The Bulletin: A dozen stories to wrap the week

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Review finds rest home with Covid outbreak breached care obligations, Coster clarifies rubber bullet comments, and Otago University forecasts heavy losses. Something slightly different today: Rather than a lead story with lots of detail, today’s Bulletin will be about rounding up a whole lot of news … Read more

Whakaari/White Island eruption: What you need to know

Five people are dead, a number unaccounted for and up to 20 injured, some critically, after a volcano erupted in the Bay of Plenty this afternoon. Update 9.16pm: Police have confirmed that five people are dead following this afternoon’s Whakaari/White Island eruption. Deputy commissioner John Tims said it was too early to confirm nationalities but … Read more

The Port Hills fire makes it clear: Our Civil Defence is simply not fit for purpose in 2017

As wildfire continues to ravage the Port Hills above Christchurch, questions are being raised about the scale and efficiency of the official response. When it comes to communicating with the public following a major emergency, why are the lessons of Christchurch and Kaikōura still unlearned, asks James Dann. Christchurch is flat and largely featureless, one- … Read more

Civil Defence was woefully slow on the tsunami risk today. Next time it could be fatal

The response to this morning’s shake reinforces the urgency of authorising GeoNet to issue tsunami warnings, writes Philip Duncan. (Includes updated response to Civil Defence rejection of criticisms, below) This morning it took almost an hour before the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management acknowledged the severe magnitude 7.1 earthquake off East Cape that … Read more