Auckland man earns long service award
Peter Cooke has worked in the same job for 49 years.
The 73-year-old is the longest serving staff member at Mount Eden's Community Corrections service in Auckland.
The probation officer has been recognised with a long service and good conduct award.
It all started in 1971 when Cooke joined the probation service after gaining his law degree at Auckland University.
The probation service "seemed a good place to start and much more exciting than being a lawyer," he said.
"(I) stayed because I still have some of the idealism left and the criminal justice system is still an exciting place to work in."
In 1971 the Probation Service, as it was known, was a division of the Department of Justice.
This changed with the establishment of the Department of Corrections in 1996.
In Auckland, there was a main office in High St with reporting centres in the suburbs, Cooke said.
"I looked after Henderson and you were at the reporting centres at night on your own.
"In addition, probation officers collected fines and reparation as part of a special condition of probation, and a cash box with a float of money accompanied us."
Cooke was the sole charge district probation officer at Kaikohe.
He recalls travelling on his own to do home visits for most of the rural caseload.
Cooke has seen many changes over the years.
People under probation orders were now much more difficult to manage and more unpredictable, he said.
Before the 2002 Sentencing Act, there was a national Parole Board for those sentenced over 7 years Imprisonment and a District Prisons Board for each prison deciding release for those serving under 7 year sentences, Cooke said.
"They also decided on back end Home Detention before Home Detention became a separate sentence. "
Cost of living: How to get $110 off your electricity bill through Power Credits Scheme
Some Kiwis can expect their power bill to rise this month for the third year in a row as the low-user charge is phased out – but there's a payment available for people who are struggling.
It's the third year in a row that low-power users are facing increasing fixed costs as the low-power users scheme is phased out.
To help the industry set up the $5 million Power Credits Scheme which means eligible households can access credit during the transition.
The phase out which began in 2022 will see fixed costs for low users rise every april for five years.
The scheme means households who are supplied by Contact, Meridian, Mercury, Genesis, Nova, Wise, Globug, Powershop, Frank or Toast Electric can access a $110 payment if they’re in hardship. So far $1.4 million has been paid out.
The scheme is run by the Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand. Chief executive Bridget Abernethy told Consumer NZ households showing signs of energy hardship can get the payment. But Abernethy said each power company will have its own criteria for what energy hardship looks like.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said removing the "low Fixed Charge Tariff regulations is essential for creating a fairer playing field for all New Zealand households".
However, the MBIE website acknowledged the phase-out could be challenging for some households.
"While all households are expected to benefit in the long term from the regulations being removed, some households may face higher power bills," the website said.
The credit can help households adjust, it added.
The decision to remove the low user charge was made by the then Labour Government in 2021 who called it "poorly targeted".
Then Energy Minister Megan Woods said it would mean three in five households could benefit from lower power bills.
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