Midday Report Essentials for Friday 27 June 2025
crime music 6 minutes ago
In today's episode, the top of the South Island is effectively cut off at the moment, with a number of state highways closed and state of emergencies in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough, severe weather is battering Auckland where a section of road in Blockhouse Bay, has been closed after wind blew the roof off a commercial building and partially collapsed the front of the structure, the former speaker of the House Trevor Mallard is being sued by a child over blasting repetitive bad music from loud speakers during the parliament protest and occupation in 2022, and Lorde, who originates from the North Shore, told RNZ's own Tony Stamp, she went through "existential crises" putting the album together.
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Scoop
32 minutes ago
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Greenpeace Activists Rebrand NZ Bottom Trawler "Ocean Killer" At Sea
Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have confronted a bottom trawler on the Chatham Rise, rebranding it "ocean killer", after bearing witness to it hauling in a net straining with marine life. Launching from the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, activists came alongside the New Zealand-flagged ship, Talley's Amaltal Atlantis, on the Chatham Rise on Friday afternoon, and painted the message on its hull with non-toxic paint. Speaking from onboard the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juan Parada says: "Appalled by the most recent evidence of destruction, people defending the oceans rebranded this Talley's vessel today to expose the bottom trawling industry for what they are: ocean killers. When Talley's bottom trawlers drag their heavy trawl nets across the seafloor and over seamounts, they bulldoze everything in their path, including killing precious marine life from coral to fur seals, dolphins and seabirds."We've all seen the shocking footage of bottom trawling in David Attenborough's film Ocean, and it's happening right here, right now." "Faced with a fishing industry that profits from trashing the ocean, and a government that condones bottom trawling, we're proud of the peaceful action taken today to call out this destruction and demand that bottom trawling stop. "The Amaltal Atlantis trawls in the waters of Aotearoa, and has previously received permits to trawl in the High Seas of the South Pacific. Their trail of destruction is wide and long-lasting," says Parada. Talley's vessels have a long history of carrying out bottom trawling destruction. In 2018, the Amaltal Apollo trawled in a protected area on the Lord Howe Rise, in the international waters of the Tasman Sea. The Amaltal Mariner was also convicted of trawling in a marine reserve off Kaikōura in 2019. The company also has a documented history of health and safety issues, with multiple injuries and even a fatality reported to WorkSafe. In 2022, Greenpeace activists blocked the Amatal Atlantis from leaving Port Nelson for nearly 10 hours. The at-sea action comes just weeks after it was revealed a New Zealand vessel dragged up six tonnes of coral in a single trawl on the Chatham Rise, known for being a hotspot for coral life. In March, Greenpeace Aotearoa documented swathes of destroyed coral in areas of the Tasman Sea intensively trawled by New Zealand bottom trawlers. The Tasman Sea has been earmarked for one of the first high seas ocean sanctuaries, using the Global Ocean Treaty. New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling in the High Seas of the Tasman. Parada says, "As the rest of the world moves towards more comprehensive ocean protection for international waters, New Zealand is standing in the way of progress by continuing to advocate for the bottom trawling industry."It's time Talley's, the trawling industry, and the government listened to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who want ocean health valued over industry profits. "From depleted fish numbers to smashed coral, dead sharks and seabirds, the cost of bottom trawling is too high. To protect the ocean for the future and safeguard the ocean we all love, bottom trawling must stop." In response to the activist's painting activity, Talley's responded saying they would seek legal action which "may include the arrest of the Rainbow Warrior."
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Ex-Speaker Trevor Mallard Being Sued By Child Over Parliament Protest Music
Former Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard is being sued by a child over blasting repetitive bad music from loudspeakers during the 2022 Parliament protest and occupation. During the occupation, Mallard used the speaker system to play music and the sprinklers to try and deter protesters and move them on from the lawn. The lawyer for the child, Tudor Clee, confirmed to RNZ the case was filed at the High Court in Wellington naming the attorney-general and speaker as defendants. Clee said the case was in its very early stages and would be before a judge for its first callover on 7 July to deal with the name suppression, given the client is a minor. The case seeks a declaration that the child's rights were breached, as well as damages of $40,000 for three separate breaches. Clee said Mallard was being sued for two breaches of the Bill of Rights - the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel treatment and the freedom of association. The third is a tort - a civil wrong - claiming misfeasance in public office, where a public officer intentionally abuses their power, causing harm to another person. The lawyer said this was an unusual claim to file, but covered the intentional use of what he described as "military torture techniques" when Mallard set up loudspeakers to prevent protesters resting and sleeping. Speaking to Midday Report, Clee claimed the former speaker breached his client's right to be free from torture and cruel treatment and her right to freedom of protest. "We all remember that the speaker had flooded the lawns, and he subsequently said he knew he was flooding excrement into the lawns when he did it." Clee said. "We've got three years later now, and we're looking back with fresh eyes, and the fact is, this is just the wrong way to treat protesters and frankly, unlawful." His client was seeking a declaration that it was wrong to breach her rights in this way and a financial penalty to recognise the harm, Clee said. A spokesperson for the Crown Law Office confirmed the Attorney-General, Judith Collins, had been named as a defendant and was taking advice on how to respond to the claim. Clee said once the other parties had filed a statement of defence, he expected a trial could take place in a year. Mallard declined to comment to RNZ.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Tim Finn: from the Enz to the Opera
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Photo: Tim Finn The story idea came first, the opera came about by chance. Tim Finn had long been fascinated by Tupaia, the Tahitian star navigator who guided Captain James Cook to Aotearoa and then helped the Englishman and his crew communicate with the locals. Tupaia was pivotal in Cook's exploration of New Zealand, but the voyage also cost him his life. He fell ill and died in what is now Jakarta, Indonesia, in December 1770. Finn has been to Tupaia's birthplace, and he'd visited a replica of Cook's ship the Endeavour. One day, the New Zealand pop star found himself talking about Tupaia with the Executive Director of West Australian Opera, Carolyn Chard. She was so taken by the tragic tale, she persuaded him to make it into an opera - which he did help from a few others. From the December 2022 NZ production of "Ihitai Avei'a - Star Navigator" in Porirua. Photo: Stephen A'Court NZ Opera premiered "Ihitai Avei'a - Star Navigator" in 2021. It was co-composed by Tim Finn and Tom McLeod with Tahitian "Orero" or monologue by Célestine Hitiura Vaite. However, we had to wait another four years to hear it on RNZ Concert. Tomorrow's Opera on Saturday broadcast from 7pm features the West Australian Opera Company (fitting perhaps as it was that company's executive director that first suggested it had operatic potential) with tenor Emmanual Fonoti-Fuimoano singing the role of Tupaia, while Teddy Tahu Rhodes plays Cook. Composer and lyricist Tim Finn at the piano during rehearsals for Ihitai 'Avei'a - Star Navigator. Photo: screen grab The opera focusses on the often difficult relationship between the pair, one a European used to thinking his technology and culture were the most advanced on the planet, the other a proud Tahitian who saw no reason to subjugate himself to his fair-skinned hosts. Tim Finn spoke with RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump ahead of the broadcast about the process of creating an opera, and his collaborators Célestine Hitiura Vaite and Tom McLeod. Finn would send song lines to McLeod who would then send back a more fleshed-out operatic score. Hitiura Vaite brought a Tahitian perspective and "Orero" to the opera in the form of a spoken monologue. The Split Enz co-founder (the band's first album Mental Notes turns 50 this July) also did a bit of research down at the opera house - Puccini's music became a favourite. Tupaia would spend the last months of his life on this leaky boat. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal While Tupaia and Cook changed the course of history, their relationship was not a happy one. Cook did not warm to the Tahitian, while Tupaia struggled with the British food Cook insisted that he eat. Crump asked Finn if he considered reprising one of Split Enz's hit songs, "Six Months in a Leaky Boat", for the opera. No, but he is considering writing another operatic piece. Having just turned 73, Finn isn't sure he has another full opera in him, but he's definitely interested in creating a chamber opera, if NZ Opera were interested. "Collaboration's the way to go," he says.
