The Panel with Denise L'Estrange-Corbet and Chris Wikaira Part 1
First, they're joined by political analyst Grant Duncan to discuss the UK's landmark decision to lower the voting age to 16, and the position that puts New Zealand in. Then, school holidays can put a huge strain on parents - should they be shortened?
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RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Council calls for tougher dog laws as attacks and euthanasia rates climb, rescuers overwhelmed
Auckland Council impounded over 12,000 dogs last year - more than half were euthanised. As shelters overflow, many like this are never reclaimed, prompting urgent calls for law reform. Photo: Auckland Council / Supplied Auckland Council is pushing for stronger powers under the Dog Control Act 1996 to address the growing number of roaming and uncontrolled dogs. Despite this, frontline rescuers and local leaders say the crisis requires immediate on-the-ground action. Saving Hope Foundation volunteer Jo Coulam said rescue groups were overwhelmed and felt abandoned. Coulam criticised the council's desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlighted that rescue groups carried too much of the burden. Saving Hope has rehomed 637 dogs and puppies in the past month, with 46 requests received in a single day. "We spoke, in May, about the Kāinga Ora houses and now, as we predicted, we have newborn puppies dumped on train tracks and in rubbish bins," she says. "Rescues like ours are left to do the hard work, while trying to educate owners, but we can't do it alone. "By 1pm that day, we'd already had 32 more, including a mum and a litter of newborn pups. It's out of control." Frontline officers are stretched thin as Auckland Council faces record numbers of roaming dog reports. Photo: Auckland Council / Supplied Manurewa MP Arena Williams said the situation had worsened over the past two years, affecting families and elderly residents, particularly in South Auckland. "This is why I've been calling on the mayor and Councillor Josephine Bartley to pull together a taskforce," she said. "Central and local government need to work together for Aucklanders. "Roaming dogs have got out of control in the last two years in Manurewa. Our kids and elderly people are at risk. "Dog attacks are up and we're now seeing roaming packs of unowned dogs. Manurewa needs new solutions to deal with this rapidly escalating issue. "National has spent a lot of time telling councils what to cut . This is an opportunity for ministers to do something constructive, and actually help Auckland with something that will genuinely benefit people in Manurewa and other communities affected." Auckland Council animal management manager Elly Waitoa said public safety was their top priority and dog owners must take responsibility for their pets. Waitoa said, while desexing dogs was not the council's responsibility, it was stepping in , because of the scale of the problem. She said the council sought stronger enforcement powers through legislative reform, which could include establishing conditions such as requiring fencing upgrades before a dog is released, mandating desexing in certain cases and introducing mandatory reporting of serious dog attacks to enable timely intervention. "We've got children being attacked, people being attacked, animals being attacked," she said. "Children can't go to school, because they're being terrorised by aggressive dogs. "They can't walk to their local shop because of dogs. "We don't have unlimited resources. It is the dog owner's responsibility to desex their dog, but we are doing everything that we can at this stage with the funding that we have. "We're calling for more tools, like mandatory fencing standards and hospital reporting of dog attacks. It's about giving councils real options, when education alone doesn't work." Children cross the street on their way to school - safety concerns are rising as roaming dog incidents increase. Photo: Auckland Council / Supplied In the past year, the council received 16739 reports of roaming dogs, 1341 reports of dog attacks on people and 1523 reports of attacks on other animals. Only 42 percent of dogs were reclaimed by their owners and more than 6000 were euthanised - more than half of all dogs impounded. ACC claim data suggests the actual number of dog attacks is likely higher. Most serious attacks involving children happened in the family home and went unreported to council, said general manager Robert Irvine. "Introducing mandatory hospital reporting would allow us to intervene and put measures in place to prevent attacks from happening again," he said. To help reduce attacks and improve enforcement, Auckland Council is asking the government for powers to: "These changes make good common sense and would greatly improve our ability to protect Aucklanders from dog-related harm," said Irvine. "They would not affect the majority of dog owners, who we know are responsible." Council regulatory and safety committee chair Josephine Bartley said most dog owners were responsible, but stricter rules were now necessary. "There is a group that just doesn't seem to care. Their actions are putting our communities at risk, particularly our tamariki, so having stricter rules around things like fencing and desexing has become necessary." Manurewa-Papakura councillor Daniel Newman said local board budgets were insufficient to respond to the scale of the problem. "I don't want to have to be looking around at local boards trying to fund desexing vouchers and what-have-you," he says. "This has to be a regional response to a region-wide problem." SPCA national community outreach manager Rebecca Dobson said the council-SPCA pilot only began in June and was too early to judge. "Since 2022, SPCA has desexed 1294 dogs in Auckland. That's part of a national programme that's seen 55000 animals desexed and more than 200000 unwanted litters prevented." She said meaningful progress required a significantly larger investment, estimated at more than $75 million. "Rescue groups, SPCA, councils, vets and communities are all grappling with the fallout of people not desexing their pets. None of us can fix this alone. "Desexing needs to become a priority for all pet owners." Dobson also noted that enforcement was the council's role, not the SPCA's. "The public should contact their local council when it comes to roaming dogs, dog attacks or public safety issues. SPCA works under the Animal Welfare Act, focused on cruelty prevention." The council has committed $5.9 million to increase patrols and community education, and said further funding proposals were being prepared for next year's annual plan. The message to dog owners is clear - keep your dogs secure, desexed and under control. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Departing councillor: ‘Social media abuse has got out of hand'
Whanganui district councillor Jenny Duncan is calling time on her 12 years' service. Photo: RNZ / Leigh-Marama McLachlan Long-serving local councillor Jenny Duncan is calling it quits, after four terms on the Whanganui District Council. Duncan, who served six of her 12 years as deputy mayor, has announced she will not stand for a fifth term in October's local body elections. "It's now time to hand over the reins," she said. "When the negativity outweighs the reward, it's time to go." Duncan said each term had its own challenges, highs and lows, and rewards, but the role had become more complex over time and took up "way more hours than intended, which is fine if you still enjoy it". She lashed out at the government and "keyboard warriors". "Costly impositions and criticism from government and the contempt they direct at us is not deserved by Whanganui," Duncan said. "Social media abuse has got out of hand in the past five or so years. "Keyboard warriors who draw swords before engaging sound thought or seeking facts is truly disappointing. All you're doing is showing your own ignorance and bias." The "dreadful" period during the pandemic, when government-mandated restrictions were in place, had emphasised for her how important it was to treat each other well, all the time. "I love my community, respect my colleagues and can attest to the huge amount of work that goes into our decisions. "We're often at variance, but with robust discussion and challenge, better decisions are made. "If you don't understand the decisions, maybe you didn't read the nine reports and attend the seven workshops that we did." Jenny Duncan (far left), taking part in a Whanganui District Council meeting. Photo: Local Democracy Reporting/ Tuakana Te Tana Duncan is one of several long-serving Whanganui councillors who have announced they will not seek re-election. Deputy Mayor Helen Craig and Charlie Anderson are also standing aside, after 12 years in the council chambers. Duncan said she was pleased to end her service on a high note. "The average 2.2 percent rate increase [for 2025/2026] is a testament to how hard staff and councillors have worked over the past few years to drive up efficiency and reduce cost. "We've done it sustainably. You don't get to 2.2 percent without an outstanding chief executive and staff, and a mayor and councillors working hard to make it possible." Some high points of her council career included how it handled the 2015 flood, port redevelopment, and the North Mole and Rangiora Street projects. Reinstating the 'h' in Whanganui and stopping the food scraps collection were also highlights. She was proud that councillors had consistently refused catered lunches, new furniture and a heat-control system in the chamber. "It's either too hot or too cold. We really are here for our community and not the benefits." Duncan said she would have liked to see further action on housing before stepping aside and she put in a plug for Māori wards. "I'm sorry I'll miss the new Māori ward councillors. Please vote 'yes' to retaining them in the coming referendum. "You'll not regret it." Duncan said she would take some time out and a long trip to Scotland, after her council work. "Then we'll see what pops up. Something always does." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
19 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ backs UK sanctions following discovery of Russian cyber attacks
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii New Zealand has joined in international condemnation of cyber attacks by the Russian government, after the UK sanctioned more than 20 Russian spies, hackers and agencies. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK's National Cyber Security Centre had discovered a sophisticated digital espionage tool used to harvest login credentials from online Microsoft products. He accused Russia of conducting a "sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity" targeting governments and institutions across Europe, and linked the activity to the UK's continued support of Ukraine. Spies from Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, were "running a campaign to destabilise Europe", he added. In a statement, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Russia's "hostile behaviour in cyberspace continues to threaten global cybersecurity and undermine agreed international rules and norms. New Zealand stands with the UK in calling out this behaviour." The UK has exposed the role of the GRU's cyber operations in real-world events, including the 2018 Novichok poisonings in Salisbury and the bombing of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. On Saturday, it imposed sanctions on the units and individuals it said were responsible. Separately, according to Reuters, the European Union placed its "strongest sanctions" yet on Russia, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called "essential and timely". New Zealand supported international efforts to impose costs on those responsible for Russia's illegal war against Ukraine, Peters added. "New Zealand will continue to use the Russia Sanctions Act to hold the enablers of Russia's military to account and press the Russian government to end its unlawful and unjust war. "New Zealand has already sanctioned some of the groups and individuals the United Kingdom has acted against today, and officials are providing advice on whether further sanctions are appropriate." The NZ office of Foreign Affairs said that, to date, New Zealand had imposed sanctions on more than 1,800 entities and individuals under the Russia Sanctions Act 2022, including the Head of the GRU and its cyber warfare units 74455 and 26165, also known as Sandworm and Fancy Bear. - RNZ/Reuters
