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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Rishworth doorstop interview at the Derwent Valley Community House in New Norfolk, Tasmania

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    E&OE TRANSCRIPT

    Topics: Investment in Australia’s neighbourhood houses and community centres; ABC Four Corners child care investigation.

    AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: I’m so pleased to be here at Derwent Valley Community House to make a really important announcement that the Commonwealth Government will partner with neighbourhood houses and community centres across Australia to deliver funding for their priorities. This announcement will be close to a $1 million and deliver small grants to up to 50 projects delivered by neighbourhood houses and community centres through the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association. This is a really good partnership. We have been investing through our Strong and Resilient Communities grants in neighbourhood houses directly. But this is the first time that we’ll partner with the national association to deliver small grants across the country. Of course, here in Tasmania, there is a very strong network of neighbourhood houses and community centres, and they’ve demonstrated that they do a lot with a small amount of money. So, I’m really pleased to be announcing this partnership today, and happy to take any questions.

    JOURNALIST: So, what’s the value of these individual grants?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Individual grants will be up to $15,000 to do a variety of things under the SARC (Strong and Resilient Communities) grant guidelines. It’s really about building community connections, particularly for those people that may be isolated, disengaged, disconnected. There’s often a focus on youth or newly arrived migrants. But ultimately, the types of ideas will come from the centres themselves, and they’ll be able to put an application into the association to get that funding.

    JOURNALIST: You spoke about a lack of volunteers before over the past few years. Can you go into a little bit of that?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: COVID, in particular, disrupted volunteering across the country. We have been working hard with Volunteering Australia to build that back up. So we have put in place a National Strategy for Volunteering, along with an action plan. I’ve also been working with the peak associations in all states and territories to make sure that we’re providing funding for them to look at groups that may have been excluded from volunteering in the past. And we’re actually also running a new national campaign encouraging young people to look at volunteering. It’s called Hanging Out to Help Out. So these are really important elements to encourage volunteering. But I would say that we are seeing some green shoots of this investment. We are seeing, anecdotally, volunteers coming back and wanting to play a role, and speaking with the volunteers at this neighbourhood centre, hearing that they want to give back to the community is really heartening. And we’ve also heard, of course, the connections that are made through volunteering and being part of a community.

    JOURNALIST: Of those 50 community houses that you mentioned before. Are they predetermined or are applications open?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: We are providing the funding to the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association to take applications and deliver that money. They are best placed and have the experience to do this. They have run a similar program with philanthropic money so they know how to do this. So we’re partnering with the national association to administer those ones.

    JOURNALIST: And is there a state by state allocation or is it first in best dressed?

    KEIR PATERSON, CEO OF NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSES VICTORIA: We will assess all the applications, and they will be granted on the merit of the application. But we also look at the geographical spread to make sure it’s equitable state by state.

    JOURNALIST: Do you know how many are based in Tasmania compared to other states?

    MICHELLE EWINGTON, PRESIDENT OF NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSES TASMANIA: So here in Tasmania, we have 35 neighbourhood houses that are funded through a variety of means. We’re very lucky to have state government funding and a commitment to such valuable and vital services.

    JOURNALIST: Is there a part of Tasmania that really takes up a lot of those 35 services, or how are they spread out?

    MICHELLE EWINGTON: They are dispersed right around the state. Each of them have their own diverse communities that they work with. They listen to the needs of communities. They fill the gaps for vital services that are required across the state, and each of those will have a great interest in applying for specific project funding as a result of this grant.

    JOURNALIST: You really rely on this funding. This 15K – is it enough?

    MICHELLE EWINGTON: Funding is essential to keep our services alive. We have such loyal staff in these organisations that stretch themselves immensely to actually deliver on the much-needed services for each community. So whilst these grants are going to be very useful and of interest, the continued funding for such important services, having been here today listening to the stories of this great house itself, the experiences of the volunteers here, the more funding that can be provided to houses right across the country, but particularly here in Tasmania, it’s essential.

    JOURNALIST: What types of programs are being offered?

    MICHELLE EWINGTON: Across the state there’s a diverse range of programs, from supporting people with learning to drive and mentor programs to offering social inclusion activities. Here we have a program called Happy Hookers Crochet Club. We offer cooking classes across the state. We bring services in so that they can meet the community where the community is. Community connectors is an important role that actually allows those that are vulnerable, those who may not have the skills, those who might not have the confidence, to approach the relevant services and get the referrals they need.

    JOURNALIST: So for people coming through the door, what are some of the challenges that they’re facing?

    MICHELLE EWINGTON: The challenges that communities face again are complex. The cost of living – we see that every day. Things like our food relief programs, the increased need for those. When we think about isolation and loneliness and the impact on communities, again, another important need addressed by our houses. There are a number of other skill building programs which might not be accessible to people through other means, and so neighbourhood houses fill a vital space in our communities and in amongst government services.

    JOURNALIST: Have you seen a change in the community needs post COVID?

    MICHELLE EWINGTON: I think the change is pretty evident in in terms of the common themes that have come through – cost of living, impacts on mental health, loneliness, concerns about health access, housing. All of the things that we know are big ticket items. At a grassroots level, the neighborhood houses are the places where we hear this, where we learn this, and where we support this.

    JOURNALIST: There are calls for an urgent inquiry into the childcare sector, following a Four Corners expose into abuse, sexual misconduct and neglect. Would you support an inquiry, and in what form?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: First, I would say that our Government has taken the safety and quality of early learning and care incredibly seriously. In fact, it was Labor that introduced the National Quality Framework, which has done really important work in ensuring that we’re lifting the quality and safety of our early learning sector. But in addition, Minister Clare and Minister Aly commissioned an important report around child safety requirements under the National Quality Framework, and all Education Ministers have agreed to implement those recommendations. So the work really is working across the board with all states and territories to implement these recommendations. I would say that the majority of early childhood education settings and the workers that work in there do the right thing. For those that are not doing the right thing, there needs to be swift action.

    JOURNALIST: And do you think there is swift action at the moment?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well as I said, predominantly the regulatory enforcement does come down to states and territories. However, as I said, Minister Clare and Minister Aly have worked and commissioned a review into child safety. There are now recommendations that all Education Ministers have agreed to. It’s important that those recommendations are implemented.

    JOURNALIST: The sector’s propped up by $14 billion in Federal funding, and there have been increased incidents and breaches in every state. What are you doing to prevent money for educators’ pay rises just going to the profits of centres?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, let’s be really clear if, if educators and centres sign up for the pay increases, they have to deliver those through pay increases. The program that involves funding educators’ wages must be given to educators. That’s first and foremost. Secondly, we are driving improvement in this sector. It was neglected under the previous Government, who, in fact, opposed the introduction of the National Quality Framework. So it is important that we continue to work with our state and territory colleagues who are responsible for implementing it, but I want to see, importantly, action taken where we see quality improving and safety being lifted.

    JOURNALIST: Given the systemic failures and serious breaches in childcare uncovered by Four Corners, does the Federal Government need to take over regulation to ensure children’s safety?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, we think that there is an important role to be played by both state and territory governments and the Commonwealth. It is a joint responsibility around the National Quality Framework. We have been working hard, as I said, through the Education Ministers, to do a review through the National Quality Framework to ensure that child safety is reviewed, and it’s a responsibility for states and territories, along with the Commonwealth, to deliver this.

    JOURNALIST: I guess, circling back to that first point, on calls for inquiry. Should there be one? Have you seen the reports from Monday on Four Corners?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: Of course, child safety has to be at the forefront at all times. And as I said, this has been something that Minister Aly and Minister Clare have had as a real focus. That’s why they commissioned the review. That’s why they’ve taken the recommendations to the Education Ministers, and that’s why they are focused on implementation. We need to ensure that the implementation of these recommendations are made. That’s critically important, and we’ll keep working with states and territories to ensure that happens.

    JOURNALIST: But no fresh inquiry?

    AMANDA RISHWORTH: There was a review done in 2003 after a decade of neglect by the previous Government. There are recommendations made. It is now down to implementing them.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Here’s what’s different about Slinda, the single-hormone contraceptive just added to the PBS

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University

    areeya_ann/Shutterstock

    From May 1, the oral contraceptive Slinda (drospirerone) will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). This means the price will drop for the more than 100,000 Australian women who currently use it – from around $A320 a year to around $94.

    It’s the third contraceptive pill the federal government has added to the PBS this year, after Yaz and Yasmine. But these two are combined oral contraceptives – meaning they contain both the hormones oestrogen and progestogen – whereas Slinda is progestogen-only.

    So, Slinda is a little bit different – here’s how it works and what it will cost.

    What is Slinda and how does it work?

    Oral contraceptive pills contain active ingredients based on the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone to prevent pregnancy.

    Contraceptive pills with both hormones are known as combined-contraceptive pills. Progesterone only pills are often referred to as mini-pills.

    The active ingredient in Slinda is a progestogen, which is a synthetic derivative of progesterone, which makes the medication a mini-pill.

    Slinda works by stopping ovulation (the ovary doesn’t release an egg) and making the mucus in the cervix thicker so sperm cannot get into the uterus from the vagina.

    Both combined contraceptive pills and mini pills effectively prevent pregnancy, but their suitability varies for different women. Mini-pills, including Slinda, can be 99% effective if used perfectly – but with typical day-to-day use, they provide only around 93% protection.

    Who will find Slinda useful?

    Slinda may be a particularly beneficial alternative for people who can’t use contraceptives containing oestrogen.

    This may include women who are older, overweight, or prone to migraines. This is because oestrogen is known to increase the risk of blood clots which lead to deep vein thrombosis – already a higher risk for older and overweight women.

    Similarly, combined pills containing oestrogen aren’t appropriate for those who’ve had a baby in the last 21 days or are breastfeeding. Lower levels of oestrogen are needed in a woman’s body post-birth as it stimulates prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. Taking an oestrogen-based pill can potentially interfere with that.

    Slinda can be taken at any time after childbirth, including while breastfeeding, and generally remains a safer option for people with a history of blood clots or migraines.

    Slinda also has advantages over other, older generations of progestogen-based contraceptive pills. Mini-pills such as Microlut and Noriday have no pill-free days, whichs means if a woman misses taking the pill by even a few hours it can increase her chance of becoming pregnant.

    The pill-free window for Slinda is 24 hours. This means if you are less than 24 hours late it’s considered a late pill, not a missed pill. If you take the late pill as soon as you remember, and then the next pill at the normal time, you should have effective protection from unwanted pregnancy.

    Slinda has a 24-hour ‘missed pill’ window.
    SeventyFour/Shutterstock

    What are the risks or potential side effects?

    The potential side effects for Slinda are similar to other contraceptive pills. Women may find that their period may stop altogether, or they may experience bleeding irregularities or spotting, as well as breast tenderness.

    It is not currently recommended for those with breast cancer, unexplained vaginal bleeding, or severe liver disease, in line with recommendations for all mini-pills.

    The pill may also not work effectively if it’s not taken correctly every day, or if it is taken with other drugs, such as the anti-viral ritonavir and anti-seizure medication phenytoin.

    If a woman is suffering from vomiting or severe diarrhoea, Slinda may not be effective and she should use back-up contraception such as condoms.

    There are other progesterone-only contraceptive options available on the PBS, such as levonorgestrel pills and implants, including the intrauterine devices, Mirena and Kyleena.

    Why was Slinda added to the PBS?

    Slinda has been available in Australia since at least 2004, but not at a subsidised price.

    In November 2024, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommended Slinda’s listing on the PBS. The committee cited several reasons, including advice from doctors, the need to provide women with more contraceptive options and Slinda’s longer pill-free window.

    At a stakeholder meeting in October 2024, doctors stressed the need for more choice for women, when choosing a pill.

    They highlighted women starting an oral contraceptive pill for the first time will often first use PBS-subsidised medications, even though a non-PBS product may be more suitable for them. Slinda’s listing makes it a more accessible first choice for women.

    As Slinda is a prescription-only medication, if you wish to change pills or start on the drug you will need to consult your doctor. If you do change, from May 1 and based on similar PBS medications, you can expect to pay around $31 for a four-month supply.

    Nial Wheate in the past has received funding from the ACT Cancer Council, Tenovus Scotland, Medical Research Scotland, Scottish Crucible, and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Nial is the chief scientific officer of Vaihea Skincare LLC, a director of SetDose Pty Ltd (a medical device company) and was previously a Standards Australia panel member for sunscreen agents. Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design, and testing.

    Jasmine Lee and Shoohb Alassadi do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Here’s what’s different about Slinda, the single-hormone contraceptive just added to the PBS – https://theconversation.com/heres-whats-different-about-slinda-the-single-hormone-contraceptive-just-added-to-the-pbs-252385

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Miramar incident: Injured man dies in hospital

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attribute to Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard:

    A man who was found critically injured on a roadside in Miramar, Wellington has died in hospital this morning, with Police opening an unexplained death investigation.

    The man was found critically injured on a footpath about 2.20am on Monday, at the intersection of Camperdown Road and Totora Road. It was the second serious incident, following the burglary of a Darlington Road address at 2am, where two adults found a stranger in their home.

    After being confronted and fighting with one of the occupants the intruder fled. It was when Police were carrying out area enquiries that officers came across the injured and unconscious man, a short distance from his vehicle.

    Parallel investigations are under way into both incidents and Police are still working to determine if there is any link between the two.

    Sightings of the victim

    We would like to hear from anybody who walked or drove in the area near Camperdown Road and Totora Road between 12.30am and 2.30am on Monday. You may not think you have anything to contribute, but we would like to know what you may have seen, or view any dashcam footage.

    Public appeal

    We ask that residents in Darlington Road, Totara Road and Camperdown Road, particularly the block north of Camperdown Road, to check their properties for any missing clothing from clotheslines or missing footwear or other items. We also want to hear from anyone who locates any discarded items of property on their sections.

    Investigators also want to hear of any sightings of any suspicious persons in this area between 12.30am and 2.30am on Monday, or from anyone with CCTV footage. We are particularly interested in any sightings of a man wearing a white cap, shorts and gumboots.

    Police would also like to hear of any suspicious activity or people prowling in the area over the last couple of weeks, including any previously unreported thefts from properties or vehicles since early March.

    Enquiries ongoing

    Police are still completing scene examinations and will be visiting properties to ask residents if they saw anything of relevance to the investigation and whether they have CCTV footage.

    At this stage it has not been established if there is a connection between the intruder and the deceased, but that is a focus of the investigation.

    While we are still piecing the events of Monday morning together, Police can confirm the intruder was unknown to the occupants of the property that he broke into. They do not know him, and do not know why he was in their house.

    We know these events will cause concern in the community and we are working hard to answer the many questions around Monday morning’s incidents. Police are carrying out reassurance patrols in the Miramar area and this will continue over the coming days.

    If you can help

    If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 250317/6324, or reference Operation Celtic.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. 

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ATO releases new small business benchmarks for 100 industries

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released a new set of updated financial benchmarks to help small business owners take the pulse of their business.

    Updated annually, the ATO’s benchmarks act as a health check, allowing small business owners to compare their performance including average expenses against other businesses in the same industry.

    Quotes attributable to ATO Assistant Commissioner Tony Goding:

    ‘The benchmarks are a valuable tool for small businesses wanting to stay in good financial health.’

    ‘Think of our benchmarks like a routine test you take with your GP each year. These can help small businesses diagnose their strengths or spot the early warning signs.’

    ‘Whether you’re running a pizza shop, pet store or a plumbing business, the benchmarks can help you see how your business stacks up.’

    ‘If your numbers are outside of the benchmark range compared to others in your industry it may be time for a closer look at your business plan.’

    ‘Businesses that remain within industry benchmarks are generally less likely to attract the ATO’s attention.’

    ‘While we never use the benchmarks in isolation, small businesses who fall outside the ATO’s benchmarks are more likely to trigger a closer examination from us to identify if they are making mistakes or deliberately doing the wrong thing.’

    The ATO takes non-compliance with tax seriously. Small businesses avoiding their tax obligations are participating in the shadow economy which puts pressure on Australians who are doing the right thing.

    Deliberate shadow economy behaviours contribute nearly 60% of the gross small business income tax gap or around $11.2 billion per annum in missing tax. Approximately $8.9 billion of this is associated with under reporting of income and over claiming of deductions.

    ‘The benchmarks are just one of the tools we use to tackle the shadow economy, along with community tip-offs and data matching.’

    ‘It’s all about levelling the playing field for honest businesses who are being undercut by their dishonest competitors that aren’t paying the tax they’re supposed to,’ Mr Goding added.

    The benchmarks cover 100 industries and over 2 million small businesses around the country. The industries include:

    • Accommodation and food
    • Building and construction trade services
    • Education, training, recreation and support services
    • Health care and personal services
    • Manufacturing
    • Other services
    • Professional, scientific and technical services
    • Retail trade
    • Transport, postal and warehousing.

    Small business owners who need help understanding how to improve their business performance can consult a business adviser or registered tax professional. The ATO’s online learning platform Essentials to strengthen your small businessExternal Link can support small business owners to prepare for these conversations, as well as further understand their tax and super obligations.

    The benchmarks are accessible on the ATO website and via the ATO app business performance check tool. The key benchmark ratios can also be downloaded from data.gov.au.

    Example

    The below example shows a small business using the ATO benchmarks to compare its performance to similar businesses in the same industry.

    Anna’s pizza shop

    Anna operates a pizza shop as a sole trader. Anna wants to know how her business compares to her competitors and how she can improve her business.

    Anna searches online for ‘pizza shop benchmarks’ and finds the ATO small business benchmarks. She follows the instructions to download the ATO app. Then, she goes to the business performance check tool.

    Anna enters her details into the business performance check tool. She learns the key ratio of cost of sales to turnover for her shop is 44%.

    While this is within the range for businesses in her industry with a turnover of $550,300, Anna sees that the range for cost of sales starts at 37%. She realises some of her competitors have lower cost of sales.

    Anna looked at other suppliers in the market and got a better deal to reduce her business’s expenses and improve profits.

    Notes to journalists

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Vacancy fee return for foreign owners

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    What is a vacancy fee return

    A vacancy fee return is an online form that you lodge using Online services for foreign investors once a year while you own the residential property.

    The information required includes how many days in a vacancy year your property was occupied, that is:

    • occupied by the owner living in the property
    • rented by a tenant
    • made genuinely available for rent.

    You or your representative must lodge the vacancy fee return within 30 days from the end of each vacancy year using Online services for foreign investors.

    How a vacancy fee applies to you

    A vacancy fee is a fee that you pay when your residential property is vacant for 183 days (6 months) or more in one vacancy year. By living in the dwelling or making it available for rent, you may not need to pay the fee.

    Note: Established dwellings purchased as a principal place of residence cannot be rented or leased. The property needs to be genuinely occupied by foreign owners or their family members.

    You may need to pay a vacancy fee if your residential dwelling is not:

    • residentially occupied
    • genuinely available on the rental market
    • rented out for 183 or more days (6 months) in a 12-month period.

    A vacancy fee may also apply if the vacancy fee return is not lodged by the due date.

    More information on residential land and the vacancy fee are available at the Foreign InvestmentExternal Link website.

    When do you pay the vacancy fee

    When you lodge your vacancy fee return, the confirmation page will tell you if you are liable to pay a vacancy fee and the amount you need to pay. You can pay the fee when lodging the return or within 30 days of lodging the vacancy fee return.

    The vacancy fee is based on the fee amount you paid when you submitted the foreign investment application.

    After you’ve lodged we will email you a notice of liability of the vacancy fee payable that includes the following:

    • information on the reason we are charging you this fee
    • the fee amount payable
    • payment details
    • the due date.

    It is important you use the correct payment reference number (PRN) when making a payment.

    Changes to legislation mean that for vacancy years that start from 9 April 2024, the vacancy fee will be double the foreign investment application fee. This applies for all residential properties that are within scope of vacancy fee.

    Example: calculating the vacancy fee

    Myeong purchased a newly developed townhouse for $850,000 as an investment property in Geelong. Myeong paid a foreign investment application fee $13,200 and settlement occurred on 1 August 2022. Each year in August, Myeong is required to lodge a vacancy fee return.

    If Myeong is liable for a vacancy fee, for:

    • the vacancy years 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023 and 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024, the fee would be the same as the foreign investment application fee of $13,200
    • the vacancy year 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025, the vacancy fee will be double the foreign investment application fee. The vacancy fee will therefore be $26,400

    End of example

    If you acquired the dwelling under a New or near-new dwelling exemption certificate held by a developer, the vacancy fee payable will be based on what the foreign investment application fee would have been for the dwelling had the exemption certificate not been in place.

    If the application fee was waived, the vacancy fee is based on the lowest foreign investment application fee that would have been payable.

    In the case of joint tenants, only one vacancy fee will be payable. For tenants in common, the fee payable will be based on the foreign investment application fee that was payable by each individual tenant.

    For more information on fees, see Residential fees for a foreign person.

    Who must lodge a vacancy fee return

    You must lodge a vacancy fee return if you:

    The vacancy fee may also apply where a foreign person failed to submit a foreign investment application but purchased a residential property before 9 May 2017.

    Joint owners or multiple dwellings

    If the dwelling is owned by 2 or more people as joint tenants, you only need to lodge one vacancy fee return.

    If you own a share of a dwelling as a tenant in common, you must each lodge a vacancy fee return.

    When multiple dwellings are constructed on the land, you must lodge a vacancy fee return for each new dwelling constructed.

    When you are not required to lodge a vacancy fee return

    You are not required to lodge a vacancy fee return but are required to update your details if any of the following occur during a vacancy year:

    • the dwelling is sold or otherwise legally transferred (including if the owner dies)
    • you are no longer a foreign investor.

    You do not have to lodge a vacancy fee return if you own vacant land and a dwelling has not yet been constructed on the land. You must lodge a vacancy fee return once a dwelling has been constructed and for each new dwelling constructed.

    If any other changes occur, such as changes to your foreign person status or property, you can update your details.

    More information about conveyancers, real estate agents and other persons charging a fee for services is available the Tax Practitioners BoardExternal Link website.

    You should direct any questions relating to tax agent services to the Tax Practitioners BoardExternal Link.

    When to lodge a vacancy fee return

    Lodge your vacancy fee return within 30 days at the end of each vacancy year.

    The first day of the 30-day period is the day following the last day of the vacancy year.

    Email reminder to lodge

    We generally email you a reminder to lodge your vacancy fee return if your details are up to date on Online services for foreign investorsExternal Link.

    What is the vacancy year

    In applying the vacancy fee rules, a vacancy year is each successive period of 12 months starting on the occupation day for the dwelling during which you have continuously held an interest in the dwelling.

    A vacancy year is unique to each dwelling held by you. It is not a calendar year or a financial year.

    What is occupation day

    The occupation day is the first day you have the right to occupy the dwelling. This will typically be the:

    • settlement day for an established dwelling
    • day on which a fitness for occupancy certificate for a new dwelling was issued.

    When construction of a dwelling has been completed you will need to contact us with the occupancy date before you can lodge a vacancy fee return, see Troubleshooting Online services for foreign investors.

    Example: working out the vacancy year

    Edmond is a foreign person who purchased an apartment that settled on 5 October 2022. As this was the date the apartment could be lived in, the occupancy date for the apartment is 5 October 2022.

    As long as Edmond is the owner of the property and is a foreign person, he is required to lodge a vacancy fee return for each vacancy year.

    The vacancy year starts from the occupancy date for the apartment. For Edmond, the first vacancy year is 5 October 2022 to 4 October 2023.

    Edmond must lodge his first vacancy fee return by 3 November 2023. This is the date that is 30 days after his vacancy fee year ended on 4 October 2023.

    His vacancy year for each subsequent year is 5 October to 4 October.

    End of example

    When is a dwelling residentially occupied

    A dwelling is considered residentially occupied if any of these situations last for at least 183 days in a vacancy year:

    • The owner or a relative of the owner genuinely occupied the dwelling as a residence.
    • The dwelling was genuinely occupied as a residence subject to lease or license for minimum terms of 30 days.
    • The dwelling was made genuinely available as a residence on the rental market (with minimum terms of 30 days).

    Residential occupancy of at least 183 days does not need to be one continuous block of time. Residential occupancy can be made up of multiple continuous periods of at least 30 days throughout the vacancy year.

    If a dwelling is made available for a short-term lease of less than 30 days (including via web-based stay sites) it is not residentially occupied. These dwellings are liable for a vacancy fee.

    We consider a dwelling genuinely available for occupation as a residence (with a term of 30 days or more) if it is:

    • made available on the rental market
    • advertised publicly
    • available at a market rent.

    You may need to provide supporting evidence to prove a dwelling was residentially occupied during a vacancy year. For example, if you are requesting a fee waiver on the basis that the dwelling was occupied.

    How to lodge a vacancy fee return

    You should lodge a vacancy fee return using Online services for foreign investors. Select either:

    • Lodgments then Vacancy fee return
    • Lodge or pay vacancy fee return quick link.

    If the occupancy date is not listed on your asset in Online services for foreign investors, you will need to contact us with the date, see Troubleshooting Online services for foreign investors.

    For further details on how to lodge your return and pay the vacancy fee, see Lodge a vacancy fee return.

    Log in to Online services for foreign investors

    From July 2023 when you register a residential dwelling, you will receive an asset identification number (asset ID), previously known as a land registration number.

    If you:

    • received a vacancy fee reminder from us, the number will be in the email
    • have not received a vacancy fee reminder, you may need to register your asset first in Online services for foreign investors to receive an asset ID.

    Vacancy fee exemptions

    You do not pay a vacancy fee if you can show that your dwelling was incapable of being occupied as a residence for at least 183 days in a vacancy year. You must still lodge a vacancy fee return to claim this exemption.

    Your dwelling may be considered incapable of being occupied as a residence if any of the following apply:

    • The dwelling is damaged, unsafe or is otherwise unsuitable to be occupied as a residence.
    • The dwelling is undergoing substantial repairs or renovations.
    • Occupation of the dwelling as a residence is prohibited or legally restricted by an order of a court or tribunal or a law of the Commonwealth, state or territory.
    • A person (who may or may not be the foreign person) who ordinarily occupies the dwelling was absent from the dwelling due to receiving long-term, in-patient, medical or residential care.

    You may be required to provide acceptable supporting evidence to prove the dwelling was incapable of being occupied.

    Vacancy fee waivers

    We only waive or remit fees in limited circumstances.

    The vacancy fee waiver form is not available in Online services for foreign investors.

    For information on details we consider and how to make a request, see Request waiver of an application fee.

    Penalties that may apply if you do not lodge

    If you do not lodge your vacancy fee return by the due date, you may be liable to pay a vacancy fee. This is regardless of the number of days the dwelling was residentially occupied during the vacancy year.

    If you are directed to pay the vacancy fee for failing to lodge, you will receive an email from us. The email notice will provide the following information:

    • reason we are charging the fee
    • amount of the fee you have to pay
    • payment details
    • due date.

    You may be liable for an infringement notice or a civil penalty if you do not:

    • lodge a vacancy fee return on time
    • keep records that are relevant to your liability for vacancy fees.

    You are required to keep these records for at least 5 years after the end of each vacancy year.

    More information on compliance for residential land is available at the Foreign InvestmentExternal Link website.

    Update your details if your situation changes

    It is important to keep us up to date about your situation, so we can contact you about your property.

    If your situation changes, you must update your details in Online services for foreign investors or contact us.

    A change of situation may include where:

    • you are no longer considered a foreign person (foreign owner)
    • ownership of your property changes
    • the owner has died
    • the vacant land or redevelopment property does not have a dwelling on it, or construction is not complete
    • construction of a new dwelling has been completed and a certificate of occupancy was received.

    If your:

    How to report a breach of the foreign investment rules

    If you suspect you’ve breached your foreign investment conditions, contact us as soon as possible.

    If you know or suspect someone else has breached the foreign investment rules, you can confidentially report a breach to us.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Operation Lola: Two further charges laid in investigation

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police is laying two additional charges in the investigation into allegations of inappropriate handling of burials at Waikumete Cemetery.

    Today, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin confirms the charges are being laid against an Auckland man, who was arrested on Friday.

    “This man faces an additional charge of obtains by deception and one count of interfering with a human remains,” he says.

    “I can confirm these charges relate to a second complaint made with Police.”

    The man will appear on all three charges at the Auckland District Court on 20 March.

    Enquiries under Operation Lola are continuing.

    ENDS. 

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: First stage of Manukau Health Park expansion open to patients

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park.

    “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says.

    “Home to Ophthalmology and Women’s Health, this modern, fit-for-purpose building has been meticulously planned to optimise the best clinical care for patients.

    “Previously, ophthalmology services were delivered across two sites at Middlemore Hospital. The relocation of the clinics from Middlemore Hospital to the Health Park will enable the entire service to be delivered from one facility, providing patients a ‘one-stop shop.’ 

    “This will streamline the patient journey while increasing efficiencies and enabling new models of care.  

    “It will also free up enough space at Middlemore Hospital for an additional 30-bed acute award, which will support winter planning in Counties Manukau and assist in improving hospital flow.

    “Women’s Health will also be able to coordinate from one facility, delivering more clinics and services and improving access for cancer-related procedures such as colposcopies and hysteroscopies.

    “Improving health infrastructure is a priority for the Government to ensure patients have access to timely, quality healthcare.

    “Combining these services into one single site will make a real difference for patients who can now access comprehensive, coordinated care in one place. This new building will provide an enhanced patient experience and shorter wait times, while increasing capacity across the Counties Manukau district,” Mr Brown says.

    Manukau Health Park will deliver 150,000 additional outpatient appointments and 3,600 additional surgical procedures to serve the needs of the rapidly growing South Auckland population once complete.

    The full Grow Manukau redevelopment programme is expected to be complete in 2027. Once finished, Manukau Health Park will have three new buildings, a new outpatient renal care centre, a standalone theatre block with four new theatres, a 20-bed post-anaesthesia care unit, and extensive refurbishments and expansion of existing facilities. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Five arrests following Tikipunga aggravated robberies

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Five people have been arrested following an aggravated robbery and attempted burglary in Whangārei this morning.

    At about 6am Police received a report of an attempted break-in at a service station on Tarewa Road followed, by another report of a group of people breaking into a premise (service station) on Kiripaka Road at about 6.15am.

    Detective Sergeant Ryan Cooper, Whangārei CIB, says cash, cigarettes and vapes were targeted before the offenders fled in two vehicles.

    Both vehicles were quickly located abandoned in Aratiatia and Rerewai Place and towed for forensic examination.

    “Enquiries have led us to execute a search warrant at an address on Pebble Beach Road where two people were taken into custody without incident.

    “Some of the stolen property has been recovered from the address.”

    Detective Sergeant Cooper says CCTV also assisted in Police stopping a vehicle of interest nearby, where another three people were arrested.

    “A search of the vehicle has also located some of the stolen goods and cash.

    “This was a quick response by our teams, ensuring our community knows we are dedicated to holding offenders to account for these crimes.

    “I hope the Tikipunga and wider Whangārei community feels reassured by these arrests.”

    Five people, aged 15 and 16, will appear in the Whangārei Youth Court charged with unlawful gets into motor vehicle, attempted burglary and aggravated robbery.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Net closes in murder investigation

    Source: South Australia Police

    Woodville Gardens man Bill Frangos was murdered more than three hours before his Essex Street home was set alight in a bid to destroy evidence, Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives have revealed.

    In a significant development in the murder investigation, detectives have also revealed they believe those responsible for the murder returned to the scene in a distinctive grey Holden Commodore shortly before lighting the fire.

    CCTV has revealed just after 3.30am on 7 November 2024 the grey Commodore – which has a silver front bumper panel, damage to the front passenger door and a black tyre rim on the front passenger side – was parked on Ridley Grove at Woodville Gardens, a short distance from Mr Frangos’ Essex Street house.

    A man wearing a backpack was seen walking from the grey Commodore towards the Essex Street house and a short time later CCTV captured it erupting in flames.

    The vision also shows what detectives believe to be the same man then running back to Ridley Grove and leaving the area in a southerly direction in the grey Commodore.

    In December detectives released CCTV of a red Ford Falcon XR6 utility leaving the vicinity of the murder. New CCTV footage reveals two people returning to this vehicle before it leaves. Investigations have revealed these two people are male of African appearance.

    This vehicle has been seized by detectives as part of the investigation.

    This new CCTV footage captured the two men walking between Mr Frangos’ address and back to the utility parked in nearby Parker Street on a number of occasions between 10.30pm and midnight on 6 November 2024.

    Detectives believe the same two men are responsible for Mr Frangos’ murder and the subsequent arson attack on his home. It is believed the two men and Mr Frangos were acquainted and the murder is not random.

    Major Crime Investigation Branch Officer-in-Charge Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke appealed for anyone with information on the whereabouts of the grey Commodore or who knows of any individual associated with it to contact police.

    “It is a distinctive vehicle, particularly with the silver front bumper panel, that people will certainly recognise,’’ he said.

    “The investigation is now moving rapidly, but we are still seeking information from the public to obtain more evidence that will assist us in rebuilding the full picture of what happened that night.

    “We are confident there will be a resolution in the case as investigations continue. The net is closing in on those responsible for Bill’s murder. Now is the time to come forward with information.’’

    Anyone with any information on the grey Commodore or those associated with it during the evening of Wednesday 6 November and the early hours of Thursday 7 November are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I felt like I was the one in trouble.’ Collecting evidence after sexual assault can be scary for children – and the system needs to improve

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Whitehouse, PhD Candidate, School of Psychology & Public Health, La Trobe University

    Kaboompics.com/Pexels

    The 72 hours after the sexual assault of a child can be a crucial window for police to collect biological evidence and document signs of bruising or injury.

    But this procedure – known as a forensic medical examination – can be scary and invasive.

    In new research published with colleagues, I interviewed ten children (aged 4-16) and their parents about their experiences attending a Melbourne paediatric hospital in the hours after an alleged assault.

    This was a small group, but their stories shed light on wider concerns. Addressing them can help put children first in what may be the most traumatic time of their lives.

    What is a forensic medical examination?

    A forensic medical examination can be done in the 72 hours following a child sexual assault.

    Its purpose is to gather biological evidence from the victim to help police identify an offender and prosecute them.

    At a hospital crisis care suite, the child will speak to a specialist doctor (a forensic paediatrician) alongside another clinician, usually a psychologist or social worker. Police also attend.

    The doctor will take the child’s medical history, as well as asking for an account of the assault.

    The doctor swabs relevant areas – such as the child’s vulva, vagina or anus – to collect biological materials that may be present, including saliva or semen. They will also look for injuries or bruising.

    This examination can be uncomfortable and can take hours. It may also be emotionally harrowing, for the child as well as their carer.

    In the following days, children often need to give another statement to police and are referred for counselling.

    A child usually attends a forensic medical examination alongside their parent.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Understanding how to avoid retraumatisation

    A decade ago, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard from survivors the importance of trauma-informed responses.

    A trauma-informed approach means prioritising a sense of safety for children who have experienced trauma, building trust and sharing control, to avoid retraumatisation.

    This means explaining to children and their carers what is going to happen next, gaining their consent and giving them some control over the timing and pace of any interventions (such as being swabbed).

    Children and families have different – sometimes traumatic – experiences of dealing with health services and police. So considering a child’s personal history and culture is important.

    However there is still little research examining children and young people’s experience of crisis care.

    My study involved seven girls, two boys and one non-binary child, aged between four and 16. In the days or weeks after their examination, I interviewed the child and the parent who attended hospital with them, both individually and together (in child-parent pairs).

    The interviews uncovered four areas that were important to children and their parents.

    1. Repeating their story but not feeling heard

    After they first report their experience, children need to tell their story several times to various strangers.

    This means sharing highly personal details while distressed to people who often don’t have the time to get to know them, their context, family, previous trauma history or culture.

    Fiona* (16) found this aspect of the process “very, very, very stressful.”

    Some said repeating their story felt like they had to convince professionals it was true.

    Layla (14) commented:

    I felt like I was the one in trouble.

    2. Being treated with care matters

    Several young participants discussed feeling “traumatised,” “intimidated” and “ashamed” during the examination itself.

    Seven-year-old Sasha told us about the doctor who examined her:

    She kept saying, ‘Lie still,’ and it was hard for me to just lie still. Then she just, when she did the examination […] I was crying on the bed, and it hurt me […]. And she just looked at me. Because she’s seen me crying and she just looked at me.

    But when the doctor, or the clinician was caring – and took time to understand them and their individual needs – it helped ease some of the distress.

    One parent, Kaye, felt the clinician “had this incredible demeanour and heart about her” and helped her child “understand what was going to happen.”

    Other young people appreciated the clinician helped them with panic attacks and “made us feel relaxed.”

    The youngest participant Ava (4) said she liked that she was given a teddy bear.

    Children told us caring gestures – such as providing a teddy bear – made the experience less scary.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    3. Unpleasant surroundings made the experience worse

    Some participants described the space where the forensic medical examination took place as small and unwelcoming.

    Dylan (16) felt it was “unsafe”, while Ava said it was “a bit scary”.

    Examination spaces need to be kept forensically clean. In the hospital where these examinations took place, that meant there were no windows, pictures on the walls or soft furnishings.

    Several young participants felt it showed what had happened to them was somehow shameful. As Felicity explained:

    it was frightening. […] You’re just walking down a really long corridor, all these white […] ceilings and walls. And it was kind of just like a bit […] not welcoming, not nice and hidden away.

    Some children found the sterile environment intimidating.
    hxdbzxy/Shutterstock

    4. Parents need care too

    Parents often felt sidelined or unheard before, during and after the examination.

    Samira (a parent) said she didn’t feel like her concerns were understood:

    I come from a different background, I don’t know what is happening and I don’t know what to ask. I’m not very trusting of police.

    Children themselves worried about their parent. As Layla said:

    it’s not just me that’s going through this, it’s my mum. […] I feel like she should be able to have that support too. None of it was offered to her.

    One parent said they’d been “sent home without any support”. Another had a sense of being “just left there and wondering what to do”.

    Responding to the whole child

    The children and adults I interviewed made clear they wanted a holistic approach.

    They wanted professionals (including doctors, clinicians and police) to not only pursue justice on their behalf, but also listen and respond to their physical, emotional and social needs and take into account their particular context and culture.

    The response needs to make children and their families feel safer – not more scared.

    It also needs to help them recover from the trauma, including counselling for both parents and children without long waitlists.

    Existing services in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom show an evidence-based, trauma-informed model is possible.

    The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

    *Names have been changed.

    Caroline Whitehouse is employed by the Northern Centre Against Sexual Assault, which is affiliated with the peak body Sexual Assault Support Services Victoria (SASVic). She was previously employed by the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, where this study took place. The Royal Children’s Hospital, along with LaTrobe University, gave ethics approval for the study.

    – ref. ‘I felt like I was the one in trouble.’ Collecting evidence after sexual assault can be scary for children – and the system needs to improve – https://theconversation.com/i-felt-like-i-was-the-one-in-trouble-collecting-evidence-after-sexual-assault-can-be-scary-for-children-and-the-system-needs-to-improve-241902

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: HK property tycoon Lee Shau-kee dies at 97

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    In this Jan 15, 2015 photo, Lee Shau-kee, Hong Kong real estate tycoon and founder of Henderson Land Development, poses for media during a press conference. [Photo/China Daily]
    Lee Shau-kee, founder of Hong Kong’s Henderson Land Development and one of the city’s most successful property businesspeople and philanthropists, died on Monday at the age of 97.
    Lee passed away peacefully at dusk, surrounded by his family, according to a statement by Henderson.
    Born to a merchant family in Shunde, Guangdong province in 1928, Lee started in his business in Hong Kong in his twenties and established Henderson in 1976.
    Lee’s decades-long success in real estate development and investment made him one of the wealthiest people in the world. In 1996, he was ranked by Forbes as the fourth-richest person globally, with a total fortune of $12.7 billion.
    Beyond his business achievements, Lee was also celebrated for his charitable works. In 2008, Lee and Henderson together donated nearly HK$600 million ($77.2 million) to assist people struck by the magnitude-8 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province.
    Lee’s charity foundations have generously supported students and universities throughout Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, promoting educational development.
    Lee was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal by the SAR government in 2007 in recognition of his contributions.
    Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu expressed his condolences on Lee’s passing in a statement on Monday night.
    Praising Lee as an exceptional business leader and entrepreneur, the chief executive said that Lee had contributed greatly to the economic development, prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
    Lee’s generous donations and dedication to support talent also contributed to the development of education and research, the chief executive said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Climate and Science – Extreme atmospheric rivers could double in future climate – NIWA

    Source: NIWA

    New Zealand could face twice as many of the most extreme atmospheric rivers by the end of the century, according to new research by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) published today. Not only could the narrow bands of concentrated water vapour increase, but in the future rainfall from these ‘rivers in the sky’ is likely to make up a much bigger proportion of New Zealand’s total annual rainfall.
    The research, led by NIWA research assistant Felix Goddard, analysed the latest climate change projections released last year by NIWA and the Ministry for the Environment, and was recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 
    Co-author, NIWA climate scientist Dr Peter Gibson, says the study examined projections for the frequency and intensity of atmospheric rivers under a relatively high greenhouse gas emissions future. Only one scenario was investigated at this time.
    “Atmospheric rivers have been responsible for some of our biggest downpours in recent years, such as the West Coast flooding that took out the Waiho Bridge in March 2019, the widespread flooding in Westport in July 2021, and the exceptionally wet Auckland summer of 2022-2023. As an island nation surrounded by oceans, we experience atmospheric rivers when huge amounts of water vapour are transported down from the tropics and sub-tropics and make landfall. These ‘rivers in the sky’ cause heavy precipitation and flooding when they make landfall in New Zealand, producing extremely large rainfall totals, especially when they interact with mountainous terrain.”
    Dr Gibson says there are two reasons why atmospheric rivers are likely to increase in the future. “The first reason is that an overall warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapour, while the second reason why we may see an increase in atmospheric rivers is because of changes in wind patterns. Climate projections show changes to atmospheric circulation, with an intensification of the westerly jetstream over New Zealand with strong winds flowing west to east in the South Pacific region, and a shift of the jet towards the South Pole.”
    As well as finding that the most intense atmospheric rivers are likely to be more frequent and more intense, the researchers say that the phenomena may add up to 20 percent more to annual rainfall totals in some places. 
    “Overall, the biggest hotspot for these future changes is over the west coast of the South Island, where atmospheric rivers already often produce the largest impacts,” says Dr Gibson. 
    He says the latest climate projections for New Zealand, available on the Ministry for the Environment’s website, provide detailed information for every 5-kilometre square across the country. “The latest projections give us a much more comprehensive and detailed picture of our future climate. These updated climate change projections are based on refining the projections from six global climate models from the projections provided in the most recent report by the United Nations body that assesses the science related to climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.”
    The more detailed information will enable better evidence-based discussion and choices, says Dr Gibson. “Development of these updated, high-resolution climate projections was a mammoth science and technology effort and involved huge supercomputing power. The dataset is now helping New Zealanders – including councils, companies and communities – to better understand their specific climate-related risks. In turn, this will improve decision-making for climate adaptation and support people to build resilience to extreme weather events.”
    More research is being undertaken by NIWA into specific climatic features in the projections, to provide clarity on the future climate New Zealanders are likely to face in the decades to come.
    Journal link:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name release – SH 6 fatality, Gibbston

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can now release the name of the man located deceased on SH6, near Gibbston, after an incident on 3 March.

    He was 22-year-old Ryoma Seki from Japan.

    Police extend our condolences to his family and are providing them with support during this difficult time.

    Our enquiries have determined Ryoma fell from a cliff prior to being hit by a vehicle however, his cause of death will be determined by the Coroner.

    Police are not looking to file charges in relation to this matter.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Internal Affairs gutted again with Govt planning to cut 133 roles – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The Government is continuing its damaging campaign to hollow out the public service with 133 roles (69 being fixed term) proposed to go from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
    Staff were told today of the latest proposed job cuts which could result in the net loss of 64 permanent roles, plus 69 fixed term roles which are not being renewed beyond 1 September, for a total reduction of 133 roles. These are spread across all five branches of DIA.
    The latest cuts aim to save approximately $8 million a year. They follow a wave of restructuring last year which saw, among many changes, the loss of key staff keeping children safe from online harm, and those stopping scams and international crime syndicates engaging in money laundering.
    “Once again, we see the Government hell bent on downsizing the public service, regardless of the consequences,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “The Government is blind to the fact that the public service is right sized for our population and economy and should in fact be expanding to meet our many challenges from a growing and ageing population through to climate change and the infrastructure deficit.
    “It’s all about ideology and doing more with less. But the reality as we have seen with cuts across the public service, the Government will be doing less with less – there will be fewer workers at DIA able to support the needs of New Zealanders.
    “For example, the disbanding of the Ministerial and Monitoring Group, which has already had roles cut, will slow down decision making, impacting the provision of timely and quality advice to Ministers.
    “The proposal to cut back on Personal Assistants is a false economy that will see senior managers spending more time doing administrative tasks.
    “The proposed downsizing of the Digital Services branch, which has faced constant restructuring since 2019 will see among other things a loss of product testing roles. These roles are vital to ensuring a smooth introduction and upgrading of technology that New Zealanders rely on to do things such as apply for, or renew, their passports.
    “The proposed disbanding of the Workplace Services and moving some staff into other teams means there will no longer be a proper focus on ensuring maintenance is carried out for government buildings and equipment. This will affect productivity and will raise health and safety issues over time. Workplace Services is also responsible for security of Government property.
    “Internal Affairs purpose is to serve and connect ‘people, communities and government to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation’. These cuts coming on top of the damaging cuts from last year will make achieving that purpose all the more difficult and the PSA will be opposing them.”
    Previous statements
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Activist News – Immediate condemnation of Israel must be NZ government priority – PSNA

    Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

     

    Israel has today relaunched widespread genocidal air attacks on the besieged Palestinian people of Gaza.

     

    “Immediate condemnation of Israel’s resumption of attacks on Gaza must come from the New Zealand government”, says Co National Chair of PSNA John Minto. “Israel has breached the January ceasefire agreement multiple times and is today relaunching its genocidal attacks against the Palestinian people of Gaza”

    In the last few weeks Israel has:

     

    • refused to negotiate the second stage of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas which would see a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza
    • Issued a complete ban on food, water, fuel and medical supplies entering Gaza – a war crime of epic proportions
    • Cut off the electricity supply desperately needed to, for example, operate desalination plants for water supplies

     

    “The New Zealand government response has been a cowardly silence when the people of New Zealand have been calling for sanctions against Israel for its genocide”

     

    “The government is out of touch with New Zealanders but in touch with the US/Israel”

     

    “Foreign Minister Winston Peters seems to be explaining his silence as “keeping his nerve”

     

    “For the past 17 months Peters has condemned every act of Palestinian resistance against 77 years of brutal colonisation and apartheid policies but he has refused to condemn any of the countless war crimes committed by Israel during this time – including the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war.

     

    “Speaking out to condemn Israel now is our opportunity to force it to reconsider and begin negotiations on stage two of the ceasefire agreement Israel is trying to walk away from”

     

    “Palestinians and New Zealanders deserve no less”

     

    John Minto

    Co National Chair

    PSNA

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy News – Palestine Forum of New Zealand Condemns Israel’s Resumption of Military Operations in Gaza

    Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

    The Palestine Forum of New Zealand strongly condemns Israel’s resumption of military aggression in Gaza. This reckless escalation further endangers innocent lives and deepens the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the Palestinian people.

    We call on the New Zealand government and the international community to take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of international law and to demand an end to the assault on Gaza. The people of Palestine deserve justice, peace, and the right to live in dignity and security.

    Maher Nazzal
    Palestine Forum of New Zealand

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Renewable Energy Declined – COVID fast-track consent declined for Southland wind farm – EPA

    Source: Environmental Protection Authority

    An independent panel has declined resource consent for a wind farm in Oware and Gore, Southland.
    Contact Energy Limited applied for resource consent under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020.
    The decision comes 234 working days after the application was lodged with the Environmental Protection Authority.
    The Environmental Protection Authority is not involved in the decision-making. We provide procedural advice and administrative support to the panel convenor, Judge Laurie Newhook, and the expert consenting panel he appoints.
    Note that this application was made under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 and not the more recent Fast-track legislation.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: TCT Asia 2025 kicks off in Shanghai

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    TCT Asia 2025 kicks off in Shanghai

    Updated: March 18, 2025 09:21 Xinhua
    A 3D-printed component of a fuel storage tank for a carrier rocket is exhibited at TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. TCT Asia 2025, a three-day event featuring industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing, kicked off here on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A 3D-printed exhibit is seen at TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A 3D-printed Nezha figurine is displayed at TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A 3D-printed Nezha figurine is pictured at TCT Asia 2025 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China, March 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Railway offers discounts for senior riders

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China has introduced a new policy granting significant discounts on railway travel for senior passengers as part of efforts to tap into the market potential of its rapidly growing elderly population, China State Railway Group announced on Monday.

    On April 1, the railway operator will expand its loyalty program to offer increased reward points for passengers age 60 and older. While regular members earn points equal to five times the ticket price, senior members will now receive 15 times the fare amount in reward points. The accumulated points can be redeemed for train tickets, effectively providing substantial discounts.

    For example, a senior member of the program who spends 1,000 yuan ($138) on train tickets will receive 15,000 points, which can be redeemed for tickets worth 150 yuan. In comparison, regular members will receive 5,000 points, equivalent to 50 yuan for ticket redemption.

    The program is open to elderly passengers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as foreigners with permanent residency in China. The benefits do not extend to international or special tourist trains, but the policy is expected to encourage more elderly individuals to take domestic rail trips.

    The initiative is part of China’s broader strategy to expand its “silver economy”, recognizing the aging population as an economic opportunity rather than solely a social challenge. China had more than 310 million people age 60 and older at the end of last year, accounting for about 22 percent of the total population.

    Growing demand for senior-friendly tourism services prompted the government to introduce an action plan for “silver-haired train service” last month. The plan was jointly released by nine government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce and China State Railway Group.

    Features of new policy

    The initiative aims to stimulate the senior tourism market, boost the silver economy and improve the quality of life for elderly residents. The railway operator has developed a three-year plan to establish more than 100 premium railway tourism routes and 160 tailored trains for senior passengers by 2028. The plan also calls for operating more than 2,500 tourism train services annually by then.

    China’s railway sector is also making hardware improvements to accommodate elderly travelers. Tailored trains will feature larger seats, wheelchair-friendly layouts and additional safety features such as handrails and emergency call buttons.

    Onboard services will be enhanced with trained staff, medical support and tailored activities, including chess, reading and music events, to create a more engaging travel experience.

    On Saturday, a tourism train for seniors departed from Tianjin, picking up travelers from Beijing and Hebei province before heading south toward Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangdong provinces. A total of 452 passengers embarked on a 12-day cross-region journey, visiting several top-tier tourist sites along the route.

    “We offer healthy meals onboard, managing salt, sugar and oil intake. High-fiber and high-protein options ensure a balanced diet for passengers with conditions such as hypertension and diabetes,” said Zhao Huaying, a business manager at China Railway Travel Group’s tourism train division. “Dedicated medical support is also provided.”

    Onboard medical aid

    Each train is staffed with medical personnel capable of handling common health emergencies such as cardiac events or injuries. Medical kits and emergency call buttons are installed for added safety, train conductor Zhang Wenquan said.

    The initiative has received widespread praise from elderly travelers who appreciate the added convenience.

    “I have used the silver-haired train services three times now, and it makes traveling so much easier,” said a 63-year-old passenger surnamed He, who began her trip on Saturday from Beijing.

    “We get off the train for one or two nights during the trip and stay at local hotels. I only need to pack basic toiletries and a few clothes since I can leave my heavy luggage on the train. This saves us elderly travelers a lot of effort,” she said.

    “I don’t have to carry my heavy luggage everywhere, and I feel safe knowing medical staff are on board,” she added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Exploring the charm of Chinese culture

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A tourist (R) takes selfies with staff members wearing traditional Chinese ethnic costumes during an event of New Zealand Children’s Chinese Cultural Festival in Auckland, New Zealand, March 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    New Zealand Children’s Chinese Cultural Festival was celebrated in Auckland on Sunday, showcasing Chinese heritage through captivating performances and engaging activities for children and families.

    The festival provided a unique opportunity for children and families to immerse themselves in Chinese culture while fostering cultural exchange and understanding within the local New Zealand community.

    Attendees experienced spectacular displays of traditional Chinese music, dance, magic show and martial arts. Highlights include the iconic lion and dragon dances, folk performances, and live instrumental showcases that reflect the rich history and artistry of Chinese heritage. A giant panda mascot attracted many children to take photos with it.

    Children also had the chance to participate in hands-on sessions such as calligraphy lessons, learning basic Chinese characters, and creating traditional crafts like paper-cutting, lantern decorating and shadow puppet play.

    A baby interacts with a panda-shaped mascot during an event of New Zealand Children’s Chinese Cultural Festival in Auckland, New Zealand, March 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Participants also enjoyed classic Chinese pastimes, including shuttlecock, or jianzi, and the ancient throwing game pitch-pot, or touhu. These traditional games aimed to engage attendees in fun and educational experiences while deepening their understanding of Chinese custom.

    The event was attended by community leaders, a member of the parliament, representatives from the China Cultural Centre in Auckland and hundreds of local families and children.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Main North Road, Onaero

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are responding to a two-vehicle crash on Main North Road near Ohanga Road, Onaero, New Plymouth District.

    Emergency services were alerted around 1:50pm.

    The Serious Crash Unit has been advised and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    The road is blocked with no local diversions available, motorists are advised to delay travel and expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update – Train fatality, Invercargill

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Attributable to Inspector Stu Harvey:

    Police are continuing to investigate the train fatality in Invercargill last evening, including work on the ongoing formal identification process.

    An adult male was hit by a train at the rail pedestrian crossing on the corner of Tyne and Ness Street shortly after 5pm yesterday.

    The track and railway crossing on Elles Road was reopened around midnight, after a scene examination was conducted.

    Police would like to thank the public for their patience while the area was cordoned off.

    Police are continuing efforts to identify the deceased, which is likely to take some time.

    As part of these inquiries, we are asking for any members of the public who may have seen the incident to please get in touch.

    Anyone with information can contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report”, or by calling 105.

    Please use the reference number 250318/0023.

    The matter has been referred to the Coroner, and Police is conducting inquiries on their behalf.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Herpetologists hop to it

    Source: Auckland Council

    As World Frog Day leaps into our calendars (20 March), Auckland Council’s Environmental Services team is taking the opportunity to shine a spotlight on one of New Zealand’s most enigmatic and ancient amphibians – the Hochstetter’s frog.

    With a face only a herpetologist could love, this tiny, speckled creature may not have the fairy-tale charm of the Frog Prince, but its survival story is one of persistence against the odds.

    Auckland Council is embarking on a critical project aimed at safeguarding Hochstetter’s frog/pepeketua, an “At-Risk – Declining” species, in Tāmaki Makaurau. Ngāti Manuhiri kaitiaki will be actively involved in the project, as they accompany experienced contractors during their search for the frog.

    Frogs are often called ‘barometers of ecosystem health’ due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. As Auckland’s climate continues to shift and urban development expands, understanding how these frogs are faring could provide crucial insights into the broader health of our natural landscapes.

    Leading the charge is Senior Ecologist Alicia Wong, who hopes the research will provide valuable insights into the species and inform future conservation efforts.

    “The Hochstetter’s frog is a true survivor, capable of living over 30 years – longer than many of our household pets,” says Wong.

    “But while it has fared better than its close relatives, like Archey’s and Hamilton’s frogs, its numbers are still in decline. This survey will help us gain a deeper understanding of their population, distribution, and habitat quality, ensuring we have selected the best possible sites to prioritise for conservation programmes.”

    The first year of the survey was completed last summer and focused on identifying areas with the highest potential for suitable habitats, while the current year of the survey started this week and will involve a detailed survey of frog populations to inform conservation needs.

    Frogs have been around for an astonishing 360 million years, predating dinosaurs. However, despite their long evolutionary journey, amphibians are now among the most threatened creatures on the planet.

    Hochstetter’s frog (Leiopelma hochstetteri) is one of New Zealand’s most evolutionary distinct and globally endangered amphibians, with its lineage dating back over 70 million years. Found only in specific areas of the North Island, including the Auckland region, its conservation is particularly urgent.

    A staggering 41 per cent of amphibian species face extinction globally, outpacing the risk to mammals, reptiles, and birds. Habitat destruction, climate change, and disease are taking a heavy toll on frog populations worldwide.

    New Zealand is home to 14 native frog species, including Archey’s frog, Hamilton’s frog, Hochstetter’s frog and the enigmatic Aotea/Great barrier Island swimming frog.

    The Hochstetter’s is now considered to be 10 genetically distinct species that haven’t been formally described yet. Auckland has four of the species including the Hūnua Ranges population, Hochstetter’s frog “Great Barrier”, Hochstetter’s frog “Waitakere” and Hochstetter’s frog “Northland”, which includes the populations in Rodney. 

    However, don’t expect a chorus of croaks – our unique amphibians are earless and voiceless, preferring to keep things on the quieter side. While Archey’s and Hamilton frog are fully terrestrial, Hochstetter’s frog stands out as the only one that favours watery habitats, making its home in damp native forests, alongside streams, and beneath mossy rocks.

    To better understand the numbers and distribution of this primitive amphibian in the northern reaches of the Auckland region, Auckland Council’s Environmental Services team has begun a two-year survey across three different sites including Department of Conservation land and private properties.

    On Aotea/ Great Barrier Island Auckland council is working with herpetologists, The Windy Hill-Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust and Ngāti Rehua to monitor Hochstetter’s frog “Great Barrier”.

    Auckland Council’s Senior Regional Advisor Fauna Dr Sabine Melzer says this project has been running since 2012.

    “This long-term monitoring programme provides crucial insights into frog population trends on Aotea, guiding future conservation efforts,” Dr Melzer says.

    “Hochstetter’s frogs are nocturnal and inhabit cool, moist environments such as streams, waterfalls, and rocky crevices, relying on these habitats for survival.

    However, they face numerous threats, including habitat loss, predation by introduced species, and climate change,” explains Melzer

    This initiative reaffirms Auckland Council’s commitment to protecting the unique biodiversity of the Auckland region, helping to ensure Hochstetter’s frogs have the support they need to thrive. The project is a vital step in conserving New Zealand’s rare and precious wildlife, offering hope for the future of this ancient and remarkable frog.

    Auckland Council encourages residents to get involved in frog conservation by protecting local waterways, reducing the amount of sediment entering waterways, taking part in predator control and supporting habitat restoration projects.

    While we may not be able to turn a frog into a prince with a kiss, we can certainly do our part to ensure their survival for generations to come.

    As Kermit the Frog famously said, “It’s not easy being green.” But with a little effort, we can make it a whole lot easier for the Hochstetter’s frog to keep hopping along.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: ACT Group Hires Former South Pole CEO John Davis as Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific Region

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ACT Group welcomes seasoned sustainability professional John Davis as Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to accelerate their growth and deliver measurable climate impact across this rapidly expanding market.

    With a career in sustainability solutions spanning 20 years, Davis recently led South Pole as their Interim CEO through a critical restructuring and funding round. Throughout his 10-year tenure there he held various leadership roles, including Global Commercial and Director for APAC, where he successfully expanded the company’s regional operations and drove strategic growth initiatives.

    “We are delighted to welcome John to ACT in this crucial role to accelerate the growth of our business in APAC,” said Colin Crooks, CEO of ACT. “His extensive experience, including leadership positions at South Pole, has equipped him with a profound understanding of the sustainability landscape. John has years of experience in carbon finance and emissions trading and is a superb leader. His vision aligns perfectly with ACT’s mission to provide innovative environmental solutions and empower our clients to achieve their sustainability goals efficiently and transparently.”

    Prior to South Pole, Davis held senior trading and origination roles at CF Partners and Spectron Group, executing high-value carbon and energy market transactions.

    Expressing his enthusiasm about joining ACT, Davis shared, “I am incredibly excited to be joining ACT, and moving with my family from Sydney to Singapore, a city we love. The Asia-Pacific region is central to global energy sector decarbonization and the world’s transition to Net Zero, and Singapore is a key player in this movement, continually pushing the boundaries of innovation. I am eager to collaborate with the exceptional team at ACT across the region to make a meaningful impact in the various jurisdictions that are striving to decarbonize their economies over the next five years and beyond.”

    Reflecting on his decision to leave South Pole, Davis said, “It was tough, but it was the natural end of an entrepreneurial cycle that I was incredibly proud to be part of. After some time out of the market to reflect, it was clear that the journey ACT is embarking on, in its next global growth chapter under Colin’s leadership, is an incredible opportunity.”

    Davis succeeds Federico Di Credico, who established ACT’s Singapore office in 2022 as Managing Director. Di Credico now serves as ACT’s Global Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer.

    Davis’s hiring comes as ACT continues to enhance its ability to serve clients as the global one-stop-shop for decarbonization and environmental solutions. In 2024, ACT opened a seventh global office in Tokyo, joining locations in Amsterdam, New York, Paris, London, Shanghai, and Singapore, as it continues to enhance its capabilities through strategic acquisitions and bolster its position as a global leader in environmental solutions.

    For media inquiries, please contact: Jeroen Coenen | Head of Marketing | jcoenen@actcommodities.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45e0a7c7-e044-404d-9c34-e2f9fdd9c83c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Removalists remains a brutal commentary on Australian masculinity. This new production treats women with empathy

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Varney, Professor of Theatre Studies, The University of Melbourne

    Pia Johnson/MTC

    The Removalists was first performed in 1971 at La Mama Theatre, Carlton, by the Australian Performing Group, an ensemble of young graduates, artists and friends.

    A beacon of the New Wave of Australian drama, David Williamson was part of a new generation of theatre artists who were interested in reflecting Australia back to its audiences. Now one of Australia’s most prolific playwrights, Williamson’s early plays are part of the repertoire of modern Australian classics.

    The Removalists was just his fourth play. A brutal commentary on Australian masculinity, it was a dark turn for the young artist.

    A crooked cop, an easily corruptible young constable, a boozy husband and father who beats his wife and demands his dinner, and a removalist who sees no evil, does no evil. A new production by the Melbourne Theatre Company, directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, celebrates the enduring appeal of the play.

    A suburban police station

    We begin in a police station. Young constable Neville Ross (William McKenna) is being inducted into the force by a bitter, manipulative, rule-bending sergeant, Dan Simmons (played with menace by the moustachioed Steve Mouzakis).

    When middle class sisters Kate (Jessica Clarke) and Fiona (Eloise Mignon) enter to report domestic violence, Simmonds asks invasive questions about Fiona’s relationship to her beer-swilling loudmouth husband Kenny (Michael Whalley).

    Fiona initially expressed uncertainty about making the complaint. Kate insisted on going to the police. The action that follows exposes the humiliation that accompanies reports of domestic violence.

    The production exposes the humiliation that accompanies reports of domestic violence.
    Pia Johnson/MTC

    In an excruciating moment, Kate stands by watching while Simmonds asks Fiona to show him the bruises on her back and upper thigh. Fiona is unsure as she turns her back to the auditorium, slowly pulls up her jumper and exposes the bruises on her bare back.

    Under Sarks’ direction, it is a moment filled with empathy.

    Enter the removalist

    The action shifts in act two to Fiona’s place. Expecting Kenny to be out drinking, Simmonds – who is expecting sexual favours from Kate – and Ross arrive to help Fiona move into her new flat. But Kenny is home, and sprays a string of obscenities at the policemen. Simmonds cuffs him – and lands a few quiet punches.

    The removalist (Martin Blum) interrupts the action, while turning a blind eye to the mayhem. The entrances and exits of the removalist and Ross and the moving of furniture, punctuate the drama with comic effect, injecting a light touch in the midst of the play’s violence.

    The removal of furniture injects a light touch in the midst of the play’s violence.
    Pia Johnson/MTC

    When the sisters and the removalist leave, the cops beat Kenny in an orgy of violence that is so relentless and brutal, it descends into farce.

    The bloody ending has something of the Grand Guignol to it – the 19th century theatre of revenge that descends into comic horror but also raises serious questions about violence in the contemporary real life world.

    Critiquing white Australia

    Clever balancing of humour and social commentary is the key to Williamson’s critique of the law in relation to violence against women.

    In an era of diverse casting, Sarks has cast The Removalists with an all white cast, laying the violence of the play at the feet of white Australian culture.

    Matilda Woodroofe’s costumes contribute to the play’s critique of Australian culture. Kenny wears a pair of footy shorts and a t-shirt, Blundstone boots and short black socks, evoking the unoffical uniform of the ocker male Australian.

    Onstage seating echos the intimate space of the original theatre, La Mama.
    Pia Johnson/MTC

    In a novel touch, Dale Ferguson’s set adds rows of onstage seating for those who would like a much closer view of the action. Not only do they get a stronger sense of the onstage actors’ energy and presence, they experience the play as the original audience did in the tiny La Mama theatre.

    Just as playwright Williamson targeted a conservative macho ocker culture in the early 1970s, this revival can be understood as its contemporary counterpart. Sarks highlights the particular kinds of violence that is systemic within Australian culture that continues today.

    Sarks accords the female characters more dignity and independence than earlier versions. They deliver the same lines, but with confidence that speaks of their self-assurance. Kate uses her gaze to put Simmonds, the disgusting older cop, in his place. After her humiliation at the police station, Fiona rejects Kenny’s appeals.

    Sarks accords the female characters dignity and independence.
    Pia Johnson/MTC

    These subtle and not so subtle changes in the delivery of the women’s lines show how directing an historical play can resist the ideologies that determined more passive roles for women in the past.

    The Removalists is at Melbourne Theatre Company until April 17.

    Denise Varney received funding from the Australian Research Council Discovery Project Scheme.

    – ref. The Removalists remains a brutal commentary on Australian masculinity. This new production treats women with empathy – https://theconversation.com/the-removalists-remains-a-brutal-commentary-on-australian-masculinity-this-new-production-treats-women-with-empathy-252040

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ has no dedicated database to track losses from weather disasters – without it, we’re planning in the dark

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    STR/AFP via Getty Images

    Following the Trump administration’s abrupt cuts to USAID funding last month, the online international disaster database EM-DAT (normally funded by USAID) went dark for a week.

    EM-DAT collates data on the occurrence and impacts of thousands of mass disasters worldwide and records both human and economic losses in a publicly available dataset. It relies on various sources, including United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations, but also news reports.

    The vulnerability of this database to the Trump administration’s cuts highlights the need for New Zealand to take charge of its own data on the damage caused by extreme events.

    Currently, New Zealand has no dedicated disaster loss database. This means we don’t know how much extreme weather events and other types of disasters are costing us.

    But as such events are becoming more frequent and more intense with worsening climate change, this lack of data is increasingly detrimental to our long-term prosperity.

    Two events in 2023 – Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods – illustrate this problem. They were by far the costliest weather disasters in New Zealand’s modern history and we know they were exceptionally damaging.

    But we don’t know the aggregate financial losses they caused, and the different sources shown in the table below provide conflicting numbers, none of them comprehensive.

    Without understanding the magnitude of the problem, our ability to prevent damage or recover from extreme weather is diminished. It is indeed difficult to manage what we don’t measure.

    In the face of these unknowns, most other countries, including Australia, are investing in the collection, collation and analysis of their own data to make informed decisions about disaster risk management. It is high time New Zealand did the same.

    The limits of New Zealand’s data on loss and damage

    Currently, data on extreme weather costs have come primarily from the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) or from EM-DAT, whose data sometimes come from less reliable sources. New Zealand’s reliance on a private source and an international organisation leaves us with data that could charitably be described as fragmented, incomplete and unreliable.

    ICNZ figures showing insurance payouts for disasters are commonly used by the government and media as a proxy for total cost. But private insurance accounts for only a small share of the losses resulting from some extreme weather. Roads, bridges and many other parts of public infrastructure are not insured; many private assets are not insured either.

    Furthermore, wealthier communities tend to be better insured and hence receive higher payouts. The ICNZ data imply they experience more damages than poorer, less insured communities, even when that is not the case.

    As climate change brings more extreme weather, more homes will likely be under-insured.
    Phil Walter/Getty Images

    Globally, insurance tends to retreat when the risks become too high to be covered affordably. We expect that in the future a higher number of homes and businesses will be under-insured. Relying solely on data on insured damages will hence provide us with an increasingly partial picture of damages caused by extreme weather.

    The second main source of disaster loss data is EM-DAT. In principle, it aims to include all damage costs (not just insured ones), but the approach does not necessarily result in more accurate numbers.

    As the graph below shows, ICNZ can be counted on to provide reliable data for all large events, but there are frequent gaps in EM-DAT’s data for New Zealand. It is also clear that the difference between ICNZ private insurance payouts and total cost estimates from EM-DAT is too small to accurately reflect uninsured losses.

    In previous research (co-authored with Rebecca Newman) we identified other gaps in the EM-DAT international estimates of extreme-weather costs, most notably for wildfires, droughts and heatwaves.

    Damages from these events are largely uninsured and so are not included in the ICNZ data either. Yet their likelihood is increasing because of dramatic changes in our climate.

    We only have a partial picture, and a potentially very misleading one at that – both in terms of the size of the problem and how the problem is changing.
    Nevertheless, the data from the ICNZ and EM-DAT are still the best we have for understanding what is happening.

    When EM-DAT temporarily went offline last month following the termination of its funding from USAID, we received a crude reminder of how critical this resource is in the global context. How can we talk about disaster risk management and risk reduction when we have no idea what is going on?

    Effective policy relies on accurate data

    There are myriad ways in which a disaster-loss database for New Zealand could be used effectively by central and local government, insurance and banking companies, weather-exposed industries such as agriculture, community organisations and by individuals.

    Policies about flood protection, planned relocation (managed retreat), climate adaptation, insurance pricing, banking regulation, home loans and infrastructure maintenance should all be informed by knowledge of the risks from extreme-weather events and other hazards.

    A concrete example of how useful this data would be is for planned relocations. We need a clear perspective of the history of flood events in different communities and comprehensive assessments of past damages in order to quantify the future costs of relocations. Without these data, how can we decide which financial arrangements for relocation are fiscally sound?

    A comprehensive New Zealand disaster-loss database is possible. As a nation we have the datasets we need, but these are held within different government agencies and other organisations, with no centralised collection or reporting.

    Hidden there is everything we need to understand the current situation and plan better for the future. We just have to make the decision to invest in collecting and curating this data.

    Stats NZ would be the data’s logical host, given the agency’s extensive experience in collecting and posting data to help us organise our society. Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods should have convinced us we need this. Maybe EM-DAT going dark, and thus obscuring a worldwide risk, should convince us even more.

    I am grateful for the contribution of Jo-Anne Hazel (writing) and Tom Uher (data collection).

    Ilan Noy is a member of the scientific committee of EM-DAT (pro bono).

    – ref. NZ has no dedicated database to track losses from weather disasters – without it, we’re planning in the dark – https://theconversation.com/nz-has-no-dedicated-database-to-track-losses-from-weather-disasters-without-it-were-planning-in-the-dark-251224

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do plastic containers always come out wet from the dishwasher? Science has the answer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kamil Zuber, Senior Industry Research Fellow, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia

    ShowRecMedia/Shutterstock

    It’s annoying to open your dishwasher after the cycle is finished only to find half of the dishes still wet. Instead of being able to stack them away, you end up with a full drying rack.

    And you’ve probably noticed it’s always plastic items that end up the most wet. What’s going on?

    The answer is a bit convoluted and requires some materials and physics knowledge, but bear with me.

    Plastics have very different properties to ceramics and metals – the stuff your plates and cutlery are most likely made out of. Two key things play a role: one is how the materials store heat, and the other is what happens on their surfaces.

    How dishes store heat

    If you take your dishes out of the dishwasher promptly after the cycle ends, you’ve likely noticed that plates, glasses and ceramic mugs are still hot, while plastic containers don’t feel warm at all.

    This relates to their heat capacity, sometimes also referred to as the “thermal mass” of these materials. Ceramics, glass and metals can store more heat, and it takes longer for them to give it away to their surroundings than it does for plastics. In other words, ceramics and metals cool down more slowly.

    Since evaporating water takes energy and cools the surface – which is also how your body cools down on a hot day as you sweat – plastics cool down faster, leaving much of the water on the surface.

    Ceramic, metal and glass items retain heat better than plastics – so they dry faster.
    Velik/Shutterstock

    How water behaves on different surfaces

    The other part of the problem is in surface energy, which tells us how water wets different surfaces.

    You’ve probably seen water droplets bead up on things like high-end rain jackets or non-stick frying pans. These surfaces are called hydrophobic, meaning they “fear” water. This is also the case for most plastics, although not always to such a dramatic effect.

    On the other end of the spectrum, surfaces like many ceramics and metals are coated with water easily. That’s because they are more hydrophilic or “water-loving”.

    On a hydrophobic material such as a rain jacket, water will bead into droplets.
    Ondra Vacek/Shutterstock

    But there’s another factor here – and it has to do with dishwashers, in particular. Dishwasher detergent contains a mixture of chemicals, mainly surfactants – substances that lower the surface tension of water.

    Surface tension is the property of the material’s interface (for example, between solid and liquid, or liquid and gas) that tells us how much energy it takes to create a larger surface. By adding detergent to water, we reduce its surface tension. This makes it easier for the water to spread over surfaces it encounters (even over these hydrophobic plastics), in turn making it easier to wash your dishes.

    More importantly, the surfactants in detergent are molecules that have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemical groups. This makes them a kind of link between water and fats. Since oil and water don’t like to mix, a surfactant helps to “blend” the latter and have it float in water, helping remove any oily residues from your dishes.

    This happens in the main washing cycle. After rinsing, the chemicals get removed and your dishes are sprayed with clean water so you don’t have to taste the detergent in your tea.

    So, at the end, water beads up on your hydrophobic plastic dishes and spreads all over your more hydrophilic ceramic plates, cups and metal pots. A large bead of water evaporates more slowly than when the same amount of water is spread more thinly over your plates and pots.

    On top of that, ceramic dishes retain more heat, which makes them dry more quickly – the water that’s already spread more thinly just evaporates faster.

    Rinse aids can help water run off the surfaces of dishes more quickly.
    Potashev Aleksandr/Shutterstock

    Is there anything I can do to make plastics dry faster?

    You’ve probably heard about rinse aids that are added to the rinse cycle. Their key ingredients are different types of low-foaming surfactants and chemicals that make water softer. Some “all in one” dishwasher tablets may already contain a small amount of rinse aid and the makers provide instructions on how to use them in a safe and efficient way.

    Rinse aids also lower the surface tension of water, making it easier for water to wet and run off the surfaces, preventing it from beading up and reducing streaks.

    This also works on plastic dishes, leaving much less water behind. Some dishwasher manufacturers recommend using rinse aids because in addition to drying dishes faster, they can prevent corrosion of dishwasher parts from detergent residues.

    Is there anything else you can do to dry the dishes faster?

    There is one thing that is really simple: just crack the door open as soon as the cycle is finished and it’s safe to do so, so that water vapour can escape. If hot air and moisture instead remain trapped in the dishwasher, the water vapour will condense on all surfaces, like dew before dawn.

    At the end, you have a way to make most of your dishes drier after the cycle, although you may still end up with a first-world problem in the form of some wet plasticware. There will be less water on it if you use a rinse aid according to instructions, and open the dishwasher when safe, after the cycle is completed.

    Kamil Zuber does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Why do plastic containers always come out wet from the dishwasher? Science has the answer – https://theconversation.com/why-do-plastic-containers-always-come-out-wet-from-the-dishwasher-science-has-the-answer-250656

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Nation-leading right to a healthy environment takes effect in ACT

    Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 17/03/2025

    Canberrans can enjoy a new level of environmental protection from today as the Territory’s right to a healthy environment takes effect in the Human Rights Act2004.

    The ACT is the first Australian jurisdiction to enshrine this vital human right in legislation.

    The right to a healthy environment encompasses the right to clean air, a safe climate, access to safe water and adequate sanitation, healthy and sustainably produced food, non-toxic environments to live, work, study, and play, and healthy biodiversity and ecosystems.

    It also includes the right to access information on environmental matters, participate in environmental decision-making, and seek access to justice where the right may be breached. The inclusion of the right will also ensure environmental and climate considerations feature in ACT public authority functions and decision-making.

    Canberrans can make a complaint to the ACT Human Rights Commission if they believe the right to a healthy environment has been breached or not considered in a decision by a public authority.

    Quotes attributable Tara Cheyne, Minister for Human Rights.

    “The ACT continues to be a leader in human rights, and this right takes a ground-breaking step forward for human rights legislation reform in Australia.

    “The right to a healthy environment is recognised in law internationally, but this is the first time it has been recognised in Australia.

    “Our community is facing pressing challenges from climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss each of which poses serious risks to other human rights, including the right to life and the right to equality, threatening the wellbeing of our community.

    “Enshrining the right to a healthy environment is essential for the full enjoyment of other human rights.”

    Quotes attributable to Suzanne Orr, Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water:

    “I’d like to thank Minister Cheyne for her leadership on this nation-leading reform.

    “Canberrans love their bush capital and have been among the strongest supporters for Climate Change Action in the nation.

    “Having a right to a healthy environment is another demonstration of our appreciation for our environment and our commitment to leading the way on looking after it.”

    Quotes attributable to Dr Pene Mathew, ACT Human Rights Commissioner:

    “This is a really significant step in recognising that we all depend on a clean and healthy environment to be able to lead good and happy lives.

    “While the right to a healthy environment can’t address climate change and environmental harms on its own, incorporating this right within our ACT human rights framework means that public servants and government agencies will now have to consider environmental impacts when they develop and implement policies and laws.

    “Canberrans will also now be able to contact the Commission with concerns or complaints about public authorities not acting consistently with this right.”

    Quotes attributable to Nicole Sommer, Director of Legal Practice at the Environmental Defenders Office:

    “Today is a historic day for the ACT and for the nation, as the first Australian jurisdiction recognises what we know to be true – that our wellbeing and security depends on access to a healthy environment.

    “The ACT is leading the nation with this ground-breaking reform. We applaud the ACT legislature for acting so quickly to embed this into its existing human rights laws.

    “As the climate crisis worsens, this right is only becoming more critical.”

    – Statement ends –

    Tara Cheyne, MLA | Media Releases

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