One person has been injured in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Thames Highway and Eden Street this afternoon.A white mini MPV and a dark grey Holden sedan collided when the driver of the white car failed to stop at a red light, a witness said.The white car was travelling north on Thames Highway at about 2.35pm today (Tuesday, August 6), when it allegedly went through a red light, crashing into the side of the grey car travelling east along Eden Street. The white car then appeared to drift east until coming to a stop at the kerb outside LJ Hooker. St John Ambulance, Fire and Emergency and Police were at the scene for about half an hour, until the driver of the white car was able to be removed safely, placed on a stretcher and taken away by ambulance.The road remained open, and the driver and passenger of the other car appeared unhurt.The driver and passenger of the grey car luckily appear to have escaped injury. Photo: Alex RegtienThe scene from Eden Street. Photo: Alex Regtien

A former Children's Minister has spoken out against the government's plans to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act.Parliament's Social Services and Community Committee has been hearing submissions on the legislation to repeal Section 7AA, which binds Oranga Tamariki to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.The government's reasoning for the repeal, which is part of National's coalition agreement with ACT, is that Oranga Tamariki was prioritising cultural factors over the safety of children.Speaking to the select committee on Monday, former New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin implored the government her former party is now part of to keep Section 7AA, saying it was the best chance to turn Oranga Tamariki into a true child protection agency."We do not have a child protection service in this country. We have a child crisis service. As a nation, we wait until there is damage done to a child, either emotionally, physically, or spiritually, before we take any action. 7AA is the key to making this change to become a country that supports child protection," she said.Martin told the committee Māori had moved children between living arrangements for centuries."Whāngai has existed longer than Europeans have been here in New Zealand, and is still practiced today," she said."Whāngai is where others raise you as their own, it is not translatable into adoption or fostering in the European sense, because connection with birth families and birth parents are not curtailed in the same way that the European experience suggests."Martin explained that when she was minister, she signed at least five 7AA relationships, which had allowed Oranga Tamariki to work with iwi to place a child with whānau, which in turn gave Oranga Tamariki confidence the child was safe.She appreciated that government MPs may not have had the full picture while in opposition, but now they had access to data which would tell them the repeal was wrong."We are paid and we are elected in these positions to be the leaders that can have the grace and dignity to say 'I've got more information, I've found out something different, I'm not going to go down that path anymore because actually I was wrong, to start with.'"Martin, pointing out it was a National government that first introduced Section 7AA, encouraged National MPs on the committee to agree to disagree with ACT, and vote against the repeal at the next reading.The Prime Minister, however, indicated National would do no such thing."We've talked about that consistently, that we place the wellbeing of the child above anything and everything else. That is very, very, important, and I think that we've explained that position. I appreciate there may be differences of opinion about that, but we are putting the child at the heart of protection," Christopher Luxon said.The committee sat all afternoon on Monday, with submitter after submitter telling the government to keep 7AA in place."With the scrapping of 7AA, we believe more harm will come to our mokopuna. It has the potential for more Royal Commissions well, well into the future," said Rahui Papa, representing the National Iwi Chairs Forum.The Māori Law Society told the committee 7AA was a crucial accountability mechanism for Oranga Tamariki."This repeal will cause harm. There are significant breaches to te Tiriti, the guarantee of tino rangatiratanga over kāinga, the principles of partnership and active protection," said barrister Corin Merrick.The submissions were heard on the same day Ngāpuhi took its protest against the repeal to Parliament.Last week, Ngāpuhi walked out of an Iwi Chairs Forum meeting with the Prime Minister and other government ministers, in protest of policies like the repeal.Making a submission of his own, Ngāpuhi chair Mane Tahere challenged MPs that were part of the government whether they could guarantee the repeal would keep children safer."You tell me, how do you know our babies won't continue to be abused in state care? How do you know what's best for Ngāpuhi whānau, marae, hapū, and iwi? How do you know that Oranga Tamariki will keep their word, and care properly for our mokopuna when they have never ever done so?" he said.Tahere said Ngāpuhi felt backed into a corner by the repeal and other government policies."What happens when our people are backed into a corner? You'll figure it out for yourself. Our people are hōhā, sick of attack after attack on Ngāpuhi and iwi Māori."Luxon insisted the meeting with iwi chairs was productive and positive, despite the walkout by Ngāpuhi."We found it very constructive. Yes, we came away with some good challenge and provocation, as you would expect. But we also came away with some good areas of positivity and constructiveness, in terms of how do we work out housing for Māori, how do we improve educational outcomes for Māori, how do we improve health outcomes for Māori?" Luxon said."Those were very robust and good conversations, and actually very aligned conversations."But Labour leader Chris Hipkins was not surprised at the walkout, saying the government was denigrating Māori."The government aren't explaining what they're doing in terms of repeals of various pieces of legislation and the underlying reason for that. Their dog-whistling before the election isn't translating into good, robust policy post-election because it isn't good policy," he said.More submissions on the 7AA repeal will be heard on Wednesday.

The Waitaki seems to be in for mostly settled weather and cool overnight temperatures at least for the start of the week, MetService says.A broad ridge of high pressure dominates Aotearoa New Zealand early this week and single-digit overnight temperatures will be felt by most of the country for the rest of the week, MetService meteorologist Dom Barry says. “Unfortunately this ridge is ‘dirty’ and is bringing showers to northern, western and southern areas today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday). “It will be disrupted by a low-pressure system and its associated fronts, which approach from the west, bringing wet weather as we head into Wednesday,” he says.The wet weather is set to hit Te Waipounamu/South Island on Wednesday and into Thursday, moving onto Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island on Thursday and into Friday.“This is a double-whammy feature with rain bands coming from the south and the west, combining, so we are expecting just about everyone to see some form of rainfall in the period from Wednesday to Friday,” Dom says.Maximum temperatures are expected to be in the early to mid-teens for most places throughout this week, despite many places still set to experience frosty sub-zero starts to the day, as has been the trend over the last few days.“This rain system has another ridge behind it, so it appears to be fast-moving. Much of the rainfall should be gone by the end of the working week, although some precipitation will linger about southern and eastern Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island.”

By Jogai BhattWe may have just crawled out of a recession, but economically, times are still tough.Money flies out of your account sooner than it lands each fortnight and sometimes it's hard to keep track of it all. I'm not standing on the edge of a financial cliff, but it's still a bleak sight to bear.It's probably why I fell down a recent TikTok hole when I came across a video about zero-based budgeting by a user named Beth Fuller.Each month, the 27-year-old content creator writes down in granular detail what she owes in bills, what she intends to spend, and what she can save. It's allowed her to clear thousands in credit card debt and find a place of financial stability.Fuller's videos capture an audience of about 20,000 people each month, as she figures out how to spend her salary.Beth Fuller shares her money tips on social media. Photo: YouTubeThe idea is simple in principle: your income over a certain period, minus your expenses, should equal zero.The method was created by accountant Peter Pyhrr in the 1970s as a business accountancy technique, where instead of basing your budget on previous years, you analyse each expense to see whether it still justifies allocating some of your funds to it.More recently, it's grown into somewhat of a social media phenomenon for household budgeting, thanks to content creators like Fuller and US money guru Dave Ramsey.Let me preface this by saying spreadsheets and numbers are not my forte (I'm a journalist for a reason), but this method seemed manageable even to me.Generally, I avoid looking at my bank account balance and I tap Eftpos machines without a second thought. Whether the transaction is approved or declined is in God's hands.But over the past two weeks I've done the unthinkable - I've assessed my finances to see what's working and what's not and given zero-based budgeting a go.Every dollar countsThe crucial thing to know about zero-based budgeting is that every dollar counts - and you have to know where each one is going to go.Say you make $2000 a fortnight - everything you give, spend, save, and invest in that period needs to amount to $2000.I sat down and listed my income and my expected expenses, all broken down into categories from mortgage to car expenses, insurance, supermarket shops, streaming subscriptions, donations, and food - whatever felt important and frequent.I live with three others, so many expenses like food and mortgage payments are shared.I wrote down a vague plan for how the $2000 might be split up otherwise: $175 for utilities, $85 for insurance, $75 for restaurants, $70 for petrol and transport, and so on and so forth.It was looking pretty decent; I would probably need to cut back on food and petrol costs, but the rest was standard.The next step was to make a provisional fund for unexpected expenses; a pot to dip into specifically for a rainy day. This ended up being my most ambitious goal - $400 of savings, accounted for as an expense within the zero-based budget method.I was proud to put some kind of plan together. It's something my parents are excellent at; my mum even keeps a daily tally of household expenses in a diary and my dad is notorious for stuffing loose cash into different pant pockets to be surprised by later (it's a legitimate saving tactic).The trial periodThe fortnight started out well; I was cooking more at home and catching up with friends over cheap and cheerful activities ($16 for tenpin bowling and three hours free parking at Westfield Newmarket felt like a win).I'd accounted for a June birthday in my family that would take me out a couple of hundred dollars. Sure, it was out of my pot of 'savings' but that's what it was there for - those infrequent expenses.Then, a surprise expense not even my measly savings could afford - car troubles.One thing about me, I'm perpetually cursed with cars. It's kind of a running joke with my friends. Parking fines I could manage, but a failed warrant of fitness and a $450 bill for a broken taillight lens I could not.I was shaking my fists at the sky. I'd gone grossly over budget. With birthdays and outings and unexpected car failure, I'd spent well over my allocated $400, and I couldn't take back what I'd already overspent elsewhere.My budget had gone into negative; I'd officially spent more than I'd made. Zero-based budgeting was not for me.Expert adviceI spoke to Hannah McQueen, financial force of nature and founder of enable.me, to understand why this was. When I explained my spending habits, McQueen wasn't surprised.Hannah McQueen, financial force of nature and founder of enable.me. Photo: SuppliedTurns out I'm just not a saver, I'm a spender."Maybe it works for people who are naturally good at managing their money, but I think for people who aren't pre-disposed that way, maybe they're more of a spender or they've got kind of unusual money beliefs because of their upbringing, I don't think zero-based budgeting is effective at changing those behaviours."It's true - my parents and I have grown up in completely different socio-economic environments. Where they've felt strapped for cash at times, I'm fortunate that money isn't a constant stressor in my life.McQueen says this is why zero-based budgeting might work better for people who are already conscious about money or living paycheque-to-paycheque."I think it's pre-disposed to people who don't tend to spend money anyway. People are often better at budgeting the less money they earn, because the money has to go further. As you earn money, you become more relaxed with how you spend it, which is why it doesn't translate to progress."McQueen says zero-based budgeting can also be a hard thing to wrap your brain around if you're used to traditional budgets - for one thing, you're left with a figure of zero at the end of it all."You don't get much satisfaction from it because it's zero. At least with a traditional budget, you're measuring your savings build, whereas here the whole objective is to get zero. That feels so depressing before you've even started."But it's understanding who you are and who you're not; if you're a shopper, you need a different way to manage your money than if you're a saver. A saver could do the zero-based budget and they'd be good at it. The shopper - it's like death by a thousand cuts for them, it's painful."McQueen says the method is good in principle, because your savings are budgeted for as an expense. However, the reality of it is that it's all going to "slip through the cracks"."There's a target, 20 percent of your income you want to be able to save, and in theory it's supposed to force you to save. But the reality is nobody has money left over just from living. It feels fraught from the start. Most people can't do that, they just sort of fritter it."Is there a way to do a zero-based budget and stick to it? Maybe, but you need an important enough goal that you actually want to stick to, McQueen says."You need a reason to care; most people don't have a goal that's exciting enough to stick to a budget for two weeks. It's like me saying I'm gonna go on a detox for two weeks. For a lot of people there isn't enough upside, so why would you care?"

Waitaki ratepayers will soon be able to access their property information online.Over the next 12 to 18 months, every page of about 13,000 property files will be scanned and turned into digital files by the Waitaki District Council digital services team and Canon Business Services, a council spokesperson says.The move to digitalise the files is part of the council’s transformation programme, to make it easier for people to access their property files and for the council to manage them.Council chief executive Alex Parmley says the digitalisation of the property files is one small part of the changes being made.“Our transformation programme has many parts to it which we will be sharing over the coming weeks and months.“[It] shows how we are using technology to both improve our levels of customer service and increase our efficiency to provide better value for ratepayers,” he says.“I am looking forward to sharing more changes and improvements as we progress.”A pilot digitalising 500 property files will take place initially, and people can visit the Waitaki District Council webpage to see which files are part of this pilot. Property File Digitisation | Waitaki District CouncilPhysical files will be temporarily unavailable for viewing at the council office, but only while they are being sent to Canon. Once digitalised, they will be available on request, so the community can access them quickly, the council spokesperson says.Digitalisation comes with three major benefits: The files can be accessed more easily and quickly, records are easier to protect and keep safe, and it ensures records are maintained for years to come.For now, if you want to see property files, you will still need to contact the council to request them.Making the property files available for on-demand viewing is part of the council's aim to enhance customer experience by increasing self-service options, improving efficiency and providing the public with 24/7 access to information, the spokesperson says.

Tax cuts have taken effect, though you may still have a little wait before you see the impact in your bank account, depending on your pay cycle.The amount on offer varies depending on your income level. A single pensioner is set to get $4.31 a fortnight. Someone on $70,000 is in line for $30.75. Someone on $110,000 is set to get just over $40 a fortnight.But what might you do with that extra money?We've run the numbers based on a $20-per-week tax cut, to have a look at some of the options.Pay off your mortgage fasterAny extra you can pay off your home loan will have an impact, because it goes straight on to the principal.If you have a home loan with $500,000 left and 20 years to pay, with a 6.85 percent interest rate, and can now pay an extra $20 a week in repayments, you could save more than $22,000 over the life of your loan.Add it to your KiwiSaverA 40-year-old with $40,000 saved in KiwiSaver, earning $70,000 a year and contributing 3 percent plus 3 percent from an employer in a balanced fund might be on track to save $195,010 at retirement, according to Sorted's calculator.Topping that up by $20 a week would lift their savings to $219,949 at 65.Buy groceriesAccording to Stats NZ, $20 would have got you a 1kg block of mild cheddar (average $10.03) and a dozen eggs ($9.41) in June.Buy powerYour heat pump probably costs about 45c to 50c an hour to run, so you could turn it on for an extra 40 hours.Invest it in a managed fundIf you could invest $20 a week in a fund giving you 5 percent return a year, you would have more than $70,000 after 30 years - not accounting for fees or taxes.CharityYou could give $20 a week to charity and then claim 33.3 percent of it back in your tax return. Tearfund charges $20 for a donation of a chicken.Fuel up your carYou could get about seven-and-a-half litres of petrol for $20, maybe about enough to drive 100km, depending on how economical your car is.Pay off your credit cardIf you have a credit card with a $5000 balance and an interest rate of 20 percent, and you're paying it off at a rate of $500 a month, adding an extra $20 a week will shave about two months off the time it takes you to clear the balance.

People are being urged to have their say with options for revitalising Ōamaru’s town centre up for discussion.The Waitaki District Council-driven Ō Hub has popped up in the former Trade Aid shop at 169 Thames Street until next Friday (August 9).The space includes physical examples of what unused spaces could look like, using items such as outdoor furniture and games, and plants on loan from Statement Trees, as well as “master plan” posters, showcasing the possibilities available to help make Ōamaru’s central business district a more vibrant place to be.Council business attraction and recovery manager Mel Jones says many plans impacting the town centre have been developed in isolation over time.“However, there is no overarching development plan that recommends how to best connect the Ōamaru CBD and harbour area and create more vibrant public spaces,” she says.Council placemaking lead Cyndi Christensen says a draft CBD master plan has been pulled together by planning and urban design specialists Barker and Associates, and it was up for feedback.“The master plan has been developed through the accumulation of existing plans and strategies. So, the Oamaru spatial plan, the economic development strategy and the harbour plan,” she says.“And the major theme on that is around connectivity.“As you'll see through all of the posters, it shows different ways where we can connect not just people to the places, but connect those three very siloed areas of the harbour, the Victorian precinct and Thames Street.”Imagining a different town centre for Ōamaru. Photo: Ashley SmythThe feedback from this consultation will help further develop the master plan, which will set the direction for growth for the next 30 years.One of the focus areas will be around CBD living, Cyndi says.“We think that's really vital in order to make these spaces more alive.”With the streetscape recreation, it gives people a feel of what different parts of town could look like, if some of the opportunities are realised, Cyndi says.“We just want to give people a feel and give them an opportunity to come and talk to us.” Mel hopes the more tangible aspects of the pop-up will encourage more community involvement and interest.“If you can start to bring things to life rather than - I mean it remains to see what input we get through the online forum - but actually, people can see it and they can talk and they can point and they can go, ‘what about?’, ‘what about?’, it makes it a little bit more engaging.”It's about bringing people on the journey, and encouraging everybody to have a role, she says.Different ideas will appeal to different people, and individuals and businesses will have the opportunity to get involved by maybe volunteering time or sponsoring a project“People can choose to get involved in any way they want, but it's our place, that's the important thing. “It's like, this is our community, our place for our community. And through this work, it is about building a stronger sense of community, of belonging.”Prior to the master plan being created, three CBD Revitalisation Workshops were held in December last year, March and June. Councillors, local business owners and community members came together in groups to explore opportunities and projects for the town. A number of ideas were presented, some of which can be delivered quickly while others will take longer to plan and fund and may be implemented with partners.Mel says the council is an enabler in a supporting role for the project.“Council's not going to be funding all of this, because they can't, but actually if we all work together, and we all have shared outcomes, then, you know, there's opportunity to do some really quite interesting things.”The Ō Hub pop-up also fills a vacant shop space, meaning it also fits the brief as part of the Revitalise our Place Ōamaru (ROPO) programme, also being run by Waitaki District Council.The space is open 10.30am to 3pm week days, and 11am to 1pm on Saturdays, from now until Friday, August 9.Information is also available, and feedback welcome, on the Let's Talk Waitaki webpage for those residents unable to visit The Ō Hub.Some of the suggestions made in the draft master plan for Ōamaru's CBD. Photo: supplied

The South Island's oldest working woolshed is getting some much needed repairs after nearly 170 years in operation.The woolshed on Te Waimate Station in Waimate was built in 1855 by the Studholme Brothers with 100,000 sheep being shorn annually in the 22 shearing stands.Remarkably it is still in use today however it has started to show its age, in 2022 the back side of the woolshed began to sink, the piles were rotting in the damp ground, beneath a build-up of sheep debris.Through a grant from Heritage New Zealand's Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund, station owners Henry and Katie Studholme were able to employ builder Michael Simpson to get started on timber repairs.Simpson, who is no stranger to repairing heritage buildings, has been working on the woolshed part-time for over a year now - rebuilding the south side of the woolshed from the ground up.He has repaired most of the tōtara joists, piles and beams, by splicing in new wood."The quality of the tōtara timber is extraordinary, even the wood that was under mud and water only needed about 300mm replaced off the ends."There's been very little wastage as I've been able to reuse most of the original wood. I've worn out many saw blades because the wood is so hard."Michael Simpson at Te Waimate Station Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.He said he had thoroughly enjoying the project"This woolshed has been added on to four or five times and uses so many different joinery techniques, part of the pleasure of it is I'm continuing to learn and to refine my skills."Station owner Henry Studholme said he had been really impressed with Simpson's approach."Other builders might have said 'we'll rip the whole wall out, prop it up, rebuild it.' Whereas Michael has listened to the building. He's jacked the back wall up in sections and dealt with each piece of timber on a case-by-case basis."The change to the building is clear to see, the roof line of the south side is now straight instead of sunken, once the work is done, it will hopefully see our boys out."Heritage New Zealand conservation advisor Mike Gillies who recently visited Te Waimate to view the progress of repairs was astounded by the sensitivity and quality of Simpson's work."We just don't see this level of workmanship. The attention to detail is fantastic."

Always striving to be better has been key to Cucina’s success, says restaurant owner Yanina Tacchini.Yanina and chef husband Pablo had their hard work recognised in Dunedin on Sunday night, at the Otago Hospitality Awards, held at Vault 21.Cucina Restaurant and Bar won three awards - Outstanding Restaurant, People’s Choice, and the Supreme Establishment award.Cucina was a finalist in five categories, while the Tacchinis’ other restaurant Del Mar was in the running for one.This is the first time the awards, run by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, have taken place, and Yanina says it is good Otago hospitality providers had the chance to get together and network.“We met lots of restaurateurs and chefs, and front of house, and it's just nice to talk with them, you know. And definitely all of us are going through the same things right now, you know, it's quiet, it's winter.” Last year was tough for the industry, and things are still “really hard”, she says.“But we are all in the same boat . . . it’s nice to see that some people are still positive, and understanding why we’re doing this. “We do this, you know, for the people and because we love hospitality and looking after people and just finding that excuse for people to catch up around food.”Yanina and Pablo attended the event with some of the staff from both Cucina and Del Mar, but had “zero expectations”.“We just said, ‘oh, let's dress up nice’, because it was like a nice thing for all of us. ‘We need to go, we have to do it’, but it was amazing. It was great.”The Ōamaru group received a warm welcome and were told how much people love what they are doing and look up to them, Yanina says. “Everyone was so welcoming . . . We're a small town, you know, we sit 50 people at once. Like, we are a small restaurant, and it's just really nice that even the big restaurants and the big people . . . we are someone for them, you know, so it was really nice.”Finding out they won the People’s Choice award was “really cool”, but getting the two “big ones” was completely unexpected, and they did not have acceptance speeches prepared.It will be eight years in October since the Tacchinis started running Cucina, and they are always trying to improve.“You always want to do better,” Yanina says.“I think part of doing this, part of keeping yourself alive, is always be doubting yourself and this is what we are. We always could do better, you know.”The couple has three children, and Yanina said after Covid, she made a decision to step back from being on the restaurant floor and spend more time with them.But stepping off the floor did not mean stepping back from the restaurant and putting in hard work to establish a good team of staff who they trust, is paying off.“I still keep bringing all the ideas . . . I work 24/7 . . . which means that we keep, you know, being on the map and we keep growing.”Yanina says she and Pablo are thinking “very hard” about what the next step is for them. “We need to keep growing . . . we're still on the visualising stages at the moment, but definitely. We can't stay with only what we have, we need to keep growing . . . it's about creating, creating more spaces. Creating, creating.”

Snow has closed three state highways in South Canterbury, as of 9am this morning (Wednesday).State Highway 8 between Twizel to Fairlie, State Highway 79 between Fairlie between SH8 and Gudex Rd, and State Highway 80 - Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook are all closed due to snow, following yesterday’s wild weather.State Highway 85, Kyeburn to Palmerston is also closed.NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is reminding all central and lower South Island drivers that for the remainder of this week, the severity of the colder daytime and overnight temperatures will pose an ongoing issue for ice across the roading network, NZTA Central South Island system manager Mark Pinner says. “Whilst our crews and gritting teams will be doing all they can, road closures will likely still occur, especially overnight and into mid-morning. “Please check our website before you travel and slow down on ice and gritted roads,” he says.SH73 is now OPEN through Porters Pass. Towing is not currently permitted through the pass, and Chains are currently essential along this route.To keep up to date with road conditions, check the road status on the NZTA live Highway Conditions Map, which will be updated with all major developments as they are received.For updates on the status of local roads please follow Civil Defence Emergency Management Canterbury and Environment Canterbury to stay up to date.For more info on the weather event please visit metservice.com/warnings.

Motorists are being urged to keep an eye on road conditions over the coming days, with the wintry weather conditions expected to continue.Snow and ice are affecting Canterbury highways today (Tuesday), with State Highway 80 from Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook closed due to snow as of lunchtime, while SH8 from Fairlie to Tekapo (through Burkes Pass) and Tekapo to Pukaki, are both back open after being closed earlier in the day, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Central South Island system manager Mark Pinner says.Given the volume of snow falling and potential for icy roads, the Mt Cook highway could remain closed overnight tonight. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is encouraging drivers to keep themselves updated on snow and ice conditions in the lower and central South Island and throughout the week.Burkes Pass summit earlier on Tuesday, from the grit truck: Photo: suppliedMeanwhile in Otago, State Highway 85, Palmerston to Kyeburn closed before 9am this morning, and remains closed. Keep updated here.It is snowing on the Lindis Pass, between Omarama and Tarras (State Highway 8) is currently catching snow but remains open with electronic signs warning drivers of the need to take care, slow down and also slow down when driving on a gritted road. Cold and slippery winter driving conditions mean that drivers coming in and out of Dunedin over the Leith Saddle on SH1 from Waitati also need to take care, especially in the mornings. “In South Canterbury we have seven crews busy gritting and clearing snow today,” Mark says. “We have additional resources on standby around the central and lower South Island as the forecast is for snow to continue to around 2am tomorrow/Wednesday morning. The alpine passes between Canterbury and the West Coast could catch snow from midday today into Wednesday. “People should be aware that there will be travel and route changes in coming days as once the snow stops, very low temperatures could also cause issues with a return to the black ice of earlier in July.”  At this stage Arthur’s Pass/ Porters Pass (SH73) and the Lewis Pass (SH7) are open, although snow could affect them from this afternoon into Wednesday, Mark says. NZTA offers tips for safer journeys this winter Drive slower than you normally would – it only takes a split second to lose control in wet or icy conditions.Avoid sudden braking or turning movements that could cause you to skid.Accelerate smoothly and brake gently.Use your highest gear when travelling uphill and your lowest downhill.For vehicles without anti-skid braking systems, to avoid skidding or sliding, smoothly pump the brake pedal in short bursts rather than pressing long and hard.Drive at a safe travelling distance because it takes longer to stop on slippery roads.In winter, especially in frosty or icy weather, double the two-second rule to four seconds and leave a safe distance between you and the car you’re following.When travelling in fog, rain or snow, drive with your lights dipped for increased safety.Make sure everyone is wearing their seat belt throughout the full journey.Plan your trip to avoid the coldest times of the day or night if you can.

Economist Craig Renney counts himself lucky that he has known what job he wanted to do since he was 12."I saw my first [government] Budget when I was nine. When I was 12 I knew what I wanted to do for a living, which was to write a Budget."I've been very lucky and written three … but for a lot of people, they don't know what to do and are attracted by whatever dollars [are] available."Renney said for many young people, that meant choosing whether they would head to university, go into a trade, or straight into work - with relatively little information to guide their decision.Listen: What are the best job prospects for school leavers? (4'42'') from Morning ReportThe best career path is a perennial point of conversation for New Zealanders - but what does the data tell us about might be the best outcome over a person's working life?Healthcare workers have seen significant pay rises. Photo: 123rfPay risesStats NZ data showed health professionals had the fastest wage growth between 2019 and 2024 - probably as a result new collective pay deals and pay equity agreements.That increase was followed by the pay rises received by sales assistants, who would probably have had their pay boosted by large increases in the minimum wage, and personal service workers - again potentially affected by pay equity deals.Road and rail drivers were next, with more than 20 percent salary growth over the period, followed by factory process workers.Labourers also had more than 20 percent salary growth. The construction trades had more than 19 percent, compared to general clerical workers at 17 percent, professionals at 17 percent and "managers" at 12 percent."For the past few years the biggest growth has been in trades wages," Renney said."The reason for that is we have had a construction boom - there was a shortage of trades-qualified people because we didn't do workforce planning. Anyone with a trade during the low period post-GFC could get better wages elsewhere."The construction industry has seen its fair share of boom and bust periods. Photo: 123rfChanges afootA problem for many trades is that the work can be cyclical. The current weakness in the construction market meant those pay rises were unlikely to continue, and it could be harder to get an apprenticeship.Seek data showed that in the past year, demand for workers in trade-heavy sectors had declined to a greater degree than the professional services and public sector. Construction job ads were down 40 percent, compared to a drop of 35.4 percent in professional services.But within the sectors there was variation. Banking was down 19 percent, but consulting dropped 28 percent.Mike Lough, of Cambridge Homes, said there were barely any jobs being advertised. "That's just the fact the construction industry is struggling at the moment."But Renney said when construction demand did pick up, there was less chance it would be met with automated skills, compared with other sectors such as retail - where staff members might be replaced with automated checkouts, for example."For many people in service industries, the risk is not just that demand goes away, but the thing you do is not valued in the same way any more."He said tradespeople's pay was sometimes a function of how many were available at any one time."We've had a structural shortage of plumbers and electricians and - as someone who recently paid a plumber - I can tell you they're still making three times more than me, who went to university for eight years. Best of luck to them, that's supply and demand."Tertiary education often boosts future earning prospects. Photo: Google Street ViewTraining adds a premiumRenney said young people in particular who followed dollars into a role would need to think about how sustainable that was. "A lot of people trade off education for earning, particularly when they're younger."That was visible in the employment market in recent years when employers clamoured for workers. People in the "golden window" of 15 to 21 went into the workforce in large numbers."They may well become the first to become unemployed and they've lost that magic window for training," Renney said."My main concern is not that those people shouldn't be in work - that's up to them."They may well have been in work when they otherwise might have been in training or education, and that can have lifetime consequences for them."Data from Education Counts shows that higher-level qualifications tend to provide significant income and earnings benefits over a person's working life, particularly compared to those who left school without any further education.In its most recent update, Education Councils reported median weekly incomes for degree-qualified adults were about 40 percent higher than for those whose highest qualification was a school one, over the past decade."When looking just at employed adults, the hourly earnings of those with a degree have been around 35 percent more than for those with school qualifications only.It said wages would generally increase as people gained work experience, but higher levels of education seemed to mean that people's income grew at a faster rate. Getting a degree gave more of a wage benefit to European workers than it did for other groups."For those with a Level 4-6 tertiary qualification, they've been around 10 percent more. Adults with no qualifications, on average, have received around 20 percent less in weekly income, and 12 percent less in hourly earnings, when compared to those with school qualifications only."Renney said there should be more workforce planning and careers advice for people."We create these skills shortages and all of a sudden we have lots of people doing this job and then there's not… If anyone has any skills we export them to Australia. It's very much a case of we are very dependent on the economy of the time and what's happening in Australia."He said it was hard to pick which roles or sectors were likely to be more resilient over time."Everyone's career at every point in time has been both written off and suddenly resurrected. People who worked in banks had the safest jobs in the world until they didn't… the only thing you can do to help yourself is make sure your skills are up to date."New Zealand did not have a good track record of helping people retrain mid-career, Renney said.Here is how some of the roles compare.FarmingFederated Farmers says salaries have increased in recent years. Its 2024 farming salaries report showed the average salary for a farm worker lifted $7480 to $71,4112 between 2022 and 2024."For some more senior roles, the increases have been significantly higher," Federated Farmers national board member and employment spokesperson Richard McIntyre said."For example, the average salary for a dairy herd manager is up 19 percent to $74,185. A sheep/beef farm manager is earning an average 22 percent more than two years ago ($88,381) and the average income for an arable farm manager is up 28 percent to $101,264."Federated Farmers said the total salary package that a dairy farm assistant was getting on average in 2024 was $61,994. A dairy farm assistant manager might be on just over $97,000 and a dairy farm operations manage $112,497. A sheep and beef farm general hand might earn $62,858 and a sheep and beef farm manager $105,740Generally, these are roles that are learnt on the job rather than via a specific training course. Primary ITO, which offers training for agriculture, horticulture, apiculture and seafood roles as well as some food processing industries, said people who were training through its courses were earning on the job and would not be taking student loans.ProfessionsA solicitor might start on $62,000 and move to about $130,000 a year within five years, according to careers.govt.nz. This would require a law degree, which might cost about $30,000.The Law Society recently conducted a cost of practice survey, which showed legal practices were facing significant staffing challenges in attracting and retaining suitably qualified and experienced staff.Hays' salary survey showed a graduate in a mid-tier private legal practice was typically on $58,000.An accountant would start on about $70,000, careers.govt.nz said, and move to $165,000 when experienced. Accounting normally requires a degree - Otago's bachelor of accounting is $22,000 - but sometimes there are options to train on the job.Hays said a financial controller in Auckland in a company with turnover up to $100 million might typically be on $155,000 a year.A systems administrator, who would normally need a diploma or a degree in computing or information systems, would be paid $85,000 to $120,000 a year, according to the careers website.TradesAccording to careers.govt.nz , a carpenter might earn $23 to $25 starting out, and $29 to $41 an hour when more experienced. A plumber might get $23 to $52 an hour, depending on their level of experience.Electricians might earn $34 an hour initially, and up to $43 an hour after eight years' experience. In all cases, people who own their own businesses could earn more.Many trades are learnt via apprenticeships, although Unitec said it recommended studying a certificate in electrical pretrade, which costs $6900, before beginning as an apprentice electrician.BCITO director Greg Durkin said apprentice builders would have the benefit of being paid while they learned."The cost of training to become a builder can vary... In BCITO's case, the fees for a carpentry apprenticeship are $1802 for the first year and $875 for each of the subsequent two to three years."Additionally, BCITO currently has a fees support incentive in place where the first year is free if you sign up by the end of August 2024."We understand the cost of living can be a challenge and we are doing our bit to support apprentices in their first year. This support is making a difference with the rate of new apprentices entering the trades very high at present."Research in 2022 showed the median salary for a graduating apprentice under 25 was $60,000 per annum, he said."That's $20,000 more than the national median for that age group. For school leavers jumping straight into an apprenticeship, by age 24, apprentices have earned over $150,000 more in total than their schoolmates who went to university."ServiceCareers says retail managers earn between $48,000 and $60,000 a year and the chance of getting a job is "average". Bartenders would earn $23 to $25 an hour, it said, and bar managers could earn an average of $29. A motel manager might earn $60,000 to $80,000 a year and hotel managers up to $100,000.

The Forrester Gallery has a full suite of fresh and exciting exhibitions for the public to enjoy.Running alongside the Uplifting Art Auction, which is raising funds for a new gallery lift, there is Audrey Baldwin’s THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING’S FINE, MikiNobu Komatsu’s Classic Aotearoa and Fiona Frew’s Rubbish Bodies.The exhibitions opened just over a week ago, and collectively offer a variety of mediums, intentions, and aspirations.Baldwin’s THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING’S FINE takes aim at ‘grind culture’, internalised capitalism, and the challenges of living within a media-driven society.She is a Zimbabwe-born, Ōtautahi-based, multidisciplinary artist. Her work is thought-provoking, with playfulness and vibrant colours.As part of her exhibition, a triple-channel video installation in the gallery’s vault - KPI’s (2023) - offers relatability, expressing common feelings experienced by those caught up in a monotonous corporate grind.MikiNobu Komatsu’s Classic Aotearoa presents “New Zealand architecture through a photographer’s eye”, he says. Komatsu is a lens-based artist living in Sydney, Australia. His works in Classic Aotearoa feature notable land and cityscapes in Aotearoa New Zealand.Many of the settings captured are no longer there, while others provide connections between place, people, and time. The photographs reflect Komatsu’s ability to capture light and shadow to reveal the buildings themselves as the grand protagonists of his imagery.A piece of work from Fiona Frew's Rubbish Bodies. Photo: SuppliedRubbish Bodies offers a glimpse into contemporary jewellery artist Fiona Frew’s everyday life in her local Kakanui environment.She provides a significant body of work that reflects the ‘foreign’ objects found on her daily walks through the area, collaborating with Te Taiao (the natural world). Frew is a multidisciplinary artist working within the realms of photography, installation, and object making.All four current exhibitions will be showing until September 1, before making way for the well-loved Burns Memorial Exhibition. All existing and upcoming events and exhibitions can be viewed on the Forrester Gallery website.

“People think that if you talk with kids about sex, they want to go and do it. But all of the research shows that these conversations and this kind of education is associated with delayed onset and reduced frequency of sexual activity and with an increase in contraception.” Twelve years old is the average age when kids first see pornography, almost always by accident, so it's the job of parents to brave their own awkwardness and get in early with information and reassurance, says podcaster Melody Thomas.  “There is a fear from a lot of children that Mum or Dad is gonna blow up if I come to them and say that I've seen this thing. You need to be the safeguard and the kind of reliable person, even if you're not feeling that on the inside when they come to you about this stuff.”  Listen to the interview with Melody Thomas   duration 25′ 01″ Melody Thomas explores sex, sexuality and relationships in BANG! and The Good Sex Podcast. Before speaking with sex education expert Dr Jane Cherrington on The Good Sex Podcast, Thomas was anxious about talking to her own kids about porn. “I had had some words with my kids about how, you know, there's some stuff on the internet. There's a bit little freaky, and there's also naked people on the internet, and if you see any of that, then come and tell me. But that is as far as I had gone. I didn't even know how to begin. “After I spoke with her, I came straight home and had a really proper, well-rounded conversation about pornography with my 11-year-old. And it went so well. “Because we've had those ongoing conversations at home about sex and relationships generally, for so long, it was actually really easy. And I feel really confident that now that my 11-year-old has tools for when, inevitably, she stumbles upon that content.” In her book How To Talk With Your Kids About Porn, Dr Cherrington recommends largely following your child’s lead when it comes to general conversations about sex, Thomas says, and keeping it simple. “Often, I think as parents, we want to do a good job, and we maybe overdo it and give a bit too much information that doesn't then get taken in. Answer the question at hand, ask if they have any follow-up questions. “When they first start asking questions, take a very simple approach and answer the question as calmly and simply as you can.” When you first broach the subject of porn with a child, Thomas recommends giving them a basic lowdown without getting too heavy. “[You could say something like] porn is photos or videos of adults having sex, mostly online and it's just not for kids, like driving cars and drinking alcohol isn't for kids.  “Tell them that if they come across it, then they can totally come and see you. There's no embarrassment. They won't be in trouble, that you’d love to talk to them about it and be there for them.” Melody Thomas Photo: Ebony Lamb PhotographyWhile Thomas says she’s not in the camp of ‘all porn is bad’ herself, the mainstream content young people will likely encounter online often normalises violence, aggression, unsafe sex, sexist and racist stereotypes and incest. While adults and even young people who’ve had sufficient sex education may recognise this is a dramatisation that doesn’t reflect reality, children who haven’t learnt about this content can view it with a hazardous “information gap”. In a lot of mainstream heterosexual porn, male performers are often dominant and female performers are submissive, Thomas says. Choking is frequently depicted and increasingly that is being sprung on young people during sex without their consent. “Choking without really, really clear safety practices - and even sometimes with them - is so dangerous. Memory loss, concussion, miscarriage, broken, death, are some of the potential side effects of that.” Many are being pressured to engage in anal sex, too, Thomas says - often unsafely. “We're hearing from health practitioners who are talking about young girls turning up with injuries that have come as a result of a very kind of coercive attitude around that practice. The boys themselves are being pressured from their guy friends to coerce their partners into that practice.” The pleasure element of sex is something many people believe New Zealand’s current sex education curriculum doesn't cover comprehensively enough, Thomas says. “When you are a young person I think, you're - especially a young woman - and talking from personal experience, your pleasure isn't really front and centre.” Before making podcasts about sex, Thomas says she found it a terrifying subject to speak about, but after some practice and self-reflection, is now very comfortable. “It becomes so easy but I think in order to start you first need to look at yourself and those bits of shame that you might have picked up. Pick apart where that comes from and whether you need to hold on to that anymore and definitely whether you want to pass that on to your children.” 

Metservice has issued a number of watches and warnings for incoming severe weather, including an Orange Heavy Rain warning for North Otago and a Road Snow Warning for the Lindis Pass.MetService Severe Weather WarningIssued at 9:54am Sun 28 Jul 2024Periods of heavy rain and snow for parts of the country, and southeasterly gales for western parts of the South Island.A low is developing over the Tasman Sea and is forecast to affect the country from Monday to Wednesday. Persistent and cold easterlies are expected to develop over the southern South Island, bringing heavy rain and possible heavy snow above 300 to 500 metres. Southeasterly gales are expected to develop over the western parts of the South Island from late Monday or early Tuesday.Watches and Warnings are now in force for many parts of the country.People are advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts.Heavy Rain Warning - OrangeArea: North Otago, Dunedin and Clutha southeast of Raes JunctionPeriod: 30 hours from 12:00pm Mon 29 Jul to 6:00pm Tue 30 JulForecast: Expect 80 to 120 mm of rain. Peak rates of 5 to 10 mm/h expected.Note, rain is expected to turn to snow above 300 metres during Tuesday.Light to moderate rain is expected for remainder of Tuesday and Wednesday morning.Moderate chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.Action: Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.MetService Road Snowfall Warning for Lindis Pass (SH8)Issued at 11:43am Sun 28 Jul 2024Lindis Pass (SH8)Valid: 18 hours from 6:00am Mon 29 Jul to 12:00am Tue 30 JulForecast: Expect 2-5 cm of snow to accumulate on the road above 700 metres during Monday. Further snow is expected during Tuesday, to an even lower level.For the latest updated forecasts and real time conditions in your local area, click on the Waitaki towns below, or go to the Weather category, next to News|Sport in The Waitaki App!OamaruWestonKakanuiHampdenPalmerstonMacraesNgaparaDuntroonKurowOtematataOmaramaLake Ohau Alpine Village

Warm, clear weather has meant the Lake Pukaki/Twizel highway is back to a 100km/hour speed limit, for now.NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) placed a blanket speed reduction on the 28km stretch of State Highway 8 on Tuesday, after multiple vehicles rolled in fog and black ice in recent days, despite warning signs to slow down. Clear, sunny weather for the latter part of this week in Canterbury means SH8 south of Tekapo to Lake Pukaki/Twizel is back to its 100km/hour normal highway speed limit as of 10am today (July 26). “The 50km/h signs installed two days ago are designed to be easily covered up when temperatures improve and fog and black ice is not present,” NZTA Central South Island system manager Mark Pinner said on Thursday.“That is likely to be the case for Friday and this weekend, with wind helping to reduce the potential for frosts.”Snow is a possibility for early next week and could spread into Arthur’s, Porters and Lewis Passes, in North Canterbury, while the Lindis Pass and Burkes Pass in South Canterbury could also potentially be affected, meaning the speed restriction will likely to go back in place on Sunday (July 28). “Our crews are closely monitoring SH8/the Mackenzie Basin area to keep people safe and ensure the road remains open as much as possible,” Mark says. Drivers should also always slow down in icy and foggy conditions, on bridge decks and shaded areas of highway that don’t catch the sun. Before travelling, drivers can check NZTA’s highway map before setting out around the central and southern South Island, particularly overnight in winter.

Work will soon be under way to make Cape Wanbrow more environmentally and community friendly.Over the next few months the Waitaki District Council is carrying out a variety of work on the land around the cape to improve the natural environment as well as community access.The work will happen in three stages, council Parks and Recreation manager Lindsay Hyde says.Rabbit control will be the first stage, and is to be carried out in the area this month, on instruction from the Otago Regional Council. The Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony and a section of Waterfront Road will also be covered.Rabbits are a major problem for new plantings on Cape Wanbrow, especially as pines are replaced with natives – which is part of the third stage planned, Lindsay says.Pindone poison has been determined as the most-effective option, and it will be deposited in the most populated areas, and night shooting will be also used to reduce the number of the prolific pests.Signage will clearly indicate when poison has been set, along with the dates and time of night shooting, with the council providing updates on social media ahead of both.“During this time we recommend dogs are kept on a lead at all times,” Lindsay says.The Pindone will be administered via diced carrot, coloured green or blue. An average-sized dog (9kg) can tolerate about 26 pieces of Pindone bait (based on a seven-day daily dose) before it has a negative effect. It does not affect birds.The second stage of improvements is upgrading signage and parking facilities at the Test Street entrance to the cape. This work is taking place this month and will be running into August, he says.There is currently no official parking at this location, and the council will be adding marked spaces for community use.The third stage will take place in September and involves the removal of an ageing stand of ponderosa pines on the cape between Tamar and Selwyn streets. “The trees in this block are beginning to drop branches and, once removed, will be replaced, in time, with native planting – as has occurred elsewhere on the cape when other areas have been removed,” Lindsay says.

A new, free programme for parents on how to navigate the tricky teenage years with their children, is coming to Ōamaru.The Y-Whānau parenting programme offers one two-hour session per week, over six weeks, starting next Wednesday (July 31).The Y Central South Island community development team leader Jo Skudder says it’s the first time the programme has been offered in Ōamaru, but it has been offered once a term over the past three years in Timaru, as well as Temuka and Fairlie, by The Y, and other organisations prior to that.The course is aimed at parents of 10 to 16 year-olds, “so we can give them tools before they hit those teenage years”.“But we also don’t say no to parents, you know, if their kid’s five or their kid’s seventeen . . . it’s a very open space,” Jo says.The sessions cover adolescent brain development and stages; parental styles and roles, support systems, boundaries and self-care; effective communication tips and tools; how to actively parent and feel good about your role; consequences and choices, and tools to help your teen learn from both; and how to have difficult conversations about sex and drugs.“But we do try to get the participants to own that space,” Jo says. “So if there's something really pressing, we will focus on that.“And we never shut down conversations, if we start talking about school or something, and it went off down another path. We would carry that on if they were getting something out of it. “It's very much led by them.”The Y Central South Island (formerly the YMCA) is based in Timaru, where it is busiest and has the most resources.In Ōamaru, there is an education and a learn-to-drive site, and there are also bases in Ashburton and Christchurch. “So it's just about expanding our mahi out into our other sites,” Jo says. The course is being made possible by funding from the Waitaki District Council, and has been strongly supported by Ōamaru Public Health nurse Lesley Simpson and St Kevin’s College attendance officer Lesley Henderson.“I think a lot of parents feel like that once their kid hits 10, 12 that they're on their own, you know, that they should know everything,” Jo says.“I think the realisation is that they need to be actively parented more as young teenagers than they do even as preschoolers, and stuff really hits home. And how different the world that our young people live in now is, to when we were that age.”Jo describes herself as a “great advocate” for teenagers and says the programme is a judgement-free space.“We're advocating for the young people, and getting the parents to see what they need to do to get the most out of their young people . . . because teenage years can be real yuck for some kids.”Jo brings years of training, experience running the course, and also her own experience with raising her children.She says the course is “mana-enhancing” and strengths-based.“And listening to our young people, working with our young people all the time . . .  and the youth are always at the centre of everything we do.”To make the parenting course as accessible as possible to everyone, there will be kai provided and an onsite babysitting service in the community space next to the Y rooms. Transportation to and from the course is also available for those who would find that helpful, she says.To get the most benefit, Jo wants people to attend all six classes if they can, in order to help foster relationships and trust with the others there.  Everything shared in the classes is completely confidential.“So the only thing I would ever share is if they were going to hurt someone or themselves. Otherwise it stays with me.”If a parent is really struggling with their teen’s behaviour, this course is a great starting place, Jo says.“Whether it's a parenting thing where, whether the child needs more help or [the situation] needs a wraparound, that would all come from that course.”The first night is always a bit awkward, she says. People don’t know what to expect, even Jo herself, and she wants to reassure parents she is not there to judge them on their parenting. “In fact, we applaud that they've come to do something about it.“It's very, very relaxed, even though we can touch on some real yuck stuff . . . I really want it to be a place that they want to come back to, and they feel like they can chat and even bond with some other people in the community.” The course runs in two-hour sessions from 6-8pm, over six weeks. It will be held at The Y, Ara Campus at 44 Humber Street.Registrations can be made by calling Jo on 027 619 8379 or by emailing [email protected], or by phoning Lesley Simpson on 027 430 2002, or Lesley Henderson on 027 488 6521.

A chilly polar blast is set to hit the country after an unusually warm week.Cold southerlies could bring snow to low levels - 400-500m - in the South Island on Monday and Tuesday.MetService forecaster John Law told Morning Report temperatures would return to normal winter levels.LIsten: Temperatures to plunge as polar blast heads towards NZ"We're not out of winter just yet, we may be lulled into a false sense of security with some of those high temperatures we'll see over the next couple of days."Anyone planning to travel around the mountain passes in the South Island next week should watch the forecast, Law said.By the middle of next week there may be some snow in the central North Island as well, he said."Definitely the time of the year to take extra care and extra time on the roads."