Category Archives: New Zealand

Police have described it as a "disorder incident" in the Clendon Park shopping area. They confirmed in a statement officers responded to several reports of disorder at around 9.30pm local time. On arrival, police "located a number of victims with varying injuries" who were taken to hospital. It is understood one male suffered minor injuries.

A statement said: "Police remain at the scene and continue to investigate the circumstances of the incidents."

Police are now speaking to people in the area and those at a petrol station close to the incident, which was full of cars and people.

Nearby residents described the scene when hearing emergency services rushing to the scene.

A witness at the Warehouse car park in Clendon Park said more than a dozen police officers were present.

The man said he had seen lots of broken glass, shoes, clothing and car parts scattered across the ground, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

One resident described what sounded like the sound of gunshots at the Clendon Shopping Centre car park.

The woman said she was parking her car at around 9.15pm when she heard a "loud bang" - followed by another.

She had initially thought it was fireworks being set off until she saw panicked and terrified people running.

READ MORE:Turkey forced to CUT power and be plunged into darkness

The resident told the New Zealand Herald: "I quickly jumped in my car and another a few shots happened again."

The terrified woman said she then just hid in her car.

She added: "I just heard people screaming and cars zooming off."

Clendon Park is a suburb of Auckland in northern New Zealand.

It is located to the west of Manurewa and north of Weymouth.

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New Zealand shopping centre shooting: 'Loud bangs and shots' - many injured - Daily Express

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A black tern, never before recorded in New Zealand, has been spotted at Waikanae Estuary, drawing crowds and flummoxing experts.

People living alongside Waikanae Estuary might be wondering what theyre missing, as a steady stream of people make their way across the sand spit, armed with large cameras and a palpable sense of determination.

The focus of their attention is easy to miss. The black tern, a small bird of mottled white, grey and black, sits nestled among a group of native white-fronted terns. You wouldnt know to look at it how far it has travelled.

This unassuming visitor is the first of its kind to be seen in New Zealand, with the species originally hailing from Europe, Western Asia and North America.

Resident Roger Smith is one of many people lucky enough to capture it on camera and is as flummoxed as the rest of the birding community about how the bird came to be on a beach north of Wellington.

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Roger Smith/Supplied

It is not known how the black tern ended up on a beach north of Wellington, but one expert there is a certain element of getting lost involved.

The bird was first spotted by eagle-eyed birding enthusiast Elizabeth Taylor on January 14, and positively identified by various birding experts and the community of online twitchers (birdwatchers who collect sightings of rare birds).

People have travelled from all over the country for a glimpse, Smith said, from places like Auckland, Tauranga, and Golden Bay.

Te Papa bird expert Colin Miskelly, who saw the bird on Monday morning, said he thought our nearest neighbour Australia had recorded only three sightings. Those individuals, like this one, were thought to have originated from North America.

The only twitch that would be bigger would be Happy Feet the emperor penguin.

So how did it end up on our shores? Theres probably an element of getting lost, Miskelly said. This type of bird was migratory and could travel great distances.

This is a classic case of, Yay, its here, but there has been no suggestion of catching it and sending it home, he said. Yet if a rare penguin turned up, wed be wanting to make sure it got home.

Roger Smith/Supplied

Its possibly the biggest twitch since Happy Feet, drawing bird enthusiasts and photographers from around the country.

Miskelly is the convenor of Ornithological Society of New Zealands Records Appraisal Committee, meaning he is one of five people who identify rare birds, and log their presence in New Zealand. This black tern had been a relatively straightforward identification job, thanks to the good quality photos supplied by twitchers.

It had potentially thrown two other historical bird sightings into question this sighting might not hold the title of first in New Zealand for long. Because of poor photos, two previous sightings of black terns had not been verified at the time, but Miskelly said the committee would be taking another look.

Good quality photos or video footage were paramount, he said. One person had submitted a sighting of the rare South Island kkako, but a quick look at the video showed it was, in fact, a common quail.

In the case of black terns, we suspect some other records had been overlooked, Miskelly said.

Smith had not seen the bird for a couple of days, and suspected it had since departed with its new friends.

The official record would be finalised in May, Miskelly said, and whether the other sightings turned out to be mistaken or not, for now, this mottled visitor remains the first of its kind.

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First ever sighting of black tern in New Zealand has twitchers in a flap - Stuff.co.nz

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Ryan Fox is back on the DP World Tour but is eyeing another return to New Zealand.

Ryan Fox admits life and sport during the Covid-19 pandemic have been brutal.

But the leading New Zealand mens golfer acknowledged others have had it far worse as he plays a string of tournaments in the Middle East on the DP World Tour before another scheduled stint in MIQ back home.

Fox finished 61st in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday and told The Guardian during the event that he and his family wife Anneke and 13-month-old daughter Isabel have struggled with New Zealands MIQ system.

DP WORLD TOUR/TWITTER

Spain's Santiago Tarrio produced a spectacular escape from a tricky bunker lie.

Im in a good place, I know Ive got a job, Fox said.

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There are some Kiwis overseas that are not as well-placed as me, that dont have a job. It was frustrating enough at the start and its probably got worse. Our system has got harder and harder. We finally, just before Christmas, had some help. I think we get 22 spots a month as individual athletes trying to get into the country.

The 205th-ranked mens golfer in world standings said he had to miss a couple of tournaments in Europe late last year to ensure he could get back to New Zealand.

I spent the whole back end of last year, me and my wife, trying to get in this lottery system to get a space to go home for Christmas. I missed a couple of events at the end of the year because that was the only time we could get home. Hopefully, when we go back this will be the last time that I do it. Its been an incredibly frustrating 18 months. I find it really, really hard in quarantine by myself.

Fox has a flat in London, but said the family was desperate to get home at the end of 2021.

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Ryan Fox says travelling back to New Zealand has been frustrating.

It was really tough on my wife last year having four months, where she was with a baby 24 hours a day. I was out playing golf. She travelled to some events but just not being able to have any support was pretty tough, he told The Guardian.

The 35-year-old said people had understood his predicament, despite concerns from New Zealanders about keeping borders open.

Back home a lot of people think they should just shut the borders.

Ive personally not caught flak for travelling but theres an undercurrent of: Why are people travelling in the middle of the pandemic? Well, its very results driven. If I dont play or I dont play well, I dont have a job and I cant support my family. I feel like I dont have a choice.

Fox, who will next tee it up in the Dubai Desert Classic later this week, said people missing dying relatives and funerals deserved far greater sympathy than him.

Theres a lot of people who have a lot tougher stories than what I have.

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Ryan Fox frustrated by New Zealand's MIQ system as he eyes another return home - Stuff.co.nz

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Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) will be part of the Aotearoa history curriculum, which now won't be taught to year 1 to 10 students until 2023.

Schools will not be required to teach Aotearoas history until 2023 to give them longer to implement the new curriculum while navigating disruptions caused by Covid-19.

In response to growing demand from Kiwis, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in September 2019 that all schools and kura would be expected to start teaching the country's history to year 0 to 10 students by 2022.

But a year-long delay has been confirmed after public reservations about the finer details of the draft that drew in more than 4000 submissions. It is now due to be finalised early this year.

Ngi Tahu kaumtua T Tipene ORegan, who sat on the advisory panel to the ministry creating the curriculum, said the fact that its being debated is wonderful, but I'm anxious about how it will emerge.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

T Tipene ORegan says Aotearoas history and the relationship between Mori and Pkeh is more nuanced than a goodie and baddie narrative.

READ MORE:* Teachers will get support they need to teach new history curriculum, PM says* History on repeat - how compulsory teaching in NZ might work* New Zealand history to be taught in schools by 2022, says PM Jacinda Ardern* Teaching New Zealand history 'common sense': Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

He was initially concerned that the curriculum change would replace one unsatisfactory narrative with another about goodies and baddies and Mori victim, Pkeh oppressor.

The interrelationship of Mori and Pkeh is much more nuanced than this standard division that we have ... [it] is conventional to talk and blame everything on colonialism.

He believed a certain amount of dissatisfaction had stalled the roll-out, and the final curriculum could take years to have any effect on society.

The iwi would be quite heavily involved in what it would look like in Te Waipounamu (the South Island), he said.

JO MOIR/STUFF

NZ History Teachers Association chair Graeme Ball talks to the Maori Affairs select committee about the need for teaching the countrys colonial history in schools. (First published June 20, 2018).

New Zealand History Teachers Association chairman Graeme Ball has been pushing for the nation's history to be taught in schools for years, but agreed with delaying the launch because there was already too much pressure on schools during the pandemic.

A lot of hap and iwi might not be ready for it either, he said.

Also involved in the curriculum design, Ball said the latest version allowed schools to adapt the curriculum to key events in their regions.

Creating a curriculum was a long process, he said, and this was the first time it set expectations for primary and intermediate teachers to teach the nations history.

Supplied

Ministry of Education deputy secretary early learning and student achievement Ellen MacGregor-Reid.

He hoped the anxiety many teachers might feel that I dont know this stuff so how can I teach it would be alleviated with professional development.

The country is ready for it.

Ministry of Education Te Pouth (Curriculum) haut (leader) Ellen MacGregor-Reid said the release of the final curriculum content was delayed to early 2022 due to Covid-19 disruptions over the past two years, and schools and kura would not be required to teach it until a year later.

The draft content was developed by an expert panel before being tested with a wider reference group, Ohu Matua. This group was made up of history experts, Mori, Pkeha, Pacific, migrant communities, disabled peoples, teachers and curriculum leaders.

It was tested in 2021 in staffrooms and classrooms, and underwent public consultation between February and May 2021.

Schools and kura would be supported during 2022 to access the resources they needed, and would have funding to involve iwi and hap in developing region specific information. The new content would start being taught from 2023.

In 2015, torohanga College students petitioned for more education in schools about the Land Wars, one of the bloodiest of which the 1863-64 Waikato War happened just 20 minutes drive from their King Country school.

Hundreds gathered at Parliament's forecourt to present the 13,000-signature petition, but the ministry refused to accept it because requiring schools to teach a specific subject would be contrary to the spirit and underlying principles of the curriculum.

That stance was flipped in 2019 following another petition from history teachers, and a campaign run by Stuff in 2018.

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Teaching of New Zealand history in schools delayed by a year - Stuff.co.nz

January 23 2022PM Jacinda Ardern has confirmed New Zealand will move to the red traffic light setting at midnight tonight.

Following the Government's announcement that the country will move to the red traffic light at midnight tonight, Air New Zealand say they will continue to operate domestic services and have stood down 15 aircrew members as close contacts of a positive case.

CEO Greg Foran says like all businesses, the airline is preparing for the impact Omicron will have on its customers and employees.

"Our priority has always been and continues to be, keeping our employees, customers and New Zealand safe. The great news is, you can continue to fly during the red setting and there are no regional borders in place. However, we do expect to see some impact to our operation."

"As a result of one of our employees testing positive for Omicron, subsequently, around 15 aircrew have been stood down as close contacts. They are well and are testing and isolating in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines."

"What this does mean is that while we will continue to do all we can to keep Aotearoa connected, we expect to see some schedule changes and cancellations over the coming weeks due to Covid".

In a statement, Air New Zealand said it has significant precautions in place for crew set out by the Ministry of Health and the airline's medical team, including wearing PPE and regular surveillance testing.

Air New Zealand operating aircrew and customer-facing employees are fully vaccinated and customers over the age of 12 travelling with Air New Zealand domestically need to show either proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative test result and vaccination requirement for all international passengers comes into effect from February 1.

The airline paused in-flight food and beverage service from January 1, 2022, to enable customers to keep their masks on for the duration of domestic flights.

Air New Zealand lounges will be open as usual and customers are advised to upload their vaccine pass to their Airpoints profile when booking in online.

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Air New Zealand stands down 15 aircrew identified as close contacts of Omicron-positive case - New Zealand Herald

When Covid landed in 2020, it came, it saw, but it did not conquer our economy; the new threat is inflation enhanced by the battle against the pandemic, experts say.

Propped up by the Government, the New Zealand economy proved more resilient amid coronavirus than economists expected. There were no unemployment queues, no housing market slump, and while specific areas suffered, the overall picture was not one of gloom.

But throwing taxpayer money at the problem is unsustainable and will not make it go away, it will simply create a new problem, the economic warnings run.

We have run out of ammunition fighting off successfully the first mass attack of the enemy, former Trade Minister Tim Groser says.

Mark Taylor/Waikato Times

We are out of ammo, former Trade Minister Tim Groser says.

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Even then, New Zealand was insulated better than some countries, thanks to the strength of its primary producers, he argues.

As such, the economic spine proved strong and flexible, as industries here and overseas ached and sneezed through the worst global pandemic since the Spanish flu a century ago.

In the last two years, it is far better to have been a large food exporter like New Zealand than a motor vehicle exporter, Groser says.

In those two years global food prices (on the IMF commodity index) increased 40 per cent in nominal terms, to New Zealands great advantage.

In Europe, their automotive industry has just endured six months of declining new car registrations because of the impact of the pandemic on global auto supply chains.

But at the highest level of generality, the global economy has got through this health crisis relatively unscathed, and we should all be thankful for that.

Supplied

Economist Cameron Bagrie: Covid is a supply shock that makes us poorer not richer.

The main risk economically is not likely to arise from the biological dynamics of the mutating virus, but the risk of a premature and excessively rapid withdrawal of that fiscal and monetary stimulus.

Continuing to stimulate the economy will come at a cost, Groser says.

We and other advanced economies will pay that price over many years either through a secular shift upwards in the long-term inflation rate (the worst of the two options) or the implications of a long and difficult period of fiscal consolidation that must now take place precisely to avoid setting long term expectations of a higher inflation rate.

Economist Cameron Bagrie too, warns the free lunch of Government employment and other subsidies, will come at a cost.

New Zealand will need to learn to live with Covid and that will involve tough trade-offs between health, the economy and mobility, he says.

Covid is a supply shock that makes us poorer, not richer, he says.

Sugar candy economics via heaps of government spending and aggressive central bank just provided a temporary reprieve with both positive and negative consequences.

Inflation is the reality check and pop variable that will be a big focal point over the coming years. Inflation is a thief that steals savings and reduces spending power. Getting inflation back into check is not going to be asset price or growth friendly.

Growth in the global and New Zealand economies will be slower than we have been used to, with labour supply and productivity curtailed, Bagrie says.

Government policy will need to pivot from spending and using fiscal policy, to a stronger emphasis on microeconomic policy, he says.

These are the little levers you can pull to improve the anaerobic capacity of the economy to grow year after year.

Why do we have 40,000 more people on a benefit now than pre-Covid but an unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent?

Covid, and the policy response to it, has magnified pre-Covid themes such as wealth inequality, housing affordability, globalisation, health system readiness and the under-appreciated value of some people such as nurses.

Supplied/Supplied

There's a lot of risks out there, but we are in a really strong starting position, says Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr.

While food parcel deliveries are high, and restaurants battling to find staff, 90 per cent of the economy is still firing, says Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr.

Tourism, hospitality and international education are battling, yet overall the past two years have not been as torrid for the overall economy as most expected, Kerr says.

At the start of the pandemic we were worried about queues of unemployed and we were going to get a housing market correction, and a whole lot of nasty stuff was about to happen, he says.

That it didnt and you can pop that down to the government's policy, the wage subsidies and the other measures that the government did.

Kiwi businesses are much more resilient and adaptable than we gave them credit for. We always underestimate the adaptability of Kiwi businesses and once again, we found ourselves and our economy far more resilient than any of us had anticipated.

STUFF

Stuff Business Editor Susan Edmunds is joined by Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan and principal economist Brad Olsen to talk about whats really happening in the economy.

We got through various lockdowns well. With each lockdown the severity of the impact is lessening. The first lockdown was bad, the second lockdown was not quite as bad.

Our terms of trade are at historic highs in terms of what we are receiving compared to what we are paying, our purchasing power has never been better.

But now the big question mark for Kerr is how we move from a pandemic to an endemic - how do we live with Covid, as soon as Omicron makes it into the wider community. How and when does New Zealand open up to the rest of the world?

Cracks are showing. Inflation is coming, Kerr says.

There are still a lot of negatives out there, so cautiously optimistic but certainly not going to be surprised if the New Zealand economy does as well, its a well oiled machine - adaptable.

There's a lot of risks out there but we are in a really strong starting position, we've got record low unemployment, government finances are in great shape. They are making more revenue via tax than they thought, they're spending less than they can, so a good situation there.

LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff

Its all about inflation now; Sharon Zollner, chief economist for ANZ.

Over at the ANZ, chief economist Sharon Zollner was even more wary, to the point of gloomy, in a change of heart this week forecasting lifts in the Official Cash Rate over the next 15 months.

While inflationary global supply-side disruptions remain its domestic inflation pressures, and in particular the ongoing tightness in labour supply, that explain most of our change in view, Zollner says.

She expected upward surprises for the Reserve Bank in both the labour market and the consumers price index (CPI), the measure of inflation for households.

Our updated view is not based on a belief that growth will be going gangbusters, she says.

The housing market appears to be coming to a very sudden stop; households are facing significant cost-of-living stresses and have subdued confidence; a shortage of workers and materials is hampering production; and Omicron is knocking on our door.

123rf.com/Stuff

Primary producers have insulated the economy.

But the reality of a prolonged negative supply side shock is that even modest growth can stretch resources and cause inflation. The trade-offs are unpleasant and theres no way around that.

For the past 20 years, investors and other risk-takers have got used to thinking of central banks as their friends who have their back; that weak growth or wobbly markets mean lower interest rates. This time, its highly conditional love.

Its all about inflation now.

Groser, New Zealands chief trade negotiator over many years, looks overseas for the factors that will have the biggest impact on Kiwis, and their economic well-being.

Its all about pandemic science, not economic analysis, he says.

The orthodox view that the mutations are now on a highly contagious but clearly less dangerous path, may prove wrong, he says.

If that orthodox view is wrong the economic impact could be far more severe than the first wave of the pandemic, precisely because the fiscal and monetary armoury of the major economies is all but exhausted from the first wave of the pandemic.

Our economic fate is therefore largely in the hands of the worlds major public health institutions, the public and private science research establishments and the great and innovative pharmaceutical companies.

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New Zealand economy winning Covid battle, only for a new threat to emerge - Stuff.co.nz

New Zealand, Mori Aotearoa, island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the southwesternmost part of Polynesia. New Zealand is a remote landone of the last sizable territories suitable for habitation to be populated and settledand lies more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Australia, its nearest neighbour. The country comprises two main islandsthe North and the South Islandand a number of small islands, some of them hundreds of miles from the main group. The capital city is Wellington and the largest urban area Auckland; both are located on the North Island. New Zealand administers the South Pacific island group of Tokelau and claims a section of the Antarctic continent. Niue and the Cook Islands are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand.

New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. Active volcanoes, spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, verdant valleys, dazzling fjords, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps/K Tiritiri o te Moana on the South Islandall contribute to New Zealands scenic beauty. New Zealand also has a unique array of vegetation and animal life, much of which developed during the countrys prolonged isolation. It is the sole home, for example, of the long-beaked, flightless kiwi, the ubiquitous nickname for New Zealanders.

Britannica Quiz

Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

This quiz will present you with the name of a country. You have to decide whether its in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere. (There will be no trickery with countries that touch the Equator.)

New Zealand was the largest country in Polynesia when it was annexed by Great Britain in 1840. Thereafter it was successively a crown colony, a self-governing colony (1856), and a dominion (1907). By the 1920s it controlled almost all of its internal and external policies, although it did not become fully independent until 1947, when it adopted the Statute of Westminster. It is a member of the Commonwealth.

The ascent of Mount Everest by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953 was one of the defining moments of the 20th century. In some ways, Hillary suggested, I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander: I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination, and I rather like to succeed.

Despite New Zealands isolation, the country has been fully engaged in international affairs since the early 20th century, being an active member of a number of intergovernmental institutions, including the United Nations. It has also participated in several wars, including World Wars I and II. Economically the country was dependent on the export of agricultural products, especially to Great Britain. The entry of Britain into the European Community in the early 1970s, however, forced New Zealand to expand its trade relations with other countries. It also began to develop a much more extensive and varied industrial sector. Tourism has played an increasingly important role in the economy, though this sector has been vulnerable to global financial instability.

The social and cultural gap between New Zealands two main groupsthe indigenous Mori of Polynesian heritage and the colonizers and later immigrants from the British Isles and their descendantshas decreased since the 1970s, though educational and economic differences between the two groups remain. Immigration from other areasAsia, Africa, and eastern Europehas also made a mark, and New Zealand culture today reflects these many influences. Minority rights and race-related issues continue to play an important role in New Zealand politics.

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New Zealand | History, Map, Flag, Capital, Population ...

In the wake of a massive undersea volcano erupting, New Zealands National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)announced a tsunami warning on Saturday. After a large volcanic eruption took place, New Zealand's emergency management agency issued an advisory and said coastal areas on the north and east coast of the North Island and the Chatham Islands are likely to witness "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore." Notably, this is one of the largest eruptions of the Tongan volcano in its history,the agency said.

So far, there have been no reports of injuries or the scale of the damage caused by the volcano because of the disturbed communications with the island nation. However, videos circulating on social media show huge waves traveling ashore in coastal areas, destroyinghomes and buildings. Meanwhile, New Zealand military personnel are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to reach out for rescue andassistance.

The images captured by satellite show a huge eruption above the blue Pacific waters. An alert notice was issued for all the archipelago and data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre recorded waves of 80 centimeters, said the Tonga Meteorological Services. Meanwhile, the local authorities in the island nations of Fiji and Samoa also issued alerts, warning people to not go near the shoreline. Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency stated there may be a slight surge of water near the Japanese coasts.

As per reports, police and military troops evacuated hundreds of residents to safer zones, including Tongas King Tupou VI, who was residing in his palace near the shore. In the series of volcanic eruptions, the explosion of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Haapai volcano was the latest. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said late Saturday that it appears that the threat to American Samoa has passed, and minor sea fluctuations will also soon fade away.

Tonga is home to about 105,000 people. The volcanic eruption took place around 64 kilometers (40 miles) north of the capital, Nukualofa. Earlier, in 2014 and 2015, a series of volcanic eruptions occurred in the area, and a small new island was created. However, the eruptions disrupted international air travel to the Pacific archipelago for a few weeks.

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New Zealand issues tsunami warning after undersea volcano ...

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand sent surveillance flights on Monday to assess damage in Tonga, isolated from the rest of the world after the eruption of a volcano that triggered a tsunami and blanketed the Pacific island with ash.

Australia's Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja said initial reports suggested no mass casualties from Saturday's eruption and tsunami but Australian police had visited beaches and reported significant damage with "houses thrown around".

Read more: Scientists struggle to monitor Tonga volcano after massive eruption

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"We know there is some significant damage, and know there is significant damage to resorts," he said in an interview with an Australian radio station, adding that Tonga's airport appeared to be in relatively good condition.

One British woman was reported missing, he said.

The surveillance flights would assess the situation in outer islands where communication is completely cut off.

Tonga's deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu'ihalangingie, asked for patience as Tonga's government decides its priorities for aid.

Tonga is concerned about the risk of aid deliveries spreading COVID-19 to the island, which is COVID-free.

"We don't want to bring in another wave - a tsunami of COVID-19," he told Reuters by telephone.

"When people see such a huge explosion they want to help," he said, but added Tonga diplomats were also concerned by some private fundraising efforts and urged the public to wait until a disaster relief fund was announced.

Any aid sent to Tonga would need to be quarantined, and it was likely no foreign personnel would be allowed to disembark aircraft, he said.

The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano triggered a tsunami on the shores of Tonga and cut off phone and internet lines for the entire island.

International communication has been severely hampered by damage to an undersea cable, which could take more than a week to restore, and Australia and New Zealand were assisting with satellite calls, he said.

Telephone networks in Tonga have been restored but ash was posing a major health concern, contaminating drinking water.

An eruption occurs at the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai off Tonga, January 14, 2022 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Video recorded January 14, 2022. Tonga Geological Services/via REUTERS

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"Most people are not aware the ash is toxic and bad for them to breath and they have to wear a mask," Tu'ihalangingie said.

'COMPLETELY DESTROYED'

The Haatafu Beach Resort, on the Hihifo peninsula, 21 km (13 miles) west of the capital Nukualofa, was completely wiped out, the owners said on Facebook.

The family that manages the resort had run for their lives through the bush to escape the tsunami, it said. The whole western coastline has been completely destroyed along with Kanukupolu village, the resort said.

British woman Angela Glover was missing after she was washed away by a wave when she and her husband, James, who own the Happy Sailor Tattoo in Nuku'alofa, had gone to get their dogs.

The husband managed to hold onto a tree but his wife, who runs a dog rescue shelter, and their dogs were swept away, New Zealand state broadcaster TVNZ reported.

The Red Cross said it was mobilising its network to respond to what it called the worst volcanic eruption the Pacific has experienced in decades.

Katie Greenwood, the Pacific head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters up to 80,000 people could have been affected by the tsunami.

The damage was centred along the western coast, where there are many resorts, and the waterfront of the capital, Nuku'alofa, the New Zealand High Commission in Tonga said. A thick layer of ash remained across the island.

Scientists were struggling to monitor the volcano, after the explosion destroyed its sea-level crater and drowned its mass, obscuring it from satellites. read more

Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai has erupted regularly over the past few decades but the impact of Saturday's eruption was felt as far away as Fiji, New Zealand, the United States and Japan. Two people drowned off a beach in Northern Peru due to high waves caused by the tsunami.

More than a day after the eruption, countries thousands of kilometres to the west have volcanic ash clouds over them, New Zealand forecaster WeatherWatch said.

Early data suggests the eruption was the biggest blast since Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines 30 years ago, New Zealand-based volcanologist Shane Cronin told Radio New Zealand.

"This is an eruption best witnessed from space," Cronin said.

Register

Reporting by Praveen Menon and Kirsty Needham; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel and Philippa Fletcher

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Drinking water, ash big concern as Tonga assesses damage after tsunami - Reuters

Banks in New Zealand are rejecting home-loans over minor frivolous spending, including a $187 Kmart Christmas shop and a daily drink bought at a corner store, and money spent on pets or petrol, pushing the government to investigate whether banks are overreacting to new finance rules designed to protect vulnerable borrowers from predatory lenders.

The Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), updated in early December, requires all lenders to complete thorough checks to ensure loans are suitable and affordable for their customers.

But finance leaders and opposition politicians say the rules have compelled banks to take an ultra-conservative approach to lending, pushing homeownership further out of reach for many as the country battles a housing crisis.

There has been a sharp dip in home-loan approvals since the new rules were introduced from about 30,000 a month to 23,000 in December according to Centrix, a credit reporting agency.

One in five mortgage loan approvals appear to have been hit by the new CCCFA regulations. Consumers that were previously approved are no longer, its managing director Keith McLaughlin said, adding that this amounts to a decrease in lending of $1.9bn from November to December.

The chief executive of Financial Advice NZ, Katrina Shanks, said the new rules required banks and other lenders to go through an individuals spending habits with a fine-tooth comb. Entertainment, food (including take-aways), gym memberships, clothing, personal care, childcare and more are included. Before the rule changes, the banks had the ability to determine some of these costs as discretionary spending.

A December survey of Financial Advice NZs members revealed roughly 300 examples of lenders being restricted in the loans they could offer to would-be borrowers because of the rules, Shank said.

What has happened is the net is so wide on who this new prescription is applied to, that it has hit the average New Zealander. Most New Zealanders wouldnt be considered vulnerable, but the way this legislation has been written, it captures all New Zealanders.

The rules also make directors and senior managers of lending organisations personally liable for up to $200,000 if found to be breaking the rules, which has made banks extremely risk-averse, Shanks said.

The New Zealand Bankers Association chief executive Roger Beaumont told Stuff the law change meant banks had much less flexibility or room for lender discretion than was previously the case.

The minister of commerce and consumer affairs, Dr David Clark, has now asked the council of financial regulators to bring forward their investigation into whether banks and lenders are implementing the CCCFA as intended.

Banks appear to be managing their lending more conservatively at present, and this is likely due to global economic conditions. It may also be that in the initial weeks of implementing the new CCCFA requirements there has been a decision to unduly err on the side of caution.

Clark added that a number of factors affecting the market have occurred at the same time as the rule changes, including increases to the official cash rate, changes to how much a bank can lend against mortgaged property compared to the value of that property, and an increase in house prices and local government rates.

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New Zealand banks reject home loans over spending on Christmas gifts and pets as tighter rules hit - The Guardian