Latest news with #rnz.co.nz
1News
16 hours ago
- General
- 1News
Smoke from cargo plane at Chch airport, fuel leak suspected
Firefighters have been called to Christchurch Airport after a cargo plane on the tarmac began billowing smoke from its undercarriage. Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Lyn Crosson said crews responded shortly before 9am today. She said there was no fire on board the Boeing 737, and it was thought a fluid leak onto the plane's brakes was responsible. A spokesperson at Christchurch Airport confirmed there were no passengers on board at the time.
1News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- 1News
New classrooms for Kura Kaupapa announced
The government has announced $28 million will be spent on building more "safe, warm and dry classrooms" for tāmariki in Māori full immersion schools. Twenty new classrooms will be built across four providers, and work will begin on the first stage of a new school north of Auckland. Eight classrooms at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Whanui in Lower Hutt Six classrooms at Te Wharekura o Arowhenua in Invercargill Four classrooms at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hokianga in Kaikohe Two classrooms at Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa in Hamilton The new development, for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāringaomatariki in Kaiwaka, will eventually have 19 classrooms, Minister of Education Erica Stanford said on Friday. "This Matariki, I am proud to be celebrating the Māori New Year with investing in the future of our tāmariki so they have the spaces and support they need to flourish." ADVERTISEMENT Construction on the modular buildings is expected to begin in the next 12 months. "Safe, warm and dry learning environments are essential for effective teaching and learning," Stanford said. "By using modular construction, we can deliver classrooms more quickly and make our investment go further." She said it was part of a $50 million Budget allocation to deliver 50 new classrooms for Māori medium and Kaupapa Māori education. "We remain committed to properly resourcing our bilingual education system and lifting achievement for Māori students. That includes ensuring our tāmariki have warm, safe and dry classrooms to thrive in," Stanford said. The announcement was made at Takaparawhau, Bastion Point, during Matariki Hautapu celebrations with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. National did not support making Matariki a holiday when it became one in 2022.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Do I Have To Pay For My Partner's Care?
Send your questions to If one person in a de facto relationship needs permanent medical care, does the Government require the other partner to pay for the care once the unwell patient's funds run out? The basic answer to your question is that when your partner is being assessed for their ability to pay for their care, your income and assets will usually be taken into account. If you're referring to medical care in a rest home setting, your assets and personal income affect whether your partner will qualify for a residential care subsidy. "People who need residential care are required to pay for it themselves, if they can afford to do so. If they cannot afford it, they may be eligible for a residential care subsidy, which Health New Zealand pays directly to the care provider," said Ministry of Social Development group general manager for client service delivery Graham Allpress. "MSD's role is to check whether people qualify for this subsidy by performing a 'financial means assessment'. "To get the subsidy, a person's income and assets must be under a certain amount. If they are in a relationship, the combined income and assets of both parties must be under a certain amount." People can qualify for the subsidy if they are 50 to 64, single and without dependent children, or over 65 and meet the income and means test. That means, even if your partner's funds have run out, your assets could still be taken into account. If only one partner needs care, the couple combined need to have assets of no more than $155,873 not including the family home and car, or $284,636 if you do want the home and car in the assessment. If it's other types of care that you're thinking of, it could be a good idea to contact Health NZ for a needs assessment. There are options such as the supported living payment but eligibility for this is assessed on a household income basis, too. I'm currently a NZ tax resident living in NZ, but previously lived in Australia (over a decade ago) and purchased shares on the ASX that I continue to own and receive dividends for (which I declare as part of my income). If I sold these shares now, worth about $150,000, what taxes would they be subject to? Specifically, would I have to pay a capital gains tax on the increased share value (as I would if I were an Australian tax resident). This is probably a question for an accountant with expertise in Australian tax. Based on information available online, it seems that you potentially should have paid tax on the shares in Australia when you stopped being an Australian resident. Assuming that didn't happen, the Australian Tax Office is likely to be expecting capital gains tax to be paid on them when they are sold. You aren't likely to have any New Zealand tax obligations. Tax experts tell me that the authorities have access to a lot of data these days so it's possible that the Australian Tax Office will find out about any share sale and might get in touch with you. I am 78 years of age and still work part time and also still contribute to my KiwiSaver. Am I eligible for the government contribution? Sorry, no. While the government said it was going to start making contributions to 16 and 17-year-olds' accounts, it hasn't budged on the upper limit of 65.
1News
12-06-2025
- Business
- 1News
'Devil will be in detail': Luxon on possible USA-China trade deal
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a possible USA-China trade deal is positive news, but time will tell what it means for New Zealand and the rest of the world. US President Donald Trump said a deal with China is "done" after two days of high-level talks in London. Luxon welcomed the news but wanted to see the finer details. "What we want to see is more certainty in the global trading environment, and I've read the reports as well," he said. "The devil will be in the detail, but that can only be a good thing." ADVERTISEMENT Luxon said he expected to discuss the matter with China President Xi Jinping on his next trip the global giant. "I'm sure that will be a topic of conversation about how we see the global trading environment and how we're observing in the region, but also around the world," he said. Despite the trade uncertainty, Luxon said New Zealand exporters to the US had been making good progress. "They're still finding really great opportunities to grow their businesses, they're doing a great job of targeting the right channels and customers," he said. "But yes, of course that will be a big top of conversation when I do catch up with both President Xi and Premier Li (Qiang) in due course." Agriculture Minister Todd McClay also welcomed the news of a possible US-China trade deal. Trade Minister Todd McClay. (Source: ADVERTISEMENT The overnight announcement comes as the government welcomes the state of the country's agriculture sector. The Ministry of Primary Industries' Situation and Outlook report is projecting a double digit increase in New Zealand export revenues this year - though it warns about global uncertainty. It estimates New Zealand's agricultural export revenue could reach just under $60 billion by the end of June, up from a dip in 2023-4. McClay told Morning Report if a US-China deal has been done it would be "good news". At an OECD trade ministers meeting in Paris last week he had met with the trade ministers of both China and the US. Both had then gone off for joint talks so some momentum had been building to try and find a solution to their tariffs impasse. If things calmed down for international trade it would bring "welcome relief" for exporters and result in some "sensible decision-making". ADVERTISEMENT Exporters 'go for value' McClay said the remarkable growth in primary exports was very positive. Dairy had enjoyed a solid season with a good supply of grass which had increased milk production. The meat sector was performing well and for the first time $5 billion worth of kiwifruit had been exported. Even the US market faced with tariff uncertainty was providing some opportunities for Kiwi exporters, citing the example of NZ King Salmon which has talked of increased sales at a higher price. Kiwi exporters were working hard to add value to their products, McClay said. One example was selling ready to eat burger patties to China which resulted in greater returns for farmers. "So we're seeing Kiwi exporters go for value, not competing on price anywhere as much as they used to." ADVERTISEMENT Luxon said the government, particularly McClay and Finance Minister Nicola Willis could take a "tremendous credit" for the growth. "We've created the conditions for growth; it's ultimately up to the businesses themselves to go out and seize on those opportunities," he said. "But if I think about the work that Todd's undertaken to make sure we're opening new markets, whether it's the GCC, the UAE, a 21% growth in the UK just in the last 12 months, a 28 percent in the EU by virtue of Todd bringing that agreement into earlier acceptance. "There's been tremendous progress made on the trade front, and I think Nicola's work to make sure that she's cleaning up the books, good financial management, good fiscal management to lower inflation, to lower interest rates to get the economy growing, to get people employed - that's the work we've been doing as a government." Luxon reiterated the government's belief in the importance of growth and said it was the primary industry sector pulling New Zealand out of a recession. "We've got a really exciting future to shape it despite all the volatility that's out there in the world. "Really proud of the primary industry sector, but also proud of the work of both Nicola and Todd and all of our team to create the conditions for growth as well." ADVERTISEMENT On building in sustainability A government-backed grass certification standard for dairy and meat exports had been launched at Mystery Creek Fieldays yesterday, McClay said. This would be highly desirable for markets in China, other parts of Asia and the Middle East, McClay said. "Grass fed now is increasingly wanted by consumers and they're willing to pay more." On sustainable products, Groundswell has been calling for New Zealand to exit the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. McClay said that was not going to happen mainly because it would make exports to many markets untenable. He believed Groundswell and others were worried about higher costs and lower production if they adopted sustainable measures. ADVERTISEMENT "We've been really clear - we think through technology and other things we can meet these obligations without putting farmers out of business." Alternatives to farmers going into the Emissions Trading Scheme were being worked on and would be announced soon. McClay said the requirement of reducing methane by 10% by 2030 was on track to be met. "So it shows farmers are willing to do it but we have to lean heavily into technology rather than just planting trees." A number of products, known as methane inhibitors, have been developed already although they might have to overcome consumer resistance. McClay said anything developed would have to go through rigorous scientific testing. There would be a range of solutions developed and farmers would decide which ones they wanted to pick up. "The overseas customers through the dairy company should be paying for this, not the New Zealand farmer."
1News
12-06-2025
- 1News
Two charges against soldier accused of filming sex without consent dropped
Two of the charges against a soldier accused of taking sexual videos without consent have been dropped. Corporal Manu Smith was facing a Court Martial on three counts of making intimate visual recordings under the Armed Forces Discipline Act. In a Court Martial, a military panel made a decision on the accused's guilt or innocence. This morning, Justice Tom Gilbert, who was presiding over the court, advised the military panel that he had granted the defence's request to drop two of the charges. The judge said the two charges were dismissed for legal reasons because, in light of the evidence, he ruled that a properly directed panel could not reasonably convict on those charges. ADVERTISEMENT That afternoon, the accused Corporal Manu Smith gave evidence for the defence. Defence lawyer Timothy Leighton asked Corporal Smith why he had taken out his phone and started recording during sex with the complainant, and if the woman had known he was filming. Corporal Smith said he saw it as a way of expressing their intimacy and that she had seen that he was filming on his phone, and did nothing to indicate she wanted him to stop filming. He said the pair's relationship had been sexual from the start, and they both shared intimate sexual images with each other. Corporal Smith said the pair had talked about boundaries. "Yes, I expected the same respect from her that she did with me, in terms of sharing content with a third party or anybody outside. "...It was a circle of trust, it should have been. I don't want images of me shared with her girlfriends, nor would she want me to share intimate images of her." ADVERTISEMENT Where to get help for sexual violence. (Source: 1News) He said the pair had discussed filming sexual encounters, while discussing their sexual likes and dislikes, and he believed she was open to it. Corporal Smith said he believed he did have consent to record the sexual encounter which was the subject of the complaint, and he said if she had asked him to stop he would have. The prosecution's captain John Whitcombe asked Corporal Smith about the nature of his relationship with the complainant and whether she had reason to assume it was a exclusive relationship. Corporal Smith said the nature of their relationship was not discussed, but he saw it as non-exclusive and he believed she did too. Captain John Whitcombe challenged Corporal Smith's assertion that the woman had consented to the sex being filmed, asking if there was ever an express discussion about him filming on the day in question. Corporal Smith said they had talked about it in a light-hearted, jovial way. ADVERTISEMENT "There was no black and white, no written agreement," he told the court. The defence and prosecution will give their closing addresses this afternoon.
