Phil Pennington
Public hospital payroll systems full of errors
A plastic surgeon is warning public hospital payroll systems are full of errors that are costing staff dearly and fostering resentment. Act. Barnaby Nye divides his time between private practice and… Audio
Contaminants from firefighting foam under Ohakea air base will keep spreading in the water table for up to 125 years.
A plume of contaminants from firefighting foam under Ohakea air base in Manawatu will keep spreading in the water table for up to 125 years. Phil Pennington has been looking at new reports which… Audio
New self-imposed minimums for builders could limit collapses
Major public agencies are beginning to look at the financial viability of the builders they use, as the toll rises from failing construction companies. The Government is also trying to impose smarter… Audio
Lower Hutt mayor told in February about bad plumbing
Emails show the mayor of Lower Hutt was told in February that bad plumbing in a retirement complex was 'life-threatening'. All 96 apartments, worth up to 700 thousand dollars each, at the Masonic… Audio
Bad plumbing left elderly exposed to noxious sewer gases.
A Lower Hutt retirement complex is in damage control after bad plumbing left elderly residents exposed to noxious sewer gases and bacteria build-up in all the showers. Plumbing investigators alerted… Audio
Weaknesses in safety systems at Waikato Hospital
Staff working in operating theatres at Waikato Hospital cannot hear fire alarms and are getting confused evacuation warnings. The significant weaknesses in the alarm system go back at least eight… Audio
NZTA in talks with Google after data storage breach
The Transport Agency is in talks with Google about a breach of data storage after a bungle by its rogue and now-defunct high-tech unit. The agency says the mistake - leaving a data key wide open for… Audio
Emails show NZTA discussed allowing more powerful e-scooters
A company asked to run more powerful e-scooters on footpaths, and emails show the Transport Agency discussed the idea. The emails also show a trail of confusion up to a point where officials had an… Audio
Microlight pilots unhappy at rule tightening
Pilots of tiny planes say the ructions buffeting the Civil Aviation Authority have led to a u-turn that threatens to cost them big time, or ground them completely. CAA has toughened up on a rule that… Audio
Microlight pilots face grounding due to tougher rules
Microlight flyers are protesting about a tightening of rules they say could ground them or force them to pay thousands to replace perfectly good engines. The Civil Aviation Authority has toughened up… Audio
Silicon Valley company had eyes on Auckland CCTV
A Silicon Valley company with grandiose plans for processing data from New Zealand had CCTV cameras watching Auckland's roads. Emails released to RNZ show the company Machine Zone or MZ, also trialled… Audio
Untranslated Chinese documents cause headaches for Wgtn council
The builders of high-rise apartments in central Wellington resisted getting translations done of key Chinese quality control documents. Emails show the Wellington City Council dropped its demand for a… Audio
Christchurch hospital plumbing saga drags on
A tangle over plumbing at the country's largest hospital project that is behind time and over budget, just got worse. The wrong type of pipes were used in Christchurch Hospital's Acute block. And now… Audio
Police not ruling out using facial recognition from CCTV
The police are not ruling out using facial recognition from an expanded network of Auckland Transport CCTV cameras. Auckland Transport does not appear to have been aware of the police's interest. Phil… Audio
Taxpayers hit from govt partnership with US videogame maker
A government partnership with an American videogame maker has burnt the New Zealand taxpayer. The Transport Agency has sunk public money into a partnership with a Silicon Valley company called Machine… Audio
Police to have access to more Auckland CCTV
Auckland authorities are quietly working to add hundreds, if not thousands more CCTV cameras across the city. Auckland Transport says the top priority is improving public safety. But a CCTV specialist… Audio
Police get access to more CCTV cameras across Auckland
Auckland Transport is aiming to combine most CCTVs in the city into a single system that it will control.
The authority says its top priority is improving public safety. But the change will give… Audio
Fatal, serious crashes of unwarranted vehicles on rise
The number of fatal and serious crashes of cars, trucks and buses without warrants or certificates of fitness is rising.
Transport researchers say it's concerning, but also puzzling, and there is no… Audio
Govt won't pay for standards overhaul for homes made from earth
Campaigners for homes made from earth cannot understand why the government has refused to pay for an overhaul of the building standards for a type of construction that is world leading.
That's left a… Audio
Questions raised over how NZTA protects sensitive information
Major questions have been asked about how the beleaguered NZ Transport Agency protects its sensitive information following a scathing review.
The agency's hi-tech unit employed large numbers of… Audio
