Holiday road toll: 4 dead and at least 10 injured
The official road toll period will end at 6am on Tuesday. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi
Four people have been killed and at least 10 injured in separate crashes in the first two days of the long weekend.
A woman died in hospital on Sunday after her vehicle rolled on Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Road in Waikato on Friday, just a few hours after the holiday road toll period began. Three others were injured in the single vehicle crash.
A man died several hours later in a crash in the Waipā district, also in Waikato, after his vehicle left the road and rolled into a paddock.
Just after midnight Saturday a person died in a two vehicle crash south of Kawakawa in Northland.
And on Saturday night a man died after his car ended up on its roof on State Highway 16 in Auckland. Four people were taken to hospital, two in a serious condition and two in moderate condition.
The official road toll period will end at 6am on Tuesday.
Last year, three people died on the roads during the King's Birthday holiday weekend.
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NZ Herald
9 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Waiomio fatal crash: Victim named as Charmaine Rere Sapphire Haronga Te Purei Singh, of Gisborne
Police have named the woman who died in a two-vehicle crash on King's Birthday weekend in Northland. She was Charmaine Rere Sapphire Haronga Te Purei Singh, 38, of Gisborne. Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 1 near Waiomio, just south of Kawakawa, about midnight
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
Police seized work and personal phones of press secretary Michael Forbes while investigating complaints
Photo: LinkedIn/Michael Forbes Police say any new information regarding the Prime Minister's former deputy chief press secretary will be "thoroughly considered". Stuff reports that Michael Forbes, a former journalist, allegedly recorded audio of multiple sessions with Wellington sex workers, and amassed a gallery of women working out at the gym, shopping, and being filmed through a window getting ready to go out. Wellington District Manager Criminal Investigations Detective Inspector John Van Den Heuvel said in a statement to RNZ on Thursday evening that police received a report from the manager of a Wellington brothel on July 12 2024 , relating to audio recordings of sex workers. Police obtained a search warrant on July 13 to seize two phones for examination - one personal and one work device. "On examining the phones, Police also found a number of photos and video of women in public spaces, and what appears to be women in private addresses, taken from a distance away. "Police considered the available evidence and concluded it did not meet the requirements for criminality, and therefore charges could not be filed. "The individual concerned voluntarily spoke with Police and admitted to taking the images and recordings. He was reminded of the inappropriateness of his behaviour and encouraged to seek help." Forbes also deleted the images in the presence of Police. "Police acknowledge this man's behaviour was extremely distressing for the women involved and would like to reassure them that any new information will be thoroughly considered. "Based on the initial report and available evidence to date, Police are unable to progress the matter further." One of the sex workers who was allegedly recorded, Zara (not her real name) and another sex worker Fern (not her real name) released a joint statement to RNZ on Thursday. "The law urgently needs to catch up with the digital age. Covertly recording intimate encounters without consent is a form of sexual violence, yet current legislation fails to adequately protect victims - especially sex workers and those who identify as women. "We should be safe in public without images being captured of our bodies unbeknownst to us. Power imbalances across the board leave the potential for us to exploited, unheard, and unprotected. It's time for real legal reform that centres consent, safety, and accountability had allegedly recorded audio of a session with a sex worker." It comes after the madam of the brothel where Forbes allegedly recorded audio of a sex worker, told RNZ she wants something to be done about privacy laws when it comes to recording people without their knowledge. "This is an issue for all women, women are being recorded, photographed, filmed without their consent or knowledge and heaven only knows where it's ending up. This is the main issue and that's what needs to be focused on." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's deputy chief press secretary Michael Forbes (left) during a trip to India. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The Deparment of Internal Affairs said all Ministerial Services staff are subject to standard pre-employment checks when they are first employed. These checks include reference checks, serious misconduct checks and a criminal conviciton check. In addition, security clearances are required for some positions in Minister's offices. The department says these checks were completed when Michael Forbes was first employed by Ministerial Services and were not required for the later temporary assignment to the Prime Minister's office. "We acknowledge staff may be unsettled or feel their safety may have been compromised. We are committed to supporting our people and ensuring they feel, and are, safe at work." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the incidents, that were investigated by police but didn't lead to any charges, occurred after he was vetted to work for Social Development Minister Louise Upston. "He has an obligation to actually declare those issues or those incidents to us, that didn't happen which is why his employment would have been terminated obviously. "But there is a good question about making sure, and I have asked specifically for DIA (The Department of Internal Affairs) to look at vetting processes," Luxon said in a media conference at Parliament on Thursday morning. He added that the expectation was on Forbes to have raised the incidents with the Prime Minister's office "because it impacts the office and the reputation of the office, for obvious reasons, but that didn't happen". Luxon said DIA had kicked off a "deep dive into seeing what further actions are needed to actually strengthen our processes." Forbes moved from Upston's office to the Prime Minister's in February this year and "had the vetting that he needed to come into the Beehive". "We will look at that to make sure that there's anything else we could have done differently in that vetting." The Prime Minister wouldn't discuss what level of security clearance Forbes had in the Beehive. Luxon also had questions about whether the investigation should have been elevated by police to the Beehive. 'We have to take this incident and understand what has happened here and how it happened, and what more can we do about it. "I think it's a legitimate question to say what can we look at between the inter-agency processes, between the different agencies, whether it's police, whether it's the SIS or whether it's ministerial services." The Prime Minister was open to looking at privacy laws after a call for a law change by the madam of the brothel at the centre of the accusations against Forbes. "I'm open to looking at our settings, again as we go through this experience, we have a series of laws whether it's the harmful digital bill, whether it's the privacy laws, or now new stalking laws, but we're open to looking at that further as well." "I think many Kiwis will be incredibly concerned with this issue, as I am too." Luxon said he spoke to a number of women on Wednesday who work closely with Forbes and he said "understandably there's anger, it's distressing". Prime Minister Christopher Luxon takes questions at the Beehive after the resignation of press secretary Michael Forbes. Photo: Luxon said he understood it was a private phone, not a government issued one, that was used to capture the recordings and photos. Police commissioner Richard Chambers said he was first made aware of the issue late on Tuesday afternoon after a media inquiry. "I immediately contacted the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and subsequently informed the Police Minister under the no-surprises practise." It was raised with the police executive in July 2024, during the investigation into the complaint. It was not brought to the attention of Ministers or Ministerial Services at the time. "It is up to the commissioner of the day (Andrew Coster) to decide what to elevate by way of the no surprises convention. "Those decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. It would be wrong for me to comment on decisions made by the then-executive because I do not know the information they were based on, or the reasons for those decisions. "In situations such as this, it should also be considered whether there is an obligation on an individual to raise any issues that might be relevant to their employment with their employer or prospective employer," he said. "Decisions around the handling of the investigation and questions about whether it should be re-visited are for Wellington District police to consider. I have absolute faith in them to do that." In a press conference, Chambers also said there would be different circumstances or reasons as to why a matter may or may not be elevated. "It is not the failure of my organisation at all. I think there are a number of responsibilities here on individuals to alert matters which they should understand could be problematic, in terms of prospective employment." Chamber's predecessor as Commissioner, Andrew Coster, said he had only learned of the investigation into Forbes through media reports. "I learned of this situation through the media in the last 24 hours. As I no longer have access to information about Police's processes I am unable to comment further," Coster said. That statement was put to Chambers, who said executive members know their responsibilities. "It is important that police executive members alert their Commissioner to matters that may need consideration." The madam of the Wellington brothel, which RNZ has agreed to not name, said she was at the brothel when a sex worker came out of a room and alleged Forbes was recording audio and showed her his phone. The madam went into the room while Forbes was in the shower and confronted him. "I said you were recording, have you done this before and he said 'uhuh'. I said you need to give me your pin number. "I went through his phone and I instantly found recordings that were named." She said she told Forbes she needed to keep his phone and he left. She then gave the phone to police. The madam alleged Forbes had "many recordings on his phone of sex workers". She knew of some of the women who had been recorded. "Those who needed to know found out they had been recorded," she says. The women were shocked, she said. It had been a "balancing act" for the women involved. "It's really tricky for sex workers to do things, sometimes because shit can come down on them. In a boys club like the one Michael Forbes is in who knows what the fallout could be. We are decriminalised, it's a legal business, there's a lot of discrimination against us, insurance companies banks and that." The women who had seen Forbes said he appeared "relatively respectful," the madam said. Forbes has offered an apology for the harm his actions caused to women. "I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed," he said in a statement. "In the past, I was in a downward spiral due to unresolved trauma and stress, and when confronted with the impacts of my behaviour a year ago, I sought professional help, which is something I wish I had done much earlier. "What I failed to do then was make a genuine attempt to apologise. Instead, I tried to move on without offering those I had harmed the acknowledgement, accountability, or amends they deserved. I recognise how wrong that was." Forbes said he spent the past year "reflecting on how I may have affected these women's sense of safety and ability to go about their lives and work". "No one should ever feel violated, unsafe, or disrespected, especially in spaces where they should feel secure, and I am truly sorry for contributing to an environment where women may have felt otherwise," he said. "The therapy I've received over the past year has helped me to understand the roots of my behaviour and begin addressing the patterns that led to it. This is a long-term commitment to change that I take very seriously. "I understand that my past actions may have undermined the trust people place in me. So, I have resigned from my job to focus on the work I need to do." RNZ asked Forbes on Wednesday evening if there was anything in the reporting he disputed or disagreed with. He replied "not really". But believed it was likely some of the photos were consensual ones of his partner. Asked for comment on Thursday morning about the comments from the madam of the brothel. He declined to comment further. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
13 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Company fined $12k for large wastewater spill
By Keiller MacDuff of RNZ The company responsible for a wastewater spill that killed thousands of fish in a Canterbury creek has been convicted and fined $12,000. Fibreboard manufacturers Daiken New Zealand had pleaded guilty to the charge late last year, which carried a maximum penalty of $600,000. The company is wholly owned by major Japanese multinational conglomerate Daiken Corporation but is not associated with air conditioner manufacturer Daikin Industries. The charge - brought by the Canterbury Regional Council under the Resource Management Act - was of discharging of a contaminant onto or into land in a manner that resulted in the contaminant entering water, after wastewater spilled from the medium density fibreboard (MDF) factory into Saltwater Creek, a tributary of the Rakahuri/Ashley River. The spill, which happened overnight on 31 August 2023, saw wastewater contaminated by substances used in the MDF refining processes, including paraffin, urea, formaldehyde, resin, bacteria, and surfactants, as well as a small amount of treated human waste. The court heard the spill was caused by a failure in piping waste from one part of Daiken's wastewater system to another. Daiken's wastewater system was made up of an oxidation pond, an aerated pond, storage lagoons and a partially suspended lagoon (PSL), which is about 30 metres from Saltwater Creek. Recently installed Venturi manual pumps operated continuously to keep the PSL at a constant level. When a Daiken employee noticed the outlet tube of first of the new pumps was vibrating, he fixed a custom-made brace to it. But when two other pumps were installed shortly before the spill, their tubes were left unsecured. One of the tubes broke overnight, resulting in about 1500-1700 m3 of wastewater spilling onto land and into Saltwater Creek. Lawyers representing Daiken said the employee who secured the pipe on the first tube was away when the other two were installed. In his absence, the company's mechanical co-ordinator contracted another company to install pump supports, and another to attend to the commissioning of the pumps. Neither installed braces. A senior representative of one of the companies told his counterpart at Daiken he was happy with the installation, and not concerned with "a little bit of movement". On the basis of that advice, and after organising for another contractor to complete the bracing the next day, Daiken's co-ordinator left the pumps running overnight. The judge described the person involved as a reliable senior employee with about 50 years experience, and classed the incident as a "one off lapse of judgement". Regional council officers at the scene after the spill recorded the creek as a "very turbid light brown" with a "strong odour of MDT effluent". Council reports and subsequent scientific analysis found the discharge resulted in "a severe and rapid drop in dissolved oxygen concentrations", with the decline in water quality persisting through most downstream river reaches for at least ten hours, and likely extended to the estuary - even with dilution - resulting in at least four to 10 hours of "severe and extensive degradation of water quality", Judge Hassan said. "Thousands of aquatic fauna would have perished, including likely the total downstream populations of some taxa including inanga, brown trout and bully" mostly by suffocation, with those left alive suffering "acute stress". Saltwater Creek is made up of a myriad of spring fed channels, and provided habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including the kana kana or pouched lamprey, long and short fin eels, inanga (whitebait), blue gill and giant bullies. Whitebait spawn in the river margins and wetlands of Saltwater Creek between autumn and winter, and surveys prior to the discharge identified declines in kākahi - fresh water mussels - which have a threat status of at risk. Other species included common smelt and black flounder. Te Aka Aka/Ashley estuary is classified as an area of significant natural value in the Regional Coastal Environmental Plan, and as an wetland of ecological and representative importance by the Department of Conservation, Judge Hassan said. The discharge coincided with the opening of the annual white-bait season. Anglers and whitebaiters were told to avoid the area, landowners and water users were warned of the risk to stock, and Te Whatu Ora was notified. The regional council's lawyers suggested a starting point of $130,000, while the company's legal counsel suggested a conviction and discharge would be appropriate, and, if not, a starting point of $130,000 was supported by precedent. On Wednesday, Judge Hassan convicted the company, and fined them $12,000. Judge Hassan found Daiken's offending to have caused a temporary severe environmental consequence, with experts predicting it would have taken 12 months for the ecology to recover, as well as cultural harm and harm to the wider community. Daiken had a commendable history of "responsible local environmental stewardship," the judge said, noting a wetland restoration project on the company's land in conjunction with the Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust. Judge Hassan said he considered the nature of the environment affected, the extent of harm inflicted, deliberateness and attitudinal factors, and found Daiken's culpability to be low. Through a restorative justice process, Daiken committed to pay $15,000 to Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust, and $15,000 to the Sefton Saltwater Creek Catchment Group, and agreed to contribute at least $20,000 towards consultants to carry out assessments and baseline exploratory work across the wider catchment. The company also proactively engaged with Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu and Te Ngāi Tuahuriri, committing to work together on enhancing the health of the creek, including providing regularly monitoring and improvement updates, Judge Hassan said. The terms of these payments were set out in an enforcement order, which requires Daiken make the payments by specified dates. After adopted a starting fine in the range in the order of $80,000, Judge Hassan discounted it for Daiken's guilty plea, good character and remorse, then accounted for the other financial commitments, resulting in the final fine of $12,000. The Rangiora company is wholly owned by Japan's Daiken Corporation, which made 210 billion yen (NZ$2 billion) in revenue and 3.9 billion yen (NZ$45m) in profit in the 2023/2024 financial year. Daiken New Zealand's revenue over the same period was NZ$185.5 million, and its profit after tax was $19.9m. Environment Canterbury compliance manager Jennifer Rochford said the fine was lower than the council expected, but it respected the decision of the court.
