TONIGHT... 'WE'VE FOUND THE MONEY' ...THATS THE MESSAGE FROM THE FINANCE MINISTER, SO WHAT EXACTLY WILL THOSE PROMISED TAX CUTS LOOK LIKE? A WARNING TO CONSERVE POWER AS TEMPERATURES PLUMMET TOMORROW MORNING.. WHY THERE'S FEARS OF A POWER SHORTAGE. PLUS... NIGHT ONE OF 'DARK SKY STATUS'. HOW AN ASTRONOMER'S PASSION FOR THE NIGHT SKY LED TO INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR AN OTAGO VALLEY. CAPTIONS BY OTO SEQUEIRA AND ALEX BACKHOUSE. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024 KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING. KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING. THE FINANCE MINISTER SAYS THE GOVERNMENTS MET ITS SAVINGS TARGET AS SHE GEARS UP FOR THIS MONTH'S BUDGET. IN HER FIRST OFFICIAL PRE-BUDGET SPEECH, NICOLA WILLIS CONFIRMED $1.5B HAS BEEN FOUND IN SAVINGS ACROSS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. IN SOME CASES, THE MONEY SAVED HAS BEEN RE-DIRECTED TO FRONT LINE SERVICES. IN KEEPING WITH THE GOVERNMENT ETHOS, IT WON'T BE A BIG SPENDING BUDGET, ALTHOUGH THE MINISTER PLANS HER TAX RELIEF PACKAGE WILL LIFT THE TAKE-HOME INCOME OF 83% OF US OVER 15. BUT WE'LL ONLY GET THE DETAILS ON BUDGET DAY ` MAY 30TH. ONE EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT ` THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW SOCIAL INVESTMENT AGENCY, REPLACING THE SOCIAL WELLBEING AGENCY. IT'S AIMED AT GETTING MORE BANG FOR THE SOCIAL SERVICES' BUCK. WITH MORE, HERE'S POLITICAL EDITOR MAIKI SHERMAN. AS THE FINANCE MINISTER PREPARES TO OPEN UP THE GOVERNMENT BOOKS, SHE ADMITS THE GRIM OUTLOOK HAS WEIGHED HEAVILY. IN MY FIRST SIX MONTHS AS FINANCE MINISTER, EACH TREASURY UPDATE SEEMS TO BE WORSE THAN THE LAST. SADLY, I HAVE LEARNED TO DREAD WHAT COMES OUT OF THE FORECASTERS' MOUTHS WHEN THEY COME INTO MY OFFICE. DESPITE THAT, NICOLA WILLIS IS RESOLUTE. I THINK NEW ZEALANDERS VOTED FOR US KNOWING WE'RE GOOD AT CLEAN-UP JOBS, THAT WE'RE GOOD AT MAKING MORE OF LESS. SHE URGED BUSINESS LEADERS TO KEEP THE FAITH AMIDST GROWING PESSIMISM. I'D SIMPLY SAY THIS, IT IS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN. THE DARKEST DAYS HAVE SEEN MORE THAN 4000 JOB CUTS ACROSS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, SAVING $1.5B. I AM CONFIRMING TODAY THAT WE HAVE MET THAT SAVINGS TARGET. IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL SAVING THAT'S COME THROUGH. IT HIGHLIGHTS THAT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN OPERATING WITH A LOT MORE MONEY THAN POSSIBLY THEY'VE NEEDED TO DELIVER IN RECENT TIMES. NOW THAT YOU'VE MET YOUR GOAL, CAN YOU GIVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE BUDGET CUTS, NO MORE JOB LOSSES? IN FUTURE, OF COURSE WE WILL MAKE CHANGES TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IF WE THINK THEY'RE NEEDED TO DELIVER BETTER RESULTS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. VOTERS EXPECTING A TAX CUT WERE REASSURED. ONE THING WE PROMISED THEM WE WILL DELIVER, WAS LETTING THEM KEEP A BIT MORE OF THEIR OWN MONEY. BUT JUST HOW MUCH, MAY LOOK DIFFERENT. WE COULD SEE THAT THOSE TAX CUTS MIGHT BE A BIT MORE MODEST THAN HAVE BEEN FIRST EXPECTED, GIVEN YOU'VE SEEN THAT GOVERNMENT REVENUE IS LOWER THAN EXPECTED. $10 EXTRA PER WEEK FOR A NEW ZEALANDER IS NOT GOING TO MEAN ALL TOO MUCH WHEN YOUR RENT IS GOING UP BY $50. NICOLA WILLIS CHALKED UP A SIGNIFICANT WIN TODAY. BANKING $1.5B IN SAVINGS ACROSS DOZENS OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME IS NO MEAN FEAT, ALL WHILE UNDER THE GLARE OF THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOBS IN THE PROCESS. NOW, HER BIGGEST TEST AWAITS. THREADING THE NEEDLE THROUGH A VERY NARROW GAP OF DOING ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ECONOMY MOVING, BUT NOT TOO MUCH TO OVERSTIMULATE IT ` THAT'S WHAT ECONOMISTS ARE LOOKING FOR. WITH 21 MORE SLEEPS UNTIL BUDGET DAY. MAIKI SHERMAN, 1 NEWS HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND COULD BE AT RISK OF LOSING POWER TOMORROW MORNING... DUE TO AN ELECTRICITY SHORTFALL. TRANSPOWER SAYS LOW WIND GENERATION AND A COLD BLAST ARE TO BLAME FOR THE LACK OF SUPPLY. THE GRID OPERATORS ASKING KIWIS TO REDUCE ELECTRICITY USAGE BETWEEN 7 AM AND 9 AM TOMORROW. AND HAWKES BAY'S POWER NETWORK IS SET TO GET A $35 MILLION UPGRADE SO IT CAN COPE WITH EXTREME WEATHER. SITES LIKE REDCLIFFE SUBSTATION WERE FLOODED AND KNOCKED OUT WHEN CYCLONE GABRIELLE HIT LAST YEAR. TRANSPOWER SAYS ITS PREFERRED STRATEGY IS TO LIFT THE SUBSTATION ABOVE GROUND LEVEL RATHER THAN REBUILDING IT ELSEWHERE. SOME OF THE UPGRADE COSTS WILL BE PASSED ON TO CONSUMERS. YOU RAISE THE GROUND LEVEL AND RAISE THE EQUIPMENT LEVEL ABOVE A 450-YEAR FLOOD MODELLED EVENT, PLUS ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCE FOR WHAT WE CALL FREEBOARD FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS. SO IT'S GOING TO BE DESIGNED AT A LEVEL, THAT EVEN IF THE SITE FLOODED, ALL THE EQUIPMENT WILL BE UP ABOVE THAT FLOOD LEVEL AND BE NON IMPACTED. CONSULTATION WILL NOW BEGIN WITH THE WORK EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 3 YEARS. POLICE SAY THE DEATH OF THE PONSONBY ROAD GUNMAN IS NOT BEING TREATED AS SUSPICIOUS, FOLLOWING A POST MORTEM. HONE KAY-SELWYN WAS FOUND DEAD IN A CAR ON THIS PROPERTY IN BROADLANDS, JUST OUTSIDE TAUPO YESTERDAY. THE 31-YEAR-OLD'S DEATH'S BEEN REFERRED TO THE CORONER. THE KILLER BEEZ GANG MEMBER HAD BEEN WANTED FOR THE DEADLY SHOOTING OF ROBERT HORNE ON SUNDAY NIGHT. POLICE ARE TONIGHT MONITORING A CONVOY TAKING HIS BODY FROM ROTORUA TO AUCKLAND. MORE THAN 300 JOBS ARE SET TO GO AT ACC AS THE ORGANISATION LOOKS TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICES. BUT OLD ROLES LOOK TO BE TRANSFORMING INTO NEW ONES, LEAVING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WILL ACTUALLY BE SAVED, AND HOW. HERE'S SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER BENEDICT COLLINS. AT THIS PORIRUA JOBS FAIR TODAY, THESE STUDENTS WERE FIGURING OUT WHICH CAREER TO JUMP INTO. PROBABLY BECOMING A COP. WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT THAT? UM, I DON'T KNOW. IT'S JUST THE FEELING I GET, I GUESS, LIKE, HELPING PEOPLE. PROBABLY DO PLUMBING. PROBABLY A TATTOO ARTIST. LIKE, A MIDWIFE. EVEN THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER IS KEEPING HER OPTIONS OPEN. THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A PASS ON ONE ARM. I PASSED. I PASSED. BUT THERE'S NO HIDING FROM REALITY ` THESE ARE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES, AND SCORES OF JOBS ARE BEING CUT. TODAY, THE MINISTER ANNOUNCED A NEW RULE FOR THOSE COMING ON TO THE JOBSEEKER BENEFIT ` THEY'LL HAVE TO ATTEND A WORK SEMINAR WITHIN TWO WEEKS. WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THAT OPPORTUNITY IS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE OF THE JOBSEEKER, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH MSD. LET'S MAKE SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY CLEAR ` ALL THE MINISTER WANTS TO DO IS TO FIND ANOTHER REASON TO PUNISH BENEFICIARIES, FORCING THEM TO ATTEND A SEMINAR THAT HAS NO EVIDENCE OF WORKING. ALSO AT THE JOB FAIR WAS LABOUR, WHO WERE QUESTIONING WHY THE MINISTER WAS THERE. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, DOES IT? WE DO HAVE GOVERNMENT SECTORS HERE, BUT THOSE ARE ALSO THE SECTORS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS CHOOSING TO CUT, SO IT'S A BIT IRONIC. IS IT A BIT IRONIC YOU COMING HERE TO A JOBS FAIR WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS LAYING OFF SO MANY THOUSANDS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS? LOOK, IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE, WE'VE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPENDING. TODAY, ACC DECIDED TO CHOP MORE THAN 300 WORKERS, BUT NEW ROLES ARE BEING CREATED. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO NEW ZEALANDERS HOW MUCH MONEY THIS IS GONNA SAVE GIVEN THEY'RE GETTING RID OF AROUND 300 ROLES, AND THEY'RE BRINGING IN ABOUT 300 NEW ROLES? YEAH, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT GETTING OUTCOMES, AND WHAT ACC HAS ACKNOWLEDGED IS THEIR REHABILITATION RATES ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH, SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING RESOURCES IN UP TO 250 NEW CLIENT-FACING ROLES, AND I WELCOME THAT. THE MINISTER MIGHT BE WELCOMING THE CHANGES, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS. KIWI TOURISTS ARE STRANDED IN VANUATU TONIGHT, WITH AIR VANUATU IN AN EXTREME BOUT OF FINANCIAL TURBULENCE. VANUATU'S GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING PLACING THE NATIONAL CARRIER INTO VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION, WITH FLIGHTS ALREADY CANCELLED. AS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT KATIE BRADFORD EXPLAINS, AFFECTED PASSENGERS ARE STRUGGLING TO GET ANSWERS. ALL SERVICES BETWEEN AUCKLAND AND VANUATU WERE CANCELLED TODAY AS AIR VANUATU LOOKS TO BE PERMANENTLY GROUNDED. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SAVED TO CELEBRATE A SPECIAL OCCASION IN VANUATU, THE DREAM HOLIDAY HAS QUICKLY TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE. WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S BEEN DOOM AND GLOOM AROUND THE PLACE. GAVIN AND HIS WIFE WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY HOME TO CHRISTCHURCH VIA BRISBANE THIS AFTERNOON, BUT PATCHY INTERNET AND PHONE SIGNAL HAS MADE IT HARD TO FIND ANYTHING OUT. IT'S AN ANXIETY. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU'RE ON HOLIDAY. THE GOVERNMENT OF VANUATU IS LOOKING TO PLACE THE NATIONAL CARRIER INTO VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION, WITH INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING FIRM EY ALREADY IN THE CAPITAL TO BEGIN A FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT. ALL FLIGHTS UNTIL SUNDAY ARE CANCELLED, AND FUTURE ONES ARE UNDER REVIEW. IT'S ALWAYS A SAD THING TO HEAR OF ANY AIRLINE THAT'S GOING THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES. IN AVIATION, YOU KNOW ` IT'S A COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE BUSINESS WITH HIGH COSTS. PACIFIC ROUTES ARE NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT. WE WOULD PROBABLY CALL THEM THE TRADE MARGINAL. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T GOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC TO SERVE, BUT IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CONNECTIVITY. TRAVELLERS WE SPOKE TO ARE UNSURE HOW THEY'LL PAY FOR THE EXTRA NIGHTS OVERSEAS AFTER CHATS WITH THEIR INSURERS. THEY ADVISED US THAT IF THE COMPANY HAS GONE INTO LIQUIDATION, THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT WE MAY NOT BE COVERED. WHILE AIR NEW ZEALAND SAYS IT HAS NO PASSENGERS AFFECTED, IT ALSO CAN'T OFFER A FLYING RESCUE SERVICE FOR ANYONE STRANDED. THAT'S BECAUSE ONGOING SUPPLY CHAIN AND ENGINE MAINTENANCE ISSUES MEANS IT SIMPLY DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH AIRCRAFT TO HELP OUT. EVERYONE WILL WORK HARD TO GET CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. AND FOR A COUNTRY SO RELIANT ON TOURISM, THE AIRLINE'S GROUNDING WILL HAVE A BIG ECONOMIC IMPACT. LOCALS SO HAPPY TO WELCOME PEOPLE BACK POST-PANDEMIC, NOW LOOKING AT ANOTHER WHOLE SET OF CHALLENGES. WELCOME BACK! KATIE BRADFORD, 1 NEWS. NAU MAI HOKI MAI. 'IT'S JUST WRONG'. THOSE WORDS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AS HE WARNS ISRAEL HE'LL CUT SUPPLIES OF BOMBS AND SHELLS IF IT LAUNCHES A FULL-SCALE INVASION OF RAFAH. HIS MOVE FORCED BY DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL PRESSURE TO STOP WHAT THE UN SAYS WOULD BE 'A CATASTROPHE', IN GAZA'S REFUGEE CITY. U.S. CORRESPONDENT LOGAN CHURCH REPORTS. MANY OF THE MUNITIONS ISRAEL HAS DROPPED ON GAZA ARE AMERICAN MADE AND SUPPLIED. THAT SUPPLY NOW UNDER THREAT. IF THEY GO INTO RAFAH, I'M NOT SUPPLYING THE WEAPONS THAT HAVE BEEN USED HISTORICALLY TO DEAL WITH RAFAH. ALREADY HALTING A SHIPMENT OF NEAR 1-TON BOMBS AND ARTILLERY SHELLS OVER FEARS OF WHAT THEY'D DO TO THE OVERCROWDED CITY OF RAFAH. TODAY, UNDER DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE, A RARE ADMISSION BY THE U.S. COMMANDER IN CHIEF. CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN GAZA AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THOSE BOMBS AND OTHER WAYS IN WHICH THEY GO AFTER POPULATION CENTRES. ISRAEL'S MILITARY HAS ALREADY PARTIALLY ENTERED RAFAH ` RELEASING THIS FOOTAGE OF FIGHTING ON THE OUTSKIRTS. DESPITE VOCAL U.S. AND GLOBAL OPPOSITION, IT NOW SEEMS POISED FOR A LARGE SCALE INVASION. TODAY MARKS A SEISMIC SHIFT IN HOW THE U.S. IS SUPPORTING ISRAEL. THROUGHOUT THIS CONFLICT, THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERPOWER HAS BEEN CAUGHT IN A POSITION WHERE, ON ONE HAND, IT'S CALLED FOR THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS, YET ON THE OTHER HAND, IT'S CONTINUED TO SUPPLY WEAPONS TO THE COUNTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR SO MANY DEATHS. ISRAEL'S GOAL IS TO PRESSURE HAMAS TO RETURN HOSTAGES IT KIDNAPPED LAST OCTOBER. IT ALSO WANTS TO DESTROY HAMAS, AND SAYS RAFAH IS ITS LAST MAJOR STRONGHOLD. BUT IN THE WAY ` MORE THAN A MILLION PALESTINIANS CROWDING A CITY THAT WAS, UNTIL THIS WEEK, ONE OF THE LAST REFUGES IN THE GAZA STRIP. ISRAEL SEIZING AND CLOSING GAZA'S TWO MAIN AID-CROSSINGS ` FORCING ONE OF RAFAH'S LAST REMAINING HOSPITALS TO SHUT DOWN. THERE IS NO HOSPITALS EFFECTIVELY NOW. WE HAVE NO BEDS OR NO HOSPITALS TO OFFER IT, ESPECIALLY FOR CRITICAL PATIENTS. WHILE ISRAEL SAYS IT'S REOPENED ONE OF THE CROSSINGS, AID AGENCIES SAY SUPPLIES ARE NOT GETTING THROUGH. THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION WORSENING AS ISRAEL'S TROOPS, TANKS AND MISSILES CLOSE IN. LOGAN CHURCH, 1 NEWS, NEW YORK. THE ROYAL RIFT HAS NEVER SEEMED WIDER, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE AT EVENTS JUST A FEW KILOMETRES APART. KING CHARLES, APPARENTLY TOO BUSY TO MEET PRINCE HARRY, WHO'S IN THE UK TO MARK THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INVICTUS GAMES. EUROPE CORRESPONDENT MEI HERON REPORTS. HAVE YOU SEE HIM? AN AWKWARD LAUGH, SUMMING UP WHAT'S BEEN A STRAINED 48 HOUR RETURN FOR PRINCE HARRY, WHO'S HERE MARKING TEN YEARS SINCE HE FOUNDED THE INVICTUS GAMES, A SPORTS TOURNAMENT FOR WOUNDED TROOPS AND VETERANS. A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE A DECADE AGO. BACK THEN, THE GAMES WERE VERY MUCH A FAMILY AFFAIR. TODAY, HARRY WAS ALONE. VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. I SHOOK HIS HAND, AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S GONE ON WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY, HE'S STILL PART OF OUR INSTITUTION. HE'S STILL HARRY. I STILL LOVE THEM, BUT I WISH THEY MEND THINGS UP. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE PRINCE HAS BEEN BACK SINCE A RUSH VISIT IN FEBRUARY, AFTER THE KING'S CANCER DIAGNOSIS. BUT, THIS TIME THE KING'S TOO BUSY IT SEEMS. A SPOKESPERSON FOR PRINCE HARRY CITING HIS FATHER'S FULL DIARY AND OTHER PRIORITIES. THOSE PRIORITIES INCLUDING A SUMMER GARDEN PARTY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, WHERE THE KING SPENT TIME WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND OTHER ROYALS. JUST 3km AWAY WAS PRINCE HARRY AT A SERVICE AT SAINT PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. NOW THERE ARE VARIETIES OF GIFTS, WITH THE SAME SPIRIT. NO OTHER ROYALS ATTENDED HARRY'S EVENT, THOUGH HE WAS SUPPORTED BY FAMILY FROM HIS MOTHER'S SIDE, INCLUDING PRINCESS DIANA'S BROTHER AND SISTER. NO REUNION BETWEEN HARRY AND HIS OWN BROTHER EITHER, OR WITH PRINCESS CATHERINE, WHO HAS ALSO RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. ADDING SALT TO THE WOUND, THE KING ANNOUNCING HE'S PUTTING PRINCE WILLIAM IN CHARGE OF HARRY'S OLD REGIMENT, THE ARMY AIR CORPS. PRINCE HARRY IS NOW OFF TO NIGERIA, WHERE WIFE MEGHAN WILL JOIN HIM. AND WHILE THERE WAS THOUGHT THE DUAL CANCER DIAGNOSIS MIGHT BRING HOPE FOR RECONCILIATION, THIS BRIEF STOPOVER REVEALED JUST HOW WIDE THE ROYAL RIFT REMAINS. MEI HERON, 1 NEWS, LONDON. E HAERE AKE NEI, STILL TO COME... NEW FIGURES REVEAL LAST MONTH WAS THE WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD... THE WORRYING IMPACT THAT'S HAVING ON OUR OCEANS. AND THE BEAUTY OF A STARRY NIGHT. THE NEW PROTECTIONS TO ENSURE THE SKIES ABOVE GIBBSTON VALLEY WILL STAY THAT WAY. When you donate blood or plasma, you might never know how it saved a life, but we'll let you know when it does. Everyday people can save lives every day. NEW FIGURES SUGGEST MORE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS ARE BEING BROKEN, WITH THE E.U. CLIMATE SERVICE CONFIRMING LAST MONTH WAS THE WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD. AND IT'S IMPACTING OUR OCEANS TOO, THEY'RE ALSO BREAKING TEMPERATURE RECORDS AND THAT'S HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ON MARINE LIFE. B.B.C'S JUSTIN ROWLATT REPORTS. THE MENAI BRIDGE BETWEEN NORTH WALES AND THE ISLAND OF ANGLESEY. A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ON THE SEASHORE, HERE AND AT OTHER SPOTS AROUND THE UK FOR ALMOST 70 YEARS. IT'S INVALUABLE AND IT TELLS US SO MUCH ABOUT WHERE SPECIES WERE, HOW QUICKLY THEY'VE MOVED. IN THAT TIME, AVERAGE UK SEA TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED BY ABOUT 1C. THE BIG THING THAT I'VE SEEN IS SPECIES ARE ALL MOVING AT THE SAME RATE, SO THINGS ARE MOVING FURTHER NORTH, BUT NOT AT THE SAME SPEED. SO ALL THE COMMUNITY COMPOSITIONS ARE CHANGING EVERYWHERE. SOME CREATURES CAN'T MOVE AT ALL, LIKE BARNACLES. SO NOVA, THIS IS A REALLY DISRUPTIVE PROCESS FOR ECOSYSTEMS? I THINK IF I WAS A BARNACLE, I'D BE QUITE I'D BE QUITE WORRIED, YES. IF ONE SPECIES VANISHES OR A NEW ONE COMES IN, IT CAN AFFECT ALL THE OTHER PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE SYSTEM. AT ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY, SCIENTISTS TRACKED THE CHANGES WITH THE SAME TECHNOLOGY THE POLICE USE AT CRIME SCENES. I THINK WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS DOWN ABOUT 5M. THEY COLLECT THE TRACES OF DNA ANIMALS LEAVE IN THE WATER. IT IS KNOWN AS 'EDNA' - ENVIRONMENTAL DNA. IT'S POSSIBLE TO USE EDNA TO TRACK THE MOVEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES. THERE IS A JAPANESE SPECIES OF SEA SQUIRT. IT'S CALLED A CARPET SEA SQUIRT. THEY FORM A BLANKET, A CARPET, IF YOU LIKE, OVER THE SEABED. THEY PREVENT THE GROWTH OF NATIVE ORGANISMS IN THE AREAS THAT THEY COLONISE. WHAT WE ARE FINDING IS THAT THE ONES THAT ARE MORE INVASIVE APPEAR TO BE RESPONDING MORE STRONGLY TO GLOBAL WARMING AND THE INCREASING WATER TEMPERATURES. TO SOME HOPEFUL CLIMATE NEWS NOW - WHAT'S BEING DUBBED THE WORLD'S LARGEST VACUUM - BUILT TO SUCK POLLUTION OUT OF THE AIR - HAS BEGUN OPERATING IN ICELAND. THE PLANT'S CALLED 'MAMMOTH' - AND CAN CAPTURE 36K METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE A YEAR. THE CO2 IS THEN INJECTED DEEP UNDERGROUND, WHERE IT NATURALLY TURNS INTO STONE. THE TECHNOLOGY THOUGH HAS BEEN CRITICISED FOR BEING TOO EXPENSIVE. OPERATORS, CLIMEWORKS, HAVEN'T RELEASED HOW MUCH IT COSTS, JUST SAYING THEY HOPE TO GET AROUND 400 TO 600 U.S DOLLARS PER TON BY 2030 - THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $15M-$20M A YEAR. THIS STARRY OUTLOOK IN THE SOUTH ISLAND WILL NOW BE PROTECTED FROM LIGHT POLLUTION. BECOMING THE LATEST INTERNATIONALLY CERTIFIED 'DARK SKY PARK'. THE SKIES ABOVE GIBBSTON VALLEY, THE HEART OF CENTRAL OTAGO WINE COUNTRY, NOW AMONG MORE THAN 200 AROUND THE WORLD, GIVEN THE STATUS. BUT ONE ASTRONOMER BELIEVES IT COULD BE EXTENDED ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. OUR QUEENSTOWN-BASED REPORTER JARED MCCULLOCH EXPLAINS. GLISTENING STARS, BRIGHT BOLD AURORAS ` LOOKING UP NEVER GETS OLD, FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN GIBSON. NOW, FROM TODAY, THEY CAN CLAIM THEIR VIEW OF THE NIGHT SKY IS ONE OF THE BEST. IF YOU ACTUALLY ASK YOURSELF HOW MANY PLACES ON DRY LAND IN THE WORLD THERE ARE, WHERE YOU CAN SEE BOTH THE AURORA AND THE CENTRE OF OUR MILKY WAY GALAXY, YOU END UP WITH LESS THAN 0.1% OF THE WORLD'S LANDMASS. THAT'S SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND AND TASMANIA. WE FIRST MET BRIAN BOYLE IN 2022 ` HE BUILT HIS OWN BACKYARD OBSERVATORY. SINCE THEN, HE'S BEEN CHAMPIONING THIS ` A 25KM2 INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY PARK NESTLED IN BETWEEN QUEENSTOWN AND CROMWELL. YOU'VE GOT TO GET YOUR COUNCIL ONSIDE AND YOUR COUNCIL HAS GOT TO BASICALLY REGULATE PUBLIC LIGHTING GOING FORWARD. AND THAT WAS FAIRLY EASY HERE BECAUSE THIS AREA WAS ALREADY ZONED TO PROTECT ITS CHARACTER AND NATURAL FEATURES ` INCLUDING WHAT'S ABOVE. FOR ME, IT WAS PUSHING AGAINST AN OPEN DOOR WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WERE REALLY HAPPY TO HELP ME. WHILE STARGAZING IS MAGICAL ON FILM... I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE PERHAPS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY STAYING IN FIVE-STAR HOTELS, BUT NOT MANY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAY THEY CAN STAY IN A FIVE-BILLION-STAR ACCOMMODATION. AND AT THIS WELLNESS RETREAT, IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST THE VIEWS. THERE'S A KIND OF A PROFOUND CONNECTION TO RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY. THIS ASTRONOMER NOW WANTS TO TAKE IT FURTHER. WE WANT TO BECOME THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, DARK-SKY NATION. IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU SEE THAT AMAZING SKY, IT IS TRULY SOMETHING. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN THE SOUTH... GIBBSTON, COME FOR THE WINE AND STAY FOR THE STARS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MAY DISCOVER. JARED MCCULLOCH, 1 NEWS. JUST AHEAD... JUST HOW FAR NORTH IS JACK FROST SET TO TRACK OVERNIGHT? WHICH AREAS CAN EXPECT A FROST. PLUS HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR A NAPKIN? WHAT'S WRITTEN ON THIS ONE... THAT'S BEHIND ITS EYE-WATERING PRICE TAG. When you donate blood or plasma, you might never know how it saved a life, but we'll let you know when it does. Everyday people can save lives every day. BIDDING HAS STARTED FOR THE NAPKIN THAT HELPED LAUNCH THE CAREER OF FOOTBALL LEGEND LIONEL MESSI. BARCELONA FOOTBALL CLUB, PENNING A PROMISE ON THE NAPKIN TO SIGN THE ASPIRING FOOTBALLER IN 2000, WHEN HE WAS JUST THIRTEEN YEARS OLD. EARLY BIDS HAVE REACHED ALMOST $500,000 NZD... SO FAR. THIS IS A COMPLETELY UNIQUE OBJECT. IF YOU LOVE FOOTBALL, YOU'LL KNOW ALL ABOUT LIONEL MESSI AND YOU WILL KNOW THAT HE DEFINED FOOTBALL FOR GENERATIONS. IF YOU WANT A SLICE OF THAT ACTION, THIS IS THE THING TO GET. THE AUCTION'S SET TO CLOSE NEXT FRIDAY. NOW TO TOMORROWS WEATHER, WITH VIVALDI'S 'SPRING - ACT ONE'. # (BRIGHT, EXUBERANT STRINGS) # THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. PO MANAHAU, GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY OTO SEQUEIRA AND ALEX BACKHOUSE. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024