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Christchurch, New Zealand – Three people were injured in a dog attack at a residential property in the Bryndwr suburb of Christchurch on Saturday afternoon. The incident, which occurred on Bevin Place, has prompted a swift response from emergency services and animal control authorities. One person is currently fighting for their life, while two others sustained serious and minor injuries, respectively.

Emergency services were alerted to the attack around 2:45 PM local time. Upon arrival, paramedics attended to a woman at the scene, while another individual was transported to hospital via ambulance. Acting Superintendent Ash Tabb, Christchurch Metro acting area commander, confirmed that two dogs were restrained by animal control officers and have been impounded. “There is no ongoing risk to the public and a scene examination will be carried out,” Tabb stated. This incident underscores the potential dangers of dog attacks and the importance of responsible pet ownership.

Details of the Incident

Hato Hone St John reported that three individuals were injured in the attack. Two were taken to Christchurch Hospital – one in critical condition and another with serious injuries. The third person received treatment for minor injuries at the scene. A total of three ambulances, two rapid response units, and one manager were dispatched to respond to the emergency.

The Christchurch City Council confirmed that its Animal Management Officers responded to the attack and have taken the dogs into their care. A spokesperson for the council stated that police are leading the investigation and any further inquiries should be directed to them. Fire and Emergency New Zealand likewise assisted St John with the medical incident, sending one fire engine from Ilam to the scene.

Recent Dog Attack Incidents in New Zealand

This attack comes during a period of heightened concern regarding dog attacks in New Zealand. Just this week, a 62-year-old woman, Mihiata Te Rore, was fatally attacked by dogs in Kaihu, Northland. RNZ News reports that Te Rore is the fourth person in New Zealand to be killed by dogs in the last four years. Previous fatal attacks occurred in 2023, with Elizabeth Whittaker losing her life, and in 2022, when Neville Thomson was killed. A four-year-old boy also died in a dog attack in the Bay of Plenty last year.

The increasing number of serious and fatal dog attacks has sparked renewed debate about dog control legislation and responsible dog ownership practices across the country. Authorities are urging the public to be vigilant and report any concerns about dangerous dogs to the appropriate authorities.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the Bryndwr attack, and a scene examination is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further updates will be provided as they develop into available. The focus remains on supporting the victims and ensuring the safety of the community.

What comes next is a thorough investigation by police and animal control to determine the breed of the dogs involved, their history, and the factors that contributed to this tragic event. The outcome of this investigation will likely inform future discussions about dog control policies and public safety measures.

We encourage readers to share their thoughts and experiences in the comments below. If you or someone you know has been affected by a dog attack, please reach out for support.

Westpac has become the first of New Zealand’s major banks to lower its fixed-term home loan rates, responding to the Reserve Bank’s decision earlier this week to hold the Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 2.25 percent. The cuts, announced Friday, apply to three-, four- and five-year fixed mortgages.

The bank’s three-year special fixed rate will fall to 4.99 percent, the only advertised rate below 5 percent among the country’s five largest banks as of Friday afternoon, according to Westpac. Four- and five-year fixed special rates will decrease by 0.20 percentage points, to 5.19 percent and 5.29 percent respectively. The new rates take effect Monday, February 23.

The move follows Wednesday’s OCR decision by Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman to maintain the current rate, a move widely anticipated by the market. While the Reserve Bank held steady this week, it signaled a potential shift in its outlook, indicating it now expects to commence raising interest rates sooner than previously forecast – potentially as early as December 2026. Though, the bank also indicated that any increases would be gradual.

The Reserve Bank’s revised projections led to a decline in wholesale markets, suggesting investors had previously priced in a more aggressive tightening cycle. Commentators suggest Westpac’s rate cuts could provide some relief to borrowers and potentially halt the recent trend of increasing home loan rates.

ASB economists are advising borrowers to carefully consider their options in the current environment. “With so much going on, it is an critical time to have a mortgage plan,” they said. They noted that shorter-term rates have experienced the most significant declines from their peak levels, with floating, six-month and one-year terms all down to 2.9 percent.

However, ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown cautioned that rates are likely to rise over the next few years. “The timing of when they’ll go up is the uncertain bit and that just depends on if inflation cools quick enough for the Reserve Bank to be comfortable on the sidelines for this year or they need to act earlier or swifter than their forecasts imply.”

Tennent-Brown suggested that a strategy of fixing mortgages for one-year terms has historically proven to be the most cost-effective approach over time, but acknowledged this could change depending on future economic conditions. He highlighted the value of splitting mortgages across different terms – one, two, and three years – to balance certainty with flexibility.

“There’s still a lot of value in strategies like splitting mortgages over one, two and three years,” Tennent-Brown said. “It still comes back to that story of balancing up people’s needs for certainty because you can get a lot of certainty now for historically low prices.” He anticipates one-year rates could rise to the early 5 percent range, with two-year rates increasing slightly higher.

“Clearly the low point in rates is at best here and likely behind us. So you just need to operate out, what are your needs for flexibility and what are the considerable risks for you?” Tennent-Brown added. “If I had a lot of debt and I couldn’t deal with rates getting too much higher, there’s a lot of value in those longer-term rates.”

The rise of social media has created a new economic landscape, and with it, a complex set of tax obligations for content creators. From micro-influencers with a few thousand followers to those with hundreds of thousands, individuals earning income through platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are navigating the same tax rules as any other self-employed business owner. But determining what constitutes a legitimate business expense – and what doesn’t – can be a significant challenge when your “office” is also your life.

Understanding the tax implications of influencer income is becoming increasingly important, not just for the creators themselves, but also for tax authorities. Recent data suggests a substantial amount of revenue is generated within this sector. According to figures based on the 2023 census, influencers in New Zealand alone are collectively paying up to $50 million in tax annually, a figure that is expected to grow as the industry expands as reported by RNZ.

The Blurring Lines of Business and Personal Expenses

Emily Holdaway, known online as Officially Em, highlights the daily accounting struggle faced by many influencers. Holdaway, who transitioned from blogging and influencing to offering social media workshops, explained she’s constantly evaluating whether an expenditure is a business cost or simply a part of everyday life. “My computer, my phone, and then we have a percentage of our living expenses that we’re allowed to claim based on the floor area ratio of our office space compared to our house space,” she said, outlining her approach to claiming legitimate business expenses.

However, the line becomes blurred when it comes to activities that blend personal life with content creation. Holdaway doesn’t claim costs for food or clothing, but acknowledges others may. She does, however, claim expenses related to events or content creation opportunities. “If I’m going out and getting lunch and sharing that I went to McDonalds I’m not going to claim that because it’s still part of your everyday living. But if I have an event where I’m getting together with a whole heap of people within the community then it’s a business expense.” The core question, she notes, is whether the activity is directly tied to generating income.

What Expenses Can Influencers Claim?

Generally, self-employed individuals can deduct legitimate business costs from their taxable income. According to experts, common deductible expenses for influencers include home office costs, travel related to work, music licensing fees, and the cost of giveaways. Inland Revenue confirms that expenses can be claimed even if they exceed income, provided there’s a clear intention to generate a profit.

Hnry chief executive James Fuller emphasized that generating revenue, even from seemingly casual content, triggers tax obligations. “It can be quite tricky to work out, you know, actually is this my life? Am I being paid for being in business or am I being paid for being on social media? But, you know, in the eyes of IRD, it’s very clear that if you’re if you’re generating revenue from it, then it is a taxable activity and therefore you are in business and you have all of the opportunities that come from being in business when it comes to expenses, tax management, those sorts of things.”

The Importance of Intent and Record-Keeping

Deloitte tax partner Robyn Walker cautions that small-scale social media activity may be considered a hobby if there’s no clear profit motive. However, she notes that a threshold exists where activity must be treated as a business. Crucially, expenses claimed must have a direct connection to income-earning activities. She warns about the implications of ceasing content creation after claiming deductions for assets like phones or cameras, potentially requiring tax adjustments.

The Inland Revenue department clarifies that monetized content generating regular income from subscribers or platforms is considered taxable. This underscores the importance of meticulous record-keeping and a clear understanding of tax obligations for anyone earning income through content creation.

As the influencer landscape continues to evolve, staying informed about tax regulations is crucial for both creators and the authorities. The ongoing growth of this sector suggests that the conversation around influencer taxation will only become more prominent in the years to come.

Share your thoughts on the challenges of influencer taxation in the comments below.

Northland, New Zealand is reeling after a 62-year-old woman, Mihiata Te Rore, was killed by three dogs in Kaihū on Tuesday, prompting renewed calls for urgent action on dog control laws and increased funding for desexing programs. The tragedy, the fourth fatal dog attack nationwide and the third in the Northland region in the last four years, has ignited a debate over the effectiveness of current legislation and the responsibility of local authorities.

The SPCA is leading the charge for change, advocating for a comprehensive overhaul of the Dog Control Act 1996, which they say is “hopelessly out of date.” The organization has been campaigning for a review of the Act for over a decade, and is now urging the government to reinstate funding specifically earmarked for the desexing of menacing and roaming dogs. This comes as concerns grow over a rising population of unmanaged dogs and inconsistent responses from local councils to reported incidents.

According to reports, Kaipara District Council’s animal management team had received four complaints regarding the dogs involved in the attack since November of last year. They visited the property twice in February, but were unable to speak with the owner or take the dogs into their care. The incident has raised questions about the council’s ability to effectively enforce existing regulations and the limitations of their authority.

Calls for National Standards and Increased Funding

SPCA senior science officer Alison Vaughan emphasized the need for a nationally standardized approach to dog control. “What we really need right now is leadership from central government so we can get standardised national guidelines, so we can get more funding to address desexing of menacing and roaming dogs, because right now this population is continuing to grow,” she stated. Vaughan highlighted the lack of consistency in how different local governments respond to dog attacks, arguing that a unified national framework is crucial for effective prevention. RNZ reports that the SPCA believes increased funding for desexing programs is a key component of a sustainable solution.

Minister for Local Government Simon Watts has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and stated he is seeking urgent advice on dangerous dogs. The Minister’s response follows growing public pressure and calls for action from Northland MP Grant McCallum, who is seeking a meeting with Northland’s district mayors and Minister Watts to discuss dog control measures, according to the Northern Advocate.

Differing Views on Addressing the Issue

The tragedy has also sparked debate about the appropriate response to dangerous dogs. Cabinet minister Shane Jones suggested a more forceful approach, referencing a past practice of shooting dangerous dogs, stating that his father’s generation would “just shoot them.” However, Vaughan cautioned against indiscriminate culling, citing evidence from overseas that suggests it is not a sustainable solution. “We do know from overseas examples that indiscriminate culling of roaming dogs doesn’t find a sustainable solution, so it may reduce numbers temporarily, but if we don’t address the irresponsible breeding and roaming, we will see population quickly rebound,” she explained.

Police have confirmed that the three dogs involved in the attack are currently in the care of animal management. Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer stated that the investigation is in its early stages and focused on establishing the facts of the case. Police are also appealing to the Kaihū community for information regarding roaming dogs in the area, as reported by 1News.

The death of Mihiata Te Rore has deeply affected the Kaihū community, with neighbors expressing concerns about previous incidents involving roaming dogs. Waatea News reports that locals had raised concerns about dogs roaming freely and chasing people in the area prior to the fatal attack.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on preventing future tragedies and ensuring the safety of communities across New Zealand. The SPCA’s call for a comprehensive review of dog control laws and increased funding for desexing programs is likely to be a central point of discussion in the coming weeks. The government’s response to these calls will be closely watched as stakeholders seek a long-term solution to the issue of dangerous dogs.

What comes next will depend on the outcome of Minister Watts’ urgent review and the government’s willingness to address the SPCA’s concerns. The community awaits further updates and a clear plan of action to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Share your thoughts in the comments below.