Latest news with #MarlboroughSounds
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Preserving New Zealand's unique marine environments
Photo: Supplied New Zealand is known for having one of the most unique marine environments on the planet. The Department of Conservation describes this country as a world hotspot for biodiversity not just on land, but also at sea. Experts estimate up to 85% of New Zealand's wildlife could be in the ocean. But campaigners want more done to ensure this biodiversity and the marine environment is preserved. Raewyn Peart, the Policy Director Environmental Defence Society, believes this country is now far behind international best practice both in legislation and with the protections in place for special marine areas. She is drawing up proposals for reform backed by case studies on the Marlborough Sounds, the Otago Coast and most recently the Bay of Islands .
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- RNZ News
Cook Strait ferry Aratere alters course after alarm sounds
The Aratere Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Interislander's soon-to-be-retired Aratere ferry is taking a different route through the Marlborough Sounds "as a precaution". The Cook Strait ferry, which is owned by state-owned-enterprise KiwiRail, was spotted using the northern entrance to the Marlborough Sounds on Thursday night. "Shortly after 6pm on Thursday evening Aratere 's master made the decision to take the northern entrance to the Marlborough Sounds rather than the narrow Tory Channel as a precaution," a KiwiRail spokesperson said. "An alarm had indicated a possible technical issue which was quickly assessed and resolved." The spokesperson said further testing had revealed no issues with the system in question. "The Aratere is sailing as usual, however, it will continue to use the northern entrance today." The Aratere is expected to be retired in August. The new ferry sails into Wellington harbour. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone On Thursday scores of people braved miserable weather to watch as StraitNZ Bluebridge's new Cook Strait ferry Livia arrived at Oriental Bay. Its first sailing is expected to be on 23 July. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
23-06-2025
- RNZ News
Marlborough man leaves boys with loaded rifle on beach, judge condemns 'stupid behaviour'
By Tracy Neal, Open Justice reporter of Aaron Grant Pickering has been sentenced in the Nelson District Court on firearms and hunting charges after a trip with two young boys to d'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Photo: NZME A man left two young boys on a beach with a loaded rifle while he went off fishing and drinking. Now he's been told off by a judge for his "stupid behaviour" that could have set the boys up for a lifetime of grief, after they tried to shoot a pig. "You left a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old with a loaded .308 rifle to go hunting on the island while you went drinking and fishing. "God knows who they might have shot and killed or wounded," Judge Tony Snell said in a scathing sentencing of Aaron Grant Pickering. The 50-year-old, who did not have a firearms licence after it was earlier revoked, later claimed to have tossed the rifle into the sea off d'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Judge Snell said there was no way the boys could have known if anyone was nearby when they shot at a pig from the beach. To put it mildly, he said it was "stupid behaviour" on Pickering's part, that might have had devastating consequences for the boys if they had injured someone else. "It was a massive recipe for disaster," and the most serious offending of its type, Judge Snell said. Pickering, who was said by his lawyer to spend long periods at sea as a crew member on a Niwa vessel, today admitted in the Nelson District Court charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful hunting. The police summary of facts said the hunting trip was on private land on d'Urville Island. His firearms licence had been revoked in 2009 after a final protection order was made against him. In April 2013 Pickering inquired about getting his firearms licence back, but was told that a protection order was still in place, and to investigate how it might be discharged. The police summary of facts said the order remains in place. On 8 January Pickering, who lived in Marlborough's Rai Valley, about half way between Nelson and Blenheim, took the boys on the trip. At about 7pm that night he dropped the boys on a beach with the loaded rifle, which had a telescopic scope and a suppressor, and went off to a fishing spot. The police said Pickering continued drinking as he fished. A short time later the 10 year-old shot at a pig, but after a short search he and the other boy were unable to find the animal. Pickering tried to start his boat, but couldn't because of mechanical problems, so signalled to the driver of a boat nearby, who came to help. Pickering asked the people on board to collect the boys off the island, but when they found them, they asked the youngsters who had given them permission to hunt there. Neither was able to answer, and continually changed their story, the police said. Pickering later told the police that he had the rifle to "put meat on the table" and that he had thrown it into the ocean on return to Admiralty Bay. Defence lawyer Mark Dollimore said Pickering had "shot himself in the foot," with the charges, and accepted it was unlikely that the police or court might believe the rifle had been ditched. Judge Snell said he had read that with a "huge amount of scepticism". "I don't believe it has been thrown away", he said. Judge Snell said there were several aggravating features to Pickering's offending, including that he had been disqualified from holding a firearms licence, he was hunting on private land, which the owner knew nothing about, and he had left the boys with a loaded rifle. He said there was a lot at stake for Pickering, including his employment and in his personal life, but it was a "foolish act on many levels". Judge Snell said in sentencing Pickering to 120 hours of community work, and fining him $2000, that he was unlikely to ever get his firearms licence back now. He noted Pickering's previous offending, and said if there was any repeat of a firearms charge, he would likely end up in jail. Judge Snell added a final warning on Pickering's file. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
18-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Midday Report Essentials Podcast for Wednesday 18 June 2025
sport health 22 minutes ago The census gets a shake up and takes some pressure off the costs. The governmnet is also more than threatening to step in and over councils when it comes to housing and development - going as far as changing legislation under the RMA. In breaking news, charges have been laid against Kiwirail over the grounding of the Aratere ferry last year when it was left in the Marlborough Sounds overnight. Lastly, the cowbells are causing a stoush between the finalists Crusaders and Chiefs. Will the bells ring out this Saturday?
RNZ News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Maritime Union says Aratere ferry should not retire, despite breakdown
Some Thursday morning sailings of the Aratere ferry were cancelled. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Maritime Union says the government should not retire the Aratere despite its recent breakdown, as a three-ship fleet is needed for a resilient Cook Strait connection. A propulsion fault meant the ferry had to wait at anchor for hours in Queen Charlotte Sound overnight while a specialist electrician came to fix the problem. The breakdown comes while the Kaiārahi is out of action due to scheduled wet dock maintenance, including emergency repairs, and ahead of the Kaitaki being out of service for a routine safety inspection. Maritime Union of New Zealand national secretary Carl Findlay said the incident was concerning and could have been "catastrophic" if it happened in the Cook Strait, potentially leading to "another huge maritime disaster". He said the crew, who were currently facing the loss of their jobs due to the Aratere's impending retirement, deserved thanks for upholding high standards of professionalism and keeping passengers safe and sound while the ferry was delayed for hours in the Marlborough Sounds. "It must be really playing on their minds, but they carry on with their work day in, day out in a professional manner and they deserve some applause for that." Findlay said problems with the vessels, which were all at the end of life, were well documented and the union didn't want to see the Aratere retired in August as it left only two vessels responsible for maintaining the inter-island link. The union had flagged the dangers of removing a key vessel from service, and the current situation showed that KiwiRail needed to rethink their plan. The union wanted to see the government reverse its decision, spend more money on maintenance and retain the 71 members currently facing the loss of their jobs, until the new ships arrived in 2029. "They're ageing as we all know, it just shows again the absolutely silly call that Nicola Willis made 18 months ago when she collapsed the iREX project." "We'd have a new ferry coming around the corner if [the government] hadn't cancelled that project and cost the tax payer hundreds of millions of dollars." He said the first of those new purpose-built ferries was due to arrive in this year, but were now another four years away, and passengers were likely to face years of disruption. The union wanted to see the government reverse its decision, spend more money on maintenance and retain the 71 members currently facing the loss of their jobs, until the new ships arrived in 2029. Findlay said the entire Interislander fleet was currently hampered by breakdowns, damage, or being taken out of service for audit. Last weekend, Kaiārahi had its bow door damaged in rough seas, which will be welded shut to allow it to continue to operate until a scheduled dry dock in Singapore in July. The Kaitaki would soon be out of action while it underwent a Maritime NZ audit, before it headed to dry dock in Singapore. A KiwiRail spokesperson said it has had to cancel the 4pm Aratere sailing, as it continues to explore what caused the electrical issue that led to the ferry breaking down overnight. It comes after the 6.15am sailing from Wellington and the return 11.00am sailing from Picton were cancelled. KiwiRail is undertaking further testing to identify what caused the problem. Private passengers booked on the 4pm sailing are being shifted to the Kaitaki sailing at 8.45am on Friday, while all freight customers have been moved onto a Kaiārahi sailing which is expected to depart later today. On 7 June, Kaiārahi's bow door sustained some damage when the vessel encountered two large waves off Sinclair Head in Cook Strait. Kaiārahi had departed two hours early from Picton, at 5.30am, to get ahead of the forecast large swells. It was a freight only sailing and the swells were well within the vessel's operating limits, with the wave rider showing a 4.4 metre swell. It has been in scheduled maintenance wet dock since then, with repair work done on the bow door. The spokesperson said the work had almost been completed and the vessel would resume sailing, before it left for dry dock in Singapore on 27 June. It is due back on 18 August. Meanwhile, the Kaitaki will be out of action this weekend while it undergoes its annual Passenger Ship Safety Certificate inspection this weekend. A Maritime NZ spokesperson said they were speaking to KiwiRail after the Aratere's breakdown, to determine if further action needed to be taken. It is seeking more information around what occurred, the actions undertaken to remedy the issue, and assurances that appropriate measures are in place to prevent recurrence. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
