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RNZ News
a day ago
- General
- RNZ News
Iwi support name change for St Arnaud to Rotoiti
Descendants of Rangitāne o Wairau at Lake Rotoiti. Photo: Supplied/Rangitāne o Wairau Three iwi at the top of the South Island have put their support behind a proposal to change the name of the village of St Arnaud to Rotoiti. The move is supported by the iwis Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. New Zealand Geographic Board secretary Wendy Shaw confirmed the board had received the proposal. "The proposer has been advised that they must consult further with the local community before the proposal can be processed further," Shaw said. The village of St Arnaud has a permanent population of slightly more than 100 people. It sits at the northern end of Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes and takes its name from the nearby St Arnaud range, which in turn takes its name from the French soldier and marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud. Rangitāne o Wairau General Manager Corey Hebberd said the three iwi, all descending from the waka Kurahaupō, have a strong and proud connection to Rotoiti and the surrounding area. It's a specific area mentioned in their Treaty settlements. "Providing support to the name was just a no-brainer for us really. We know that it's an area that our people have long frequented for kai, it's a place that they've been sustained, but it's also a place that's along an important journey for us in terms of heading between Wairau and the coast and other parts of the South Island," Hebberd said. It's not the first attempt to change St Arnaud's name, another proposal was rejected in 2009 according to the Nelson Mail. Hebberd said Rangitāne did some research and were able to find records that showed the use of the name Rotoiti for the area long before St Arnaud. "So, we were able to come across a letter that one of our tūpuna Paraone Taitua sent to Governer Eyre in 1851 in which he references Rotoiti as that place name," Hebberd said. Annette Walker is part of a small group which made the current name change proposal to the Geographic Board. She is optimistic the change will happen and said it would be a huge milestone for the village. Walker called Jacques Leroy de St Arnaud a "dreadful man" and believed some residents would support a change to Rotoiti. "It's like a festering sore that still arises every now and then from the old residents of Lake Rotoiti and they still call it Rotoiti," she said. Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud's wartime exploits in Algeria included suffocating 500 Arab tribesmen in a cave by sealing its exits. Hebberd said it's important to acknowledge some of the actions of the man, but the name Rotoiti would also be more reflective of the area itself. Hebberd said he grew up in the Wairau region and would frequently head up to Lake Rotoiti and the area near the lake was simply referred to by many as Rotoiti. "It's very infrequent that I hear it referred to as St Arnaud. I respect the fact that there will be community members who do call it St Arnaud and who have an affinity with that name, but given the past associated with that name and also the fact that it's so close Lake Rotoiti, the township sits on Lake Rotoiti it makes sense for the area to carry that name." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Loss of Sounds Air regional flights to impact healthcare access, connectivity
One of the Sounds Air's nine-seater Pilatus aircraft which provide the service between Westport and Wellington Photo: Ellen Curnow The loss of two popular regional flights in the South Island is being seen as not just a blow to hopes of boosting tourism but also for healthcare and those needing treatment at Christchurch Hospital. Sounds Air will can its flights from Blenheim to Christchurch and Christchurch to Wānaka from the end of September due to what's being described as 'out of control' costs. Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford said it was flying more passengers than ever but could not keep up with the costs that have remained high since the pandemic, engineer shortages and the weak New Zealand dollar. Sounds Air said it was going back to basics; canning the two routes, selling five smaller aircraft, and expanding its Cessna Caravan fleet for Cook Strait services. Ten staff will lose their jobs. That was after cancelling its services from Wellington to Taupō and Wellington to Westport last December and selling an aircraft. The Minister for the South Island and associate Minister for Transport James Meager told Checkpoint he has spoken with Andrew Crawford recently to reassure him the issue was a high priority. But Crawford said they had reached out to the government numerous times to no avail, and passing the buck on to customers to cover costs was not an option. The airline's fares had gone up by more than 20 percent since Covid - they could go up another 20 percent and it would still not be enough to cover its costs, he said. Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said the council had raised the issue with government, and were told market forces would take care of it. It was gutting for the region as the Blenheim-Christchurch route was a critical part of the region's economic recovery, she said. "I am frustrated that Sounds Air was unsuccessful in securing support from central government as regional connectivity is also important for economic growth, particularly tourism," she said. "There is often talk of the regions being our country's powerhouses - to be that we need infrastructure, services, and connectivity." Christchurch Hospital provided a lot of primary care for cancer patients, and Taylor had already been contacted by some of the patients who regularly used the service. "They're just sort of saying 'it's just such a devastating loss for them'. They're back to four or five hours on the road. They need family to transport them and take them rather than just dropping them at the airport," she said. South Island Minister James Meager. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Wānaka local and Queenstown Lakes Deputy Mayor Quentin Smith was disappointed the service was being cut. So instead of being able to take a short flight that was less than an hour, it meant an hours-long drive. "The alternative of either driving, which is about five-and-a-half hours each way or going to Queenstown, where you've got to drive over an hour each way plus you've got to be there a lot earlier for your flights than you do for Sounds Air," he said. His daughter used the service a few weeks ago, and he said it was well used by travellers for business, holidays and appointments. It also presented a problem for healthcare, especially for people coming from Wānaka or Blenheim who need to travel to Christchurch Hospital for treatment. "Healthcare, I think, is a big one because people will fly up to Christchurch and back for a specialist appointment ... we know that access to healthcare out of Wānaka is particularly challenging so that's an issue that concerns me," Smith said. Smith remembered when Air New Zealand used to fly the same route before the service was cut more than a decade ago. "There's been a bit of a history of the offering and loss of this type of service. We've just got to find something that's sustainable that matches the needs. It was disappointing that a service that is really well-patronised isn't successful and there's obviously other reasons for that," he said. Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson was sad to see the flights go. "A number of the regional airlines have been facing big challenges so ultimately it wasn't a complete surprise. We were hoping that they could work through those challenges and that they could find a way to continue to operate. But unfortunately they haven't been able to do that," he said. Both services carried about 10,000 passengers a year. Watson would like to see a collective approach to ensure the wings of important regional services were not clipped. "There's a reality there that says every region can't be connected or it's going to cost so much that people just won't fly on it because it's too expensive," he said. "In some countries, there is support through the likes of government for ensuring connectivity remains." South Island Minister James Meager said the government had already taken action in a variety of ways - including providing investment in regional airport infrastructure, commencing the release of regional on-time flight performance data - and would soon release an aviation action plan. He understood the conditions were tough in the aviation industry and airlines were under pressure - and that the government was actively considering several options to address regional connectivity concerns and improve competition in the sector. Destination Marlborough general manager Tracey Green said Christchurch was a key visitor market for Marlborough. "Recent challenges with Air New Zealand and ferry services have compromised our connectivity and losing Christchurch as a direct link is a significant blow," she said. "The full impact of this loss in connectivity may not be immediately clear, but it's a real shame this is happening just ahead of the summer season, when we rely on those connections the most," Green said. With a renewed focus on the Cook Strait services, Andrew Crawford said he was confident about the future of the business. "We are not alone in this, Air New Zealand and other regional carriers in New Zealand, and world-wide, have been hit by the same cost increases, and the irony is that our passenger demand has never been stronger," he said. "However, aviation is a very price sensitive market and demand would dry up if we tried to pass all of the cost increases to our customers."
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Two popular regional flights on the chopping block
Two popular regional flights in the South Island are on the chopping block due to what is has been described as 'out of control' costs. Sounds Air will soon can its flights from Blenheim to Christchurch and Christchurch to Wanaka. It comes after the airline cancelled its services from Wellington to Taupo and Wellington to Westport last December, and sold an aircraft. It has been seen as not just a blow to hopes of boosting tourism but also for healthcare and those needing treatment at Christchurch Hospital. Tess Brunton reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Sounds Air announces further regional flights to be cut
Sounds Air has announced further cuts in their regional routes meaning tourists jumping between spots in the South Island like Blenheim and Christchurch will first have to travel North to Wellington. From the 28th of September, Blenheim to Christchurch and Christchurch to Wanaka flights will stop. The company cites escalating costs like a 145% increase in the civil aviation authority levies and a weak New Zealand dollar among the reasons for the cutback. It means 10 staff will lose their job. Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor is worried about the impact it will have on the region, and spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Needle exchange changes: 'It takes time to build up trust'
The Christchurch Needle Exchange at the Rodger Wright Centre. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left a Christchurch drug-user and health expert worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing. Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years and has instead opted for a new provider He Waka Tapu from 30 September. RNZ understands 19 staff are waiting to hear about the future of their jobs, while people who use the service were worried He Waka Tapu might not replicate the "peer-to-peer" approach that made them comfortable using DISC Trust's services. The man, who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity, had been using DISC Trust's needle exchange at Christchurch's Rodger Wright Centre for about 10 years. He said DISC Trust staff were knowledgeable and most of them had been drug users themselves. "You're talking to someone who, who really, you know, actually gets it," he said. "There are no ulterior motives. They're not trying to convince you to give up your drugs and go and do treatment. If you want other services or information, you can ask and they'll give you that help, but they're not going to pressure you to go to rehab. "You see people in there who look like they're probably bodybuilders and you see other people that you know are using meth - all sorts of drugs. Whatever you're injecting, that's the place to get your needles from and to get rid of them safely." The man had sought advice about methadone and Hepatitis C treatment and received safe injecting equipment to take methamphetamine and heroin, including getting drugs checked for potency and any unwanted contaminants. DISC Trust also provided advice on overdose prevention and injection techniques that did not lead to tissue damage, he said. The man was concerned He Waka Tapu - a kaupapa Māori health organisation - would not have the same level of impartiality because it also offered a range of rehabilitation and treatment plans. "Just because someone's got the equipment to give out, it doesn't mean that I'm going to trust them. It takes time to build up trust in a service," he said. "I can't imagine, like, doing treatment there and then deciding I'm going to inject some drugs and having to go back to the same place. That would be so embarrassing." Health NZ said the needle exchange contract stipulated that people with "lived and living experience" had significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme. Needle exchange locations and employment details were still under negotiation, although it was confident there would not be any disruption to services, Health NZ said. When approached for comment, He Waka Tapu referred RNZ to Health NZ, which declined to provide further details. "Health New Zealand is currently negotiating a contract with the preferred provider. It is therefore premature for either Health New Zealand or the provider to respond to your query," Health NZ said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon DISC Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it ran six needle exchanges from Nelson to Dunedin and staff had about 30,000 "interactions" with drug users each year. She said the trust was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" to loose its needle exchange contract, but it would continue to provide other services such as HIV screening and vaccinations. "We've built a really deep connection with our communities and that's not something that can be replaced overnight, especially for people who are really stigmatised when they engage with the mainstream health system," she said. "This was a service established by the community of injecting drug users, for them. That's a unique feature of the service and that's how it's able to build that significant trust with clients." Jones said DISC Trust was informed of the contract loss on 16 June and staff were yet to hear from He Waka Tapu. University of Otago Professor Jeff Miller said people might re-use or share needles if they did not feel comfortable with the new service. "So you're moving into physical [tissue] damage and you're also moving into potential increase in exposure to hepatitis C in particular," he said. The loss of DISC Trust's needle exchange contract was "bizarre", he said. "It's a source of huge frustration and a little bit of disbelief to see this particular service, which incidentally is the most effective hepatitis C treating service in the country, apparently disappearing off the map," he said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon RNZ understands funding for South Island needle exchange services has been reduced from $1.4 million to $1 million. Health NZ would not confirm the figures and declined RNZ's interview requests. In a statement, it said funding for regional needle exchange and harm reduction services was allocated based on population statistics. "The national budget for the delivery of needle exchange and harm reduction services and free safe injecting equipment is around $6 million per annum," HealthNZ said. Miller said the shift to a population-based approach was new and concerning, because data suggested the South Island had a higher proportion of people who injected drugs than the rest of the country, so deserved a bigger funding share. DISC Trust distributed about 40 percent of the country's sterile drug equipment, despite Te Wai Pounamu having only 23 percent of the country's total population. Know Your Stuff spokeswoman Casey Spearin said her organisation had worked with the trust to provide drug-checking services and she was also concerned abut the change. "It's disappointing to note that the overall funding amount for this service in Te Waipounamu has been scaled back. We have over three decades of evidence showing that needle exchange services reduce the burden of disease and other downstream effects on our health services and save taxpayer money," she said in a statement. "While we are pleased to see that He Waka Tapu provides wraparound support and whānau and tikanga-based approaches, there are likely to be some impacts when transferring needle exchange services to a new provider. "Ideally, He Waka Tapu would have been brought on to complement the existing services provided by DISC and helped provide these vital services to more people who need them." Health NZ said the services would transition to He Waka Tapu over the next two months and it was confident staff would "deliver the required services to people who inject drugs and who live in Te Waipounamu". 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