, including the DHB with respect to what’s required for the vaccine rollout.”

“In Taranaki, for example, we heard from Māori health providers and iwi that they were dissatisfied with the job that the DHB was doing. We met with the DHB and can now confirm that 16 hapū in the DHB are working together to continue to rollout the vaccine in that community. Only two hapū have decided not to be involved with that but the door will continue to be open to them.”

Henare says it’s “proved problematic” the second round of funding was put out through the DHB, the first round was direct funding to Māori health providers.

Ardern says it’s not fair to say they haven’t focused on this issue.

She says at every point they’ve tried to ensure they have had an equitable rollout of the vaccine programme.

Aked if it’s good enough community leaders felt the need to fundraise for a vaccine cline, Henare says he doesn’t think so at all.

The gap was not raised with him on Thursday when he sat with Māori health providers, he says.

Ardern says everyone has the same goal “but this is actually really hard work now, because now we are needing to go out street by street, town by town and have direct conversations.”

In February the cool store requirements were different than they are now, Henare says.

There was really constrained supply when the rollout began, Ardern says.

There wasn’t the ability to do what is being done now, she says. “The strong public health advice was we needed to focus in on those who were confronting Covid at the border, those who had comorbidities, those who were in our older age brackets and we also pritoritised Counties Manukau.”

Asked if the government’s response breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, the prime minister says “no”.

Asked the same, Henare says he has been quite clear, Te Tiriti was kept at the forefront of the way decisions were made “And I’m quite comfortable with that”.

Earlier today, Ardern told Morning Report people who are not vaccinated will miss out on doing everyday things when the new Covid-19 response framework is rolled out.

A new Covid-19 response framework is being finalised and will be released on Friday.

Everyday activities won’t be available to the unvaccinated – Jacinda Ardern

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz.

If you are not vaccinated, there will be everyday things you will miss out on, the prime minister says.

No caption
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the framework will provide people with greater clarity moving forward. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

A new Covid-19 response framework is being finalised and will be released on Friday, providing people with greater clarity, Jacinda Ardern said.

“It will become very clear to people that if you are not vaccinated there will be things that you miss out on, everyday things that you will miss out on,” Ardern told Morning Report.

“It’s about both rewarding people who have gone out and done the right thing but also keeping away people who are less safe.”

She said by the time the framework is ready to move to, the government is confident vaccine certificates will be ready.

It’s like an alert level system, she said.

“We’ve always said once we’re vaccinated it will be different, so we need to therefore design what that looks like.”

Ardern said the government is drawing some distinctions though, they don’t want an environment where people can’t access necessary goods and services to maintain their lives.

“We can’t say someone can’t get health services, medical needs, pharmacies, food.”

The government is supporting providers who are providing incentives for people to get vaccinated, she said.

“Anything that they identify will work for their community has our backing.”

Flourish logoA Flourish data visualization

Ardern said domestic travel is being looked at separately from the framework to be announced Friday, and work is being down to see if there is a way to safely allow movement.

“But that would have a number of checks around it – is there a way that we can use vaccine certificates but also acknowledge that even if you’re vaccinated it is still possible for you to have asymptotic Covid.”

The border is putting a lot of strain on Auckland the more time is it needed, she said.

“At the same time, the rest of New Zealand wants to remain… Covid free or be in the position to extinguish Covid cases as they arrive. So we’ve got to balance those two needs.”

Epidemiologist Rod Jackson told Morning Report the government needs to go hard on those who just haven’t yet got around to getting a vaccine – “With no jab, no job, no fun”.

The second group of people who aren’t vaccinated however, don’t trust the system, he said.

“And for those we have to find the people that they trust.

“The only game in town is to buy time until we get everyone vaccinated.”

The government has signalled a vaccination target will be part of the soon to be announced framework.

Jackson says if 95 percent of the population is vaccinated, there will be death, disease and hospitalisations for the last five percent.

“Those were the 5 percent who were the first to get Covid in Europe last year, those are where most of the deaths are, those are where most of the hospitalisations are…For the rest of us, we’re all going to get Covid again.

He said people don’t realise that.

“There’s two ways to get vaccinated. You either get vaccinated by the virus, and that’s brutal, one in 10 hospitalisations in this latest outbreak. If you get Covid after you’ve been vaccinated it will happen slowly because the vaccine is fantastic for dealing with severe disease but it only slows down infection.”

Slowing down infection is the key problem a vaccinated population faces, he said.

“Because Covid spreads so rapidly, even if the vaccine has reduced your risk of going to hospital from one in 10 to one in 100. That is still one in 100 of a lot of people if Covid is spreading rapidly.”

A flexible approach is needed, he said.

Government to announce new Covid-19 approach on Friday

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

The government will announce a new ‘Covid-19 protection framework’ on Friday for when the country is at a higher vaccination rate.

Jacinda Ardern looks at Chris Hipkins
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

RNZ understands ministers were due to consider a traffic light-like system New Zealand could move to once the population is highly vaccinated.

It could mark the next phase, away from using alert level restrictions, to a mix of protective measures in the event of outbreaks.

That could include mask use, gathering limits, social distancing, proof of vaccination and scanning.

It could be some months before it would be ready to be implemented.

Ardern, however, would not confirm if the Covid-19 protection framework will be a ‘traffic light system’.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Checkpoint there was still a lot of detail to work through with the plan.

“We need to make sure any targets we set are having the desired effect. It’s not just about saying, it’s 90 percent across the board, we actually have to look at making sure that we don’t have high concentration pockets of unvaccinated people within the community.

“There will be vaccination targets and it will be clear what kind of levels of vaccination we’ll be needing before we can move into a different type of approach to managing Covid-19.

“Every vaccination that happens over the next few weeks is going to help us step towards having greater degrees of freedom. Once we hit the target, we don’t want to stop there either.”

Hipkins said the 90 percent vaccination rate will feature “prominently”.

“There’s a lot to be set out, there’s a lot of detail we’ve been working our way through that will all be confirmed and all the details put together so that people will really understand how all of the working parts fit together.”

Hipkins said he was hoping Auckland students could return to school this year.

He said planning work was underway for safe return to classrooms and he would be detailing that plan in the coming days.

“I’ve made a commitment that by the middle of the week I will be sending out more details,” Hipkins said.

“We haven’t made final decisions, we are working through the details. One of the things that we’re looking at of course is what’s possible in terms of staggering school start times, potentially staggering the groups of students that we have back in schools so that we can get kids back in school.

“I’m particularly conscious of senior high school students, that exams are looming for them.

“We are working through that with the education team and with the health team because we’ve got to reconcile those two things.”

———— FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA NOUNOU ——————-

‘Oku ngali na’a ngāue’aki ‘e he pule’anga ‘a e founga fo’ou ko e maama hala pule’anga’ pe traffic light system ke ne fetongi ‘a e lock down pe loka fakafeitu’u’ tu’unga he  Koviti-19.

‘E peheni e ngāue ‘a e founga ko ‘eni’. Ko e maama lanumata’ ‘oku ‘uhinga ia meimei ‘e ‘ikai ha toe fakangatangata ia ki he fefononga’aki’, fakataha’anga’ mo e lele ‘a e ngaahi pisinisi’. ‘E fai hono na’ina’i e kakai’ ke malu’i e ngutu’ mo e ihu’ (face covering) ka he’ikai ke tu’utu’unia pau ‘eni, fiema’u ke ngāue’aki ‘a e sikeni QR, pea ko e ngaahi fakataha’anga lahi ‘e fiema’u ‘a kinautolu kau ki ai ke ‘i ai ha fakamo’oni ne ‘osi huhu malu’i kinautolu.  ‘E ngāue’aki ‘a e fakataputapui lanumata’ ki he taimi ‘e lava ai ‘o fakamama’o e kau puke ‘o ka mafola ‘a e Koviti-19.

Ko e maama lanu moli’ leva   ‘e fiema’u e kakai’ ke tui ‘a e masikii’ (face masks). ‘E kei ava pe ‘a e ngaahi ngāue’anga’ mo e ngaahi fale koloa taautaha’, ka ‘e ala ke fakangatangata ‘a e kakai ke nau  ‘i ai’. ‘E lava pe ke ava foki mo e ngaahi pinisi talitali kakai’, ngaahi fale lotu’, mo e ngaahi feitu’u fakataha’anga kehe’, pea ‘e fiema’u ‘a e feohi vā mama’o’ (social distancing) pea ke ‘osi huhu malu’i ‘a kinautolu ‘e kau ki ai’.

Kapau leva ‘e mātu’aki  fakalalahi e mafola ‘a e Koviti-19 ‘o tu’u faingata’a’ ki he ngāue ‘a e tafa’aki kotoa ki he Mo’ui’, ‘e ngāue’aki leva ‘a e maama lanu kulokula’. ‘E fakangatangata heni ‘a e fakataha’anga taautaha’ pea mo e fefolau’aki fakafeitu’u’. ‘E kei ava pe ngaahi ako mo e ‘ū fale koloa’ ka ‘e lava ke fakangatangata honau tokolahi’, lava ke kei ava pe mo e ngaahi pisnisi talitali kakai’ ka ke fakahoko pe ia ‘aki hano talitali e kakai ‘i ha tēpile ‘e tu’u he matapā hū’anga ‘e ‘ikai ngofua  ha hū ki loto pea ‘e fiema’u foki e kau kasitomaa’ ke ‘osi huhu malu’i.

Builders call for mandatory vaccination in construction sector

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

It could be time for the government to hammer home compulsory vaccination for construction workers, according to a building industry group.

The Master Builders Association wants all building and construction sector workers covered by a mandatory immunisation order like the health and education sectors.

It comes hot on the heels of an apartment block construction site in central Auckland being named as a location of interest after a Covid-19 positive person was there over several days.

Master Builders Association chief executive David Kelly told Checkpoint that there was a lot of feedback coming in from commercial and residential contractors saying they were confused as to what they could and could not do.

On most construction sites there is the lead contractor and all the subbies such as painters and plumbers.

“Trying to line up all the different trades is very very difficult and then a number of those specialist trades move from site to site so this just leads to a recipe for confusion.”

He said if something went wrong, such as at the building site in Auckland, everything had to grind to a halt.

“We just need clarity and everyone knows what the rules are.”

Kelly said some clients are saying they don’t want tradespeople who are not vaccinated so contractors want to know what their legal position is.

It’s made worse by people having to wait a few weeks for tradies and then feeling pressured to have an unvaccinated person do work in their home.

“But they’re very uncomfortable so again we think it’s only fair to clients, particularly homeowners, that they know that the people coming into their homes – they’re not going to expose them [to Covid-19].”

The vaccination rate in the construction sector is about 80 percent currently, and may have risen on Super Saturday, but Kelly believes the last 15 percent will be hard to convince.

He said contractors are telling him it is not an anti-vaccination attitude but rather that some of the young ones, in particular, don’t want to be told what to do.

Kelly was not concerned there would be a hostile reaction to a vaccine mandate.

He did not believe there is the same culture in Aotearoa compared with Melbourne, where there were protests over compulsory vaccinations.

As for masks on building sites, it was disappointing that some tradies were not wearing them properly and he is among those trying to spread the message.

Pacific Forum welcomes NZ climate aid boost, urges collective action

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Johnny Blades of RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

The head of the Pacific Islands Forum says New Zealand’s climate aid boost augurs well heading into COP26, and is pushing all developed countries to meet climate funding commitments made in Paris in 2015.

New Zealand announced today that it is committing NZ$1.3 billion dollars over four years to support countries most vulnerable to climate change. Over half of the money is to go to the Pacific.

The prime minister of the Cook Islands, Henry Puna.
The prime minister of the Cook Islands, Henry Puna. Photo: RNZ / Jamie Tahana

New Zealand’s Climate Change minister James Shaw described it as finance that is necessary to support some of the most vulnerable countries in the world to adapt to the effects of climate change.

After all, New Zealand committed to making such finance available as part of it signing up to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.

With the aid announcement coming ahead of the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, at the end of this month, Shaw hopes it can help repair some of the frayed consensus around the Paris Agreement.

“Because the fact is that the developed world has not delivered on that commitment to collectively mobilise US$100-billion a year (in annual climate finance).”

“That has led to a suspicion and a breakdown in relationships between the wealthier countries of the world, of which New Zealand is one, and the other countries.”

The Pacific Forum’s secretary-general, Henry Puna, is heartened by the level of support.

“I’m totally ecstatic on behalf of the region at the New Zealand announcement,” he told RNZ Pacific.

“Yet at the same time, urgent ambitious climate action and finance are the two hinges open on a net zero, 1.5 degree future. But time is running out.”

Tuvalu is highly susceptible to rises in sea level brought about by climate change.
Tuvalu is highly susceptible to rises in sea level brought about by climate change. Photo: UNDP/LUKE MCPAKE

Puna said he was hopeful that all developed countries will finally fulfill the funding commitments that they made in Paris but have largely failed to meet.

“And I think the US has already set the tone; and the announcement – although not on the same issue – by China that they’re also coming to the party, think augurs well for COP26.

He said the Pacific Islands region’s representatives would be heading to Glasgow in hopeful but resolute mode.

“But we’re certainly going there with full determination to try and talk to developed countries to support the commitments that we already made in 2015 in Paris.”

According to Shaw, the climate funding will be directed in three areas: to support adaptation efforts; to support Pacific countries to reduce carbon emissions themselves; and to support climate change capacity and capabilities – this could include investment in ocean science, and preparing for climate-related migration.

Finance allocation to be Pacific-led, needs-based

Shaw said the funding will be on top of New Zealand’s existing aid programme.

The government is not yet being too prescriptive on categorisation of the adaptation efforts it will finance, with Shaw saying they will prioritise on the basis of need.

He said New Zealand would be guided by Pacific Islands governments on where the climate aid is best directed.

“Last year the Fijian prime minister asked our government for help, as it undertakes the massive task of moving 42 villages further inland, away from rising waves,” Shaw explained.

“Many villages in low-lying countries like Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati have no further inland that they can go. They must adapt to the massive changes that are upon them.”

But Dr Luke Harrington, a senior research fellow at The New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, says in terms of the country’s overseas aid contributions the aid boost is not enough

“All OECD countries have a target of about 0.7 percent of our gross national income. New Zealand sort of sits at the moments at about 0.27 percent. So that’s about an annual shortfall of 1.2 billion dollars.”

However, Shaw said the funding boost could make a real difference.

“The Cook Islands estimate that about 25 percent of their annual budget is spent on climate-related costs – whether that’s cleaning up after the last cyclone or trying to build stronger and better infrastructure and housing to resist the next cyclone.”

Still, the minister conceded that the new climate aid package was no substitute for significant reductions to carbon emissions, and on this front as well, few countries have done what is required.

King tide in Tarawa, Kiribati, Friday 30 August 2019.
King tide in Tarawa, Kiribati, Friday 30 August 2019. Photo: Pelenise Alofa, KiriCAN

Man facing charge over party on North Shore

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

Police have today arrested a 28-year-old man, alleged to have held a gathering at a Redvale property over the weekend in breach of Covid-19 restrictions.

In a statement tonight, police said the man had been charged with failing to comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level Requirements) Order.

He is due to appear in North Shore District Court on 22 October.

Footage has been circulating on social media of a house party on the North Shore, attended by dozens of young adults.

The party has been widely condemned, including drawing admonishment from Prime Minister Jacinda ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield earlier today.

Police received multiple complaints from the public, including a noise complaint in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The police statement said they would not tolerate this type of breach of alert level restrictions and would like to thank those members of the public who reported the matter to them.

Enquiries are continuing and more charges may be laid.

Tahiti’s Flosse on home detention

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

French Polynesia’s former president Gaston Flosse has been sentenced to six months’ home detention for filing an incomplete declaration of assets and interests in 2014.

Flosse should have been jailed but because he is 90 years-old, he can serve his sentence with an electronic bracelet at home in Tahiti.

Last month, the court in Paris heard that he had omitted to declare a $US1.1 million stake in a property company, $US260,000 in a savings account and 138 art works estimated to be worth almost $US300,000.

The prosecution said given his previous convictions, Flosse should be jailed for a year, fined $US50000 and banned from any political office for five years.

Although the court found his offending to be serious, he was only given a six-month sentence as well as the fine.

While Flosse can appeal, his defence lawyer expressed general satisfaction with the verdict, saying his client wasn’t found guilty of concealing any enrichment.

The defence had admitted there were errors and omissions, but no intention to defraud.

Flosse has several corruption convictions and has been banned from holding office since 2014 when he was stripped of his seat in the French Senate and then lost the French Polynesian presidency.

His last conviction for abusing public funds came in Tahiti in December when he and the current president Edouard Fritch were fined and ordered to jointly settle a water bill of $US820,000.

The scheme to supply a few homes for free but to make the public pay was arranged by Flosse and continued by Fritch in their roles as mayors of Pirae.

Man charged with murder following South Auckland shooting

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Police investigating the death of a man on Saturday evening, who died after arriving at Middlemore Hospital with critical injuries, have today charged a man with Murder.

Misiona Talafu Petelo, aged 19, from Papatoetoe, died following a shooting incident which occurred earlier on Saturday evening on Massey Road in Mangere.

Police have been providing support to his whanau at this difficult time.

Earlier today a 31-year-old man was arrested after handing himself into Police.

He has been charged with Murder and will be appearing in the Manukau District Court tomorrow.

Police enquiries are ongoing however as the matter is now before the courts, Police are not in a position to comment further.

Northland to move to level 2; Auckland to stay in level 3 step 1 for two weeks – PM

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

The prime minister has announced Cabinet’s decision on changes to alert levels for Auckland, Northland and parts of Waikato.

The government will announce a new ‘Covid-19 protection framework’ on Friday for when the country is at a higher vaccination rate.

On Wednesday, Covid 19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins will provide up-to-date advice on schools reopening.

“We know that, in the future, we cannot ask people to live week by week not knowing when things will change,” Ardern says.

Ardern says it appears the people who travelled in Northland have not spread Covid-19 further.

Northland will move to level 2 at 11.59pm on 19 October.

For Waikato, “the situation is different”.

“While the cases remain broadly linked, this linking is often occurring after the positive results are being returned.”

Ardern says there is a need to act with caution in the Waikato after positive cases and wastewater testing came back positive.

Parts of Waikato in level 3 will remain there with a review on Friday.

For Auckland, Ardern acknowledges its been a long time to be living with restrictions.

“But those restrictions have made a huge difference, they’ve helped us to keep case numbers as low as possible while we continue to vaccinate people.

“We need to keep going with both tools: our restrictions and vaccinations, because with Delta we cannot rely on just one.

“If we get this right, if we keep case numbers low while we vaccinate people, then it makes it easier for us to keep control of Covid while we ease restrictions in the future.”

Ardern says non-compliance with level 3 rules has been one of the biggest contributors to new cases.

Auckland will remain in level 3 with current restrictions for another two weeks.

She says any easing of restrictions over this time will not work towards the plan of minimising cases will vaccination rates increase.

There are now Covid-19 cases across 124 suburbs of Auckland.

She says the alert level 3 rules in Auckland are the toughest restrictions in place anywhere in the OECD at the moment.

Ardern acknowledged experts suggesting a level 4 circuit breaker for Auckland but says public health advises it would be unlikely to reduce case numbers “because of the nature of the outbreak and compliance has been an issue”.

On staying at level 3: “I know this is hard and I want to acknowledge the ongoing impact on Auckland businesses of staying at level 3.”

She says an enhanced business support package for Auckland is being worked on, which will be revealed on Friday.

The rest of New Zealand will remain at level 2.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says so far, there have been no positive cases that have come out of protests in Auckland. “Not as yet, our hope is there aren’t.”

Vaccine rollout update

Bloomfield expects that in two weeks’ time 80-85 percent of Aucklanders will be fully vaccinated. He says bookings are no longer a good forecasting system as walk-in vaccinations are popular.

Bloomfield says they have nearly finalised advice on getting an alternative vaccine for people who are willing to be vaccinated but refuse to have the Pfizer vaccine.

Ardern says there is a need to remove any barrier that is inhibiting vaccine reaching Māori health providers.

She says no one should be having to crowdfund for mobile vaccination clinics, the government just needs to direct resources to the right place.

Ardern says the government is working to recognise that people overseas have been vaccinated against Covid-19, particularly with vaccines other than Pfizer.

There were 60 new community cases of Covid-19 announced today – 57 in Auckland and three in Waikato.

RNZ understands ministers were also due to consider a traffic light-like system New Zealand could move to once the population is highly vaccinated.

It could mark the next phase, away from using alert level restrictions, to a mix of protective measures in the event of outbreaks.

That could include mask use, gathering limits, social distancing, proof of vaccination and scanning.

It could be some months before it would be ready to be implemented.

Ardern, however, would not confirm if the Covid-19 protection framework will be a ‘traffic light system’.

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