Sir Clifford Skeggs, ‘the boy from Bluff', dies aged 94
The 'boy from Bluff' and his family featured in this week's NBR Rich List, with an estimated $220 million net worth.
The former Dunedin mayor, between 1977 and 1989, was knighted in 1987 and inducted into the New
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RNZ News
20-07-2025
- RNZ News
Principals call for alternative assessments to stay beyond 2027
Some principals claim online tests increase the number of school-leavers with no qualification. Photo: 123RF The Secondary Principals Association says some members want a temporary alternative to online NCEA literacy and numeracy tests to become permanent. In poor communities, about 60 percent of students failed the online reading, writing and maths tests , or common assessment activities (CAAs) in May. Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anarau said students who failed could instead reach the requirement through internally assessed standards, but only until the end of 2027. She said the alternative pathway was especially useful for students who struggled with exams. "The Year 12 learners this year, over 50 percent of them who didn't achieve the CAAs in Year 11 have done so as Year 12, more so through the alternative pathways assessment," she said. "We know that our Māori, Pacific learners perform better in alternative assessments to exam-like settings and and the transitional arrangement allows for that." Anaru said, as a result, some principals wanted the alternative pathway to remain permanently. "Principals with Māori, Pacific learners and lower-income communities are calling for the transitional arrangements for the alternate pathway systems to remain on a permanent basis," she said. Anaru said the online tests created an equity divide between schools and increased the number of school-leavers with no qualification. "I am hearing from principals, particularly in high-equity schools, a concern that there will be an increase in leavers with no qualifications," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- RNZ News
Families hope proposed Christchurch sites end Erebus memorial wait
Photo: Courtesy of Archives New Zealand Some families of Mt Erebus victims who have endured an excruciating wait for a national memorial hope the emergence of three potential sites in Christchurch will eventually put an end to years of controversy and delay. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage was seeking feedback from families about building a memorial on the Avon River bank in the central city, in Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere or the St James' Church grounds in Harewood to remember the 257 people killed in the plane crash in Antarctica in 1979. A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park in Parnell faced major pushback , with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens. The plan was ultimately abandoned in 2023 after cyclone damage meant the land was unsafe to build on. Protesters in 2022 occupied the pā site of Mataharehare in protest of the then-planned Erebus memorial at Sir Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Parnell. Photo: RNZ The government committed to building a memorial in 2017. Phil Stewart, who lost his aunt Dawn Matthews in the disaster, said the wait was frustrating. "For a lot of us, there's a fair bit of unresolved grief related to Erebus, and this dragging out hasn't helped," he said. "My own brother, who was equally keen for the memorial to be built, has died since this process started, so he never got to see the memorial. I'm sure there are a lot of other stories like that, too. "I just want it sorted, and I will be very sad if it descends to bickering about whether it should be Auckland or Christchurch. I just think we need to get it done." As a Wellingtonian, Stewart said he was neutral about which city the memorial should be built in, but it was ultimately important for it to be a respectful place where families could gather to reflect and remember. "Either place would involve some travel for me. I think Christchurch is fine, obviously Auckland was the first starting point, but to be honest, I think Auckland has had its chance and I think they've blown it," he said. The Avon River bank was Stewart's favourite option. Landscape around the River Avon and Victoria Square in Christchurch on a warm spring day in New Zealand Photo: 123RF / Chris Putnam "I've visited the earthquake memorial along there a couple of times, and it occurred to me this would be a nice site. It's very accessible, it's quite a peaceful setting, and it's in the heart of Christchurch. "To me, it also shows Christchurch is embracing the memorial and offering some hospitality, which is much appreciated. "Cracroft Park on the Port Hills is fine too, from a different perspective, it offers these sweeping views of the plains and mountains and is somehow more connected to the sky." David Allan, who lost his parents and sister in the Erebus disaster, told Checkpoint that a national memorial was long overdue. David Allan's parents Malyon and Marjorie were on the flight, along with his sister Jane. Photo: Supplied "My view is regardless of location, the important thing is that we actually have a memorial. I am ambivalent about whether it be Auckland or Christchurch," he said. "It's a complete indictment of our society that after all this time we don't have one, and it's still causing considerable anguish for a lot of people." Kathryn Carter, the eldest daughter of the late Erebus captain Jim Collins, said she wanted to see Auckland "take ownership" of the national memorial. Kathryn Carter's father was Jim Collins, the pilot of the Erebus flight. She was 15 when he died. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly She said the Christchurch offer was generous, but she believed Auckland was most suitable because it was home to a significant number of passengers and crew. The flight departed from Auckland, so the city would be the best place for the memorial to celebrate Erebus passengers' "journey into the unknown" and to celebrate their lives, Carter said. However, the whole country was involved in the tragedy, making it frustrating that there was still no memorial decades after the disaster. Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said the city was honoured to be considered as a possible location. "We just offered and said if we can help, we certainly will," he said. "I go down to the earthquake memorial, and you see people there holding their hands on their loved one's name and remembering, so it's important, we know what it's like. "Two of the places that have been suggested are council land, we're more than happy to give that for the cause, it's up to the families or the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to decide where they want to put it." The ministry's senior officer responsible for the memorial, Glenis Philip-Barbara, told Morning Report families had been surveyed on preferred alternatives to Auckland. "Christchurch came up on top, and then, of course, we received the very generous offer from the mayor of Christchurch city to consider them," she said. "So we moved off to Christchurch to have a look and see what we could present to families." A cross on Mt Erebus marks the 257 people killed in the 1979 plane crash. Photo: supplied She acknowledged the wait for a memorial had been "excruciating" for families. "It has been a long journey and far more difficult than we ever anticipated. There are many Erebus families who just want us to get on and build a memorial." The site at Auckland's Takaparawhau was also being considered, she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- RNZ News
Is offal on the cusp of a comeback?
A turn off or offally good? A once forgotten food could be on the cusp of a comeback. Offal is now on the menu for some school lunches with the company behind the programme now using a mince that is a blend with beef and trim heart. The food code means that if you are using a blend it must be disclosed - either as offal or the specific names - like liver and kidney. While most of New Zealand's offal is exported, there's a growing number of people who advocate for greater use - including the organisers of the 'offaly good' festival coming up in Auckland. Hannah Miller, a chef turned butcher who runs 'A Lady Butcher' is also a huge fan of using a 'nose to tail' approach and spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
