The Government is confirming its clear and ambitious course for the future of te reo Māori with the refresh of the Maihi Karauna strategy, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says.
“Te reo Māori is a taonga and a defining part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s identity. This refreshed strategy is about ensuring the language is visible, valued and voiced.”
The Maihi Karauna is the Crown’s strategy for Māori language revitalisation across government and wider society, working alongside the Maihi Māori to support whānau and communities.
The refreshed strategy builds on the progress made since 2019 and reflects the latest evidence about what works to grow a living, thriving language.
“While it’s clear that public support for te reo is growing, many people are not actively learning or using the language themselves. Bridging this gap is the next step in revitalisation,” Mr Potaka says.
The refreshed Maihi Karauna retains its long-term goals to 2040, including growing the number of speakers and increasing the value placed on te reo Māori as part of New Zealand’s national identity.
The strategy sharpens the Crown’s role and clarifies expectations across the public sector. It remains grounded in partnership between the Crown, Iwi and Māori, under Te Ture mō te Reo Māori 2016 and Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora.
“Revitalising te reo Māori is a shared responsibility. Government has a leadership role, but lasting change comes from whānau, communities and everyday New Zealanders using the language.”
The next phase of work will focus on delivering a coordinated action plan across government agencies to drive collective impact.
“We are focused on results, more people speaking te reo Māori, more often, in more places.
“Kia māhorahora te reo, let the language flow freely” Mr Potaka says.
Mā te whakahoutanga o te rautaki ka tau he ara pakari ake mō te reo Māori
E whakaū ana te Kāwanatanga i tōna ara mārama, manawanui hoki mō te āpōpō o reo Māori i te whakahoutanga o te rautaki Maihi Karauna, te kī a Te Minita Whanaketanga Māori Tama Potaka.
“He taonga te reo Māori, he wāhi nui hoki tōna o te tuakiri o Aotearoa. Ko te tikanga o te rautaki kua whakahoutia ake nei ko te mātua whakarite e kitea ana, e kaingākautia ana, e kōrerotia ana hoki te reo Māori.”
Ko te Maihi Karauna koia te rautaki a te Karauna mō te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori puta noa i te kāwanatanga, otirā, i te iwi whānui tonu, e haere kōtui ana ki te taha o te Maihi Māori ki te tautoko i ngā whānau me ngā hapori anō hoki.
E whai ake ana te rautaki kua whakahoutia ake nei i ngā mahi mai i te tau 2019, e whakaata ana i ngā taunakitanga hou e pā ana ki ngā mahi e tika ana ki te whakatipu i te reo kia ora rawa ake ai.
“Ahakoa mārama te kitea e piki haere ana te tautoko a te iwi whānui mō te reo Māori, he nui tonu ngā tāngata kāore e āta ako ana, e kaha kōrero ana hoki i te reo Māori. Ko te whakatikatika i tēnei raru koia te mahi i tua atu mō te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori” te kōrero a Minita Potaka.
Kei te pupuri tonu te rautaki i ōna whāinga roa ki te tau 2040, tae atu ki te whakatipu ake i te nui o ngā tāngata kōrero i te reo Māori me te whakapiki i te uara o te reo Māori hei wāhi nui o te tuakiri ā-motu o Aotearoa.
Ko tā te rautaki hei whakakoi ake i te tūranga o te Karauna me te āta whakamārama i ngā manakohanga puta noa i te rāngai tūmatanui. E tū tonu ana i runga i te hononga i waenga i te Karauna me te Iwi Māori, i raro i Te Ture mō te Reo Māori 2016 me Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora.
“He haepapa ngātahi te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori. He tūranga ārahi tō te Kāwanatanga, engari kia tino ū ai me ahu mai ngā huringa i ngā whānau, i ngā hapori me te iwi whānui o Aotearoa e kōrero ana i te reo Māori.”
Ko te wāhanga e whai ake nei o te mahi ko te āta aro ki te whakatutukinga o tētahi mahere mahi ruruku huri noa i ngā tari kāwanatanga mō te whakakotahitanga o te kōkiri whakamua.
“E āta aro ana mātou ki ngā hua, kia nui ake ngā tāngata e kōrero Māori ana, i te nuinga ake o ngā wā, i te nuinga ake anō o ngā wāhi.
“Kia māhorahora te reo Māori” te kī a Minita Potaka.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/strategy-refresh-sets-stronger-course-for-te-reo-maori/
]]>Up to $580,000 in one-off Government funding will help New Plymouth’s Roderique Hope Trust and the YMCA Taranaki to support people experiencing homelessness into stable housing across the Taranaki region, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
The funding will enable Roderique Hope Trust to lead the Taranaki Housing Pathways Initiative across New Plymouth and South Taranaki, with YMCA Taranaki delivering targeted outreach in New Plymouth.
“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Our Government is delivering more homes while backing the frontline services that help people reach and remain in them,” Mr Potaka says.
“Building more houses is essential, but housing alone will not end homelessness. People also need practical support to address the challenges that have left them without a secure home.
“This investment will help local organisations reach people earlier, connect them with the right services and support them towards stable housing.”
The initiative will support individuals and whānau who are sleeping rough, living in unsuitable accommodation or at immediate risk of homelessness.
“Roderique Hope Trust knows its community and will bring together Iwi, councils, government agencies, health and housing providers, and community organisations to provide coordinated support,” Mr Potaka says.
“YMCA Taranaki will receive $150,000 of the total funding to provide intensive daytime outreach, engagement and reintegration support for people sleeping rough in New Plymouth.
“This is practical, locally led support that will help fewer people sleep rough and give more Taranaki whānau a pathway towards a safe, stable home.”
The funding forms part of the Government’s $14.5 million package announced in June 2026 to expand effective, short-term homelessness initiatives around the country.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/government-backs-local-homelessness-support-in-taranaki/
]]>4 minutes ago
Xenon Messenger stands by Te Matau-a-Māui waka in Ahuriri
Final-year, level seven te reo Māori student Xenon Messenger has joined the crew of Te Matau-a-Māui for Te Hokinga, a six-to-eight-week voyage retracing ancestral pathways to Samoa and Fiji.
The first te reo speaker in his whānau in four generations, Xenon Messenger (Ngāti Whātua) was looking for an avenue to kōrero Māori. After studying in Te Whanganui-a-Tara he went searching for somewhere to build on his level four te reo, and found Te Ūranga Waka at EIT, the only place in Aotearoa offering the kaupapa Māori he was after, with electives in Māori carving, history and belief systems. He moved to Te Matau-a-Māui and fell in love with what he found.
Now 23, Xenon is in his final year of a level seven bachelor’s degree in te reo Māori, and pāpā to a two-year-old tama with another pēpi on the way. Deciding that juggling study and parenting wasn’t challenging enough, he’s joined the crew of Te Matau-a-Māui waka for Te Hokinga (the return) – a six-to-eight-week voyage retracing ancestral pathways to Samoa, Fiji and back.
“Part of the amazing thing about learning this knowledge, and the point of this journey, is bringing these traditional names and stories back home so we can share them with our people.” – Xenon Messenger
Te Hokinga is about more than traditional navigation. The crew are retracing the journey back to where the original waka Tākitimu was built, in Samoa and Fiji, reconnecting with the places, people and mātauranga they share whakapapa with. The hope is to hear kōrero tuku iho, the stories and traditions handed down, from other rangatira and nations sharing their own Tākitimu kōrero. For safety, only the captain has access to GPS or the time; the rest of the crew hand in their phones, watches and anything else that would let them fall back on modern technology.
With no previous sailing experience, Xenon started training 18 months ago. “The training has mainly been making sure I’m sharp on all my knots, setting up and taking down the sails, and knowing what to do if we need to perform a manoeuvre like a tack or a gybe, or reef the sails to make them smaller.”
With such a small crew, safety was a big part of the wānanga. Xenon spent a whole weekend jumping into the water in wet weather gear, inflating life rafts and learning what the different flares mean.
“I knew if I wanted to do it, I needed to work hard, because you’re not just going to be put on the waka and potentially put other people at risk.” – Xenon Messenger
Xenon and the crew of Te Matau-a-Māui waka, have a moment before embarking on Te Hokinga to Samoa and Fiji.
The crew are split into three watches, with crew reporting to a watch captain, who reports to the captains or navigators.
“You’re on a four-hour shift and then eight hours off, so the waka is manned 24/7. Down time you might spend eating, sleeping, fishing or washing your kākahu. The navigators basically don’t sleep. They might go down for a 30-minute power nap a day, but other than that they need to be on deck, in tune with what’s going on at all times.”
Xenon has no expectations beyond being part of it, though one day he’d love to gain his skipper’s license and to navigate a traditional waka journey. “People have asked me if I’m afraid, what I’m thinking, but I’m just trying to take it day by day.”
Where would he love to navigate next? Up through Raiatea and Tahiti. His research points to strong evidence connecting our waka whakapapa to that part of the Pacific, and from what he’s heard, you can feel it when you get there.
“When I started studying at EIT, I quickly realised that it wasn’t just te reo Māori I wanted to study. There are so many aspects to te ao Māori, and this is another one. It’s a different language on the waka, you hear kupu you wouldn’t hear in daily conversation. But you also go overseas and listen to other indigenous languages. We’ve talked about formal and informal settings in Fiji, and I’m discovering the connections between our whakapapa and language. I’d love to be able to pass the knowledge on to my kids.”
Xenon graduates at the end of 2026 and plans to follow it with a postgrad in teaching. “I like the idea of exploring other opportunities outside of just reo, mahi raranga, carving, mahi toi like the tukutuku panels, sailing, waka ama. There’s a lot of things that encompass te ao Māori.”
Follow Xenon’s journey on the Te Matau-a-Māui Facebook page. The waka has Starlink on board, so the crew can run Zoom calls with classrooms and share updates with whānau back home.
We wish everyone on board safe passage.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/from-te-uranga-waka-to-the-open-ocean/
]]>Police are currently in attendance at an incident involving a capsized boat at Tangimoana Beach, Manawatu.
Police were first made aware of the incident at 8.35am.
Emergency services are on scene and more information will be provided when available.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/water-incident-tangimoana-beach/
]]>The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua has published near-final versions of four Deposit Takers Act 2023 (DTA) standards, consultation submissions, and the questions that existing banks and non-bank deposit takers will need to answer if they are applying for a DTA licence.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/reserve-bank-releases-near-final-dta-standards-and-licensing-questions-for-regulated-deposit-takers/
]]>Motorists are advised to expect delays following a crash on the Southern Motorway, Mount Wellington this morning.
The four-vehicle crash between the Princes Street on-ramp and the Mount Wellington Highway off-ramp was reported to Police at 9.50am.
There are no reports of injury.
One northbound lanes is blocked and traffic is building.
Police thank motorists for their patience while we work to clear the scene.
ENDS.
Frankie Le Roy/NZ Police.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/delays-following-crash-sh1-mount-wellington/
]]>Motorists should expect delays after a three-vehicle crash that has blocked both lanes of the Rakaia River bridge.
The crash was reported about 6.30am.
There are no reports of serious injuries, however there will be delays while the vehicles involved are cleared.
Motorists can get the latest highway conditions at https://journeys.nzta.govt.nz/
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/14/crash-rakaia-bridge-sh1/
]]>An Uncertain World
We are living through a hugely complex and challenging period.
This places an enormous premium on experience, and through experience, good judgements that protect New Zealand’s vital interests.
We take the world as it is, not as some cloistered varsity lecturer or woke leftie wants it to be. The record shows that we have exercised sound judgement when it has mattered most.
With experience comes prudence, and with diplomacy comes opportunity, and that is why we are guardedly optimistic that New Zealand will emerge from the serious global disruptions in a strong position to exploit every opportunity that we create or that comes our way.
The State of the Economy
We all know the economy isn’t where it should be. We all know that, without having to be told because kiwis are struggling sometimes working two, even three jobs, just to make ends meet.
New Zealand First has constantly said that it will take time to turn our economy around.
We have been open about that – and when other parties at the last election said that they could fix it within three years – we said that was a mistake. We knew the damage done to the economy by the previous Labour government couldn’t be undone in three years.
We know it can be fixed – but it will take time.
We are making some positive movements as an economy in such uncertain times. But we can, and must, do better.
But to do much better, we need many more New Zealand First MPs in parliament.
Many, many, more.
Inflation is on the rise again, not nearly as bad as under Labour, but it is on the rise.
Interest rates are on the rise again, not nearly as bad as under Labour, but on the rise.
Our slow economic recovery has been set back by events in the Middle East and worsened overnight with the capture of the Red Sea port, thereby blocking Saudi Arabian Oil.
That said, stability in the middle east is likely to be restored more quickly than New Zealand’s economic return to recovery.
And that’s because, our government inherited a disaster of massive overborrowing, and spending not on production, not on wealth creation, not on employment, and not on exports, but purely on consumption.
And we’re paying a massive price for that now.
We just had the COVID Inquiry showing the previous Labour government borrowed sixty billion dollars to deal with COVID, and yet they spent thirty billion of it on something else.
That is half of the sixty billion wasn’t spent on COVID. And you’re sitting in this audience and the mainstream media have told you what the thirty billion was wasted on.
We have turned the economy around – there is growth, but not nearly as much as we need.
The current economic climate and the reality of our situation just shows the sad thing about New Zealand over the past fifty years.
We went from being in the top three in the world to a non-competing economy.
Back then we had strong growth of over five percent a year, every year, and MPs who understood nationalism, who understood the national interest.
And then in 1984 we had the neoliberal experiment of Labour’s Roger Douglas and then National’s Ruth Richardson and the rest has been a massive disaster.
We became the victim of a totally unfettered free market – straight out of the neoliberal economic Milton Freidman textbook.
The left and right, Labour then National, went on to sell our assets, privatise our country, open our borders to mass immigration, open our society to every wild-west simpleton ideology – an ideology that has been proven over the past forty years to be an abject failure and purveyor of misery and struggle.
Only one party leader and one party – New Zealand First – has never subscribed to that ideology.
New Zealand First began because we opposed that ideology.
We have always believed in economic nationalism – where we own our country’s assets, where we have targeted government intervention, where we give a hand up in times of need, where our country gives capitalism a human face.
NZFirst Immigration Policy
How many times has New Zealand First been attacked for being xenophobic and racist, look around the world – it calls to mind the quote from The Mikado “the idiot who praises with enthusiastic tone, all centuries but this and every country but his own.”
We need smart immigration policies – where we shift the dial to a highly skilled critical workforce that our country needs, and provide real reasons for these kiwis to stay in New Zealand to rebuild our country together. A system that consistently provides the skills we need domestically, working alongside the education system which fills the skills we need in our industries.
We need a system that focusses on the needs of the employers, industry, and kiwi workers.
Smart, not more, immigration.
Ladies and gentlemen, it may come as a surprise to most, but over 30% of all current New Zealand residents were not even born in New Zealand. That’s approaching a third of all who live in New Zealand weren’t born here. Thirty years ago, in the 1990’s it was just 14%.
On that same upward trend, without smart immigration policies, in as little as just another 15 or 20 years that percentage will be approaching 50% of people living here not being born here. That’s your children and grandchildren’s generation.
It’s not just about the number of migrants coming into our country, it is about all of those young, trained, driven, smart, working-age kiwis that are leaving.
Under Labour’s 2023 final year, they let in 132,000 new migrants, net. There was a record number of people leaving New Zealand to go to Australia last year and apply to be citizens – the most concerning statistic is that half of those so-called New Zealand citizens who left, were not even born in New Zealand.
New Zealand is being used as a steppingstone into Australia. We take them in, train them, up-skill them, look after their families, and they then move to Australia or elsewhere. How is this an effective immigration policy?
Ladies and gentlemen, the fact is, in the past four years around 622,000 new migrants have come to this country, with a net number of 165,000. That increase in our population is almost the size of Hamilton over just four years. But the past is not the most concerning part. It is where we could be headed without a smart immigration policy and what that means for the future of our country.
Concerns are growing, as to some of the people who have come here who don’t salute our flag, don’t honour the values of our country, don’t respect the people living here, don’t respect the right to have our own religion and freedom of speech. These are values that we need to fight to protect. If you don’t want to sign up to those values, don’t come.
People around the world are fearful as to where their countries are going – just look at States in America, the UK, Ireland, Germany, and recently in Australia – and New Zealanders are no different. They are more acutely aware of the problem we’re dealing with here than the politicians are.
They have seen the international circumstances of careless immigration policies transforming cities, changing cultures, changing centuries of development and social life, and people feel at risk because of it.
We believe in a country called New Zealand, with one law, one people, one flag, and one set of values that our forebears fought and died for. And if we are the only party willing to stand in the way of globalist politicians and bureaucrats trying to take our country away, then so be it.
Immigration Policy
Two days ago New Zealand First announced a number of campaign policies that will make sweeping changes to current immigration laws.
Taxpayer owned TVNZ refuses to report anything we have said on this critical policy. Not one story or article.
New Zealand’s immigration system must serve New Zealand and New Zealanders.
For too long, governments have relied on immigration to drive headline economic growth and cheap labour.
The result has been greater pressure on housing, infrastructure and public services, increased competition for entry-level jobs, and declining public confidence that immigration is being managed in the national interest.
Population growth must not outpace our ability to build the country.
New Zealand First will substantially reduce non-essential immigration and restore the principle that immigration is a privilege, not a right.
New Zealand is more than an economy. It is a nation with its own history, institutions and way of life.
New Zealand needs to start viewing our citizenship as most other countries around the world do – as a privilege that comes with special and unique rights and identity.
This does not take away from the ability for migrants looking to move here, contribute, and help build our country from showing total commitment and patriotism for New Zealand by becoming a citizen.
In addition to the already announced policies of citizen’s only voting and citizen’s only NZ Super, New Zealand First will introduce the following policies in the next term of government:
· Birthright Citizenship – New Zealand First will update birthright citizenship requirements, so that only the children of citizens will be automatically entitled to New Zealand citizenship at birth.
· Asylum Seeker Changes – New Zealand First will reform the asylum seeker system, updating current settings so that they are fair, consistent, and fit for purpose. Protected person status will become temporary by design, subject to ongoing assessment.
o Any person who seeks asylum while in New Zealand on a working-class visa will be ineligible to do so.
o Asylum claimants will not be able to use the temporary work rights granted during the assessment period as a stepping stone to another visa.
· Permanent Resident and Citizenship Qualifying Period Adjustments – New Zealand First will double the required period to qualify for citizenship from five years to a minimum of ten years. The qualifying period for permanent residence will be extended from two to five years.
· Citizenship and Permanent Residence Application Fees – New Zealand First will increase the cost of applying for New Zealand citizenship and permanent residence to reflect its value and to better fund the wider immigration system.
· Welfare Stand-Down Period – New Zealand First will implement a 10-year welfare stand-down period for all visa holders, meaning non-citizens will be ineligible for jobseeker, accommodation supplement, or any other benefits during their first 10 years in New Zealand.
· Broadened Ability to Deport – New Zealand First will widen the criteria for deportation liability to cover any offence for which imprisonment is available as a sentence – with automatic deportation for those found guilty of violent or sexual crimes, found guilty of fraud, participating in an organised criminal group, money laundering, aiding and abetting under the Immigration Act, or migrant exploitation.
· Resident Visa Cap Referendum – New Zealand First will hold a referendum on the introduction of a legislated annual cap on the number of resident visas issued each year. Included in the Resident Visa Cap Referendum will be:
o A resident visa cap of 20,000 per year.
o Linking immigration settings directly to infrastructure capacity.
o Requiring major population growth to occur only where infrastructure already exists or is fully funded and scheduled for delivery.
o Stopping councils being forced to adapt to central government planning where local infrastructure cannot support it.
o Development of a 30-year Population Plan to coordinate immigration, housing and infrastructure planning.
· Social Housing for Citizens First – New Zealand First will ensure that social housing will be made available to citizens first and foremost.
· Chronic Overstayers – New Zealand First will implement a 24-month amnesty for overstayers to self-deport with no restrictions on applications to return.
o Any overstayer found past the clemency period has lapsed will be deported and permanently ineligible to apply for any visa in the future.
o In recognition of our commitment to our enduring Pacific relations, we will allow for a 24-month clemency period to facilitate any Pacific overstayer to apply to remain in the country legally on a valid visa. This will apply only to overstayers of Pacific origin.
· Student Visa Holders – New Zealand First will ensure student visa holders intending to transition to another visa will be required to leave before reapplying for another visa from abroad.
· Removal of Automatic Work Rights for Student Visa Holders – New Zealand First will remove the automatic work rights for international students and stop our kiwi jobs being taken by foreign students.
o Export education was designed to allow foreign students to come here, their economy pay for their education, and go back. It was not designed to allow them to take jobs off kiwis, have our economy pay for their education, and then to use the visa to move on to residence or work.
o It will be mandatory for any international student who wants to work in New Zealand while they study to apply under strict conditions to work. First and foremost, those job opportunities cannot be taken from New Zealanders looking for work.
· Immigration Ministerial Portfolio – It is imperative that a New Zealand First Minister holds the Immigration portfolio when part of the next coalition government to ensure the oversight, control and reform of the immigration system.
You have the right to determine the future size and character of your country.
This set of polices is about taking back control of our country and valuing our unique citizenship the way it should be.
New Zealand First since our formation has been warning about mass immigration being used as a crutch for the economy and failing workforce planning for our own people.
In 2017 when we became part of the government immigration was dramatically cut back. In 2021, when we were no longer part of the government, the governments feet came totally off the brakes, and Labour governing with the Greens began approving 213,000 migrant visas in just 18 months.
Following Covid in 2022, the immigration department loosely approved nearly every application for residency in New Zealand.
And when Labour was unleashing these hundreds of thousands of new immigrants on New Zealand, the National Party and the Act Party said absolutely nothing.
As it says in the good book – “By their deeds you will know them”.
We need immigration to New Zealand. It has been an essential part of our history. But this should be smart controlled immigration policy – bringing in immigrants who we need, not who need us.
It will always bring the inevitable naval gazing by the other parties who would rather fill gaps in our economy and workforce with migrants, than train and maintain kiwis, and protect the “kiwi dream”.
The ‘kiwi dream’ belongs to kiwis who have worked hard for our country, invested time, sweat, pride, and belongs to the generations who share in our country’s history. It is not for just anybody around the world who decides to come to our great country for five minutes and claim what we have built just for their convenience.
Ladies and gentlemen, for decades you have heard other politicians gloating perversely that “diversity is a strength”.
You’ve heard them all say it.
And its false.
Because unity is a strength, not diversity. Diversity is weakness and disunity.
The choice is in your hands, not retail globalist politicians.
Labour’s Mass Immigration Policy
Around three hours after New Zealand First announced our immigration policies on Friday, Labour decided to release theirs.
Except Labour was what you would expect – a bunch of empty words that want to sound like they are talking about immigration, but do exactly what they have always done – tinkered around the edges with a sprinkling of crazy global citizenship policies thrown in.
And by the way, Labour’s Twyford – he of the 100,000 KiwiBuild Homes, except there weren’t even 1000, had the temerity on the news on Friday night to accuse New Zealand First policies as being “racist” – this from the guy who created Labour’s immigration policy in 2017 by searching for ‘Chinese sounding names’ in the Auckland home owners register. Remember that?
Twyford said “Immigration should be planned around what New Zealand needs, and it should be managed in a way that’s fair to everyone here and everyone who comes,” – he must think New Zealanders are stupid, this is coming from the party that in 2023, alone, let in an extra 132,000 net new migrants.
An astonishing number. There is no person on the planet who thinks this type of number can be managed by our infrastructure.
They did it to disguise their failing economy and artificially boost demand. They had no care whatsoever for the long-term effect it would have on our country.
Labour is the party of mass immigration.
What is most concerning with what they announced, is that they said they would “set up a citizenship pathway for children born in New Zealand, and reviewing parent visa, health, and English-language rules”.
In other words, they want someone who has been here for five minutes to be able to have a child who will automatically become a citizen – which will give the immigrant parents the right to stay.
This is pure lunacy. They are treating our citizenship like it means nothing. They are saying our citizenship is just a spreadsheet exercise and box that needs to be ticked.
We in New Zealand First believe our citizenship is a privilege, not a right, and not just part of some bureaucratic machinery.
Waitangi Tribunal / Greens Grocers
There have been policy announcements from other parties over the past week.
Greens Grocers
The Greens new policy of Nationalising Private Supermarkets is textbook communism by stealth.
The Greens have gone full Soviet-style. The waiting queues will be kilometres long – just look at how it turned out in places like Venezuela.
The Green Party has literally stated that their government would “pass new laws forcing Woolworths and Foodstuffs to sell 120 existing stores and two major distribution centres” into public ownership.
And on dependant calculations their buying those shops for a quarter of their market value.
This is forcing private companies to sell their businesses to the government – it is not only nuts, it is the definition of communism.
The Greens are economic illiterates – this from Chloe who wants to be the Minister of Finance.
Chris Hipkins is waking up in cold sweats even before the election.
Waitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal is currently operating as a grievance make-work scheme and way out of scope of its original purpose when it was established.
Does it need to be abolished? Yes.
The Act Party also announced that it would abolish the Waitangi Tribunal once all settlements are completed.
But unfortunately the Act Party’s announcement comes straight out of Jim Bolger’s speech circa 1990 – where he said it will be wound up by 2014 once all settlements were completed. Remember that? “Once completed” means “sometime never”.
Sadly, the Act Party policy is the same illusion that Bolger had and doesn’t deal with the Tribunal.
New Zealand First’s plan is to deal with the Waitangi Tribunal once and for all – and we will be announcing this policy shortly.
Willie Jackson Co-Governance / Māori Apprenticeships
Labour’s Willie Jackson on Q&A was asked if Labour was going to bring back co-governance.
Willie said yes, but “apparently co-governance scares people, so we might give it a new name”.
Whatever new name he wants to give it, it will still be:
Separatist.
Racist.
Apartheid.
Co-governance is the destruction of our democracy. That’s why New Zealand First opposes it.
Because we believe in one people, one flag, one country, one law for all.
That is why we announced a policy to abolish the unelected Independent Māori Statutory Board.
Labour is on a patronising separatist race to the bottom along with the Greens, Te Pati Māori, and Opportunity Party.
Our vision and values as a country should be based on need not race – the sooner we get rid of separatist thinking and work together as one people the sooner we will have a better future together as one people.
Māori Party Destructive Bottom Lines
The Labour Party’s coalition partner, the Māori Party, released a tax policy – they called a “bottom line”.
They want to introduce a wealth tax, a massive corporate tax, a stamp duty, a property speculation tax, and an offshore speculation tax.
This is both a jobs killer and a business killer.
But guess what, surprise surprise, these wealth taxes don’t apply to Māori.
This is a policy for the taxpayer funded Māori elite, by the taxpayer funded Māori elite, from the taxpayer funded Māori elite.
All they have done is treat Māori with disdain, turn up to parliament once a month, and do a haka now and again in the House.
And who wants to sit with them at Cabinet with their extremist views? The Labour Party.
Opportunity Party’s Communist Consultants
Another party the Labour Party wants to work with is the new Opportunity Party.
The Opportunity Party wants homeowners to pay 1.75% of your home’s land value every year, that’s on top of your local rates.
Now you will have to pay an annual rent to the government.
And when the leader of the Opportunity Party was asked how an old couple could afford a $20k land tax bill every year, she said “they will have to downsize their house to afford it”.
This is blisteringly ignorant. But it gets worse.
It will be used for a Universal Basic Income of $19,400 every year, for everyone, for life, even if they are not working.
Opportunity Party calls this ‘fairness’.
New Zealand First calls it ‘communism’.
And who wants to sit with them in Cabinet? The Labour Party.
Green Party Debt Machine
The Greens want an $88 billion debt increase, and have a new policy bribe to give $2.4 billion to Marae – without any oversight or audit of taxpayers’ money.
This is inverse racism of the worst sort. They think they can use a bribe to get your vote. This doesn’t reflect respect for you, but sheer contempt for who you are.
The Greens are obsessed with race, gender, pronouns, and protests, performative politics, virtue signalling, and woke cancel culture, and they have completely lost sight of what their party once stood for.
Old Labour Is Gone
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the stark truth. The Labour Party that you once knew, perhaps even supported, is no more.
That party is gone. All of these polices and parties they are willing to support are proof of that.
Can you imagine Helen Clark or Michael Cullen, or Bob Tizard or Peter Frazer signing up to this?
Some Announced Bold Policies
We have announced a policy to break up the power companies, splitting the supermarket duopoly, creating a truly competitive New Zealand owned bank.
We have announced a policy to return mining royalties back to the regions.
We announced our KiwiSaver policy with automatic $1000 sign-up at birth, we will establish a $100 billion Future Fund that will invest in a thirty-year infrastructure plan for our country.
And we have announced a policy to ensure only citizens are allowed to vote in our country.
We will pull out of the Paris Accord.
We are going to have a referendum on the Maori seats, invest $1billion to find and extract our own oil and gas in our deep sea basins, we announced the ‘Kiwi Kids Grant’ that will support New Zealand citizens raising their first three children, through the first three years of their lives.
And while all the other parties argue about spending and taxation, New Zealand First is different.
We are talking about doubling our economy by 2050. Which is the only way we are going to be able to pay for the things that New Zealanders need.
Covid Inquiry into Vaccine Injuries
We have announced establishing a proper transparent inquiry into those who were injured by the Covid 19 vaccine – so we can find out exactly what happened, who was responsible, and publicly hold them to account.
Why did 311,000 12-17 year olds get a second vaccination when Labour’s Hipkins and Verrall were told not to give it to them?
The Choice On The Right
This year we have been packing the halls around the country with ordinary hardworking kiwi battlers who see the only party talking common sense.
They all see what makes New Zealand First different from every other party.
We are the only socially conservative party.
We are the only nationalist party.
We are the only patriotic party – a word that is now so often criticised. We stand proud to be patriots of New Zealand.
What’s most important, is that we are the only party that can counter-balance the present spectrum of extremists in parliament.
And we have the vitally experienced team and the bold policies to back it up.
New Zealand First is not just running in another election this year, we are running to save our country economically and socially from extremists.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, we are all here because we love our country, and we are proud of it.
True democracy is a rare flower in the history of humanity.
Down thousands of years living in democracy with freedom is a historical rarity.
We have inherited a free country that our forebears fought and died for, and it’s our job to preserve it.
But only if we are proud of what we have inherited can we come together and move forward to shape the vision of our country’s future.
We live in a country that, at its core, traditional New Zealand values once saw us amongst the world’s leaders – hard work, fair pay, valuing our citizenship, building a sense of community, and knowing who we are as kiwis.
We must remember, New Zealand is the beneficiary of Western values, democracy, and the rule of law. And the advancement and enhancement of those principles have only occurred in those societies that have united together as one people – and who celebrate their nationhood instead of perpetuating division.
There is a lot of uncertainty around the world and at home, but we must keep hope alive that, with hard work and perseverance, tomorrow will be better.
We must never stop believing in New Zealand.
That is our vision and that is our mission.
To protect, to save, and to restore New Zealand’s place at the top of the world.
By putting New Zealand and New Zealanders first.
We are asking you to join us – and Party Vote New Zealand First.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/13/winston-peters-2/
]]>Date: 08 September 2026
The Department of Conservation has confirmed the first toroa chicks fledged last week and over the weekend. Āwheo, the chick who features on the 24-hour livestream set up at the breeding colony, has also flown away, possibly taking advantage of the strong winds buffeting Pukekura.
Last season a record 38 chicks fledged, and DOC Biodiversity Ranger Sharyn Broni hopes to see that record equalled this year.
“We’ve had so many milestones recently, with last year’s record fledgling season and then the 1000th chick hatching,” says Sharyn.
“Now, we’re at this exciting time of year when the chicks start to leave as all the hard work the rangers have done pays off. We’ve seen the chicks starting to practice in the strong winds, flapping and strengthening their wings getting ready for their long journeys.”
Once leaving Pukekura, juveniles quickly adapt to life on the ocean where they will spend 85 per cent of their lives. They learn to feed off the east coast of Aotearoa/New Zealand before crossing 9000 km of Pacific Ocean to the Humbolt Current off the coast of Chile. Juveniles do not touch ground for an average of five years, when they return to their breeding ground having circumnavigated the globe.
DOC co-manages the albatross colony near Ōtepoti/Dunedin as part of Te Poari a Pukekura (TPP) alongside Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, Korako Karetai Trust and Dunedin City Council, with the support of the Otago Peninsula Trust. TPP Chairman Bill Karaitiana says it’s a memorable time seeing the toroa start to fly away.
“These special manu give us many more pairs of eyes which will be flying over and surveying the ocean ecosystem, giving us valuable insights. The challenge for Te Poari a Pukekura is to build the body of knowledge about the ocean, the land, and the flora and fauna. The toroa can help us better understand the mauri (life force) of its ecosystem,” he says.
Sharyn says now that the chicks have started to fledge, their parents can have a rest.
“These chicks are huge and, understandably, their parents are exhausted from 7 months of feeding them!”
The adults will also head across the Pacific Ocean, where they will spend the next 12 months building up reserves for a new breeding season.
“Then we’ll see them back again, which is so exciting, every season they return,” says Sharyn.
Toroa/northern royal albatross are one of the largest seabirds in the world, with wingspans up to three metres. They are a vulnerable species that are affected by changes to habitat and climate, plastic pollution, and some fishing practices. They also reproduce slowly, with breeding starting from about eight years old and breeding pairs typically raising a chick once every two years.
The colony at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head is the only mainland site in the world where toroa/northern royal albatross breed.
A taonga species, toroa have a conservation status of ‘Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable’, with an estimated population of about 17,000 mature individuals.
The Royal Cam livestream is run in partnership with Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology in New York, helping the lives of these albatrosses reach an international audience. Now in its tenth year, it receives millions of views from people all around the globe annually.
Nature isn’t scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It’s behind our identity and our way of life.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/13/first-fledgling-toroa-fly-from-pukekura-taiaroa-head/
]]>The next Government should restore fair pay agreements and pay equity legislation within its first 100 days, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi says in its Briefing to the Incoming Government, released today.
The briefing sets out 16 priorities across three themes – good work, a just economy, and modern public services and infrastructure. It speaks for more than 370,000 union members across NZCTU’s 32 affiliated unions.
“Working people have been weathering a long storm. Incomes have fallen behind the cost of living since 2021, unemployment is at an 11-year high, and people are going to work every day and still falling behind,” says Sandra Grey, NZCTU President.
“This briefing is a practical plan to turn that around. The NZCTU looks forward to working with the next Government to implement this plan.”
StatsNZ figures show 171,000 people were unemployed in the June 2026 quarter and 440,000 were underutilised. One in seven children, and one in 10 people over 65 are living in poverty. Yet in just the last year, the wealth of the 150 richest New Zealanders on the NBR Rich List rose by $27 billion to $129 billion.
The briefing calls for the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026 and the Employment Leave Act to be repealed before they take effect. It also calls for 90-day trials to be abolished and for corporate manslaughter legislation to be introduced.
“Fair pay agreements are the best tool we have to lift wages for hundreds of thousands of people in industries like supermarkets and cleaning, where employers compete by driving pay down. Restoring them, along with the pay equity system that was gutted last year, should be the first job of the next Government,” says Grey.
“We also need to rebalance the tax system. Inland Revenue’s own research shows the wealthiest 311 families pay less than half the effective tax rate of ordinary Kiwis. That’s unfair, and it starves the public services working people rely on. A capital gains tax is the obvious place to start,” says Grey.
“Power prices have gone up 12 percent in a year because the gentailers are incentivised to chase profits rather than build new generation. The Government is already the majority shareholder – it’s time it used that power for households,” says Grey.
“None of this works without working people having a real voice in the decisions that affect them. Working people have been clear about what they need. Now it’s up to the parties to show us they’re listening.”
The full Briefing to the Incoming Government is available here.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/13/back-on-track-not-for-workers-unions-hand-next-government-a-better-map/
]]>A Tauranga man has been charged after an alleged vandalism spree targeting political hoardings, with Police warning potential copycats to think again.
The first hoardings were targeted on Parton Road in Papamoa about 6.30am on 10 September.
All up, about 30 hoardings of various kinds were damaged in a two-hour period across Papamoa, says Senior Sergeant Shannon Clifford, Area Manager – Response.
“The damage in some cases is significant and unfortunately, that’s an unnecessary cost for the people who own them.
“We won’t tolerate this illegal and destructive behaviour in our community.”
Senior Sergeant Clifford says information from the public had helped Police.
“I’d like to thank those people who reported the damage as it was happening, their quick actions have helped us arrest a suspect that same day.
“It’s a warning to anyone wanting to damage or deface hoardings – actions have consequences.”
A 43-year-old Tauranga man faces four charges of wilful damage. He appeared in the Tauranga District Court on Saturday 11 September and was remanded on bail to reappear on 2 October.
Police would like to hear from anyone who has information about these incidents, including any dashcam or CCTV footage.
If you can help, please call 105 and quote file number 260910/0619.
ENDS
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/12/charges-after-alleged-intentional-damage-tauranga/
]]>Please attribute to Senior Sergeant Dave Marshall:
Police can confirm one person has died in a house fire on Matakana Island this morning.
Emergency services were called to the fire, on Paama Court, about 4.10am.
Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand attended the scene, with an investigation now under way to establish the cause.
At this stage we can advise that one person was located deceased inside the property.
One person was also treated for burns.
Police will remain on scene through the day.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/12/fatal-fire-matakana-island/
]]>The Government will help improve the visitors’ experience to Kaikōura and support future tourism growth through an investment funded by the International Visitor Levy.
The $835,000 investment will improve facilities and arrival experiences for cruise visitors, enhance public spaces used by both visitors and locals, and create a more welcoming gateway into the township, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says.
“Kaikōura is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive visitor destinations, attracting people from around the world for its wildlife, natural beauty and outdoor experiences.
“This investment will help ensure visitors can enjoy the destination at its best, from the moment they arrive through to the experiences they have while they’re here.”
“Cruise visitors are an important part of Kaikōura’s tourism economy. Improvements to cruise facilities will help make the arrival experience to Kaikōura more attractive to cruise operators and passengers, building on efforts that has built real momentum for the cruise industry in New Zealand already.
“Kaikōura is unique, with a small ratepayer base but high visitor numbers. That means this investment can offset pressures on locals, while ensuring the local economy reaps the rewards from cruise tourism – supporting jobs, investment and further growth.
“Tourism growth relies on quality infrastructure. By investing in destinations like Kaikōura, we’re helping regional New Zealand capture more of the benefits that tourism brings through increased visitor spending, jobs and economic activity.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/12/kaikoura-to-benefit-from-ivl-investment/
]]>Waitlists for scans, colonoscopies, and heart tests have fallen sharply over the past year, with Health New Zealand exceeding the Government’s delivery target for additional procedures to address long wait lists, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
Last year, the Government confirmed that it would deliver an additional 75,000 procedures across radiology, colonoscopy, cardiac, and colposcopy services. The results for that period are:
“This is what happens when we set clear targets and accountability. These results represent thousands of New Zealanders receiving the tests they need sooner than they otherwise would have,” Mr Brown says.
“The greatest improvement has been for those waiting longest. A year ago, tens of thousands of New Zealanders were waiting longer than they should for the tests they needed. That number has fallen by 43 per cent.”
Waitlist reductions for diagnostic services include:
“CT and MRI are among the most frequently ordered scans in the health system, so improvements there reach the greatest number of patients. Nearly half of the CT waitlist and a third of the MRI waitlist have been cleared in twelve months.
“Demand grew over the same period, including a 10 per cent rise in urgent CT and MRI referrals. Waitlists fell despite that increase, which shows the reductions came from delivering more, not just working through an existing backlog.
“Reducing waitlists while demand increases is a considerably harder result to achieve, and it demonstrates a genuine improvement in productivity.”
The results were delivered through the $65 million Diagnostic Improvement Plan, which was aimed at reducing long waitlists for critical diagnostic procedures in 2025/26. It enabled Health New Zealand to maximise capacity in its own hospitals while also using private providers to deliver more diagnostic services for patients.
“Maximising capacity in our hospitals is thanks to the hard work of frontline staff, who have delivered additional clinics to see more patients. I want to acknowledge the APEX union for its engagement with Health New Zealand, which has played a key role in delivering that extra capacity.
“The programme has also been supported by targeted workforce growth, with expanded training places in radiology, echo-sonography, nurse colposcopy, and nurse endoscopy, alongside investment in new data platforms, ensuring we can meet future demand.
“The priority over the past year has been getting waitlists down. There is still more to do, and too many New Zealanders are still waiting too long, but waitlists have come down significantly and we are making real progress.
“These results show what is possible when the system is focused on delivery. The task now is to build on that, with more scans and tests planned this year and a continued focus on New Zealanders getting the tests they need, when they need them.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/12/diagnostics-target-exceeded-as-waitlists-fall-21-per-cent/
]]>Headline: Local indie agency discovers holy grail of advertising
Following a breakthrough discovery, Mad is deploying a master prompt capable of replicating world-class, award-winning print advertising formulas directly onto its platform.
The post Local indie agency discovers holy grail of advertising first appeared on PR.co.nz.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/local-indie-agency-discovers-holy-grail-of-advertising/
]]>Attribute to Inspector Phil Gillbanks:
Police are continuing to search for missing 52-year-old man Billyjoe Pereniki.
Billyjoe was reported missing from his home address in Opape Beach Road, Ōpōtiki on Monday 7 September having last been seen on the afternoon of Sunday 30 August.
Billyjoe is described as comfortable in the bush and is well known in the local area, however, the length of time that he has been away and not in contact with family is now considered unusual.
Police investigators have been following information from the public and as yet have not been able to locate Billyjoe through those enquiries.
Police Search and Rescue staff and NZ Land, Search and Rescue volunteers accompanied by a Police Search and Rescue Dog Team have thoroughly searched the area surrounding his home address. Surf Lifesaving volunteers in an IRB have searched the adjacent coastline.
Search activities will continue over the weekend.
Police continue to ask locals and the wider community to keep an eye out for Billyjoe.
Anyone with any information as to his possible whereabouts should contact police immediately.
Please reference file number 260907/0793.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/search-continues-for-missing-opotiki-man/
]]>Please attribute to Detective Inspector Stu Harvey:
Police are now able to release the name of the motorcyclist who died after a crash on Clyde Street, Invercargill last night.
He was Whetu Taylor, 41, from Invercargill.
Police extend our thoughts and sympathies to his family and loved ones.
Police are investigating on behalf of the Coroner, and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/name-release-fatal-crash-invercargill/
]]>Whangārei Hospital’s new Child Health Centre was officially opened today, giving children, young people, and their families across Northland a purpose-built home for outpatient and community child health services, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“Children and young people in Northland deserve to receive care in facilities that are built for them,” Mr Brown says.
“This $35 million centre replaces an ageing children’s clinic with a modern, welcoming space designed around the needs of children and their families.”
The centre provides medical and non-medical outpatient and community services for children aged 0 to 16, and up to 21 in some cases. Services include paediatric medical services, paediatric community nursing, healthy lifestyle programmes, eczema and allergy clinics, visiting specialist clinics, and electroencephalogram (EEG) clinics.
It sits alongside the hospital, connected by a link bridge, placing child health services close to the Special Care Baby Unit, paediatrics, and maternity services.
“That proximity matters for families moving between services, and so does the design of the building itself.
“A hospital visit can be daunting for a young child, so this centre has been designed around them, with comfortable waiting areas for families, therapy and play spaces inside, and a playground and landscaped areas outside.”
The completion of a second project was also marked today, with the opening of the Car Park 14 extension.
“Car parks are a vital part of hospital infrastructure and are essential for patients, staff, and visitors as we continue the transformation of Whangārei Hospital.
“This $18.5 million project delivers 573 car parks and will help meet growing demand across the campus as the hospital continues to grow.”
Completing both projects is a critical step towards the wider Whangārei Hospital redevelopment. Relocating child health services has released the former Child Health site, which is required for the new acute services building and ward tower, while the carpark extension maintains, and ultimately increases, the number of car parks available on site during construction.
“Together, they clear the way for construction of the new acute services building to begin. They also mean the hospital can keep operating effectively through that work, with more parking available than there was before. That is how you deliver a redevelopment of this scale without disrupting the care people need today.
“Seeing both projects completed is a significant milestone for Northland, and I want to acknowledge Dr Shane Reti, who turned the sod for the Child Health Centre in December 2024 and for the carpark extension late last year.
“We are fixing the basics and building the future of our healthcare system by investing in the infrastructure New Zealanders need, and Northland is a big part of that. There is more to come as the redevelopment of this hospital continues,” Mr Brown says.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/new-child-health-centre-and-carpark-open-at-whangarei-hospital/
]]>Work is officially underway on the Whangārei Hospital redevelopment, with the sod turned today on the site of the new acute services building and 158-bed ward tower, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“Today marks a major milestone for Northland, as the Government continues to invest in the infrastructure Northlanders need to access timely, quality healthcare now and into the future,” Mr Brown says.
“Much of Whangārei Hospital dates back to the 1950s and is no longer equipped to meet the needs of a growing population. We need facilities that support modern models of care and provide greater capacity.”
The acute services building will include a significantly expanded emergency department, 10 operating theatres, and modern intensive care facilities.
The ward tower, which the Government committed to in Budget 2026, will provide 158 beds across four medical-surgical wards and an acute assessment unit, delivering a net increase of 53 beds for the campus.
“This additional capacity means more patients can be assessed and treated sooner, improving access to essential healthcare services across Northland.
“Delivering the ward tower alongside the acute services building will improve efficiency and accelerate the overall redevelopment programme.
“Together, the two buildings will support delivery of the Government’s health targets, including shorter emergency department stays, faster access to assessment and treatment, and a better experience for patients and staff.
Budget 2026 also funds piling works for an additional ward tower in future, laying the groundwork for further expansion as demand grows while avoiding significant disruption to hospital services.
Mr Brown says the redevelopment is one of the most significant health infrastructure investments in Northland’s history.
“This is about more than improving healthcare infrastructure. The redevelopment is expected to contribute around $233 million to Northland’s GDP and support more than 2,700 full-time equivalent jobs through construction and associated industries.
“That means more local jobs, more opportunities for regional businesses, and a stronger Northland economy.
“As construction progresses, this investment will build confidence in Northland’s future while delivering the modern hospital facilities the region needs.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/sod-turned-on-whangarei-hospital-redevelopment/
]]>An alleged bakery burglar’s plan failed to rise after he was caught in the act in Northcote yesterday.
Just gone 4pm, Waitematā Police received a report of burglary from a store on Pearn Crescent.
Inspector Aron McKeown, Waitematā East Area Commander says the alleged offender had been observed by the bakery’s owner, who was watching via CCTV.
“A Police unit was dispatched and arrived just minutes later.
“A constable approached the rear of the building and heard rustling behind an enclosed area.”
The officer entered the space and located a man allegedly stripping steel off food racks. A bag of tools allegedly aiding the man’s efforts were positioned below him.
A 55-year-old man was arrested without incident.
“The quick attendance of staff helped stop a recidivist burglar whose offending has no place in our community.
“Police remind the public to report any suspicious activity to 111 if it’s happening now or to 105 after the fact.”
The man will appear in North Shore District Court today, charged with burglary and possessing instruments for burglary.
ENDS.
Frankie Le Roy/NZ Police.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/half-baked-burglary-foiled/
]]>Information on what the Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee (CTAC) will be considering at its upcoming meeting in November 2026.
The Committee will discuss correspondence regarding the trial results for ribociclib (CDK 4/6 inhibitors) for adjuvant HR positive/HER-2 negative early breast cancer, which was previously discussed at the November 2025 CTAC meeting [PDF, 535 KB].
Application for ribociclib(external link)
The Committee will discuss an application for cemiplimab for the treatment of people living with squamous cell carcinoma. This application is for first line treatment, for people whose cancer is advanced or has spread and cannot be removed with surgery or radiation therapy.
Application for cemiplimab(external link)
The Committee will discuss an application for pembrolizumab for the treatment of people living with resectable, locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer.
Application for pembrolizumab(external link)
The Committee will discuss an application for mogamulizumab for the treatment of people living with Sézary syndrome that has returned or has not responded to previous treatment.
Application for mogamulizumab(external link)
The scheduling and agenda setting process for advisory meetings considers multiple factors. We aim to balance the relative priorities of clinical advice needed across indications, the factors for consideration for each application (for example unmet health need), the time since applications were received and the internal and advisor resource available to support each meeting.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/agenda-for-november-2026-cancer-treatments-ctac-meeting/
]]>Regulation Minister David Seymour and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee have today announced the next steps in the implementation of the Ministry for Regulation’s Hospitality Sector Review.
“If we are going to unlock New Zealand’s potential, we need to let Kiwi businesses get on with business,” Mr Seymour says.
“The average lifespan of a café or restaurant is less than two years. The Review went straight to the source to find out why. The review received 247 written submissions, met directly with 13 sector representative groups, members of 27 District Licensing Committees (DLCs), 12 territorial authorities, 21 hospitality businesses and two community groups.
“One of the biggest issues people had was with the alcohol licensing regime. In some cases, getting a license costs more than the economic benefit of having one. In other cases rules make no sense. For example, a cruise ship can serve alcohol when the boat is moving, but can’t when it’s in the port.
“Bad regulations kill business. One business told the Review that delays in the licensing process, which in this case took over a year, ended with 30 staff being let go and $200,000 lost in investment, and over $1 million lost in potential lost profits. As soon as the licence was granted, the business had to be sold. Something has to be done. That’s why we’re fixing it.”
“Kiwi businesses will soon face less red tape when applying for new alcohol licenses, and when they renew existing ones,” Mrs McKee says.
“Regulators need to stop treating hospitality businesses who want to sell alcohol like common criminals.
“I have accepted all but one of the Review’s recommendations to make alcohol licenses easier to get, more proportionate, and less costly. When alcohol is supplied in controlled environments such as restaurants or bars, the streets are safer.”
“The Ministry for Regulation recommended that these changes be implemented by 2029. I would like to see them in place much sooner where that is practical.”
The Government has accepted all but one of the Review’s recommendations, including to:
“This is one more problem fixed by the Ministry for Regulation that Kiwis face, and the bureaucracy won’t touch,” Mr Seymour says.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/alcohol-licenses-to-use-common-sense/
]]>Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown have confirmed appointments to the newly established Auckland Regional Transport Committee (ARTC), an important step in strengthening Auckland’s transport governance.
“The ARTC will play a critical role in aligning central and local government priorities and ensuring Auckland has a transport system that meets the needs of a growing city,” says Mr Bishop.
“For too long, Auckland’s transport system has suffered from fragmented decision-making and a lack of clear long-term direction.
“These reforms are about putting in place stronger governance, greater accountability and a clear strategic focus for Auckland’s transport future.
The ARTC is made up of three Ministerial appointees, three Auckland Council appointees and a jointly appointed Chair.
Daniel Williams will serve as Chair for a one-year term from 14 September 2026 to 13 September 2027. The three Ministerial appointees will also serve for the same term.
The three Ministerial appointees are:
The three Auckland Council appointees are:
The appointments are the next step in implementing changes made by the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Transport Governance) Amendment Act 2026, which came into force on 7 May 2026.
Mr Bishop says Mr Williams brings more than 30 years of experience across master-planned communities, major infrastructure and commercial developments in New Zealand and the Pacific.
“His extensive experience will be of significant value to the ARTC as it takes on its strategic role, and I am pleased to see him appointed as Chair.
“Alongside Daniel, the Ministerial appointees bring complementary expertise across infrastructure investment, transport planning, economics and spatial planning.
Mayor Brown says the appointments are an important step towards a more integrated approach to transport planning for Auckland.
“This is a significant milestone and an important step forward in finally delivering a more integrated and coordinated approach to transport planning for Auckland,” says Mayor Brown.
“The ARTC is a unique committee, established through transport reform that formed one of my cornerstone policies to fix Auckland’s transport system and improve how major transport decisions are made.”
The committee reflects the importance of genuine partnership, a key principle of the Auckland Regional Deal, and will play a critical role in bringing together local and central government to align priorities and provide long-term certainty for Aucklanders.
“Daniel Williams is a suitable chair. It has been an extensive search because we wanted a strong, experienced and credible chair for this important role.
“Major projects don’t go wrong overnight, they start wrong. That’s why it’s critical the committee gets the foundations right from day one and provides the governance and oversight needed to make good decisions early.
“Daniel brings significant real-world experience and is already well known to Auckland Council through his work as the independent Chair of the Regulatory Review Committee, where he successfully helped council and industry work together to resolve complex regulatory issues.
“His proven ability to build consensus, tackle challenges and drive outcomes will serve the ARTC and Auckland well as it begins this important work.”
Notes to editor:
Appointee biographies
Daniel Williams
Daniel has been a Director of Woods NZ for over 30 years and was Managing Director for over 20 of them. Daniel has over 35 years of professional experience as a surveyor with involvement in a broad range of projects, including master-planned communities, large infrastructure builds, and commercial developments throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Daniel successfully oversaw the growth of the Woods to be a significant contributor to land development throughout New Zealand. Daniel has been a major figure in the New Zealand surveying industry. He has contributed significantly to the profession, including serving as a board member and board chair for Survey and Spatial New Zealand.
Carl Blanchard
Carl is a highly experienced corporate finance and capital markets adviser with more than 30 years’ experience advising corporates, investors, local authorities and the Crown. He has deep expertise across infrastructure, energy, transport and property, and has led some of New Zealand’s most significant equity capital markets transactions, including major IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic asset sales. Prior to joining Forsyth Barr, Carl was a partner at PwC, leading the infrastructure advisory practice, lead the Accident Compensation Corporation direct investment team and spent 16 years at Jarden in senior leadership roles. He started his career at the Treasury and is a former chair of the New Zealand Takeovers Panel.
Bronwyn Coomer-Smit
Bronwyn is a founder and ex-Director of Flow Transportation Specialists Limited. Bronwyn is a civil engineer, specialising in transport engineering, with over 45 years’ experience in strategic transport planning, traffic engineering, road design and construction, in South Africa and New Zealand. Over the past 30 years her work in New Zealand has involved the project management and public consultation of many different types of traffic and transportation projects, including for local and central government agencies. She also served as a board member of the North Harbour Hockey Association for nine years.
Stuart Shepherd
Stuart is a company director and strategic advisor with a career focused on economics, finance, infrastructure and property. His experience includes co-founding the Sustainable Property Investment Fund (a mid-sized commercial property fund), serving as a Commissioner on the Auckland Unitary Plan Hearings Panel and as a member of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Expert Advisory Group, chairing the Government’s 2017 Housing Infrastructure Fund Assessment Panel and advising on resource management reforms. He is also a Founding director and chair of Home Capital Partners (part of the Home Foundation Group) and a director of Crown Infrastructure Delivery Ltd (the Government’s vertical infrastructure delivery agency).
Auckland Council appointees
Cr Andy Baker
Andy Baker is a Franklin local, growing up in Drury. He has had a varied work life serving as a frontline police officer in South Auckland before returning to the family dairy farm then becoming a successful restaurateur and later as a manager of emergency management and rural fire for various Councils.
In 2010 he followed his family heritage and entered the world of local politics, becoming the first chair on the Franklin Local Board and then being elected as Franklin ward councillor in 2022.
Andy is currently chair of the Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee, chair of the Rural Advisory Panel, and was previously a board director of Auckland Transport amongst a host of other appointments and responsibilities.
He is heavily involved in the local community through rugby and sport where he is the ground announcer for Counties Manukau Rugby, NZ Cricket Super Smash and is currently Patron of Counties Special Olympics.
Cr Shane Henderson
Shane Henderson is an experienced local government leader with over a decade of service across Auckland’s governance system. He has served as a Councillor for the Waitākere Ward since 2019 and is currently Deputy Chair of Auckland Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee and Chair of the Road Controlling Authority Sub-Committee. Prior to his election to Council, he chaired the Henderson-Massey Local Board and is a former community lawyer.
His work in public office has centred on affordable public transport, effective infrastructure delivery, smart urban planning, and environmental protection. Born and raised in West Auckland, Shane brings a strong suburban lens to governance and decision-making. Living in Te Atatū South with his young family, he is driven to ensure all Auckland communities can access transport that is fast, affordable, and sustainable.
Cr Maurice Williamson
Maurice Williamson is an Auckland Councillor for the Howick Ward who brings extensive experience from careers in both central and local government. He represented Pakuranga as a Member of Parliament for 30 years, from 1987 to 2017, and held a range of ministerial portfolios across successive National-led governments, including Transport, Broadcasting, Local Government, Customs, and Statistics.
Following his parliamentary career, Maurice served as New Zealand’s Consul-General in Los Angeles before returning to public service in Auckland. In 2022, he was elected to Auckland Council’s Governing Body as the Councillor for the Howick Ward. A strong advocate for transport, Maurice is committed to delivering practical solutions and positive outcomes that improve connectivity and quality of life for Aucklanders.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/members-appointed-to-aucklands-new-regional-transport-committee/
]]>Kia ora koutou.
Thank you all for joining us here today.
Can I acknowledge the Prime Minister, the Minister for Rail, the Mayor of Auckland, my Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and Councillors – and those of you who have held those roles in the past.
I want to especially recognise today the thousands of tunnellers, engineers, electricians, specialists and planners, without who this project would not have been possible.
The apprentices who came onto this project as school leavers and will walk off it as qualified tradespeople – who will go out into the world, or stay here at home, and use those skills for decades to come.
Those who came from afar, and those who came from just down the road, to help our city take the next step in its story.
We should also acknowledge those businesses who have been impacted during construction. Your contribution has made this achievement possible, too.
None it has been easy. But I am certain that once people jump on the first train, it will be clear it has been worth it.
Success, they say, has many fathers – and today is certainly a very large family reunion.
More than one hundred years ago, on the 14th of June 1918, the Grey Lynn Town Board met.
On their agenda was a proposal for a railway deviation from the Town Hall to Morningside. What they wanted was a railway station in the centre of the city.
One attendee at this meeting dismissed the idea to the Auckland Star. Interesting as history, he said, but what Auckland needed was better transit, not history.
But if you want history, this project certainty has plenty.
In 1924, Gordon Coates announced the ‘Morningside Deviation’ – a tunnel under Morningside with an underground station near the town hall.
By 1930, the cost had tripled, and the Government cancelled it.
It came back in various ways in 1936, 1946, 1950, and 1955 – all in different forms, but none eventuating.
In 1972 Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, the great mayor of this city, took up this cause – only for it to be cancelled again by the government in 1976.
But I want to take you back to that first local board meeting in 1918. Buried at the bottom of that Auckland Star report is the real story.
By the time that meeting sat, a similar route had already been surveyed. For a tunnel. And a station in the centre of town – a few hundred metres from where we are standing right now.
That survey work was over 50 years old.
In 1918.
It would have been drawn up around the same time Auckland was laying its very first railways.
That’s right. We have been talking about building a railway through the centre of Auckland since the 1870s.
One hundred and fifty years.
But this idea has endured.
It has endured because generations of Kiwis knew, like we do now, that transport is what binds cities together.
This simple truth has always stood the test of time.
Cities take time to grow up – Auckland is no different.
Like us, they experience growing pains. They never mature nearly as fast as their parents would like.
But as we stand here today, like parents at a graduation ceremony, we should be proud that Auckland has, now, grown up.
Because this truly is a turning point for this city.
The world’s greatest cities all share one thing.
Beneath their streets runs a railway that carries people to work, to study, to family, and to their homes.
From today, so does ours.
Generations have tried and failed.
We are the generation that finally did.
City Rail Link joins a long list of ambitious projects in our young country’s history.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge, Manapōuri, the Clyde Dam, the Waterview Tunnel.
Every time, our eyes widen, and our ambition grows.
But now, it’s time we look forward.
To the future, and what is possible.
The question is no longer “if” – it’s “what”.
For now, we have an Auckland rapid transit network to finish. But who knows what the next 150 years will bring.
The next generation will be as hungry for growth as we are.
They will go on to build the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing after that.
And so, our country grows.
A because of achievements like the one we are celebrating today, they will know they can achieve great things.
I am proud to be the Minister of Transport that gets to see this project completed but I am intensely aware that I am just the current guy holding the job.
There have been Ministers of Transport before me, governments and councils before me that started this project.
There will be Ministers of Transport and councils and governments to come and they will continue to build the future of this great city.
But today, we should be proud that as a country, we got this done.
Thank you.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/speech-at-city-rail-link-official-opening/
]]>New Zealand’s manufacturing sector has now expanded for 14 months in a row, with new data showing growth spreading across more of the industry, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Cameron Brewer says.
The BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) came in at 53.1 for August, above the survey’s long-term average of 52.5. A reading above 50.0 shows the sector is expanding.
While the index eased from 54.3 in July, BNZ Senior Economist Doug Steel said the three-month average continues to rise, showing the industry is ‘performing well through monthly volatility’. The three-month average now sits at 55.8, its highest level since July 2021.
“Manufacturing has now grown for more than a year straight, and what’s really encouraging is how widely that growth is spreading. More parts of the industry, and more parts of the country, are getting busier,” Mr Brewer says.
Every main industry group in the survey expanded in August. Food and beverage, textiles and clothing, and non-metallic mineral products such as glass and concrete all moved from contraction into growth. All four regions also recorded expansion, for the first time since March.
New Orders lifted to 54.9, up from 53.6 in July, pointing to more work in the pipeline. Production remained solid at 54.2, and both sit above their long-term averages.
“Orders picking up means more work coming through the factory door. When manufacturers get busy, they need to invest to keep up, and that’s exactly what Investment Boost is for. It lets them buy the machinery and equipment that lifts productivity,” Mr Brewer says.
The manufacturing sector directly employs more than 220,000 people, contributes around eight per cent of GDP, and accounts for around 60 per cent of New Zealand’s goods exports. BNZ said August’s result points to positive momentum for the economy in the September quarter.
“There’s still plenty of global uncertainty and cost pressure out there, but our manufacturers keep delivering. They’re outpacing Australia, the United Kingdom, the Eurozone and China, and running ahead of the global average,” Mr Brewer says.
“Kiwi manufacturers are doing the hard yards, and this Government is backing them. This is all part of the Government’s plan to fix the basics and build the future, with a manufacturing sector that’s growing, investing and taking on the world.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/manufacturing-growth-spreads-across-the-sector/
]]>The Government is strengthening support for New Zealand’s treasured backcountry hut and track network through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Backcountry Trust, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced.
“For nearly ten years, the Backcountry Trust has partnered with DOC to restore and maintain hundreds of huts and thousands of kilometres of tracks across the country — demonstrating what can be achieved when government, community, and passionate volunteers work together,” Mr Potaka says.
“Our Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the Backcountry Trust through $4.2 million of funding from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy since 2024. This significant contribution has enabled the Backcountry Trust to deliver work across the motu, supporting the preservation of South Island alpine huts like Almer Hut in Westland Tai Poutini National Park and Hopeless Hut in Nelson Lakes National Park, restoration of treasured hunting bases like Venison Tops Hut in Kaweka Forest Park, and track work on local classics like in the Silverpeaks north of Dunedin.
“This MOU signals the next stage of that commitment. It provides an opportunity for DOC and the Backcountry Trust to further develop a durable, sustainable partnership through developing a national operational agreement, while helping to ensure New Zealanders can continue to enjoy a resilient and publicly accessible backcountry hut and track network.
“Working alongside organisations like the Backcountry Trust gives us an opportunity to combine DOC’s expertise with the skills, energy, and commitment that already exist in our backcountry communities.
“The nation’s backcountry huts and tracks are part of who we are. Generations of Kiwi have explored them, cared for them, and created memories in — and on — them. I am pleased that this work means others will be able to have those same experiences, too.”
Notes to editors:
The Memorandum of Understanding between DOC and the Backcountry Trust is non-binding and does not create legal or operational obligations.
The MOU outlines a shared intention to:
help retain and maintain backcountry huts and tracks where possible
support a financially sustainable future for the backcountry network
harness the skills, experience and enthusiasm of volunteers, communities and contractors
explore new funding opportunities and improved visitor payment systems
ensure people can continue to enjoy backcountry experiences.
It does not transfer DOC’s responsibilities, determine the future of individual huts or tracks, or commit either organisation to a future operational arrangement.
The MOU supports exploration of long-term, sustainable approaches to maintaining parts of New Zealand’s backcountry hut and track network. There are no immediate changes to how huts and tracks are managed, and no decisions have been made about individual locations or districts.
As part of the next stage of work, DOC and the Backcountry Trust will develop a national operational agreement, with the goal of signing an agreement by the end of 2026.
The Backcountry Trust was established in 2017 and works with communities, volunteers, and partners to restore, maintain and enhance backcountry huts and tracks.
DOC has nearly 1,000 huts, and 24,000 km of tracks, throughout the country.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/wider-collaboration-to-preserve-backcountry-heritage/
]]>[11 September 2026, Te Waihorotiu Station, City Rail Link Official Opening]
Good morning.
Welcome to the tunnel, and in the words of Johnny Cash:
I hear a train a-comin’
It’s rollin’ round the bend
And I ain’t seen the sunshine
Since I, I don’t know when.
Thank you for the invitation to join you underground today in the brand-new City Rail Link. A special welcome to the new French Ambassador Francois Decoster, who presented his credentials on Wednesday.
Now, we are here as Minister for Rail – the word “for” is deliberate. We are for rail.
Our record is proof of that. Since 2019, the taxpayer has invested $2.4 billion on top of its share of this tunnel in Auckland’s rail network.
We are responsible for the vast majority of that commitment, because every action we have taken is to shift Auckland’s rail network from a freight route to a modern metropolitan railway serving people and freight.
We extended the electrified network south from Papakura to Pukekohe – it opened last year.
We added a third railway line between Wiri and Quay Park, unblocking the busiest section of railway in the country to give freight its own line and keep two lines for passenger trains between Wiri and the city centre. It also opened last year.
We have rebuilt Auckland’s railways from the ground up, focussing particularly on sections that were a century old. 70 kilometres of rebuilt drainage, 30 kilometres of rebuilt foundations, 80 kilometres of new rail, 55 kilometres of new sleepers, and 52 kilometres of new ballast rock.
That work is to lift the resilience of the line – all so that when this tunnel officially opens on Sunday, Aucklanders can experience trains turning up on time.
We also built two brand new railway stations at Drury and Paerata, and a third is opening next year in west Drury. TVNZ managed to somehow avoid acknowledging the fact the taxpayer paid for 100 percent of those stations when we opened those stations in July – let’s see how they do today.
The fact is, without our $2.4 billion of investment, this wonderful new tunnel would be a very nice, but little-used asset.
That investment is what enables us to have a train every ten minutes at peak, and will enable it to grow more frequent over time.
In a city, stuck all too often in congestion, this tunnel and our wider investment represents a gear change for the better.
So, Mr Mayor, we hope you are happier now.
And we will not stop advocating for rail, as unblocking Auckland – the largest local body metropolitan centre in Australasia – ultimately benefits New Zealand. A blocked city, a blocked market, is no good for the national economy. Rail is the answer.
We have a question for you. How is it possible that, after a hundred years, we have built the city rail link and yet there is no “Auckland Central Station.” That name follows the universal precedent and would be known to locals and visitors alike.
Instead, we have renamed Britomart Station the Waitemata Station. We have some news for you – the Waitemata is the harbour, not the station, and people don’t want to catch a train into the sea.
But here we are at the Wellesley and Mayoral Drive Station, beyond the Auckland Central Station, and before the K-Road and Mount Eden Stations. Those are names people know. Instead, we have been tasked to learn new names. Thank you, Auckland Transport – or should I say, “ngā mihi.”
That said, we will keep advocating for the third and fourth main lines on the busy southern corridor, for connecting Avondale to Onehunga through a new west-south line, and continuing to remove level crossings to separate our roads from our railways.
But we will not do it without the men and women of the railways – and everyone else across the construction and infrastructure industries.
You are the people who designed the city rail link, who tunnelled it, built it, fitted it out, tested it, and will now operate and maintain it.
You have built something of lasting value for your country.
In years to come, you will bring your children here. One day, they may bring theirs. And you will always be able to say, “I helped build this.”
Today, on behalf of the Government and the country, thank you.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/the-light-at-the-end-of-a-long-awaited-tunnel/
]]>Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Ministers, Councillors and iwi have officially opened Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) today, marking a turning point in the way New Zealand’s biggest city moves and grows.
After a decade of construction, commuters will be able to travel through the heart of the city by train from Sunday 13 September, when CRL stations open and a new rail timetable begins.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the opening is a historic moment for Auckland, coming around a century after an underground city centre railway was first proposed.
“CRL is New Zealand’s biggest, and perhaps most challenging, transport project completed to date,” Mr Bishop says.
“For the first time, trains will run right through the middle of Auckland rather than reaching the city centre and stopping. Auckland’s rail lines will become a connected network, with faster journeys, more frequent services and much greater capacity.
“It brings Auckland’s rail system more in line with major cities around the world and will make a real difference to people heading to work or school, going to an appointment, meeting friends, shopping or getting to an event.
“CRL is a statement of ambition for Auckland and for New Zealand. It shows what good infrastructure can achieve: creating more opportunities for new homes and businesses around stations, better connecting people with jobs and services, and making it easier for a growing city to function.
“This major project is part of a much wider transformation of Auckland’s rapid transport network. It sits alongside new train stations in Drury, the electrification of rail to Pukekohe, upgrades to other stations, the Rail Network Rebuild and Auckland’s growing busway network.”
Mr Bishop also acknowledged the thousands of people who have worked on the project over the past decade, and Aucklanders and city centre businesses who have lived with the disruption required to build it.
“Major infrastructure is difficult to build. Aucklanders have put up with closed roads, construction sites and disruption for years to get to this point.
“From Sunday, the focus shifts from what it took to build the City Rail Link to what it makes possible. For decades to come, Aucklanders will simply be able to get on a train and get where they need to go more quickly and easily. That is what great infrastructure is ultimately about.”
Mayor Wayne Brown has a clear message for Aucklanders.
“We want Aucklanders to get on board,” Mayor Brown says.
“The City Rail Link is a transformational investment for Auckland. It’s a game changer for our city that will benefit generations to come.
“Aucklanders can look forward to more travel options and a better-connected rail network, making it easier to move across the city. Public transport will be simpler, more convenient and more accessible for more people.
“The benefits of this project will be felt every day. Whether you’re heading to work, school, Eden Park or K’ Road for a meal, the new network will make getting around Auckland faster and easier.
“I encourage Aucklanders to get on board, literally, and make the most of this significant investment in our city’s future.
“From Sunday, a new timetable, new rail routes and three new stations will transform the way Auckland’s rail network operates.
“When many Aucklanders return to work on Monday, they’ll be using a network that connects them to more places and provides more travel choices.
The new East West and South City line services will all connect through the new stations, improving connectivity, optimising services and delivering the transport outcomes Aucklanders and businesses have been waiting for.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/crl-opening-puts-auckland-on-track-for-the-future/
]]>Thousands of tonnes of waste will be diverted from landfill with a $4.7 million upgrade to waste recovery facilities in Taupō, Minister for the Environment Nicola Grigg announced today.
“A $2.3 million investment from the Waste Minimisation Fund, combined with equal funding from the Taupō District Council, will boost recovery and processing at the Broadlands Road Resource Recovery Centre.
“The current facility’s limited waste diversion capabilities mean skip and bin trucks go straight to landfill. After the upgrade, loads will be inspected and waste sorted by disposal class, diverting at least 8,000 tonnes of waste from landfill by the end of the first year of operations.
“The diverted material will include organic waste, construction and demolition waste, and other recyclable materials.
“We’re committed to reducing the volume of waste going to landfills by investing in waste reduction, recycling and reuse. This significant investment allows another council to achieve its waste minimization goals, divert more waste from landfill, and reduce emissions associated with the disposal of organic material.
“It will also give residents opportunities to recycle a wider range of materials, reduce household and business costs, and promote sustainability.
“Economic benefits for the district will include reduced landfill costs through waste levy savings and emissions trading scheme charges. It will also open market opportunities for the reuse of materials.
“We are fixing the basics and building the future by investing in environmental tools that help councils, communities, and industry to take action where it matters most,” Ms Grigg says.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/investment-will-divert-tonnes-of-waste-from-taupo-landfill/
]]>Date: 11 September 2026
The current 10-year moratorium will expire on September 16, 2026. It does not affect existing permits held by 6 operators in Akaroa and Lyttelton.
Banks Peninsula/Te Pātāka-o-Rākaihautū is a nationally important stronghold for the Hector’s dolphin, one of the world’s smallest. They are classified as Threatened-Nationally Vulnerable, which means they are at high risk of extinction. There are about 15,000 Hector’s dolphins left.
DOC Mahaanui Operations Manager Andy Thompson says Akaroa Harbour has a high density of dolphins.
Akaroa Harbour is thought to be one of the few places globally where dolphin encounters in a sheltered harbour are almost a certainty. The near constant presence of the dolphins makes them an integral part of the harbour ecosystem.
“The effects of tourism on Hector’s dolphins have been extensively studied with strong evidence of behavioural and habitat change from interactions with vessels. We want to ensure this species stays and is protected as much as possible while allowing sustainable tourism.
“Many of the marine mammal tourism operators are working alongside us to look after the Hector’s dolphins. This moratorium allows us to shift focus to monitoring, research, and compliance, to ensure the dolphins are protected for generations to come,” he says.
The moratorium boundary has been extended from Akaroa Harbour to all waters around the peninsula from the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai mouth to Birdlings Flat.
Andy says it is important the dolphins have quieter areas outside the harbour where they can feed, socialise, and thrive, without the impacts of concentrated recreation and tourism activities.
“We believe implementing the moratorium and extending the boundary are the best ways to protect this species. We also recognise the significant economic benefits the existing tourism operators bring in. We have spoken to them throughout this process and we have broad support. We all want the Hector’s dolphins to thrive here,” he says.
Nature isn’t scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It’s behind our identity and our way of life.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/moratorium-on-new-marine-mammal-permits/
]]>New Zealand First has today announced a number of campaign policies that will make sweeping changes to current immigration laws.
New Zealand’s immigration system must serve New Zealand and New Zealanders.
For too long, governments have relied on immigration to drive headline economic growth and cheap labour. The result has been greater pressure on housing, infrastructure and public services, increased competition for entry-level jobs, and declining public confidence that immigration is being managed in the national interest.
Population growth must not outpace our ability to build the country.
New Zealand First will substantially reduce non-essential immigration and restore the principle that immigration is a privilege, not a right.
New Zealand is more than an economy. It is a nation with its own history, institutions and way of life.
Immigration policy should strengthen social cohesion and encourage integration into a shared national community.
The foundation of any proper immigration system in our country should be the value placed on New Zealand citizenship.
New Zealand needs to start viewing our citizenship as most other countries around the world do – it is a privilege that comes with special and unique rights and identity.
We need to understand the importance of a country’s citizenship and the reasons why we must protect and enhance what it means to be a New Zealander.
This does not take away from the ability for migrants looking to move here, contribute, and help build our country from showing total commitment and patriotism for New Zealand by becoming a citizen.
Even the most basic of privileges and rights in any country like voting has become more like an expectation for all, rather than a unique right for New Zealanders.
In addition to the already announced policies of citizen’s only voting and citizen’s only NZ Super, New Zealand First will introduce the following policies in the next term of government:
New Zealanders have the right to determine the future size and character of their country.
This set of polices is about taking back control of the future of our country and valuing our unique citizenship the way it should be – just like the vast majority of other countries do around the world.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/nz-first-announces-immigration-reform-policies/
]]>One person has died following a two vehicle crash in Invercargill last night.
About 9.30pm, Police were called to Clyde Street near Crinan Street after a crash involving a truck and motorcycle.
Sadly, the motorcyclist was located deceased at the scene.
The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance.
The road remains closed this morning and motorists are advised to expect delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/11/fatal-crash-clyde-street-invercargill/
]]>Revenue Minister Simon Watts says a Bill introduced into the House today will help grow the economy by reducing compliance costs, simplifying rules and removing unnecessary obligations.
“My aim is for a world-leading tax system, and these sensible changes bring us a step closer to that. For fringe benefit tax, we’re proposing a much simpler ‘close enough is good enough’ approach to employer-provided vehicles.” Mr Watts says.
“Rather than requiring detailed records and logbooks, employers would simply choose the category that best reflects how much a vehicle is used privately – substantially lowering compliance costs and unnecessary stress.”
The Bill also makes several changes to the Foreign Investment Fund rules to help attract and retain skilled workers and investment.
This includes increasing the de minimis threshold so smaller investors do not need to apply the FIF rules, and opening up the Revenue Account Method to all New Zealand residents for unlisted foreign shares.
The Bill also includes:
“It’s a substantial Bill covering a wide spectrum of tax issues, and all of these items aim to ensure the tax system works better for all,” Mr Watts says.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/tax-bill-to-lower-costs-and-simplify-rules/
]]>Police can now release the name of the woman who died following a serious incident in Nelson on Friday 4 September.
She was 48-year-old Nicola Yvonne Perry.
Police are providing wrap-around support to her loved ones at this difficult time.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the incident remain ongoing.
ENDS
The following is a statement released on behalf of Nicola’s family:
Nicola’s family wish to sincerely thank the local Nelson community that have gone above and beyond to help during this incredibly difficult time.
The family will not be providing further comment and ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve.
Issued by Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/name-release-1-and-family-statement-serious-incident-nelson/
]]>Police can now name the man who died following a serious incident in Tāhunanui last week.
He was Brendon James Perry, 49, of Nelson.
Police continue to provide support his loved ones, who have requested privacy at this difficult time.
ENDS
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/name-release-2-serious-incident-nelson/
]]>The Government’s plan to ensure secure, affordable electricity for New Zealanders is working, with data today showing new records for renewable generation and a significant drop in wholesale electricity prices, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.
Data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment for the three months ended 30 June this year shows:
“These are significant wholesale price decreases, reflecting a number of factors including the Government’s decision to procure an LNG import facility to support renewable electricity,” Mr Brown says.
“This Government has also delivered policy to drive investment in the energy sector through the fast-track approval of eight renewable energy projects, and the reversal of the previous Labour Government’s oil and gas exploration ban.
“However, these figures also reinforce that the electricity system still depends on hydro lake levels as security to keep the lights on, which are susceptible to dry years.
“Significant April rainfall means we got through this winter with high hydro in-flows and above average storage levels. But in a winter when lake levels are low, the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing, New Zealand continues to rely on backup thermal generation to prevent power prices spiking and potential shortages that see industry shut down.
“That didn’t happen this year, but it did in 2024, and history shows that it will happen again. With dwindling natural gas supplies due to the previous Labour Government’s decision to ban oil and gas exploration, the country’s energy security has been put at serious risk in a dry year. That is why this Government is procuring an LNG import facility to ensure that during a dry year we can keep the lights on and protect consumers from price spikes.
“Investment in renewables will continue only while people know the system can be supported in a dry year, which was what LNG will provide.
“While today’s data release is encouraging, it also points to a need for continued focus on a secure and affordable energy supply, which is what this Government is focussed on.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/new-records-show-energy-policies-are-delivering/
]]>An investigation continues today into the fatality at the Baldwin Ave level crossing on Wednesday afternoon.
A teenage boy died after being struck by a train before 3.30pm on 9 September.
Police are investigating the death on behalf of the Coroner.
Police are not yet able to release information about the boy that died yesterday.
“This is a tragic event for our community, and our thoughts are with his family today who are coming to terms with what has happened. I know the community will have them in their thoughts as well,” Auckland City West Area Commander, Inspector Jacqui Whittaker says.
“We extend our sympathies to the Mount Albert Grammar School community who are grieving. Our School Community Officer is engaged with the school and supporting them.”
Anyone who has not yet spoken to Police, and witnessed yesterday’s event should come forward, Inspector Whittaker says.
“I know there were many students also leaving school for the day that saw what happened. For parents, please ensure you’re in contact with your school and ensure appropriate welfare support is made available for your children.”
Anyone with information is asked to make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “update report”, or by calling 105. Please use the reference number 260909/7528.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/baldwin-ave-fatality-update/
]]>NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi condemns ACT’s ongoing attacks on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, following the Party’s latest election announcement to wind up the Waitangi Tribunal.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal are active parts of our constitutional landscape and must not be swept aside by politicians”, says New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi President Sandra Grey.
“Ongoing work by the Waitangi Tribunal deepens our connections with one another and ensures the collective tino rangatiratanga of mana whenua set out in Te Tiriti is actively recognised.”
“David Seymour’s desire to wind up the Tribunal and stop what he describes as ‘activism’ is simply the ACT Party seeking to avoid accountability for their ongoing attacks on Te Tiriti”, says Grey.
NZCTU Vice President Māori Aubrey Wilkinson is outraged by ACT’s latest plan to undermine Te Tiriti and Māori.
“The Tribunal doesn’t just deal with historical grievances in Aotearoa. Māori workers are still paid less than others, Māori unemployment is higher than Pākehā workers, and more Māori rangatahi live in poverty than Pākehā children.”
“Until we have shifted our society to deal with these ongoing inequities, there is a place for the Waitangi Tribunal for challenging breaches of Te Tiriti,” says Wilkinson.
Working people are calling for political leaders to help build a secure and inclusive Aotearoa. This latest announcement from ACT signals their intention to do the opposite.
“New Zealanders clearly told Seymour that we didn’t want his Treaty Principles Bill. Today’s announcement signals he wants to have another crack at dividing Aotearoa,” says Grey.
“The Waitangi Tribunal plays a vital constitutional role and must be enabled to continue this important work for the good of all New Zealanders”, says Grey.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/acts-attack-on-te-tiriti-must-stop/
]]>Motorists are advised to expect delays following a crash on Neilson Street this afternoon
The two-vehicle crash was reported to Police at around 2.15pm.
Three people received minor injuries.
One westbound lane is blocked and traffic is building.
Police thank motorists for their patience while we work to clear the scene.
ENDS.
Frankie Le Roy/NZ Police.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/delays-following-crash-onehunga/
]]>Police have charged a man following a fire at a historical premises in Kerikeri.
At around 11.40pm on 4 September, emergency services were called to a report of fire at a café on Kerikeri Road, next to the historic Stone Store and Pioneer House.
Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Fouhy, Far North Investigations Manager, says the fire was extinguished by Fire and Emergency New Zealand and there were no reports of injury.
“The work of the local fire service has prevented the two historic buildings being damaged, however the café itself was significantly damaged.”
A short time later a further arson was called in on Landing Road, which involved a tree that had been set alight.
“Both fires were deemed suspicious and an investigation commenced,” Detective Senior Sergeant Fouhy says.
“Following an extensive investigation, which included important information from members of the public, Police identified the person responsible.”
Police have today charged a 19-year-old man with arson.
He will appear in Kaikohe District Court on 15 September.
ENDS.
Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/man-charged-following-fires-in-kerikeri/
]]>Police, with the help of CCTV and an alert owner, thwarted a late-night burglar’s plan to rob a Taupō power tool store last night.
At around 10.30pm, a stolen vehicle was used to ram through the store’s steel roller door. Police were contacted shortly after by the store’s owner who was monitoring the raid via CCTV.
Three minutes after being notified, Police were at the scene and could see an abandoned white utility truck that had been used to drive through the roller door. On hearing multiple loud bangs from the store’s rear, officers entered and were confronted by a masked man who ran toward them in an aggressive manner.
Police apprehended and arrested the man then seized the vehicle and stolen items.
Senior Sergeant Andy Livingstone says: “This was a dynamic situation in which the store owner and Police responded with urgency. It highlights the effectiveness of having monitored alarms and CCTV.”
The 37-year-old man was charged with aggravated burglary, stealing a car, unlawful possession of a firearm, and resisting Police. He appeared today in Taupō District Court and has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance on 29 September.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/late-night-ram-raid-thwarted-by-swift-response/
]]>Headline: Inter-agency Coordination Group established for Election 2026
10 September 2026
An inter-agency Coordination Group is being established to strengthen coordination and preparedness across government and support public confidence in this year’s General Election.
The Ministry of Justice will host the group, which builds on arrangements used in previous elections, including election protocols that set out the respective roles and responsibilities of the Electoral Commission and government agencies for the delivery and support of the General Election.
The inter-agency Coordination Group will support the comprehensive coordination and strategic oversight of threats and hazards that could affect the 2026 General Election, Secretary for Justice Andrew Kibblewhite says.
“Risks to the integrity of our country’s democratic process have become increasingly complex and continue to rapidly evolve. Electoral security threats may include foreign interference, malicious cyber activity, potential threats to candidates, and election-related phishing and scams.”
“New Zealanders must have confidence the electoral process and its outcomes are fair and free from undue influence.”
Requests for secondees have been sent to agencies across the National Resilience System, with appointments based on relevant experience and expertise.
Lead agencies responsible for managing hazards and threats during the election period are set out in the General Election 2026 Protocols(external link), available on the Electoral Commission website.
The work of the Coordination Group does not replace the mandate of any existing agency.
For queries about the election, please contact the Electoral Commission(external link) on enquiries@elections.govt.nz or 0800 36 76 56.
You can report suspicious or concerning behaviour by calling 111 in an emergency.
This page was last updated: 10th September 2026
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/inter-agency-coordination-group-established-for-election-2026/
]]>Date: 10 September 2026
Nature loves a team effort, and needs all sorts of teams to make a difference. Some people want to get their hands dirty, while others fundraise, volunteer, or inspire. The focus this year is on group effort, whether it’s in the workplace, community, whānau, or a bunch of mates working together to help nature – every little action adds more to the collective.
DOC Director-General Pete Chrisp says this is an opportunity to pull together for nature, with no right or wrong way to get involved.
“Whoever you are, now’s the time to start thinking about how you’ll team up and get involved,” says Pete.
“With a group of good people around you, naturing can be a really wild time, so get out and have fun.
“This will be my first Conservation Week with DOC. Maybe I’ll plant a tree, set a trap, clean up a beach, or hunt some deer. Exactly what we do isn’t important; if it helps nature, or helps people care about it, we’re on the right track.
“It doesn’t matter the size of the effort, nature loves it all. So get out there and give it a go.”
Start planning now to bring your passion for nature to life in a way that works for your team. If you need inspiration, DOC’s Nature Action Finder helps you find ways to help nature, tailored to what you care about, how much time you have, and how much you’re able to put in. And, while the focus is on the collective, individual actions count just as much – everything adds up to success for nature.
More resources and promotional materials will be available closer to the event. For updates, check in regularly at the DOC Conservation Week webpage.
Always Be Naturing celebrates New Zealanders’ love of nature and encourages everyone to get involved. DOC is one of many organisations protecting nature, and we need the collective effort of all New Zealanders so nature thrives for generations to come.
Conservation Week (19–25 April) calls on New Zealanders to get naturing – for nature. At home, in workplaces (yes, including newsrooms), or in your community, there are countless ways to take small actions. Nature loves a team effort, and the more of us who take action, the more nature will thrive for generations to come.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/nature-loves-a-team-effort-conservation-week-2027-dates-announced/
]]>State Highway 25, Tairua Whitianga Road, is blocked following a crash near Whenuakite this afternoon.
Police were called to the crash about 1.05pm near Parakatu Road after a truck has rolled.
There are no reported injuries.
The road is blocked and motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible and expect delays.
ENDS
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/road-blocked-sh25-tairua-whitianga-road/
]]>Date: 10 September 2026
The pair spent the weekend off the Whangārei coast and were last seen in water off the coast of northern Auckland.
Ngāti Kororā and Ngāti Takapari hapū representatives are thrilled the pair were able to safely use the akau roa (shore/coastline) as nursery grounds and extend their gratitude to kaitiaki and the wider Pataua South, North and Ngunguru community for their help in monitoring the pair over the four days.
Local tohorā tohunga Hori Parata named the calf Te Pāpunui, after the culturally significant site in Pataua where the pair were first reported.
DOC Marine Technical Advisor Hannah Hendriks says seeing a mother and calf close to shore is a special experience, and people need to give them plenty of space.
“Southern right whales can spend time close to the coast, which gives people a wonderful opportunity to see them, but it also means they can encounter busy recreational boating areas.
“We are asking people to enjoy these whales from land rather than on the water and avoid advertising the animals’ live position so we can prevent unnecessary disturbance to these whales.
“The pair will have travelled up from the subantarctic islands and will need lots of rest, particularly the calf, as they prepare for a long migration to their feeding ground south of Australia. Interruptions to their natural behaviours could put them at risk.
“With spring here and more people getting out on the water, this is a timely reminder to keep a good lookout for whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife.
“Southern right whales are slow-moving whales, and may not be able to move out of the way of vessels in time to avoid being hit,
“Whales can be difficult to spot from a moving boat, particularly when they are resting or travelling slowly near the surface. Slowing down and giving them plenty of room is critical to prevent injury and disturbance, especially to calves,” Hannah says.
Boaties and jet ski users are asked to:
DOC is interested in receiving reports of sightings of the pair via the SeaSpotter app or our website, which can help track their movements.
Anyone who accidentally injures or kills a protected marine species must report it to DOC as soon as possible by calling 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Southern right whales have a seasonal onshore-offshore migration. Over summer they head offshore to areas south of Australia to feed. During the breeding season in winter and spring, the whales are mostly found in the waters around the subantarctic islands, this is when some whales venture north around the New Zealand mainland (learn more at: https://tohoravoyages.ac.nz/). They have been recorded visiting virtually every region of the mainland.
Southern right whales historically bred around New Zealand in sheltered inshore areas but were hunted to near extinction in the early 19th century. Their population is now recovering steadily and we hope that they continue to return to New Zealand waters.
Nature isn’t scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It’s behind our identity and our way of life.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/southern-right-whale-mum-and-calf-prompt-call-for-care-on-the-water/
]]>State Highway 2 near Pekapeka National Park in Pakipaki is blocked following a two-vehicle crash.
The crash was reported to emergency services around 12.15pm.
No injuries are reported.
Some oil has spilled which requires clean up and motorists are advised to avoid the area while emergency services and contractors work at the scene.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/sh2-blocked-hastings/
]]>Introduction
Good morning. It’s great to be here in the beautiful Kerikeri for this year’s RMLA conference.
I want to acknowledge the RMLA for its leadership, and each of you for the critical role you play in shaping the future of our communities.
You are the people who spend your professional lives helping New Zealand make some of its most important choices – where we build, how we grow, and how we protect what matters most.
It is where infrastructure, housing, environmental protection, private property, science, investment and community expectations all have to be reconciled in decisions that endure.
Done well, this is how we can turn ambition into tangible progress.
Your work gives decision-makers confidence, gives communities a voice, gives applicants clarity, and helps ensure that these difficult trade-offs are made transparently and defensibly.
You are not just observers of our reform programme; you are central to how it’s shaped and whether it succeeds. Many of you have been a part of it – either through submissions to the select committee, or great involvement working with Officials and us directly on some of the choices we faced.
The goal is not to remove judgement, advice, advocacy or legal rigour from planning. It is to create a system where those qualities help New Zealand move forward with greater confidence, rather than requiring people to relitigate the same questions over and over again.
I know change is hard. I know that many of you have been through this before, and been disappointed. But I am confident that the new system we have developed will increase your value, not lessen it.
Our new planning system.
Our new planning system will radically change how we build the houses and infrastructure our country needs. It will let farmers and growers get on with doing what they do best, and it will boost our primary sector, all while protecting the environment.
As you have heard me say one hundred times already, the RMA has failed. The case for change is strong.
The infrastructure New Zealanders rely on is delayed for years in consenting processes, costing millions, with consenting costs rising 70% over the past decade. The RMA requires a consent for even the most basic of activities, having long-ago stopped asking whether one is necessary in the first place.
And worst of it, the RMA has failed to protect our environment, with most environmental metrics degrading since 1991, with studies showing that two-thirds of our rivers have impaired ecological health.
As a government, we have a mission to deliver a growing, thriving economy for New Zealanders. We can’t do that when the RMA has a chokehold around our prospects of growth.
That’s why we are delivering a new system that will supercharge growth whist improving the environment.
For New Zealanders, here’s what our new system will looks like for them.
We’ll have fewer consents. Activities that have small impacts on others will no longer require a consent at all, focusing the system instead on only what matters the most.
We’ll have fewer plans, and they’ll be developed faster. Right now, there are more than 100 plans across the country. We’re reducing that to just 17, creating consistency and simplicity.
Spatial planning will deliver long-term certainty to developers, councils, and the government, clearly identifying growth areas, and areas in need of environmental protection.
More consistency through nationally set policy direction will leave less up for debate, and deliver certainty across the country.
A more proportionate system means less pointless red tape and frustrating processes.
We’ll have more standardisation. National standards for zoning and common activities will give us more consistency and speed up the system.
A new system of regulatory relief will ensure that some restrictions will no longer be placed on properties without some form of relief to the landowner.
Consultation will be clear and consistent, with defined rules on who needs to be consulted and when. Gone are the days of every man and his dog getting a say in what you do with your own property.
Conflicts will be resolved faster and cheaper through a new Planning Tribunal, providing a quick, low-cost way to settle disputes.
One of the biggest shifts in the new system is towards competitive urban land markets.
The Select Committee strengthened that goal, making it clear the planning system should provide development opportunities beyond simply meeting current and expected demand.
The planning system has limited land, constrained growth, and pushed up costs for too long.
When land is artificially scarce, homes become more expensive, and businesses have fewer options.
We cannot keep planning for scarcity.
New Zealand is not a country that is short of land. We can plan for abundance, opportunity, and growth if we build a planning system that works.
Land supply has to materially exceed demand. More opportunities to build means more housing, more investment, and more productive cities and regions.
We’re also introducing better environmental limits, to improve resource efficiency and improve our environment. And environmental enforcement will be more effective and consistent. We’re centralising responsibility to ensure rules are applied evenly across the country.
In short: we are fundamentally changing most of what has failed in the RMA.
We have delivered a system that looks ahead, makes strategic choices early, and gives confidence about where regions are heading.
Now we turn to effective implementation.
If we get that right, we can align housing, infrastructure, transport and resilience in a way that supports stronger communities and better long-term decision making.
The harder question – culture
Everything I have described so far is system design.
Statute, direction, standards, plans, consents. It is the part of any reform that governments are good at.
Governments are good at passing a law, throwing it out into the world, and leaving everyone to fend for themselves. We are determined not to do that.
We are now shifting our focus to implementation – and how we drive the culture change required in the new system.
The RMA has encouraged a culture focused on process – one in which decisions are repeatedly litigated, and development is too often treated as something to be constrained rather than enabled.
This is not a critique of the people operating in the system, but instead a critique of the system itself.
Nobody set out to build a culture of process.It emerged, rationally, from the incentives the system created. When national direction is absent, every question is open.
When every question is open, every decision is contestable.
When every decision is contestable, the safest course for a decision-maker is more information, more conditions, more process – because process is defensible in a way that judgement is not.
That is not a failure of character. It is a failure of design. And design drives culture.
Which is good. Design we can fix – and we have, through a few deliberate changes.
First, we are changing how we approach regulation. The starting point should not be that people ask permission to undertake ordinary activities on their own land.
People should be able to use, develop and enjoy their land unless there is a clear reason for intervention.
That reverses the burden of justification, and it does so at the very front of the statute, where it governs everything that follows.
We are making the system more enabling through more permissive approaches – moving away from regulation as the default, and towards intervention where there is a clear and justified reason for it.
Second, we are narrowing what the system reaches for – this means a higher bar for regulatory intervention, and a defined scope of effects.
Some of the more subjective effects in the system – such as visual appearance – are out of the system entirely.
Because if a planning system tries to regulate every possible effect, it becomes too complex, too costly, and much less effective – and complexity is itself a generator of process.
It also erodes the social license for planning. Planning is critical to manage for incompatible land uses, and maximise the use of everyone’s property to the greatest extent possible. But when the local council instead spends months questioning you about the type of finials on your roof, the public stop seeing planning as critical and start seeing it as ridiculous.
Third: Regulation should be proportionate to the scale and significance of the effects on people – which is exactly why we are pricing regulation in the new system.
Regulatory relief is a novel concept in New Zealand, and I suspect it will generate more interesting law than anything else in the bill.
The principle is simple: if certain planning controls are imposed on private land for the benefit of the public, the public should bear some of that cost.
At present a council can impose heritage or landscape controls on private property without bearing any of the cost of doing so. That is an invitation to over-regulate, and we are changing it.
This will change behaviour at every level of the system – the best lever we have to drive behaviour change is pricing.
Importantly, I hope this will make elected councillors pay more attention to the significance of their planning decisions.
I cannot tell you how many councillors or mayors have come to me complaining about provisions in their own plans – their own plans they voted for and endorsed.
If the options to regulate that they are considering have dollar-signs attached, the theory is that around the council table, they will be paying much more attention.
Fourth: The Planning Tribunal will give applicants an accessible, affordable route to challenge the things that have simply had to be accepted until now – information requests, stacked technical reports, consent conditions that do nothing for the environment or for the community.
It will provide a quicker, more streamlined pathway for resolving planning disputes than court-based processes, helping practitioners and applicants obtain certainty earlier in the consenting process.
By providing an independent check on administrative decisions, the Tribunal can also help promote more consistent decision-making across councils and give both applicants and councils clearer guidance on how the system should operate.
That matters because the Tribunal is not just a dispute-resolution body.
In the new system the Tribunal will be one of the places where that success becomes visible – and it becomes the place to protect users of the system from carried over culture from old RMA practices.
But personally, I don’t want it to get that far. Which is why we are investing heavily in the implementation of the system.
Budget 2026 invested $294 million over four years to support the rollout of our new planning and environmental management system, and we know that more will be required.
Through effective implementation of these key shifts, we can change the planning culture from caution and delay to confidence, judgement and delivery.
Dispelling concerns
There are a few concerns that keep popping up from time to time, that I just think are unjustified.
First, this concern that legislation which only works under the right minister is inherently risky, and therefore putting more power into national instruments is risky, too. This just fundamentally misunderstands how government works.
When there is good reason to, Ministers can amend legislation extremely quickly, as this Government has shown with the RMA this term.
You can change small or large parts of the planning system nearly overnight if you have to. A future minister who wants to make the system slower and more expensive does not need national direction to do it. They can simply legislate.
The new system does make ministerial instruments more robust and directive. That is true, and it is deliberate.
What it does not do is place the creation of those instruments solely in the hands of ministers. There are real checks and balances in the process, including significant public consultation and proper process at each step.
The process for making national direction under the new Bills is more thorough, more transparent, and offers less ability to deviate than the process for making legislation.
Parliament can pass urgent legislation overnight with no consultation whatsoever. There is no ability to do that with national instruments.
There are also concerns that there is no hierarchy in the goals. In our view, the risks of creating a legislative hierarchy outweigh the risks of not doing it.
One of the reasons the RMA failed is that it required everything to be viewed through the lens of the single overarching purpose of “sustainable management” and its hierarchy in Part 2.
Not everything the RMA covered fitted neatly in that box, which created confusion, consenting challenges, and an eyewatering amount of litigation.
By taking a more granular approach, and spelling out through national policy direction which goals come first are prioritised over another in specific circumstances, we avoid the fundamental flaw that afflicted the RMA from the beginning.
There is an argument for an overarching goal of economic growth and change, or an overarching goal of environmental protection.
But a single overarching goal is also a single target. They can be swapped out for one another in a single line of a future amendment Bill, causing chaos and uncertainty in the system. Granular direction forces governments to justify where precisely each competing goal trumps the other.
These Bills are not perfect, that is true. Statutory regimes of this scale rarely are. But we cannot let perfect be the enemy of the good.
These Bills are a great deal better than the RMA, and I would wager, a great deal better than most planning systems internationally.
We can reach the panacea of perfection at some point in the future, but New Zealand has been suffering under the chokehold of the RMA for so long, that I am willing to progress ‘good’ now rather than leave Kiwis waiting for perfection.
The opportunity ahead
Which brings me back to the opportunity in front of us, and the culture shift needed to meet it.
We can introduce price regulation, narrow the scope of effects, and establish a new planning tribunal. Those are real mechanisms, and I believe they will work. More importantly, they give us the tools to build a system that enables people to make good decisions earlier, faster and with greater confidence.
But we can’t get away from the reality that the people making the decisions on the first Monday of the new system will be the same people who made the decisions under the RMA the Friday before.
Same practitioners, same councils, same instincts, formed over thirty-five years of a system that often-rewarded caution. That is why partnership with the sector matters so much.
A statute can lead the horse to water. But it is only through proper implementation, capability and leadership that we can make it drink.
We’ve done the design – now comes the delivery.
It is true that these reforms will change the shape of practice in this country.
But the work does not disappear – it moves.
To national direction, where further direction on the goals is given.
To standards, where those directions get teeth.
To seventeen regional plans carrying weight that hundreds used to share.
And everyone in the system will play a part in that.
The next few years will be busy for you all – but using your experience, your judgement and your practical insight, we can build a better system, together.
This is our chance to build a planning system that serves New Zealanders better for decades to come. I look forward to working with you to make it real.
Thank you.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/speech-to-the-resource-management-law-association-conference/
]]>Three Government programmes are making a difference in preventing family violence, new independent evaluations show.
Evaluations of E Tū Whānau, Pasefika Proud and the Ethnic Communities Violence Prevention programme found positive shifts in attitudes, behaviours and social norms associated with family violence.
The programmes are funded by the Ministry of Social Development.
“Family violence and sexual violence cause enormous harm, but these evaluations show we can make a difference,” Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says.
“These are three different programmes working with different communities, but the evidence points in the same direction – prevention works best when communities are supported to lead solutions that reflect their own strengths, values and experiences.
“The evaluations reinforce the value of approaches that are community-led, locally informed, and which build on the strengths of individuals, families and communities.
“This gives us a stronger evidence base for making decisions about how we prevent violence before it occurs and where government can make the greatest difference.”
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour says the findings support the Government’s direction under Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.
“Responding effectively when violence occurs is essential, but we also need to break the cycle and prevent that harm from happening in the first place,” Ms Chhour says.
“One clear lesson is that government does not always have the answers. Communities understand their people, their strengths and the challenges they face.
“This evidence supports the direction we are taking under Te Aorerekura – putting greater emphasis on prevention and strengthening community capability and leadership alongside effective responses when violence occurs.
“Breaking the cycle of family violence and sexual violence will take sustained effort. By backing effective approaches and empowering communities to lead change, we can help create safer families, whānau and communities for generations to come.”
Notes to editor:
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/making-a-difference-on-family-violence/
]]>830 delegates gather for Forum on the Family
The annual Forum on the Family hosted by Family First NZ is happening this weekend and will bring together a national network of family-focused organisations, scholars, lobby groups, church leaders and community groups who are part of a growing movement to strengthen families, promote marriage, protect life, and defend religious freedom.
This year’s conference will be held at the Victory Convention Centre on Friday evening 11th September and all day Saturday 12th September and will be attended by 830 delegates – the largest conference in our 20-year history.
Speakers include:
As part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, leading broadcaster Leighton Smith will interview founder Bob McCoskrie about the legacy of Family First over the past 20 years, and what the future looks like given the current cultural changes and challenges.
As part of the conference agenda, there is a political panel debating the upcoming general election & policies of each of the parties, a medical panel discussing the issues affecting medical professionals around conscience, gender ideology and the sanctity of life, and a media panel analysing the decline of legacy media and its trust levels – and the rise of new media.
There will also be a live recording of our new online show CounterCulture as our young team of panellists discuss questions relating to faith, culture, and the issues shaping Millennials and Gen Z.
“There are many family-focused organisations and community leaders who, along with our thousands of supporters, are concerned about the effects of family breakdown & declining fertility rates, the weakening of marriage, issues relating to the protection of life (abortion / euthanasia), pornography and the sexualisation of children in the media, gender ideology & radical sexuality education targeted at young people, increasing levels of violence & drug use, and a culture which is becoming increasingly hostile to the role of parents and the safety of children and families,” says CEO Bob McCoskrie.
“This will be one of our largest conferences to date. It sends a strong message that the welfare and protection of families is high on the agenda, and these important moral issues cannot be ignored.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/830-delegates-gather-for-forum-on-the-family/
]]>Lower Overseas Investment fees will make it easier and more attractive for investors to bring capital into New Zealand, helping businesses grow, lifting productivity, creating higher-paying jobs, and unlocking New Zealand’s potential.
“The Government is focused on removing unnecessary barriers to investment and making New Zealand a more attractive place to do business,” Mr Seymour says.
“Last year the Government streamlined the Overseas Investment Act, putting in place a risk-based national interest test that reduced unnecessary checks on low-risk investment applications while maintaining the necessary safeguards for New Zealand’s national interests.
“We’ve already made it easier. Now we’re making it cheaper. This will make it more commercially viable for more people to invest in New Zealand. This is important because that money leads to higher productivity, more higher paying jobs, access to new technology and know-how.”
From 11 September 2026, fees for the initial national interest risk assessment will fall from $22,800 to $16,960, while fees for mandatory stage two assessments involving non-New Zealand government investors will reduce from $83,700 to $61,800.
“We are sending a clear signal that we want to unlock New Zealand’s potential, and are open for business,” Mr Seymour says.
“In the past financial year, LINZ have granted applications to 230 transactions with a gross investment value of approximately $23.8 billion. The second highest number of consents applications granted in one year was 201, in 2024/25.
“The new law says decisions on all investments except residential land, farmland and fishing quota must be made within 15 working days, unless there is a potential national interest concern, but the target is five working days. Residential land, farmland and fishing quota will continue going through existing pathways.”
LINZ have met the target assessment timeframes for the new investment pathways. Specifically:
The regulations will also allow Land Information New Zealand to waive, discount, or refund fees in limited circumstances where requiring payment would be unreasonable or where an administrative error needs to be corrected.
“This is a practical change that improves fairness and consistency for investors applying to spend their money in New Zealand. It gives LINZ the flexibility to address exceptional situations while maintaining the integrity of the overseas investment framework,” Mr Seymour says.
“New Zealand has been turning away opportunities for growth for too long. International investment is critical to unlocking New Zealand’s potential. It provides access to capital and technology that grows New Zealand businesses, enhances productivity, and supports high paying jobs.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/overseas-investment-applications-made-cheaper/
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