Several youths have been brought down off the roof of a youth justice facility in Auckland after spending the night there amid ongoing negotiations.
The youths climbed on to the roof at the Korowai Manaaki Rangatahi youth justice residence in Wiri 23 hours ago, with a torrent of water later seen blasting into the air from the roof and damage to the structure spotted yesterday afternoon.
“Oranga Tamariki can confirm all of the youths involved in the incident at the Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence overnight and this morning have been brought down safely”, youth justice services and residential care deputy chief executive Dean Winter said this afternoon.
The young people were reportedly contained in the facility during the standoff and no risk to public safety was identified.
“Those involved in this incident are either in secure care within the residence, or have been taken off site by police.”
Winter thanked police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand for their support in resolving the “dynamic and challenging situation” and acknowledged the work of staff on-site.
“We will work with police to determine the extent of any further offending by these young people during the incident, and an operational review will be undertaken to determine how this incident happened.”
Minister for Children Karen Chhour also thanked the staff involved in the multi-agency effort.
“The efforts and professional co-ordination of the people on the ground have allowed for an effective and efficient handling of the situation. You have all done an excellent job,” she said.
“The facility and everyone responding did exactly what they needed to do. This was a job well done and I am proud of the way it was handled.”
Bits of corrugated iron and insulation had been ripped from the roof during the standoff, a person near the scene on Kiwi Tamaki Rd told the Herald yesterday.
Winter confirmed day-to-day operations have continued and the extent of the damage is being assessed.
Several young people had “gained access to the roof” of the residence, Winter said yesterday.
He also confirmed there’d been “some damage to the residence during this incident”.
A cherry picker was also seen at the facility in the South Auckland suburb yesterday.
In July 2023, several young people refused to come down off the same roof until Oranga Tamariki (OT) met a number of their demands.
OT deputy chief executive Tusha Penny told the AM Show at the time the situation had been resolved when food was brought in for the group.
“We did give them takeaways. So they got KFC and McDonald’s to come down. But like I said, we got them down safely after that period of time,” she said.
The group had remained on the roof for 30 hours in a tense standoff with authorities.
The next year another group of youngsters spent a night on the facility’s roof, with the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying at the time authorities wouldn’t cave to the group’s demands.
An NZME photographer at the site had earlier heard them demanding fast food, cigarettes and a getaway car.
The group were audibly demanding five large Big Mac combos from McDonald’s, cigarettes and a vehicle.
Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast at the time that authorities were doing a good job trying to get the group down.
“No, they’re not coming down for KFC,” Luxon said, referencing bargaining chips offered to youths at the same facility in July the previous year, and at the Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo youth justice facility near Christchurch.
Iain Chapman, OT acting deputy chief executive youth justice services and residential care, told the Herald staff were engaging with the youths alongside police to bring them down safely.
While the NZME photographer had heard the demands shouted from the rooftop, the group had not made any requests directly to OT.
“We can confirm the young people have made no requests or demands to our staff on site and there are no concerns for public safety.”