This year NZ Post is celebrating Matariki with collectible Matariki stamps that represent artist Shane Hansen’s personal connection with the Māori New Year. Central to the art is Te Tūī Kaitiaki. Each stamp carries reflections of others. Observed together, they show the many ancient interconnections of Matariki. The stamp release date is July 3, but pre-sales and more information can be found at collectables.co.nz. NZ Post has also made the stamps into limited edition quality fine art prints.

Free first phone boxes

In a bid to help parents navigate conversations around smartphone safety, 2degrees Whangārei is offering free “first phones” boxes. The boxes are available for anyone to use on any network when giving a child a new or second-hand smartphone. Research conducted by 2degrees found 87% of parents were worried about what their children were viewing online and 28% of parents said their children had an unwanted experience online, typically cyberbullying. The boxes are available in stores across the country. There will also be an information hub for parents, carers and children online at www.goodtings.nz.

Power Outage investigation

The Electricity Authority has been given three months to investigate Northland’s widespread power cut on June 20, including determining how it can be prevented from happening again. Energy Minister Simeon Brown came up to Northland the day after 100,000 properties lost power when a transmission tower toppled over, announcing a full review would be done by the electricity regulator. The terms of reference for the investigation have now been released, with 16 points to cover including Transpower’s risk identification, and whether grid reliability standards need to be improved. After the power cut, Transpower revealed a contractor doing routine maintenance removed the nuts securing the tower to the ground on three out of four legs, causing the pylon to fall.