Phil Pennington
SkyCity replaces Grenfell-style cladding panels
Building product fears fuelled by the Grenfell Tower fire in London are taking a toll here. SkyCity is replacing panels similar to those used on Grenfell, at the international convention centre being… Audio
Dodgy WOF investigation reveals extent of NZTA problem
An investigation into dodgy warrants of fitness has revealed the true extent of bumbling by the Transport Agency. The report by top lawyer Kristy MacDonald shows a host of delays in closing down a… Audio
Warrant of fitness prices may rise - MTA
The Motor Trade Association says the cost of a warrant of fitness could rise as mechanics spooked by a clampdown move to get out of doing inspections. The association's chief exeuctive Craig Pomare… Audio
Fears court ruling on church demolition sets precedent
A court ruling against a fire-ravaged church has sparked fears of a precedent being set that will hasten the demise of other heritage buildings.The Environment Court wants the last parts of the St… Audio
Towbar manufacturers tell NZTA to pay up
Towbar makers are warning if the Transport Agency fails to compensate people caught out by its latest safety inspection failure, it will set a precedent for passing costs on to motorists. Audio
Unsafe repairs of high-tech cars going undetected
Unsafe repairs of increasingly complex cars are going undetected. The extent of the threat to road safety is unclear but the industry consensus is the regulations are years out of date and poorly… Audio
Engineering firm raises concerns about Statistics House inquiry
The engineering firm that oversaw the demolition of Statistics House raised grave misgivings about the findings of the inquiry into its partial collapse. Documents released under the OIA also question… Audio
Building WoF programme is being cut back nationwide
The policing of building safety systems is being cut back nationwide. That's despite the Government knowing that many councils have been doing a poor job of auditing building warrants of fitness. Phil… Audio
Transport Agency knew about truck and bus inspection cover up
The Transport Agency has known for at least for two years its truck and bus inspection system is being gamed to cover up risky operators but has not fixed the weaknesses. Newly released documents… Audio
Aboriginal elder disappointed with deportation order
An Aboriginal elder says a young man of her tribe will be cut off from his land and spirits if he's deported to New Zealand. Brendan Thoms, a 30 year old father of one, is in immigration detention in… Audio
Royal Commission sends abuse survivor's details to wrong person
The Royal Commission into Historical Abuse has admitted sending a survivor's private email address and his file reference number to the wrong person. It says it has apologised to the two men and is… Audio
Aboriginal man heads to court to fight deportation to NZ
A New Zealand citizen locked in detention has gone to Australia's highest court to break new legal ground that would protect Aborigines from deportation. The detainee's lawyers says on top of the jail… Audio
Aboriginal man fights Australia deportation in court
An Australian detainee, who has never lived in New Zealand and has an Aboriginal mother, is vowing to resist deportation here saying he cannot take his Aboriginal children away from their ancestral… Audio
Trucks, buses also drawn into dodgy WOF saga
There's concern buses and trucks are also caught up in the road safety crisis centred on dodgy warrants of fitness for cars. Transport industry players say truck and bus inspectors have also been… Audio
Dodgy WOF-passed cars fail rechecks
Two thirds of the cars rechecked so far amid the warrant of fitness crisis have failed their re-inspection. About 750 vehicles have been checked - 465 failed and needed repairs. One man who… Audio
NZTA let dodgy brake tests to go on for years - documents
Emails and documents show the Transport Agency has allowed defective brake testing to go on for years. An Auckland garage was warned in 2015 its inspections were unsafe yet carried on issuing large… Audio
Toxic foam threatens NZ ecosystem - study
Clear threats to this country's ecosystem have been identified from the chemicals in firefighting foam. This is spelled out in the biggest study yet into those impacts done for the Government. It… Audio
'We got punished for speaking up' - Catholic school abuse survivor
A man molested at a Catholic college when he was 17 says he was threatened with expulsion when he alerted the school. The man gave evidence in 2015 that helped convict Marist Brother Patrick Bignell… Audio
Abuse survivor remembers threat of expulsion at St Bernard's College
An abuse survivor molested at a Catholic college says when he alerted the school, he was given five days to leave or be expelled. The Marist Brothers who ran the school say it's deeply regrettable -… Audio
Australian threatened with deportation to NZ
A man adopted as an eight-year-old in Queensland, and whose passport says he is Australian, is being threatened with deportation to New Zealand because of minor convictions. Australian authorities say… Audio