Northland's first milk bank opens, aiding premature babies
Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson was the first donor at Te Kotuku maternity unit. Photo / RNZ
Northland director of midwifery Sue Bree likened breast milk to 'liquid gold'.
'It is love turned into food. Of course, there are many, many nutritional benefits as well. Premature babies have specific needs in terms of immunity and the antibodies that are in breast milk,' she said.
Bree said women who wished to donate milk would be able to drop it off at a collection point in central Whangārei. It would then be pasteurised and frozen until needed.
Bree compared the milk bank project to a pregnancy, albeit one with a more than two-year gestation period.
It had been made possible by 'incredible generosity' from the community, which had raised the almost $33,000 needed to buy the pasteuriser.
'It's a pragmatic manifestation of the saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child',' Bree said.
Bree said Northland had high rates of breastfeeding, but donated milk was needed for sick and pre-term babies.
A premature baby in Whangārei Hospital's Te Kotuku neonatal unit. Photo / RNZ
'Sometimes they don't have access to breast milk, either because it's early days and the mother is unable to produce it, or there are other, long-term issues. So, we recognised this was going to be a really beneficial thing for our sick and vulnerable pēpi [babies].'
Small, premature babies would be prioritised, but donated milk could also be given to babies in the maternity ward with low blood sugar levels.
In the past, premature babies had mainly been given formula, made from cow's milk, which was essential but not ideal.
She expected hundreds of babies a year would benefit.
Midwife Louise Rowden said a mother's breast milk was the perfect food.
'But if the mother can't get her own breast milk, then the next best thing is another mother's breast milk,' she said.
Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson, the first donor, cuts the ribbon to open Northland's first human milk bank. Photo / RNZ
Lactation consultant Janine Parsons said breast milk also brought long-term health benefits, including reduced rates of diabetes, cardiovascular problems, obesity, and allergies in later life.
She said pasteurisation eliminated bacteria and viruses but preserved 'the vast majority' of antibodies and vitamins.
Donors would also complete a health questionnaire and a blood test to check for diseases that could be transmitted through breast milk.
The milk would be tested after pasteurisation to ensure it was safe.
Public fundraising for the pasteuriser was led by Whangārei Rotary Club South, with contributions from Hāpai Te Hauora, Whangārei Lions, Whangārei City Rotary, and Northland Community Foundation.
Much of the money came from an auction of artworks bequeathed by the late Kerikeri artist Valerie Hunton, who had a lifelong commitment to women's health across the Pacific.
The community raised almost $33,000 for the pasteuriser, mostly from the artworks of the late Kerikeri artist Valerie Hunton. Photo / RNZ
Whangārei's new milk bank was used within an hour of opening for a pre-term baby who had spent a week in the neonatal unit.
Mum Emma, from Whangārei, said she wanted to give her baby breast milk from the beginning, but had to use formula instead.
She said it was 'really exciting' to be the first person in Northland to use the service.
'It's so good to have this option now. And baby's great. We've just got the go-ahead to go home.'
He Piropiro Waiū Human Milk Bank is the fifth public milk bank in the motu, after Christchurch, Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim.
There are also private milk banks in Christchurch and Palmerston North.
Health New Zealand is working on a system to transport donated breast milk to other parts of Northland.
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4 hours ago
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By Tim Brown of RNZ A neurodivergent adult student has abandoned his degree after being accused of cheating by the University of Canterbury. David* is an adult student with Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. His conditions meant he was allowed use a computer for spell-checking in exams, but he was accused of accessing the internet during an exam in June. It took six weeks for the university to clear him of wrong-doing and David said the process was drawn out, lacked inclusivity, and the stress it caused him affected his physical and mental health. But the University of Canterbury defended its handling of the matter, saying its standard processes were followed. 'He actually found his place' David's early years of schooling were marred by memories of shame and being treated as the "naughty boy" due to his conditions. But now in his 30s, after encouragement from his wife, he decided to become the first person in his family to go to university. The first year and a half of his study went well, reaffirming his decision to pursue a Bachelor of Arts. "It took me probably a good year to convince him to go to university and give it a go," his wife, Margaret*, told RNZ. "I went when I was in my 20s, so I'm like 'I know you, you're very intelligent, you will thrive there' and he was. His first year and a half was great. Everybody was saying he actually found his place. "I'd spent a long time in my life working menial middle-range jobs and I thought why not give it a shot, and I've thrived up until this point. I'm sitting on a decent GPA, which is sort of unexpected," David added. However, it was not without its difficulties and his neurodiversity entitled him to use a computer for spell-checking during his exams. That was where the problem arose. While sitting a 200-level closed-book exam on 9 June, an exam officer told David he had seen him access Google using the computer. David said he had no intention of going into Google and he believed it opened as a result of a hyperlink in the word processing programme he was using for spell checking. After explaining that to the officer, he assumed that was the end of it. More than two weeks later, on 25 June, he received an email: "I have had a matter referred to me by the Proctors Office. The allegation against you is that you accessed the internet on two separate occasions in a closed book exam". David met with the proctor the next day. "I said 'if anything's happened, it's purely by mistake. It might have accidentally opened an external tab. That wasn't my intention'," David said. "She turned round and said to me 'well, look, sometimes we make mistakes. We all make mistakes and sometimes it's easier just to own up and admit it and we can make this go through a lot smoother'." David said he reiterated his innocence and the proctor responded by telling him "well the process is going to be a long, drawn-out one then". He left the meeting feeling as if his guilt had been decided. "I said to [my wife] they're going to find me guilty anyway," he said. "We even started putting together an appeals process because that was the opinion I got when I met the proctor - they had already determined my guilt." Then came silence. David received his exam results, but his grade for the paper in question was not published. On 8 July, he reached out to the proctor. "I am still investigating this case and waiting for a reply to an internal email I sent on 30 June. This process may have been delayed due to the term break and colleagues taking annual leave. I have followed up with the colleague concerned and hopefully I receive a reply soon," the proctor's response said. Margaret said the stress and anxiety it caused David was difficult to watch. "This has been really heartbreaking to see him just lose all this faith in this institution and just crumble beneath the really poor policies," she said. David said he felt awful. "Disenfranchised. Embarrassed. I try to keep my neurodiversity hidden and the fact that I opened myself up enough to tell UC, I feel like they abused my trust," he said. By 13 July, his GP was so concerned he wrote a letter to the university on David's behalf. "Based on [David's] account, these allegations appear to be unfounded and the way they have been handled has had a profound impact on both his mental and physical health," the letter said. "[He] reports that he was given very limited support when informed of these accusations, and the process appears to have lacked appropriate sensitivity. He has since experienced severe psychological distress, including panic attacks, and I have noted a marked deterioration in his overall well-being." Finally, on 24 July, four weeks after his meeting with the proctor, David received an email clearing him of wrongdoing. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on 26 June 2025. I appreciate the honest and open conversation and as discussed; I am following up formally advising you of the outcome of this referral," the letter started. "As indicated at our hui I have investigated this allegation and gathered the necessary information required to make an informed decision regarding this referral from UC Concerns. I appreciate your patience while I have done so and with the information before me, I have reached the decision that you did not breach the University Academic Misconduct Regulations." No apology There was no apology and no further explanation. "No sorry for the stress. No sorry for the accusation. Just we carried out our process and we consider it the end of the situation," David said. The University of Canterbury needed to assess whether its processes were suitable for neurodiverse students, he said. His treatment meant he no longer felt safe to pursue his studies and he would not be returning next year to complete his degree. Instead, David had used his credits to attain a certificate and diploma of arts. "It feels like they've actually stolen part of my future identity because I'm actually the first person in my family to go to university," he said. "I was hoping that some of the nieces and nephews would actually follow me in, but not after this experience." University responds The university did not directly address RNZ's questions about whether an apology was warranted. But on a statement, the University of Canterbury defended how it handled the situation. The response has been edited for length: "[David]'s case was managed in line with our normal academic misconduct process, which, by necessity, takes time to investigate thoroughly and ensure fairness. "[David] participated in a closed book exam on 9 June. For closed book exams, students are advised that they may not refer to any course materials or other resources during the exam. The two exam supervisors reported that during the exam, on two separate occasions, they observed [David] opening an internet page on the device he was using during the exam. "It is usual process for students to be invited to attend a meeting with a Proctor to discuss an allegation of academic misconduct, and they are able to bring a support person. "The UC Proctor's recollection of the meeting differs from that of [David]. The Proctor explained that this was an initial meeting to discuss the allegation and to give [David] an opportunity to respond. "At the time of the first meeting, the Proctor did not have access to [David]'s neurodiversity information, as this is securely managed through UC's Accessibility Service for formal exam and learning arrangements. [David] shared this information with the Proctor during the meeting to explain why he had special exam arrangements in place. "The academic misconduct process that was followed in [David]'s case has been reviewed by UC's Head Proctor, in response to the concerns raised by [David]. The review confirmed that UC's standard processes were followed and that [David] was given a fair opportunity to respond. "Following the completion of the investigation, the Proctor determined that academic misconduct had not occurred. "[David]'s privacy complaint has been investigated by UC's Privacy Officer, and a response has been provided to him on 4 August. The Privacy Officer determined that no privacy breach occurred." David and Margaret have also complained to the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman. *Not their real names
