A view of the Whakaari eruption from a boat just off the island
A view of the Whakaari eruption from a boat just off the island (Credit: Michael Schade)

The BulletinDecember 10, 2019

The Bulletin: Horror toll from Whakaari/White Island eruption

Staff Writer
A view of the Whakaari eruption from a boat just off the island
A view of the Whakaari eruption from a boat just off the island (Credit: Michael Schade)

Welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Death toll from Whakaari eruption likely to rise, cabinet agrees Auckland port must move, and expensive Christchurch stadium details released.

UPDATE – 7.07am: More information on the number of people on the island at the time of the eruption has been released. 47 people were there at the time of the eruption. There were two groups on the island, and one was close to the eruption. 31 people are currently in hospital, five have been confirmed dead, and eight are still missing. Three have been released from hospital. 

A tragic death toll from the eruption of Whakaari/White Island is likely to rise. The number of those killed is currently five at the time of writing, but those people were among the initial group brought back from the island. Radio NZ reports flyovers have shown no signs of life. No survivors are expected to be found from here on out, and a rescue attempt had to be abandoned last night because of safety concerns. PM Jacinda Ardern has travelled to Whakatāne, and will be holding a press conference at 7am today. It is also unknown whether the eruption was the start of something bigger, or an isolated event.

Among the people caught up in the eruption, many are understood to be tourists. One local Whakatāne man, a tour guide, has been confirmed dead. The NZ Herald reports Hayden Marshall-Inman is being remembered as a kind and generous guy, who died doing what he loved. Others on the island were passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship. The Bay of Plenty Times has spoken to fellow passengers, who were shocked and shaken by what had happened. Australian people were among those on the island at the time of the eruption, and PM Scott Morrison expressed his grief and sympathies over what had happened.

There has been some conjecture overnight about why exactly people were on the island at all. After all, as the NZ Herald reported several weeks ago the Volcanic alert level for Whakaari had been raised. And as this episode of The Detail makes clear (coincidentally released on the same day of the eruption) Whakaari is one of a chain of active volcanoes which could erupt at any time. After reading this article by volcanologist and professor Shane Cronin, I’d be wary of swinging too hard at that point – these eruptions really do happen without warning, and as a steam eruption (rather than magma) it isn’t really possible to track or predict. Nobody can really say they knew for certain this was coming, except in the general sense that we know that eventually a geological event will happen given enough time.

Even so, the event is likely to have an impact on the tourism industry of the region, and overseas perceptions of tourism in New Zealand. Around 10,000 people visit the island each year, and tour operators always make those heading there aware of the risks, reports the NZ Herald. Tour operators currently make the decision on whether or not the island is safe to visit, which is likely to be a topic of discussion in the coming days. But coupled with almost a thousand tourists ending up stranded by flooding on the West Coast, it’s very easy to imagine the idea of New Zealand being too dangerous to visit taking hold internationally, especially as the story is currently leading major global websites like the BBC, the Guardian and CNN.

Auckland’s Port will move, but when and where is still to be decided. The NZ Herald reports a decision has been made by cabinet that it will move. More will be unveiled by minister Shane Jones on Thursday, with a range of official advice to be made public at the same time. Over at Politik, there has been a look at the seemingly most likely option – Northport – and what it could mean for the political landscape.

The plan for a new stadium in Christchurch have been released, and what gets built will be expensive for the city forever.Stuff reports that the chosen option will never make enough in revenue to cover operating and construction costs, and as such $4.2 million of public money will have to be put in each year – that is assuming that costs don’t blow out, and revenue projections actually get met. To give you an example of the thinking going into this, let me just quote a line from the Stuff story – “It will bring $395.6m in economic benefits, which includes $53.9m in “civic pride”. Construction is expected to be finished by 2024.

It’s not just Auckland bus drivers who are pushing for better conditions – the situation is the same in Wellington, reports Radio NZ’s Harry Lock. Several drivers spoke anonymously to him about how their lives were being affected, “from a lack of toilet facilities, to poor pay; from impossible time schedules, to unmanageable split shifts.” I wrote about this situation back in September, and there was a point that was made to me which I really can’t emphasise enough now – driving a bus is difficult, skilled work, and it becomes more dangerous for everyone on the road if drivers are overworked, stressed or inexperienced.

Meanwhile in Auckland, a driver protest was held in the CBD yesterday, with some criticism aimed at Auckland Transport who issue the contracts, reports Checkpoint. AT in turn say that they’re not directly involved in the negotiations between NZ Bus and FIRST Union. It’s worth a reminder that a factor in the current situation, outside the control of any individual organisation, is the Public Transport Operating Model (often called PTOM, when you see it in the news.) PTOM is currently being reviewed, after criticism that it had pushed down wages and conditions, and led to a workforce exodus.

A major public service story has been rumbling down in Wellington this week, over the 2017 ousting of former Auditor-General Martin Matthews. He was in charge of the transport ministry when fraudster Joanne Harrison stole a huge pile of money – the backstory to that case is here. Now Matthews wants to get parliament to reopen his case, on the grounds that he was forced to resign, with the backing of a series of legal heavyweights on his side. Stuff have continued to follow the story, with the PM saying that it is a matter for parliament to receive the petition to reopen the case, and not something she can decide.

Concerns are being raised that a new anti-terrorism bill could breach press freedom, reports Marc Daalder for Newsroom. As it is currently written, it could allow the government to gag people from speaking to the media, which is a red flag for human rights organisations. Justice minister Andrew Little didn’t have a substantive comment to make on the matter, though did suggest to the journalist that they might be reading too much into it – read the story and judge for yourself.

The Shareholders Association is demanding answers after the sudden departure of A2 Milk boss Jayne Hrdlicka, reports Business Desk (paywalled.) The reason given for the resignation – that there was unexpectedly going to be too much travel in the role – isn’t washing with the NZSA. They argue that such demands should have been anticipated, and that they hope there hasn’t been a golden handshake situation. Chairman David Hearn has noted there are confidentiality issues around the details of the departure.

A bit of housekeeping, and a call for feedback for the end of the year: Because I’m disorganised, I forgot to set up anything celebrating the year in NZ journalism like what we did last year. So instead, I want to do an informal version of it – currently it has the working title of ‘Say Something Nice About a Journo 2019’. Not very catchy, but it does what it says on the box.

Basically, here’s how it’ll work. I want you, the readers, to email me on thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz, to tell me about what journalism you’ve appreciated this year. If you can, please tie it to a specific journalist or team, and a specific story or issue they’ve covered. And then I’ll publish whatever positive comes back. I’ve got my own thoughts on who have been the standout journos of the year, but I’d much rather get yours instead.

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Drop us a line at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz

Where does our power come from? (Getty Images).

Right now on The Spinoff: Gaurav Sharma writes about how the media business is being hurt by not reflecting increasingly multicultural New Zealand. Alice Webb-Liddall reports on an Auckland Council announcement of kerbside food scraps collection, and what it will mean for the city’s waste. Flick’s Nikki Cockburn breaks down the sources of how our electricity gets generated. Cindy Baxter writes from COP25 about how the world perceives New Zealand as a climate leader, and how we should actually do something to prove that image right. Alex Casey writes about the difficult digital transition for What Now and their audience interaction – a key part of the long running kids show. And Nicola Gaston and co-authors from the MacDiarmid Institute have come up with some proposals for the future of Tiwai Point, which make a lot of sense.

For a feature today, a deep look into a company about which increasingly uncomfortable questions are being asked. USA Today has looked into Crimson Consulting, and been less than impressed by what they found. It bounces off some strong reporting from NZ outlets (including this from The Spinoff’s Maria Slade) and brings some solid shoe-leather reporting to bear on it. Here’s an excerpt:

Another way Crimson signaled its legitimacy as an international company: Its website said it had “offices” in more than a dozen countries around the world. What’s more, if a parent or student wanted to call, the company would have someone on the line – or at least that’s what the dozens of phone numbers on the company’s website appeared to suggest.

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That wasn’t the experience of USA TODAY reporters. They visited the company’s locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London and didn’t find a single person. In the New York case, the office lacked a sign or pamphlet materials – no indication at all that Crimson had ever been at the location. In a subsequent interview, Kushor said she and Beaton had previously worked there.

The Breakers have sacked Glen Rice Jr after he breached his bail conditions, reports One News. It brings to an end a short and troubled stint at the club for the American, who arrived in New Zealand with a long string of violent incidents in his past. The Breakers say they will continue to support Rice Jr until he returns home to the USA. Meanwhile on the court, the Breakers had a win over the Bullets last night, and are currently second to last on the points table.

That’s it for The Bulletin. If you want to support the work we do at The Spinoff, please check out our membership programme.

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A washed out bridge near Mt Hercules on the West Coast (Radio NZ, Conan Young)
A washed out bridge near Mt Hercules on the West Coast (Radio NZ, Conan Young)

The BulletinDecember 9, 2019

The Bulletin: Long term consequences from heavy weekend weather

Staff Writer
A washed out bridge near Mt Hercules on the West Coast (Radio NZ, Conan Young)
A washed out bridge near Mt Hercules on the West Coast (Radio NZ, Conan Young)

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Long term consequences from heavy weekend weather, hospitality giant apologises for many mishandled complaints, and Auckland traffic chaos looms.

There will be long term consequences from the weather that hammered the country over the weekend. Chief among them is a massive slip cutting State Highway 6, on the West Coast. The Press reports it could take more than a month to fix, and the town of Franz Josef has once again been cut off by bad weather. There’s a huge job now to get almost a thousand tourists out, and the industry is expected to have a shocking season as a result. The ODT reports Wanaka has also been affected, with lake levels expected to peak today, and many campsites submerged.

South Canterbury has also been hit very hard, reports the Timaru Herald. Several key bridges are currently closed, after the Rangitata River flooded, and a large number of evacuations had to be made. Those in the region are advised to stay put today, and not try and travel on potentially dangerous roads. Water levels were reportedly dropping yesterday, but it will take a lot of time to measure the damage to roads. Radio NZ is on the scene in Timaru this morning, and it sounds hectic. There will also be ongoing effects for farmers who saw their paddocks get far too wet. A particularly worrying event in the wider Canterbury region was reported on by the ODT, with tens of thousands losing internet and mobile coverage, making the job of emergency services more difficult.

The Wellington region was also drenched by heavy rain. The Dominion Post reports Porirua East was particularly badly hit, with flood prone areas inundated again. Other areas that went underwater included parts of Hutt City and Pāuatahanui. The weather system is moving north, and a severe rain watch has been issued for the Central North Island today.

The fundamental problem is that way too much rain fell in too short a time to manage. One News reports huge swathes of the South Island have now already had three times as much rain as they would normally see in the whole of December. Local Government NZ say it should be a wake up call for investment in flood protection. Their outgoing boss Dave Cull says with climate change induced storms hitting harder and more frequently, the time to act is now. Civil Defence minister Peeni Henare’s message to the public is to stay informed about local conditions and hazards, so keep an eye on both Metservice and NZTA’s Road Closure site.

A brief message from Emily Writes, Parents Editor at The Spinoff

Stories for and about parenting often lack humanity. They generally treat new mothers in particular as if they can no longer think for themselves. I’m proud to be part of a media organisation that encourages us to see each other and celebrate our differences as new parents, rather than pit us against each other for ‘engagement’ in imaginary ‘mommy wars’. If you want to support writing that pushes boundaries and encourages seeing the world in a less insular way, then please support The Spinoff by joining as a member.

One of the largest hospitality employers in the country has apologised after mishandling widespread complaints of sexual assault and harassment, reports Alison Mau for Stuff. Young women at Pizza Hut and KFC stores around the country made complaints, which were then either basically covered up, or the investigation into them was totally botched. The cases that are covered in the investigation speak for themselves, but experts say the industry is rife with such abuses.

NZ Bus have cancelled bus services across Auckland as part of a lockout of drivers engaged in industrial action. Toby Manhire has a cheat sheet on the cancellation, and which services will be affected. The decision from NZ Bus to suspend drivers follows a week in which unionised drivers continued operating services, but refused to collect fares, as part of their ongoing campaign for better pay and conditions.

As such, expect traffic to be absolutely munted today, and if you can either work from home, bike, or get another form of public transport, it’d probably be a good idea. And as this could end up lasting until Christmas, keep an eye on Auckland Transport’s service announcement updates.

Here’s an important story that hasn’t been covered in the Bulletin yet – the withdrawal of the Treaty negotiation mandate from Ngāpuhi group Tūhoronuku. Radio NZ’s Te Aniwa Hurihanganui has had strong coverage of this, and what it will mean for the long-delayed settlement of the country’s largest iwi. Tūhoronuku, led in part by the recently resigned Sonny Tau and Hone Sadler, reportedly lost touch with the grassroots of the iwi. But there is some concern that whatever comes next won’t do any more to get the process back on track.

You may be surprised at just how many cameras are watching you around Auckland. The NZ Herald (paywalled) reports the police are able to access thousands of CCTV cameras, owned by the Council. The police stress that they’re not doing surveillance of the public, rather they use the network when it is needed for a specific purpose. But privacy experts say we need some clear lines to be put in place about how this sort of technology can be used, because it’s only going to become more sophisticated.

A range of measures have been announced to reduce plastic use, after a major report found a need to fundamentally rethink how we use the material. Those response measures have largely been derided as little more than taking the plastic stickers off fruit, but as this cheat sheet from The Spinoff’s Catherine McGregor shows, it’s quite a bit more significant than that. Basically what is being targeted is single use plastic that is difficult to recycle, with the government saying it will step up efforts to both make manufacturers use recycle-able materials, and make it easier for consumers to get them back into the processing system for another use.

The provincial growth fund to date has delivered hundreds, rather than thousands of jobs, reports Anna Bracewell-Worrell for Newshub. Shane Jones, the minister in charge, says that as the funded projects develop, that number will rise. But National say it is effectively just hurling money away for no discernable benefit. In an interesting detail about it all at the bottom of the story, the number of jobs in Wellington overseeing the fund have doubled in the past year.

Minister Kris Faafoi has kept his job after apologising for an embarrassing screw-up involving former Opshop singer Jason Kerrison. Faafoi says he gave the impression that he was helping out with an immigration matter involving Kerrison’s mother, but in fact he wasn’t. Over on The Spinoff, Toby Manhire has analysed why the Ardern-led government seems to keep on finding itself in situations where it is being put in awkward positions by minor celebrities. There’s more of that sort of chat on the latest Gone By Lunchtime podcast, but in that instance you also get the bonus reckons of Ben Thomas and Annabelle Lee-Mather.

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Drop us a line at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz

a lime scooter lies in a bed at night

Right now on The Spinoff: Pip Colgan, a beneficiary advocate at Auckland Action Against Poverty, writes about the experience of fighting to get people what they’re entitled to. Josie Adams chronicles the brief life of Lime, the scooter that has now been booted from Auckland’s streets. Liam Hehir asks why integrated schools – many of them also hard up – haven’t been given infrastructure funding. Jordan Hamel interviews five NZ artists, including Mel Bracewell and Marlon Williams, about what they love about basketball. The Spinoff Food shares a range of ideas about the best hangover food. Tara Ward looks back at 10 of the weirdest and wildest moments on Britain’s Got Talent. And Sarah Paterson-Hamlin has updated her ethical Christmas gift giving guide for 2019, which could come in handy – two and a bit weeks to go and all.

For a feature today, a wild yarn from a Kiwi journalist doing cool work overseas. Writing in UAE based The National, Ashleigh Stewart has written about a film director who claimed to have worked with some of the biggest names in film, with more exciting projects on the go. But after a bit of digging, it all started to come crashing down. Here’s an excerpt:

He claims to have made films that had their premieres at the Cannes Film Festival. His latest project, Aylan Baby, is allegedly set to tell the story of Kurdi, the Syrian toddler who became a symbol of Europe’s migration crisis in 2015 after images showed his lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach. Many of Sarikaya’s production crews and actors work for free, on the understanding that all proceeds from the films are going to charity.

It’s the same story he has told several media outlets, and possible collaborators, for years. His IMDb account would certainly attest to that: a smiling Sarikaya in a black tie, surrounded by cameras, on a film festival red carpet. Under that image is a series of directing, producing and writing credits; a respectable career in the film industry?

Well, not quite. Because the charities Sarikaya claims to be working with have never received money from his movies, while one is even publicly distancing itself from him. Many of his “projects” have been in production for years, or are “finished” films that have never been released.

It’s still a few years in the making, but the prospect of highly paid professional women’s cricket is looming. That’s based on comments from new Indian cricket boss Sourav Ganguly, who according to Cricinfo says a full Women’s IPL tournament could be about four years away. It’s hard to overstate just how much more money that could pump into the game, as it did with Men’s cricket. Meanwhile in the Women’s Big Bash finals, the Brisbane Heat have won the title after comfortably beating the Adelaide Strikers – or in Kiwi-watch, Amelia Kerr took down Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates. Of particular note for the business of women’s cricket, the game saw a sellout crowd turn up.

And the Wellington Phoenix are really starting to turn a corner on a poor starting season. Stuff reports they secured a handy (and late) 2-1 win over Western Sydney in Auckland, even if it took a bit of luck and opportunism to get it over the line. It means the winning run is now three games in a row, and the team has been rapidly boosted from the foot of the table into playoff contention.

That’s it for The Bulletin. If you want to support the work we do at The Spinoff, please check out our membership programme.