More than half of Kiwis support social media ban for under 16s
More than half of New Zealanders support a social media ban for under 16 year olds, according to the latest RNZ Reid-Research poll. It comes as the government looks into options to restrict social media for young people, after a National Party members Bill was dismissed by the ACT party as unworkable. Politicians agree something needs to be done - but exactly what that is, or how its implemented isn't yet clear. Political reporter Lillian Hanly reports.
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RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
HMAS Canberra accidentally blocks wireless internet and radio services in New Zealand
By Andrew Thorpe , ABC At 230 metres long, HMAS Canberra is the Royal Australian Navy's largest vessel. Photo: AFP The Department of Defence has acknowledged that HMAS Canberra , the Royal Australian Navy's largest warship, accidentally took out a number of wireless internet and radio services across New Zealand earlier this week during a visit intended to celebrate the sister city relationship between Canberra and Wellington. The incident occurred early on Wednesday morning, as the 230-metre navy flagship made its way through the Cook Strait en route to New Zealand's capital, where the ship's crew is set to be welcomed with a parade and concert on Saturday. According to local internet service providers (ISPs), HMAS Canberra' s navigation radar began interfering with 5GHz wireless access points - devices that bridge wired and wireless networks - in regions on both New Zealand's North and South Islands at around 2am. Wireless internet and radio outages caused by HMAS Canberra. Photo: ABC News The radar interference triggered in-built switches in the devices that caused them to go offline, a safety precaution intended to prevent wireless signals from interfering with radar systems in New Zealand's airspace. Stuff reported that the outages were first raised with Radio Spectrum Management, an agency within the government's business ministry. The agency notified the New Zealand Defence Force, which notified the Australian Defence Force. "On becoming aware, HMAS Canberra changed frequencies rectifying the interference," a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Defence said. "There are no ongoing disruptions." The outages affected wireless internet and radio services in Taranaki and Marlborough regions, the spokesperson added. Matthew Harrison, managing director of New Zealand-based ISP Primo, said he had never seen anything like the incident before. "This wasn't just a blip. It was full-scale, military-grade radar triggering built-in safety protocols … and it rolled across our network in sync with the ship's movement," he wrote on LinkedIn. "It's not every day a warship takes your gear offline!" Harrison said the incident underlined the fragility of New Zealand's radio spectrum environment, with rural fixed wireless services having to share a frequency band with radar systems. -ABC
NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Letters: Phil Goff's art of saying nothing; Parliament shame; bottom trawling destructive
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The haka was a powerful, beautiful, unforgettable work of performance art that posed no threat to individuals, but did threaten the destructive, divisive ideology the Government is pursuing. The greatest art speaks truth to power, truth that power would rather we did not hear. Andrea Dawe, Sandringham. The Chase The headline said 'Paul Henry is to host The Chase NZ'. I was amazed by Paul's modesty when he said: '…and I can be enormously charming when I put my mind to it'. Next we learn The Chase NZ is to be filmed in Sydney. This at a time when we are encouraging film makers to come to New Zealand. If the NZ Chase is to be filmed in Sydney, I would rather forget it and stick with the tried-and-true UK version hosted by Bradley Walsh. John Epsom. Relationship with China For the future of our country let's hope our current Prime Minister listens to advice from former leaders on his upcoming trip to Beijing. Helen Clark, Don Brash, Sir Geoffrey Palmer and others all saying the same thing. In 2008, NZ was the first developed country to have a free trade agreement with China, who are now our biggest trading partner by far. Our current Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, is positioning NZ alongside the United States as an adversary of China. In my opinion this is crazy. If China gets annoyed with us and cancels our exports of dairy products, meat, forestry and fruit this could have catastrophic consequences. NZ exports to China are worth $20 billion. Christopher Luxon needs to convince China we value our joint friendship with them. The Chinese will realise we also have longstanding friendships with US, UK and Australia. However, we should state emphatically that we will remain nuclear-free and will not enter into Aukus or similar military alliances aimed at China. Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay. New Lynn terror attack Families of victims of the New Lynn supermarket stabbings must be aghast to learn that the police Special Tactics Group, specifically deployed to keep the perpetrator under surveillance, decided not to follow him into the supermarket. The team members were armed because of concerns the offender could commit a 'lone wolf' attack yet they stayed outside so as not to blow their cover. This rationalisation was deeply flawed. The tragedy could have been averted. John Walsh, Green Bay. Treaty Principles Bill The expected debacle over the Treaty Principles Bill surprises no one: it was inevitable and highlights the ineptitude of Parliament. Intended to be a place of some gravitas where elected representatives can debate issues and formulate rules by which we can all live, it is in reality a disorganised muddle where politicians preen and carry on like idiots. To misquote Shakespeare, a plague on all your houses. Thank God for the oft-maligned Civil Service that has the unenviable task of making some sense, and creating some order, out of this fiasco. Mike Newland, Matakana. Energy supply A Herald article (June 6) notes the start of construction of the Genesis Energy 100 MW Battery. Genesis chief executive Malcolm Johns is referenced as stating: 'As New Zealand's electricity supply becomes more renewable and subject to weather, this battery will help smooth out fluctuations in supply, ensuring supply remains reliable and secure.' Weather-related fluctuations would have to be of very short duration for the battery to be useful in that context, given it would be flat after just two hours with 100 MW output. The power crisis of the 2024 dry winter lasted two months. Weather-related power variations for time scales of days and months need a much bigger 'battery' – like something equivalent to the Lake Onslow scheme's 1000 MW for 6 months. Earl Bardsley, Hamilton. Bottom trawling Like Edith Cullen (letters, June 6), I am appalled that Aotearoa refuses to ban the hugely destructive practice of bottom trawling. If anyone doubts how devastating this practice is, they should watch David Attenborough's latest movie Ocean. His team managed to get right up close to capture industrial trawlers at work and confronts us with the sight of the grey and lifeless desert it leaves in its wake. Attenborough offers hope but that rests on 'no take zones' and giving the devastated areas time to recover. Why are we going in the wrong direction? Maire Leadbeater, Mt Albert A quick word What do the president of the Law Society, the Deputy Police Commissioner and the Prime Minister's deputy press secretary have in common? Arrogance and stupidity? Bruce Tubb, Devonport. I suspect one of the weaknesses of the public health system is that important decisions are made by persons who have no intention of using the public system themselves. Elizabeth Aloupis, Auckland. A sad day for our beloved Aotearoa ... so ashamed of our Parliament today - Privileges Committee - really says it all, those who are privileged. Bouquets to Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori, who all understood and conveyed the importance of the excessive censure recommended - thank you for representing us with truth and conviction. Janette Anderson, Paeroa. Waikeria Prison, New Zealand's latest and newest hotel. You build them and they will fill them as you get more inside than you get on the outside. Why doesn't the Government do more to keep the prison invasion down is beyond me. We are too soft in New Zealand. Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach. I watched an item on TV1 news this evening (June 5) which included coverage of, what I guess was, the debating chamber of Parliament. My question is - where the heck were all our elected politicians? There appeared to be very few 'bums on seats' so I'm wondering what the heck we're paying them to do if they can't even turn up to work? Shelley Batt, Rotorua. Each year at this time, we can view television coverage of the madness that is the motorcycle racing on the Isle of Man. The event is notorious for its dangers, accidents and its dreadful death statistics. Many recent safety improvements to the course have been made but many stone walls and an undulating roadway remain. The guts of riders is astonishing and to risk one's life at a sporting event is incomprehensible. But every year there is no shortage of starters willing to take the risk whatever us mere mortals may be capable of comprehending. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Twelve-month prescription renewals: What you need to know
The government's plan will allow some patients to go longer between prescription renewals. Photo: 123RF In the annual flood of Budget coverage a few weeks back, one of the big announcements for the health sector was a move to allow 12-month prescription renewals from 2026. But how is it going to work and how will it affect your health services? RNZ is here to explain it all. The current maximum prescription length for most medicines is three months, but the government's new plan would extend that to 12 months for many medicines. This means that some patients will no longer need to visit their GP every three months to get their standing medication renewed. While some repeat prescriptions can be filled without a doctor's visit now by contacting their office, guidelines by the Medical Council of New Zealand on good prescribing practice say "patients receiving repeat prescriptions should be assessed in person on a regular basis" and repeats are given only with a doctor's discretion. In announcing the plan , Health Minister Simeon Brown said the current system "creates unnecessary barriers for patients on stable, long-term medications like asthma inhalers, insulin for diabetes, and blood pressure tablets. It means added costs for patients and more paperwork for health professionals, taking time away from patients with more urgent or complex needs". Medicines will still have to be dispensed every three months from pharmacies. "It's a win-win for patients and the health system - fewer avoidable hospitalisations, better health outcomes and reduced long term costs," Brown has said. Not until the first quarter of 2026. Luke Bradford of the Royal New Zealand College of GPs. Photo: supplied This is expected to mostly affect people on long-term medicines, the Ministry of Health said. The increased prescribing limit will also apply to oral contraceptives, which currently have a six-month prescribing limit. Royal New Zealand College of GPs medical director Dr Luke Bradford said that during consultation on the plan, the college had supported a six-month prescription renewal instead of 12. "We submitted on this and said 12 months is probably too long, six months would be reasonable." Dr Bradford said there would not be a centralised list of drugs that are part of the scheme and physicians will need to determine who benefits from 12-month renewals. "It's very much going to be a patient by patient situation and we can't put blanket rules across this. It depends on a whole raft of things but predominantly depends on conditions being managed." If you have multiple prescriptions for multiple conditions, you are far less likely to get 12-month renewals as a physician needs to monitor your ongoing health and possible interactions. "Prescribers will be responsible for determining the clinically appropriate prescription length and can prescribe for up to 12 months, or for shorter periods if they consider that most appropriate," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said. Controlled substances - which include opiates such as morphine and fentanyl - are not included. Controlled substances will not be included. Photo: 123RF/Steve Heap 2016 The Budget allocated $91 million over four years "to support this change". "It is expected this change will increase patients' access to medicines and therefore create a higher demand for medicines. Funding is required for the Combined Pharmaceutical Budget to meet the increased demand for medicines," the Ministry of Health spokesperson said. "The Budget includes $10m initial funding in the 2025/26 financial year, with outyear funding held in contingency, pending information gathered from the initial uptake." Some patients won't have to go to the GP quite as often, in theory. GP visits are charged differently from place to place and can run anywhere from $20 to $90 depending on the complicated calculation of fees at individual doctors' offices. The Ministry of Health has said that the average patient who renews prescriptions four times a year could save up to $105 a year on GP fees. It also has said the change could mean less time off work or school for appointments and it could make life easier for people in rural and remote areas who travel to get to their doctor. No. The $5 co-payment for most prescriptions - which was brought back under the current National-led government - will remain unchanged. And you'll still need to go back to the pharmacy every three months to have your prescriptions dispensed even if you're on a 12-month renewal from your doctor, Dr Bradford said. "There's some safety mechanisms built into this in that they're not going to dispense 12 months of medicines. People aren't going to suddenly have huge boxes of medicine at home." In a statement to RNZ, the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand said it cautiously supported the move, but had concerns. "PSNZ support the increased period in principle, but with some provisos - as always, it's the detail that will matter and we are waiting to receive that. "For example, there is currently no indication that funds to support the extra monitoring and counselling that may be required, when patients are picking up their medication every three months without any interacting with their general practice." If people visit their GPs less often, it will affect the income their practices receive. In its submission on the proposal , the Royal College said prescriptions account for between seven to 10 percent of practice revenue. "The financial impact on practices that rely on revenue from current prescription renewals could be substantial, e.g., one specialist GP calculated a $320,000 loss in a patient population of 14,500," that submission also reported. "There will definitely be an impact on that," Dr Bradford said. At the same time, it won't necessarily reduce the admin work needed. Doctors will still need to do the legwork with their patients to keep on top of ongoing records, tests and screening, he said. Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro On its website, the Ministry of Health said the Medicines Regulations will need to be amended to increase the maximum length of prescriptions, and IT systems will need to be updated to allow this change. The Medicines Regulations 1984 will need to be amended. Pharmac will make changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule, while Health NZ will work to support GPs, other prescribers and pharmacies with updating systems and the transition. The Pharmaceutical Society said it also would work to ensure the prescription plan changes go smoothly. "PSNZ will use this time to engage with officials to support a smooth transition and highlight any unintended consequences, particularly any changes in workload and financial pressures that this change could place on pharmacists and their teams," it said in its statement. General Practice Owners Association chair Dr Angus Chambers recently told RNZ that many patients with chronic conditions needed regular reviews by a doctor or nurse. "Just to leave someone for 12 months to have their diabetes deteriorate may well lead to more emergency department visits and hospital admissions." Everyone manages their conditions differently, Dr Bradford said, and no two cases are quite the same. "If you're on five different meds for diabetes you're going to need three-month checkups." In announcing the plan, Simeon Brown said it would give GPs a breather. "Instead of spending time on routine repeat prescriptions, they can focus more on supporting those with complex or deteriorating health needs." Dr Bradford said the current three-month renewals do give a "safety net" for physicians to keep on top of issues. "By taking that away we either say we've still got to do that or the pressure goes on GPs to do it anyway and have to sit their own reminders for those periods of time and follow it up in their hour of clinic time." "The majority of patients will be fine," but a visit to a GP involves a lot more than just checking off a prescription renewal box, Dr Bradford said. "The moment you come in we're watching how you're walking, we're looking at your body language and listening for cues and we're reminding you of the screening you haven't done. "Those things that happen because you come in and say, 'Oh, I'm just here for my asthma medicine, doc,' are at risk of being lost." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
