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Category: New Zealand

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Dairy Sector – Fonterra announces lift in Farmgate Milk Price and FY25 earnings guidance

    Source: Fonterra

    Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today announced a 50 cent lift in its 2024/25 forecast Farmgate Milk Price midpoint to $9.00 per kgMS and FY25 earnings guidance of 40-60 cents per share.  

    CEO Miles Hurrell says the lift in this season’s forecast Farmgate Milk Price follows further recent strengthening in Global Dairy Trade prices and constrained milk supply in key producing regions.  

    “I’m pleased to be announcing an increase in this season’s forecast Farmgate Milk Price, which I’m sure will be welcome news for farmers, particularly when combined with the 55 cent total dividend for FY24 also announced by the Co-op today,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    Fonterra’s new forecast Farmgate Milk Price range for the 2024/25 season is $8.25-$9.75 per kgMS, with the Co-op continuing to maintain the wide range due to the relatively early stage of the season.  

    “We’ve also announced today our forecast earnings for FY25 of 40-60 cents per share,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    “The forecast earnings range reflects an expectation we will maintain strong margins in all three of our sales channels, while also investing in the Co-op’s IT & digital transformation and incurring higher tax expenses,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    Fonterra advises that, after several years of strong earnings performance, the Co-op exhausted its tax losses in FY24 and will now be paying tax.  

    Chief Financial Officer Andrew Murray says that “as a result of this change, when we declare a dividend from FY25 and beyond, imputation credits will now be available to be attached to our dividend.  

    “To enable all shareholders to receive the imputation credits, we are changing how we treat supply backed shares for tax purposes which means that more tax will be paid by Fonterra.

    “While this does not impact the operating performance of Fonterra, it will reduce our reported earnings per share in future years, as Fonterra will have paid the tax on the cash to be distributed,” says Mr Murray.

    About Fonterra 

    Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together. 

    Non-GAAP financial information  

    Fonterra uses several non-GAAP measures when discussing financial performance. Non-GAAP measures are not defined or specified by NZ IFRS.    

    Management believes that these measures provide useful information as they provide valuable insight on the underlying performance of the business. They may be used internally to evaluate the underlying performance of business units and to analyse trends. These measures are not uniformly defined or utilised by all companies. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation nor considered as a substitute for measures reported in accordance with NZ IFRS.  

    Non-GAAP measures are not subject to audit unless they are included in Fonterra’s audited annual financial statements.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace Statement – Fonterra profits at the expense of the rainforest

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling out Fonterra for ‘profiting from rainforest destruction’. The organisation says that the massive profits announced today by Fonterra come off the back of years of reliance on palm kernel expeller as a supplementary feed for Fonterra’s oversized dairy herd.
    Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn says “Fonterra’s massive profits today are nothing to be proud of when they come at the immeasurable cost of rainforests in Southeast Asia.
    “Fonterra has been relying on rainforest-destroying palm kernel to feed the bloated dairy herd, because there are simply too many cows, and not enough grass to feed them.”
    Palm kernel, or palm kernel expeller (PKE), is a product of the palm industry, and comes from the same plantations as palm oil. Globally, more than 300 football fields are cleared every hour in order to make space for palm industry expansion. Deforestation for the palm industry is the main cause of population decline of the Bornean orangutan, which has dropped by more than 50% in the last ten years.
    “Fonterra should be ashamed that despite the results reported today, they continue to contribute to the deforestation, worker exploitation and the destruction of rare wildlife habitats that come at the hands of the palm industry,” says Deighton-O’Flynn.
    New Zealand is the biggest importer of palm kernel globally, importing almost 2 million tonnes every year. Agrifeeds, which sells its palm kernel exclusively in Fonterra’s Farm Source stores, is the country’s biggest importer, making Fonterra the biggest corporate consumer of palm kernel in New Zealand.
    “Fonterra must make the switch to more plant based, ecological agricultural practices, and that includes ending their use of palm kernel and reducing the dairy herd size.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Business Results – Fonterra continues momentum in FY24, announces special dividend

    Source: Fonterra 

    Profit after tax: NZ $1,168 million
    Continuing operations EBIT*: NZ $1,560 million
    Continuing operations earnings* per share: 70 cents per share
    Return on capital: 11.3%
    Total dividend: 55 cents per share, comprising:

    • 15 cent interim and 25 cent final dividend 
    • 15 cent special dividend
    • Full year milk collections: 1,471 million kgMS  
    • Final 2023/24 season Farmgate Milk Price: NZ$7.83 per kgMS.

    Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today reported strong FY24 full year financial results, including a final 2023/24 season Farmgate Milk Price of $7.83 per kgMS and a total dividend of 55 cents per share.

    CEO Miles Hurrell says the payout reflects both Fonterra’s continued strong earnings performance and the long-term resilience of the Co-op.  

    “We’ve maintained the positive momentum seen in FY23 and delivered earnings at the top end of our forecast range.

    “Our total dividend of 55 cents per share is the second largest since Fonterra was formed. It includes a 15 cent interim dividend and a 25 cent final dividend driven by strong FY24 earnings.  

    “In addition, our capital management efficiency and ongoing balance sheet strength have enabled us to return an extra 15 cents per share to farmer shareholders and unit holders through a special dividend.  

    “The final Farmgate Milk Price for the 2023/24 season finished at $7.83 per kgMS. This, combined with the 55 cents per share dividend, provides a total cash payout to a fully shared up farmer of $8.38 per kgMS.

    “Our Co-op is in good shape, and I’m pleased to have delivered another year of solid returns to farmer shareholders and unit holders.  

    “Looking ahead, we’re well placed to consider the next phase of our strategy to grow long-term value for the Co-op,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    Business performance  

    The Co-op reported a return on capital for FY24 of 11.3%, above the target range for FY24.  

    Earnings (EBIT) from continuing operations were $1,560 million and continue to be well above previous years, albeit down on FY23 which benefited from elevated price relativities.  

    Fonterra’s profit after tax from continuing operations was $1,168 million, equivalent to 70 cents per share.

    “Our FY24 earnings were driven by higher margins and increased sales volumes in our Foodservice and Consumer channels. Our Ingredients channel also continued to deliver strong returns, although down when compared to the record result seen in FY23,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    Sales volumes from continuing operations were down 1% to 3,470 kMT and gross margins were maintained at 17%.  

    “We remain focused on making progress against our two efficiency metrics while also investing in the areas that will improve long-term performance and the resilience of the Co-op.

    “Our core operations manufacturing costs per kgMS reduced year-on-year by 2% to $2.58 per kgMS, reflecting both operational improvements and improved input costs.  

    “Across the year we also achieved savings in our operating expenses which largely offset the impacts of inflation. However, our cash operating expenses per kgMS are up mainly due to our investment in IT and digital transformation projects.

    “Our balance sheet position remains strong, providing optionality and flexibility for the future and resilience against volatility.

    “We have net debt of $2.6 billion, $600 million lower than last year, due to strong underlying operating performance.  

    Our gearing ratio of 24% reflects our lower net debt position and higher equity from strong earnings,” says Mr Hurrell.

    Co-op strategy  

    This year, Fonterra completed a strategic review that reinforced the role of its Foodservice and Ingredients channels and confirmed its strengths in partnering with customers to produce world-class, innovative dairy.    

    As a result of this work, in May the Co-op announced that it is exploring divestment options for its global Consumer business, as well as Fonterra Oceania and Sri Lanka.

    “Over the last few months, we have appointed advisors to assist with assessing divestment options for our Consumer businesses and this work is ongoing,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    “As we can see from today’s result, the businesses in scope for potential divestment are performing well. We remain committed to a pathway that would maximise value of these businesses for our farmer shareholders and unit holders.  

    “Alongside this, we have revised our strategy to have a sharper focus on the Co-op’s strengths and where we can best create value.

    “We will be sharing this revised strategy, as well as the outcomes shareholders and unit holders can expect from the Co-op, next week,” says Mr Hurrell.  

    *Excludes earnings from discontinued operations. In FY24 discontinued operations were DPA Brazil and in FY23 discontinued operations were DPA Brazil, Soprole and China Farms.

    About Fonterra  

    Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together. 

    If you no longer wish to receive media releases from Fonterra, please click here to opt out.

    Non-GAAP financial information  

    Fonterra uses several non-GAAP measures when discussing financial performance. Non-GAAP measures are not defined or specified by NZ IFRS.    

    Management believes that these measures provide useful information as they provide valuable insight on the underlying performance of the business. They may be used internally to evaluate the underlying performance of business units and to analyse trends. These measures are not uniformly defined or utilised by all companies. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation nor considered as a substitute for measures reported in accordance with NZ IFRS.  

    Non-GAAP measures are not subject to audit unless they are included in Fonterra’s audited annual financial statements.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Firearms recovered after vehicle flees from Police

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    A gang associate is facing serious charges after firearms were recovered following a fleeing driver incident overnight.

    Night shift staff working in east Auckland sighted a vehicle linked to a wanted person travelling along Ellerslie-Panmure Highway just after 1am.

    Inspector Jim Wilson, Area Commander for Auckland City East Police, says the vehicle was signalled to stop near Karangahape Road.

    “It immediately accelerated away from the unit and the Air Support Unit took over monitoring the vehicle’s direction of travel,” he says.

    “The vehicle was driven erratically further west towards Point Chevalier.”

    Eagle observed the vehicle stop at a property on Moa Road.

    “The driver allegedly handed a bag to a passenger who got out of the vehicle, before he accelerated away from the address,” Inspector Wilson says.

    Police did not pursue the vehicle but continued to track its movements.

    “On several occasions the driver has been observed driving extremely dangerously through parts of central Auckland and Balmoral, before heading east again.”

    Spikes were successfully deployed near Greenlane.

    Inspector Wilson says the vehicle carried on until losing control in Saint Johns.

    “The incident came to an end at the intersection of Saint Johns and College Roads, with the driver taken into custody shortly afterward.”

    Police also caught up with the woman who exited the vehicle in Point Chevalier, who was carrying a bag with two firearms and ammunition inside.

    “As a result, we have recovered a pump action shot gun and a cut down .22 calibre rifle along with ammunition for both firearms,” Inspector Wilson says.

    Police have laid a host of charges against the 30-year-old man driving the vehicle, who is an associate of the Comancheros.

    He will appear in the Auckland District Court today facing multiple firearms offences, along with reckless driving and failing to stop.

    The 29-year-old passenger had a number of unrelated warrants to arrest, and she will be appearing in court today.

    Inspector Wilson says: “The driver’s reckless behaviour this morning is totally unacceptable, and it is pleasing he will now have his day in court.

    “This is a great outcome for the community, with more firearms taken out of circulation and highlights great teamwork by Police working on night shift.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tax Justice Aotearoa welcomes ANZ Chief Executive calls for capital gains tax

    Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

    25 September 2024 – Tax Justice Aotearoa welcomes ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson’s call for a capital gains tax, as reported by RNZ today.

    “We agree with Antonia Watson that it’s unfair that gains from capital are not taxed the same as gains from income,” says Tax Justice Aotearoa chair Glenn Barclay.

    “This just advantages those with capital over those who rely on wages for their income.

    “We are also an outlier internationally in not having a capital gains tax and the research from Max Rashbrooke that we released last week demonstrated this (ref. https://www.tjanz.org/news-tax-research-2024?utm_campaign=tja_reacts_anz_ceo&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tja )

    “The Government clearly needs more revenue to address the many challenges we face as a country around such things as climate change, quality public services and poverty and inequality and a capital gains tax could help close that gap.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: School students put through challenging but rewarding test of fitness and skills in EIT competition | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

    2 mins ago

    An EIT fitness competition has seen students from across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti put through their paces in Mahia recently.

    Students from across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti were put through their paces recently in an EIT competition that tested their skills, fitness and resilience.

    The competition, organised by EIT’s School of Trades and Technology, took place in Mahia last week and saw teams from East Coast and Wairoa College Services Academies and the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Trades Academy participate.

    The teams completed a 20km circuit throughout the night carrying logs, steel bars and military packs, and throughout the circuit they stopped and completed tasks such as putting up a 11 x 11 Army tent, a stretcher carry up Mokotahi hill and rope climb out of the river onto a bridge.

    Tairāwhiti Trades Academy was the first team home in 5hrs 14 mins, with all teams back to camp by 2am.

    EIT Trades and Technology Head of School, Todd Rogers, who completed the challenge himself, said that feedback had been positive and EIT would like to make it an annual event.

    “Absolutely awesome effort from all teams involved, a challenging yet rewarding introduction to life in the New Zealand Defence Force.”

    “I’d like to make special mention to the team from Wairoa College Services Academy who were mostly year 10 students with one year 12 and performed to a high standard coming in third place. It would be great to see as many students as possible transition into EIT’s Services Pathway programme or straight into the NZDF.”

    Todd thanked Defence Careers and East Coast Company of 5/7 Infantry regiment for their support.

    The Trades Academy, at EIT’s Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay campuses, works with secondary schools to provide year-long trades programmes to help students achieve NCEA Level 2 or 3 and prepare for higher-level study. The Trades Academy offers programmes that include automotive, trade skills, hair and beauty, hospitality, agriculture, and health and fitness. Students attend Trades Academy each week, gaining  vocational skills and getting hands on experience.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Conflict – Oxfam responds to Lebanon Crisis

    Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

    Oxfam is responding to the escalating crisis in Lebanon, providing essential support to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been forced to flee as Israeli airstrikes bombard their homes and communities. The influx of internally displaced people, primarily from southern Lebanon, will quickly create disastrous conditions for local communities, beyond the ability of an overloaded international humanitarian system to properly meet.
    Oxfam and our partners are supporting internally displaced people in shelters in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon with clean water and sanitation, emergency cash, food, and hygiene and menstrual hygiene kits.
    Oxfam’s Lebanon country director Bachir Ayoub said the country can ill afford this on top of existing crises.
    “This conflict was predictable and avoidable. It is the result of the failure to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. For decades, the people of Lebanon have endured one crisis after another without getting the opportunity to fully recover. This latest emergency will only deepen the existing challenges facing the people of Lebanon and further destabilize an already volatile region.”
    The international community must condemn this escalation and take bold action to stop it now. The Israeli government continues to act with impunity and it must be held to account for its actions in both Lebanon and Gaza. All parties must abide by international humanitarian law and held to account where potential violations may be involved.
    The spread of hostilities into Lebanon has inflicted immense damage on civilian infrastructure and led to a tragic loss of life. Lebanon and the region cannot afford to bear the weight of this crisis. This broader regional escalation underscores the urgent need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
    • Oxfam has worked in Lebanon since 1993, in partnership with local organisations, to support disadvantaged people with cash, clean water, and proper sanitation, as well as income-generating opportunities, advocating for women’s rights and reproductive health services, and renewable energy solutions.
    • We also work with Syrian and Palestinian refugees, as well as Lebanese communities, including people with disabilities and migrant workers.
    • We work with 30 local partner organisations in North Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut who deeply understand the needs of the communities they are part of.
    • Over the past decade, we have responded to the multiple crises Lebanon has faced, including the Syria crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut Blast, the Economic crisis, the 2022 cholera outbreak, and violent conflicts.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: UNICEF – Leading global businesses and organisations join UNICEF to demand increased investment and action on child and youth mental health

    Source: UNICEF Aotearoa NZ

    An open letter, signed by more than 40 entities and published at the UN General Assembly, calls for a multi-sectoral approach to tackle the mental health funding gap.
    Today, (overnight NZ time) at an innovative financing for mental health event at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), UNICEF and the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health launched an open letter, signed by more than 40 businesses and organisations, calling for greater investment and action on child and youth mental health globally.
    Supported by UNICEF Coalition members, including Jo Malone London, lululemon, Pinterest, Spotify, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd and Z Zurich Foundation, and joined by global businesses and organizations, such as Capgemini, Dove, Kleenex, LEGO Foundation, Les Mills, Movember, Pandora, Tim Bergling Foundation, and United for Global Mental Health, the letter urges a coordinated multi-sectoral response to address the global mental health funding gap of at least US$200 billion.
    Increased funding is critical to supporting child and youth mental health, especially in the face of continued challenges that existed long before the pandemic, including climate change, global humanitarian crises, online risks and historic underinvestment in its promotion, prevention and care.
    One in seven adolescents worldwide are living with a mental health condition – with most cases going undetected and untreated. This is exacerbated by limited resources. On average less than 2 per cent of global government health expenditures is spent on mental health for the general population, while only a very small proportion of these funds goes towards children’s mental health services.
    “The private sector has a unique capacity to foster mental health and wellbeing, through their substantial influence within their workforces, through their services and customers, and globally. By leveraging their resources, expertise and influence, UNICEF and partners can contribute to comprehensive, accessible, and effective solutions that address the diverse needs of children, young people, caregivers and communities at large to promote mental health and wellbeing on a global scale,” said UNICEF Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships Carla Haddad Mardini.
    UNICEF’s Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health and its members are calling for wider recognition, investment and responsibility from the business community, and private and public sectors to drive forward progress.
    Jo Dancey, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Jo Malone London said: “Too many children and young people are living with mental health conditions, but don’t have access to support or treatment. As a global brand and a UNICEF Coalition member, we care deeply about this issue and the need for change. By signing this letter alongside over 40 businesses and organizations, we are highlighting the need for global leaders to act early to support the mental health of children, young people and caregivers globally.”
    Katarina Berg, General Manager Sweden + CHRO, Sustainability, Global Workplace Services at Spotify, said: “We are proud of our ongoing partnership with UNICEF and we remain committed to making a meaningful impact on improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for our listeners, artists, and creators.”
    Wanji Walcott, Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer at Pinterest, said “At Pinterest, we’re creating an inspirational and positive online experience for young people everywhere. Supporting youth mental health and wellbeing is foundational to our mission and this work requires everyone coming together. We’re proud to partner with UNICEF and other coalition members to leverage our collective resources and help tackle the mental health funding gap.”
    Gary Shaughnessy, Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, said: “We are dedicated to relentlessly contributing to mental wellbeing programmes which can best support youth to thrive in all aspects of their life. It’s encouraging to witness the positive response from various sectors to our call for increased investment in mental health globally. Although there is still much work to be done, these efforts will significantly help to address the mental health needs of all young people, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”
    Other supporting signatories of the letter include Orange and the Solterre Foundation, as well as key global mental health actors, such as the MHPSS Collaborative, the Healthy Brains Global Initiative, Prospira Global and Vertentes, among others.
    This is a critical year for addressing child and youth mental health as a global issue, with actions taken now paving the way to the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health in September 2025, which will culminate in the publication of an outcome document with commitments across member states.
    The Open Letter to global leaders gathering for UNGA 79 and the Summit for the Future says:
    ‘As you gather for the United Nations General Assembly High Level Week and the Summit of the Future, we, over 40 businesses, organizations and supporters from over 20 countries, together with the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health led by UNICEF – are calling for increased investment in and action on child and youth mental health globally. Historic underinvestment in mental health promotion, prevention and care and ongoing stigma and discrimination, accompanied by the impact of COVID-19 and persisting global challenges, are affecting child and youth mental health in every country. While demand for support is increasing, global investment is not even meeting the current levels of need.
    Mental health determines emotional, intellectual, physical and social well-being. It shapes how we think, feel and act and confers our ability to handle stress, build and manage relationships, and make choices that affect not only our own lives, but also those of the
    people around us. Mental health is important at every stage of life, especially for children and young people. When child and youth mental health is prioritized the impact on young lives both now and for the future is significant, including improved quality of life, increased likelihood of completing education, long-term economic returns, and lower rates of premature mortality [1]. However, the consequences of failing to address child and youth mental health conditions extend into adulthood. Fifty per cent of mental health conditions develop before the age of 14 and have the potential of impairing both physical and mental health and limiting children’s opportunities to lead fulfilling lives.[2] Additionally, suicide is the 4th leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds globally.[3]
    The global annual mental health finance gap is estimated to be at least $200 billion.[4] Most countries around the world allocate relatively small budgets to support health systems, and within those budgets an even smaller proportion, just 2 per cent on average [5], is directed towards mental health support – including much-needed child and youth mental health services. This critical funding gap must be addressed so we can collectively meet the urgent mental health needs of future generations.
    It is estimated that, due to mental health conditions, we lose nearly US$390 billion worth of human capital that could go towards national economies each year.[6] We must promote a multi-sectoral response to achieve change. Both the private and the public sectors have a key role to play through investment and influence, to break this cycle and shape our collective future.
    The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health calls for increased investment in mental health across all countries and in all sectors and settings, including in humanitarian crises, that meets the mental health needs of all young people, especially those most in need. We urge governments to increase their domestic spending on mental health within relevant budgets including health, education and social services, as well as scale funding for mental health and psychosocial support within international development assistance. This should include targeted financing for children and youth.
    Acting early to support children, youth and caregivers is the best investment we can make to promote good mental health, prevent poor mental health, and respond to the complex mental health issues children face today. We urge you to prioritize child and youth mental health now.
    We are calling for global leaders across the public and private sectors to invest in:
    – Ensuring every child, youth and caregiver globally can access support for their mental health: This means increasing access to quality and holistic mental health support provided across sectors, by investing in promotion, prevention and care for children, youth and caregivers, with a focus on community-based care that is effective, sustainable, age sensitive and culturally appropriate.
    – Filling the evidence gaps on child and youth mental health: This means improving data and increasing research to better understand who is affected in each context and what works for specific at-risk groups, and to further expand our ability to respond across age groups, with a focus on promotion and prevention. This investment should aim to future-proof our response, ensuring resilience during pressing global challenges such as in humanitarian emergencies and climate and ecological crises.
    – Developing internal strategies and practices: This includes fostering employees’ mental health and well-being by encompassing mental health support within the workplace and developing and adapting products or services offered by the company and in the wider community. This includes initiatives tailored for youth and caregivers employed in the organizations.
    Though our inner worlds are often unseen, our actions should not be. Child and youth mental health is ‘On Our Minds’.’
    Full list of signatories:
    UNICEF Coalition Member signatories:
    Jo Malone London, lululemon, Pinterest, Spotify, Z Zurich Foundation, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd
    Supported by:
    Cape Mental Health, Capgemini, ChildFund International, Darbar Sahitya Sansada, Dove, Family first nurseries, Global Mental Health Lab, Columbia University, Health Brains Global Initiative, Health Poverty Action, Instituto Vita Alere de Prevencao e Posvencao do Suicidio, Kleenex, League for Mental Health in Slovakia, LEGO Foundation, Les Mills International Ltd, Little Lions Child Coaching NPC, Mental Wealth Initiative, The University of Sydney, MLAC institute for Psychosocial Services, Movember, Northern Cape Mental Health Society, Orange, Pandora, Partnership for Children, Professionals for Humanity (PROFOH), Prospira Global, Sehat Jiwa Bahagia, Soleterre Foundation, SoulBeeGood, Tanzania Community Health Information and Support (TaCHIS), The MHPSS Collaborative, Tim Bergling Foundation, Trusts Motion, United for Global Mental Health, Vertentes, War Child Alliance, Youth Association for Development Pakistan, YouthConnektAfrica.
    About the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health
    The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health was established by UNICEF, with the support of the Z Zurich Foundation, to address the increasing global burden of mental health in young people by calling for investment and action on mental health. Current Coalition members include Jo Malone London, Pinterest, Sony, Spotify, Zurich Insurance Group and Z Zurich Foundation.
    Since its launch, the Coalition members have collectively invested over US$30 million in child and youth mental health, catalyzing significant impact in numerous countries. Its direct investment has globally empowered children and young people with tools, training, and awareness initiatives. This means that young people worldwide are equipped with the necessary resources to navigate their mental health and wellbeing, enabling them to face life’s challenges with resilience and confidence.
    About UNICEF UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
    UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Education and Training Amendment Bill — Third Reading – 001411

    Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard

    TUESDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2024

    (continued on Wednesday, 25 September 2024)

    EDUCATION AND TRAINING AMENDMENT BILL

    Third Reading

    DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House is resumed. Good morning, members. Yesterday when we finished, the Education and Training Amendment Bill had been set down for third reading. I call the Hon David Seymour.

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Education): I present a legislative statement on the Education and Training Amendment Bill.

    DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliamentary website.

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I move, That the Education and Training Amendment Bill be now read a third time.

    I want to thank all of the people who have contributed to this legislation. I want to thank my colleague, the Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of Education—and I see Katie Nimon, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, along with other members of that committee, who shepherded the bill through the committee stage faster than usual but with no less care and attention, and made valuable improvements to this legislation. It has been a very good example of what Parliament can do when people are committed to a cause.

    I don’t believe that there’s any greater cause for this country’s long-term future than the simple equation of how much knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next. Because a knowledgeable and educated population can overcome whatever challenges we may face with the economy or foreign affairs or climate change or public health. An educated population will be able to solve those problems, but an uneducated population that hasn’t learnt the best knowledge from generations before them will be able to squander even great prosperity that this country currently has. That’s why it matters so much and that’s why I think we saw so much commitment from those people involved in this legislation, and perhaps more than any for the enormous detail that has been meticulously put together. I thank the employees at the Ministry of Education, the policy team, particularly Andy and Jen and all those who support them; they have done an absolutely outstanding job.

    What is the cause in this bill? Well, this bill has three parts; two of them, relatively simple, and one of them, more complex and, I would argue, ultimately more important. The first is that we are removing the network management requirement for early childhood education centres. This comes from many complaints from early childhood educators that it is absolutely insane that in order to open up a business that people in your community want, you have to go and ask the Government if the people in your community want it as much as you know they want it because you’re risking your money to do it. And yet somehow the people at the Government are supposed to have a better idea than you do.

    Members on the other side, we’re going to have a bit of a history lesson later in this speech, so don’t worry, that’s coming. But actually there’s a country called Russia where they tried this approach to economic management for about 70 years; it didn’t work. Even they’ve abandoned it. It’s only the Labour Party and the Greens that persist with trying to centrally plan economies with these kinds of decisions.

    So now you don’t have to do network management. If you want to expand or open a new early childhood education (ECE) centre, then you can just do it. But the real judge is the parents. And do you know what the parents say to me? When I go and visit ECE centres and I ask the parents, they say I want my child to be happy, I want them to be safe—

    Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan: Will they be?

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I want them to be growing. I think parents of New Zealand are better—the Opposition is asking: is that what the parents say? Yes. And if the member would like to visit some of these centres or, you know, venture out of academia or out of this House, he might find that is what the parents say. And actually, I think the parents are better to judge it than the Government.

    The second thing we’re doing is we’re updating the attendance records. It’s interesting, Madam Speaker. The attendance records actually are set under 1951 regulation, which was made under 1914 legislation. So you could almost argue—not quite, but almost—that our attendance regulations predate World War I, and this is a Government of the future. So we are going to update the way that attendance regulations are made. Every day from next year, every school student management system will be pushing rich data about student attendance into the Ministry of Education’s data warehouse so we can understand who’s not attending and we can start to dig into why, and we can start to work out if the things the Government and schools are doing to improve attendance—and parents, for that matter—are working so that we can do more of the things that work and less of the things that don’t. It sounds simple. To most New Zealanders, to most people in business or running a farm or their household, it is simple; it’s how you do business every day. And it’s actually how this Government is going to start getting stuck into the business of getting children back to school.

    But coming to charter schools, we’re introducing the simple idea that not every insight into how to engage children in learning and pass that knowledge from one generation to the next can be found in the Ministry of Education or Wellington, or even amongst the wise members of Parliament in this House. Sometimes the best knowledge exists out in the community.

    Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Most times.

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: Sometimes those—”most times”, the Māori party say, and I actually for once think Te Pāti Māori are right. You’ll notice when I talked about communist adherence, I talked about Labour and the Greens, not the free-market Te Pāti Māori for whom I have great hope. If they could just get over themselves, I think they could contribute a lot to this House and life in New Zealand.

    It’s not surprising, because the iwi leaders forum have written to me in strong support of charter schools, because they know that communities know more about how to engage their children than the people in Wellington most of the time. So we’re going to invite people in communities to start up schools and they’re going to get the money the State would have spent on the same child at a State school. It’s going to go to the school they choose to go to if—and this is important—high standards are met. If high standards of attendance are contracted in, if high standards of achievement are contracted in, if they show that they’re using their money wisely with financial probity, then they will continue to get their money and they will be able to use that money for the best effect, to get those children at school engaged, achieving, and learning, so that they can actually learn skills that turn into qualifications, that turn into jobs, that turn into careers, that turn into a sense of achievement and feeling good about yourself. That’s why we’re doing it.

    I heard last night from the Labour Party that they would like to shut these schools down. Now, their bark’s worse than their bite. They didn’t do it last time. All the schools carried on, but with one change; that they don’t want them to operate without union contracts. You see, that’s the thing about these charter schools; teachers get paid, like most New Zealanders, on individual employment agreements, and if they’re good they can get paid more, and if they’re not good they can get fired.

    Here’s why that matters. We run education for the children. You see, the thing is—I was looking at some statistics the other day—we spent $20 billion a year on education; 60,000 kids are born in this country every year. If you do the maths—it can be challenging on the other side, but that is $330,000 per citizen, lifetime education spending. And yet what do we get for that? I look at the UE, the university entrance achievement, and for the most prosperous, wealthy and advantaged students, 82 percent get UE, but for the most disadvantaged students 30 percent get UE.

    Now, I said there was a lecture coming. There’s an old book called The God That Failed, and the God that fails is the stories of former adherents of the Communist Party who realised it didn’t work and left. They wrote this book and it’s a wonderful set of essays. Now, I would put it to the Labour Party that when you spend $330,000 per citizen and the most disadvantaged students are nearly three times less likely to get university entrance than the most advantaged students, your God has failed. Sorry Labour, your God has failed, because you spent all the money but the wealthy kids from the good backgrounds are still doing pretty good and the poor kids you were supposed to help are still failing.

    That’s why I’m proud to be here in this Government, standing as an ACT MP, setting up schools that allow people to choose their own destiny. Tino rangatiratanga, we might call it—the ability of people to use the knowledge in their society, in their community, to take the funding that the Government would have funded and use it—you’d have provided for those children—for better effect: to make sure that children have that opportunity to feel good about themselves, to learn, to engage, to have it done their way, not to feel unsafe or bullied, but to actually go along and build their own future, not only for themselves, each in their own way, but for the future of this great country of ours. That is what this policy of charter schools really means for the future of our country.

    I challenge the Opposition. Where are your ideas other than more money for our union mates? Not for teachers but for the unions, because that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. Charter schools don’t have to use the unions’ contracts. That is what we are here to end, to give freedom and choice to New Zealanders to make their own future. I’m sorry, Labour, your God’s failed.

    DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Investigation launched after fatal incident, Taupō

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are investigating after an incident in Taupō last night involving a vehicle and a person.

    Emergency services were called about 11pm to Rawhiti Street, Taupō, after a report of a person being injured.

    They sadly died at the scene.

    Police are now working to establish the full circumstances of what has occurred, and our enquiries are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Tuesday, 24 September 2024 (continued on Wednesday, 25 September 2024) – Volume 778 – 001412

    Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard

    TUESDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2024

    (continued on Wednesday, 25 September 2024)

    EDUCATION AND TRAINING AMENDMENT BILL

    Third Reading

    DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House is resumed. Good morning, members. Yesterday when we finished, the Education and Training Amendment Bill had been set down for third reading. I call the Hon David Seymour.

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Education): I present a legislative statement on the Education and Training Amendment Bill.

    DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliamentary website.

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I move, That the Education and Training Amendment Bill be now read a third time.

    I want to thank all of the people who have contributed to this legislation. I want to thank my colleague, the Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of Education—and I see Katie Nimon, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, along with other members of that committee, who shepherded the bill through the committee stage faster than usual but with no less care and attention, and made valuable improvements to this legislation. It has been a very good example of what Parliament can do when people are committed to a cause.

    I don’t believe that there’s any greater cause for this country’s long-term future than the simple equation of how much knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next. Because a knowledgeable and educated population can overcome whatever challenges we may face with the economy or foreign affairs or climate change or public health. An educated population will be able to solve those problems, but an uneducated population that hasn’t learnt the best knowledge from generations before them will be able to squander even great prosperity that this country currently has. That’s why it matters so much and that’s why I think we saw so much commitment from those people involved in this legislation, and perhaps more than any for the enormous detail that has been meticulously put together. I thank the employees at the Ministry of Education, the policy team, particularly Andy and Jen and all those who support them; they have done an absolutely outstanding job.

    What is the cause in this bill? Well, this bill has three parts; two of them, relatively simple, and one of them, more complex and, I would argue, ultimately more important. The first is that we are removing the network management requirement for early childhood education centres. This comes from many complaints from early childhood educators that it is absolutely insane that in order to open up a business that people in your community want, you have to go and ask the Government if the people in your community want it as much as you know they want it because you’re risking your money to do it. And yet somehow the people at the Government are supposed to have a better idea than you do.

    Members on the other side, we’re going to have a bit of a history lesson later in this speech, so don’t worry, that’s coming. But actually there’s a country called Russia where they tried this approach to economic management for about 70 years; it didn’t work. Even they’ve abandoned it. It’s only the Labour Party and the Greens that persist with trying to centrally plan economies with these kinds of decisions.

    So now you don’t have to do network management. If you want to expand or open a new early childhood education (ECE) centre, then you can just do it. But the real judge is the parents. And do you know what the parents say to me? When I go and visit ECE centres and I ask the parents, they say I want my child to be happy, I want them to be safe—

    Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan: Will they be?

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I want them to be growing. I think parents of New Zealand are better—the Opposition is asking: is that what the parents say? Yes. And if the member would like to visit some of these centres or, you know, venture out of academia or out of this House, he might find that is what the parents say. And actually, I think the parents are better to judge it than the Government.

    The second thing we’re doing is we’re updating the attendance records. It’s interesting, Madam Speaker. The attendance records actually are set under 1951 regulation, which was made under 1914 legislation. So you could almost argue—not quite, but almost—that our attendance regulations predate World War I, and this is a Government of the future. So we are going to update the way that attendance regulations are made. Every day from next year, every school student management system will be pushing rich data about student attendance into the Ministry of Education’s data warehouse so we can understand who’s not attending and we can start to dig into why, and we can start to work out if the things the Government and schools are doing to improve attendance—and parents, for that matter—are working so that we can do more of the things that work and less of the things that don’t. It sounds simple. To most New Zealanders, to most people in business or running a farm or their household, it is simple; it’s how you do business every day. And it’s actually how this Government is going to start getting stuck into the business of getting children back to school.

    But coming to charter schools, we’re introducing the simple idea that not every insight into how to engage children in learning and pass that knowledge from one generation to the next can be found in the Ministry of Education or Wellington, or even amongst the wise members of Parliament in this House. Sometimes the best knowledge exists out in the community.

    Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Most times.

    Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: Sometimes those—”most times”, the Māori party say, and I actually for once think Te Pāti Māori are right. You’ll notice when I talked about communist adherence, I talked about Labour and the Greens, not the free-market Te Pāti Māori for whom I have great hope. If they could just get over themselves, I think they could contribute a lot to this House and life in New Zealand.

    It’s not surprising, because the iwi leaders forum have written to me in strong support of charter schools, because they know that communities know more about how to engage their children than the people in Wellington most of the time. So we’re going to invite people in communities to start up schools and they’re going to get the money the State would have spent on the same child at a State school. It’s going to go to the school they choose to go to if—and this is important—high standards are met. If high standards of attendance are contracted in, if high standards of achievement are contracted in, if they show that they’re using their money wisely with financial probity, then they will continue to get their money and they will be able to use that money for the best effect, to get those children at school engaged, achieving, and learning, so that they can actually learn skills that turn into qualifications, that turn into jobs, that turn into careers, that turn into a sense of achievement and feeling good about yourself. That’s why we’re doing it.

    I heard last night from the Labour Party that they would like to shut these schools down. Now, their bark’s worse than their bite. They didn’t do it last time. All the schools carried on, but with one change; that they don’t want them to operate without union contracts. You see, that’s the thing about these charter schools; teachers get paid, like most New Zealanders, on individual employment agreements, and if they’re good they can get paid more, and if they’re not good they can get fired.

    Here’s why that matters. We run education for the children. You see, the thing is—I was looking at some statistics the other day—we spent $20 billion a year on education; 60,000 kids are born in this country every year. If you do the maths—it can be challenging on the other side, but that is $330,000 per citizen, lifetime education spending. And yet what do we get for that? I look at the UE, the university entrance achievement, and for the most prosperous, wealthy and advantaged students, 82 percent get UE, but for the most disadvantaged students 30 percent get UE.

    Now, I said there was a lecture coming. There’s an old book called The God That Failed, and the God that fails is the stories of former adherents of the Communist Party who realised it didn’t work and left. They wrote this book and it’s a wonderful set of essays. Now, I would put it to the Labour Party that when you spend $330,000 per citizen and the most disadvantaged students are nearly three times less likely to get university entrance than the most advantaged students, your God has failed. Sorry Labour, your God has failed, because you spent all the money but the wealthy kids from the good backgrounds are still doing pretty good and the poor kids you were supposed to help are still failing.

    That’s why I’m proud to be here in this Government, standing as an ACT MP, setting up schools that allow people to choose their own destiny. Tino rangatiratanga, we might call it—the ability of people to use the knowledge in their society, in their community, to take the funding that the Government would have funded and use it—you’d have provided for those children—for better effect: to make sure that children have that opportunity to feel good about themselves, to learn, to engage, to have it done their way, not to feel unsafe or bullied, but to actually go along and build their own future, not only for themselves, each in their own way, but for the future of this great country of ours. That is what this policy of charter schools really means for the future of our country.

    I challenge the Opposition. Where are your ideas other than more money for our union mates? Not for teachers but for the unions, because that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. Charter schools don’t have to use the unions’ contracts. That is what we are here to end, to give freedom and choice to New Zealanders to make their own future. I’m sorry, Labour, your God’s failed.

    DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Lifting education outcomes for young Kiwis

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the passing of the Education and Training Amendment Bill shows the Government is making significant progress to lift education outcomes.

    “Establishing charter schools, lifting attendance, and streamlining early learning regulations are all essential to raising achievement. This legislation will set in motion the system changes that need to happen to make the education system more flexible and responsive to the needs of students and their families,” says Mr Seymour.   

    The passing of this bill amends the Education and Training Act 2020 and will: 

    • Set out the framework on how charter schools will be set up, operate, and be monitored. This includes the establishment of the Authorisation Board   
    • Remove the requirement for early learning providers to get an ECE network approval before applying for a licence to establish a new service
    • Empower the Secretary of Education to set out the rules and requirements for state-schools, including state integrated schools, to submit attendance data to the Ministry of Education.  

    “Now that the legal framework for charter schools is in place the next step is to announce the members of the Authorisation Board. I will announce this shortly. The Board will be responsible for approving new charter schools, overseeing their performance, and intervening where they are not meeting their contracted performance outcomes.” says Mr Seymour.  

    “Once the Board approves sponsors, the Charter School Agency will proceed with finalising their contracts. The Agency is also working hard to enable the first charter schools to open in term one, 2025. 

    “We’re also promoting more choice in the ECE sector, making it easier for more services to open up and respond to demand. Bureaucracy has dictated when and where early childhood centres can open by making licensing dependent on ECE network approval since 1 February 2023.  

    “Providers and parents are best placed to decide where early learning services should be established. Where there is demand, providers will follow. New services shouldn’t be hindered by bureaucracy. 

    “This bill also gives the legislative green light for new rules to be created about attendance records. The introduction of this rule-making power supports the requirement for schools to provide attendance data daily that is being introduced through new attendance regulations planned to come into force for Term 1 2025. 

    “Changes are being made so that schools will be ready to submit daily attendance data in term one 2025. Select kaupapa Māori education providers will begin their daily reporting in mid-2025.  

    “Daily attendance data will help us gauge whether our attendance initiatives are working as intended and keep track of trends. It can also help parents and schools to identify early signs of irregular attendance among students and respond appropriately before it becomes an issue. 

    “The future of New Zealand will be bleak if we are unable to transfer knowledge from one generation to the next. Education is intrinsically linked to economic growth – both personal and gross domestic product. These changes are to give every New Zealand child every opportunity to succeed.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Biosecurity New Zealand prepares for school holidays

    Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

    Biosecurity New Zealand is gearing up for the September school holidays, with international passenger arrivals expected to be higher than last year.

    Passenger arrivals at Auckland Airport are predicted to be 2% higher than in 2023, which saw 217,195 air passengers pass through biosecurity checks, says Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner Mike Inglis.

    “We’re continuing to recruit more frontline border officers and so far this year, 70 new trainees have been recruited, including 51 in Auckland.

    “Nationwide, our officers screened 474,272 passengers in August, up from 459,122 in the same month last year. Officers also seized 7,536 risk items in August and issued 610 infringement notices to passengers who failed to declare items.

    “Our role is to ensure biosecurity threats such as the exotic fruit fly and brown marmorated stink bug do not cross our borders,” says Mr Inglis.

    “These and other pests and diseases could have a devastating impact on New Zealand’s $54 billion primary sector.”

    The top 3 seizures in August were fresh produce, meat products and used equipment, while unusual finds included dried cow dung patties and a large haul of giant clams.

    Mr Inglis says there has been a steady increase in passenger numbers since COVID-19 travel restrictions eased and Biosecurity New Zealand continues to improve passenger flows at international airports while maintaining strict biosecurity controls.

    Last year, a new risk assessment process was introduced for passengers arriving at Auckland Airport with nothing to declare. The process uses declaration information to assess risk before passengers collect their baggage. Low-risk passengers are directed to an express exit lane, where they are screened by detector dogs.

    “This initiative has reduced the average biosecurity processing time at Auckland Airport to around 5 minutes, down from a peak of 13.16 minutes in February 2023.”

    Biosecurity New Zealand is looking to risk assess more passengers before they collect their baggage rather than after.

    Mr Inglis says trials at international airports across the country shows this reduces screening times.

    He says the quickest way to pass through biosecurity screening is to avoid bringing food or other items that could pose a biosecurity risk.

    For more information, contact New Zealand Food Safety’s media team on NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz.

    For 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

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Northland transmission tower collapse report released

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Electricity Authority’s report into the collapse of a Northland transmission tower on 20 June 2024 that left 88,000 people without power has been released, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.

    “The report highlights that several key failures led to the transmission tower collapsing and that the economic impact for Northland was substantial. The report shows a range of estimates between $37.5 million and $80 million dollars in lost economic activity and that without distributed electricity generation, this figure would have been even higher.

    “As expected, the report found that the removal of the nuts on the tower’s baseplates, which led to the towers collapse and the underlying factors that contributed to this, were entirely avoidable.

    “More broadly, the report found an overreliance by Transpower on service providers to ensure that critical assets are maintained. It also found that identifiable risks were missed, including concerns that were raised internally.

    “The report shows that concerns were raised by a senior engineer within Transpower in 2021 regarding a gap in the knowledge of maintenance crews undertaking foundation work, but that the recommendations for improvement by Transpower were not acted on. 

    “Transpower failing to act on these opportunities has led to terrible consequences for the people of Northland but there is also evidence that the removal of all nuts from more than one tower leg was not a one-off event. 

    “These are incredibly concerning findings, and the report identifies a number of recommendations that I expect Transpower will fully accept and act with urgency to address.” 

    The report recommends that Transpower review its policies on the escalation of service provider noncompliance events. It also calls for greater reporting on service providers so that the Transpower board and senior management can exercise effective governance and oversight. 

    The report also found that the restoration of power after the tower collapsed was carried out quickly, safely and efficiently, and highlights the importance of distributed generation.

    “Distributed generation was able to meet 45 per cent of the peak demand, meaning that many customers could get up and running shortly after the tower collapse. Without distributed electricity generation, the economic cost to Northland would have been far greater. The Electricity Authority estimates that having access to that distributed electricity generation saved Northland consumers at least $26 million.

    “The report recommends a review of the rules which limit the amount of power that can be generated by electricity distributors. The Government has already announced that we will be easing the restrictions that currently exist on EDBs so they can increase electricity generation and bolster regional resilience. Details will be confirmed by Cabinet later this year. 

    “The 26 recommendations in the report provide not only improvements in the oversight of maintenance work, training and assurance processes they also lay out a way to promote regional resilience,” Mr Brown says.

    Recommendations include:

    •    Transpower improving processes for maintenance work for baseplate refurbishment, and ensuring its contractors are more appropriately trained, monitored and compliant. 

    •    Transpower should require its service providers to review and revise their work procedures for baseplate refurbishment to ensure they align with Transpower’s technical specifications. 

    •    Transpower ensuring regular reporting and escalation of non-compliance by service providers to the Transpower’s Board so that the Board and senior management can exercise effective governance and oversight.

    •    The Electricity Authority developing options to amend the Electricity Code to allow for more regional resilience through distributors able to generate more on their own networks.  

    “Transmission towers are critical infrastructure and must be treated as such by all parties involved in managing and maintaining them.

    “These recommendations are concrete steps for Transpower to improve its processes and contractor management to ensure that an event like this does not happen again. I will be writing to the Electricity Authority to express my expectation that the recommendations are implemented. The Electricity Authority will also be monitoring implementation of the recommendations. 

    “I would like to thank the review’s independent Chair Sarah Sinclair and the review team for its comprehensive report and those who provided information to inform the findings and recommendations,” Mr Brown says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Restoration of Customary Marine Title test begins

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Legislation that will provide certainty around how Customary Marine Title is granted for New Zealand’s coastlines has passed its first reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

    “Customary Marine Title gives the holder valuable rights, including the ability to refuse some resource consents in the area, such as for renewals of some private assets like wharves, or aquaculture expansion. 

    “However, last year the Court of Appeal in Re Edwards issued a decision that changed the nature of the test and materially reduced the threshold.

    “All New Zealanders have an interest in the coastal waters of our country, so Parliament deliberately set a high test in 2011 before Customary Marine Title could be granted. 

    “Therefore, as part of the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement, the Government is ensuring these tests for applications directly with the Crown or through the Courts are interpreted and applied as originally intended.”

    These measures include:

    • Inserting a declaratory statement that overturns the reasoning of the Court of Appeal and High Court in Re Edwards, and the reasoning of all High Court decisions since the High Court in Re Edwards, where they relate to the test for CMT.
    • Adding text to section 58 to define and clarify the terms ‘exclusive use and occupation’ and ‘substantial interruption’.
    • Amending the ‘burden of proof’ section of the Act (section 106) to clarify that applicant groups are required to prove exclusive use and occupation from 1840 to the present day.
    • Making clearer the relationship between the framing sections of the Act (the preamble, purpose, and Treaty of Waitangi sections) and section 58 in a way that allows section 58 to operate more in line with its literal wording.

    “The restored test will be applied to any applications that were still undecided at the time of my policy announcement on 25 July 2024,” Mr Goldsmith says.

    “The Select Committee process will provide an important opportunity for public scrutiny of the Bill.

    “The Government intends to pass this legislation before the end of the year.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – New research targets end-of-life decision making – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    As Aotearoa grapples with a strained healthcare system and an ageing population, a new research project is setting out to improve end-of-life care for older people.

    Led by University of Auckland Associate Professor Julie Harrison, the study aims to help older people, their families and clinicians make informed decisions about interventions like surgery or extended hospital stays.

    “End-of-life decisions are tough, especially in stressful situations,” says Harrison, who specialises in performance measurement within health services, health funding models, and costing systems in healthcare settings.

    “We want to find ways to better support kaumātua and their whānau to make choices that align with their values.”

    The project, funded by the Health Research Council, will be conducted at Waikato Hospital and involve researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Waikato.

    The researchers will examine how kaumātua and their whānau make health decisions, gather insights from the families of those who have died after a hospital visit, and explore clinicians’ views on informed decision making.

    The goal is to create a pathway that supports better decision making, allowing more people to spend their final days at home and reducing unnecessary hospital interventions.

    With an ageing population creating a higher demand for health and social care, the project also aims to identify potential cost savings within the healthcare system, which could be redirected to other vital services.

    Harrison, who works in the Business School’s accounting and finance department, will focus on identifying the cost side considerations.

    “A lot of healthcare costs are incurred at the end of life,” she says, “and decisions around treatment options are challenging for everyone involved.”

    Some of the decisions people face in the final year of their life include what kind of health interventions they want – whether they wish to have all possible treatments and potentially spend more time in the hospital or undergo less treatment and spend their final days at home.

    “These are hard conversations to have, and we’re doing this study to help understand what people actually want, whether they have the information they need, and the costs of the different options for the system and for families.

    “It’s about helping kaumātua and their families to better understand the treatments available and to select the care pathway that best fits what they’re looking for and the way in which they want to spend their final months and days.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealanders’ trust in key institutions declines – Stats NZ media and information release: Wellbeing statistics: 2023

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    New Zealanders’ trust in key institutions declines – 25 September 2024 – Data from the 2023 General Social Survey (GSS) found that trust held by New Zealanders in institutions like the health system, education system, parliament, media, police, and courts has declined since 2021, according to wellbeing statistics released by Stats NZ today.

    People in Aotearoa New Zealand remained satisfied with their lives as a whole in 2023, with an overall satisfaction rating of 7.6 out of 10, which is similar to the 7.7 rating in 2021.

    “As a result of recent global events such as COVID-19, our society has faced a number of challenges. Institutional trust, trust in other people, sense of belonging, and a sense of safety are all important measures of people feeling part of society,” wellbeing and housing statistics manager Sarah Drake said.

    Some key measures of trust and social wellbeing have declined since 2021. These areas included trust in institutions, trust in most people in New Zealand, sense of belonging to New Zealand, and a sense of safety.

    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: Investigation following death of baby, Newtown

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Wellington District Police continue to make enquiries after the death of an 8-month-old baby at a Newtown address yesterday.

    A scene examination will take place today, after which a blessing will take place. A post-mortem examination will also be carried out.

    The investigation continues to progress with the co-operation of the family, and Police would like to assure the community there are no wider concerns for safety.

    Further updates will be provided when they are available.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fluffy, super snuggly and loves people!

    Source: Waikato District Health Board

    L-R Waikato ED staff enjoying a visit from Amethyst – Kneeling – Tanya Suthers, Amethyst, Back – Rushi Jeyakumar, Lillian Pan, Lynne Kemp, Rhi Buckley and Collene Pacis

    According to registered nurse Lynne Kemp, these are just some of the qualities needed for being a successful therapy dog. Lynne is talking about Amethyst, her 17-month-old Border Collie, who visits Waikato Hospital’s emergency department (ED) once a week.

    Amethyst and Lynne are registered with Canine Friends Pet Therapy, a New Zealand-wide network of owners who bring their dogs to visit people in hospitals and residential care facilities.

    “I started working with Canine Friends about four years ago, with Sapphire, my six-year-old long-haired Weimaraner,” says Lynne. “I love doing things with my dogs, and I loved the idea of being able to bring my dog to work. When I heard the ED was considering a canine therapy programme, I jumped at the chance to be involved.”

    At Waikato Hospital, therapy dogs already visit the Critical Care Unit, Paediatric wards and others, but Emergency Medicine Consultant Dr Lillian Pan could see the positive impact they would have in the ED.

    “The benefits of pet therapy are well established,” says Lillian. “But there are only a handful of studies done in emergency departments.

    “A 2022 Canadian study demonstrated a significant reduction in pain, anxiety and depression after a 10-minute therapy dog visit, and an American study from 2019 noted that patients who interacted with therapy dogs needed less opioid pain medication during their ED stay.

    “We wanted to gauge how people would feel if we brought dogs into our ED. We surveyed a total of 126 staff, patients and whānau and the response was overwhelmingly positive, with 93% in favour.

    “The comments ranged from ‘People would love this, especially the kids’ and ‘When people see dogs in an unusual setting, it makes them focus less on their pain or trauma’, to ‘Just pure unconditional love – what’s not to love?’” says Lillian.

    “It’s often a scary experience coming into the ED, with lots of people and plenty of activity going on,” adds Lynne. “Interacting with a dog is a great distraction, and it seems to have a calming effect on patients and whānau.”

    That initial proposal was put forward over a year ago and, since July, Lynne and Amethyst have been visiting Waikato ED once a week to spend time with paediatric and short-stay patients. A staff volunteer acts as a ‘doggie chaperone’ and pre-screens patients for suitability, while care is taken for infection control and hygiene.

    Just last week, they had a special encounter with a 10-year-old girl.

    “I entered the room and Amethyst went over to her. Her whole face lit up with the biggest smile,” says Lynne.  “Her mum said that was the first time she had seen her smile since their arrival the day before.

    “It was so heartwarming to see, and reinforced the reason for my visits,” she says.

    The visits are not just for patients, either. Both Lynne and Lillian are quick to emphasise how beneficial canine therapy is for the ED’s kaimahi.

    “Amethyst’s visits brighten everyone’s day. It’s good for staff, especially when it’s busy and they have upsetting cases to deal with,” says Lynne.

    So, what makes a paw-fect therapy dog?

    L-R Lyn Kemp and Amethyst spent some time with patient Jan who thought Amethsyt was just lovely

    “My dog Frankie, an eight-year-old Bichon Frise, is ideally suited to being a therapy dog and regularly visits a local nursing home. He’s calm, loves everyone and is happiest when he’s the centre of attention – especially if there are treats involved,” says Lillian.

    “When I first visited a rest home with Sapphire, it didn’t go so well. There was a cat that Sapphire spent all her time trying to find! So being calm and not easily distracted is important,” explains Lynne.

    Lillian agrees: “Dougal, my other dog, is a little scamp and would cause chaos if he ever went on a visit!” she laughs.

    There has been tremendous support from staff to get the project off the ground. The Critical Care Team shared information about their therapy dog mahi, and Lillian had two ED trainees, Rushi Jeyakumar and Julie Taylor, to support the ED programme with her. ED leadership staff Liz Courtney and Simon Ainsworth were instrumental in pushing the project ahead.

    Lillian says the benefits of pet therapy in emergency departments is a topic that needs further exploration within the medical community. “Implementing this programme gives Waikato Hospital ED a unique opportunity to contribute to further research in the area,” she says.

    “I love coming in with Amethyst. Even though we are only there for an hour, seeing the happiness she brings is lovely,” adds Lynne.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greater investment in FASD support and prevention

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has announced a $4.85 million package of initiatives aimed at understanding the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), promoting better education and supporting women to stay alcohol free during pregnancy.

    “People with FASD can experience lifelong physical, behavioural, learning, and mental health problems. Those impacts are shared by families, caregivers, and communities,” says Dr Reti. 

    “In April, I announced five initiatives that will benefit hundreds of New Zealand families affected by FASD. I am pleased to report we are already seeing progress.  

    “Following the publication of New Zealand’s first tailored FASD diagnostic guidelines, 30 healthcare professionals will be trained to better recognise and diagnose FASD end of the year. 

    “The community support pilot is well underway and the FASD prevention campaign will launch in October. Health agencies are collaborating with the FASD community on the refreshed FASD Strategic Action Plan, which is on track to be published in 2025. 

    “However, with an estimated three to five Kiwi kids born with FASD every day, we simply cannot wait for a long-term plan to take meaningful action. We have listened to the best community and expert advice and have already made a start.”

    The three initiatives announced today are: 

    • Undertaking an FASD prevalence study, to understand the true nature of the challenge FASD presents in New Zealand, rather than relying on extrapolated overseas data. 
    • Providing structured education for clinical and community settings to grow FASD awareness and capacity in communities and across health, disability and social services.
    • Supporting initiatives that promote alcohol-free pregnancies and reduce the stigma of FASD.

    “FASD has significant economic and social costs to New Zealand. It’s a condition which significantly challenges lifelong learning and development and makes things very difficult for families,” says Dr Reti. 

    “We want people to thrive, leading lives they aspire to and contributing to society and the economy. 

    “There’s strong evidence that prevention, early detection and intervention are the most effective ways to improve the health and wellbeing for people with FASD.

    “Evidence-based outcomes is a key principle of this Government’s investments – every initiative must provide clear, demonstrable value to communities. I expect to see real progress through these programmes, significantly shifting the dial on FASD. 

    “We want New Zealand to be a country where people are supported to have alcohol-free pregnancies, where the prevalence of FASD is well understood, where health and disability services have the training they need to diagnose FASD, and people living with FASD and their families are well supported.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Experienced People Leader Programme

    Source: Leadership Development Centre

    LDC has launched a new leadership development programme for experienced people leaders in the Public Service.  This programme has been developed in partnership with Public Service agencies, in response to a need identified across the system.

    The programme supports the development of experienced people leaders who want to develop their leadership skills and move their practice from good to great. 

    The programme focuses on:  

    • Core people leadership skills  

    • Content-light, conversation-rich learning 

    • Use of experiments and peer learning to hone leadership practice

    The Experienced People Leader Programme has been designed for LDC member agencies to run internally. If you are interested in learning more about how your agency could benefit from the programme, please contact ldcprogrammes@ldc.govt.nz  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 25 September 2024 Kāinga Ora streamlines delivery teams Kāinga Ora is proposing to reshape its housing delivery and construction teams as it streamlines its approach to delivering and renewing state housing.

    Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

    Change processes proposed today may see a net reduction of 321 roles across the organisation’s urban planning and design; commercial; construction and innovation; and investment management office teams.

    Kāinga Ora Chief Executive Matt Crockett says the proposed changes are aimed at ensuring Kāinga Ora can deliver on the Government’s housing delivery expectations in the most efficient way possible in the coming years.

    “Kāinga Ora has scaled up over the last five years to deliver a successful and extensive build programme,” he says.

    “We are now moving into a different phase where our focus is on creating a steadier state of social housing builds, alongside work to upgrade and replace thousands of homes in our portfolio.

    “We need to make sure we have the right level of resourcing to match our delivery programme while maintaining focus on achieving our targets.”

    The proposed changes would support an accelerated move to new construction methods, enabling state houses to be built more quickly and efficiently through the Kāinga Ora Housing Delivery System. Kāinga Ora will also continue to work with private developers to deliver homes.

    “Today’s announcement starts a period of consultation where potentially impacted teams have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal,” says Mr. Crockett.

    “These proposed changes will be unsettling for our people. We are committed to supporting them through the process as best we can, and to considering all feedback they provide.

    “At this stage we plan to confirm final decisions in mid-November.”

    Read more on Kāinga Ora workforce changes

    Page updated: 25 September 2024

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: TWO-THIRDS OF CHILDREN INTERACT DAILY ONLINE WITH PEOPLE THEY DON’T KNOW DESPITE GROOMING FEARS – REPORT

    Source: Save The Children

    SYDNEY, 25 Sept 2024 – Over six in 10 children with access to the internet interact with “unknown others” daily despite concerns about online grooming, according to new research released by Save the Children and Western Sydney University that highlighted children’s demands for better online protection.  

    The research team held in-depth consultations with about 600 children and young people aged 8 to 18 from Australia, Finland, the Philippines, Cambodia, Colombia, Kenya, and South Africa, who shared their views and experiences of facing inappropriate requests online for personal information or images. 

    The report, ‘Protecting Children from Online Grooming’, was written by the Young & Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University, and funded by the global child online safety investment vehicle Safe Online as part of the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund. 

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of online grooming and child sexual and financial exploitation have reached an all-time high [1], with an 82% rise in online grooming crimes against children reported in that period [2]. Online grooming practices have also transformed, with the fastest growing form of online grooming targeting young men for financial extortion [3]. 

    The report revealed children were more inclined to connect with strangers – or “unknown others” – online as they matured and became more social, motivated by a desire for friendship, fun and play, followed by a wish to stay informed about trends and events, and to connect over shared interests.  

    The findings also showed that while children across all cultures and age groups were more suspicious of people they didn’t know online than people they knew in person, most (66%) of the study participants still interacted with “unknown others” daily online.  

    Children in high-income settings were twice as likely to use privacy settings to protect themselves from unwanted contacts, compared to children from some low-income settings, but the potential to derive financial benefits was an incentive for children in middle-income countries to connect with strangers online, potentially compromising their safety.  

    While children have come up with numerous ways to protect themselves, they are calling for widespread, accessible and targeted online safety education for themselves and their caregivers. In the discussions the children also made concrete suggestions about how technology platforms and governments can implement changes that will keep them safer online.  

    Sonisay*, a girl aged 11-12 from rural Cambodia, said: 

    “Adults should know that children interact with strangers, monitor them, and read their chats.”  

    Angel* aged 15-17 from a city in the Philippines said: 

    “Adults need to know about the children of today who are highly computer-savvy… To be able to support and protect the children, adults need to understand that children are comfortable with using the internet which pushes to interact with strangers.” 

    Charlie* aged 14 from Australia emphasised the need to start online safety education earlier: 

     “Having young children educated about the safety of technology and the dangers … adults only start this education for older kids on social media when the problem can be on video games played by young kids.” 

    Children reported that it was very difficult to ascertain the intentions of strangers online. Children were also particularly worried about being asked for personal information or nude pictures, being drawn into inappropriate sexually-oriented exchanges, or exposure to criminal activities. 

    The report found that children want and need better online protection, with children primarily using intuition and background checks rather than seeking help from trusted adults to manage their online interactions with people they don’t know.  

    The data also showed that children distinguish people they know well both online and in person from those they only know online, with 86% approaching the latter with caution. Yet despite this wariness, children were still three times more likely to ignore or decline an inappropriate or unwanted request than they are to report or block it. 

    Steve Miller, Save the Children’s Global Director of Child Protection, said: 

    “Children deserve to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment – both online and offline. As the digital landscape evolves, so do the challenges and threats, including the threat of online grooming and exploitation. We need to foster a digital environment that is not only safe but also enriching, allowing children to explore, learn, and grow without fear. Policymakers need to listen to the voices and experiences of children when developing policies that protect them.” 

    Professor Amanda Third, Co-Director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre, Western Sydney University, said:  

    “Keeping children safe from online grooming requires a whole-of-community approach. Governments, NGOs, technology platforms, teachers, parents, caregivers, and children themselves all have an important role to play. However, to most effectively address this issue it is crucial that we listen to the views and experiences of children and young people and engage them as active partners in the research and policy design process. Children and young people are finding their own ways to tackle this issue and devise solutions but they are also calling on us to help equip them and their caregivers with the skills and knowledge needed to be able to safely navigate these rapidly evolving digital environments.” 

    Save the Children has launched a major global effort to support digital inclusion and empower the next generation of resilient digital citizens. Save the Children’s Safe Digital Childhood initiative is includes partnering with schools, communities and tech leaders to break down barriers to digital inclusion by making sure the children with the fewest resources can access devices and connectivity; offering targeted digital literacy and citizenship programs; helping technology industry partners embed child-centric safeguards into their platforms; and empowering children to advocate for their rights in the digital world. 

    The Young & Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University is an Australian-based, international research centre that unites young people with researchers, practitioners, innovators, and policymakers to explore the role of technology in children’s and young people’s lives and how it can be used to improve individual and community resilience across generations.  

    Safe Online is the only global investment vehicle dedicated to keeping children safe in the digital world. Through investing in innovation and bringing key actors together, Safe Online helps shape a digital world that is safe and empowering for all children and young people, everywhere. The Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund, which funded the research, is a groundbreaking collaboration fuelling actionable research and bringing together the tech industry with academia and civil society in a bold alliance to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse. 

    *Names have been changed to protect identities 

    [1] WeProtect Global Threat Assessment Data 2023 

    [2] NSPCC. (2023, August 15). 82% rise in online grooming crimes against children in the last 5 years.

    [3] WeProtect’s Global Threat Assessment Data 2023  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Truck into tree crash: truck retrieval midday to 4 pm SH6 into Westport

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    |

    A truck crash in the Buller Gorge, between Inangahua Junction and the entrance to Westport (SH67) briefly closed SH6 this morning between 9 and 10 am.

    The truck will be removed from the site this afternoon from midday, so SH6 will be closed potentially up till 4 pm, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

    People travelling to Westport via the Buller Gorge need to delay their journeys this afternoon or take the long way via Greymouth and up the Coast Road via Punakaiki.

    Journey Planner – West coast closures(external link)

    SH6 will be closed potentially up till 4 pm

    Tags

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: NZ must urgently help whanau in Lebanon

    Source: Green Party

    The Government must immediately help evacuate New Zealanders and Lebanese whanau caught up in the current conflict unfolding across south Lebanon. 

    “The crisis in Lebanon is deepening by the day. We must act and evacuate our Lebanese whanau out of harm’s way,” says the Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Teanau Tuiono.

    “Aotearoa is home to a strong Lebanese community. We owe it to them to offer their families caught up in the unfolding crisis a lifeline with evacuation and a humanitarian visa pathway.  

    “Yesterday, almost 500 people were killed in south Lebanon where last week civilians were killed and maimed by indiscriminate terror attacks through tech devices. Hundreds of thousands of people in this region have been harmed by bombing that is destroying homes and targeting civilian populations. 

    “The Government has told New Zealanders to leave Lebanon, the least it could do is help before things escalate to a point where we are unable to assist. 

    “Israel’s actions in Lebanon and Gaza must be met with consequences. Israel is actively fanning the flames of war. Our Government must issue Israel with sanctions. 

    “This Government has been incredibly slow to respond to the crisis in Gaza, it cannot afford to make the same mistake twice and allow the window for evacuations to close. 

    “It’s unacceptable to simply look on while innocent civilians lose their lives in this escalating conflict. Aotearoa must play its part in the international community in promoting peace and protecting human rights,” says Teanau Tuiono. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: $2m destination playground on the horizon for Barry Curtis Park

    Source: Auckland Council

    A spectacular nearly $2m playground designed to offer an exciting range of play options for all tamariki (children), is coming to Barry Curtis Park, after Howick Local Board approved the concept designs.

    The Barry Curtis Park playground needs renovation and improvement to serve a large and growing geographic area, and the upgraded playground will include accessible and inclusive play elements to ensure that all children feel included in the play space.

    Artist impression.

    Board chair Damian Light says, “We’re excited to confirm that we have signed off the concept plans so staff can get underway with delivery of this incredible design. This popular playground was due for renewal so we’re taking the opportunity to give it the overhaul it deserves.”

    The concept design was put together following consultation in 2023.

    “Thank you to everyone who contributed to the public consultation – this is a significant investment, and we want to make sure we get it right. Insights from the public, including local tamariki, has helped create an exciting new design that includes a wider range of play opportunities and caters for a wider range of tamariki.”

    The approved concept design has been developed, incorporating feedback from the community, iwi, accessibility representatives and the local board.

    The project team is working closely with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki to capture and deliver on their aspirations, values and priorities for Barry Curtis Park including the playground.

    Map of destination playground.

    “As the concept designs show, the playground will have the native wetlands theme enhanced. Having mana whenua involved has helped create a more authentic and interesting concept, with a stronger connection to the whenua (land) and environment it sits in.”

    The playground renewal includes plans to increase tree planting to mitigate wind channelling through the park, aligning with the Howick Urban Ngahere Action Plan 2021, which aims to increase tree canopy coverage on public land by three per cent.

    A fence is strategically placed within the planting to partially enclose the playground, providing a more secure space, providing the option of full fencing remained available for future consideration.

    Shade sail structures have been included over the junior play equipment, picnic tables, and water play area, providing shade in areas where children are likely to spend extended periods of time.

    The site features accessible ramps from the car park, benefiting those who use walking aids or wheelchairs. Several accessible parking spaces are located near the main play area entrance.

    “Great care has been given to ensure that this new playground will provide more accessible, inclusive and sensory play opportunities. We can’t wait to see this playground completed and open for the public to enjoy”, says Damian.

    Construction is expected to occur between February and June 2025, with an official opening once it’s completed.

    The board is also looking at a significant overhaul of the nearby Wetlands Building to work better with the new playground – look out for an update on this soon.

    Stay connected

    Sign up to receive our Howick Local Board monthly e-newsletters.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori

    Source: Te Pati Maori

    Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading.

    “Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and any law that this House has ever made. That right still exists today,” said Tākuta Ferris.

    “It should always have been the Crown coming to Māori to prove the rights they believe they have to the foreshore, not the other way around.

    “Let’s not forget that Labour are complicit in this crime. In 2004, they passed the Foreshore and Seabed Bill, directly extinguishing the pre-existing rights Māori had to the takutai moana and enacting the largest land grab in Aotearoa’s history—a whopping 333,000 square kilometres of area.

    “What this Government is doing today is reverting to Labour’s intent of confiscating the takutai moana. It is disgusting that they think their sovereignty of Parliament trumps Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

    “The Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill shifts the goalposts for Māori to prove customary marine title to something that is near impossible, thus slamming the door shut on hapū and iwi and confiscating the takutai moana.

    “It is a disgusting breach of Te Tiriti. This Government is bold in their deliberate reassertion of white dominance.

    “The Government should be considered the applicant to hapū and iwi. I invite them to put their case forward to prove ownership of the takutai moana to us as tangata whenua,” said Ferris.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: One person dies following avalanche

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    One person has died following an avalanche in the Arrowsmith Range area today.

    Police were notified of the avalanche at 12.25pm.

    One person was trapped in the avalanche and was in a critical condition when recovered at around 1pm.

    Tragically they died a short time later.

    Nobody is unaccounted for following the avalanche.

    Details of the deceased cannot be provided until all necessary next of kin notifications have taken place.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Company and director of nursery fined $42,500 for breaking plant import quarantine rules

    Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

    The company and director of a nursery who illegally took 220 imported plants out of quarantine after just one day, has been fined $42,500.

    Elliott Wholesale Nursery Limited is a Ministry for Primary Industries registered Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility. Under the Biosecurity Act, imported plants should be in quarantine for 3 months.

    Jeffrey Wayne Elliott (65) and Elliott Wholesale Nursery Limited were sentenced in the Christchurch District Court today on one charge under the Biosecurity Act. They earlier pleaded guilty following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

    “Mr Elliot is highly experienced and knew the quarantine regulations. These rules are there for a reason – to protect New Zealand from any potential pests and diseases which could be a risk to our biosecurity,” says MPI regional manager, investigations south, Gerald Anderson.

    In September 2022, Elliott’s Wholesale Nursery imported 600 Nandina domestica tissue culture – an evergreen shrub from Australia. The plants were unpacked and placed in a Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility quarantine, where they needed to remain for 3 months. However, after just one day, Mr Elliot removed 220 of these plants, placing them in a non PEQ area.

    “To avoid detection and to circumnavigate the biosecurity rules designed to protect New Zealand from potentially unwanted pests and diseases – he replaced these plants with similar looking domestic plants, which he admitted doing to an employee who questioned him.

    “When an MPI inspector conducted an audit – the nursery passed because at the time, the inspector believed the swapped plants were the imported nandina plants from Australia.

    While Mr Elliot declined to be formally interviewed by MPI, he admitted to MPI investigators that he knew he had broken the law.

    No pests or diseases were found on the plants that were taken out of the quarantine facility.

    For 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.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Hawksbill turtle beached on Aotea, brought to Auckland Zoo

    Source: Department of Conservation

    Date:  25 September 2024

    Locals Karen Lombard and Fraser Munroe came across the live sea turtle yesterday and alerted DOC staff member Sarah Dwyer, who sprang into action for the protected species.

    “Sea turtles forage around New Zealand but do not nest here. We hear about sightings in the water every summer around Aotea, but their presence on land is normally an indication of poor health. That’s why we don’t try to refloat turtles, but instead take them into care for a medical assessment.

    “A huge thank you to Karen and Fraser for their quick response and transporting the turtle to us at the airport. We ensured it was dry, to avoid any further heat loss, and comfortable in a crate. We got it on the first flight to Auckland mainland and into the expert care of Auckland Zoo’s veterinary team,” says Sarah.

    “While this hawksbill has no external injuries, it is extremely underweight and remains in a critical condition, so its future remains uncertain,” says Auckland Zoo vet, Dr Adam Naylor.

    “We are administering supportive treatments, such as intravenous fluids, and given its low body temperature, slowly and very carefully increasing the water temperature of its tank to the preferred optimal temperature range for this species.”

    Rodney Ngawaka, a kaumatua of Ngāti Rehua-Ngātiwai ki Aotea says spring brings in many species, but a turtle is unusual for Aotea.

    “We see tohorā (whales), whai repo (rays), manu (birds) all moving into these waters, Te Moananui ō Toi Te Huatahi, through the mauri of our currents and winds during this time of year. These invisible lines guide relationships that are thousands of years old, but it’s unusual to see a honu (turtle). It has possibly come into this beach from the water space of the Waitemata, Tīkapa Moana.

    “This taonga is a gift and it’s our responsibility to stay connected to its future.”

    If you spot turtles on the beach or see beached whales or dolphins, call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) and follow the advice.

    Across the country in spring, DOC receives reports of sick marine animals that come ashore after losing condition over winter.

    On Aotea there have been two dead sea turtles found on the shores in the last five years: one hawksbill and one green turtle.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –