Man who lost family in Erebus disaster supports Christchurch monument
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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
No penalty clauses paid on stalled Waiouru army base housing project
Waiouru military training camp Photo: Google Maps The Defence Force (NZDF) says it has not paid any penalty clauses associated with its housing project at Waiouru army base . Penalty clauses can be paid when contractors or subcontractors sign up to projects that do not then go ahead. The $50 million-plus project has stalled , though both defence and Ngāti Rangi iwi consider it urgent, and the force issued a tender over a year ago for 50 new homes. No building has taken place. The NZDF once again refused to tell RNZ why it was still in negotiations with the iwi over the housing. It had appeared the talks were settled before it issued last year's tender. "Negotiations in relation to this matter remain underway. Accordingly, this information is withheld in full... to enable negotiations to be carried out without prejudice or disadvantage," it said in a response to a request under the Offiicial Information Act. "The NZDF's relationship with local iwi has not changed and remains vital to our use of the Waiouru Military Training Area," it added. It also said no penalty clauses had been paid, either related to the new builds or the retrofit upgrade of existing army rental houses. Defence housing and other facilities were very rundown, interfering with its military performance and leading to some personnel quitting, its own reports showed. It had an Estate Investment Committee that "provides performance monitoring, oversight, and direction", according to its annual report. But when RNZ asked for the latest three performance management reports by the committee, NZDF replied: "No reports are generated by the New Zealand Defence Force's Estate Investment Committee." It repeated this in relation to its Technology Governance Committee, when RNZ asked for its latest reports, too. A lot of the NZDF's information technology was old and needed replacing, or were in the middle of years-long projects. Funding was set aside in Budget 2025 for this.
RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Tāmaki Makaurau candidate Peeni Henare says government playing 'silly games'
Tāmaki Makaurau candidate Peeni Henare campaigning at Ōtara Market. Photo: RNZ/Jessica Hopkins The Labour party says Aucklanders are tired of the government's "silly games". The party was drumming up support for their candidate in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election in South Auckland on Saturday. Peeni Henare will contest the seat for Labour against Te Pāti Māori candidate, former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara, after the death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Moana Tarsh Kemp in June. Henare, who narrowly lost to Kemp at the last election, spent Saturday morning at the bustling Ōtara Market. He was joined by Labour leader Chris Hipkins and other party members, including Georgie Dansey, who will enter parliament on Labour's party list if Henare is successful. Speaking on the government redesigning New Zealand's passport to place the English words above the te reo Māori text, Hipkins said he was opposed to the change. "It's a massive step backwards. We can be proud to have Aotearoa, New Zealand on our passports. It has been there for decades, and no one has complained about it." Henare said the government was not focusing on what mattered. "I'm a big advocate for te reo Māori. It's concerning that the government isn't focused on real issues hurting our people, the cost of living. It's absolute silly games... from this government." Henare said he got a clear vibe from South Aucklanders that people wanted a change in government. "The message was very clear as we walked around the Ōtara Market that people want to see the back of this government." Henare said the passing of Takutai Kemp was very sad. But he said that did not mean Labour should not contest the Tāmaki Makaurau seat. "Anybody who thinks a green seat in the chamber of Parliament is a free pass for anybody is absolute folly. "Should I be successful at this by-election, our tuahine Georgia Dansey, a wahine Māori, will be coming into Parliament." He said Labour was seeking a clear mandate to represent Tāmaki Makaurau in the by-election and the 2026 elections. A 2016 and a 2023 New Zealand passport. The older passport features the English words first - a design the government says it will change back to with new passports from 2027. Photo: Natalie Akoorie Chris Hipkins said they would be vigourously campaigning for Henare over the next few weeks. Those on the Māori roll will vote in the Tāmaki Makauru by-election is on 6 September, 2025. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- RNZ News
Taranaki mayors want hydrogen kick-start from Wellington
Hydrogen is touted as a fuel with lower carbon emissions, especially for fuel-cell powered heavy trucks. Photo: Supplied / Hiringa Energy Taranaki mayors want central government to partner up with their councils to kick-start a hydrogen industry. This despite ongoing questions about the gas's effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions. The Taranaki Mayoral Forum said Wellington should financially back the region as it is the logical base for hydrogen energy production. That work would include both onshore and offshore exploration. As economies attempt to move away from fossil fuels, hydrogen is touted as a lower-carbon-emission alternative with no pollution from the exhaust pipe. It is especially promising for freight trucks, which are hard to power by battery. The mayors' submission to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise on regulating hydrogen has admitted drawbacks: hydrogen's green credentials depend on how it's made. The forum emphasised hydrogen is not a silver bullet for climate change - noting that other technologies, scaled-up mitigation and behaviour change were also necessary. Despite those doubts, the mayors enthusiastically pitched Taranaki as New Zealand's best bet for a hydrogen headquarters, asking the government to take "proactive action". "Government support may be required to help kick-start an industry in New Zealand and make sure risks are appropriately managed." The forum is made up of the New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki district mayors and the chair of Taranaki Regional Council. Their submission points to Taranaki's experience in energy production, existing infrastructure, and promising geology - as well as councils' experience in regulating the energy sector. Hiringa Energy's project to make hydrogen at Kāpuni powered by windmills taller than Auckland's Sky Tower defeated a court challenge from Te Korowai o Ngāruahine. Photo: Supplied / Hiringa Energy "We would welcome Taranaki being considered as a home base for this industry." The mayors are clear that iwi and hapū need to be in the room from the start. "The Mayoral Forum supports a regulatory regime that provides mana whenua with early and meaningful engagement," their submission said. "Treaty settlements in Taranaki have clear provisions around oil and gas developments, and [we] recommend that the government consider how best to honour those commitments in regulating hydrogen, even if hydrogen may not strictly fall within definitions in Treaty settlements." Different ways to make hydrogen have varying carbon footprints. Manufacturing demands huge amounts of electricity in a relatively inefficient process: Hiringa Energy is gearing up capacity at Kāpuni to make "green" hydrogen with power from four giant windmills, taller than Auckland's Sky Tower. MBIE is investigating "natural" and "orange" hydrogen. Geological processes in the Earth's crust form natural hydrogen, while the orange version is made by injecting water and carbon dioxide into particular mineral formations to stimulate hydrogen generation. The MBIE paper points to two options to regulate the infant industry: The mayors' submission said mana whenua must be part of talks, whatever officials decide. "Whichever regulatory pathway the Crown adopts regarding the RMA or CMA, discussions will be required with iwi and hapū to define rights to the resource." They also suggest collaboration with local booster agency Venture Taranaki and Ara Ake, the region's nationally-focused energy innovation centre. - LDR is local body reporting co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air.
