Monthly Archives: January 2022

Gif: Neville Lambert / Storyful

I havent cheated death by avoiding an ill-fated transatlantic flight to Paris, but I get still nervous driving on highways behind most vehicles with loads secured to the roof. One loose strap or one poorly tied knot, and I could end up in my own personal straight-to-DVD sequel to Final Destination. Someone this week got a similar fright in New Zealand and caught it on dashcam.

A driver was following a Range Rover south on State Highway 1, 79 miles north of the countrys largest city Auckland. Then, suddenly two surfboards flew free from the Range Rovers roof rack. The dashcam driver immediately veered left to the shoulder to avoid one of the boards. To somewhat credit the Range Rover driver, they realized what happened and quickly pulled over.

While those boards might seem to be light and float through the air, I cant understate that what occurred was unsafe. At most speeds, the inertia of a surfboard putting all its kinetic energy through one of the boards ends could penetrate a cars windshield. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency spokesperson Andy Knackstedt told the New Zealand Herald:

Its very important that people take the time to ensure that anything they are carrying on the roof of their vehicle, or in a trailer or on a rack, is properly and safely secured. Any large or heavy object which comes loose from a vehicle traveling at speed on the road can become a dangerous missile or obstacle, putting other road users at risk.

Its also a legal requirement in New Zealand to make sure any load youre carrying is secure and that it cant fall or escape from your vehicle or trailer. Any person loading the vehicle also has the same responsibility not just the driver. You can be given a $600 infringement notice, or if youre prosecuted through the courts you can be fined up to $2000 and be disqualified for a period decided by the judge.

Please dont just chance it. Check your loads, so it doesnt come loose earlier than expected.

Go here to see the original:

Surfboards Come Loose In Front Of Another Car In New Zealand - Jalopnik

Stuff

Afghanistans former second vice president, Sarwar Danish

The National Party is demanding answers from Associate Immigration Minister Phil Twyford about the decision to grant residence to a former vice-president of Afghanistan, Sarwar Danish.

Stuff revealed recently that Danish and 13 family members had arrived in New Zealand from Turkey after the Government offered them what Twyford has described as safe haven.

The decision sparked anger and confusion among local Afghans, including a number who served with the New Zealand Defence Force.

An Afghan member of the New Zealand SAS unit based in Kabul from 2009-2012 told Stuff that Afghans who worked with the NZDF should have been prioritised for resettlement not people like Danish, who he said shared responsibility for the collapse of Afghanistans government.

READ MORE:* Afghans in hiding because of service to New Zealand deserve hope, says former soldier* As winter closes in on Afghanistan, a 12-year-old tries to save his family* Former Afghan vice president 'given safe haven' in New Zealand

Its very frustrating that someone from the corrupt leadership of Afghanistan with zero connection to New Zealand has been resettled in this country, when people who directly supported the New Zealand SAS have been left behind, he said.

Another Afghan local who served with the SAS said it was shameful and disgraceful that Danish and his family members had been granted residence when other Afghans who fought alongside our troops had been left behind.

Twyford said in a previous statement that alongside more than 1200 visas issued to Afghans associated with the New Zealand presence in Afghanistan, the Government has also provided safe haven to around 200 Afghans whose lives were at extreme risk from the Taliban, including Sarwar Danish.

Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Associate Immigration Minister Phil Twyford.

But Nationals foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee says the Government needs to explain why [Danish] got priority when he was safely ensconced in Turkey and why so many of his family were able to be repatriated with him.

Most Afghans offered resettlement by New Zealand after the Taliban seized power in August were told they could bring only immediate family members with them, including dependent children. Danish was allowed to bring not only his wife and unmarried children but an adult son and two adult daughters with their spouses and children.

The decision to grant residence to Danish and his family appears to have been made by Twyford. As associate immigration minister, he has discretion to approve applications that fall outside Government residence instructions.

Stuff has previously asked Twyford whether it was reasonable that Danish, who was already in a safe country, was granted residence when former soldiers who fought with the NZDF had not been offered resettlement; however, he did not answer the question.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

National foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee.

Brownlee said Twyford needed to tell the public if pressure was brought to bear on the Government to grant residence to Danish. If it was just diplomatic pressure from other countries then that would mean that theyve simply caved to someone elses view.

Or was there another particularly compelling reason [why Twyford] made this decision ahead of some of those people who would appear to have a much better claim?

Brownlee said there were many Afghans remaining in Afghanistan under threat of loss of life who were directly helpful to either the New Zealand SAS or the de-mining operation that New Zealand undertook in Bamiyan province.

What was the compelling reason for bringing [Danish]? he said. Is this the first of many failed former Afghan government players who will be heading to New Zealand?

Multiple attempts by Stuff to get comment from Danish were unsuccessful.

More here:

Did Government 'simply cave'? National demands answers over residency decision for former vice-president of Afghanistan Sarwar Danish - Stuff.co.nz

A rare historic steam locomotive is being restored to its former glory and is back in Southland after more than a century away.

The 1880 D Class locomotive D6 arriving at Bulleid Engineering in Winton. Photo: Supplied/ Southland District Council

The D Class locomotive D6 was built in 1880 in Glasgow and spent much of its time running on Southland's tracks with New Zealand Railways.

But in 1917, the D6 was sold into private service, first to the Taratu Coal and Railway Company in the Clutha District and then to McDonalds Lime in 1940 where it was in action at its amaru plant.

It moved a bit closer to home in 1965 after being acquired by Ocean Beach Railway, a working heritage railway museum operating in Dunedin.

The Lumsden Heritage Trust has now brought it back to enhance its heritage rail display in the northern Southland town.

Lumsden Heritage Trust chair John Titter (left) and trustee Rob Scott with the 1880 D Class locomotive D6 at Winton. Photo: Supplied/ Southland District Council

Trust chairman John Titter said the locomotive was significant because there were very few left in New Zealand.

"According to the New Zealand Rolling Stock Register there are only seven other Class D locomotives left in New Zealand, of which only two have been restored to running order."

The trust had taken responsibility for the locomotive and applied for funding to restore it, he said.

The 1880 D Class locomotive arrives in Invercargill on Friday. Photo: Supplied/ Southland District Council

In the weekend it arrived at Bulleid Engineering in Winton, where it is set to be restored before being taken to Lumsden.

The engineering company sits next to the former Winton railway track, which the locomotive used to operate on during its time with New Zealand Railways.

The 1880 D Class locomotive D6 is lowered into position at Bulleid Engineering in Winton on Saturday. Photo: Supplied/ Southland District Council

It has been an eventful two years for the Trust, which oversaw the recovery of two V Class locomotives and their coal tenders from the mud at Mararoa Junction near Lumsden just before the pandemic struck in early 2020.

Later that year, an A Class passenger car A199 was recovered from a farm at Wairio. It has since been refurbished and now sits in the Lumsden Railway Precinct to serve as an information kiosk for the trust's static display.

Continue reading here:

Rare steam locomotive arrives back in Southland for restoration - RNZ

White Island volcano survivor Stephanie Browitt shared photos revealing dramatic improvements to her back after undergoing a series of skin grafts. Video / 60 minutes / Stephanie Browitt

A woman who survived the 2019 Whakaari White Island volcano eruption and lost her dad and younger sister to the tragedy has revealed one common question she's still asked, two years on.

Melbourne's Stephanie Browitt, her 21-year-old sister Krystal, and their father Paul had been on the Ovation of the Seas ship when passengers visited the island on December 9.

They were among 47 people there, touring the island, when the volcano erupted killing 22 people, including 14 Australians, and badly injuring the other 25.

Browitt, who spent six months in hospital after suffering burns to 70 per cent of her body, has been open about her journey to recovery on social media.

And in a new TikTok posted last week, she reflected one of the things people ask her the most why she, her family and the other victims "couldn't jump in the water if it's an island" when the volcano erupted.

"Well as you can see, that's us, circled, on the island that day, at 2.10pm. And the walls are extremely high up, and we are only surrounded by rock. We're nowhere near the jetty, and nowhere near the ocean. We are as inland as you can get and under 140m from the crater," she explained, alongside an image of where the family had been standing before the eruption.

"So my family and I were at the back of that line, and it was only about a two minute walk, we had only just started walking back to the jetty. This is the same camera only 40 seconds to a minute apart, and as you can see the island was already engulfed in ash and dust.

"So we were never, ever, ever going to make it to water. There was literally no chance for the group of 21 people I was with."

Browitt marked the second anniversary of the disaster late last year, writing it had "ripped" her family apart.

"Today's not only the day I survived the unimaginable, it's the day I lost my dad, Paul and sister, Krystal. It's the day that they were taken from us," she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post.

"My accomplishments mean nothing to me knowing they aren't shared with my sister and dad by my side. Every day I question why we couldn't have gone through this extremely hard journey together, why they couldn't be here also.

"So when I think about today, it's filled with very mixed emotions. I'm extremely grateful that I was able to make it back home to my mum, but I'm also heartbroken that only I made it back. We are a family of four, not two. My heart hurts when I remember what I felt that day, but it hurts more not knowing what my dad and sister felt, that I wasn't next to them during their last moments."

WorkSafe charged 13 parties including tour operators and the island's owners with failings in November 2020. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.

See the article here:

Insulting question White Island survivor Stephanie Browitt is asked - New Zealand Herald

AFR

Canterbury will need 10,000 new workers a year to fill the labour gap left by Covid-19, a recent research paper has found. (File photo)

Canterbury will need 10,000 new workers a year to fill the labour gap left by Covid-19 and the New Zealand border which has been closed since March 2020.

This is the finding of Lincoln University researcher Dr David Dyason in a recent paper assessing the labour market response to Covid-19 border restrictions.

The paper stated that while the countrys Covid-19 elimination strategy proved effective in limiting the number and length of lockdowns, and enabling movement of people throughout the country, the closed borders have substantially lowered New Zealands labour intake.

In Canterbury, migration played a prominent role in the population growth at the start of the rebuild programme after the 2011 earthquakes, said Dyason.

READ MORE:* What role will migrant workers play in the future of New Zealand? * Coronavirus: Thousands received wage subsidy payouts from multiple employers* Covid-19: If migration stops, should we stop building?

The 2018 census revealed between 2013 and 2018, there was an inflow of people from other regions in New Zealand that amounted to a net total of 3288. On the other hand, the number of people who came from overseas to settle in the region during the same period amounted to 42,192.

Data from Statistics New Zealand showed a continuation of this trend, with the population growth for the region between 2018 and 2020 being primarily driven by net-international migration, accounting for 80 per cent of population change.

Pre-pandemic labour inflow coupled with lower near-term economic activity created a short-term labour buffer for the region, said Dyason, but this is quickly reducing.

The workforce gap between those retiring or leaving the workforce and new workers entering, is expected to increase annually, and the initial gap would require net inward migration of the working-age population to average at least 10,000 per year.

STUFF

The New Zealand hospitality industry is battling a labour shortage which has been exacerbated by the border closure and the departure of many migrant workers. (Video first published in July 2021)

For a region that relied heavily on the international labour market, the border restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic could potentially be disastrous if restrictions remain in the long run.

Current patterns in natural population growth will not be sufficient to satisfy the labour demand in Canterbury over the medium term, he said.

But what about those already in New Zealand who are looking to be employed?

According to figures from the Ministry of Social Development, there were 112,056 people on the jobseeker benefit who were work-ready in September last year.

But it is not that simple, said Dyason.

You will never get a 100 per cent employment rate within an economy, that is unheard of. You will always have a segment of the market that is not economically active, and there are many reasons for that.

It could be because there are no jobs in their field of expertise, it could be seasonal unemployment, it could be a lack of skills, etc.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

The New Zealand border has been closed to most migrant workers since March 2020. (File photo)

The recent labour market results suggest that capacity within the labour market is shrinking and pressure on relaxing the strict border requirements are needed to support the economy, he said.

Much of the workforce for the next couple of years could be sourced locally, however, the long-term demand for jobs would require sourcing labour from outside the region.

Dyason said as labour supply tightens, the competition between industries to source students and other employees is expected to increase. This would lead to wage and salary increases that in turn will drive up inflation.

Without significant changes in productivity or natural population growth, regions and countries that historically relied on immigration to support the economy are likely to continue to rely on migration as a labour source.

Read more:

10000 new workers a year needed to fill labour gap in Canterbury, study finds - Stuff.co.nz

Jacqui Southey is advocacy and research director of Save the Children NZ.

OPINION: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, childrens commissioner. As my choice of superhero, the childrens commissioner wins every time.

While the others may fight frightening villains in an imaginary world of good and evil, the childrens commissioner is a real superhero championing our childrens rights for more than 30 years.

Since 1989, eight commissioners have taken office, each monitoring, reporting, influencing and acting on issues facing tamariki and young people. From our first, Dr Sir Ian Hassall, through to todays Judge Frances Eivers, every commissioner has worked to promote children as citizens in their own right, urging New Zealand to do better in the ways we regard and treat our children.

And in those three decades, there have been big wins. The repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act in 2007, campaigned on by successive commissioners Roger McClay and Dr Cindy Kiro, ended allowable violence against children by prohibiting physical punishment of them for any reason.

GEOFF DALE

Dr Sir Ian Hassall was New Zealands first childrens commissioner, appointed in 1989.

READ MORE:* New Zealand belongs on 'international roll of shame' on children's wellbeing * Judge Frances Eivers appointed as new Children's Commissioner* Mother-of-seven becomes first Assistant Mori Children's Commissioner

Or casting a spotlight on child poverty. During his term, Dr Russell Wills (2011-16) helped establish the Child Poverty Monitor, a collaboration with Otago University and the JR McKenzie Trust, which provides an annual insight into rates of poverty experienced by children, and what it means to their daily lives.

Or the more recent inquiry into the uplift of newborn babies by Oranga Tamariki, led by Judge Andrew Becroft, shedding light on the brutal realities of the state taking a baby soon after birth.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Judge Frances Eivers at her pwhiri as the new childrens commissioner, held at Pipitea Marae, Wellington, in November last year.

But behind the headlines and the big wins are the countless hours of researching, negotiating, monitoring, and campaigning that it takes to champion a too-often-marginalised group in society our children.

Part of the success of the role over the years is the strength of the commissioners voice and status. Many have been outspoken, while their power to report directly to the prime minister, with or without invitation, on critical childrens issues, gives weight to their voice.

Sadly, for too many children, abuse, discrimination, poverty, exclusion and violence are part of their daily lives. Many encounter significant problems when it comes to accessing support or justice, and have limited choices of where to turn for help. This is where having a designated champion to share their voice and uphold their rights at the highest level is vital.

CHRIS SKELTON/Stuff

Judge Eivers has replaced Judge Andrew Becroft as childrens commissioner.

The proposed Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young Peoples Commission Bill, currently before a select committee, removes the named role of childrens commissioner and the commissioners authority to report with or without invitation directly to the prime minister on behalf of children. Instead, a new Children and Young Peoples Commission is to be established, run by a board of between three and six members. The bill also removes the investigation powers the current commissioner has over Oranga Tamariki, with a new entity established to take over monitoring.

The argument for the bill is that, through the new commission, advocacy will be strengthened. A sole commissioner is not able to be across the complex and varied issues children are facing in New Zealand. But isnt that like saying a sole prime minister cant lead our country due to the complexity of the issues we face?

The history of our childrens commissioners shows they have consistently been able to tackle serious and complex issues for children, contributing to systemic and lasting change.

Hagen Hopkins/Supplied

Jacqui Southey, advocacy and research director of Save the Children NZ, is involved in the Save the Childrens Commissioner campaign.

Further, despite the proposed bills impact on them, tamariki and young people have not been consulted. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly accords children the right to a voice on issues important to them, and to be heard. Their views need to be represented in shaping a Children and Young Peoples Commission to support children now and into the future.

Thats why Save The Children has launched a call to Save the Childrens Commissioner. Our online petition, launched earlier this month, already has the signatures of thousands of Kiwis, supporting the call to retain the role of a named commissioner with a designated term of office. We also ask that the bill retains the authority of the commissioner to report directly to the prime minister with or without invitation, and that children are consulted before the bill progresses.

If we are serious about making New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child, we must retain this vital champion for our children. Not all superheroes wear capes.

See more here:

Save the children's commissioner, NZ's campaigning superhero - Stuff.co.nz

Footage shows that multiple vehicles were blocking both southbound and northbound lanes. Photo / Supplied

A motorcyclist is in a serious condition following a collision with another vehicle on Auckland's Southern Motorway this morning.

The crash occurred on State Highway 1 around 6.35am.

The motorcyclist has been taken to Middlemore Hospital.

Two southbound lanes and one northbound lane were blocked between East Tamaki Rd and Te Irirangi Rd during the rush hour as people returned back to work today.

All three lanes have now reopened.

A Waka Kotahi NZ Transport agency spokesperson advised motorists to allow extra time as delays northbound between Papakura and Manukau slowly eased.

Southbound traffic began to slowly ease just after 7.30am the agency said.

Camera footage shows multiple vehicles involved, including trucks.

Continue reading here:

Motorcyclist seriously injured in Auckland Southern Motorway crash, lanes reopen - New Zealand Herald