Stories by Phil Pennington
News
Firefighters keep diary to record Newtown 225's mechanical woes
They have been recording all the problems with a fire truck with a long ladder that has spent just 45 days in operation in almost three years.
Are you unwittingly helping to train your AI replacement?
Analysis - AI is developing at breakneck pace - but how much does it know about you personally? And has your labour and data helped train it? Video
Councils falling short in three areas over issuing building WOFs, MBIE report shows
A lack of onsite audits, enforcement and legality are areas councils are failing in when it comes to issuing thousands of building warrants of fitness.
Firefighters 'pretty cut up' rescues possibly hindered by lack of second ladder truck
A 32-metre ladder truck has hardly been on a job in more than two years, and not since it froze up at a Kilbirnie house fire in February 2022. Audio
Loafers Lodge had a building WOF, but what exactly does that mean?
Investigations are underway into what went wrong in evacuating Wellington's Loafers Lodge last night.
Water woes: A small town faces the ultimate test in its supply choices
Analysis - Wairoa is years behind on some high-priority water supply projects, but the jobs it did put first paid off when Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
Firefighters' air tank filling equipment contaminated with asbestos
The discovery has shut down air filling at Auckland City fire station, and it has withdrawn all its breathing apparatus tanks.
Lab tests group plans to cut Nelson services, courier samples to Christchurch
The country's most powerful medical laboratory group, half owned by the government, is proposing to slash the medical lab workforce in the upper South Island.
Authorities knew dangers of truck handbrake but did nothing for a decade
Authorities knew for years that some trucks had a handbrake so sensitive it could be dislodged simply by shutting the cab door - in fact, since just after a man was crushed to death in 2010.
Breast cancer screening delays may have harmed patients - Inquiry
A report of the year-long investigation into breast cancer screening delays for thousands of women is due out from Te Whatu Ora later today, and RNZ has obtained an advance look.
Mind the gaps: TAIC report calls KiwiRail's 'first-class' audit regime into question
Analysis - The revelation that KiwiRail put a 13-year-old rubber expansion joint into a ferry engine does not back up claims it made on Thursday about the quality of its audit regimes, writes Phil…
An 'own goal': KiwiRail bosses contrite at select committee hearing
KiwiRail admits it had opportunities to avoid the chaos with trains in Wellington this week but missed them.
Delivery time for some imported cars increases from weeks to months: Industry
Delivery times for new and used cars have blown out by weeks or months in New Zealand as ships stack up off Australian ports.
EV rebate changes tipped to hike price of new entry-level vehicles
An importer is predicting that some new cars could jump from $20,000 to $35,000 in the next three years as subsidies on some hybrid vehicles and most small petrol cars are removed. Audio
Napier drinking water tests clear of 'forever' chemicals
Tests have come back clear over possible contamination of Napier's drinking water with 'forever' chemicals.
More asbestos found at central Auckland fire station
New testing has found a third lot of asbestos at Auckland's main fire station.
Union does not trust FENZ's data or management of asbestos
Asbestos that scores an 11 on a risk scale that tops out at 12 has been found in the ceiling at Auckland's main fire station.
Revealed: Senior ex US military officers land NZ government jobs
Retired senior US military officers have been landing high-paying government jobs in New Zealand including with the GCSB spy agency.
FENZ promises more work on local planning this year
Local advisory committees are meant to play a key role in getting communities the emergency response resources they need.
More junior doctors leaving before training as specialists, data suggests
More and more junior doctors are being lost in the training pipeline before they emerge to bolster the stressed ranks of specialists, data suggests.
Ministry of Defence sets sights on new maritime helicopters and drones
The ministry is considering spending about $1 billion on replacing the existing Seasprite chopper fleet.
NZ sticks with troubled NH90s as Australia opts for alternatives
New Zealand faces higher hurdles using its military helicopters alongside its defence partners now that Australia is switching choppers.
Scrapped deal to push AI learning in schools revealed
The government also engaged Microsoft to look at questions of sovereignty and citizenship to help government services go digital.
Coordinated training system for junior doctors to be implemented
The junior doctors' union is on the verge of bringing in nationally coordinated training for the first time.
Pump failure at food market blaze 'could have been catastrophic'
Problems experienced by firefighters attending Lower Hutt's Alicetown Foodmarket shows the FENZ fleet is ageing, a union says.