(CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Hello, Kiwis. I'm Paddy Gower, and I have got issues. On this show, we investigate issues ` big and small ` that are important to all of us. Tonight ` pine trees are devastating our communities. I meet the grandmother of a boy killed by a pine log, and NewsHub journalist Sam Hayes travels up the river to try to investigate what happened to him. And Karen enlists the help of Daniel Carter to save local pharmacies from the big box chemists. (ELECTRONIC THEME MUSIC) www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023 (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Tonight I've got issues with the lack of justice for a boy called Oliver Shone. Oliver was 11 years old when he was killed by a forestry log, playing on Waikanae Beach in Gisborne while he was away on holiday with his grandmother. We're going to meet her soon. This should never have happened. The log shouldn't have been there, and it most likely belongs to a forestry operator somewhere away up the Waimata River. So what's happened about Oliver's death? Nothing. Who's been held to account? Nobody. It's this simple. If it wasn't for that log, Oliver would still be with us. Oliver is perhaps the most deeply tragic symbol of the way that slash has wrecked thousands of people's homes, farms and wrecked their lives. This is an issue for all of us. (APPLAUSE) So tonight, Sam Hayes is going to take us on a journey up that Waimata River to, sort of, find out where the log came from. - Yeah. Look. We've been reporting on for a really long time ` for years, in fact. But the news that Oliver had been killed hit the newsroom like a shock wave, really. You know, it was just heartbreaking. My first thoughts as a parent were, 'How can this possibly have happened? 'And is there any way that we can undo it?' But... of course, it can't be undone. It can't be fixed. And then, the next thing I thought was, 'How can it be prevented?' And that's where the accountability comes in. - Yeah, I mean, I just thought, you know, slash is just, like, a messy nuisance. But to think that it's actually responsible for the death of one of our tamariki, it's just appalling. - So sad. - Yeah. Well, this story can start in only one place ` with Oliver. So I went to meet his grandmother. This is the first time that she has spoken publicly about what happened. (GRACEFUL MUSIC) So, Oliver was` I mean, all nanas say this, but Oliver was a good grandson. - He was. - (CHUCKLES) - He was very loving. Oliver Shone was 11 years old. He was Marie's only grandchild. (HEAVY MUSIC) - Oh, he loved the computer, Minecraft and Lego. He built amazing Lego cities and things like that. - In January, during the final days of the summer break, they went on holiday to Gisborne together and visited the beach. - We went down to the water's edge. TEARILY: It wasn't over my ankles. And just as we walked along a bit, there was a log (SNIFFLES) ` one log just lying there. There was no water around it. (SNIFFLES) (SIGHS) Although the waves were coming in and back again. But he just jumped on it and stood there for a bit. And then he laughed and jumped off. And then he got on it again. (SIGHS) (SNIFFLES) And it was it. (CRIES) I don't know what happened because I can't see it. (SNIFFLES) I just remember all these people rushing past me and grabbing him. (SNIFFLES) (WEEPS) And they carried him up the beach. I just seen him lying there on the sand. (SOBS) (SOMBRE PIANO MUSIC) - Cyclone Hale had hit the region two weeks earlier. The storm swept logs and debris off the hills, down the river, and out to the sea. It's not your fault what happened that day. - (SIGHS) - You were being the perfect grandmother, taking your grandson to play on the beach. Every other grandmother in New Zealand would have done the same thing. - I'm a grandmother. (SNIFFLES) I was a grandmother. (SNIFFLES) If somebody had shot him, they'd be in prison. If a car had knocked him over, they'd be in prison. (SNIFFLES) But a log is OK, according to them. (SNIFFLES) And I think also, the big picture, the forestry people... I heard that there's forestry standards. Well, I don't think they're implementing them because how can you let all those logs that you see on the news, how can you let those roll down a hill... (SNIFFLES) (SIGHS) and destroy people's houses and homes and livelihood and everything? (SNIFFLES) How can you let them roll down rivers and end up on beaches? (SNIFFLES) Somebody needs to be responsible for that. (SIGHS) If I'm going over the hill, I can't even follow a forestry truck at the moment. (SNIFFLES) I have to pull over so I can't see those logs. - So you can't even see a forestry truck? - I hate those trucks. (SNIFFLES) Because that log could have easily been on one of those trucks. (SNIFFLES) It should have been on one of those trucks. - Do you feel different when you see pine trees grown? - I don't like pine trees. - You don't like pine trees now? - No. No more Christmas trees. (SCOFFS) - Have you heard from anybody in the forestry industry, any company, anybody, about what happened to Oliver? - No, nothing. (SNIFFLES) - Nothing? - Nothing. No. - Do you feel, Marie, that you and your family have been ignored since Oliver was killed by the log? - Yes. I think they're just hoping we'll just sit still and do nothing. VOICE BREAKS: But when I heard about that little girl, I thought I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something (SNIFFLES) to stop it happening again. I don't know how they sleep at night, those people. (SIGHS, SNIFFLES) - That other little girl is Juliana Marston. She was visiting Gisborne in the April school holidays, playing at the beach with her cousins. - Are you gonna do some writing? - Hello. - Hi, Dad. - (CHUCKLES) - So, me and my cousins were on a log. And then a wave hit. And I fell off, and I was on it while it was rolling. - The log was rolling? - Yeah. And then... Then it st` Then it turned my leg under it. - Your leg got pinned under it? - Yeah. - Juliana's brother, uncle and dad frantically dug her out from underneath the log before another wave came. - This log was massive. There was no way we were gonna move it. Bottom half, particularly her right leg, was in a really unusual position, and we were a bit frightened about what we're gonna find when we dug her out. - Clint rushed his daughter to hospital. Her pelvis was fractured. - Well, we're very lucky. We've got Juliana sitting here with us with an injury she's recovering from well. It could have gone a lot differently. - What do you want everybody to know? - I just want justice for Oliver. (SNIFFLES) That he didn't die for nothing. (SNIFFLES) He was only 11. He had his whole life ahead of him. (SNIFFLES) I want them to sort out their slash. (SIGHS) (SIGHS) (APPLAUSE) - Wow. That's pretty heartbreaking, eh, Paddy. SHAKILY: But amazingly brave of Marie to come forward and tell that story. You know, how hard that would have been for her. So hats off to you, Marie, for doing that. And gosh, my heart goes out to you and your whole family. Because Marie was able to do that, we have the impetus to get accountability. It makes it that much greater. And so, my job (GASPS) was to go down to the beach to figure out where those logs are coming from. And I have to say, what I found when I went upriver was really shocking. - Yeah, I mean, obviously, I've got a son, Melvyn, who's 11, and I can't even fathom what it must be like to experience that loss. So I don't think I'm looking forward to seeing what` the shocking-ness. - (WEEPS) - But we should. - Yeah. And I would just like to acknowledge Marie, because I personally know how brave she had to be to do that interview. So thank you, Marie. And Karen, you've also been doing some work of your own out there as well. - Yeah. So I met a couple of people who are struggling. Obviously, their lives aren't in danger, but their livelihoods are. So I went and met up with Vicky and Rav. Your local pharmacy ` a place where everyone knows your name and the location and size of your bunions. I'm paying a visit to a community pharmacy in Pakuranga. But it's in danger after the big dogs ` Chemist Warehouse and Bargain Chemist ` are opening up shops literally around the corner. But how have these big corporate chemists affected local pharmacies? Well, there's only one way to find out. I need to ask them. So I'm gonna go talk to my best friends Rav and Vicky about the impact it's had on them. Vicky... Rav... SOFTLY: Vicky? WHISPERS: She's on the phone. I'll just wait. She's on the phone. 'Eventually, she hung up on that telemarketer 'and was ready to tell me exactly what a community pharmacist does.' - We've been here for the last 40 years, so we've served generations of community. And I think, like, you know, pharmacists, we do a lot of different things. Like, you know, we obviously dispense. Now we vaccinate. Now we diagnose. We prescribe. We triage. I was doing first aid this morning. So those are just some things. - Really? Someone came in with` - Some things, yeah. - Did someone have a bit of a` Had someone fallen over? - Surprisingly common, yeah. - Yeah, we had an elderly person who didn't see the carpet there. It was bloody this morning. - Oh, that's nice (!) - Yeah, so we were doing first aid as well. So we do a lot. - How would you say like the landscape for local pharmacies has changed in the last couple of years? - I think` I mean, the most obvious thing is the arrival of the big box discounters that we've seen from overseas, from Australia. - I mean, are you guys, as local pharmacists, are you angry at Dan Carter? - (LAUGHS) - For the biggest range and feel good prices, head to Chemist Warehouse. - Not angry at him. - I don't think you're angry. - A little bit peeved. A bit miffed. - Maybe a little bit disappointed. - Yeah. - Mm. It's almost even worse than being angry. - Yeah. Little bit disappointed. - Yeah. (BILLIE EILISH'S 'BAD GUY') - I think the biggest thing ` for me, especially, and I know for Vicky as well ` is the relationships that we have with our patients. So we tend to know most of our patients by name. We know their families. We've known them for generations, you know. That relationship is hugely important. Patients trust us. They trust our judgement. - Vicky, I have heard you specifically say everybody's name as they come in the door. Hi, Vicky. - Hi, Karen. How are you today? I don't think that's something exclusive to this Unichem Pakuranga. - Mm. - And that's what independent pharmacies do. That's the spirit. - And Vicky's customers have shown their appreciation. Look at all the messages on her community board. - We're quite proud of that. I get a bit teary, like, you know. VOICE BREAKS: And I, um... Cos I think it's my team's work. I think... the danger is we're seeing independent pharmacies being forced to shut down. And when that does happen, it actually creates even more inequities in our healthcare system. - Just one other thing while I've got both of you here. I've got, kind of, a really weird, kind of, a dry patch. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) OK, so local pharmacies are lovely, and I do not want them to die out, so I'm here to check out the competition. I'm pretty sure this is the Chemist Warehouse. I mean, it can't be that great. (AMBIENT MUSIC) (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) OK. Something about that shop is very powerful. I mean, it's packed. I ended up buying this All Black's eau de toilette that I don't really need I should have got the Black Ferns. I need to come up with a way to make local pharmacies cooler than this big yellow shop. I've got just the idea. (LINE RINGS) Hello? Dan Carter. Is that you? (INDISTINCT RESPONSE) Yeah. I really need your help. (INDISTINCT RESPONSE) Cheers. (INDISTINCT RESPONSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Whoa. Dan Carter. I love Dan Carter. Did you get Dan Carter? - You know I did, Patty. And I can tell you right now he's much more than just an impact player. - Oh. All right. All right. (LAUGHTER) - Amazing. - Well, coming up ` how will Karen get this Daniel Carter involved to help save the local pharmacies? And Sam unearths a shocking revelation about the log that killed Oliver Shone. (APPLAUSE) I'm the other Louis Hamilton, from Rotorua. Skinny hired me to tell you about their low-cost broadband. Get Skinny Unlimited Broadband for just 45 bucks a month when on a $27 or above mobile plan, plus get 2 months free broadband. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Welcome back to Paddy Gower has issues. Now, Sam is about to take us on a trip to find out where all those logs came from. But first, let's head to Eli and Courtney on our news desk. - Kia ora, Paddy. We're gonna let you know what's been happening in Aotearoa this week. It's time for New Zealand Has Issues. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Well, it's been a huge weekend in politics as Labour had their big party conference. - And they've been firing up their election attacks with a new nickname for National and Act. - The Coalition of Cuts. - The Coalition of Cuts. - Hmm. The Coalition of Cuts. That's just one letter off what they actually wanna call them. (LAUGHTER) - It's also the name of the hairdresser inside of the Beehive. It just has a little Z at the end. (LAUGHTER) They'll be losing a lot of business if Luxon wins. - (CHUCKLES) Meanwhile, National is facing some criticism for these advertisements, which feature people made using AI technology. - Now, you can tell that this image is fake because the nurses look happy to be working in our healthcare system. (LAUGHTER) Just imagine the prompt they gave the AI to generate that image. It probably wasn't racist, but it definitely would have sounded racist. (LAUGHTER) - 100%. In response, the Labour Party's actually launched its own AI campaign where Jacinda never left. (LAUGHTER) - National's Chris Bishop is defending the ads. - (SCOFFS) I just think it's pathetic. I mean, they seem obsessed with the fact that the National Party is using slightly innovative techniques for social media. - Wow. Tell you who needs to go to 'Coalition of Cutz'. Check out this haircut. No way. Buzz Lightyear looks terrible as a real guy. - And while National are using AI, Labour is trying to win votes the old-fashioned way. - Mr Chippy turned Mr Whippy. - Here we go. Enjoy. - Handing out free ice creams for the Chippy cheerleaders. - Chippy is the MP for Upper Hutt, so it's not the first time he's passed a cone. (LAUGHTER) - Those Chippy cheerleaders, though, they've got some catchy chants. They go sort of, like, 'Chris. Chris. He's our man. If he can't do it, 'we've got other options.' (LAUGHTER) - And Whippy Chippy is not the only nickname being thrown around. The Labour Party had a few choice nicknames as well. - Chris Luxon is Captain Cliche. David Seymour is 'reverse Robin Hood'. - Pretty good. We've come up with some of our own ones. Like, here is the 'Incredible Sulk'. - This is 'Low in Iron Man'. (LAUGHTER) - And of course, finally 'Raise the Age of Super Man'. (LAUGHTER) - Wow. It's shaping up to be a pretty tight race. Back to you, 'Captain Niu Zillund'. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Thanks, guys. Now it is time, though, to turn back to our investigation of the pine tree that killed Oliver Shone. - Yeah, Paddy, when you start thinking about slash, it just seems enormous and overwhelming. It's such a big problem. So we wanted to narrow it down to the story of just one river ` the Waimata. Now, its upper catchment, all of its tributaries, they're flanked by pine forests all around them. And now we know that that is also on highly erodible soil. Then, of course, it runs down through farmland, through the heart of Gisborne itself and out on to Waikanae Beach. And that's where I start my story, where Oliver went to play with his grandmother. (CURIOUS MUSIC) This is the beach where Oliver was fatally injured, and Juliana's pelvis was broken just a little bit further down. It is the central beach here in Gisborne, but we're hearing from multiple people now that there is no way that they would let their children or grandchildren play here any more. So we're heading upstream to try and find out where these logs are coming from, if there's any way they can be stopped. (WAVES SPLASH) So, your job, Murry, is that you come down here for the council and try and figure out where all of this wood on the beach has come from, right? - That's correct. It's pretty obvious that this is a pine log. And then we try to track it upstream. - Murry Cave is the principal scientist at the Gisborne District Council. He was instrumental in the seven successful prosecutions brought against forestry companies after slash first reared its ugly head here five years ago. Those companies said they would change, they'd do better. But have they? - OK. So, this is a fresh cut log. - What's the significance of it being a fresh cut log? - This tells us that we're still getting logs being lost from a harvest site and coming down on the beach. - Yeah. - We're still seeing this. - We are indeed. - It means that they haven't changed. - Well, it certainly means that some of the contractors there are not following good practice. - Do you know what type of log injured and killed Oliver? - For Oliver, we do know that it was a fresh cut log. - It was a fresh cut log? - Yeah, yeah. I'd been down photographing logs on the beach, assessing them that morning, before the fatality, and then went back. It's a log like this. - So this kind of size? - Yeah. Well, it was longer, and it wasn't` didn't have quite the diameter to it that this one did. - But it just` I mean, it doesn't seem that big. There's a lot more danger in them than you think, just by looking at them. - Yeah. Yeah. And for a kid, they'd just think of them as being a toy almost. Something to play with on the beach. - Oh, yeah. You've done all that work on all those prosecutions to try and stop this from happening, and then that tragedy unfolds. - Yeah. It shouldn't have happened. - It shouldn't have happened. - No. Sorry. - Are you all right? Just take a minute. Yeah. (AMBIENT MUSIC) - Just off to our side here, we've got the port itself, and just visible on the other side there, all the log yard. - And the beach is just around the corner. - And the beach is just around the corner. - So, Murry, where do the logs on the beach come from? - What we did immediately after the Cyclone Gabrielle, we flew new aerial photography over the entire region, and we've actually mapped all the woody debris down the river, and we can trace it all the way from the top of the catchment, from all the forestry areas down to the river mouth here and then on to the beach. - So you've studied this for a long time, and you know that the logs are from the Waimata Catchment. - That's correct. At the top of the catchment, it's 95% pine. But as it's coming downstream, we have essentially like a bulldozer of logs coming down and they're just knocking over trees on the river margins. - All that material making its way down the river has a huge impact on the community. Just upstream from the Waimata River mouth, it's forcing Florrie Brooking's champion Waka Ama club off the water. - Oh, it's a huge issue, and it's been an ongoing issue, and it really hinders our ability to train on our river. With the tides coming up and down, you can't see that woody debris. It can do some damage to your waka, and consequently, you know, damage it and the kids can flip out. - Yeah. Has that happened? - Yes. - It's a lot to contend with for a championship club. - There's huge impacts around the slash that's going on in this community, and enough is enough. (INDICATOR CLICKS REPEATEDLY) - The issue of slash has become a lightning rod for Tairawhiti Gisborne ` so much so that tonight we're headed to a community meeting where people from right across the region are coming together to try and figure out what to do about it. On top of the agenda is the ministerial inquiry into slash and whether anything will come about. - Hats off. It's compelling. It's concise. It's broad in scope. - Some were positive. But many here believe the report lacks crucial details on how to solve the problem. - What does this mean if I'm currently a forestry contractor? What does it mean if I am currently a farmer and most of my land is steep? - The report, to me, at the moment, it's all words on paper, and the proof, for me, will be in the pudding. - And underlying it all, a sense of hopelessness and despair. - You can't fix it now. It's too late. Sorry. (APPLAUSE) - Yeah. Not a whole lot of positivity going on at the community meeting. You know what I found really hard to believe, Paddy, is that Waikanae beach and many others in the region are still covered in logs ` logs just like the one that killed Oliver. So, you know, what's to stop this tragedy from happening again? - You presume they've all been cleared up, but they haven't. - No, they haven't, you know. What I also learned was that the forestry logs, the reason they're so dangerous is because the branches have all been removed. And so, they move sort of like a rolling pin in the water. They have a huge amount of energy behind them, and their water logged so they weigh so much. - Yeah, the forestry industry told me actually they've spent $5 million cleaning up those beaches, but they still look pretty bad. And on the log that killed Oliver, Marie Shone has allowed me to look at the last photo taken of Oliver while he was playing beside the log. We've cropped that out because it's too sensitive to the family, but she wanted New Zealand to be able to see the log that killed him. And that's it right there. And as for what's happened to it, we know that log was cut up and used for a time for part of a memorial for Oliver. But there are big questions around what's happened to this log since. We understand that it was cleared off the beach. But it's a key piece of evidence. I mean, where is it now? - Where is it now? I'd like to know. - Yeah. All right. So, how did New Zealand get into this trouble with pine trees? It's time to get to the back story. (APPLAUSE) In 1988, Cyclone Bola struck New Zealand, and it hit Gisborne and Tairawhiti the hardest. There were massive landslides, largely due to the clearing of native forests back in the early 1900s. Now, the Government wanted to prevent this from happening in Tairawhiti again and came up with the East Coast Forestry project back in 1992. Now, it gave out grants to plant fast-growing radiata pine, which was thought to have incredible root strength, to stabilise the steep, erosion-prone land. Cut to 2008, and the government introduced the emissions trading scheme. Pine trees make carbon credits, which can be sold to offset carbon emissions. Basically, you get paid to plant pines. So it was a double whammy. Two big government schemes incentivising the planting of pine trees. And plant pine trees, they did ` everywhere. They now cover 11. 5 million hectares across the country. If it was all in one place, it would look like this. But that double whammy of pine planting near Gizzy was a ticking time bomb. We now know that when harvested, there can be weakened roots, serious erosion and damage to the soil structure. The big problem started in 2018, when storms hit Gisborne, coinciding with the harvesting of the pines planted after Cyclone Bola. The now weakened soil gave way, and what came down was something called slash. And we all know what that is now. This was in 2018, remember. The Gisborne District Council pursued seven prosecutions against forestry companies for not managing their slash properly. They were successful. Things should've got better. They didn't. We all know they got a hell of a lot worse, and Oliver Stone was killed. Coming up ` Sam finds incredible devastation as she looks for the source of all the slash and logs. And Karen continues her quest to save our local pharmacies. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Nau mai, hoki mai. Coming up ` Sam finds something actually shocking as she travels up the Waimata River. But first, Karen, you've promised us the GOAT ` Dan Carter, DC, Dessy. - Yeah, Dan Carter. Of course, I promised Dan Carter. Well, obviously the Chemist Warehouse has Dan Carter. I know Eli loves those ads... - The GOAT. - ...quite a lot. - Yeah, well... Yeah, he is the greatest carpet repair person of all time. With the Chemist Warehouse ripping the lunch of our local pharmacies, I've decided to help out the little guy. And yes, they've got Dan Carter in their ads. But guess what? We managed to get Dan Carter in ours. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) Dan from Carpetworx Limited, I'm so excited to have you here. Are you excited? - Yeah, I guess so. - Look. I mean, he's better than the real thing. Let's go. Hey there. I'm Karen O'Leary, and I'm here with the best carpet cleaner and repairer in the business and my new best friend Dan Carter. - And we're here at the pharmacy. - And not just because I need to get my foot cream. Because we wanna give a shoutout to the best place we know ` your local pharmacy. - Whether you're a carpet cleaner or repairman or a government bigwig, we all need to stop at the pharmacy at some point. - Even Dan Carter has to come here sometimes. Not the famous one. He goes to that big yellow store with the ugly balloon. But before you go charging out to that discount chemist joint, take five minutes to think about your local pharmacy. What do you reckon? - Yeah, very nice. Those Australian-owned chains are making big bucks, which is why they can afford rugby players and not carpet guys like myself. - They've been there for us for years. They've been supporting our communities for years, but they're in a vulnerable position. But we can help them out. - So wake up, people. Go to your local pharmacy. And if you need your carpets cleaned or repaired, call Carpetworx` - Da` Dan. Dan. We're getting off track. You heard us. Come on. Get out there, Aotearoa. Cut. Cut. It's finished now. - So you're sure we can't talk about Carpetworx ` Cleaning & Repair Services? - There's no time, Dan. Dan and I agree the ad was brilliant. But what would the punters at Chemist Warehouse think? ON PHONE: Hey there. I'm Karen O'Leary, and I'm here with the best carpet cleaner and repairer in the business and my new best friend Dan Carter. OK. So, Gareth, obviously, quite a powerful piece of filmmaking. - Yeah, striking. - What are your, sort of, first thoughts? - I've never thought of going to a pharmacy for carpet cleaning. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) - It seemed like my ad wasn't convincing any of these Chemist Warehouse addicts. So what is it that keeps them shopping here? I'm just wanting to ask you ` what made you come to Chemist Warehouse today? - Cos they're cheap. - Free scripts. - Did the fact that the prescription was free make a difference to why you came here today? - Oh, absolutely. - It's free and also very quick. - I'm pretty broke, so I try and save money whenever I can, yeah. - And do you mind me asking what kind of things you bought there today? - Yep. Some cream for athlete's foot. - Great. Excellent. And, uh- (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Karen, I hate to point this out, but I noticed a little publication called the budget the other week that wiped that $5 fee that people were talking about, so... - Yeah, so basically, you can see the level of influence that I'm actually having. (LAUGHTER) Well, obviously I've influenced the government to make that change. In some way. They've already found out I was doing this investigation. But the thing is, it's not actually` they did. I don't know why everyone's laughing at this. But anyway` but the thing is, this is not over, because what I need to do is to make sure that I can convince New Zealanders to go back to their local pharmacies. We've got to get away from these big bargain chemists and go back local. I'm going to try and make that happen. - All right. Coming up ` Karen has a brilliantly innovative solution to try and make people do that, and Samantha travels to the source of the pine trees, and she finds another disaster waiting to happen. (APPLAUSE) ANDY LEE: I don't know. I'm just not feeling...big. HAMISH BLAKE: What?! Mate, come on. Here, I tell you what. Try this. Ooh, is it working? Mmm... I'm gonna say lose the hat. - Welcome back, Kiwis. Now, before we carry on with our mission to try and find some justice for Oliver Shone, let's check in with the news desk to see how the rest of the planet is doing. It's time for 'The World has Issues'. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - We're starting in South Korea, where Asiana Airlines has banned passengers from booking emergency exit row seats after a passenger opened the door mid-air, causing panic on board and an emergency landing. But to be fair, it was an emergency. The emergency was he really wanted to see what would happen. Jetstar have assured us that this would never happen on any of their flights because those doors are painted on. - Well, someone had to get those mother(BLEEP)ing snakes off. To the U.S. now, where scientists have discovered a way to turn air into energy. They've found that energy can be pulled from the moisture in the air and converted it into electricity. That's nice. The power company's ability to pull energy from the atmosphere will complement their current ability to pull prices out of their arses. They hope to make portable packs to help people during forest walks to be able to charge their phones, allowing them to text me even more to ask me if I want to join them. And the answer is no. Hiking is for people who don't own a TV, OK? - It's a tough week for Germany. Its economy has officially entered a recession. In slightly worrying news, they have blamed it on inflation, but also a little bit on Poland. (GROAN, SCATTERED LAUGHTER) One German economist has said, GERMAN ACCENT: 'This is the wurst! And once I've eaten this wurst, 'I'll explain how bad the economic situation is.' - (LAUGHS) Thank you for that gorgeous accent. OK, and finally to India, where a government official has been suspended from his job after he drained two million litres of water from a dam because he dropped his cell phone in it while he was taking a selfie. It was a huge waste of water, but the worst thing was that the whole town had to listen to this... (IMITATES WATER GURGLING) for two days. When they eventually drained the dam, they found not only the phone, but also the door from a Korean aeroplane. - And that is all the news that's happened this week. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Alrighty, so I continued my journey up the Waimata River. We thought before we left Auckland that we knew the story, that we were across it, we knew what was going on. But when we got on the ground in Gisborne, it was` well, it was just mind-blowing what we found, and it was also truly confronting. Yeah, you can just see that river is full of sediment. And just lined with forestry debris. Trees all along the side of it. Oh. It'd just be so sad if that was your river. Look at it. It's such a mess. And so how many years have you been farming here for? - We came here from Tolaga Bay in 1956. - Merv Utting's sheep and cattle farm near the top of the Waimata River has forever changed by the lost logs, sediment and slash brought downstream by multiple storms now. This last lot after Cyclone Gabrielle is by far the worst he's seen, leaving his river flat unrecognisable. Gosh. It's a right old mess down here. And this was pasture, beautiful pasture along here. - Yeah, it was. It was all like over there. So we've lost that. And the river's changed course to over there now. Four hours, five hours, and all this came down. And over behind this here, there's another big heap. - What happens next with all of this? Who's going to clean it up? - Well, we've had a few discussions over that. They can't take it anywhere. They can't bury it, so they're going to burn it. - It's quite shocking to look out there and see all of this. - I just thought before this last rain how good the place looked. We had everything done. All the fences were good... - And then this happens. - Well, you've just sort of got to live with it after a while. - (CHUCKLES) - We've had four floods, I think. Four or five. - So do you actually feel that, that you just have to learn to live with this amount of... debris and slash coming down the river? - You get used to it after a while, I think. It's just part of the` part of your routine. But we've never had anything like this before. - Mm. - This bad. - The problem with these enormous slash piles on Merv's farm is that they are, of course, on a floodplain. The locals believe that the next big storm or cyclone is just going to wash all of this down the river through Gisborne and out on to the beaches. But there's something lurking further upstream that they are even more concerned about. (INTRIGUING MUSIC) - So the woody debris just came down the Waimata River like a freight train and took everything with it. - So like a freight train, also sort of like a bulldozer just pushing` - Yeah. Just ripping everything out as it went. So you can sort of see it. - Oh, right. Yeah, OK. So this is all slips that have come down. - Yeah. - Laura Watson's family have farmed in this region for 99 years. She also leads up the Waimata Catchment Group. She takes us to its headwaters and shows us something few have seen. Now, we knew there were landslides, but it is the sheer scale of them ` they are everywhere. And it's why Cyclone Gabrielle sent more pine trees down the river than ever before. - These trees are between 10 and 15 years old, so should be in prime earth-holding abilities. And so what you can see here is after Cyclone Hale, Cyclone Gabrielle, the hill slopes with the trees on it and everything else have just collapsed. - Completely given way. - Yes. And so all of those trees, with every rain, they wash down further and further. So what you're seeing on Waikanae Beach today ` this is kind of what's coming. - They are supposed to be holding together this highly erodible land, and they're collapsing. - Yeah. - It's a lot to get your head around. The` - I know. I know it's a lot to get your head around, but this is new, you know? Like, this is the first time we're seeing this sort of damage done on a large scale. - Yeah. - In this forest alone, it's up to 50% of it. - Up to 50% of the forest` - Of the` of the area of the forest that's collapsed after Cyclone Gabrielle. - Wow. - And that's horrific. - How do you feel about that? - Sick. Our catchment's just one of many across the East Coast where this is happening. You know, someone has been saying for a long time somebody is going to die. And now that that's happened... TEARFULLY: It's just like... Something needs to change. - What were your first thoughts, Laura, when you heard about... little Oliver Shone? - Like... Sorry. (EXHALES DEEPLY) Sorry. - That's OK. Just take a minute. - The damage to our land is` you know... it pales in comparison to that. And just to know that potentially that could have been prevented through proper forest management, and... just` it should never have happened to a child playing on a beach. (APPLAUSE) - Yeah. Everyone we met was so deeply affected by what happened to Oliver, and I can see you too are, Paddy. - Yeah. - But it is the scale of what's happened up there. Now, it's actually been mapped, and there are 12,200 slips in the Waimata catchment alone. - Incredible. - And that's replicated right across the East Coast. So those trees ` they're either in a gully or they're on their way down into a gully. And of course, we know what happens next ` they're gonna go down the river and end up on Waikanae Beach. And that's why locals fear that this could be a generational problem that we just see for a very long time. - OK, what can be done? Who's at fault? I headed down there as well, and that's coming right up. But right now, Karen ` what can be done to fix the issue that these local pharmacies face? - Well, look, Paddy, obviously, you know, removing that $5 fee in July is going to be a temporary ray of sunshine for people like Rav and Vicky and local pharmacies, but National have said that if they get into power come October, they will bring that fee back, unless you have a Community Services Card or a SuperGold card. So the problem is not over. Like I said before, what needs to happen, in my opinion ` and probably all of their opinions, hopefully ` thank you. They're nodding. (LIGHT LAUGHTER) Is that we've got to convince people to go back to their local pharmacies. Don't get sucked in by these big bargain chemists with their flash signs and their cheap bargains. Go to your local pharmacy and make a difference to your community. And I needed to try and make that happen. Excuse me. Please can I ask you just one really quick question, because you look really great and lovely. - LAUGHS: Yes. - Did you know that from July you won't have to pay $5 for prescriptions at your local pharmacy ` would that make you go back to your local pharmacy? Je parle francais. - Oui. - Oui? - Francais, oui. - Je parle francais. - OK. - Gosh, it's easier to get to the Chemist Warehouse, so... - What about if we gave you a lift to a local pharmacy now? - Um, yes, that would be good. Yes. If you were available all the time, though. - Like, if I offer you five bucks now, would you go to your local pharmacy now instead of in there? - Yep. - You would? OK. (SPEAKS BROKEN FRENCH) - Mm-hm. Yes. Mm-hm. - I mean, I guess I'm already here. - Yeah, but this is $5. - Sorry. I'm at work and I just can't. - That was so close. - Yeah, I know. It was so close. - I know. I really appreciate it. - Always been with the Chemist Warehouse. - You love the Chemist Warehouse? - Yes, yes. - Passionate? - Yes, passionate. - Good on you. Well, you have fun in there. Good luck. (SPEAKS BASIC FRENCH) See you there. It's just around the corner. - Yeah. - OK, you know the one? - Yeah. - So you wouldn't come in a car with me to a local pharmacy for $5? That sounds very strange. - No, I'm going to Scotland where everything's free. - SCOTTISH ACCENT: Scotland. Is that right? Have a lovely time. Fantastic. - You've got a good accent. - Great. Thank you. - (SPEAKS FRENCH) - (SPEAKS BROKEN FRENCH) Merci. Thank you so much. - (LAUGHS) - I'll see you at the chemist. OK? See you there. - Awesome. See you there. - Wait, what car's your` what` which one is your car? Yeah, yeah, sweet, I'm just here, so we'll see you there. OK. Great. See you there. Great. See ya. (APPLAUSE) - Did you get her there? Did you get her there? - I did wait for Amanda for about three hours, and she, um... something must have come up. - Mixed results. Mixed results there, but you've convinced me. - You know, it's one person at a time, Sam, so I'm very happy with that, you know. And obviously, let me know. If you've got any issues, I want to know about it. If it's a problem for you, it's a problem for me. - Coming up ` I meet with the forestry industry. How will they respond to Oliver's grandmother? (APPLAUSE) - Nau mai, hoki mai. Now we are continuing our search for justice for Oliver Shone, killed by a log in Gisborne. So where did it come from? We went to a number of forestry companies, including Aratu, who locals say have the biggest forestry blocks up that river. They wouldn't be interviewed, but issued a statement saying that the source of the log on the beach is currently unknown and unable to be linked to a particular site. They say there are lots of forestry operators up there who have been harvesting in recent years, so the log could have come from any of those sources. They referred me on to an industry rep who I met down on the coast. I'm at Tolaga Bay Beach, up the coast from where Oliver Shone was killed. And as you can see, there's a clean-up going on. I'm here to meet with the forestry industry to see if there's any kind of justice for Oliver and his family. Clean-up like what we're seeing now, which is great. Oliver Shone's grandmother wants to see something like this to make Waikanae Beach safe now. - I agree with` I agree with her. And that's something that I'll be advocating for. - Philip Hope is from the Eastland Wood Council who represents several forestry companies in the Gisborne area. As well as telling him what Marie wants, I show him. - TEARFULLY: 'How can you let all those logs that you see on the news` 'How can you let those roll down the hill?' - Yeah, very confronting, and` I think everyone in the forestry industry is devastated when` when they heard the news. - Do you, the industry, apologise to them for that boy being killed? - I'll apologise on behalf of the industry, I apologise on behalf of Te Tai Rawhiti. You know... it was an accident waiting to happen. - She says she feels ignored that her grandson was killed and no one ` no one has been in contact with them. - I think from our perspective, I think the feeling was that they wanted their privacy. We respect people's privacy. If she would be willing to meet with someone from the industry, I would be happy to meet and just talk through exactly what she would like the industry to do for her or for the family. - And what about the log that killed Oliver? Would there be any way of figuring out what company that log came from? - The only way that anyone could tell is, first of all, it would have to be the product of production forestry, which we don't know at this stage. Number two ` it would have had to have been processed. And number three ` it would have had a mark to indicate that it came from a woodlot. I don't have that information. - Remember, the council scientist does have that information. He's quite sure it is a processed log from a forestry company. And how many companies are on the Waimata River? - In recent years, there's been no less than eight forestry companies harvesting up there. Three of those are members of the Eastland Wood Council. - Can we really ever stop logs coming down? - I think there can be a reduction. I don't think that you'll ever eliminate all wood debris that makes its way into the waterways, but I think that there can be a significant reduction. - Back down the coast in Gisborne, I meet the mayor. - It's absolutely heartbreaking. My heart goes out to` to Oliver's whanau. Things do need to change. - The council has spent $350,000 of ratepayer money already this year clearing the beaches, only for more logs to wash down when it rains. - It is absolutely, frustrating because we would like to have our beaches the way we love them. - And are you worried that it's too broke to fix? - Those are the type of things that keep me awake at night, Paddy. (APPLAUSE) - Honestly, Paddy, I can't believe that Philip would say that ` that he's not sure that this log was from a production pine forest. All of the evidence that I collected was that it was a harvested log. It was cut to a specific length, it was debarked, it had waratah marks. That's a special machine in forestry production on it. Look, overall, from what we've seen coming down the Waimata, it is overwhelming. There is a huge amount of material there. But what is still coming down ` that is just so scary, and to think that it could all happen again tomorrow. - Yeah, scary and terrifying, and my issue this week was with the lack of justice for Oliver Shone, and what we've found with that is truly scary and terrifying. Sam's investigations have shown us that forestry logs are going to come down the river to that beach again and again and again. And when it comes to getting justice for Oliver, that isn't there. There just isn't any. He's 11 years old, killed by a log, playing on a beach. I talked to the police ` it's not a criminal investigation for them. No explanation why not. I've talked to WorkSafe ` they couldn't determine whether the log was related to work activity or if anyone had a duty. No investigation there either. The council says it's not up to them to deal with Oliver's death. The case will go to the coroner, but they don't have any power to lay any charges or anything like that. The forestry industry rep just told us he'd look into cleaning up the beach immediately, but got back to us five days later, saying they were making a plan to make a plan to clean up the beach. And nobody seems to know where the damn log that killed Oliver is. There is no justice for Oliver. How gutting is this? How can a kid like that die in our country and get absolutely no justice whatsoever? For those whose log this was, and for those who aren't investigating, I'm going to leave you tonight with the words of Oliver's grandmother ` 'I don't know how they sleep at night.' I'm Paddy Gower. Those were my issues, and I'm going to miss youse. See you next week. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE)