Latest news with #MasseyUniversity
NZ Herald
9 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Auckland Transport passenger Jovahna Samuels jailed after seizing control of bus during dispute
The lawyer had tried to enrol Samuels in the New Beginnings Court, which focuses on helping defendants who are homeless rehabilitate. But she accepted that Samuels would instead receive her first sentence of imprisonment after not engaging with the specialised programme. Samuels had gotten on the 83 bus, which starts at Massey University on Auckland's North Shore, last September. When the bus got to the end of the line in Takapuna, she refused to disembark. Instead, the judge noted, she was verbally abusive before clambering into the driver's seat as the Auckland Transport employee stepped off the bus to call for backup. Six days later, Samuels picked up wilful damage charges after throwing rocks at the Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club and at the nearby North Shore Community Toy Library - damaging windows. Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club in Auckland's North Shore. Photo / Google On October 3, she was caught taking a shower in a vacant home and locked herself inside when police arrived. The next day, she tried to shower in the men's locker room at Massey University before staff told her to leave. 'You remained in the dressing room and became verbally aggressive to the witness and other staff,' Judge Bonnar noted, explaining that police eventually had to pepper spray her after she threatened officers as well. There were also multiple shoplifting and trespassing charges, including at Farmer's and the Northcote YMCA, and a charge of ignoring her community work requirements from a previous sentence. Auckland District Court Judge Stephen Bonnar. Photo / Sylvie Whinray Judge Bonnar ordered a four-month starting point for the bus charge, with an additional uplift of four months for all of the other charges. He then allowed a two-month discount for Samuels' guilty pleas, resulting in an end sentence of six months' imprisonment. Once released, Samuels will be required to complete any treatment, counselling or programmes as directed by her probation officer. 'That's unfortunate she didn't want to go through New Beginnings,' the judge lamented to her lawyer as Samuels was led back to a courthouse holding cell. Samuels stood for the entire hearing, declining the judge's invitation to sit. At different points in the hearing, she fanned herself with a notebook, pointed at empty spots in the courtroom and mimicked a choking sound. Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Club hosts All Girl Big Band
Music educator and saxophone player Lana Law and her All Girl Big Band will perform at Dunedin Jazz Club this weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Dunedin Jazz Club will host trailblazing New Zealand musician Lana Law this weekend, leading a celebration of the influence of women musicians on popular music. Lana Law's All Girl Big Band will headline at the Dunedin Jazz Club this Saturday night at Hanover Hall. "The Ages Show" will pay homage to musical icons such as Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and Shirley Bassey. In a statement, Law said the show was a musical tribute to the legacy of women who changed the course of jazz, soul and popular music, one song at a time. Law is making a special visit to Dunedin to act as an adjudicator for the Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival, being held at Hanover Hall tomorrow and Saturday. A trailblazer in her own right, Law picked up the baritone saxophone at age 13 and never looked back, later earning her BMus in jazz performance at Massey University and touring internationally. The All Girl Big Band's wide-ranging repertoire blends classic swing, funk, rock and contemporary favourites, reflecting a history of women's voices in music. As a bonus, the evening will open with a short set by an award-winning ensemble from the Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival. The music will start at 7.15pm. — APL
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
John Key is right that New Zealand needs to cut interest rates but we need more than that too
Key warns the coalition risks losing the next election. He says the Reserve Bank got interest rates wrong again – first too low, now too high – and it's crushing the economy. The data backs him. Massey University's GDPLive shows GDP growth at just 0.261% for the quarter and down 0.53% annually. It puts inflation at 2.18%. With dairy booming, most of the economy must be in recession. The Reserve Bank's Nowcast GDP tracker is down 0.288% for the quarter. Key says that with no sign of wage inflation, the Reserve Bank should cut the Official Cash Rate by 100 basis points – from 3.25% to 2.25%. The Taylor Rule that central banks use to guide interest rates indicates the OCR is 50 basis points too high. Key is also right that the central bank's money printing fuelled the inflation that destroyed the last Government. Now, with rates too high, it's strangling growth and may destroy this one. It seems the Government had no plan for replacing former Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr. I nominate Key. He's qualified and has the judgment the job demands. If appointed and interest rates are cut, the economy would be growing in election year. If Key is unavailable, appoint the economist who warned that $100 billion in quantitative easing would cause inflation: Auckland University's professor Robert MacCulloch. Internationally recognised for his work on central banking. If the coalition aspires to more than winning elections, it must do what Key never did: tackle why New Zealand is sliding down the OECD rankings. It's not that the world doesn't want what we sell. Dairy prices are excellent, meat sales are solid, and tourism is recovering. We're just badly managed. To lift our standard of living, we must raise our productivity which has been static for a decade. The Treasury's recent analysis highlights that 'New Zealand has much lower levels of capital per worker than OECD peers'. We lag Australia because its compulsory superannuation pumps billions into productive investment. We should have shifted to savings-based super 50 years ago. That's no reason not to do it now. Last week's abandonment of open-plan classrooms was a good start to lifting education standards. Abandoning pupil-led learning would be even better. Health is another failure. We have a Soviet-style monopoly with low productivity. Waiting lists grow despite record spending. More money is not the answer. Singapore achieves better outcomes for less – based on compulsory savings, price transparency, and private providers. We should copy it. One thing Key did achieve was restraining the growth of the civil service. According to the International Monetary Fund, Government expenditure was an estimated 41.39% of GDP in 2023. The 59% of the economy in private hands just isn't big enough to generate the investment, wealth and exports we need. We are over-regulated. The OECD's 2023 Government at a Glance ranked New Zealand last in the OECD for barriers to permits, licences and foreign investment. The Regulatory Standards Bill isn't a nice-to-have. It's essential. Key is also right about the ban on foreign home buyers. Foreigners won't bring their capital or expertise if they're told they can only rent. There are about 200,000 able-bodied adults on Jobseeker Support. That number has barely moved since Key's time, despite job vacancies and social investment strategies. Australia has had a Work for the Dole scheme since 1997. Employment Minister Peter McCardle introduced Work for the Dole scheme in 1998. Labour scrapped it. We should try again. Last year, in an international comparison, New Zealand's economy ranked 33rd out of 37. That makes it a mystery why Luxon waited so long to visit China, our biggest trading partner. And why did the Prime Minister go to a Nato summit in Europe? Every other Pacific PM stayed away knowing the summit would pledge to spend 5% of GDP on defence and criticise China. As New Zealand is not going to do either a PM focused on growth would have stayed at home. We have a bloated bureaucracy focused on political correctness rather than the hard work of delivery. An opposition that thinks New Zealand can tax its way to prosperity. An economy that's 41% government, starved of capital, and bound in red tape. Without reform, we will never climb the OECD ladder. Key's rate cut might win the next election. Only real reform will return New Zealand to the top tier of the OECD.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
From Reporoa To Regency Romance; NZ Novelist Debuts Book
A new novel from Reporoa-born Stephanie Axtens brings a regency romance that will give Bridgerton lovers another great historical drama this winter. The Editor's Pick harks back to 19th century Britain, with all the elements of a true high-class period romance. The secret identities, forced proximity and fake courtships would make Bridgerton-lovers proud. Released June 26 on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions, the book already has reviews flooding in. Goodreads reviewers state The Editor's Pick was ' hard to put down ' and ' a beautiful insight into 19th century London '. It is currently rated 4.75 stars by the Goodreads community. This romance follows two main characters, Brianna and Fynn, who each grapple with their own hidden secrets. Brianna's the result of a society that holds back women and Fynn's from his own childhood trauma. Stephanie says this story came to her while studying English at university, ' During a creative class, I wondered about a girl secretly publishing books under her brother's name, and what might be the consequences of that…' She graduated from Massey University with a Bachelors in English and Creative Writing in 2022. Copies are available to purchase for $26.44 while stocks last at Kindle editions are free with kindleunlimited or $8.99 to buy.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Beyond Blockbusters: Virtual Production On A Limited Budget
Virtual Production (VP) isn't just for blockbusters anymore. From indie dramas to short-form content and commercials, creatives across Aotearoa are integrating LED volumes and real-time environments into locally made projects—often with tight budgets and lean teams. This event is your chance to hear firsthand how Virtual Production is being used on the ground in New Zealand. What works, what doesn't, how to plan for it, price it, and integrate it at the writing and development stage. Whether you're a director, writer, producer, technician, animator, or VFX artist—this night is for you. Presented by the Visual Effects Professionals Guild, Women in Film and Television and Massey University | National Academy of Screen Arts. Who Should Attend: VFX Artists | Directors | Writers | Producers | Technicians | Animators | Advertisers | Marketers Learn how to: Incorporate VP into story development & preparation Understand practical uses for small-scale production Hear from those already doing it in NZ What to Expect: A walkthrough of Massey's purpose-built Virtual Production Stage Two expert panels covering feature films and short-form projects Networking with fellow creatives, collaborators, and VP professionals A cash bar, light refreshments, and an after party at Havana Panel 1 – Short Form & TVC Moderated by: Nicci Lock | Strategic Advisor, Producer & Post Production Producer Nicci is Strategic Advisor, Producer and Post Production Producer with 30 years in screen, education, and government. Her expertise spans governance, production, and business development in VFX, post, animation, and tech. For 15 years, she has strengthened industry-education ties, advocated for investment, and expanded exports. She is an investor in genre film company Admit One Entertainment and Terror-Fi Film Festival and owner and CEO of of Goldilocks Productions. Richard Bluck | Cinematographer Richard Bluck, NZCS, is a New Zealand Cinematographer who has worked in the Screen Industry for 45 years. He has worked as a Cinematographer on Avatar: The Way of the Water, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, The Hobbit trilogies, Mortal Engines, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, The Monkey King 3: Kingdom of Women, Black Sheep and many other feature films. Matt Eastwood | Director Matt Eastwood's dry wit combined with imaginative visuals creates a subtle absurdity that makes his work distinct and entertaining. From the odd and offbeat to the dark and heartfelt, Matt's versatility spans genres. Drawing nuanced performances and striking visuals, he has established a body of work that is unified under his distinct conceptual eye. Adrian (Wookie) Hebron | Gaffer One of NZ's most experienced Gaffers, Wookie has worked on some of New Zealand's largest productions including Pete's Dragon, Krampus and Lord of the Rings. Over his 35-year career, he's seen the role of Gaffer transform alongside major advances in lighting technology. Jacob Luamanuvae-Su'a | Animator Jacob Luamanuvae-Su'a is an award-winning Samoan animator with 20 years at WētāFX and over 40 blockbuster film credits, including Avengers: Endgame, Deadpool, and Black Panther 2. He earned an Annie Award for animating Thanos and now leads Song of Sina, a saga retelling Samoan legends. He's currently working on Avatar sequels. Panel 2 – Indie Features Moderated by: Sharon Lark | VFX Producer Sharon is an independent VFX Producer, based in London for 30 years working on major international features: Prince of Persia, The Chronicles of Narnia and Casino Royale, among others. After relocating home to NZ, she has worked on co-productions: Thunderbirds are Go, The Luminaries, Australia's Cleverman TV Series, and A24's Mr Corman as well as many other NZ & Australian productions. She is passionate about advocating for the NZ VFX Industries' future and wahine in the workforce. Jonathan King | Director Jonathan King has written and directed feature films Black Sheep, Under the Mountain and Realiti. His graphic novel for kids, The Inkberg Enigma was published internationally by Gecko Press in 2020. He teaches Film in the Screen Arts programme at Massey University and is in pre-production on Black Sheeps – the sequel to his debut feature. Charlie Tait | VFX Supervisor VFX Supervisor with over 30 years of experience in the visual effects industry, including more than two decades at Wētā FX. With over 60 major feature film credits, Charles has contributed to some of the highest-grossing and most iconic films of all time. His work includes multiple entries in the Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, and Marvel franchises — films that have defined modern visual effects and global box office records. Event Schedule: 5:30 PM – Tour of Massey University's VP Stage 6:00 PM – Networking (nibbles provided, cash bar) & Tours of Massey University's National Screen Arts Academy 7:00 PM – Panel discussions 9:00 PM – After Party @ Havana Bar Tickets: $25 Non- VFXG Members $10 Student (non-member) Free for VFXG Members, WIFT Members and Massey University's Students and Staff Venue: Massey University Screen Arts Academy – Virtual Production Studio Old Museum Building, Entrance D, Top of Tory Street, Wellington
