News
Government exploring monitoring of undersea cables
Over a million kilometres of subsea data cables power the internet, while lying among them are also gas, power and other pipelines.
Homegrown maritime surveillance platform may help in fight against meth - PM
Christopher Luxon says a platform using satellites to monitor swathes of ocean in near real-time could be used in the fight against meth.
140 jobs to go in Fire and Emergency NZ's biggest ever restructure
At least 140 people are slated to lose their jobs, and unions say the proposal will decimate the agency most relied on for first response in emergencies. Audio
Government must stop 'short-sighted' FENZ cuts - PSA
Fire and Emergency is circulating a restructure proposal to its staff this afternoon but told RNZ it would not release it publicly.
Redundancy 'a last resort' - FENZ
FENZ is looking to cut costs and save $50m a year, as well as reset itself for a future of rising demand from not just fires but the likes of big storms, documents showed.
FENZ aircraft experts withdraw labour in long-running pay dispute
A dispute dating back years has meant reduced after-hours air attack backup, but the agency says that didn't make a difference to how it has been fighting the Tongariro wildfire.
Mental health worker strangled, but NZ Health denies staffing to blame
Health NZ has confirmed there was a "serious assault" on 18 October.
Could a NZ-Australia 'drone wall' keep China at bay?
Dr Malcolm Davis outlines a multi-layer drone defence - from long-range 'Ghost Bats' to cheap interceptors - that New Zealand could plug into.
'We need more robust buildings': Global consensus favours less 'drift' in quakes
In a Taiwan warehouse, researchers hit a button, and a five-storey, steel-and-concrete box begins to buck and sway.
Firefighter training facility shut down over safety fears
The live-fire steel cells in Rotorua are meant to simulate a burning building, but trainers say they're at risk of structural failure and are releasing carcinogenic smoke. Audio
'Can't keep doing everything for everybody': FENZ aims to save millions
Fire and Emergency is considering cutting jobs and "stopping or slowing" activities in a bid to save money.
Company researching forestry road safety after trucker's death
Greg Stevens' death in May 2023 has led to a laser focus on the state of old forestry roads, to enable checks before they're used.
WorkSafe cuts psychosocial harm team by a third
WorkSafe has reduced its team that focuses on psychosocial harm from 15 staff to about nine.
Asbestos experts fear 'watered-down' safety system
Around the same time Palmerston North's asbestos-filled Fitz bar was burning, safety experts were warning the government about eroded controls around the dangerous substance.
Father of worker killed in conveyor belt says son worried about time pressures
Wesley Tomich died on machinery at a Ballance Agri-Nutrients' fertiliser plant, after the company failed to put proper guarding in place. Audio
Doctors doubt solutions to bullying allegations at children's hospital
There have been multiple allegations of bullying and harassment of staff at a unit which treats abused children.
13 cases, 2142 close contacts as measles spreads
Two more cases have been confirmed as Health NZ says it's already "pretty pressed".
Police use of number plate spotting technology continues to rise
Police usage rose 70 percent in two years, to almost 600,000 hits a year - about 50,000 times a month, or 1600 times a day.
'Cost to the economy enormous': Storms, accidents, road closures hurt trucking industry
Police insist they have a responsibility to victims and their families to thoroughly investigate road crashes.
Spy agency whistleblowers raised no 'serious wrongdoing' - watchdog
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security says protected disclosures were mostly "strong differences of opinion" about practices and risks.
'The flying cars are very close': The South Island aerospace centre with overseas customers
Tāwhaki said their ability to offer tests in their special-use air space zone was attracting operators with busier skies.
Troubled Starship Hospital unit 'working extremely well right now' - Patron
Staff have alleged bullying at Starship Hospital's Te Puaruruhau unit, but Dame Naida Glavish says those problems were in the past.
Tāwhaki aerospace centre pivots from rocket launches to flying cars
It has laid out how a four-person taxi drone flying at up to 250km/h could travel 60-80 percent faster than driving as well as cut down on traffic jams.
Bodycams needed due to increase in violence, Police union says
Other professions in New Zealand already use body cameras, including parking wardens, prison officers and court bailiffs. Audio