Three Kings news is brought to you by the team at Central Leader
Recent posts
Thank you for using Neighbourly
We still have 135 long-stay animals in our care, waiting to find their forever homes! ? If you can provide the right home for them, you can adopt for just a donation/koha when you start the process by this Sunday, September 21st.
These wonderful animals have been waiting patiently for their … View moreWe still have 135 long-stay animals in our care, waiting to find their forever homes! ? If you can provide the right home for them, you can adopt for just a donation/koha when you start the process by this Sunday, September 21st.
These wonderful animals have been waiting patiently for their special someone – could that be you? ? You might need to travel a bit further than your nearest SPCA Center, but we promise they're worth the journey.
Even though we’re waiving our standard adoption fees for our long-stays, every animal is desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, treated for fleas and worms – all ready to head home with you. Meet all of our long-stays on our site now!
6000 senior doctors and dentists on strike until midnight Wednesday
Health Minister says they're putting pay and politics ahead of patients
Health NZ says more than 1800 elective procedures, more than 3600 first specialist appointments, about 7000 follow-up appointments and more than 800 … View more6000 senior doctors and dentists on strike until midnight Wednesday
Health Minister says they're putting pay and politics ahead of patients
Health NZ says more than 1800 elective procedures, more than 3600 first specialist appointments, about 7000 follow-up appointments and more than 800 out-patient procedures postponed
====================================================
Some patients blame government for failing to invest in healthworkers
Six thousand senior hospital doctors and dentists are striking for 48 hours as the battlelines harden in their long-running pay dispute with Health NZ.
Their message to Health Minister Simeon Brown laid bare on placards on the picketline outside the Minister's Pakuranga electorate office in Auckland: "Code Brown, Simeon's in charge", reads one.
"We serve the interests of New Zealanders, Do you?", reads another.
In contrast to his predecessors - who tended to gratefully defer to Health NZ "as the employer" in contract negotiations - Health Minister Simeon Brown has taken a more hands-on approach.
He has openly criticised doctors who "chose" to strike, calling it "a decision by some of the most well-paid public servants in New Zealand to walk away from patients and cancel care", and voiced his disappointment over the union's refusal to enter binding arbitration.
Based on the previous 24-hour strike in May, Health NZ estimated about 13,000 patients would likely be affected by the two-day action by members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
'He doesn't speak for me'
====================
Wellington cancer patient Charyl Robinson, who had her first date for surgery cancelled due to the nurses' strike at the end of July, said healthworkers had her "full support".
"My second date for surgery was also cancelled, because of a bed shortage, because I'm going to need a couple of days in HDU or ICU," she said. "I have been directly affected by the strain on health services."
While this week's doctors' strike would not affect her treatment directly, she worried that doctors were "not being valued and properly recognised here the way they would be overseas".
"I'm worried constantly that I could lose one of the incredible team of specialists looking after me, they could move for better conditions - that's what worries me. I get fed up with Simeon Brown trying to pit us patients against the people caring for us.
"I find it really quite despicable how he does that, because he doesn't speak for us. He doesn't speak for me, anyway."
Robinson, co-founder of the advocacy group Vape Free Kids, said she did "not buy the excuse" that the government was limited by the current dire financial circumstances.
"When I think about the money that's been set aside for tax breaks for tobacco companies... that stuff is incensing, when you are a person sitting there in hospital, seeing the shortfall in our health system.
"Sitting there in that hospital, my blood was boiling, when I consider the other things that have been prioritised in terms of funds over the very people that are delivering care for patients like me."
Plenty of "frivolous, down-right disingenuous spends" could be walked back to make some room for health workers' needs, she said.
Government 'taking advantage' of doctors' goodwill
==========================================
Another patient, who spent four days in North Shore Hospital last week, after an emergency admission, said the reality on the frontline was "the exact opposite" to what the minister claimed.
"The only reason the wheels haven't fallen off is because the government has taken advantage of the goodwill of all the medical professionals," said the 60-year-old, who did not want to be named.
"If I were to describe the staff, I would liken them to All Blacks, only far more skilful and with much greater levels of stamina, because their match isn't measured in minutes, but in 12-hour shifts, and with such high levels of overloading that only totally professional harmonic team work can keep the cogs turning."
From "the girls that mop the floors and clean the toilets" to specialists and administrators, everyone worked "at full-speed, all day".
Staff were obviously bearing the brunt of years of under-investment in facilities, when patients jammed the ED waiting room and clogging the hallways with stretcher beds, he said.
"After years of Labour's wasteful spending, this National government has decided the best medicine is austerity."
Meanwhile, the government appeared to have plenty to spend on some things, like top-of-the-line military helicopters, he said.
"I think it's absolutely ludicrous... Yes, you have to defend the country, but if there's no-one left alive in the country, what's the bloody point?"
Health NZ says it's out of options
===========================
Meanwhile, Health NZ has taken the unprecedented step of applying to the Employment Relations Authority to make the final decision on terms and conditions, saying it has "exhausted" all bargaining options with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
National clinical director Dr Richard Sullivan, who took part in last-ditch talks last week, said it was frustrating to put forward a new offer and receive "nothing to work with in response".
"We are disappointed this is necessary, but we have been in bargaining with ASMS for over a year. We have attended 11 days of formal bargaining, a number of informal meetings, mediation, six days of facilitated bargaining and accepted the invitation to binding arbitration, which the union refused.
"We believe all bargaining options have been exhausted and that the application for fixing is the best way forward to ensure certainty for New Zealanders."
Hospitals remained open during the strike, but to maintain patient safety, most clinics were closed and planned care appointments for surgery would be postponed.
"The strike will disrupt care for the entire week," he said. "It is estimated that over 1800 elective procedures, over 3600 first specialist appointments, around 7000 follow-up appointments and over 800 out-patient procedures will have to be postponed.
"Anyone who needs emergency care will still be able to receive it and patients who are already in hospital will continue to receive treatment.
"It is very important that our EDs are kept for emergencies only during the strike to protect our capacity to give urgent care to those who need it most."
An agreement was in place with the union to provide life-preserving services throughout the strike, which was due to finish at 11.59pm Wednesday.
The union maintained its members had yet to receive an offer that did not amount to "another pay cut in real terms", at a time when workforce shortages were at crisis levels in many places.
Executive director Sarah Dalton said Health NZ had "failed to turn up with any meaningful improvement on its offer".
"ASMS members are not walking away from patients, they simply know it is critical to have a pay offer that is competitive and continues to attract the medical workforce to New Zealand."
=====================================================
Celebrate the Moon Festival at Epsom Community Centre! 🌙✨
Join us for a fun-filled day for the whole family featuring mooncake making, food and craft markets, kids' activities, traditional songs and stories, cultural performances, and more!
• FREE
• Saturday 4 October
• … View moreCelebrate the Moon Festival at Epsom Community Centre! 🌙✨
Join us for a fun-filled day for the whole family featuring mooncake making, food and craft markets, kids' activities, traditional songs and stories, cultural performances, and more!
• FREE
• Saturday 4 October
• 10.30am-2.30pm
• Epsom Community Centre, 202 Gillies Ave, Epsom
• epsom-community-centre.org.nz/moonfestival
📍 OUTDOOR MARKET
• Food Trucks + Vendors
• Craft Stands
• Community & Information Stands
• Traditional Korean outdoor games
📍 EPSOM HALL
• Mooncake making workshops
• Chinese calligraphy, making mooncakes with playdough, and lantern making.
📍 RANFURLY ROOM: TSUKIMI - JAPANESE MOON-VIEWING FESTIVAL
• Tsukimi (Japanese Moon-Viewing Festival) celebration
• Origami, Japanese Games, Tsukimi Crafts
• Traditional Story Time
📍 KIMBERLY ROOM: CHINESE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
• Chinese Cultural Experience
• Traditional Musical Instrument (Guzhen) performances
• Hangu Performances: The Legend of Chang’e & Hou yi
This event is proudly brought to you by The Village Square's Epsom Community Centre and Albert-Eden Local Board, in collaboration with the following organisations:
• Welcoming Communities: www.immigration.govt.nz...
• Moore Art and Design Studio: www.mooreartdesign.co.nz...
• Japan Kauri Education Trust
• Epsom Chinese Association
• Asian Safety Education & Promotion Charitable Trust
• Albert-Eden Climate Action Network
• Eco Neighbourhoods: livelightly.nz...
• Auckland Emergency Management
• Neighbourhood Support - Albert Eden & Puketāpapa
A West Auckland funeral home is preparing a mass interment for more than 700 unclaimed urns containing human remains, some of which have been stored for close to a century.
Morrisons Funerals, which has locations in Henderson and Glen Innes, put a call out yesterday for anyone who may have a loved… View moreA West Auckland funeral home is preparing a mass interment for more than 700 unclaimed urns containing human remains, some of which have been stored for close to a century.
Morrisons Funerals, which has locations in Henderson and Glen Innes, put a call out yesterday for anyone who may have a loved one whose ashes were never collected to get in touch.
Location manager Natasha Plunkett told the Herald they had inherited several urns after the closure of nearby funeral homes, while others from the 1930s and 1940s were still being looked after.
“For some, it’s been a long period of time,” she said.
She said it highlighted the emotional weight of post-death decisions, and how a simple task such as collecting ashes can be overwhelmed by grief, conflict or not knowing what to do with them.
Anyone with a loved one whose ashes were never collected has been asked to contact Morrisons Funerals, which is preparing a mass interment.
The funeral home is asking for ashes to be claimed by December 1.
“We’re doing a mass interment of the ones we’ve got up until 2020,” Plunkett said.
“And then the ones from 2020-2025, we’re actually keeping on-site for the last five years, so that if anybody has been overseas or something like that, there’s still a chance they might contact us.”
Currently stored in a secure room, the unclaimed ashes will be interred in a Māngere Lawn Cemetery plot.
A plaque with a QR code with a link to the names of the people whose ashes have been interred will beat the site, allowing people to check whose ashes are there, Plunkett said.
“If you’re not sure, you know, ring us and we can look the names up and see if we can match them with anybody that may be out there.”
Ashes do not get collected for many reasons, including the death or illness of the person meant to collect them, family conflict, people living away from where the urns are, or emotional avoidance, she said.
“We find a lot of things these days, like the children are overseas and the mothers or parents die in New Zealand.”
The funeral home recently had a success story where a grandson collected his grandfather’s ashes.
“He came and he claimed them and now he’s laid his grandfather to rest.
“He’s just really pleased that he ... eventually found out where they were and that he could come and get them.”
Families should talk with their loved ones about what they want to happen to their ashes after they die, as it often gets overlooked in wills, which can lead to worries about what to do with them, she said.
========================================================
Step out in plaid this spring with the Red Cross Shop Onehunga!
📍 200 Onehunga Mall
📞 096221565
Mon-Sat: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Sun: 10.00am to 5.00pm
Neighbourly is celebrating 50 years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week)
Do you use te reo at home? Greet your neighbours with kia ora? Sing waiata with your tamariki?
Share how you celebrate te reo in your daily life in the comments below, and you could win a $50 Prezzy Card!
… View moreNeighbourly is celebrating 50 years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week)
Do you use te reo at home? Greet your neighbours with kia ora? Sing waiata with your tamariki?
Share how you celebrate te reo in your daily life in the comments below, and you could win a $50 Prezzy Card!
For some amazing te reo resources, head to ReoMāori.co.nz
Me mahi tahi tātou, Neighbours 🌿
Alberton Vintage Market Day
When: Sunday 5 October, 11 am - 3 pm
Cost: Market entry free, normal house entry applies
Once a year the historic Alberton house and the grounds become a setting for a wonderful vintage and antique “mini market”. A range of specialist stallholders … View moreAlberton Vintage Market Day
When: Sunday 5 October, 11 am - 3 pm
Cost: Market entry free, normal house entry applies
Once a year the historic Alberton house and the grounds become a setting for a wonderful vintage and antique “mini market”. A range of specialist stallholders will be offering fine china, textiles, Crown Lynn, clothing, jewellery, crystal, silver and tableware, bric-a-brac and more!
Come along to find a treasure and enjoy delicious food and coffee. It’s also a great opportunity to explore the historic house and learn more about the original owners, the Kerr Taylor family.
Feeling tight in your neck or upper back after long days?
In this session, our therapist started by feeling areas of tension with her hands and checking pressure for comfort.
She found tightness along the bladder meridian and trapezius area.
We used:
✔ Sliding cupping to release surface … View moreFeeling tight in your neck or upper back after long days?
In this session, our therapist started by feeling areas of tension with her hands and checking pressure for comfort.
She found tightness along the bladder meridian and trapezius area.
We used:
✔ Sliding cupping to release surface tension
✔ Gua Sha to boost circulation
✔ Deep acupressure to relax deeper muscle layers
After the full treatment, the client said she felt lighter, looser, and totally rebalanced.
🌿 If your body’s been holding on to stress — we’re here to help you let it go.
📍 Evergreen Clinic · Epsom
📩 DM us to book a session or learn more!
Clocks will go forward one hour at 2am on Sunday 28 September.
====================================================
Finding stillness within, a 4 evening free course.
When: Mondays, Thursdays, Sept. 22, 25, 29; October 2. 7:30-9pm nightly.
Where: Sri Chinmoy Centre, 89 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden
*Night one, Sept.22: still breath, still mind – three breath techniques and guided meditation.
*Night two, … View moreFinding stillness within, a 4 evening free course.
When: Mondays, Thursdays, Sept. 22, 25, 29; October 2. 7:30-9pm nightly.
Where: Sri Chinmoy Centre, 89 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden
*Night one, Sept.22: still breath, still mind – three breath techniques and guided meditation.
*Night two, Sept.25: mantras and connecting with the heart centre.
*Night three, Sept.29: overview – the four pathways of yoga.
*Night four, Oct.2: seven secrets of meditation - a summary of the essentials.
This free admission intensive course provides an excellent package of skills and guided meditation designed to help you regain control of the mind and find the peaceful stillness that we all have within. Our teacher has taught meditation in many countries and will share his own insights and love of meditation during these consecutive evening w/shops.
All welcome, registration is encouraged to ensure seating. No admission after the second session please, this is a structured course. To register, call / text via whatsapp to: 021 892 153
Summerset’s Nationwide Open Day is on Sunday 5 October. All 38 of our villages are open from 10am to 2pm.
On September 22, a rare partial solar eclipse will be visible at dawn across the country.
Stardome Observatory said the sun will rise while the eclipse was already in progress.
Astronomer Josh Aoraki said the partial solar eclipse was so special because just a few countries, including a few … View moreOn September 22, a rare partial solar eclipse will be visible at dawn across the country.
Stardome Observatory said the sun will rise while the eclipse was already in progress.
Astronomer Josh Aoraki said the partial solar eclipse was so special because just a few countries, including a few Pacific nations, will be able to see it.
"We haven't seen an eclipse of this magnitude here since 2012, so you won't want to miss it."
The sun will appear at dawn as a crescent when it rises, with the moon slowly moving across the sun and blocking more of its light over the next hour.
A clear and view of the eastern horizon at 7am will be the best time to see the eclipse, Aoraki said.
"(The) Eclipse ends just after 8am when the moon will slip clear of the sun's disc, ending the eclipse."
The solar eclipse follows a total lunar eclipse earlier this month, when New Zealanders saw the moon slip into Earth's shadow and turn a deep red hue.
Together, the two eclipses mark one of the busiest months for celestial events in recent years.
The amount of sun covered at the peak of Monday's eclipse will vary across the country, from around 60% in Auckland to more than 70% in the lower South Island.
In contrast to the total lunar eclipse earlier this month, experts stressed solar eclipses could be dangerous to watch without proper precautions.
"It's never safe to look directly at the sun without proper protection. You'll need certified solar viewing glasses. Regular sunglasses are not safe for solar viewing," Stardome said.
Stardome is holding a free viewing party atop Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill between 6am and 8am if weather allows.
How much of the sun will be covered for different regions
60% in Auckland
61% in Tauranga
62% in Gisborne
63% in New Plymouth
66% in Wellington
68% in Greymouth
69% in Christchurch
71% in Queenstown and Dunedin
72% in Invercargill
=======================================================
It’s a colourful, creative, family-friendly event right here in Epsom — and we’ll be there offering free health chats, wellness checks, and smiles all around. 😊
🧘♀️ Swing by to say hi, check in on your body, and explore everything from local art to real fruit ice cream, … View moreIt’s a colourful, creative, family-friendly event right here in Epsom — and we’ll be there offering free health chats, wellness checks, and smiles all around. 😊
🧘♀️ Swing by to say hi, check in on your body, and explore everything from local art to real fruit ice cream, eco-living tips, live music, and fun for all ages.
📍 Cnr of Manukau & Pah Road, Epsom
📅 Saturday 20 September | ⏰ 10am – 3pm
🎟️ Free Entry | Local vibes only 🌿
📩 Want to find us on the day? DM us and we’ll guide you to our booth!
The Government is cracking down on serious immigration breaches, announcing it will strengthen deportation settings on the same day Immigration NZ revealed there are more than 20,000 people who have overstayed their visa.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford believes the changes, soon to be … View moreThe Government is cracking down on serious immigration breaches, announcing it will strengthen deportation settings on the same day Immigration NZ revealed there are more than 20,000 people who have overstayed their visa.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford believes the changes, soon to be introduced to Parliament, will address gaps in New Zealand’s compliance framework.
For example, under the current rules, someone who commits a serious crime cannot be liable for deportation if they have held a residence visa for more than 10 years.
“We’re fixing that,” Stanford said. “Where migrants don’t follow the conditions of their visa, I’ve made it clear to Immigration NZ compliance and enforcement actions are a priority.”
Between July 2024 and the end of June this year, 1259 people were deported from New Zealand, self-deported or voluntarily departed New Zealand, Immigration NZ said. This is an increase of 352 from the previous financial year.
Among the changes that Stanford’s new legislation will make is an expansion of deportation liability to up to 20 years to cover those with residence class visas who commit serious criminal offences.
Rules will be tightened to ensure providing false or misleading information can trigger deportation liability and clarifying that historic crimes – including those committed before arriving in New Zealand – can lead to deportation liability.
The definition of when a visa is considered to have been granted in error will be expanded. This means holders of a visa granted by mistake will no longer benefit from it and may be liable for deportation.
Deportation liability notices will also be able to be issued electronically if a physical address cannot be located. Immigration offers will have the ability to request identity-based information from someone when there is good cause to suspect they may be in breach of their visa conditions or potentially liable for deportation.
“We know most people comply with their visa conditions and New Zealand laws while they are here,” said Stanford.
“For those who do not, it’s important we have the right tools in place. We are proposing changes to the Immigration Act to ensure the immigration system is more robust and responsive so it can act more decisively when serious breaches occur.”
Stanford said penalties for migrant exploitation will also be toughened. The maximum penalty will rise from seven years imprisonment to 10 years.
“Migrant exploitation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. This change recognises the seriousness of this crime and builds on a suite of changes made by this Government to reduce the opportunity for exploitation and stamp it out when it occurs.”
Immigration NZ said on Thursday that as of July 1, there were around 20,980 people in New Zealand who have overstayed their visa. This is the first estimate to be carried out using a new methodology which the agency believes has better accuracy than the previous one used in 2017.
In 2017, there were an estimated 14,000 overstayers, but immigration NZ warned against direct comparisons because of the different methodologies used.
In terms of nationalities, there are 2599 individuals from Tonga who were believed to be overstayers, followed by 2577 from China and 2213 from the US.
The top 10, which also includes people from Samoa, India, Great Britain, Philippines, Malaysia, Canada and Germany, represents 69.7% of the total estimate.
There were 24,425 people from Tonga who arrived in New Zealand on a temporary visa between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025. Of these, 472 were recorded as being overstayers, or 1.93%. This is the largest percentage recorded, followed by 1.66% of Samoans who arrived during this period.
Most of those recorded as being overstayers are in New Zealand on a visitor visa. Only a small number are here on a work visa – 2219 – or a student visa, 1031.
Ricardo Menéndez March from the Greens said the figures showed the need for the Government to offer a pathway to residency to many of those “falling through the cracks”.
“People without a visa need support. Most are active participants in our communities, have family here, and are also more vulnerable to exploitation,” he said.
“While the Greens have stopped countless families from being deported and their livelihoods destroyed, the Government should do its part.
“An amnesty programme for overstayers is not a novel idea - the New Zealand government offered a residency pathway for thousands of overstayers in the 1980s.
“The Greens have long called for an amnesty for overstayers, and better residency pathways for migrants. This is backed by many organisations such as the Pacific Leadership Forum and the Migrant Workers Association.”
Steve Watson, general manager of Immigration Compliance and Investigations, said the total estimate was a small proportion of the temporary migrants who come to New Zealand.
“Each year, New Zealand processes around one million visa applications and 1.6 million New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority requests and sees approximately 3.6 million arrivals from non-New Zealand citizens each year.
“While the vast majority of people comply with their visa conditions and leave before the expiry of their visa, unfortunately some people do not leave and consequently remain in New Zealand unlawfully.”
The estimate will be updated annually to ensure transparency and improve public confidence in the immigration system.
Immigration NZ said it does a significant amount of work to educate migrants on their rights and obligations as visa holders in New Zealand.
“We have an early intervention process for clients who become unlawful, encouraging active engagement with INZ, including options of voluntarily departing New Zealand before they are deported. People who overstay their visa must understand that if they do not qualify for a further visa, they are expected to leave New Zealand, or face deportation. ”
In terms of ensuring compliance, over the past couple of years it has focused on addressing situations such as “criminal activity as the first priority, particularly those who pose a threat to national security”.
“We have improved our productivity significantly in the compliance space over the last two years and this has seen our deportation numbers increase in recent years. Our operational focus is to ensure those who are of greatest risk to New Zealand, are deported.
“When Immigration Compliance staff locate someone who has overstayed their visa, they assess all available options including alternative visa pathways. Where possible individuals are encouraged to leave New Zealand voluntarily if they do not qualify for a new visa.”
======================================================
© Neighbourly 2025
Loading…
