Phil Pennington
Mechanic writes to Transport Minister on certification trouble
An Auckland mechanic has written to the Transport Minister warning that truckers are in revolt against an unsafe and unfair Warrant of Fitness system.
This follows engineers who certify trucks as… Audio
Violent threats over truck inspection delays
A mechanic has spoken out about growing frustration with safety inspection requirements for trucks.
He warns that long delays in getting safety certificates are costing truck owners thousands of… Audio
Truck handbrake banned years after authorities learned dangers
A truck handbrake that caused at least two deaths and multiple serious crashes has only just been banned, though authorities have known for years it was dangerous.
The ban comes two years after the… Audio
Police started drone trials before looking at security concerns
Police started trialling Chinese-made drones before first looking into how secure they were.
A six-month trial of DJI drones began in June 2019 but the Police Minister, Poto Williams has told… Audio
Police due diligence on drones 'back to front' - National
Police didn't identify potential security issues with drones it was trialling until a month into the trial when they found out the drones they were using had been banned in the US years before.
A… Audio
'Data mining' won't go down well with public - SIS report
A newly released top secret report shows a top priority for boosting counter-terrorism is faster and wider harvesting of data about people.
The 135-page report for the Security Intelligence Service… Audio
Government warned Tiwai Pt smelter at extreme risk of sea level rise
The government has been warned the Bluff aluminium smelter is at extreme risk of sea level rise, with "catastrophic" consequences including possible fatalities.
A risk assessment to Treasury says it… Audio
Government officials accused of stealing a farm
Government officials stand accused of stealing a farm bought by a central North Island town for their schoolchildren to learn agriculture Taihape people established the teaching farm on 12 hectares 30… Audio
Confusion over how police use photos of youth
Confusion remains over how police are using photos they take of teenagers, mostly Maori, without getting proper informed consent.
That's despite the Police Commissioner speaking up yesterday and… Audio
Government suspends talks with Rio Tinto over smelter closure
The government has suspended talks on the Bluff aluminium smelter's closure due to a lack of commitment to cleaning up the site.
It has been negotiating since September over how New Zealand Aluminium… Audio
Double-trailer truck lost load because welds snapped
A massive double-trailer truck lost half its load on a highway outside Kaikōura because most of the welds holding the refrigerator container on the chassis had snapped.
The accident went publicly… Audio
Another 75,000 tonnes of smelter waste stored at Tiwai Pt
The Bluff aluminium smelter has revealed it has another 75,000 tonnes of highly toxic hazardous waste stored in buildings at Tiwai Point - and does not yet know what to do with.
Government officials… Audio
Tsunami alert: Te Araroa local on evacuation
At Te Araroa on the coast nearest the quake epicentre, the whole settlement has evacuated to Whetu matarau known locally as Hospital Hill.
Aomihi Cook is there with her brother and she spoke to Phil… Audio
Police using drones banned by US federal authorities
The police are using drones that some federal authorities have banned in the United States over fears of Chinese spying.
The world's leading drone maker DJI supplies all New Zealand police's drones.
…Taihape School dogged by substandard facilities
More than 250 children in Taihape face another winter in a school that officials have known for a decade is leaking, afflicted by backed-up sewage, and has substandard classrooms.
A parent and ex… Audio
Engineers label NZTA 'broken', 'biased'
Engineers who keep the country's truck fleet safe are crying foul over a goverment agency they say is broken, biased and rife with bullying.
The accusations contained in an 18-page letter to the… Audio
WorkSafe investigation into Cook Strait gas leak released
An investigation into a gas leak on board a Cook Strait ferry reveals how an electrician had to be "coached through" identifying and isolating the leak as they lacked training and experience.
… Audio
Cyanide-laced smelter waste stockpiled near Bluff beach
The aluminium smelter at Bluff has stockpiled more than 100,000 tonnes of cyanide-laced waste less than 100 metres from a fast-eroding Southland beach.
The smelter company won't reveal its plans for… Audio
Transport industry group questions WorkSafe investigations
A transport industry group and a drivers' lobby group say the WorkSafe is not up to investigating bad road crashes.
New information about an investigation into a truck crash that killed two children… Audio
Transport industry group questions WorkSafe investigations
A transport industry group and a drivers' lobby group say the WorkSafe is not up to investigating bad road crashes. New information about an investigation into a truck crash that killed two children… Audio