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New Lynn bus interchange reopens after crash investigation begins

New Lynn bus interchange reopens after crash investigation begins

An investigation is under way and a section of a West Auckland station remains closed after a bus crash that left the vehicle smoking. Auckland Transport said all bus stops at the New Lynn bus interchange had reopened at 5am after the bus involved in the incident was removed. “The immediate section of the interchange that was damaged remains closed while our teams assess the damage and investigate repair options,” AT said. “Bus services that stop at New Lynn Station are running normally and we have asked bus drivers to take extra care while driving in the area.” AT is investigating the cause of the crash and is working with the bus company while it conducts an internal review. The bus crashed into the station about 4.30pm yesterday and smoke appeared to be coming from the battery compartment. NZ Herald Morning News Update | World leaders sign Gaza peace deal and KiwiSaver's cost savingsThe bus smashed into a glass veranda that covered a waiting area and damaged a glass wall. Smoke was seen coming from the battery compartment of the electric bus after crashed. Photo / Supplied “I had thought it was actually a big bin fallen from a crane or something,” a witness told the Herald, “it was that loud. She hit it real hard but all the passengers walked off.” One person was injured in the incident and treated at the scene. Photo / Michael Sprague The witness also described it as “the loudest bang ever heard”. Images showed the bus at near right angles to the road, blocking it for other vehicles and with its nose pressed against the building. Parts of the bus’ bodywork came off in the crash and left the electric battery compartment on the roof exposed. Bus routes were detoured at the time and caused significant delays to services travelling to and from New Lynn. AT also said it worked with emergency services to make the area safe. Hato Hone St John said they responded to the incident, treating one person in a minor condition at the scene. Police said they were investigating and have been approached for further comment.

Coroner finds ‘sub-optimal’ record-keeping before post-op death of Gisborne woman

Coroner finds ‘sub-optimal’ record-keeping before post-op death of Gisborne woman

Doctors performing surgery on a high-risk patient in Gisborne were not aware of health information that could have made the woman an unsuitable candidate for the operation. Janet Roberta Milner died, aged 50, at Waikato Hospital on July 18, 2021, days after she had undergone bariatric surgery in the form of a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy stomach removal at Chelsea Private Hospital in Gisborne. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is keyhole surgery where the bulk of the stomach is removed, leaving a slender “sleeve” of stomach in place. It makes a person feel full with only a small amount of food by physically restricting the amount the person can eat at any one time. Coroner Bruce Hesketh, in his findings released today, said Milner was “not an appropriate candidate for bariatric surgery” in view of her significant comorbidities, extremely high BMI (body mass index), mixed cardiac disease and having a mechanical heart valve that was incorrectly identified to both the surgeon and anaesthetist. “Had they known, I am satisfied that a different post-operative care plan would have been arranged.” Private surgery sought Milner had moved back from Christchurch to her birthplace of Gisborne in 2018. She consulted with her GP, Dr Mark Devcich of Waikohu Health Centre, in December 2020 about laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Devcich recorded that she fell just outside of the criteria for being accepted for the surgery in the public health system. Milner weighed 167kg at the time of her death. Her BMI was recorded as 60kg/sq m. Obesity is defined as a BMI above 30. Severe or extreme obesity is any BMI over 40. She decided to have the surgery privately and made an appointment with Peter Stiven, a general, laparoscopic and upper GI Surgeon and endoscopist in Gisborne, after consulting with John Fleischl, a general, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon in Hastings. A letter from Fleischl, a referral letter from Dr Devcich and Milner herself in her consultation with Stiven all incorrectly stated her mechanical heart valve was an aortic valve. “I am satisfied the weakness in the chain of these events was Dr Devcich not reviewing his notes properly and Ms Milner providing Mr Fleischl the incorrect description of her heart valve,” Coroner Hesketh wrote. “Despite the lack of fixed rules around referrals, this case is a reminder of the importance of any medical professional reviewing the past medical history of a patient to ensure a full medical history is recorded.” Coroner Hesketh said the knowledge of the type of valve would have had “direct bearing” upon the post-operative care to be administered. He also said a cardiologist had reviewed Milner in 2018, in Christchurch, before she returned to Gisborne. “Dr Devcich should have reviewed his patient notes properly and referred to that cardiac report in his referral to Mr Stiven so that he and Dr Hirling [the anaesthetist] would be aware of all the risk factors (Dr Devcich accepts this adverse comment). “Given the plan Mr Stiven had in terms of Ms Milner’s surgery and recovery and now being aware of the true extent of her past medical history, I am not satisfied Janet Milner was an appropriate candidate for the surgery on 14 July 2021 in terms of that plan. “That is not a criticism of either Mr Stiven or Dr Hirling, they did not know Ms Milner was supporting a Mitral valve.” Lack of record-keeping ‘unacceptable practice’ Milner had her surgery at Chelsea Hospital in Gisborne on July 14, 2021 and no issues were apparent the day after. The coroner was satisfied Chelsea Hospital staff were all experienced in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery and care. Chelsea Hospital had been offering the surgery for over four years at that time and usually completed 12-14 procedures a year. By the late afternoon of July 16, however, Milner’s heart rate became erratic and she experienced low oxygen levels. “By 9pm, Ms Milner was complaining of a heaviness in her chest and was coughing up mucous,”...

Hooded teenager who stormed field, punched player in schoolboy rugby game at Gisborne, referred to Youth Services

Hooded teenager who stormed field, punched player in schoolboy rugby game at Gisborne, referred to Youth Services

Police have identified a hooded teenager who was videoed storming the field during a schoolboy rugby game and punching a teenage player in the head. Footage of the May 30 attack, during the first half of a Super 8 Rugby First XV game between Napier Boys’ High School and Gisborne Boys’ High School, went viral on social media. It’s understood the assailant was visiting Gisborne from Wellington when the assault took place and was not connected to the local school. Police launched an investigation into the incident but weeks later were yet to speak to the offender. However, in a statement to the Herald last month, a spokesman said a young person had now been interviewed in relation to the assault and the matter referred to the Youth Services team. “Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to this matter.” A hooded man stormed the field during an altercation in a school rugby match and punched a player from Napier Boys' High School. Photo / Whakaata Māori Pressed for further details about the young person, police confirmed he was a teenage male, but declined to provide further information given his age. Gisborne Boys’ High School principal Tom Cairns said the teenager was not a member of the school community, had never been enrolled at the school “and is unknown to us”. “My understanding is that this person does not even live in Gisborne or our region.” Play was disrupted when a high tackle sparked an on-field stoush at the Gisborne ground. A hooded man (on the right) makes his way on to the field from the sideline before striking a Napier player. Photo / Whakaata Māori A broadcast of the game shows a Napier Boys’ player lying injured on the field after the tackle. One of his teammates then pushes the Gisborne player responsible for the tackle, and other Napier teammates join in. The hooded teen then runs along the sidelines and appears to swing at the Napier Boys’ player involved in the initial altercation. Gisborne Boys’ High earlier told the Herald the assailant had been identified and his name passed to police on the day of the attack. In a statement the following day, a police spokeswoman said police were making inquiries, which included locating and speaking to those involved. “This behaviour is not acceptable and we will be doing all we can to hold those responsible accountable.” Cairns attended the match along with All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. “Just after halftime, there was a high tackle event and a bit of push and shove.” Cairns said no punches were thrown by either team. “Then a person has entered from the side of the field and he has punched one of the Napier players. “That person was removed by the associate principal. Then a member of the public has dragged that person away. “He was unknown to school staff. He’s not a member or old boy of the school. He has nothing to do with our school community.” Cairns said Gisborne eventually won the match 13-7, but the event was “marred” by the incident. “Certainly, we don’t condone or tolerate that sort of violence. It’s pretty disgusting that someone would do that.” Napier Boys’ High School principal Simon Coe declined to comment.

Aramex and GoSweetSpot settle cartel conduct proceedings with ComCom

Aramex and GoSweetSpot settle cartel conduct proceedings with ComCom

Two of New Zealand’s largest courier services have reached a settlement with the Commerce Commission for engaging in cartel conduct. Aramex New Zealand and Sweetspot Group Limited, which operates GoSweetSpot, agreed to resolve the separate proceedings with the commission following civil action in the High Court. The two companies now await a penalty hearing. The commission does not allege that Aramex and GoSweetSpot entered into an agreement with each other. Instead, Aramex has admitted to entering into and giving effect to a contractual arrangement that allocated customers and fixed prices between itself and another competitor in the courier services market. Separately, GoSweetSpot has admitted to entering into and giving effect to contractual arrangements that allocated customers between itself and another competitor in the courier services market. Both of the contracts were negotiated in the context of reseller/carrier arrangements, the commission said. Aramex provides courier transportation services to customers, while GoSweetSpot is a reseller, which “brokers” the provision of courier transportation services to customers. Both resellers and carriers can compete for the same customers. Cartel conduct is illegal under the Commerce Act 1986. A cartel is where two or more businesses agree not to compete with each other. Cartel conduct can include price fixing, sharing markets, rigging bids or restricting output of goods and services.

Te Pāti Māori email to members alleges Eru Kapa-Kingi threatened Parliament staff at protest

Te Pāti Māori email to members alleges Eru Kapa-Kingi threatened Parliament staff at protest

Documents released by Te Pāti Māori accuse high-profile activist and son of one its MPs of making “threats of physical violence” and “inappropriate and vulgar” remarks to Parliamentary staffers. Some of the comments Eru Kapa-Kingi is alleged to have made include: “You aren’t shit”, “Get f*****” and “I will f****** knock you out”. Eru Kapa-Kingi, the son of Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, has not responded to multiple requests to comment about the allegations against him but posted on social media this morning: “The life of a whistleblower. I am not responding to any media. Will put out a statement in response soon.” The allegations were contained in a series of documents Te Pāti Māori emailed its members about 10pm Monday in what the party claims is a response to calls for transparency after it faced accusations of a dictatorial leadership style by Eru Kapa-Kingi. (In separate documents sent by Te Pāti Māori to members officials raised concerns that Mariameno Kapa-Kingi was in danger of overspending her office’s budget by up to $133,000). Eru Kapa-Kingi, spokesperson for Toitū te Tiriti. Photo / Alex Cairns. Eru Kapa-Kingi, as spokesperson for the Toitū te Tiriti movement, was a central figure at Parliament for the May 2024 protest, which was sparked by the Government policies relating to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, co-governance, and the repeal of smokefree legislation. One of the documents included in last night’s email from Te Pāti Māori to members was titled “Te Pāti Māori fact sheet - Eru Kapa-Kingi allegations” and details the creation of Toitū te Tiriti, how Eru Kapa-Kingi was established as spokesperson and took on the role as party vice-president before resigning on March 25, citing in a resignation letter attached to the email he wanted to “focus on my own little whānau” and “protect the mana and tapu of the Toitū movement”. The “fact sheet” referenced Eru Kapa-Kingi’s public claims “alleging Te Pāti Māori was led by a dictatorship, bullying and toxic”. The document mentions Eru Kapa-Kingi’s contract with Parliamentary Service as a party staffer, which Te Pāti Māori alleged was “terminated for serious misconduct” before he returned working under a company, Tautoru Ltd, which the party claimed was a “way of circumventing Parliamentary Services termination”. The document refer to a written account from a Parliamentary Service staffer about an alleged incident on “Budget day”, understood to be May 30, 2024 when Budget 24 was released. Eru Kapa-Kingi, the Parliamentary staffer’s written account alleges, was abusive and made “threats of physical violence”. The identity of person who wrote the account is redacted in the Te Pāti Māori email to members. Toitū te Tiriti spokesperson Eru Kapa-Kingi has yet to respond to the claims. Photo / Denise Piper The Parliamentary staffer alleged Eru Kapa-Kingi used include vulgar language and made references to race. Some of the alleged comments include: “You aren’t shit”, “Get f*****” and “I will f****** knock you out”. “The language he used had a very aggressive tone and came across with a lot of hatred and intimidation,” the Parliamentary Service staff member alleged in their account. “With the combination of the abuse, language and racism displayed by Eru, I firmly believed that he was going to go through with his threats of physical violence towards either myself or [redacted].” The staffer also claimed Eru Kapa-Kingi said to security staff, “Do you know who I am?”, “Do you know who my family is?”, and “You are going to be so embarrassed and f***** when you find out”. “Words such as this I believe were used to try and intimidate [redacted] and myself, hoping that we would back down from the situation, let him get away with what he had done and not take things further,” the Parliamentary staffer said in the document released by Te Pāti Māori. The staffer called for Eru Kapa-Kingi to be “dismissed from his current employment” and is “denied the ability to reapply for a ‘fami...

Waikato towns cut off, emergency centre set up in Ruapehu as swollen rivers threaten homes

Waikato towns cut off, emergency centre set up in Ruapehu as swollen rivers threaten homes

An emergency centre has been set up and homes are under threat from rising rivers with residents starting to self-evacuate as the rain continues to drench western and central districts of the North Island. Footage has emerged of trucks winding through the treacherous Awakino Gorge navigating large slips and flooding, as Auckland now sits under a heavy rain watch. Roads are flooded and heavy rain has triggered slips across Waikato highways, with motorists trapped and communities cut off. The Ruapehu District Council says rain is falling at rates not anticipated and the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been activated, with at least one family self-evacuating due to rising rivers. Homes in the township of Ōhura are under threat due to the Mangaroa Stream, which is continuing to rise. Police say they’re aware of some vehicles “unable to move” after “significant weather” has made State Highway 3 in the Awakino Gorge impassable at places. The road will be closed until late this afternoon. Many settlements, including Awakino, Māhoenui, Matiere and Ōhura, are cut off. State Highways 30, 31, 43 and 4 are also closed after huge slips, along with many smaller roads, with some at risk of washing away entirely. Homes under threat, family evacuates in Ruapehu Ruapehu Civil Defence Controller Clive Manley said there are reports homes are under threat near the Mangaroa Stream in Ōhura and at least one family has had to self-evacuate The Ōhura River is also close to breaching its banks, with a family in Maitere, a town that sits near the river, being forced to self-evacaute. Manley said the council’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been partically activated, with rain falling at levels not anticipated. Ōhura and Mangapapa Rds are both closed, with road closure signs in place at SH4 and the base of the Ōkahukura Saddle. A “major” slip is preventing any travel north of Taumarunui, Manley said, and the Ōhura, Maitere and Tokorima townships in northern Ruapehu are currently isolated from slips and flooding across local access roads. Manley said the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell has also been in contact with Ruapehu Civil Defence Controller Clive and offered any necessary support. “People are asked to continue to avoid any unnecessary travel as the weather system passes through.” Hohotaka Rd is beginning to slip away and could completely wash out. Flooding is reported on Taupō Rd, and there are slips on Kawautahi Rd, Ōkahukura Saddle and Marsack Rd. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said there are “no suitable detours” for many of the closures, including vital connecting routes SH31 and SH3, and motorists should delay their journey or expect long delays. Mid-morning, a convoy of trucks trapped between slips on SH3 was able to file slowly through a significant landslide across the road. Many cordons blocking motorists have been continuously extended throughout the morning as more slips come down and heavy rain falls. Photos from Waikawau in North Taranaki, just north of the Awakino Gorge, show paddocks and rural roads completely overwhelmed with brown flood water. Rural roads have turned to rivers in Waikawau. Photo / Sonia Maxwell Police urged motorists across the Waikato District to take care in the “significant weather conditions” and limit themselves to essential travel only. “Reducing speed, using headlights and windscreen wipers, and watching your visibility will also ensure a safe trip.” Multiple slips have been reported across the Waikato District. Photo / Waitomo District Council MetService has upgraded its warnings for Waitomo, and Waikato south of Raglan and Cambridge. The orange warning came into force at 7am and is expected to last until midday. NZTA said SH3 is now closed and police are urging motorists to not to travel through the gorge. No detour is available. An Awakino local told the Herald the river was extremely high, reaching high tide levels while at low tide. Rivers are st...