Stories by Phil Pennington
News
Water use of NZ data centers still unclear
Government officials have yet to look at how much water the dozen or so huge data centres being built might use.
What Erin Brockovich has to say to NZ about water
The American activist - immortalised by Hollywood - has addressed the Water NZ conference.
How Cyclone Gabrielle caught first responders flat-footed
Cyclone Gabrielle rescuers could not get hold of utes to get to flood zones in a mad scramble, documents show. Audio
Health committee chair who directs company has 'no conflict of interest'
The Ministry of Health says there is no conflict of interest within a powerful committee overseeing nationwide health reforms.
New national data system aims to deliver fairer, better healthcare - for a price
Health officials offered to pay big tech firms thousands of dollars to run tests on dire hospital IT systems in the Wellington region.
The strife and delays surrounding Te Whatu Ora reforms
Briefings by a powerful committee with the Health Minister's ear reveal strife and delays surrounding Te Whatu Ora reforms.
Dunedin-Port Chalmers cycleway in $57m blowout
The tricky project to build the last half of the Dunedin to Port Chalmers cycleway has more than doubled its forecast costs to $57 million.
How much power will new data centres use?
Just how much power will new massive data centres gobble up, and what will be the impact on your power bill or the national grid?
Te Whatu Ora finds 'significant' risks at labs, workers catch typhoid from samples
Te Whatu Ora is moving to check the safety of hospital labs nationwide after staff at one in Auckland were exposed to toxic fumes, at others two caught typhoid and delays jeopardised patients' care.
Global consultancy PwC forms alliance with US data mining giant
Global consultancy PwC, which holds multi-million dollar public contracts in New Zealand, has signed an alliance with United States data mining giant Palantir.
Police to roll out new longer range tasers - with no body cameras
Police are rolling out $30 million of new much-longer-range tasers - without first answering legal questions about the use of body-worn cameras to go with them.
New police visual search tech not assessed for privacy impacts
Police have not assessed the privacy impacts of their powerful new visual intelligence app.
MBIE expands intelligence spy unit MI beyond immigration
The government's super-ministry has quietly embedded itself in the country's spy agency network, more than tripling the size and spending of its own intelligence-gathering arm.
Police spending millions to fix glaring tech deficiencies
The New Zealand Police has been spending millions on its main technology system in the face of glaring deficiencies, while at the same time adding in high-tech data-mining tools.
New police AI tool searches fast and far on firearms threats
Police are using powerful new AI to help them assess the risk posed by offenders when officers are called out to emergencies, sparked by the shooting murder of an unarmed constable.
Work restarts on Wellington's costly cycleway after death of four blue penguins
One bird was run over outside the Te Ara Tupua construction site in June while three more were found inside the site last month.
Major parties coy on private health contracts, but data hints at future
The two largest political parties will not say if they support private hospitals picking up even more publicly funded surgery.
Ethics questioned of US taser company working with NZ police
A US lawyer is cautioning New Zealand police to think twice about becoming more reliant on American taser and drone supplier Axon.
Poor state of NZ's courtrooms impacting victims - advocate
Black mould. Lights loose and dangling from the ceiling. An entire courtroom flooded. Another "an absolute disgrace, quite frankly".
Court buildings crumbling, repair costs rising, documents show
Half the country's court buildings are crumbling, some are not safe or have mould and the cost of fixing them has blown out past a billion dollars, forcing a flagship project to be crimped to fit.
Stomach bug outbreak exposes flaws in Queenstown's water safety plans
The contamination risks for Queenstown's water are not as "extreme" as a plan it gave to the water regulator described them to be.
Policy puts spotlight on slave labour in the solar panel supply chain
The state home provider said it "undertake due diligence to confirm that the polysilicon used in the manufacture of these panels is not sourced from suppliers in the Xinjiang province".
'I cannot supply you a team at this time' - Flood rescue teams pulled back over pay dispute
RNZ can reveal Auckland, Northland, Nelson and Whakatāne were without the extra water rescue help during widespread floods in May.