NewzIntel.com

Category: New Zealand

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Students are back at school

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year.

    “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr Seymour.

    “Our attendance goal for 2025 is to raise each school Term’s attendance rates higher than the same periods in 2024. This progress is essential for reaching the Government’s target of 80 per cent of students more than 90 per cent of the term by 2030.

    In 2024, 61.7 per cent of students attended school regularly in Term 1, 53.2 per cent attended school regularly in Term 2, and 51.3 per cent attended school regularly in Term 3. Term 4 figures will be finalised and available shortly.

    “Schools are now required to record and submit student attendance every day for public reporting. The publication process of attendance data from the new dashboard will be faster and allow quicker responses to low attendance.

    In coming weeks, the Ministry of Education will publish daily attendance data on a new and improved interactive attendance dashboard. The new dashboard replaces the current attendance dashboard (updated weekly) on the Ministry’s Education Counts website. 

    “With more information about attendance we will improve educational outcomes for New Zealand children. We’re making this information publicly available and putting an emphasis on getting to school,” says Mr Seymour. 

    “Previously, schools were required to provide attendance data after the end of each term. The shift to daily reporting applies to all schools except for a small number of kura who will begin daily reporting in mid-2025.

    “The shift to weekly reporting last year has already provided greater insights. For example, attendance on Fridays remains a particular problem, being frequently lower than any other day of the week. I encourage parents to think of the long-term impact of letting students skip Fridays, both in missed education and in setting good habits for future employment.

    “This richer set of data will help us understand patterns in attendance and why some students aren’t attending. It will also ensure we can understand the effectiveness of interventions.

    “This will not create extra work for schools as daily recording of student attendance is already a requirement when a school is open for instruction, the Government is now compiling the data and making it readily available. To support schools to provide more accurate data we have also reviewed and reduced the number of attendance codes that schools need to use when recording attendance, from 26 to 15.

    “We all need to get behind schools so they can keep a strong focus on teaching and help as many students as possible to become regular attenders.

    “If the truancy crisis isn’t addressed there will be an 80-year long shadow of people who missed out on education when they were young, are less able to work, less able to participate in society, more likely to be on benefits. That’s how serious this is.”

    Note to editors: 
    Daily Attendance Dashboard: Daily attendance | Education Counts

    Attendance data can be found here: Attendance | Education Counts

    Refreshed Attendance Codes: Refreshed attendance codes from Term 1 2025

    Daily Attendance Reporting: Daily attendance reporting – Ministry of Education

    Amendment – School Attendance Rules 2025: Amendment – School Attendance Rules 2025
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Going for Growth: New rules for visiting tourists

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say.

    “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto a faster growth track,” Nicola Willis says.

    “Tourism is New Zealand’s second largest export earner generating revenue of almost $11 billion and creating nearly 200,000 jobs.

    “Making the country more attractive to ‘digital nomads’ – people who work remotely while travelling – will boost New Zealand’s attractiveness as a destination.”

    Erica Stanford says updating the visitor visa reflects the realities of the modern, flexible working environment.

    “This is a brand-new market of tourist New Zealand can tap into. We want people to see our country as the ideal place to visit and work while they do it.

    “From today, visitor visas will allow people to work remotely for a foreign employer while they are holidaying here. Anyone who intends to work remotely for more than 90 days should look at possible tax implications.

    “The change will enable many visitors to extend their stays which will lead to more money being spent in the country.”

    Tourism Minister Louise Upston says digital nomad visas are becoming more common as ways of working become increasingly more digitised and flexible.

    “Many countries offer digital nomad visas and the list is growing, so we need to keep pace to ensure New Zealand is an attractive destination for people who want to ‘workcation’ abroad.

    “Compared to other kinds of visitors, international remote workers have the potential to spend more time and money in New Zealand, including during the shoulder season.”

    The change applies to all visitor visas, including tourists and people visiting family, as well as partners and guardians on longer-term visas.

    Only remote work which is based overseas is allowed. Visitors whose employment requires them to be in New Zealand such as sales representatives of overseas companies, performers and people coming to work for New Zealand employers must still obtain visas relevant to their circumstances.

    “This Government is committed to supporting a smarter, efficient and predictable immigration system to grow our economy. Delivering economic growth is critical to improving our quality of life, strengthening local businesses, lifting incomes, and creating opportunities for Kiwis,” Erica Stanford says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name release: Fatal crash, Milford Clandeboye Road

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can now name the two people who died following a two-vehicle crash on Milford Clandeboye Road near Temuka last week.

    Benjamin Joseph Downes, aged 32, died in the crash on 22 January.

    Shakana Ackroyd, aged 19, was critically injured and subsequently passed away in hospital on 24 January.

    Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones at this time.

    Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Hospitalisation spike likely during back-to-school period

    Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

    A spike in asthma-related hospitalisations is expected as children flock through school gates for the start of a new year.
    The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is encouraging everyone to be aware of the symptoms of an asthma attack and how to respond, with hospitalisations from attacks at their highest during week 3 of Term 1.
    Symptoms of an asthma attack are a worsening cough, persistent wheezing, shortness of breath and/or feeling tight in the chest.
    Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says the back-to-school period is always a vulnerable time for the one in eight Kiwi children with asthma.
    “The ‘back-to-school effect’ is greater than the ‘winter effect’ when it comes to children’s respiratory disease with the risk of hospitalisation two and a half times higher on the peak day in the third week of term 1 than on the first day of term.”
    International studies have shown that various factors are associated with the increase, including a change of environment and exposure to different allergens, changes in emotions such as stress or anxiety, and exposure to more viruses from being around more people, Ms Harding says.
    To keep children safe through the return-to-school period, parents and caregivers should ensure that their child has an Asthma Action Plan, which is shared with their school and their teacher, Ms Harding says.
    “Make sure your child is taking their preventer medication as prescribed and bringing their reliever inhaler to school, and check that it’s not empty or out of date.”
    Asthma is a common illness in New Zealand, affecting one in eight children and one in eight adults. About 96 people die from asthma each year – that’s nearly two people per week.
    In addition, one-third of all respiratory-related hospital admissions are children and it is estimated that more than 360,000 school days are lost each year due to asthma-related symptoms in children.
    For most children, going back to school is an exciting time, Ms Harding says.
    “But unfortunately, for many, this period can lead to severe reactions – putting children at risk.
    “That’s why investing in educating children about asthma is a huge focus for us,” she says. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Hihi thrive in new regional park home

    Source: Auckland Council

    A conservation effort led by Auckland Council rangers to assist one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most treasured native birds is delivering groundbreaking results.

    At least 55 rare hihi chicks have hatched in Shakespear Regional Park’s Open Sanctuary this summer – a first for the species in more than a hundred years.  

    Auckland Council Parks Committee chair, Councillor Ken Turner, says the commitment from staff, local iwi, volunteers, and the Department of Conservation to reintroduce hihi to the Auckland mainland is a significant step to secure the future of this distinctive forest songbird.  

    “I’m hugely thankful for the work that our rangers and others do to build on the conservation of our region’s flora and fauna. The success of this project will give hihi the boost it needs to flourish again, and Aucklanders an opportunity to experience these little treasures in their natural environment,” Cr Turner says.

    The new chicks have emerged following a carefully managed journey in June 2024 for 40 adult hihi, also known as stitchbirds, from predator-free Tiritiri Matangi Island to a new mainland home at Shakespear Regional Park.

    Senior Ranger of Shakespear Open Sanctuary Matt Maitland says the council’s Regional Parks northern team, Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society (SOSSI) and Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, who all worked together on the translocation, have been thrilled to see so many of the birds breeding.

    “The number of healthy chicks to arrive has exceeded all our expectations, given it’s the first breeding season in their new home,” says Mr Maitland.  

    “They are the first hihi – one of NZ’s rarest forest birds – to hatch and succeed in the area since disappearing from mainland Auckland in the 1870s.”

    Mr Maitland credits an ongoing focus from partners involved in the project for its success, with translocation support provided by the Hihi Conservation Charitable Trust, the Department of Conservation Hihi Recovery Group, and Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi.

    A couple of hihi were lost due to natural causes, but this is a great result compared with an unsuccessful translocation attempt in 2022, Mr Maitland says. 

    The hihi is nationally threatened, with Te Hauturu-o-toi Little Barrier Island holding the only naturally-surviving population since the 1880s.

    Recovery efforts have recently established small populations in pockets around the North Island, including at Tiritiri Matangi. Shakespear Open Sanctuary now brings the total number of hihi habitats to eight.

    There are thought to be around 2000 hihi in the country, making it one of New Zealand’s rarest native birds.

    The council and SOSSI volunteers will continue to closely monitor the new population at Shakespear Regional Park, while working with other partners to provide enhanced protection to their habitat alongside education initiatives.

    SOSSI volunteer Maree Johnston and Auckland Council ranger Bruce Harrison carefully undertake the task of banding a hihi chick.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 27 January 2025 Transforming Lower Hutt: The Epuni Development Kāinga Ora proudly celebrates the completion of the Epuni Development, the largest housing project in Lower Hutt. This transformative initiative delivers 134 modern, warm, and energy-efficient homes, nearly tripling the capacity of the original site.

    Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

    The project sets a new standard for community-focused living by integrating housing with support services designed to help residents thrive. The development replaces 54 outdated homes with a mix of one-bedroom apartments and multi-bedroom family homes, several of which are designed to be accessible, catering to a range of needs. These homes have been built to the highest standards of warmth, dryness, and energy efficiency, providing a safe and secure environment for individuals and families.

    Vicki McLaren, Kāinga Ora Regional Director for Greater Wellington, describes the development as a milestone in creating inclusive communities. “The Epuni Development is more than just housing; it’s about creating a supportive, connected, and inclusive community. This project is a shining example of what can be achieved when we work in partnership to meet housing and social needs together.”

    The new Epuni development adds to the housing stock in Lower Hutt.

    The development also features landscaped outdoor spaces and a shared community room, fostering a sense of connection among residents. On-site support services are delivered through key partnerships with Tākiri Mai te Ata Whānau Ora Collective and He Puāwai Trust. Tākiri Mai te Ata provides wraparound support including financial mentoring, mental health services, and health navigation, while He Puāwai Trust offers holistic whānau support that focuses on the well-being and empowerment of families. Together, these partnerships ensure residents not only have a place to call home but also access to the resources they need to thrive.

    “This development isn’t just about numbers—it’s about creating a place where individuals and families can feel secure and supported,” says Vicki McLaren. “From energy-efficient designs to accessible layouts, every detail has been considered with the residents in mind.”

    Partnerships have been central to the success of the Epuni Development. Kāinga Ora worked closely with Urban Plus, Hutt City Council’s housing development agency, to further enhance the community’s housing options. Urban Plus is currently constructing 30 affordable townhouses on part of the site, fostering a balanced and inclusive neighborhood. Reflecting on this collaboration, Vicki McLaren adds, “ by partnering with organizations that share our vision, we’ve created a balanced and inclusive community. This project showcases how collaboration can lead to meaningful, lasting change.”

    The Epuni Development not only addresses the urgent demand for housing but also establishes a blueprint for future projects. By integrating housing with community spaces and support services, it demonstrates Kāinga Ora’s commitment to long-term well-being and stability for its residents. “The Epuni Development sets a benchmark for future projects,” concludes Vicki McLaren. “It reflects our dedication to delivering not just homes, but thriving communities where people can truly belong.”

    Page updated: 27 January 2025

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Housing Minister opens new Epuni development

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says.
    “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I was pleased when the new Epuni development was announced by the previous National Government in 2017, and even more pleased to formally open the new homes today,” Mr Bishop says.
    “This development, which will also include 30 affordable homes in partnership with Hutt City Council’s housing agency Urban Plus, more than triples the original number of homes on this site. It’s a sensible place for medium density housing, close to train stations, bus routes, schools and local shops. 
    “The development features a mix of one-bedroom apartments, accessible homes, and larger family homes to house Kāinga Ora tenants, as well as the affordable homes.
    “I am pleased to see the support of the local community has given this project. Epuni School, Hutt City Council, and the Takiri Mai te Ata Whānau Ora Collective have worked with Kāinga Ora to ensure the development will lead to a strong community.  Tākiri Mai te Ata will provide onsite support for tenants, including financial mentoring, health services, and mental health support. 
    “Today’s formal opening of this social housing development is another step forward as we work to end New Zealand’s housing crisis. Last week the Government announced that it had achieved its target to reduce households in emergency housing motels by 75% five years early, and under this Government the social housing waitlist has reduced by about 4,000. There is still a long way to go, but we are making good progress.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stretch of SH2 near Takapau closed following crash

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

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    State Highway 2 between Speedy Road and the intersection with State Highway 50 in Central Hawke’s Bay is closed following a crash this morning.

    Please follow the directions of emergency services on site and allow extra time for your journey.

    Keep up to date with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.

    Tags

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Prolonged Symptoms Attributable to Infection with COVID-19

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

    Summary

    Fatigue, poor concentration/memory, shortness of breath and loss of taste or smell are the most prevalent symptoms following COVID-19 infection in adults when compared with non-COVID-19 infected controls (either population controls or those with infective symptoms but testing negative for COVID-19). Children and adolescents present with similar symptoms to adults, but may also include cough and headache. 

    Given the heterogeneity of evidence to date, and in the absence of high-powered, robust studies, a meta-analysis could not be undertaken to accurately determine the overall prevalence of one or more of these symptoms three or more months after infection with COVID-19. 

    While a precise measurement of symptom prevalence remains a challenge, the knowledge that a narrower subset of symptoms can be confidently attributed to infection with COVID-19 has important implications. In the absence of definitive diagnostic criteria, this subset can inform a refined, iterative definition of long COVID-19, both internationally and in New Zealand. 

    The finding that four symptoms appear to be attributable to infection with COVID-19 will enable focused attention on these symptoms. This will facilitate accurate surveillance and targeted resourcing for clinical and wellbeing support where it is most needed.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s ‘free speech’ vision comes at expense of press freedom

    Pacific Media Watch

    Among his first official acts on returning to the White House, President Donald Trump issued an executive order “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship”.

    Implicit in this vaguely written document: the United States is done fighting mis- and disinformation online, reports the Paris-based global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

    Meanwhile, far from living up to the letter or spirit of his own order, Trump is fighting battles against the American news media on multiple fronts and has pardoned at least 13 individuals convicted or charged for attacking journalists in the 6 January 2021 insurrection.

    An RSF statement strongly refutes Trump’s “distorted vision of free speech, which is inherently detrimental to press freedom”.

    Trump has long been one of social media’s most prevalent spreaders of false information, and his executive order, “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” is the latest in a series of victories for the propagators of disinformation online.

    Bowing to pressure from Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, whose Meta platforms are already hostile to journalism, did away with fact-checking on Facebook, which the tech mogul falsely equated to censorship while throwing fact-checking journalists under the bus.

    Trump ally Elon Musk also dismantled the meagre trust and safety safeguards in place when he took over Twitter and proceeded to arbitrarily ban journalists who were critical of him from the site.

    ‘Free speech’ isn’t ‘free of facts’
    “Free speech doesn’t mean public discourse has to be free of facts. Donald Trump and his Big Tech cronies like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are dismantling what few guardrails the internet had to protect the integrity of information,” said RSF’s USA executive director Clayton Weimers.

    “We cannot ignore the irony of Trump appointing himself the chief crusader for ‘free speech’ while he continues to personally attack press freedom — a pillar of the First Amendment — and has vowed to weaponise the federal government against expression he doesn’t like.

    “If Trump means what he says in his own executive order, he could start by dropping his lawsuits against news organisations.”

    Trump recently settled a lawsuit out of court with ABC News parent company Disney, but is still suing the Des Moines Register and its parent company Gannett for publishing a poll unfavourable to his campaign, and the Pulitzer Center board for awarding coverage of his 2016 campaign’s alleged ties with Russia.

    Trump should immediately drop both lawsuits and refrain from launching others while in office.

    After a campaign where he attacked the press on a daily basis, Trump has continued to berate the media and dismissed its legitimacy to critique him.

    During a press conference the day after he took office, Trump reproached NBC reporter Peter Alexander for questions about Trump’s blanket pardons of the January 6th riot participants, saying, “Just look at the numbers on the election.

    “We won this election in a landslide, because the American public is tired of people like you that are just one-sided, horrible people, in terms of crime.”

    An incoherent press freedom policy
     The executive order also flies in the face of his violent rhetoric against journalists.

    The order asserts that during the Biden administration, “the Federal government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advanced the government’s preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate.”

    It goes on to state, “It is the policy of the United States to ensure that no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.”

    This stated policy, laudable in a vacuum, even if made redundant by the First Amendment, is rendered meaningless by Trump’s explicit threats to weaponise the government against the media, which have recently included threats to revoke broadcast licenses in political retaliation, investigate news organizations that criticise him, and jail journalists who refuse to expose confidential sources.

    Instead, the policy appears designed to amplify disinformation, which benefits a President of the United States who has proven willing to spread disinformation that furthered his political interests on matters small and large.

    “If Trump is serious about his stated commitment to free speech, RSF suggests he begin by ensuring his own actions serve to protect the free press, rather than censoring or punishing media outlets,” the watchdog said.

    “The United States has seen a steady decline in its press freedom ranking in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index over the past decade to a current ranking of 55th out of 180 countries, with presidents from both parties presiding over this backslide.

    “While Trump is not entirely responsible for the present situation, his frequent attacks on the news media have no doubt contributed to the decline in trust in the media, which has been driven partly by partisan attitudes towards journalism.

    “Trump’s violent rhetoric can also contribute to real-life violence — assaults on journalists nearly doubled in 2024, when his campaign was at its apex, compared to 2023.”

    Pacific Media Watch collaborates with RSF.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Base Woodbourne resolution with Kurahaupō Iwi

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government and three Kurahaupō Iwi have signed a $25.2million agreement to resolve the post-Treaty settlement issue of contaminated land at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. 

    Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia each received $8.4 million after contaminated soil at Base Woodbourne near Blenheim prevented the three Iwi from purchasing a substantial part of the site as originally intended in their Treaty settlement redress.

    The NZDF as the landholding agency and Te Arawhiti, as the responsible agency to ensure the durability of Treaty settlements, worked together to resolve the issue and an agreement was signed with Iwi on 14 October 2024.

    Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka praised the three Iwi for their ongoing commitment to resolving the issue.

    “I know this mahi has presented everyone involved with challenges, and I particularly want to acknowledge and thank the Iwi for their resolution to move forward.

    “Upholding Treaty settlement commitments is a priority for this government. In this case, the negotiated settlement redress could not be delivered as intended and it was incumbent on us to work with Iwi to find a mutually agreeable solution.”

    Contamination from per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contained in firefighting foams, was found in the soil at Woodbourne as part of the Crown’s ‘due diligence’ phase of engagement between the Iwi and the New Zealand Defence Force in 2019.

    PFAS can accumulate in the human body and does not break down in the environment, posing potential health and environmental risks.

    “The $25.2m confirmed in Budget 2024 compensates the Iwi for being unable to purchase the remainder of the site due to the extent of the contamination, which includes the operational land and housing block as intended,” Mr Potaka says.

    “National has a proud history of delivering settlements with Iwi and we will continue to build on that legacy.”

    Kua ea te take e pā ana ki te whenua o Base Woodbourne ki te taha o ngā iwi o Kurahaupō

    Kua hainatia e te Kāwanatanga me ngā iwi e toru o te waka o Kurahaupō tētahi whakaaetanga e $25.2 miriona te nui o te pūtea, hei whakaea i tētahi take e pā ana ki ngā matū kino kei te whenua o RNZAF Base Woodbourne.

    E $8.4 miriona te nui o te pūtea i whakawhiwhia ki ia iwi, arā, ki a Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, ki a Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, ki Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia hoki i te mea kāore rātou i āhei ki te hoko i tētahi wāhi nui o ngā whenua i tāpuia mā ngā iwi e toru nei i raro i tō rātou whakataunga Tiriti nā te whakakinotanga o te one ki Base Woodbourne e pātata ana ki Te Waiharakeke.

    I mahitahi Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa i raro i tōna tūranga hei kaipupuri whenua me Te Arawhiti hei kaiwhakapūmau o ngā whakataunga Tiriti ki te whakatutuki i te kaupapa, ā, ka hainatia tētahi whakaaetanga ki te taha o ngā iwi i te 14 o Oketopa i te tau 2024.

    Ka mihia ngā iwi e toru e te Minita o Te Arawhiti, e Tama Potaka i tō rātou manawanui ki te whakatutuki i tēnei take.

    “Kei te mōhio au ki ngā uauatanga i tau atu ki runga i ngā tāngata katoa i whai wāhi mai ki tēnei mahi, ā, kei te mihi atu au ki ngā iwi i tō rātou whakaae ki te ahu whakamua.

    “Ko te whakamanatanga o ngā whakataunga Tiriti tētahi o ngā whāinga matua a tēnei kāwanatanga. Kāore mātou i āhei ki te hoatu i te paremata i whiriwhiringia i roto i te whakataunga, nō reira nō mātou anō te haepapa ki te mahi ngātahi ki ngā iwi ki te kimi i tētahi whakautu e pai ana ki ngā rōpū e rua.”

    I kitea ngā paitini nā ngā matū kino o te pāhuka patu ahi, e kīia ana ko te PFAS, ki roto i te one ki Woodbourne i te Karauna e takatū ana mō ngā whakawhitinga kōrero i waenga i ngā iwi me Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa i te tau 2019.

    Ka noho tonu te PFAS ki roto i te tinana, ā, e kore hoki e popo i te au tūroa, nā reira he matū mōrearea rawa tēnei ki te tangata me te taiao.

    “I tohua te $25.2m i te Tahua Pūtea o te tau 2024 hei utu paremata ki te iwi i te mea kāore rātou i āhei ki te hoko i te toenga o te whenua nā te nui o ngā matū kino ki reira, arā, e kapi katoa ana tērā i te whenua e whakamahia ana e Te Ope Kātua me tētahi huinga whare i tāpaea i mua,” te kī a Mr Potaka.

    “E tū whakahīhī ana a Nāhinara i te whakatutukinga o te huhua o ngā whakataunga ki te taha o ngā iwi i roto i ngā tau, ā, ka haere tonu tērā mahi.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: FAQs – Unified Funding System

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    What are performance element incentive payments? When will they be implemented?
    The learner component has an incentive payment element which will be paid to each TEO on achieving the performance expectations set by TEC. This will be part of TEOs’ annual investment plan process within TEOs’ learner success plan, where appropriate.
    TEC is taking a phased approach to implementing these incentive payments. In 2023, this payment will be required of a small number of TEOs (but those with significant levels of learner component funding), then rolling out to cover all TEOs in 2024.  
    For more information, please see the Learner Component section of our website.
    How do TEOs apply for learner component funding?
    TEOs will not need to apply for learner component funding. It will be allocated as part of TEOs’ overall funding for VET.
    Can PTEs apply for more transitions funding?  How do they do this?
    No. TEC will allocate transition funding to eligible TEOs based on the published criteria and allocation methodology.
    There are no additional reporting requirements.
    What is the definition of ‘low prior achievement’ (LPA)?
    In 2022, this is a learner under the age of 25 as at the date of enrolment who has not previously achieved a qualification on the NZQF at level 3 or above.
    From 2023, it will apply to all learners as at the date of enrolment who has not previously achieved a qualification on the NZQF at level 3 or above, not just those under 25.
    How are learners with LPA identified by the TEC?
    SDR, ITR and NZQA data are used to determine LPA.  If prior education records are not available for a learner, they are deemed to be LPA.
    Does the LPA include equivalent qualifications achieved overseas?
    Where overseas qualifications are recorded in the data, they are taken into account in the LPA analysis.
    Will a student out of high school into tertiary education be considered someone with LPA?
    Students that have not achieved NCEA level 3 are considered having LPA.
    Will a PTE lose their learner component funding if an LPA learner achieves at level 3 and transitions to a level 4 course, unless the student qualifies under a different component?
    The learner attributes are proxies for distributing funding. The learner component is not intended to be targeted at specific learners with these characteristics – the funding is a contribution for the support of all learners.  It is expected that each TEO will determine the actual support each learner requires, whether or not the learner has any of the characteristics used for the funding proxy.
    Can learner component funding be recovered through the wash-up process?
    No, there are no recoveries of the learner component.
    Can a TEO update the Disability Status and Disability Support Needs fields after enrolment?
    Yes, if a learner’s disability status has changed since their enrolment, and the TEO has also obtained the learner’s answers to the Disability Support Needs questions, TEOs can amend the record in the next learner file submission.
    How were the four learner groups that are linked to the learner component chosen?
    We undertook extensive analysis of data on the performance of the Vocational Education and Training (VET)  system to understand more about those learners who, on average, have been not well served by the education system in the past. This analysis showed that there were four groups of learners most at risk of not completing VET qualifications and/or face a range of disadvantages in the VET system: learners with low prior achievement, disabled learners, Māori learners and Pacific learners.
    Why are only four learner groups linked to funding?
    Accurately identifying each individual learner’s needs is challenging. We needed a way to approximate the level of need among each TEO’s learner population. We did this by using relatively large learner groups that are more likely to face disadvantages in the VET system. Our analysis shows that these four groups of learners are good proxies of need among each TEO’s learner population, that is, they approximate the level of need in a straightforward way.
    What about learners who don’t fall into the four groups linked to funding? How will they get support?
    TEOs should use learner component funding for all learners who need additional support, not just for learners in the four identified groups. The four groups serve as a proxy for learners who need additional support to be successful in VET. Providers are expected to identify the unique needs of all their learners (including through engagement with learners and their communities), decide how best to support them, and allocate funding accordingly. All learners should therefore receive the support they need to be successful in VET.
    Why is there a difference in rates for Māori and Pacific learners compared to learners with low prior achievement and disabled learners?
    Data is mixed on how the system performs for Māori and Pacific learners. For example, while Māori learners are more likely than New Zealand European learners to participate in VET, they experience poorer employment outcomes from their study. This means that tying funding to a participation measure alone is unlikely to have the results we want to see. We have therefore developed a performance incentive payment that can more directly incentivise the outcomes we want. Māori will be involved in developing the indicators for this.
    Importantly, for Māori and Pacific learners who also have low prior achievement and/or are disabled, providers will receive both funding rates. Māori and Pacific learners who have low prior achievement and/or are disabled will attract the highest level of funding. It recognises that these learners have compounding levels of disadvantage.
    Will the incentive payments be the same as the previous performance-linked funding?
    No. We are still developing the details of how they will work but they are not intended to be the same as performance-linked funding. Further information will be available in 2022.
    How will performance expectations for each TEO be set?
    We are still developing the details of how these will be set along with related incentive payments. We will work with stakeholders to finalise the details of the performance part of the learner component. Further information will be available in 2022.
    What happens to existing equity funding for VET?
    The learner component replaces equity funding for VET. From 2023, equity funding will not apply to VET but will continue for non-UFS provision.
    Why doesn’t the learner component apply to the assessment and verification mode?
    The assessment and verification mode will support learners who are employed and receive support for their learning and wellbeing directly from their employer. Providers will have a limited role focused on quality assurance of the assessment that underpins learners’ qualifications. This means providers will have little direct contact with learners and limited scope to engage with and support learners.
    How will the funding be calculated with learners with more than one eligible characteristic?
    We will calculate funding by allocating:

    the relevant rate where a learner is identified in the data as disabled and/or having low prior achievement
    the relevant rate where a learner is identified in the data as Māori and/or Pacific
    both relevant rates where a learner is identified in the data as disabled and/or having low prior achievement and as Māori and/or Pacific (both rates apply).

    How are learners with low prior achievement identified?
    Learners with low prior achievement are those who have not achieved a prior qualification at level 3 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) as at the learner’s enrolment start date.
    How will support for learners change?
    Over time, all VET learners can expect learning and wellbeing support that is tailored to their specific needs. This will take time but we expect providers to more proactively identify learners who may need support and for providers to be more focused on meeting learners’ needs.
    Who receives the funding? And who decides how it is spent?
    Learner component funding will be allocated to TEOs. They will decide how to spend this funding in a way that supports all of their learners’ needs.
    How will this improve the way the VET system performs for Māori learners?
    Māori learners can expect to have increased opportunities to enrol in and complete VET qualifications that have strong employment outcomes including apprenticeships. Providers and employers will be encouraged to work together to increase hiring, training and support for Māori learners. Labour market underutilisation rates could drop, and median salaries could rise. Māori learners will be able to consistently expect culturally affirming learning environments.
    How will this improve the way the VET system performs for Pacific learners?
    As for Māori, Pacific learners can expect to have increased opportunities to enrol in and complete VET qualifications that have strong employment outcomes, including apprenticeships. Providers and employers will be encouraged to work together to increase hiring, training and support for Pacific learners. Labour market underutilisation rates could drop, and median salaries could rise. Pacific learners will be able to consistently expect culturally affirming learning environments
    How will this improve the way the VET system performs for disabled learners?
    Providers will have increased capability and capacity to understand, identify and support disabled learners’ needs. Providers and employers will be encouraged to work together to improve hiring and training rates and support for disabled employees. Disabled learners could increasingly enrol in, and complete, VET qualifications that have strong employment outcomes, including work-based training. The very high labour market underutilisation rates for disabled people could drop.
    How will this improve the way the VET system performs for learners with low prior achievement?
    Learners with low prior educational achievement can expect more support to complete their qualifications. We are seeking a significant improvement in qualification completion rates for these learners compared to other learner groups.
    How are disabled learners identified?
    Disabled learners are learners who identify as disabled on enrolment forms and learners who access disability support from providers. TEC is working with providers and the wider sector to improve data collection on disabled learners.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Coalition Govt’s expensive tunnel vision for Wellington comes at the expense of the regions

    Source: Green Party

    A second Mount Victoria tunnel, a duplicate Terrace tunnel alongside highway widening will dump more traffic in the centre of Wellington and result in more pollution. 

    “We know urban highway widening does not solve the problem. It’s a 1950s-style solution that makes traffic and pollution worse,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Transport, Julie Anne Genter. 

    “The only way to ensure more people can move easily around Wellington in the future is to substantially invest in rail, public transport, and active transport. If the Government eventually brings in congestion pricing, people will want and need those alternatives – so logically, they should be the priority.

    “If the Government is going to spend a few billion dollars on a road, it would be better spent in the regions where it will actually make a difference – not just a few kilometres of an extra lane in the centre of Wellington.

    “The cost of these projects has not yet been publicly disclosed, but it will easily be more than the $3 billion deemed ‘unaffordable’ for the crucial inter-island ferries project, or the Dunedin hospital. 

    “It’s outrageous that the Coalition Government is prioritising billions of dollars for a few kilometres of an extra car lane in Wellington, while cutting rail and public transport improvements that would deliver more for our people and our climate.

    “The most concerning aspect is the use of the Fast Track Bill, which means local government, communities and the environment will not be considered in the least. This is a classic example of the Government dodging democracy to implement policies and projects that are bad for both people and planet. 

    “Wellingtonians deserve to have a say on a project that will have such a monumental impact on the outlook of our city and its future,” says Julie Anne Genter.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Not too late to abandon the Bill, Christopher

    Source: Green Party

    The Green Party is urgently calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following reports it will be introduced on Thursday. 

    “It’s not too late to do the right thing, Christopher. It’s time to abandon this Bill and honour Te Tiriti,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Justice, Tamatha Paul.  

    “Te Tiriti forms the founding agreement Aotearoa was built upon. It provides the foundations for an enduring relationship between tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti that ensures everybody is looked after and nobody is left behind.

    “Te Tiriti is permanent, Governments are temporary. Honouring the Treaty has to come before the honouring of coalition agreements. 

    “At Waitangi, Christopher Luxon told Māori that Te Tiriti was our past, present and future. At the tangi of Kiingi Tuuhetia, he spoke to the importance of kotahitanga and the need to honour the legacy of the late Kiingi. If his words are actually worth anything, he would not allow legislation that aims to completely corrupt and defile the defining essence of our nation anywhere near our Parliament. 

    “It is high time that his rhetoric matched the reality of his actions when it comes to Te Tiriti. He has stood by and watched as Treaty protections were removed from state care, as the Māori Health Authority was scrapped and as Māori wards were essentially erased. 

    “The Prime Minister has two choices: abandon the Bill and honour our founding agreement or unleash a level of division and disharmony that will cut to the very core of our country.

    “We call on the Prime Minister to do the right thing and uphold the dignity, meaning and integrity of our founding agreement,” says Tamatha Paul. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Near four-year high unemployment reveals dire need for new direction

    Source: Green Party

    Today, Statistics New Zealand’s latest labour market report revealed that unemployment has reached 4.8 per cent, the highest rate since late 2020, during the COVID pandemic.

    “The Government’s economy for the rich is leaving thousands behind,” says the Green Party’s Spokesperson for Social Development and Employment, Ricardo Menéndez-March.

    “We can build an economy that works for everyone and leaves nobody behind by investing in the public services and infrastructure which support our communities as well as programmes like jobs for nature that provide people with meaningful and stable work. 

    “The unemployment rate has hit the highest level since COVID, and this is down to the coalition government relying on making people unemployed to lower inflation while prioritising tax cuts, slashing public investment, and undermining the construction industry.

    “Losing a job shouldn’t condemn families to poverty, yet successive Governments have set benefit levels below the poverty line and pushed ahead with sanctions that entrench hardship. 

    “Instead of punching down on those doing it the toughest and pushing more children into hardship, the Greens will lift all families out of poverty with a Guaranteed Minimum Income. 

    “This Government’s punitive approach to welfare and public investment is clearly not working. The Government has engineered an economy that punches down on our communities, one without jobs that simultaneously punishes people for not being able to find work. 

    “Poverty is a political choice, one that successive governments have chosen not to address. However, with unemployment rising and households experiencing wave after wave of financial strain, there is no better time than the present to end poverty and introduce an Income Guarantee. 

    “This is a policy we campaigned on and will continue to push as disparities in wealth widen and the incomes of people on the breadline stagnate. 

    “The Income Guarantee is a commitment to every New Zealander that no matter what, your income will never fall below $390 per week, after tax. For couples, our Income Guarantee will be at least $780, and a single parent will always have an income of at least $750.

    “The Greens would support people into work with a supportive welfare system, more training opportunities, and restarting public investment in healthcare, schools, and houses that create good jobs,” says Ricardo Menéndez-March.

    • Statistics NZ data for the September quarter can be found here. 
    • The Reserve Bank’s Financial Stability report can be found here. 
    • The Income Guarantee 2023 election policy can be found here. Rates have been adjusted for inflation.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Safe, secure digital identity services on the way

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Zealanders can expect safe and secure digital identity services following the finalisation of the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, Minister for Digitising Government Judith Collins says.

    “New Zealanders want to be able to complete everyday tasks online and in person in a way that’s safe and secure,” Ms Collins says.

    “Today’s announcement paves the way for safe future digital identity services, such as a digital driver licence, bank ID or trade certification.”

    The Trust Framework sets out how accredited digital identity services, including for privacy and security, must work, with providers meeting the specified rules and regulations.

    “There are many instances where we need to share information, such as our name, address, age or qualifications, and this often involves turning up in person or providing insecure scanned copies of our important physical documents,” Ms Collins says.

    “Using accredited digital identity services makes it easier to securely share your information, helps protect from identity theft, and gives New Zealanders greater control over their own information.

    “If people choose to use digital identity services, they have the choice about what information they share, and who they share it with. No one will be required to use digital identity services but those who do can be assured that accredited services can be trusted.”

    The Trust Framework rules come into effect on 8 November 2024. More information about the Trust Framework, can be found here: Trust Framework – dia.govt.nz

    Note to Editors:

    • The Trust Framework does not create a central database, track users or allow organisations to exchange user information.
    • With accredited digital identity wallets and apps, information is protected by encryption technology. Consent is always required, meaning people must give their express permission before their information is shared.
    • Digital credentials always reside with the user and the issuer has no knowledge or oversight of when and how the user presents their credentials.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Unemployment rate at 4.8 percent – Stats NZ media and information release: Labour market statistics: September 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Unemployment rate at 4.8 percent – 6 November 2024 – Unemployment continues to grow, with more people remaining unemployed for longer periods and a declining employment rate, while wage growth slows, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    In the September 2024 quarter:

    • unemployment rate was 4.8 percent
    • employment rate was 67.8 percent
    • annual wage inflation was 3.8 percent
    • average ordinary time hourly earnings were $41.98.

    The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, as measured by the Household Labour Force Survey, was 4.8 percent in the September 2024 quarter, compared with 4.6 percent in the previous quarter.

    Visit our website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Agriculture – Breeding for low methane a winning approach for productivity and environment – AgResearch

    Source: AgResearch

    Livestock can be bred for lower methane emissions while also improving productivity at a rate greater than what the industry is currently achieving, research has shown.

    AgResearch scientists today presented their analysis to the joint New Zealand Society of Animal Production and New Zealand Grassland Association conferences in Oamaru, which challenges assumptions from critics that breeding for a low methane trait will be at the expense of key genetic traits for productivity.

    The scientists drew on data from a performance recorded sheep flock maintained by AgResearch, which is also recorded for methane emissions, compared to average dual-purpose sheep on a NZ production index incorporating reproduction, survival, growth and adult size traits.

    “We investigated if the rate of reduction in methane emissions that has been seen in our low methane flock over the past six years was sufficient to achieve New Zealand’s targeted methane reductions by the year 2050,” says AgResearch scientist John McEwan.

    “Assuming the rate of methane reduction of 0.95% per year as has been shown in the flock so far will be maintained, and accounting for the genetic lag for use of rams in commercial flocks, the result we reached was a 27% decrease in commercial flocks methane emissions by the year 2050, while increasing per head productivity  (using the current Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics index) by $51.80.”

    The current New Zealand target is to reduce biogenic methane emissions by 24 to 47 per cent below 2017 levels; however, the methane targets are currently being reviewed. Productivity gains are also in the sights of the Government, with a goal of doubling exports by value within a decade.    

    “Continuation with current industry progress would achieve a 2.8% reduction in methane emissions and $30.80 increase in per head productivity. In other words, methane emissions can be reduced while also increasing productivity faster than current industry progress,” McEwan says.

    “While our analysis does not account for all factors, it does suggest that genetic selection, if appropriately applied, could contribute a substantial proportion of the currently proposed reduction in methane emissions from the sheep industry. And it can be done without any change in ewe numbers.”

    “The fact that these results have been obtained from a B+LNZ Genetics recorded flock and using the current industry breeding evaluation system adds strength to the fact that this is possible using existing industry tools available to all New Zealand breeders.

    The challenge is its rapid adoption by the industry.”

    Find out more about breeding for low methane, and the research partnership with industry, at:https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/low-methane-sheep/; and learn more about the related Cool Sheep programme at: https://www.blnzgenetics.com/cool-sheep-programme.

    AgResearch’s core focus is to deliver high quality science to enhance the value, productivity and sustainability of New Zealand’s pastoral, agri-food and agri-technology sectors. More at www.agresearch.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Employment – New Dunedin hospital petition: Southerners need tertiary level care

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    The Government will today be urged to ensure the new Dunedin hospital provides crucial tertiary level health services for the Southern region in a petition being handed over at Parliament today.
    Tertiary level health services are specialised and lifesaving care such as surgery and lifesaving and cancer treatments. The current Dunedin Hospital which provides a range of these specialist services to patients throughout Otago and the South Island is in a state of disrepair.
    The 34,406-signature petition from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa calls for the new hospital to be fully funded as planned after the Coalition Government in September said it would be scaled back to reduce costs.
    The proposed downgrades are a false economy, says NZNO delegate Linda Smillie.
    “A scaled back hospital will increase costs over the long term because it will reduce the clinical capacity to care for an increasingly aging population.
    “Nurses will not be able to provide the appropriate level of care their patients need. This will lead to patient harm and loss of life.”
    The Coalition Government must fund the full new hospital as was promised, Linda Smillie says.
    “Southerners deserve more than half a hospital or a slow rebuild of the old hospital.”
    • NZNO representatives will be at Parliament at 12:30 with the Dunedin City Council delegation led by Mayor Jules Radich.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: BusinessNZ – Small business welcome new procurement rules

    Source: BusinessNZ

    Small businesses will welcome the Government’s firm direction to government agencies to pay their bills on time, BusinessNZ says.
    Chief Executive Katherine Rich says many businesses supply goods and services to government agencies and can experience hardship from late payment times.
    “Businesses can look forward to their invoices being paid within 10 business days, given explicit requirements now placed on government agencies.”
    Mrs Rich also welcomed the Government’s intention to require government agencies to use e-invoicing from 2026.
    “BusinessNZ has consistently advocated for improvements to procurement practices, and we are grateful for this e-invoicing requirement and other planned changes to the Procurement Rules.”
    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.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Unemployment rising under National

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Nicola Willis’ policies continue to slow the economy with more Kiwis out of work as a result.

    StatsNZ figures released today show unemployment is now at 4.8%. This means 148,000 people do not have a job in New Zealand.

    “Unemployment continues to increase under the fiscal mismanagement of Nicola Willis,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

    “The last time unemployment was this high was during the 2020 pandemic, before that in 2017 under another National Government. This disappointing record is what National will be remembered for.

    “National has failed to prioritise work and employment – the numbers speak for themselves. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of unemployment out of first world countries like Australia (4.1%) and Great Britain (4.2%).

    “But unemployment is much worse for Māori at 9.2%, and Pacific people at 9.9% This is a steep rise, and the impact this Government has had on Māori and Pacific people is disgraceful.

    “The Government can’t continue to say it is focused on getting people in to work when it is making decisions that are seeing more and more people unemployed, and more and more Kiwis leaving the country.

    “People are staying unemployed for longer, despite the sanctions National announced, which they claimed would prevent this from happening. I am concerned with the length of time people are out of work. For example, people who are unemployed for over six months to one year is up 53.2% to 32,500 compared to the same quarter last year.

    “Today’s numbers show the harm of Nicola Willis’ decisions. The number of people she is putting out of work could make up entire suburbs. The impact of this will be felt for generations,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – The recession continues… with a triple trough – Kiwibank

    Source: Kiwibank
    Double-take! The Kiwi labour market is even weaker than the headline suggests. The devil is in the detail. Worker demand has waned, and unemployment is drifting higher.

    *       The unemployment rate rose to just 4.8% from 4.6%, slightly better than we and the market consensus had predicted. But it’s a result of a much sharper decline in labour force participation, from 71.7% to 71.2%. That in itself is a sign of a weak jobs market. Workers are now heading (or are forced) for the exits as demand wanes. 

    As StatsNZ comments “From the survey, some of the largest increases in those not in the labour force over the year came from people mainly engaged in leisure activities, studying or training, and taking care of themselves due to their own sickness, illness, injury, or disability.” 
    We’ve heard a lot about voluntary redundancies, migrants struggling to find work, and some going back to Uni and other reasons. The fall in participation appears to have been concentrated within the younger cohort (15-24years). 
    Almost 60k more people were classified as ‘not in the labour force’ over the past year. So don’t be fooled by the stronger headline print (unemployment rate). Worker demand is waning, with employment contracting 0.5% over the quarter, and down 0.4% on the year – the first since September 2012, and the deepest since the GFC. The Kiwi labour market is weakening.

    *       Wage inflation cooled faster than expected. Annual wage growth has slowed to 3.3%, moving further away from the 4.5% peak. A shrinking proportion are receiving a payrise, with fewer enjoying a 5% increase (from 32% to 27%). And a growing share are seeing no change in pay. Weaker wage inflation however is necessary to drive an easing in domestic inflation.

    *        The labour market has more catch up to do. We still see the unemployment rate on track to exceed 5% in the coming year – peeling further and further away from the 3.2% low. 

    We expect the unemployment rate to drift higher from here. By our calculations, it is still on track to hit around 5.5% next year. That’s some distance from the 3.2% low recorded in 2021. We attributed the initial rise in unemployment to fast-growing labour supply led by rising migration. 

    The level of employment has climbed to record highs, but growth was still not strong enough to keep pace with rapid population growth. Now, however, the increasing number of unemployed is due to a slowdown in hiring. And mounting job losses are a consequence of aggressive policy tightening pushing the economy into a downturn. 

    Today’s update was an important one ahead of the RBNZ’s policy update later this month. Despite a stronger headline number, the data is unlikely to skew the RBNZ’s thinking. Because the key takeaway is the same: the Kiwi labour market is weakening. A further relaxation in monetary policy settings is needed. The labour market has crumbled under the weight of the RBNZ’s heavy-handed interest rate hikes. And it’s only the beginning. 

    Like the RBNZ, we forecast a further increase in the unemployment rate next year. 
    But it’s important for the RBNZ to stay ahead of any further labour market slowing by proceeding with rate cuts sooner rather than later. With the 2% target inflation rate well within reach, we believe the RBNZ needs to get the cash rate below 4% ASAP. We continue to expect a 50bp cut at the RBNZ’s final meeting for the year. And potentially a third 50bp cut in February.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Offenders caught after aggravated robbery with machete

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    At about 6am this morning, four people armed with a large machete and other weapons entered the Te Ngai Road Caltex Service Station in Owhata, Rotorua.

    They threatened a staff member, stole cash, vape products and cigarettes.

    The offenders then left in a stolen vehicle which they dumped nearby.

    After calls from the public alerting Police to the location of the vehicle, a police dog and handler tracked the offenders to a nearby address.

    Three youth offenders were arrested and are facing charges of aggravated robbery and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

    The offenders are from Hamilton and Rotorua. The property stolen has been recovered along with the weapons used in the incident.

    The vehicle used which was stolen from Hamilton overnight has been recovered and will be returned to its owner.

    Inspector Phil Gillbanks, Rotorua Area Prevention Manager says “Police would like to thank the members of the public who were alert enough to notice suspicious activity and call Police right away.

    We will not tolerate this behaviour and will take enforcement action where appropriate to keep our community safe. It is good to be able to recover the stolen items, including the vehicle used, and make these arrests.

    Let this be a reminder that Police will continue to hold to account, those offenders choosing to behave like this. It is very lucky no one was  injured.

    Like the witnesses did in this case, always call Police straight away on 111 if you see or suspect anything suspicious happening.”

    You can also make a report after the fact, using our 105 service, either by phone or online.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Exercise NZ – Movement In Movember: Urging Kiwi Men to Boost Health Through Physical Activity

    Source: Exercise New Zealand

    Movember is an annual campaign held each November to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. 

    While there is strong support for men to grow moustaches throughout the month to spark conversations around men’s health, Movember also promotes other health initiatives like the Move for Movember campaign, which encourages people to get active and raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity for mental and physical well-being.

    As Movember kicks off, Exercise New Zealand is emphasising the crucial role of regular physical activity in promoting men’s health, particularly in reducing the risk of prostate cancer and improving mental well-being. 

    Recent findings from ExerciseNZ’s 2024 consumer research reveal that mental health now rates as the second most important reason to exercise among men, following general health by only a few percent.
    Many men report that exercise not only enhances how they feel but that the social connections fostered in structured exercise programs offer additional mental health benefits. This aligns well with Movember’s focus on mental well-being and social support, underscoring the value of men talking openly about their challenges and supporting one another through physical activity.

    The Move for Movember campaign provides a supportive space where men can openly discuss their challenges while staying physically active. 

    The challenge—to walk 60 km throughout November—honours the 60 men who die by suicide each hour worldwide. 
    Walking just 90 minutes per week at a comfortable pace can help reduce fatigue, ease depression, and support a healthy body weight. 
    Whether it’s on a footpath, along the beach, or on a treadmill at the local gym, Movember encourages men to embrace the simplicity of walking for its wide-reaching benefits for mental and physical well-being.

    In addition, studies have also shown that men who engage in regular exercise have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of the disease. Urologist, Dr. Michael Johnson explained in John Hopkins Medicine that “Most likely, it’s not just the exercise that counts — it’s the subsequent weight loss that also makes a difference. Studies have linked obesity with particularly aggressive forms of prostate cancer”. 

    Furthermore, a study from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study found that men who exercised vigorously for three or more hours per week had a 61% reduction in the risk of prostate-specific death compared to those who exercised for less than one hour per week. 
    These studies highlight the importance of regular physical activity or exercise as a vital measure to help reduce the risk of certain cancer-related deaths.

    In summary, while growing moustaches is a hallmark of the campaign, Movember also champions physical activity through initiatives like Move for Movember. Exercise New Zealand supports this focus, highlighting the role of regular exercise in reducing cancer risks and improving mental health. 

    With research showing that mental well-being is a key reason men engage in physical activity, Movember creates space for open conversations and physical activity, reinforcing the benefits of an active lifestyle for both mental and physical health. 
    Exercise New Zealand is encouraging all men across Aotearoa to prioritise their health this Movember by incorporating regular physical activity into their routines.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tis nearly the season again – beware of your parcels being pinched

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Please attribute to Sergeant Rowan Steenkamp, Wellington Prevention Coordinator.

    We’re heading into the busiest time of year for postal deliveries and Police want to remind everyone to do what they can to stop parcel theft.

    Coming into Christmas there are more parcels being delivered, and more chance for your presents to be stolen.

    Thieves will take any opportunity to steal, and parcels left on front doorsteps or in apartment building common areas are an easy target.

    Our advice is:

    • Get packages delivered to a place where someone will be home to receive them, or to a work address.

    • If you do have deliveries made to your home, make sure you’re going to be home to sign for them, or have a secure location where they can be left.

    • Make sure your delivery instructions are clear, and ask for packages not to be placed at your front door, or on top of an apartment building post box.

    • If you’re not going to be home when the parcel is delivered, arrange to collect your parcel from the depot, or have the parcel redirected to the address of someone you trust.

    • Be smart when disposing of packaging, so passers-by can’t see what you’ve been buying.

    • Report any suspicious behaviour to Police – e.g. if you see a car following a courier van, or an unexpected visitor knocks on your door asking for someone you don’t know.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Employment – Nurses stop work across the country – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) employed by Te Whatu Ora are attending a series of 62 meetings across the country over urgent pressing issues.
    These hour-long meetings started on Monday and end on Friday. They aim to allow nurses, midwives, and health care assistants to review Te Whatu Ora’s intention to pause calculations for the Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) safe staffing programme during collective bargaining late last month.
    The employer restricting bargaining parameters to 1% of total employee costs will also be discussed.
    Meeting schedule for Thursday:
    • Whangārei – Whangārei Hospital 2nd Floor Conference Room – 2.30pm-3.30pm
    • Kaitāia – Kaitāia Hospital level 3/meeting room 1 – 2.30pm-3.30pm
    • Dargaville – Dargaville Hospital, Dargaville ward lounge – 2.30pm-3.30pm
    • Bay of Islands – Community Building Meeting Room – 2.30pm-3.30pm
    • Auckland – Greenlane Hospital, Building 13, Level 7 – 8.30am-9.30am & 10am-11am
    • Auckland – Waitakere Hospital – Muriwai A wing dining room – 2.45pm-3.45pm
    • Auckland – Manukau Health Park – Conference Room 1 – 12pm-1pm
    • Whakatāne – Clinical School Conference Hall, Whakatāne Hospital – 1.30pm-2.30pm
    • Tokoroa – Library Tokoroa Hospital – 11am-12pm
    • Hawkes Bay – Harding Hall Hastings Hospital – 1pm-2pm
    • Whanganui – Whanganui Jockey Club – 1.30pm-2.30pm
    • Wairarapa – Wairarapa Hospital -2.30pm-3.30pm
    • Blenheim – Wesley Centre – 1.30pm-2.30pm
    • Nelson – Finance Meeting Room, Braemar Campus, Nelson Hospital – 1pm-2pm & 2pm-3pm
    • Timaru – Caroline Bay Community Lounge – 1.30pm-2.30pm.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Home-based ECE care made easier

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government is cutting red tape in the ECE sector to help make it easier for providers to operate and offer more options to families looking for home-based education and care for their children.

    “I have heard from providers that some of the red tape around home-based ECE care is too onerous and makes them spend too much time on compliance,” says Mr Seymour.

    “While there is huge demand for ECEs, numbers show supply isn’t keeping up. That is why we are committed to making changes which will allow the industry to expand and continue to provide high-quality service for families and their children. 

    Current regulations require 60 percent of educators working for a home-based provider to hold a Level 4 ECE qualification. The remaining 40 percent can be anyone, whether they are working towards their qualification or not, in no particular ratio.  

    “Plans to increase the requirement to 80 percent of educators at the start of 2025 have been scrapped. It would have been burdensome for providers and make it difficult for those wanting to enter the profession by limiting opportunities. This also harms the prospects of industry growth, which providers want,” says Mr Seymour.

    “We’ve listened to providers and added flexibility to the equation. From 1 January 2025 the qualified educator requirement will be removed all together and replaced with a requirement that 100 percent of educators are either fully qualified, or in training to be fully qualified, within six months of their employment.

    “This means providers can more easily maintain the balance between qualified and in-training educators, reducing the possibility of closure. For smaller providers, the difference between compliance and non-compliance could be one qualified educator. This is the difference between a child being able to access education or not. 

    From 1 January 2025, the standard funding rate will no longer apply. All services will receive one single funding rate set at the current quality funding rate. This will become the new base rate for licensed home-based services regardless of how many qualified educators they have in their service.

    “To further increase flexibility, we are allowing home-based persons responsible (often referred to as visiting teachers or coordinators) to work in more than two licensed ECE services per month,” says Mr Seymour. 

    “These changes, which I expect to be made by the end of this year, are part of our effort to reduce red tape in the early learning sector. Alongside these changes the Ministry for Regulation is conducting a regulatory review of the ECE sector as a whole.”

    Note to editors: 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US presidential election holds high stakes for Pacific relations

    PMN Pacific Mornings

    With Election Day for one of the most consequential United States presidential races in recent history underway, Pasifika communities on both sides of the Pacific Ocean are considering how a new administration could impact US-Pacific relations.

    Roy Tongilava, a public policy professional and Pacific community advocate in the United States, hopes to see improved US-Pacific relations under either a Harris or Trump administration.

    “I’m not an expert in foreign affairs, but my hope would be that either a presidency under Harris or under Trump would continue to build those relations, to build those investments, to really help not only combat climate change but also to really aid in the Pacific development, which is inherently connected to what I believe is the Pacific Islander American experience,” he said.

    Pacific commentators Roy Tongilava (left) and Christian Malietoa-Brown . . . interviewed by Pacific Media Network’s Pacific Mornings programme. Image: PMN

    New Zealand political commentator and former chair of the National Party’s Pacific Blues group, Christian Malietoa-Brown, is backing Donald Trump in the presidential race.

    He says the Pacific is caught in a “tug-of-war” between major powers like the US and China, with Australia playing an increasingly significant role.

    “For me, I think in terms of long-term investment, Trump likes to prevent war by showing strength . . .  I think they [the US] will strategically put some investments here just because they don’t want China running around too much in this area for defence reasons.

    “Under the Biden administration, we saw record investment down this way in the Pacific region, obviously to try and push away China’s influence in the region,” Malietoa-Brown says.

    Picking a big player
    “So you have China, you have America, you have Russia, you have India that’s coming up big,” Malietoa-Brown said.

    “And if I had to pick a big player to be in charge of the world, I would pretty much stick to America as it is right now, because that’s the devil we know, rather than someone else that we don’t know. And that’s probably purely a selfish thing.”

    Tongilava agrees that the Joe Biden administration has been positive for the Pacific region in terms of investment.

    “The Biden administration has pumped record investment into the Pacific to a number of things, infrastructure, education, all of that. Ultimately, though, to try and cool off and push away China’s advances towards this region.

    “We’ve seen Vice-President Harris during her time as Vicep-President really commit to climate change as well as building relations within the Pacific region,” he said.

    Education concerns
     For Tongilava, who is part of the South Pacific Islander Organization (SPIO), a nonpartisan non-profit organisation that champions education and workforce development for Pacific youth, this election has serious implications for youth.

    “Our mission is laser focused on enhancing college access, college retention, and degree completion for Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander students throughout our college systems,” Tongilava said.

    “A lot of our work has focused on expanding educational opportunity and workforce development for young Pacific Islander students.

    “In terms of education, I think it is crucial that Pacific Islanders turn out today in support of the policies specifically that may hinder or create opportunity for their families and for their communities,” Tongilava said.

    He said it was crucial that Pacific Islanders vote in support of the specific policies that might hinder or create opportunities for their families and their communities.

    Tongilava is concerned about Trump’s proposal to dismantle the US Department of Education, noting that such a move would disproportionately harm communities like the Pacific Islanders, who often rely on federal support for educational programmes.

    “This raises additional questions around what role does the federal government play within our school systems here within states and at the local level. For many Pacific Islander Americans, we live in under-resourced communities,” Tongilava said.

    Republished from Pacific Media Network with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trio arrested over alleged blessing scam

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton, Auckland City Financial Crime Unit:

    Three suspected scammers have been arrested trying to leave New Zealand with a large quantity of cash from their alleged victims. 

    A 50-year-old man and two women, 59 and 53, were arrested at Auckland International Airport yesterday by detectives from the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit. The trio, all Chinese nationals, were arrested just before they checked in for their flights to China.

    They arrived in New Zealand on 10 October. Police alleged that two days later, they began operating a blessing scam – a form of fraud targeting immigrant or elderly communities who are deceived into believing they or their loved ones are cursed or in spiritual danger.

    Police have jointly charged the three suspects with two counts of obtaining by deception. The charges relate to two victims – one who lost $14,500 and jewellery and another who lost $15,000.

    The accused were remanded in custody following their arrest and are due to appear in the Auckland District Court today. Police are continuing to tally the money that has been recovered, but it is a substantial amount.

    Perpetrators of blessing scams pose as healers or spiritual practitioners, offering to remove the curse or bring good fortune in exchange for money or valuable items. Victims are pressured to hand over cash or jewellery, typically instructed not to open the packages they receive, only to later discover that the contents are worthless.

    While the Financial Crime Unit has identified two victims so far, it’s highly likely more people were targeted.

    We urge anyone who may have fallen victim to this scam to contact us and encourage members of New Zealand’s Chinese community to talk with elderly relatives and make a report if they have been scammed.

    If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please contact us at https://105.police.govt.nz or call 105.

    In New Zealand, blessing scams have predominantly targeted Chinese communities, exploiting cultural beliefs in spiritual healing and curses. This type of fraud has been active in New Zealand for more than 15 years, with a notable rise in cases in Auckland in recent years.

    Police have continued to raise awareness within at-risk communities, yet these fraudulent activities persist, often carried out by well-coordinated groups.

    Police remain committed to protecting all members of the public from fraud and financial harm, and ensuring that everyone feels safe from deceptive practices.

    We encourage the community to stay vigilant against scams and to remain cautious when approached by individuals offering unsolicited services.

    If you suspect that you may have fallen victim to a scam, please contact Police via 105 immediately.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers – 001442

    Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard

    ORAL QUESTIONS

    QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

    Question No. 1—Finance

    1. RYAN HAMILTON (National—Hamilton East) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy?

    Hon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance): Today, Statistics New Zealand released its labour market statistics for the September quarter. This release includes information from the household labour force survey, which looks at people’s labour force status, and the quarterly employment survey, which captures earnings, paid hours, and jobs. The household labour force survey showed that the unemployment rate increased from 4.6 to 4.8 percent in the quarter, and the quarterly employment survey showed that average hourly earnings increased 3.9 percent over the previous year.

    Ryan Hamilton: Why is unemployment rising?

    Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Unemployment is rising and has been rising since 2001 because New Zealand has been in a prolonged recession, with monetary tightening used to drive high inflation out of the economy. Sadly, recessions have a human cost. My heart goes out to people who’ve lost their jobs and who are struggling to enter the labour market. Rising unemployment is a reminder of how letting inflation get a grip on the economy is so damaging.

    Ryan Hamilton: Was the increase in the unemployment rate as much as expected?

    Hon NICOLA WILLIS: No. The increase from 4.6 percent to 4.8 percent was lower than forecasters had been predicting. In its August Monetary Policy Statement, the Reserve Bank had forecast 5 percent unemployment and the Treasury had forecast 5.2 percent in the Budget update in May. To give some historical context, I would also point out to members that over the last 15 years, the average unemployment rate in New Zealand has been 5 percent.

    Ryan Hamilton: What is the outlook for unemployment?

    Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Today’s results reflect where we are in the economic cycle. Typically, when the economy starts underperforming, the unemployment rate is slow to rise. Then when the economy starts to pick up, it can be slow to fall. In other words, unemployment is a lagging indicator. Now, there are clear indications that the economy has turned upwards, but even so, I would expect the unemployment rate to rise a bit further before beginning to fall. In the August Monetary Policy Statement, for example, the Reserve Bank was forecasting the unemployment rate to rise to a peak of 5.4 percent early next year, then steadily decline.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –