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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 27 Colleagues Slam Republican Plan to Rescind Over $1 Billion in Federal Funding for Local Public Broadcasting Stations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 10, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 27 of their U.S. Senate colleagues in slamming a Republican attempt to rescind $1.07 billion in already-allocated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds local public broadcasting stations across the country.  The $1.07 billion represents 100% of CPB’s funding through September 2027. This move follows President Trump’s executive order directing cuts to federal funding for PBS and NPR.
    “Following the White House’s request to rescind $1.07 billion in federal funding for CPB, we write to express our strong opposition to any rescission of funding for public broadcasting and prohibitions of direct and indirect funding to the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio,” the senators wrote. “This funding is essential to the functioning of the public media system and the communities they serve, and any cuts in funding would have detrimental effects on local stations, which rely on this funding to provide critical services to millions of Americans across the country. Public broadcasting is an essential service that should be protected, not decimated. For this reason, we request that you prioritize maintaining and continuing funding for CPB.”
    The Corporation for Public Broadcasting supports over 1,500 local public television and radio stations that provide free, high-quality programming to millions of households across America. It provides young children who don’t get the chance to attend preschool with educational content that helps them learn to read; airs highly trusted nightly news programming; and shares critical public safety information during emergencies. Local public television stations also provide extensive coverage of local government and elections and host candidate debates, helping Americans stay connected with their elected leaders. Because public television and radio relies heavily on federal funding to operate, particularly in rural communities, losing this funding would force many of these stations to reduce much of their programming or, in some cases, close their doors.
    U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
    Dear Majority Leader Thune,
    Federal investment in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) supports over 1,500 local and regional public television and radio stations that provide free, high-quality programming to millions of households across the country. Following the White House’s request to rescind $1.07 billion in federal funding for CPB, we write to express our strong opposition to any rescission of funding for public broadcasting and prohibitions of direct and indirect funding to the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio, as outlined in the Executive Order titled, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” released on May 1, 2025. This funding is essential to the functioning of the public media system and the communities they serve, and any cuts in funding would have detrimental effects on local stations, which rely on this funding to provide critical services to millions of Americans across the country.
    Our public broadcasting system is a unique American institution that is deeply embedded in our communities and a critical source of lifesaving public safety services, accurate information, and educational programming. The vast majority of the federal funding CPB receives is allocated to local radio and television stations across the country. These cuts will have an immediate and significant impact for stations in rural communities that heavily rely on CPB funding to provide critical services and could likely result in the elimination of programming or outright closure of stations in areas already faced with limited connectivity.
    According to Northwestern University, 55 million people in the United States have no or only one source of local news, and rural counties are far more likely to lose their local news outlets. This number could increase if the two-year advance appropriation for public media is not upheld, resulting in the drastic reduction or complete elimination of free, high-quality local programming. This is especially concerning given the importance of public broadcasting during public emergencies, such as natural disasters, transportation accidents, national security threats, or public safety matters. CPB funds are essential to ensuring that the broadcast infrastructure remains robust and operational in disaster situations, especially scenarios in which local public broadcasters serve as the only source of information for those who need a lifeline. Any cuts in funding will have drastic consequences for communities in need.
    And there is much more to their public safety services in addition to the critical local information they broadcast. Public television’s interconnection technology, which connects local public television stations to PBS, is also one of the backbone pathways for the delivery of our nation’s Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) services – enabling cell phone subscribers to receive geotargeted emergency text alerts no matter where they are in the country. A cut to public broadcasting funding would put this lifesaving service and its nationwide footprint at risk.
    Public television has also pioneered cutting edge technology that helps first responders communicate with each other over the broadcast spectrum without the need for mobile service or broadband. This datacasting technology and public television’s public safety partnerships is already helping with early earthquake warning and has been proven effective in a wide range of scenarios where broadband or cellular service are limited, including rural search and rescue, overwater communications, large event crowd control and more. But this is only possible if stations serving rural and remote areas with limited broadband are healthy and continue operating as they are today.
    On the education front, public television’s early childhood education services ensure that every family has access to high-quality, non-commercial educational content regardless of their ability to pay for such services. This is essential for over 50 percent of three and four-year old children who do not attend formal preschool.
    If funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is eliminated or rescinded, the impact would be devastating. Millions of people across the country whose stations rely on CPB funding for a significant percentage of their budget would be at risk of losing access to public television’s services. These are services that nobody else in the media world is providing, but it’s exactly the work for which public broadcasting was created, and they are delivering to our communities every day. 
    Public broadcasting is an essential service that should be protected, not decimated. For this reason, we request that you prioritize maintaining and continuing funding for CPB. We appreciate your consideration of this request and thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Delhi swelters as mercury soars: IMD sounds Orange Alert amid scorching heatwave

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Delhi continues to reel under an intense heatwave as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the national capital on Wednesday. The IMD has warned that daytime temperatures in Delhi could reach as high as 45 degrees Celsius, with night-time lows hovering around 29 degrees Celsius, providing little relief even after sunset. The ongoing weather conditions are part of a prolonged heatwave affecting large parts of northwestern India.

    “Very hot weather conditions are likely to persist over Delhi till at least June 12,” the IMD said in its latest bulletin. The extreme temperatures, combined with high humidity levels in certain areas, have pushed the ‘feels-like’ temperature to around 50 degrees Celsius, making the situation even more challenging for people across the capital.

    Earlier on Tuesday, Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature of the season at 43.8 degrees Celsius, which is 3.6 degrees above the seasonal average, as per IMD data.

    The high temperature and oppressive heat led the IMD to extend its orange alert into Wednesday, urging people to take all necessary precautions, including staying hydrated, avoiding direct exposure to the sun during peak hours, and minimising outdoor activities.

    The heatwave warning also covers much of northwest India, with the IMD predicting similar conditions to prevail for the next four to five days.

    Authorities are advising residents, particularly the elderly, children, and those with health conditions, to remain indoors as much as possible and to watch for signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

    Meteorologists suggest a gradual abatement of the heatwave after June 12, but until then, the capital remains firmly under the grip of extreme summer heat. (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Rep. Calvert Bill to Secure Port Facilities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

    Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Secure Our Ports Act of 2025, H.R. 252, bipartisan legislation introduced by Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) earlier this year. H.R. 252 will strengthen our national security by prohibiting certain foreign entities, including state-owned enterprises of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, from entering into contracts for the ownership, leasing, or operation of U.S. port facilities that are subject to security plans.

    “I want to thank my House colleagues for passing the Secure Our Ports Act and taking an important step in protecting our critically important port facilities,” said Rep. Calvert. “America’s ports are essential gateways for trade and commerce. We cannot jeopardize America’s economic and national security by allowing foreign adversaries, like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, to own and operate port infrastructure.”

    The Secure Our Ports Act prohibits the ownership, leasing, or operation of port facilities by an entity that is a Chinese, Russian, North Korean, or Iranian state-owned enterprise, or a foreign entity for which any percentage is owned by one of those four countries.

    According to reports, “China owns or operates ports and terminals at nearly 100 locations in over 50 countries.” Last year, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party issued a report highlighting its national security concerns over the influence of critical port infrastructure by Chinese-owned enterprises. Recently, the Defense Department included a number of Chinese shipping firms to a list of companies it identifies as military in nature.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Found Missing Person

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Missing US aviation student, William Henry Johnson, has been located and Police have confirmed they have no concern for his welfare.

    24-year-old Johnson was reported missing by his family on 9 June, after not contacting them for several days.

    Enquiries by Police have enabled them to make contact and confirm he is now safe and with his family.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ12: Urban renewal

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ12: Urban renewal 
    Question:
     
    The Urban Renewal Authority published in 2022 the District Study for Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok – Information Booklet, which proposed a new planning tool called “transfer of plot ratio” (i.e. allowing the transfer of gross floor area from small sites with limited redevelopment potentials (“sending sites”) to sizable redevelopment sites at strategic locations (“receiving sites”)). Subsequently, the Town Planning Board launched a pilot scheme on transfer of plot ratio (the Pilot Scheme) with Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei as pilot areas, and the Sai Yee Street/Flower Market Road Development Scheme in Mong Kok is the first project. On the other hand, in the reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on March 19 this year, the Government indicated that it would study the feasibility of cross-district transfer of plot ratios (i.e. transferring the residual plot ratios of redevelopment projects in old districts for use in new development areas (NDAs)), so as to incentivise market participation in redevelopment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether it will draw on the experience of projects under the Pilot Scheme to allow developers to transfer the residual plot ratios of small redevelopment sites in old districts other than Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei for use in sizeable redevelopment sites in the same district or in other districts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) given that there are views pointing out that the value of land in old districts is generally higher than that in NDAs, whether the Government will study adjusting the plot ratio to be transferred based on the price per square foot of the “sending and receiving sites” (e.g. ‍allowing a higher plot ratio for sites in NDAs with lower prices per square foot when receiving gross floor area from sites in old districts with higher prices per square foot), so as to attract developer participation in redevelopment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) whether it will consider requiring that a portion of land from the “sending sites” be allocated for Green Belt, Open Space, and Government, Institution or Community uses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) completed the District Study for Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok in 2021, which put forward a number of recommendations and new planning tools, including a pilot scheme for transfer of plot ratio (TPR) within the same district. To follow up on this recommendation, the Town Planning Board promulgated guidelines for the pilot scheme on TPR for Yau Mong Districts in July 2023, allowing the transfer of unutilised plot ratio from sending site(s) (SS) to receiving site(s) (RS) within the same Outline Zoning Plan to enhance redevelopment incentives. As mentioned in the question, the URA’s Sai Yee Street/Flower Market Road Development Scheme in Mong Kok is the first pilot redevelopment project to adopt TPR, which consolidated and transferred the unutilised plot ratio of several small and scattered sites without redevelopment potential to a larger site for mixed development, so as to enhance planning gains and the commercial viability of the project.
     
    To encourage and expedite urban renewal, the Development Bureau is conducting a policy study to examine the use of newly developed land to drive large-scale urban redevelopment projects, including cross-district TPR. Unlike the above-mentioned pilot scheme on TPR within the same district, we will consider allowing cross-district transfer of unutilised plot ratio from the SS to new development areas, and reducing the density of old districts. We will complete the policy study and put forward preliminary recommendations within this year.
     
    My reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Yang Wing-kit is as follows:
     
    (1)  Our preliminary view is to extend TPR to old districts other than Yau Mong Districts, so that more redevelopment projects can benefit. We are conducting an analysis on expanding the coverage of districts. Details will be provided when announcing preliminary recommendations within this year.
     
    (2) As mentioned by the Member, the land value in old districts is different from that in new development areas, with the former typically higher than the latter. Therefore, one of the key design challenges is to address the land value difference across districts. The effectiveness will depend on whether the value transferred to the RS can reasonably reflect the value of the unutilised plot ratio at the SS. Meanwhile, the mechanism should be simple and easy to implement, providing market certainty and avoiding unnecessary administrative burden. We will finalise the recommendations along such directions.
     
    (3) Our goal is to encourage the URA and landowners holding old buildings in the market to take forward redevelopment in order to address the potential risks associated with ageing structures and improve the conditions of old districts. Premised on a balance between this policy objective and the project financial viability, we will also consider in the above policy study whether requirements to provide public open spaces and/or government, community, and institutional facilities should be imposed on the SS.
    Issued at HKT 14:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Releases Guidelines for Deepening Shenzhen Pilot Comprehensive Reform /Detailed Version-1/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) — China will continue to push forward the comprehensive reform pilot in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, deepening reform and innovation in the city and expanding its opening-up, according to a guideline released Tuesday.

    The document, jointly released by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, outlines a new series of reform measures for Shenzhen to overcome institutional barriers in education, science and high-caliber talent training in a coordinated manner. It calls for strengthening the deep integration of innovation, industry, capital and talent chains, and exploring new paths, scenarios and platforms for cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It also envisages pilot projects in areas such as building a modern, international and innovative city.

    As noted in the document, Shenzhen will deepen reform and expand opening-up from a higher starting point, at a higher level and to achieve higher goals, creating more new practices that can be replicated and disseminated. The city will further enhance its role as an important driving force for the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and a development stimulating center in the national strategy, and contribute to and set a model for the all-round construction of a modern socialist country.

    As part of the reform, foreign investors are encouraged to establish professional educational organizations in the city in accordance with the rules and introduce advanced advanced training courses, faculty and teaching methods.

    According to the document, employers in Shenzhen will be given greater autonomy in recruiting and managing foreign specialists.

    The document said Shenzhen will carry out reforms to enhance data security management capacity and explore efficient, convenient and secure mechanisms for cross-border data transfer while complying with relevant laws and regulations.

    In accordance with the guidelines, the results achieved in the pilot comprehensive reform programmes will be monitored and successful experiences will be disseminated on a wider scale. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash: Bowicks Road, Cust.

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A person has died after their vehicle rolled on Bowicks Road, Cust this afternoon.

    Emergency services were called to the crash at about 1.25pm.

    One person died at the scene.

    The Serious Crash Unit has conducted a scene examination.

    Police would like to thank the emergency response teams who assisted at the scene.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Development Asia: Designing an Effective Data Governance Framework for Plastic Waste Management

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Effective plastic waste management in Southeast Asia depends on strong data governance frameworks that are practical, inclusive, and enforceable. By clearly defining what should be governed—such as data assets, processes, stakeholders, and compliance areas—and how it should be governed—through policies, roles, structures, and monitoring mechanisms—stakeholders can ensure data is accurate, secure, and actionable.

    A well-designed and functioning governance operating model connects strategic intent with operational execution, supported by a bottom-up enforcement loop that keeps the system accountable and adaptive.

    As the region moves toward digitalization and a circular plastic economy, digital tools and collaborative governance will be essential to unlocking the full potential of data in achieving sustainable outcomes.

    Note: Data governance for plastic waste management will be part of the discussions during ADB’s Circular Economy Forum, particularly on 18 June (Wednesday), 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m., with the session Data Governance Framework, under Track 3: Digitalization of the Plastic Value Chain. For more details, see the program here.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • From barriers to battalions: the rise of women in India’s armed forces

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    As the Modi government marks the completion of eleven years in office, one of the most striking shifts in India’s defence landscape has been the growing presence of women in uniform. From policy reforms to breaking long-standing barriers, the journey over the past decade has redefined the role of women in the armed forces, both symbolically and structurally.

    Back in 2014, the number of women officers across the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force stood at just around 3,000. Today, that figure has crossed 11,000, signalling not only a change in numbers but also in the institutional mindset. Over the years, the government has opened new avenues for women in defence, including extending permanent commission to women officers—a long-pending demand that was finally addressed. As of now, 507 women officers have been granted permanent commission, allowing them to pursue full careers and assume leadership positions across various branches.

    Perhaps the most visible testament to this transformation came with the historic decision to induct female cadets into the National Defence Academy (NDA). The Academy, long considered the cradle of military leadership in India, admitted its first batch of 17 female cadets in August 2022 as part of the 148th course. Since then, the number has grown steadily, with 126 female cadets joining across four batches till the 153rd course.

    The moment reached its culmination on May 30, 2025, when the pioneering group of 17 women graduated alongside 319 male cadets from the 148th Course – Spring Term 2025. This landmark event, while ceremonial in nature, carried immense symbolic weight. It reflected the Armed Forces’ growing commitment to inclusion and merit, and the belief that strength, resilience, and leadership are not confined to any one gender.

    Beyond training academies, the presence of women has expanded across various roles, including combat support and aviation. From piloting fighter jets in the Indian Air Force to handling operational command in naval and ground units, women officers today are occupying spaces once deemed inaccessible.

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New report confirms Oranga Tamariki is failing tamariki and Government is failing Māori

    Source: Green Party

    A new report, ‘Outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whānau in the oranga tamariki system 2023/24,’ has confirmed that Oranga Tamariki is severely failing our most vulnerable Māori youth. 

    “The Government is setting our tamariki up to fail by throwing them into a system that harms instead of helps our kids who are most in need,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Children, Kahurangi Carter.

    “Our tamariki and rangatahi deserve to be loved, nurtured and safe in whānau and communities that have what they need to support their wellbeing. 

    “Today’s report confirms that tamariki and rangatahi Māori are significantly over-represented in the Oranga Tamariki system and significantly under-supported. Māori youth make up two-thirds of those in state care, and make up almost 50 per cent of reports of concern made to Oranga Tamariki.

    “We cannot continue to repeat history and pave the way for another Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. We cannot let the Government give up on our most vulnerable kids by repeating cycles that have been continuing for generations.

    “Minister Chhour has deliberately undermined Oranga Tamariki by scrapping 7AA and cutting $120m of funding for services contracted to support vulnerable youth. This resulted in Kōkiri Marae, a marae which runs education, health and social services in Pito-one, losing $1.5 million of funding overnight. This is unacceptable.

    “A Green Government would create a system that centres tamariki Māori in all levels of government, with dedicated structures that ensure accountability to them. We will uphold the tino rangatiratanga of every tamaiti by centring whakapapa and te ao Māori, with whānau and hapū leading decisions affecting tamariki and rangatahi.

    “The oranga of our tamariki and rangatahi must be at the heart of decision-making. It really is as simple as that,” says Kahurangi Carter.

    NOTES TO EDITORS:

    Other key outcomes of the report are:

    • Māori who have been in care are far more likely to face mental health issues and housing instability as adults. 
    • Intergenerational cycles persist, with 70% of Māori parents who were in care now having children involved with OT.
    • Despite some efforts, the below barriers persist:
      • High thresholds mean many reports of concern result in no action.
      • Whānau-led processes like Family Group Conferences are under-resourced and poorly implemented.
      • Early support is often missed, increasing the risk of deeper system involvement.
      • Funding decisions have undermined trust and reduced effective services, particularly for iwi and kaupapa Māori providers.
    • There is insufficient prioritisation across agencies and siloed approaches worsening outcomes.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Unions take pay equity fight to the ILO

    Source: NZCTU

    New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges has taken the pay equity fight to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards.

    “I spoke about the recent pay equity changes at the ILO to highlight that Christopher Luxon’s Government has abandoned what was world-leading pay equity legislation,” said Ansell-Bridges.

    “It was important to inform the 187 member states that despite not being signalled in the last election, reforms to severely undermine the legislation were passed under urgency without any consultation with workers or their unions.

    “Overnight this world-leading system was gutted and what remained in its place is a series of roadblocks, impossible thresholds and obstacle courses masquerading as pay equity.

    “180,000 workers, mostly women, many of whom are some of the most vulnerable and lowest paid workers in New Zealand, had their claims cancelled and years of work thrown away.

    “Our response to massive undervaluation of pay in female-dominated industries must be how do we fix this, not how do we shirk these costs, having benefited so long from underpaying women.

    “We could once be proud on the world stage for making progress towards correcting this blatant sexism – it is shameful that we now have a government that has such low regard for the right to be free from gender discrimination.

    “I assured the conference that the union movement in Aotearoa New Zealand will continue to push for a genuine pay equity system and will not rest until women’s work is properly valued and workers everywhere are paid equitably regardless of their gender,” said Ansell-Bridges.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lived experience at the heart of mental health support

    Source: Australian National Party

    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 10/06/2025

    The ACT Government has released a new report that provides a comprehensive overview of peer work in the ACT’s mental health services, along with strategies to support its growth and development.

    Minister for Mental Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith, said peer work is a growing discipline in mental health care, where individuals with lived and living experience of mental health challenges use their insights to support others on their recovery journeys.

    “This report has shown that engaging peer workers in our mental health system delivers better outcomes for those experiencing or caring for someone with mental health concerns,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “Peer workers bring lived or living experience, empathy and hope to people navigating mental health challenges.

    “This report not only celebrates their contributions but also highlights key changes needed to better support and grow this essential workforce.”

    “The ACT Government is committed to ensuring accessible mental health support for Canberrans, from prevention and early intervention through to treatment and recovery.”

    Minister Stephen-Smith said the report showed that while the peer workforce reflects the diversity of the ACT community, there are high rates of burnout and compassion fatigue among peer workers.

    “This report is a call to action. We must ensure peer workers are not only included but respected, supported and empowered in our mental health system,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “Using the insights we have gained from this report, the ACT Government is developing practice standards that will support the mental health system as well as employers to ensure the peer workforce can sustainably grow in the ACT.

    “It also shows there is a desire from the peer workforce to be better connected with each other, and the Government is looking forward to hosting an inaugural ACT Peer Work Forum on 13 August 2025 to forge stronger links, help us gain more insights on how best to support peer workers, and raise the profile of peer work in the ACT.

    “While the report includes constructive feedback and highlights areas for improvement, it also reflects the resilience and dedication of peer workers across the ACT.

    “I want to thank everyone who contributed to the report, including peer workers and employers who shared their experiences and the lived experience team in the Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing who delivered this important work.

    “We are committed to working with the peer workforce to build a more inclusive, responsive and effective mental health system.”

    You can read the report and learn more about peer work in ACT mental health services on the Spaces to Grow web page.

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ18: Five-Year Plan for Sports and Recreational Facilities

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Holden Chow and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):
     
    Question:
     
    In the 2017 Policy Address, the Government proposed the “Five-Year Plan for Sports and Recreation Facilities” to launch 26 projects to develop new and improve existing sports and recreation facilities. However, the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026 that four out of such 26 ‍projects are still under planning. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) in respect of the aforesaid four projects still under planning, of (i) the dates when they were proposed, and (ii) the time lag to date since their proposal (set out in a table);
     
    (2) as the Government has advised that among the aforesaid four projects, the project of Sports Ground and Open Space with Public Vehicle Park in Area 16, Tuen Mun (TMA16 Project) can only proceed after the depots of two franchised bus companies currently at the site concerned are relocated, and that the Government will actively co-ordinate in expediting the implementation of the depot relocation plans for the two franchised bus companies, of the latest progress of the relevant work, and how the Government will push forward the commencement of the TMA16 Project; and
     
    (3) whether it will consider proceeding to tendering for the engagement of engineering consultants for the TMA16 Project as the first step, so as to kick-start the engineering design and submission of the planning applications as early as possible, thereby compressing the overall timeline of the project; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The Government announced in the 2017 Policy Address the “Five-Year Plan for Sports and Recreation Facilities” with a view to commencing 26 projects to increase and improve sports and recreation facilities. Among which, 13 projects have been opened or partially opened for public use while four projects are still under planning. Having consulted the relevant policy bureaux and departments, my reply to the questions raised by the Hon Holden Chow is set out below:

    (1) In order to make optimal use of land resources, the Government announced in the 2018 Policy Address that the principle of “single site, multiple uses” would be adopted when implementing public works projects. In view of the public demand for parking spaces in the relevant districts, the Government has proposed to incorporate public vehicle parks into four sports and recreation facility projects under planning to meet the public needs for sports and recreation facilities and alleviate the demand for parking spaces in the districts concerned. The latest progress of the four projects is set out below:
     

    Project Date of obtaining support from the District Council (DC) upon revision of the proposed project facilities Number of years since the date of obtaining support from the DC and current progress (up to 2025)
    Sports Ground and Open Space with Public Vehicle Park in Area 16, Tuen Mun (TMA16 Project) Support was obtained from Tuen Mun DC in February 2019
    • Around six years
    • The relevant site is currently used for several temporary purposes, including bus depots of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) and the Citybus Limited (Citybus), the Tuen Mun Training Ground and Testing Centre of the Construction Industry Council, as well as a fee-paying public vehicle park. The two bus companies have preliminarily identified new sites and submitted their applications for short-term tenancy (STT) to the Lands Department with a view to relocating their bus depots and returning the site for taking forward the project.
    Football-cum-Rugby Pitch with Public Vehicle Park in Area 33, Tai Po
         		 Support was obtained from Tai Po DC in November 2018.
     
     
    • Around six years
    • The Government consulted the DC about the conceptual design of the project on September 4, 2024.
    • “Design and build” (D&B) model will be adopted for the project. The Government will take the project forward in accordance with public works procedures.
    Sports Facilities with Public Vehicle Park in Tung Tau Industrial Area, Yuen Long
         		 Support was obtained from Yuen Long DC in January 2019.
     
     
    • Around six years
    • D&B model will be adopted for the project. The Government will take the project forward in accordance with public works procedures.
    Open Space with Public Vehicle Park in Area 17, Tuen Mun
         		 Support was obtained from Tuen Mun DC in June 2019
    • Around six years
    • The Government has engaged a consultant to undertake the design and planning applications for the project.

    The Government will continue to review the order of priority of works projects under planning and update their works schedules as appropriate for using public resources more effectively.

    (2) Regarding the TMA16 Project, relevant government departments have been actively assisting franchised bus operators in identifying sites for relocating the bus depots so as to vacate the site early for taking forward the project. Both the KMB and Citybus have submitted STT applications to the Lands Department for the use of government sites at the southern and northern ends of Ho Wo Street respectively for relocating the bus depots currently located at Area 16, Tuen Mun. The site at the southern end of Ho Wo Street was handed over to the KMB in March 2025. The KMB will carry out site formation and associated works as soon as practicable to expedite the commencement of the new bus depot thereat.

    As for the site at the northern end of Ho Wo Street which Citybus has applied for, its underground drainage facilities pose certain technical constraints on the use of the land, including the feasibility of setting up petrol stations and vehicle-washing machines at the site. In this regard, relevant government departments are actively liaising with Citybus and exploring possible solutions. Upon the granting of STT, Citybus will commence the preparatory work for relocating its bus depot.

    Relevant bureaux and departments will continue to co-ordinate and assist the two bus companies in the relocation exercise to ensure that the bus depots can be moved out and the site can be cleared as soon as practicable. Meanwhile, other preparatory work will continue to be carried out so that the works can be commenced immediately after the tender exercise is completed and funding approval is obtained from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.

    (3) To implement the TMA16 Project, the Government will adopt the D&B model under which bids for design works and building works will be invited under a single contract. The successful contractor is required to engage construction and design teams to carry out detailed design for the project simultaneously to shorten the overall construction period as well as make best use of its expertise and experience on building materials and construction techniques to enhance the design quality and cost-effectiveness of the project.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Celebrities rally for yoga ahead of IDY 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    As the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025 approaches, a host of celebrated personalities from film, music, and public service are lending their voices to promote the ancient Indian practice. What started as a national observance has transformed into a people’s movement, with this year’s IDY marking a decade of celebrations.

    Former Puducherry Governor and retired IPS officer Dr. Kiran Bedi called yoga “another word for self-care and social care,” highlighting its relevance in modern life.

    Veteran actors Anupam Kher and Anil Kapoor echoed the sentiment. In a post on X, Kapoor said, “Yoga inspires, heals, and unites. Let’s embrace a healthier today and tomorrow through the spirit of Yoga Mahotsav,” while Anupam shared a video message encouraging everyone to “Celebrate Yoga”.

    Wrestler and motivational speaker Sangram Singh emphasized yoga’s spiritual dimension, calling it a bridge between the physical and the inner self. Cultural icons like singer Kailash Kher and classical dancer Sonal Mansingh praised yoga as India’s timeless gift to the world.

    Actors Manoj Joshi and Shilpa Shetty advocated for integrating yoga and Ayurvedic principles into daily life, while Rakul Preet Singh described yoga as a unifying force from ancient India to the global stage.

    Their collective outreach, especially on social media, is energizing youth and digital audiences nationwide. As June 21 draws near, these influential voices are not just promoting yoga as a practice—but as a way of life.

  • Effort to clean up Delhi-NCR air gets new boost with urban road redevelopment plan

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a push to curb rising dust pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Tuesday signed a tripartite agreement with the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).

    The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to facilitate the implementation of a standardised framework for the redevelopment of urban roads, including paving and greening of footpaths and sidewalks — a measure seen as critical to reducing dust levels, a major contributor to air pollution in the region.

    The agreement also envisions the setting up of a Project Monitoring Cell (PMC) at CAQM, with technical support from CRRI and SPA. The cell will be tasked with overseeing the phased rollout of the redevelopment framework across NCR states.

    In the first phase, nine cities — all with significant urban and industrial footprints — have been identified for implementation. These include Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi and Neemrana. Officials said the cities were selected after consultations with the state governments and the Delhi administration.

    According to CAQM, the standard framework includes scientific redesigning of road cross-sections, integration of green buffers along the right of way (ROW), and use of a web-based Road Asset Management System (RAMS) for regular maintenance. The plan also calls for adoption of newer technologies in road construction and dust control.

    Both CRRI and SPA will provide technical and institutional support to the PMC, including help with recruitment, training and ongoing project guidance. A digital dashboard will also be developed to enable real-time monitoring of individual road projects, the commission said.

    Transforming urban roads through scientific design, sustainable greening, and modern technologies is one of the key long term solutions for abating dust pollution from the roads and improvement of air quality in the region.

  • May was world’s second-hottest on record, EU scientists say

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The world experienced its second-warmest May since records began, a month in which climate change fuelled a record-breaking heatwave in Greenland, scientists said on Wednesday.

    Last month was Earth’s second-warmest May on record – exceeded only by May 2024 – rounding out the northern hemisphere’s second-hottest March-May spring on record, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a monthly bulletin.

    Global surface temperatures last month averaged 1.4 degrees Celsius higher than in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, C3S said.

    That broke a run of extraordinary heat, in which 21 of the last 22 months had an average global temperature exceeding 1.5C above pre-industrial times – although scientists warned this break was unlikely to last.

    “Whilst this may offer a brief respite for the planet, we do expect the 1.5C threshold to be exceeded again in the near future due to the continued warming of the climate system,” said C3S director Carlo Buontempo.

    The main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Last year was the planet’s hottest on record.

    A separate study, published by the World Weather Attribution group of climate scientists on Wednesday, found that human-caused climate change made a record-breaking heatwave in Iceland and Greenland last month about 3C hotter than it otherwise would have been – contributing to a huge additional melting of Greenland’s ice sheet.

    “Even cold-climate countries are experiencing unprecedented temperatures,” said Sarah Kew, study co-author and researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.

    The global threshold of 1.5C is the limit of warming which countries vowed under the Paris climate agreement to try to prevent, to avoid the worst consequences of warming.

    The world has not yet technically breached that target – which refers to an average global temperature of 1.5C over decades.

    However, some scientists have said it can no longer realistically be met, and have urged governments to cut CO2 emissions faster, to limit the overshoot and the fuelling of extreme weather.

    C3S’s records go back to 1940, and are cross-checked with global temperature records going back to 1850.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ1: On-street parking spaces

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):

    Question:

         Many members of the public have relayed that under the circumstances of a lack of parking spaces, some businesses are occupying on-street parking spaces in various districts on a long-term basis or blocking them with objects in order to use such parking spaces for commercial activities. There are views that such practices defeat the original purpose of installing parking meters to prevent prolonged parking and occupation of road space by vehicles, violate the principle of fair use of public resources, and adversely affect motorists’ convenience when going out. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the measures taken by the Government in the past three years to combat the illegal long-term occupation of on-street parking spaces, and the relevant enforcement situation;

    (2) as there are views pointing out that the long-term occupation of on-street parking spaces or their blockage with objects by businesses has existed in various districts for many years, what specific measures the Government has in place to step up efforts in combatting such practices; and

    (3) as it is learnt that at present, some Mainland cities have implemented number plate recognition systems by installing sensors to identify vehicles in parking spaces to assist with enforcement, whether the authorities will consider introducing similar systems or other innovative technological devices at on-street parking spaces to assist law enforcement agencies in combatting the illegal occupation of on-street parking spaces, including long-term occupation, blockage with objects and holding of commercial activities?

    Reply:

    President,

    It is the Government’s policy to centre on public transport, and the Government encourages the public to make good use of the public transport services as far as possible, so as to avoid aggravating the burden on road traffic resulting from excessive private cars (PCs). In response to the parking demand for both PCs and commercial vehicles, over the past years, the Government has been actively pursuing a host of short-term and medium-to-long-term measures, to increase the supply of parking spaces where circumstances permit. Over the past three years, the number of metered parking spaces (metered spaces) has increased by more than 2 300. Having consulted the Transport Department (TD) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows:

    (1) and (2) The Government has all along been combatting the illegal occupation of metered spaces, deterring fare evasion and other forms of illegal use, to enhance turnover and ensure these spaces meet short-term parking needs. The HKPF conducts inspections and takes enforcement actions against unpaid parking, and maintains close co-ordination with relevant departments, such as the TD, at the district level for ongoing monitoring. Since 2021, the new-generation parking meter system, equipped with sensors, can detect real-time occupancy and enable the TD to identify unpaid metered spaces through its backend computer system. The TD shares this information with the HKPF via a dedicated application to facilitate enforcement. In terms of actual operation, the meter operator engaged by the TD provides information of unpaid but occupied metered spaces detected by the meters’ sensors to the HKPF for follow-up, and dispatches personnel to regularly patrol parking meters in various districts. If any unlawful occupation of metered spaces is observed, the contractor will report the situation to relevant departments (for example, the HKPF, the Lands Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department) for enforcement. Currently, the contractor conducts daily inspections, and refers an average of about 120 000 cases per year to the HKPF for non-payment of parking fees, and the number of referrals concerning parking spaces occupied by non-vehicle items to the HKPF and other relevant departments has risen over the past three years to over 200 cases. The TD also refers public complaints to the appropriate authorities for action. Additionally, the HKPF continues its public awareness and education efforts. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of metered spaces increased by over 10 per cent, while revenue from metered parking fees rose by more than 40 per cent, suggesting improved compliance with paid parking regulations.

    Regarding enforcement against other forms of illegal occupation, section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance stipulates that anyone who leaves objects in a public place – such as pallets/shop goods to reserve spaces – without reasonable excuse, causing obstruction, inconvenience, or danger to others or vehicles, is liable to a Level 4 fine ($25,000) or three months’ imprisonment.

    (3) As mentioned above, the new generation parking meter system is equipped with sensors to detect the usage status of parking spaces in real time. The purpose of collecting information is to provide motorists with locations of vacant on-street parking spaces in real time, and does not have the function of identifying number plate numbers.

    Having said that, this information could assist the HKPF and the TD in identifying cases where metered spaces are occupied without payment, enabling targeted enforcement actions by the HKPF. The departments will continue to draw on experiences from other places and advancements in relevant technologies, actively exploring the adoption of new technologies to enhance the management and operational efficiency of metered spaces. The TD plans to conduct a two-month pilot scheme in the fourth quarter of 2025, adopting artificial intelligence sensors in targeted areas with greater demand for metered spaces and higher rates of illegal occupation of parking spaces. Depending on the success of the trial, we will expand the coverage of the scheme. Regarding number plate recognition systems, the TD remains open-minded and will assess their reliability alongside the cost-effectiveness of upgrading the meter system’s hardware and software holistically to determine their suitability for application in Hong Kong.

    Thank you, President.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Office of the Deputy President provides clarity regarding Deputy President Mashatile’s international programme travel expenses

    Source: President of South Africa –

    The Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa wishes to provide clarity regarding Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s international travel expenses which has recently gained much attention in the media, with reports and commentary coming from News24, City Press, Sunday Times/Timeslive, SowetanLIVE, Independent Media/IOL, The Citizen, BusinessLive, ENCA and others. Categorically, the office and the Deputy President have not, as seems to be suggested, misused State funds or been extravagant in financing the costs of the Deputy President’s international travel.

    This unprecedented matter which involves the international work of the Deputy President’s travel costs, was first raised by Action SA, a political party represented in Parliament, in a written question to the Deputy President.  In light of such an expected phenomena, the Deputy President replied to the question in full and also provided specific details which include; correct figures and breakdown of individual costs by members of the delegation supporting the Deputy President. 

    The Office of the Deputy President wishes to reiterate that Deputy President Mashatile undertakes all international working visits, not in his personal capacity but on behalf of the South African Government as delegated by President Cyril Ramaphosa.  Moreover, the majority of these strategic international visits are aimed at strengthening existing bilateral, political, economic and diplomatic relations between South Africa and visited countries. 

    As part of South Africa’s global investment drive, and commitment to contribute to global peace and stability, South Africa, through the President and Deputy President as well as Ministers, have a role to play in advancing the global agenda, an aspect of which includes engagements with counterparts in other countries. For instance, the Deputy President co-chairs the SA-China BNC with Vice President Han Zheng and many other delegated countries including, but not limited to Vietnam and South Sudan.

    In summary, in the comprehensive answer to the Parliamentary Question by Action SA, it was stated that since Deputy President Mashatile assumed office on 3 July 2024, he has undertaken the following International official visits:

    • Ireland and United Kingdom Working Visits 26 September – 4 October 2024: Ireland 26 – 29 September 2024 and United Kingdom Working 30 September – 4 October 2024
    • Standing for President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Republic of South Africa at the Inauguration of the President of Botswana, H.E Duma Boko on 8 November 2024
    • Standing for President Ramaphosa and South Africa at the Extraordinary SADC Summit held on 20 November 2024 in Harare, Zimbabwe
    • Japan Working Visit 16 – 19 March 2025
    • France Working Visit 19 – 24 May 2025

    The Working Visit to Japan in particular, being the one raised by most media, was of strategic importance to South Africa, as it focussed on strengthening political, economic and social areas of cooperation between the two countries. The Working Visit came at the back of the two nations celebrating 115 years of strong diplomatic relations. The Deputy President was accompanied by Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Thandi Moraka; the Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie; the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane; the Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen; the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau, and the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Nomalungelo Gina.

    In addition, the Japan Working Visit achieved several key objectives including representing the first high-level engagement between South Africa and Japan in the last 10 years; signalling an acknowledgement and appreciation for the long-standing relationship between the two countries based on a wide area of cooperation not limited to trade and investment. This visit was beneficial in terms of South Africa’s African Agenda, the current confluence of South Africa’s G20 Chairship and Japan’s hosting of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in August, presenting a unique opportunity for South Africa to communicate its own and the continent’s position and priorities to Japan and the expected support and role that Japan could to play in this regard.

    Finally, in our response to Parliament, the office has provided a breakdown of the cost to Government of all individual members of the delegation supporting the Deputy President. Regrettably, some of the figures presented by the media are significantly blown out of proportion and do not accurately reflect the cost of the trips. For example, one media liaison officer, referred to by Timeslive as the “most expensive supporting official”, is said to have cost R580, 582 for Japan alone, when in fact the total cost for that official is less than R66 000 including flights and accommodation. 

    While the cost of international travel is generally very high, these figures must always be seen in the context of their original currency in relation to the Rand Dollar exchange, as well as the going rate of such travel expenses, including ground transport, accommodation and flights. 

    In terms of the travel policy in the Presidential Handbook, transport for the President and Deputy President during travel outside South Africa is the responsibility and for the account of the State. Accommodation and incidental expenses of the President and Deputy President whilst on all official journeys abroad is arranged through, and paid for, by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. The logistics and choice of accommodation is not the responsibility or competency of the Office of the Deputy President or Presidency. In fact, DIRCO plays an integral role in reviewing, advising and endorsing Government Delegation compositions, ensuring that participation aligns with formal policy guidelines that emphasise relevance, necessity, and cost-effectiveness. These guidelines reflect government directives aimed at optimising resource allocation while maintaining operational effectiveness during international engagements.

    Regarding the financial aspects of the visits, responsibility for travel, accommodation, and other miscellaneous expenses is generally shared among DIRCO and other participating departments, depending on the officials’ affiliations and roles. Prior to the visit, DIRCO oversees the processing of budget submissions or cost estimates to ensure compliance with approved spending frameworks. This includes strict adherence to National Treasury guidelines on international travel, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and other precepts governing public expenditure.

    In all these visits, the Office of the Deputy President has insisted on the most cost-effective provisions for the Deputy President and his delegations, and has therefore not misused nor extravagantly used State funds as alluded.

    Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 065 195 8840

    Issued by: The Presidency
    Pretoria
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 10th, 2025 VIDEO: Heinrich Joins Press Conference Blasting Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal’ for Raising Energy Prices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in a press conference on how Trump and Republicans’ reconciliation bill will raise energy costs for working families, all to pay for tax handouts for their billionaire donors.

    VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) hosts a press conference blasting Trump and Republicans’ reconciliation bill for raising energy costs, June 10, 2025.
    Heinrich’s remarks as delivered are below:
    As Senator Schatz said, the conundrum we’re in with electricity right now is that we haven’t been in this supply demand space since air conditioners became a widely available technology.
    That was the last time we saw the kind of growth in demand that we’re experiencing right now. On the supply side, the place we find ourselves in right now is one where, if you want to order a combined cycle of natural gas turbine, if you ordered it yesterday, you’re going to get it in 2030 or 2031.
    If you want to build a new API, 1000 Nuclear Generating Station, as the President has said he does, it’s going to take you 5 to 10 years to actually build that.
    If you want to do the geothermal stuff that’s taking off in Utah, to some extent in New Mexico, that’s scaling slow: It’s going to be 5 to 10 years before that stuff is at scale.
    So if you look at this incredibly increased demand from artificial intelligence, from electrification, from the surge we’ve seen in manufacturing, and you look at the supply that’s coming onto the grid in 2024 and what’s coming on in 2025 well over 90% of that is actually renewables plus storage.
    And that’s the case because it’s the cheapest, fastest to permit and fastest to build.
    So if you start throttling back 90% of your supply at a time when demand is going through the roof, what’s the impact of that?
    And I’m here to tell you, the impact is electricity bills are going up.
    They are going up all across the country.
    And Republicans are going to own that because there is no world in which we throttle supply like they are doing right now, especially with this reconciliation bill, but in 5 or 10 other different ways as well, and you don’t see those electric bills go through the roof.
    IRA tax credits are the biggest piece of that but it’s not the only one.
    They basically eviscerated the agencies that finance or permit many of these things.
    They said they wanted to build nuclear.
    The only nuclear that’s been built in the last 30 years is what we just saw happen in Georgia, and that happened because the loan program office — where they’ve lost half the staff and defunded it in the president’s budget.
    If you want to produce oil and gas, you need somebody at the Bureau of Land Management who can actually pick up the phone about a permit.
    They have chased people out of the Bureau of Land Management.
    You add that to the kind of permitting abuse that we’ve seen with Empire Wind, a fully permitted multi-gigawatt project, and then you throw in some steel and aluminum tariffs just to make the natural gas projects that are in the books even more expensive.
    This is a perfect storm of higher electricity rates, and if they pass this reconciliation bill without changes, they’re going to own every bit of it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Sensex, Nifty trade steady; oil & gas, metal stocks support market

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian equity markets opened nearly flat on Wednesday, continuing their consolidation trend as sectoral performance remained mixed. The Sensex rose by 59 points to 82,451 and the Nifty 50 was up 18.55 points at 25,122 in early trade.

    Gains were led by sectors such as oil and gas and metals, while FMCG and PSU banks traded lower. On the National Stock Exchange, out of 15 sectoral indices, 11 were in the green, two were down, and two remained flat as of 9:25 am. The Nifty Media index led the gains.

    Stocks such as JSW Steel, Cipla, NTPC and Tech Mahindra were among the top gainers on the Nifty, while Grasim Industries, Shriram Finance, Asian Paints, L&T, and Titan Company recorded losses. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices were up by 0.3 percent each.

    According to analysts, the market is likely to stay within a consolidation range with a slight upward bias. A decisive move above the 25,100 mark on the Nifty will require sustained institutional buying, potentially triggered by developments in global trade talks.

    “In the near-term the market will respond to news regarding the trade negotiations. If there is a clear agreement, the market will respond positively and there is a high probability of Nifty breaking above 25,100 and remaining above this level,” said Dr. V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

    He added that while liquidity could support a mild rally, a stronger uptrend would require support from corporate earnings, which have yet to show signs of significant recovery.

    Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued their buying streak for a third straight session, with net purchases of ₹2,301 crore on June 10. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) maintained a positive outlook for the 16th consecutive session, investing ₹1,113 crore.

    This steady institutional inflow reflects ongoing confidence in the domestic market, providing support amid global uncertainties.

    In the US, markets traded sideways for much of Tuesday but ended higher, with the S&P 500 rising 0.6 percent, bringing it within 1.7 percent of its record close from February 2020. Reports also suggest that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent may be under consideration to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

    -IANS

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Legal Issues – Unions take pay equity fight to the ILO – CTU

    Source: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi

    New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges has taken the pay equity fight to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards.

    “I spoke about the recent pay equity changes at the ILO to highlight that Christopher Luxon’s Government has abandoned what was world-leading pay equity legislation,” said Ansell-Bridges.

    “It was important to inform the 187 member states that despite not being signalled in the last election, reforms to severely undermine the legislation were passed under urgency without any consultation with workers or their unions.

    “Overnight this world-leading system was gutted and what remained in its place is a series of roadblocks, impossible thresholds and obstacle courses masquerading as pay equity.

    “180,000 workers, mostly women, many of whom are some of the most vulnerable and lowest paid workers in New Zealand, had their claims cancelled and years of work thrown away.

    “Our response to massive undervaluation of pay in female-dominated industries must be how do we fix this, not how do we shirk these costs, having benefited so long from underpaying women.

    “We could once be proud on the world stage for making progress towards correcting this blatant sexism – it is shameful that we now have a government that has such low regard for the right to be free from gender discrimination.

    “I assured the conference that the union movement in Aotearoa New Zealand will continue to push for a genuine pay equity system and will not rest until women’s work is properly valued and workers everywhere are paid equitably regardless of their gender,” said Ansell-Bridges.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Property Market – NZ’s Rental Homes Are Ageing – And the Clock Is Ticking

    Source: Property Brokers

    With less than a month until the 1 July 2025 Healthy Homes Standards deadline, the latest Regional Rental Report from Property Brokers reveals a pressing reality: New Zealand’s rental housing stock is ageing – and fast.
    According to the report, the average rental property managed by Property Brokers was built in 1968. In some regions, homes dating back to the 1940s are still actively rented. David Faulkner, General Manager of Property Management for Property Brokers, says this presents both a challenge and an opportunity for landlords.
    “We manage a significant proportion of older homes, and retrofitting them to meet compliance is now more urgent than ever,” says Faulkner. “But compliance isn’t just a box to tick – it’s a chance to add long-term value. A warm, dry, well-ventilated home is more attractive to tenants, encourages longer stays, and can command better returns.”
    The Regional Rental Report – co-authored by Professor Graham Squires of The Property Knowledge – draws on a sample of over 8,000 active rental properties across regional New Zealand. It highlights the mismatch between modern compliance standards and an ageing housing stock.
    “It’s often assumed that renters live in older homes, and this data confirms that assumption,” says Professor Squires. “However, there’s a wider conversation to be had about housing supply, regional development, and the economic viability of upgrading versus rebuilding. Older homes still dominate much of the rental market, particularly outside the major metros.”
    Key insights from the report include:
    – Papamoa leads with the highest average rent at $697 per week, with stock averaging from 1997.
    – Rolleston and the Selwyn District have the youngest rental stock, due to Christchurch’s post-earthquake rebuild.
    – Dunedin and Oamaru feature the oldest active rentals, averaging from the mid-20th century.
    – Newer homes like those in Rolleston have shorter average tenancy lengths (16 months), while older homes in places like
    Carterton show longer tenancies, despite the age of the stock.
    Faulkner says the Healthy Homes deadline has brought long-overdue attention to housing quality.
    “The cost of non-compliance – from fines to lost income – is far greater than the cost of doing it right. We’re actively working with landlords to meet the standard and future-proof their investments,” he says.
    Squires adds that evolving tenancy tr

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – “Look busy – the people are angry” in the face of genocide – Government brings shame on us all! – PSNA

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

    The government’s decision to sanction Israeli cabinet ministers is a cynical diversionary gesture, according to the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

    New Zealand has joined the UK, Australia, Canada, and Norway in banning the entry of Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

    PSNA Co-Chair, Maher Nazzal, says the just announced move is simply to placate New Zealanders angry at the government’s complicity with the mass killing of Palestinians and deliberate starvation of Occupied Gaza.

    “The New Zealand government statement was quite explicit that the sanctions were ‘not designed to sanction the wider Israeli government’ of which Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are ministers.”

    “The New Zealand government’s official statement is laying the blame for Israeli barbarity on just two ministers.  Our government is pretending that they alone are responsible for the military violence in the Gaza Strip, and Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land, expanding settlements, and forced displacement.”

    “All these war crimes are supported and stated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.  These measures are all being carried out by the Israeli government.  These two ministers are quite rabid, but they are not just freelancers or ‘bad apples’.”

    “Netanyahu himself is wanted for trial on war crimes charges, so why does he escape the travel ban?”

     Nazzal says Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would never plan to come to New Zealand anyway.

    “The last time such an individual visited in 2006 the Auckland District Court issued a warrant for his arrest to face war crime charges.” (That was Israeli General Moshe Ya’alon – the ‘Butcher of Qana’.  The warrant was quashed by the then Attorney-General Michael Cullen)

     “Even if the government sanctioned the entire Israeli cabinet, it would be meaningless.”

    “Israel has made Gaza hell on earth for Palestinians, and is making it worse by the hour.  We should be cutting trade ties – including military technology, which might be finding its way to Israel, or sending up satellites from Mahia used by Israel to spy on Gaza.

    “New Zealand has bilateral agreements with Israel over science and movie-making.  They should stop.”

    “The government needs to ban Israeli soldiers coming here for genocide holidays, instead of Winston Peters going out of his way to welcome them.”

    “And it goes without saying that the Israeli ambassador should be booted out.”

    Nazzal says the forced starvation in Gaza has reached a crisis point.

    “The choice for the international community is stark.  Let tens of thousands starve to death in the next few weeks, or impose a no-fly zone over Gaza and provide military protection for UNRWA aid convoys.”

    “In that context, by limiting the travel options for two Israeli politicians our government feels like it’s conveying a message of  “Look busy – New Zealanders are angry, we must be seen to be doing something, but really,  we don’t care.”

     

    Maher Nazzal

    Co-Chair PSNA

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Updates to guidance about CEDS

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    We’ve updated our website and PCG 2018/9 Central management and control test of residency: identifying where a company’s central management and control is located to:

    • reflect the amendments to section 295 of the Corporations Act 2001 enacted in December 2024 regarding the Consolidated Entity Disclosure Statement (CEDS)
    • confirm the PCG may assist companies required to complete the CEDS for their annual financial reports
    • clarify that a company won’t be considered ‘low risk’ under the PCG if it self-assesses and reports as a non-resident for Australian tax purposes but has inconsistently reported as an Australian tax resident in the CEDS. This applies for financial years commencing on, or after, 1 July 2024.

    The updates reflect the amendments in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Act 2024. These amendments ensure tax residency disclosures in the CEDS align with tax return disclosures, to improve multinational tax transparency.

    ASIC’s information sheetExternal Link has also been updated.

    Keep up to date

    We have tailored communication channels for medium, large and multinational businesses, to keep you up to date with updates and changes you need to know.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ’s goal is to get smoking rates under 5% for all population groups this year – here’s why that’s highly unlikely

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Hoek, Professor in Public Health, University of Otago

    Getty Images

    Next week is “scrutiny week” in parliament – one of two weeks each year when opposition MPs can hold ministers accountable for their actions, or lack thereof.

    For us, it’s a good time to take stock of whether New Zealand is on track to achieve its smokefree goal of reducing smoking prevalence to under 5% and as close to zero as possible, among all population groups, this year.

    The latest New Zealand Health Survey shows that, for the first time in a decade, smoking rates have flatlined rather than fallen. Stark inequities persist, with daily smoking prevalence among Māori at 14.7% (compared to 6.1% among European New Zealanders).

    To bring New Zealand’s overall smoking prevalence under 5% would require more than 80,000 people to quit this year. Achieving the goal equitably means more than 60,000 of those people would need to be Māori.

    The government’s repeal of earlier measures predicted to bring rapid and equitable reductions in smoking prevalence means achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal for all population groups is now highly unlikely.

    Ending the scourge of tobacco

    Proposed by the Māori Affairs Select Committee and adopted by the then National-led government in 2011, the Smokefree 2025 goal has always had equity at its heart.

    At that time, smoking prevalence among Māori was 37.7% and 14.7% among European New Zealanders. Reducing smoking rates to less than 5% for all population groups offered an opportunity to profoundly reduce health inequities burdening Māori.

    Early discussions recognised the large inequities in smoking rates. Speaking about his role in the select committee inquiry, former National Party leader Simon Bridges stated:

    The picture I had of smoking was quite wrong. Most of the time, smoking is not this idea of a free market with adults who freely consent to take up smoking […] but the more complex, difficult situation of children smoking as a result of parents and grandparents who smoked […]. That means that a more intense, stronger, more interventionist approach is called for.

    The first Smokefree Action Plan, only introduced a decade later in late 2021, included more intense measures and established a Māori and Pacific oversight committee to ensure all actions taken promoted equity.

    The action plan introduced three key initiatives: denicotinisation, a large reduction in outlets selling tobacco, and the smokefree generation strategy.

    All were expected to have strong pro-equity outcomes. Modelling predicted denicotinisation would bring unprecedented reductions in smoking prevalence, eliminating the gaps between Māori and non-Māori. Reducing tobacco availability would end the widespread access to tobacco in lower-income communities.

    The smokefree generation, a longer-term endgame strategy that would have meant anyone born after 2009 could no longer buy tobacco, was predicted to significantly reduce inequity, given the younger Māori (and Pacific) population structure.

    Then Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall noted:

    While smoking rates are heading in the right direction, we need to do more, faster, to reach our goal. If nothing changes, it would be decades till Māori smoking rates fall below 5%, and this government is not prepared to leave people behind.

    Is equity still the goal?

    The coalition government’s repeal of these measures in early 2024 left a void, but Associate Health Minister Casey Costello reaffirmed a commitment to the Smokefree 2025 goal. A January 2024 update to Cabinet stated:

    The government remains committed to further reducing smoking rates and achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal of daily smoking prevalence of less than 5% for all population groups.

    However, by late 2024 the narrative began changing. In November, Costello launched a new smokefree action plan in a final push to reach the headline 5% target. Her plan does not emphasise the structural changes (such as fewer outlets selling tobacco) called for by the Māori Affairs Select Committee.

    Instead, it relies on health promotion programmes to reduce smoking uptake and on increasing attempts to quit by “reinvigorating” stop-smoking messages and improving referral rates to support.

    We argue New Zealand will likely fall well short of its 2025 goal to bring smoking rates below 5% and reduce inequities, despite an ongoing commitment by Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora.

    During scrutiny week, we hope Associate Health Minister Costello will be asked how she explains the discrepancy between her earlier commitment to achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal among all population groups and more recent comments which appear to roll back the equity goal.

    More importantly, we hope questions will probe how she plans to reduce smoking prevalence among Māori to a third of its current level, and what evidence she has that the steps she proposes will work.

    Janet Hoek receives funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Marsden Fund, NZ Cancer Society and NZ Heart Foundation. She is a member of the Health Coalition Aotearoa’s smokefree expert advisory group and of the Ministry of Health’s smokefree advisory group, a member of the HRC’s Public Health Research Committee, and a Senior Editor at Tobacco Control (honorarium paid). She serves on several other government, NGO and community advisory groups.

    Jude Ball receives funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Marsden Fund, NZ Cancer Society, NIB Foundation, and the Health Promotion Agency. She is affiliated with the Public Health Association of New Zealand, a member of Health Coalition Aotearoa’s smokefree advisory group, and serves on other NGO and community advisory groups.

    – ref. NZ’s goal is to get smoking rates under 5% for all population groups this year – here’s why that’s highly unlikely – https://theconversation.com/nzs-goal-is-to-get-smoking-rates-under-5-for-all-population-groups-this-year-heres-why-thats-highly-unlikely-258592

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is regulation really to blame for the housing affordability crisis?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Gurran, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Sydney

    ymgerman/Shutterstock

    The Albanese government has a new mantra to describe the housing crisis, which is showing no signs of abating: homes have simply become “too hard to build” in Australia.

    The prime minister and senior ministers are taking aim at what they are calling a “thicket” of red tape and regulation, which is making it “uneconomic” to build affordable housing.

    Undoubtedly, the great Australian dream is further out of reach, with average house prices now above A$1 million for the first time.

    But will a war on excessive regulation be enough to address the affordability barriers keeping many people out of the market? Or does the answer lie in systemic change, including tax reform?

    Abundant housing agenda

    Assistant Minister for Productivity Andrew Leigh kick-started the assault on regulation when he recently took aim at local councils for holding back new housing developments:

    Approvals drag on. Rules multiply. Outcomes are inconsistent. They don’t say ‘no’ outright. They just make ‘yes’ harder than it needs to be.

    By lamenting rigid planning processes, Leigh was channelling the zeitgeist. The minister was drawing on the book Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. The book – a smash hit in political circles – calls on progressives to adopt “YIMBY” policies (Yes In My Backyard) and remove the barriers that slow project delivery.

    Leigh was duly applauded by the housing industry, which promotes its own version of abundance as an “unabashed focus on supply-side housing policy mechanisms”.

    More than supply

    New housing construction is certainly critical, as reflected in the government promise to build 1.2 million homes over five years.

    The target is already out of reach, with the regulatory burden being blamed for a forecast shortfall of 262,000 homes by mid 2029.

    But by focusing on planning laws as the main barrier to new supply, Leigh risks diverting attention from the overarching systemic changes needed to improve access to affordable housing.

    While an overhaul of red tape is important, it won’t be enough to address current supply barriers, including market conditions and industry constraints. Nor will unleashing construction be sufficient to make housing affordable for first home buyers or low income renters.

    According to the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, other priority areas for the government should include social housing, protection for renters and tax reform.

    Winding back tax breaks such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, would free up resources for public investment in social housing. Targeting financial incentives to new, and preferably affordable homes, would also boost supply.

    Perhaps the size of Labor’s election victory and the calls for reform by a chorus of experts may convince the government to reconsider its refusal to curb these tax breaks.

    Blaming local councils

    Within a system-wide reform agenda, regulatory roadblocks to new land and housing supply should be assessed. But in doing so, accurate data and analysis is critical.

    Leigh singles out North Sydney Council to illustrate his argument that over-regulation is holding back housing starts. He claims just 44 dwelling were approved between July 2024 and February 2025, well short of its state-imposed target of 787 homes:

    This is not a small gap. It is structural failure, Even where planning targets exist, the systems to meet them often don’t.

    But the figures Leigh cites isn’t for development approvals. Instead, they refer to construction certificates issued when a development is ready to commence. According to the NSW Planning Portal, the actual number of new dwellings approved in North Sydney was 446, which was particularly notable given the economic conditions.

    Unfortunately, Leigh’s attack on local councils perpetuates many common misunderstandings about how planning systems operate in Australia. He seems to point the finger at local councils, when land use plans – zoning, height and density controls – are signed off by the states.

    Leigh also recalls a time when housing completions were flowing much more freely in his home town of Canberra, implying the key difference is one of over regulation and not underlying economic circumstances.

    The ACT is particularly prone to a slowdown in building approvals because of the shift from detached homes on greenfield sites towards medium density apartments. And there has been a near total retreat from public sector investment in new supply. For instance, in 1969-70, nearly a third of new homes in Canberra were delivered by the government. These days it’s just 5%.

    Political will

    The tired cliches about housing and zoning continue to circulate.

    The need to relax zoning restrictions to ease house prices was the media’s main takeaway from the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook Report.

    The 280-page document does mention “zoning” in the list of regulatory reforms Australian governments could undertake. But the OECD says the emphasis should be on public investment “to address the housing affordability crisis by boosting supply” especially in social housing.

    As our research has previously demonstrated, calling for zoning and planning reform is a popular technique for seeming concerned about housing while avoiding the systemic change that would deliver additional supply.

    Has housing really become too hard to build?

    Or does the difficultly lie in finding the political will to take the real steps needed to make housing more accessible to generations of Australians who risk missing out?

    Nicole Gurran receives funding from the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute (AHURI) and has received funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Peter Phibbs receives funding from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI)

    – ref. Is regulation really to blame for the housing affordability crisis? – https://theconversation.com/is-regulation-really-to-blame-for-the-housing-affordability-crisis-258077

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Amit Shah reviews flood management preparedness ahead of monsoon

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to review the country’s flood preparedness ahead of the monsoon. The meeting focused on long-term flood mitigation strategies, the status of measures taken since last year’s review, and the use of technology for effective flood management.
     
    The Home Minister reviewed the adoption of new technologies by various agencies involved in flood management and called for their expanded use. He stressed the need for wider application of space technology by central agencies for flood control and water management.
     
    Shah reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, disaster management in India is being driven with a zero-casualty approach. He directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to coordinate with State and District Disaster Management Authorities for effective dissemination of early warning alerts. He urged all States and Union Territories to implement NDMA advisories in a timely manner and asked NDMA and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to ensure close coordination with the states for efficient flood response.
     
    The Home Minister acknowledged the efforts of the Central Water Commission (CWC) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) in extending the time window for issuing flood forecasts and advisories. He called for further improvements in forecast accuracy and underlined the need for flood monitoring centres of the CWC to align with national requirements and international standards. He asked the Ministry of Jal Shakti, NDMA, and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to monitor glacial lakes and take timely action in case of any outburst.
     
    The Home Minister appreciated the efforts of the Central Water Commission (CWC) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) in extending the flood forecasting window from 3 to 7 days. He said, “The flood monitoring centres of the CWC must be aligned with our national requirements and developed to meet international standards.” He asked the Ministry of Jal Shakti, NDMA, and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to closely monitor glacial lakes and act swiftly in case of any breach or outburst.
     
    He stressed the importance of road infrastructure in flood-prone areas and asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to work with state authorities. “Drainage systems should be an integral part of highway designs to prevent waterlogging and road damage during heavy rains,” he said.
     
    On ecological measures, the Home Minister called for increasing forest cover along the Narmada River basin. He said, “If successful, this model can be implemented in other river basins as well. It will help revive river ecosystems, reduce soil erosion, and address declining rainfall.”
     
    The meeting also discussed the recurring problem of urban flooding. Shah directed central agencies to take proactive steps for flood control in cities and prepare comprehensive flood management plans for large urban areas. He noted the role of wetlands and said, “Rejuvenation of wetlands and afforestation are essential to deal with heavy rainfall in short durations during monsoon.” He also asked the Ministry of Jal Shakti to improve the condition of wetlands in the Brahmaputra basin, which he said would also support economic and tourism activities.
     
    The Home Minister suggested that agencies such as the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), IMD, NRSC and others organise a conference bringing together experts to discuss floods and related technologies. “In 2014, India was far behind in the field of meteorology. Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we are on par with developed countries. Now we must aim to be number one,” he added.
     
    Departments including IMD and CWC presented detailed updates on the measures taken since last year’s flood review. Ministries and departments briefed the Home Minister on their preparedness for the current monsoon and their future plans. Shah expressed satisfaction with the preparations and called for collaborative development of software systems to manage extreme weather conditions.
     
    He said, “All departments must work together to build systems that can respond effectively to climate-related challenges and protect lives and infrastructure.”
     
     

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Environment – Select committee announces support of law changes that will prevent councils from restricting harmful pollution of water – CCW

    Source: Choose Clean Water – Tom Kay


    A select committee report released today demonstrates Coalition parties support law changes that would prevent local government from being able to control pollution even when it is causing serious harm, say freshwater campaigners.


    “The damage these changes would cause must not be underestimated. This is not only an attack on the health of our environment but also democracy as the proposals seek to give greater power to polluting industries and write local government out of regulating harmful pollution of freshwater,” says Choose Clean Water spokesperson Tom Kay. 


    “It beggars belief when you consider that the National-led Government came to power claiming to be champions of localism – they’ve thrown that out the window completely.”


    For freshwater, two parts of the Environment Select Committee report are most significant; the proposals on Section 70 of the Resource Management Act and changes to farm plans, including more Ministerial control.


    Currently, Section 70 says that councils cannot allow pollution that would cause “significant adverse effects on aquatic life” as a permitted activity. This means regional councils cannot allow for potentially polluting activities to happen without them going through a consenting process to assess whether they can avoid, remedy, or mitigate their impacts, even where an environment they want to operate in might already be polluted.


    The Coalition parties support doing away with this and allowing polluting activities to go ahead, as long as the place those activities are occurring is already polluted and as long as there will be some reduction in that pollution over time. 


    “But it doesn’t make sense. It is laughable that the report suggests you could grant a consent for an activity to add pollution to a place or continue polluting it now as long as it reduces its pollution by a bit, later. Why would we say ‘We’ll make a waterbody really sick now so we can nurse it back to health over decades’!? Make it make sense.” 


    Even with standards for these permitted activities, campaigners regional councils will struggle to ensure they are sufficient to reduce or avoid “significant adverse effects on aquatic life” and will face significant lobbying to minimise any standards.


    “This opens the door to more and worse pollution. Pollution that harms aquatic life inevitably has an impact on human lives, either directly due to illness or through impacts on livelihoods or taking away the things with love about the places we live in.”


    The Coalition parties in the select committee also support changes that would bypass regional councils’ role in controlling pollution through farm plans.


    Farm plans have been a largely unsuccessful attempt to reduce the impact of farming on the country’s freshwater over the last decade or more. In regions where they have been used, like Canterbury, they have been found to be unable to stop the degradation of communities’ waterways and drinking water sources. 


    “Not only is the value of farm plans in controlling pollution highly questionable,” says Kay, “the Select Committee’s proposal is to give Government the ability to support farm plans written and audited by polluting industries rather than regional councils, and to allow the Minister for the Environment to make the decision on which industry groups can play this role. This keeps regional councils at arms length from attempts to control pollution through farm plans, effectively writing them out as regulator.”


    “This Government has demonstrated it has close and inappropriate relationships with some industry bodies. Having a Minister be responsible for such a decision opens the door to undue influence and allows for industry to capture the whole process around farm plans. We’re watching it happen now. This proposal effectively writes local government out of their regulatory role of controlling pollution.”


    “It has never been clearer that the National-led Government is working for the polluters and not for the public. Our communities will pay for this through the impact on our quality of life, our drinking water sources, our opportunities to swim or fish, our pride in our beautiful environment, and our ability to be involved in local decision making.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: World Vision – Aotearoa gearing up for the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Weekend (13-15 June)

    Source: World Vision

        

    Rangatahi across New Zealand are gearing up to tackle a range of unique tasks for the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge this weekend (13-15 June). 

     

    The nation’s largest youth fundraising event kicks off this weekend and is encouraging participants to go offline for 40 hours to raise funds for hungry children in Solomon Islands. 
      

    A rite of passage for young New Zealanders, the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge, gives rangatahi a platform to champion important causes and raise funds for those in need, while putting themselves to the test with a unique or difficult challenge. 

    There is no shortage of creativity in the challenges that will be undertaken for 40 hours this weekend, including:  

    • Living in a cramped dinghy  
    • Speaking only Shakespearian English  
    • Making 400 paper cranes 
    • Cooking 500 meals 
    • Running 100 kilometres  
    • Kayaking 40kms 
    • Going fully off-grid tramping 
    • Completing 40 acts of kindness 
    • Planting thousands of trees 

     

    This year ’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge is calling on youth to give up technology and go “offline for 40 Hours” to unplug, disconnect, and get together with their fri

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: First of five new trade missions jets off

    Source: Australian Attorney General’s Agencies

    Every day Aussie businesses exports some of the world’s best agricultural, industrial and technological products to every corner of the globe. With one in three Australian jobs supported by trade, the Albanese Labor Government has been working to strengthen our existing trading relationships and develop new ones internationally.

    In uncertain times in global trade, diversification of our trading relationships has never been more important. That’s why in April, Labor committed to five business and investment missions to priority markets, as well as $50 million to create additional opportunities for local businesses.

    This week, the first of these trade missions will travel to the United Kingdom to help Australian businesses discover new opportunities and accelerate our ongoing trade diversification efforts.

    The first mission brings together representatives from 20 of Australia’s leading healthcare and MedTech companies. They will visit the United Kingdom to take part in London Tech Week 2025 and NHS ConfedExpo 2025 in Manchester.

    It comes as Australia and the United Kingdom mark the two-year anniversary of the implementation of the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement, which is delivering outstanding results for Australian business.

    For example, Australian beef and veal exports to the UK were worth A$97.8 million in 2024, which is more than double that of the previous year (2023), and around eight times what they were worth in 2022.

    The UK has so much more to offer Australian exporters, and this business mission focused on health and medical technology will help unlock more jobs, more growth, and more certainty for our business.

    Australia ranks 5th globally for healthcare innovation and we’re home to around 700 biotech and MedTech companies. Our world class healthcare and MedTech companies are already making a difference in the UK, including across flu vaccines, pandemic preparedness, and cancer care.

    Australian and UK companies are also increasingly collaborating in critical technology sectors including quantum, cyber and AI.

    To assist export ready Australian tech businesses expand into the UK market, Australia, through Austrade, will be launching a new London Landing Pad program later this month.

    I wish the Australian businesses all the best and look forward to successful outcomes.

    MIL OSI News –