Welcoming Cabinet’s agreement on the shape of laws to replace the Resource Management Act, ACT Leader David Seymour says:
“Ditching the RMA and passing new laws centred on property rights might be the most important thing the Government does.
“Why can’t young New Zealanders afford homes? Why are power bills so high? Why can’t I buy McDonald’s in Wanaka? Each question has a common answer.
“The Resource Management Act is a 913-page monstrosity that has strangled New Zealand’s development potential. The RMA empowers objectors from any part of the country to block us from building homes, wastewater treatment plants, power plants, and roads.
“ACT has been beating this drum for more than a decade. I remember campaigning on it before I first entered Parliament in 2014. There’s been plenty of tinkering round the edges since the Act was passed in 1991, but only now are we seeing wholesale reform, delivered by ACT’s Simon Court alongside Chris Bishop.
“The reforms announced today are based on ACT’s 2022 paper,Building New Zealand and Conserving Nature. By refocusing resource management on the protection of individual property rights, we dramatically reduce the range of people who can interfere with the use of someone else’s land.
“One law will govern urban development and planning, while the other will protect the environment. It’s never made sense that the same laws that protect Fiordland National Park also determine whether a horse paddock in Helensville can have two homes built on it.
“The legacy of these reforms will be more productive activity, more high-paying jobs, and affordable housing. That’s how we give young Kiwis confidence to build families and futures here in New Zealand, and I’m very proud of the role ACT and Simon Court have played.”
Foodstuffs North Island have engaged constructively with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on their trial of in-store facial recognition technology, including sharing with us their privacy impact assessment for comment. We prompted Foodstuffs North Island to carefully consider whether the use of facial recognition technology was a necessary, proportionate, and effective response to harmful behaviour in Foodstuffs stores. We also provided a range of other comments, including the importance of being transparent with shoppers about the use of facial recognition technology, and to proactively engage with stakeholders, including Mori. We recognise Foodstuffs has a responsibility to take steps to keep customers and staff safe. However, it is not clear to our office how facial recognition technology is going to achieve this. As a result, we have been counselling caution given the privacy intrusive nature of facial recognition technology and the inaccuracy and profiling risks involved.
BusinessNZ welcomes the Government’s commitment to reforming resource management laws, based on the principle of the enjoyment of property rights.
“The latest announcement on phase 3 reforms is another step in the right direction,” BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich said.
“Current consenting processes are slow and costly, and projects can be rejected or have costly conditions placed on them due to the RMA. In many cases consent processes do not sufficiently recognise the economic and social benefits of development relative to other considerations.
“There is a compelling case for making the consent process more affordable. A 2021 report for the Infrastructure Commission estimated that RMA consenting processes for infrastructure projects cost $1.29 billion per year.
“There is also a need for compensation to be made available in cases where property is taken or reduced in value as a result of government regulatory action. It is pleasing that the Government is taking property rights seriously, as it should if we want to attract long-term investment into New Zealand.
“In BusinessNZ’s view, the RMA will continue to inhibit New Zealand’s growth potential until it is properly amended to recognise property rights and allow responsible growth to happen.
“We are hopeful that NZ may be turning a page, and moving towards a future where businesses and all New Zealanders can feel more confident about developing their property in ways that maximise the contribution our vast natural resource base can contribute to New Zealanders’ future economic well-being,” Mrs Rich said.
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
Police investigating the unexplained death of a man in Miramar want to hear from two members of the public who may have critical information.
Abdul Nabizadah, 63, was located with serious head injuries at the intersection of Camperdown Road and Totara Road, about 2.20am on 17 March. Mr Nabizadah was found by Police carrying out area enquiries following a serious burglary that happened a short distance away about 20 minutes earlier.
Sadly, Mr Nabizadah died in hospital the following day.
Police would like to hear from two individuals, who may have details that are critical to the investigation.
At 12.28am, a man was seen walking down Camperdown Road from Totara Street and turned right in to Darlington Road from Totara Street. The man was wearing a light-coloured top and dark pants.
We know Mr Nabizadah arrived in Totara Street in his silver-coloured Toyota Aqua, registration NQE681, at 12.25am, so this man may well have seen Mr Nabizadah and or his vehicle.
At 1.30am, a man in fitness clothing or activewear was seen running south on Darlington Road. The man crossed the Camperdown Road intersection around that time. The man was wearing a blue shirt, and we need to hear from him.
Police have been making a number of enquiries into the victim’s unexplained death, and the parallel investigation into a burglary in Darlington Road at 2am, during which an intruder was disturbed by the property’s occupants.
We are still seeking dashcam footage from anyone in the Miramar area from midnight to 3am. It’s likely there were people out and about at that time, or people commuting to or from work.
If you can help
If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250317/6324, or reference Operation Celtic.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Stage One of The Strand Optimisation Project is nearing completion, with an upcoming four-night closure planned between Quay Street/ Tamaki Drive and Beach Road.
The closure will take place between 9pm and 5am from Sunday 30 March to Thursday 3 April, and will allow crews to complete road resurfacing and line marking, before returning in early May to paint the transit lanes green.
During the closure, road users will be detoured via Beach Road, Tangihua Street and Quay Street/ Tamaki Drive. The detour is expected to add 5 to 10 minutes to people’s journeys.
There will be no access between Gladstone Road and The Strand. Parnell residents are advised to use St Stephens Ave, Parnell Road and Parnell Rise to travel to Stanley Street and Beach Road. For residents on The Strand, access will be managed by traffic control.
People travelling through the area should plan ahead and be prepared for delays.
These works are weather dependent and there may be changes in the case of unsuitable weather. Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website for up-to-date information on the works:
The Strand Optimisation Project is a joint project between NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and Auckland Transport (AT). The project runs along The Strand between Alten Road and Tāmaki Drive in Auckland and aims to improve efficiency, travel choice and safety along this busy corridor. implementing a special vehicle lane, relocating or removing bus stops, installing new pedestrian crossings, and upgrading intersections.
Taupo Police investigating a serious crash in Rangitaiki, Taupō are seeking information from members of the public about events leading up to the crash.
At around 10:30am on Sunday 23 March, Police were called to a two-vehicle crash involving a van and a car on State Highway 5 near Rangitaiki School Road.
Eleven people were transported to hospital as a result of the crash. None of these injuries are thought to be life threatening.
The driver of the van appeared in the Tauranga District Court today and is set to reappear on Wednesday 26 March.
Police would like to speak to the driver of a vehicle that was overtaken by a White Toyota Hiace van moments before the crash.
Anybody else who witnessed the crash, or has any dashcam footage of the van, is encouraged to contact Police via 105, either over the phone or online.
Covering period of Monday 24th – Thursday 27th March – New Zealand is set to experience a week of varied weather patterns through till the end of the week. While the North Island anticipates generally pleasant conditions with intermittent showers, the South Island may see cooler temperatures accompanied by occasional rainfall.
The slow-moving rain band that tracked up the South Island over the weekend, finally made it onto the lower North Island this morning (Monday). These gloomy wet conditions are expected to continue north throughout the day as a cooler airmass holds firm over the South Island, however rain is expected to clear from the south. Unfortunately, this weakening band of rain isn’t going to bring much respite to the drought affected areas and the chance for meaningful rain this week remains low.
Don’t lock away those umbrellas just yet if you’re in the east of the South Island, as showers persist today and tomorrow. For the rest of the week, the South Island is set to see sunnier skies before the next cold front arrives on Wednesday morning, spreading rain and showers up the Island into Thursday.
MetService Meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube warns of chillier nights ahead “Behind the rainband on Thursday, a cooler airmass maintains colder overnight temperatures in many places, as well as cooler midday maximums in Southland”.
Not a lot of change is expected in the next few days for the North Island, as the weather is expected to keep things cloudier with intermittent showers projected to occur for some. Dube says “Although the North Island should see areas of cloud and rain through the week, sports lovers will be happy to hear that dry and sunny weather are on the cards for football’s Men’s Oceania qualifier final between the All Whites and New Caledonia tonight (Monday) in Auckland; as well as during cricket’s double header on Wednesday when the White Ferns take on Australia in the women’s clash, then later in the men’s clash, the Blackcaps take on Pakistan.”
New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) primary health care members have agreed to an 8% wage increase over 12 months but pay parity with their hospital counterparts is still needed to retain nurses in the sector.
NZNO’s College of Primary Health Care Nurses chair Tracey Morgan says there was overwhelming support for the Multi Employment Collective Agreement offer for an immediate increase of 5% followed by a further 3% in July.
“This is good news for primary and community care nurses. However, their base hourly rate remains on average about 10% below Te Whatu Ora nurses despite having the same skills and qualifications.
“Until primary and community care nurses are paid the same, they will continue to leave GPs and iwi and community clinics for better paid hospital jobs here and overseas.”
A recent Victoria University of Wellington study found 36% of New Zealand’s general practices didn’t take new enrolments last year, with workforce shortages cited as the major reason people were being turned away.
“If people can’t get the health care they need in their communities, they end up at hospital even sicker. This puts more pressure on our already stretched hospitals,” Tracey Morgan says.
“NZNO urges the Government to fulfil its pre-election commitment to pay primary care nurses the same as their hospital counterparts and introduce a sustainable funding model for the primary care sector.”
National road freight association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is backing the Greater Manawatū City and Regional Deal Proposal, saying the Deal’s five priority projects would support the region’s role as a vital centre for freight and distribution, and support strong economic growth.
The Manawatū region is the lower North Island’s key transportation hub, providing key links to Wellington, Taranaki, Whanganui and the Hawke’s Bay.
City and Regional Dealsis a Coalition Government initiative to establishing long-term agreements between central and local government. The programme is intended to unlock funding and resource opportunities to support councils to make improvements in their region.
Transporting New Zealand participated in the development of the Deal proposal by sharing its transport expertise, and by representing its road freight sector members who will be affected by the Deal and its outcomes.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the Te Utanganui Central NZ Distribution Hub, Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road and a tolled Manawatū Expressway priority projects would super-charge the region’s economic potential and support improved productivity, safety and emissions outcomes.
“The opening of the Manawatū-Tararua Highway this year is going to be great news for road freight in the lower North Island and will be a real productivity boost. Getting this City and Regional Deal progressed will maintain this strong momentum.
“The planned Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road will reduce congestion in Palmerston North City Centre and link freight operators to the Te Utanganui Road, Rail and Air Freight Hub, Kalasih says.
“The Deal aligns with our members’ priorities of reducing travel time, cutting freight costs for customers, and enhancing supply chain resilience.”
Transporting New Zealand highlights several key benefits of the regional transport plan for the road freight sector:
Reduced Congestion– Significant reduction in traffic volumes around
central Palmerston North, allowing freight operators to move goods with
fewer delays.
Improved Safety– Enhancements to key transport corridors will reduce
accident risks, ensuring safer journeys for all road users.
More Efficient Freight Access– About 20 per cent of New
Zealand’s consumer goods move through the Manawatū and this will only
increase with the development of improved transport links.
Long-Term Economic Growth– A well-functioning transport
network will drive economic benefits for the logistics sector and local
businesses, on top of the projected $4 billion investment in
infrastructure over the next five years.
The Greater Manawatū City and Regional Deal Proposal is a joint bid from Horizons Regional Council, Horowhenua District Council, Manawatu District Council, Palmerston North City Council and Tararua District Council.
All City and Regional Deal proposals submitted are being assessed by the Department of Internal Affairs before being considered by Government Ministers. The Government intends to have the first Deal done by the end of 2025, with three deals in place by October 2026.
Southern Cross, a French-hosted regional military exercise, is moving to Wallis and Futuna Islands this year.
The exercise, which includes participating regional armed and law enforcement forces from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga every two years, is scheduled to take place April 22-May 3.
Since its inception in 2002, the war games have traditionally been hosted in New Caledonia.
However, New Caledonia was the scene last year of serious riots, causing 14 deaths, hundreds injured, and an estimated cost of 2.2 billion euros (NZ$4.2 billion)
Southern Cross focuses on the notion of “interoperability” between regional forces, with a joint multinational command following a predefined but realistic scenario, usually in a fictitious island state affected by a natural disaster and/or political unrest.
This is the first time the regional French exercise will be hosted on Wallis Island, in the French Pacific territory of Wallis and Futuna, near Fiji and Samoa.
Earlier this month (March 3-5), the Nouméa-based French Armed Forces in New Caledonia (FANC) hosted a “Final Coordination Conference” (FCC) with its regional counterparts after a series of on-site reconnaissance visits to Wallis and Futuna Islands ahead of the Southern Cross 2025 manoeuvres.
Humanitarian, disaster relief FANC also confirmed this year, again in Wallis-and-Futuna, the exercise scenario would mainly focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and that it would involve, apart from the French forces, the deployment of some 19 other participating countries, with an estimated 2000 personnel, including 600 regional.
A French Carrier Strike Group exercise Clémenceau25 deployment map of operations. Image: ALPACI-Forces armées en Asie-Pacifique et en Polynésie française
Last week, still in preparation mode, a group of FANC officers travelled again to Wallis for three days to finalise preparations ahead of the exercise.
In an interview with public broadcaster Wallis and Futuna la 1ère, FANC inter-army chief-of-staff Colonel Frédéric Puchois said the group of officers met local chiefly and royal authorities, as well as the Speaker of the local territorial assembly.
In 2023, the previous Southern Cross exercise held in New Caledonia involved the participation of about 18 regional countries.
“It’s all about activating and practising quick and efficient scenarios to respond mainly to a large-scale natural disaster,” Colonel Puchois said.
“Southern Cross until now took place in New Caledonia, but it was decided for 2025 to choose Wallis and Futuna to work specifically on long-distance projection.
“So, the Americans will position some of their forces in Pago-Pago in American Samoa to test their capacity to project forces from a rear base located 2000 kms away [from Wallis].
“And for the French part, the rear base will be New Caledonia,” he added.
Port Vila earthquake He said one of the latest real-life illustrations of this kind of deployment was the recent relief operation from Nouméa following Port Vila’s devastating earthquake in mid-December 2024.
“We brought essential relief supplies, in coordination with NGOs like the Red Cross. And during Southern Cross 2025, we will again work with them and other NGOs”.
However, Colonel Puchois said not all personnel would be deployed at the same time.
“We will project small groups at a time. There will be several phases,” he said.
“First to secure the airport to ensure it is fit for landing of large aircraft. This could involve parachute personnel and supplies.
“Then assistance to the population, involving other components such as civil security, fire brigades, gendarmes. It would conclude with evacuating people in need of further assistance.
“So we won’t project all of the 2000 participants at the same time, but groups of 250 to 300 personnel”.
Cooperation with Vanuatu Mobile Force FANC Commander General Yann Latil was in Vanuatu two weeks ago, where he held meetings with Vanuatu Mobile Forces (VMF) Commander Colonel Ben Nicholson and Vanuatu Internal Affairs minister Andrew Napuat to discuss cooperation, as well as handling and maintenance of the French-supplied FAMAS rifles.
For two weeks, two FANC instructors were in Port Vila to train a group of about 15 VMF on handling and maintenance of the FAMAS used by the island state’s paramilitary force.
The VMF were also handed over more ammunition for the standard issue FAMAS (the French equivalent of the US-issued M-16).
French Armed Forces Commander in New Caledonia (FANC) General Yann Latil visits Vanuatu Mobile Forces (VMF) training in French FAMAS rifles maintenance. Image: FANC Forces Armées en Nouvelle-Calédonie
During his visit, General Latil also held talks with Vanuatu Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Napuat, who is in charge of the VMF and police.
FANC and Vanuatu security forces are “working on a regular basis”, Vanuatu-based French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer said.
The three-star general (equivalent of a lieutenant-general) flew back to Nouméa about 500 km away on March 8.
French vessel on fishing policing mission At the same time, still in Vanuatu, Nouméa-based overseas support and assistance vessel (BSAOM) the D’Entrecasteaux and its crew were on a courtesy call in Luganville (Espiritu Santo island, North Vanuatu) for three days.
After hosting local officials and school students for visits, the patrol boat embarked on a surveillance policing mission in high seas off the archipelago.
One ni-Vanuatu officer also joined the French crew inspecting foreign fishing vessels and checking if they comply with current regulations under the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
On a regular basis, similar monitoring operations are also carried out by navies from other regional countries such as Australia and New Zealand in order to assist neighbouring Pacific States in protecting their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) from what is usually termed Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing from foreign vessels.
Last month, the D’Entrecasteaux was engaged in a series of naval exercises off Papua New Guinea.
Further north in the Pacific, French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its strike group wrapped up an unprecedented two-month deployment in a series of multinational exercises with Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam), where “one third of the world’s maritime trade transits every day”.
This included its own Exercises Clémenceau25 and La Pérouse (with eight neighbouring forces), but also interoperability-focused manoeuvres with the US and Japan (Pacific Steller).
“The deployment of this military capacity underlines France’s attachment to maritime and aerial freedom of action and movement on all seas and oceans of the world”, the Tahiti-based Pacific Maritime Command (ALPACI) said this week in a release.
US Navy in Western Pacific activity Also in western Pacific waters, the US Navy’s activity has been intense over the past few weeks, and continues.
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) returned on 18 March to Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, following a seven-month deployment, the submarine’s first deployment to the Western Pacific, the US Third Fleet command stated.
On Friday, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) left Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific.
The US Third Fleet command said the strike group’s deployment will focus on “demonstrating the US Navy’s unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific in which all nations are secure in their sovereignty and free from coercion”.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Overnight road rehabilitation work on State Highway 20 (SH20) northbound between Cavendish Drive and the SH20A link will get underway this week.
Work will be carried out between 10pm and 5am over 10 nights between Wednesday 26 March and Monday 14 April 2025. There will be no work on Friday and Saturday nights.
Work will begin at Cavendish Drive, with a full northbound closure in place on SH20 between Cavendish Drive and Massey Road. Work will then move further north, with a full northbound closure between Massey Road and Walmsley Road, including the link to SH20A.
Stage 1: Full northbound closure on SH20 between Cavendish Drive to Massey Road
During this time the following ramps will be closed.
Cavendish Drive northbound on-ramp
Cavendish Drive to Puhinui Road northbound service lane
Puhinui Road northbound off-ramp and on-ramp
Massey Road northbound off-ramp
Detour via: Puhinui Road, Wylie Road, Station Road, Buckland Road and Massey Road.
Stage 2: Full northbound closure on SH20 between Massey Road and Airport (SH20A) Link.
During this time the following ramps will be closed.
Massey Road northbound on-ramp
SH20 northbound to SH20A southbound link
SH20A northbound to SH20 northbound link
Detour via:
For motorists travelling northbound on SH20: Please use the recommended detour via Massey Road, Robertson Road, Walmsley Road, Coronation Road and Rimu Road.
For motorists travelling from SH20A: Please use the recommended detour via Kirkbride Road, McKenzie Road, Coronation Road and Rimu Road.
These works are weather dependent and may change from advertised dates.
At least one left wing chat room went ballistic about last week’s Free Press. The idea that men are oppressed seemed to trigger them so badly they missed the central point: The world is not made up of groups oppressing each other, but individuals trying to make the most of their time on earth.
The most important thing the Government will do
New Zealand in a nutshell is the best land in the world that you can’t build a home (or a quarry, or a road, or a water treatment plant, or a power station) on. Nearly every major problem we face begins with the difficulty in getting consent to build things.
Why are young people disillusioned and leaving the country? Why are poor households spending over half their income on housing? Why is the Government spending billions on rental subsidies? Why are a worrying number of people facing retirement still paying rent? Why is the economy infamously imbalanced towards housing? It’s too hard to build houses and the services that connect them together.
In this area ACT’s, and especially Simon Court’s, hard work in opposition is paying off for the whole country. Late last year Cabinet signed off on the engine room work Simon has been doing with RMA reform Minister Chris Bishop.
The work started in 2022 with ACT’s paper Building New Zealand and Conserving Nature. The paper contains the details that Cabinet signed off as shaping the Government’s new Resource Management laws.
It begins, “ACT proposes a shift in principle on Resource Management. At present the underlying principle is the 1980s paradigm of ‘sustainable development.’ This has never been defined in a way that is practical to implement… Instead, the principle of resource management should be to preserve the enjoyment of property… On a property rights basis, they can do anything that does not harm others’ enjoyment of property. It dramatically reduces the range of people who have an interest in someone else’s use of their own property.”
Therein lies the heart of the Government’s reforms, based on ACT’s Coalition commitment to “replace the Resource Management Act 1991 with new resource management laws premised on the enjoyment of property rights as a guiding principle.”
It says laws plural and there will be two laws under the Government’s reforms. One to guide urban development and planning, and another to guide environmental protection. As ACT has long said, it’s never made sense that the same law protecting Fiordland governs whether a horse paddock in Henderson can have two homes built on it.
Building and Conserving Nature carries on to set out other principles; how water should be taken, how discharges to land and water should be managed within environmental limits, and how nationwide codes would replace every council reinventing every wheel for basic activities. These ideas also shine through in the Government’s plans, and they will make an enormous difference to the future of this country.
Reforms like this make us proud to support ACT. The basic ideas of less regulation and more respect for private property rights are core party philosophy. They’re also becoming real with the Government’s reforms. Most importantly they are the solution to our country’s deepest problems.
When the next generation can see their pathway to living in a property-owning democracy, the whole society changes. People who are physically invested in the community, with the security to build a life and start a family if they choose, are different types of citizens.
Making it easier to build a water treatment plant, a road, a subdivision, and a home at the end of it may be the most important change this country can make, and it’s ACT what did that.
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are offering all interested New Zealanders, including businesses, NGOs, and members of the public the opportunity to make a submission prior to 15 April 2025. With a population of 1.4 billion people and on track to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, India holds significant potential for New Zealand and will play a pivotal role in the Government’s goal to double New Zealand’s exports by value over the next ten years. Alongside trade agreement negotiations, New Zealand will continue to invest in stronger, deeper, more sustainable connections with India across all pillars of the relationship, including our political, defence and security, sporting, environmental, and people-to-people connections. For more information, including on how you can make a submission, please share your views at https://www.mfat.govt.nz/have-your-say before 15 April 2025.
Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has recalled that 20 journalists were killed during the six-year Philippines presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, a regime marked by fierce repression of the press.
Former president Duterte was arrested earlier this week as part of an International Criminal Court investigation into crimes against humanity linked to his merciless war on drugs. He is now in The Hague awaiting trial.
The watchdog has called on the administration of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to take strong measures to fully restore the country’s press freedom and combat impunity for the crimes against media committed by Duterte’s regime.
“Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” Rodrigo Duterte said in his inauguration speech on 30 June 2016, which set the tone for the rest of his mandate — unrestrained violence against journalists and total disregard for press freedom, said RSF in a statement.
During the Duterte regime’s rule, RSF recorded 20 cases of journalists killed while working.
Among them was Jesus Yutrago Malabanan, shot dead after covering Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war for Reuters.
Online harassment surged, particularly targeting women journalists.
Maria Ressa troll target The most prominent victim was Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the news site Rappler, who faced an orchestrated hate campaign led by troll armies allied with the government in response to her commitment to exposing the then-president’s bloody war.
“The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is good news for the Filipino journalism community, who were the direct targets of his campaign of terror,” said RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani.
RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani . . . “the Filipino journalism community were the direct targets of [former president Rodrigo Duterte]’s campaign of terror.” Image: RSF
“President Marcos and his administration must immediately investigate Duterte’s past crimes and take strong measures to fully restore the country’s press freedom.”
The repression carried out during Duterte’s tenure continues to impact on Filipino journalism: investigative journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been languishing in prison since her arrest in 2020, still awaiting a verdict in her trial for “financing terrorism” and “illegal possession of firearms” — trumped-up charges that could see her sentenced to 40 years in prison.
With 147 journalists murdered since the restoration of democracy in 1986, the Philippines remains one of the deadliest countries for media workers.
Attributable to Sergeant Shane Tailby, Eastern Bay of Plenty Road Policing:
Police are appealing for information following a fatal crash in Whakatane yesterday, (Sunday 23 March).
Around 4:55pm Police responded to Ohope Road after a car and a motorbike collided.
It appears the motorbike has been travelling at speed around the corner where they have slid out onto their side into the opposite lane, a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction has then struck the motorbike, with the impact resulting in the car flipping onto its roof.
The motorbike rider was located in a critical condition and CPR was commenced, however sadly they died at the scene.
The driver was taken to Whakatane Hospital with minor injuries, and was discharged last night.
The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing and Police are asking anyone that witnessed the crash or has information that may assist in our investigation to contact Police.
You can report information to us via 105 either online or over the phone. Please reference file number: 250323/2112.
Police are appealing for information following an aggravated robbery at a commercial premises in Invercargill.
At around 3.30am this morning, Police were alerted to four people entering a store on North Road with two armed with knives and another with a trye iron.
The group targeted cigarettes and tobacco before fleeing the area in a vehicle.
Thankfully, the two store employees are uninjured however they are understandably shaken by the incident.
Invercargill Police would like to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the aggravated robbery or may have information that could assist in our investigation.
Police would also like to hear from anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage in the North Road area between 12am and 5am this morning.
Anyone who may have information that can assist Police in our investigation is urged to contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.
Please use the reference number 250324/2633.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 11
Like a relentless ocean, wave after wave of pro-Palestinian pro-human rights protesters disrupted New Zealand deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ state of the nation speech at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday.
A clarion call to Trumpism and Australia’s One Nation Party, the speech was accompanied by the background music of about 250 protesters outside the Town Hall, chanting: “Complicity in genocide is a crime.”
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) co-chair John Minto described Peters’ attitude to Palestinians as “sickening”.
Inside the James Hay Theatre, protester after protester stood and spoke loudly and clearly against the deputy Prime Minister’s failure to support those still dying in Gaza, and his failure to denounce the ongoing genocide.
Ben Vorderegger was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of people who have lost their voices in the dust of blood and bones, bombs and sniper guns.
Before he and others were hauled out, they spoke for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza — women, men, doctors, aid workers, journalists, and children.
Gazan health authorities have reported that the official death toll is now more than 50,000 — but that is the confirmed deaths with thousands more buried under the rubble.
Real death toll The real death toll from the genocide in Gaza has been estimated by a reputed medical journal, The Lancet, at more than 63,000. A third of those are children. Each day more children are killed.
One by one the protesters who challenged Peters were manhandled by security guards to a frenzied crowd screaming “out, out”.
The deputy Prime Minister’s response was to deride and mock the conscientious objectors. He did not stop there. He lambasted the media.
At this point, several members of his audience turned on me as a journalist and demanded my removal.
Pro-Palestine protesters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday to picket Foreign Minister Winston Peters at his state of the nation speech. Image: Saige England/APR
This means that not only is the right to free speech at stake, the right or freedom to report is also being eroded. (I was later trespassed by security guards and police from the Town Hall although no reason was supplied for the ban).
Inside the Christchurch Town Hall the call by Peters, who is also Foreign Minister, to “Make New Zealand Great Again” continued in the vein of a speech written by a MAGA leader.
He whitewashed human rights, failed to address climate change, and demonstrated loathing for a media that has rarely challenged him.
Ben Vorderegger in keffiyeh was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of Palestinans before being thrown out of the Christchurch Town Hall meeting. Image: Saige England/APR
Condemned movement Slamming the PSNA as “Marxist fascists” for calling out genocide, he condemned the movement for failing to talk with those who have a record of kowtowing to violent colonisation.
This tactic is Colonial Invasion 101. It sees the invader rewarding and only dealing with those who sell out. This strategy demands that the colonised people should bow to the oppressor — an oppressor who threatens them with losing everything if they do not accept the scraps.
Peters showed no support for the Treaty of Waitangi but rather, endorsed the government’s challenge to the founding document of the nation – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In his dismissal of the founding and legally binding partnership, he repeated the “One Nation” catch-cry. Ad nauseum.
Besides slamming Palestinians, the Scots (he managed to squeeze in a racist joke against Scottish people), and the woke, Peters’ speech promoted continued mining, showing some amnesia over the Pike River disaster. He did not reference the environment or climate change.
After the speech, outside the Town Hall police donned black gloves — a sign they were prepared to use pepper-spray.
PSNA co-chair John Minto described Peters’ failure to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians as “bloody disgraceful”.
The police arrested one protester, claiming he put his hand on a car transporting NZ First officials. A witness said this was not the case.
PSNA co-chair John Minto (in hat behind fellow protester) . . . the failure of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians is “bloody disgraceful”. Image; Saige England/APR
Protester released The protester was later released without any charges being laid.
A defiant New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event. He raised his arms defensively at protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?”
I was trespassed from the Christchurch Town Hall for re-entering the Town Hall for Winston Peters’ media conference. No reason was supplied by police or the Town Hall security personnel for that trespass order..
“The words Winston is terrified to say . . . ” poster at the Christchurch pro-Palestinian protest. Image: Saige England/APR
It is well known that Peters loathes the media — he said so enough times during his state of the nation speech.
He referenced former US President Bill Clinton during his speech, an interesting reference given that Clinton did not receive the protection from the media that Peters has received.
From the over zealous security personnel who manhandled and dragged out hecklers, to the banning of a journalist, to the arrest of someone for “touching a car” when witnesses report otherwise, the state of the nation speech held some uncomfortable echoes — the actions of a fascist dictatorship.
Populist threats The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Jorg Haider press conference I attended many years ago in Vienna. That “rechtspopulist” Austrian politician had threatened journalists with defamation suits if they called him out on his support for Nazis.
Yet he was on record for doing so.
I was reminded of this yesterday when the audience called ‘out out’ at hecklers, and demanded the removal of this journalist. These New Zealand First supporters demand adoration for their leader or a media black-out.
Perhaps they cannot be blamed given that the state of the nation speech could well have been written by US President Donald Trump or one of his minions.
The protesters were courageous and conscientious in contrast to Peters, said PSNA’s John Minto.
He likened Peters to Neville Chamberlain — Britain’s Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940. His name is synonymous with the policy of “appeasement” because he conceded territorial concessions to Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, fruitlessly hoping to avoid war.
“He has refused to condemn any of Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, including the total humanitarian aid blockade of Gaza.”
Refusal ‘unprecedented’ “It’s unprecedented in New Zealand history that a government would refuse to condemn Israel breaking its ceasefire agreement and resuming industrial-scale slaughter of civilians,” Minto said.
“That is what Israel is doing today in Gaza, with full backing from the White House.
“Chamberlain went to meet Hitler in Munich in 1938 to whitewash Nazi Germany’s takeovers of its neighbours’ lands.
“Peters has been in Washington to agree to US approval of the occupation of southern Syria, more attacks on Lebanon, resumption of the land grab genocide in Gaza and get a heads-up on US plans to ‘give’ the Occupied West Bank to Israel later this year.
“If Peters disagrees with any of this, he’s had plenty of chances to say so.
“New Zealanders are calling for sanctions on Israel but Mr Peters and the National-led government are looking the other way.”
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event, dismissing protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?” Image: Saige England/APR
Only staged questions The conscientious objectors who rise against the oppression of human rights are people Winston Peters regards as his enemies. He will only answer questions in a press conference staged for him.
He warms to journalists who warm to him.
The state of the nation speech in the Town Hall was familiar.
Seeking to erase conscientiousness will not make New Zealand great, it will render this country very small, almost miniscule, like the people who are being destroyed for daring to demand their right to their own land.
Saige England is a journalist and author, and a member of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). She is a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report.
Part of the crowd at the state of the nation speech by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. Image: Saige England/APR
Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: TTC Global Announces Key Partnership with Oneconsult
Auckland-based TTC Global, a worldwide pioneer in software quality engineering, has partnered with Oneconsult, a Swiss cybersecurity firm, to deliver comprehensive digital security assurance in New Zealand.
Julia Campbell, Regional Director Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, says “More than half the people who’ve been on the social housing register and waiting for a home in the Westland district are in need of a two-bedroom home, so the completion of this development is a significant milestone for the town”.
“These homes will give the people who have moved in a chance to put down roots in a stable environment, in some cases for the first time in many months. Having a warm, dry home can make such a difference to people’s health and wellbeing.”
Ms Campbell says a specialist placement team has worked closely with the tenants. “During pre-housing conversations, we’ve spoken to people about their connections to the community and any support they may need to live well in their new home in the future. Our team will continue to support everyone who will be living there to settle in well into their new homes and community.”
Construction began in February last year of the homes, which Kāinga Ora purchased earlier this month from developer KR Construction Limited. There are currently another seven Kāinga Ora homes under construction in Hokitika. See more of what’s happening in the West Coast region.
Solid ethics and legal compliance must underpin the asbestos industry, WorkSafe New Zealand says, after an unlicensed asbestos remover was sentenced for pocketing more than $20,000 by misrepresenting his employer.
Barrie John Crockett was in a project management role at Demasol Limited. Between December 2021 and June 2022, Mr Crockett used Demasol’s name and letterhead to invoice three customers who paid into his personal bank account for work totalling $21,938. A dissatisfied customer contacted Demasol, leading to an investigation that revealed the illegal activity following Mr Crockett’s redundancy in May 2022.
As Demasol was not involved in the work, it cannot give any assurance that the asbestos removal was carried out in line with the regulatory requirements. It also remains unclear exactly where the removed asbestos was disposed.
“Not only is this dangerous work for an unlicensed person to do, but someone like Mr Crockett who had worked in the industry for over 25 years should have known far better. This type of criminal behaviour is not worth the risk because offenders will be held responsible,” says WorkSafe’s Head of Authorisations and Advisory, Kate Morrison.
Most asbestos removals need to be carried out by a licensed asbestos remover, and the work must be notified to WorkSafe under the under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016.
“Licensing exists for a reason and removal work is tightly regulated to ensure safety. Circumventing the rules is both reckless and deceitful when the harm done by asbestos exposure is well known. An estimated 220 people die each year from preventable asbestos-related diseases in New Zealand. A system with trained and qualified people to remove this dangerous material is critical to better safety for workers and all New Zealanders,” says Kate Morrison.
Asbestos fibres can be blown a long way from a poorly managed removal site. The airborne fibres are so small they’re invisible to the naked eye, and can cause harm when breathed in. There are no safe levels of exposure, so there are no excuses for not managing asbestos safely.
High-risk activities including asbestos removal are a priority focus within WorkSafe’s new strategy. We are focusing particularly on high-risk sectors and high-risk activities which may result in acute, chronic or catastrophic harm.
The 90 recruits of Wing 386, alongside their patron Dame Noeline Taurua, were welcomed to the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) last week.
“The constabulary recruiting team has worked incredibly hard to deliver 90 recruits onto Wing 386 and we are really happy to have increased our wing capacity sooner than initially planned,” 500 Programme Director, Superintendent Kelly Ryan says.
“Other groups within Police providing specialist services to some of our recruiting processes such as Emergency Communication Centre, Vetting and Safer People have provided additional support to make this possible.”
Last year Police announced it would increase the potential capacity of recruit wings at the RNZPC from 80 to 100 from April 2025. The change was in response to a major surge in applications and will help ensure quality applicants move through the pipeline and into training faster.
Since the announcement, changes have been made to the RNZPC to facilitate the larger wings.
“Enabling even 10 more recruits to join a wing is a significant jump and required a lot of planning and additional support for training. We look forward to welcoming even more recruits in our wings of up to 100 in the months ahead,” Superintendent Ryan says.
“The median time between application and starting at RNZPC has already reduced by more than 90 days over the last year.
“We’re focused on making sure our process is fit-for-purpose, so applicants flow through each step quickly and our standards continue to be robust.”
The increased capacity at the RNZPC, and a training facility to come in Auckland soon, will support Police’s work to deliver on the Government’s commitment of 500 additional officers.
“Achieving this growth in recruits requires a huge effort from across the entire organisation for attracting, selecting, and training the new officers,” Superintendent Ryan says.
“Research is very clear, the most effective way to recruit police officers is through our own staff identifying, encouraging, and supporting people they know would be great to apply.
“It’s critical that everyone leans in on this, so we get the very best people into our organisation.”
Districts have also demonstrated strong support by putting in place at least one full time constabulary member to actively engage and take ownership of their district’s recruiting.
“Whether you’re taking your first steps into the workforce or considering a career change, the best time to apply is right now.
“The earlier you apply, the sooner you’ll be ready to start your training into a one of the most rewarding careers there is,” Superintendent Ryan says.
A cordon is in place around a property in Sydenham as Police work to ensure a person’s safety.
Police were called to an address on Percival Street about 10:40am to reports a person was making threats.
As a precaution, Police have evacuated people from adjacent properties and a cordon of approximately 100m is in place around the Percival Street address.
People are asked to stay clear until the situation can be safely resolved.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand will lift restrictions on outdoor fires for Canterbury at 8am on Wednesday 26 March until further notice.
An open fire season means people can light outdoor fires without a permit approved by Fire and Emergency.
Canterbury District Commander Dave Stackhouse says the recent rain and cooler temperatures have lowered the fire risk throughout the district.
“It’s been a challenging few months for our firefighting crews, who have had to battle some very large fires this summer,” he says.
“Wildfires at Bridge Hill, West Melton, Kirwee, Burnham and Lewis Pass caused considerable damage to our local environment, and resulted in our firefighters putting many days of effort into containing them.”
Canterbury’s fire district stretches from north of the Rakaia River to just south of the Clarence River.
It moved to a restricted fire season in mid-December when the fire danger rose due to dry conditions, and prohibited outdoor fires completely just before Christmas.
“While the fire risk has now dropped, we’re still asking people to take care when lighting fires in the district,” Dave Stackhouse says.
“Always go tocheckitsalright.nzto find out what the conditions are in your location, and follow the safety advice provided.
“Summer may be ending, but it’s important we continue to make every effort to keep the people, property, environment and wildlife of Canterbury safe from fire.”
A Northland commercial fisher has been fined $50,625 for under reporting and selling green mussel spat and was also ordered to pay $53,540 in reparation to Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
Commercial fishers and Licenced Fish Receivers can only land what their quota rights or annual catch entitlement (ACE) entitles them to. Without quota rights or ACE, anything landed above their entitlement means a penalty, called deemed value, must be paid to the.
Following a guilty plea, Daniel John Lovell (48) was sentenced (21/3/25) on one charge under the Fisheries Act in the Kaitaia District Court, following a successful prosecution by the MPI.
“For the 2021/22 fishing year, our inquiries found Mr Lovell sold 1,738 kg more of green lipped mussel spat than he reported on his Monthly Harvest Report. His offending continued into 2022/23 where he reported taking no spat, yet our sales inquiries found he had sold 939 kilogram of spat to marine farmers.
“Mr Lovell’s deliberate non-reporting meant he directly benefited from not paying $53,540 in deemed value. The vast majority of the fishing industry do the right thing. Mr Lovell undermined the Quota Management System and the sustainability of our shared fishing resources,” says Fisheries New Zealand regional manager Fisheries Compliance North, Andre Espinoza.
“Fishery officers discovered this illegal behaviour after finding the invoices shared between Mr Lovell and his buyers did not add up. When we find evidence of non- compliance with the rules under the Fisheries Act, we take action,” Mr Espinoza says.
MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224)
For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz
For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges.
“I am pleased to confirm that from 1 April, most MSD payment rates will increase through the Annual General Adjustment (AGA),” Louise Upston says.
“Overall this year’s AGA means around 1.5 million New Zealanders will get an increase to reflect the cost-of-living, ranging from just over 2 per cent to around 3 per cent.
“MSD has already begun communicating about specific increases, and from next Tuesday, that means pensioners, parents, students, and people on main benefits will all get a little extra, helping hundreds of thousands of Kiwis:
· 933,200 superannuitants and 4,900 veterans will get a boost to New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension
· 409,300 main beneficiaries will get a higher payment
· 47,400 students will see an increase in their allowance
· 70,000 non-beneficiaries getting supplementary assistance are expected to be better off.
“Since 2024, benefit rates have kept pace with the Consumers Price Index (a measure for the cost of living). For the year ending December 2024, the Consumers Price Index was 2.22 per cent.
“Pensioners will notice an extra boost to their New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension this year, with their total increase around 3 per cent. This is because of the relationship to the net average wage, which forms part of the rate calculation.
“We know the cost-of-living crisis the previous government left us with has been particularly difficult for beneficiaries, and the coming uplift will help many with household budgeting.
“This is in addition to other initiatives to support Kiwis over the past 16 months. As at March 19, we have also supported just over 51,000 households with the cost of early childhood education, through FamilyBoost. This has put $31.8m into the pockets of low and middle income families,” Louise Upston says.
“Indexing main benefits to inflation has been used responsibly in 32 of the past 36 years, by governments across the political divide.
“It is something our Government supports as a sensible way to maintain the income support system,” Louise Upston says.
Attributable to Inspector Angela Hallett, Eastern District Road Policing Manager:
Infringements issued, vehicles ordered off the road, and a vehicle impounded are some of the results from Hawke’s Bay Police’s focus on antisocial road users at the weekend.
Police had an increased presence across Hawke’s Bay as part of our plan to disrupt unlawful driving behaviour of antisocial road users.
Over the course of the weekend, we saw a large number of antisocial road users out and about, predominantly on Friday night, with some smaller groups stopped or deterred on Saturday night by a strong Police presence.
At a Police checkpoint in the early hours of Saturday, multiple people were issued infringements for offences including breaches of learner and restricted licence conditions. These breaches carry the penalty of demerit points and fines, which jeopardises an individual’s continued holding of a driver’s licence.
Several unsafe or defective vehicles were issued pink or green stickers, ordering them off the road until they get a new WOF or COF.
A further vehicle was impounded after the driver was identified as being disqualified – an offence that results in the vehicle being impounded and the driver being summonsed to appear in court. False number plates were also seized from one vehicle, and an infringement was issued to the driver.
Antisocial road user behaviour is extremely dangerous to those involved, their spectators, and other road users.
That fact was highlighted this weekend, when a bystander participating in the event was struck by a vehicle doing skids at a gathering in Hawke’s Bay. While no serious injuries were reported, it was an extremely close call, and enquiries are ongoing.
We will continue to maintain a focus on this area and work together with partner agencies and the community to suppress this unlawful activity and hold those involved accountable.
A number of roads were damaged from the activities this weekend, and debris was found scattered on main roads, which require inspection and clearing from local councils and the New Zealand Transport Agency.
These drivers are often young people who are still living in their family homes with parents. We ask that parents or those known to them to have conversations with your young people about this activity before it gets to a point where Police need to take enforcement action, or worse, where actions result in injury or death.
Overall, we want to see a stop to this behaviour.
If you have information that may assist Police, please contact Police on 105 either online or over the phone. If it’s happening now contact us on 111.
We need your help preventing and responding to this behaviour, no matter how small that information may seem, such as hearing this behaviour outside your house, we want to hear about it.
FEEDBACK CLOSING SOON ON MARSDEN MARITIME HOLDINGS, NORTHPORT PROPOSAL
Time is running out to have your say on a proposal that would see the ownership structure of Marsden Maritime Holdings (MMH) and Northport simplified, to set the region’s port up for the future.
Together with investment partners Port of Tauranga and Tupu Tonu (Ngāpuhi Investment Fund Ltd), the Northland Regional Council is proposing to create a new joint-venture company combining MMH and Northport.
Shareholding in the new company would be NRC (43%), Tupu Tonu (7%) and Port of Tauranga (50%), and would increase Northland’s stake in the port – a regionally-significant asset.
Northland celebrated the Regional Ballance Farm Environment Awards at Semenoff Stadium on Wednesday 19 March. The awards recognise farmers and growers who have demonstrated excellence in sustainability and environmental management, productivity and profitability, and family and community involvement.
Kokopu beef farmers Rob and Mandy Pye of Mangere Falls Farm were the Regional Supreme Award Winner for 2025, also carrying away the Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award, Norwood Farming Efficiency Award, and the Beef & Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award.
Awards were also presented to:
Maria Puig and Maurico Castellano, Maulen Partnership & Northland College Farm – Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award; Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award; DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award; Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award.
Pete Bond and Kelly Hackett, Bond Farms – NZ Farm Environment Trust Biodiversity Award
Board of Trustees and Matthew Payne, Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust – Rabobank Agribusiness Management Award; Farm Environment Trust Climate Recognition Award.