Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Aid is under attack – meet Pacific community leaders implementing Kiwi funded aid – ChildFund

Source: ChildFund New Zealand

Join ChildFund for a special session on New Zealand’s aid in the Pacific.
Pacific community leaders from Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu are visiting New Zealand to talk about their projects funded by the New Zealand public and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Aid is under attack.
They will be joined by geo-political experts for a frank discussion – what’s working, what’s not, and how do we navigate the volatile geo-politics in our region.
Venue: ChildFund, 2 Kitchener St, Level 3, Auckland CBD, 1010
Date: Wednesday 7 May
Time: 4pm-5:30pm (nibbles and drinks provided)
Join us for a spirited discussion:
Sharon Inone – National Geographic Society’s Explorer of the Year. CEO of Greenergy Pacific, a community organisation leading development and climate projects in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands. Sharon came home after working at the United Nations in New York, because she ‘wanted to get things done faster’ and bring clean water to the island where she grew up.
Teima Onorio – Country Director of ChildFund Kiribati. Leads water and food security projects in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, plus projects to up-skill young people. Teima works closely with the Kiribati government.
Robert Oliver – Global Executive Director and host of Pacific Island Food Revolution. Robert’s ‘Masterchef’ type TV show promoted healthy local food, and has helped lower rates of non-communicable-diseases in the Pacific. Robert’s new TV projects will focus on supply chains and markets for Pacific food.
Joanna Bourke – CEO of Pacific Cooperation Foundation, an organisation that amplifies Pacific voices, and builds partnerships between government, business, and communities. With a background in tourism, international trade, and Pacific development, Joanna brings business and community together, both in New Zealand and the Pacific.
Josie Pagani – CEO of ChildFund with more than 25 years’ experience in development and politics. Also, a geo-political media commentator with a fortnightly column in the Post.
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Banking – ASB and POLi partner to support secure open banking payments in New Zealand

Source: ASB

In an industry first, ASB has today announced it is partnering with POLi, one of New Zealand’s largest online payments providers, to support customers to make secure open banking based digital payments.  

With POLi using ASB’s open banking APIs, customers are able to use POLi as a payment method without sharing their username and password. Customer authentication and payment authorisation takes place securely within the ASB mobile banking app, offering another layer of protection for customers when transacting online.

ASB customers will be able to make POLi payments via the open banking payment method in the coming months, as POLi merchants transition to open banking. This option will appear alongside more traditional payment methods like credit or debit cards and has customer security, cost and convenience top of mind.

Michael Maclean, ASB’s Tribe Lead, Everyday Money, says partnering with POLi to support its transition to open banking is a win for ASB customers and significant for open banking at an industry level.

“We’re thrilled to be the first bank in the country to support POLi to embrace the open banking movement. POLi has the highest volume of online debit payments in the country, facilitating thousands of transactions every day for New Zealanders. We know scale and widespread availability is key to getting Kiwi consumers onboard with open banking.

“The partnership is a win for our customers, offering them greater choice and improved security. It’s been a big year for us in the open banking space, and we’ve achieved a lot we’re proud of that supports safe and easy banking services in New Zealand, and helps to mitigate against fraud and scams. We initially went live with our open banking API platform in May last year, and we’ve now got six partnerships with different payments and data providers that can leverage the tech we’ve invested in.”

Andrew Simmonds, POLi’s Commercial Director, says “POLi has long advocated for open banking, which offers consumers greater choice and control over their payments experience. ASB is leading the way in this space as the first bank to offer up open banking APIs for our consumption and we’re delighted to partner with them to provide Kiwi consumers an innovative and secure way to pay popular merchants.”

Fintechs interested in partnering with ASB on open banking can visit open banking | ASB for more information. To find out more about POLi’s new open banking payment service, visit https://www.polipay.co.nz/asb-open-banking/.

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Pulling together to get through

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Ahakoa whati te manga, e takoto ana anō te kōhiwi.

Although the branch is broken off, the trunk remains

“Misfortunes will not undermine an individual or group if the foundations are strong”

 (Elder, H., 2020:36)

Kia ora koutou te whānau ō Te Wehengarua,

Ko Kathleen West ahau nō Kiririroa. I came to the Field Officer role from the classroom. I began the pandemic online teaching across three different time zones around the world.  Online drama teaching is no small feat! 

Now I work in branches in Central Plateau, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions.  

All of those who know me, know how I love to talk, however, that affinity does not translate into putting words onto paper for the critical lens of thousands of my peers, whose eyes, we know, subconsciously check grammar as they read.

Acknowledging members’ incredible resilience

At a regional zui recently I heard the stories of our whānau who have spent the last two years in the epi-centre of COVID-19/ngāngāra  in NZ, and the whole next level of their endurance in teaching was humbling to say the least, so I put my hand up to write this article.

Unfortunately I don’t come bearing answers, I just want to acknowledge, personally, on behalf of my regions and our Association, the incredible resilience, compassion and collectivism of teachers around Aotearoa. 

You have navigated the quicksand of MoE advice for managing COVID-19 in our schools, the expectations for the changes to NCEA, the launch of Te Hurihanganui, the loss of unvaccinated colleagues and successfully running paid union meetings in branches!

Thank you to our branch chairs, (and those who have stepped up in their absence) who have been supporting members with a raft of issues such as vaccination mandates, hybrid learning expectations, workload, use of non-contacts for relief cover, mask mandates, health & safety plans, and not the least of which, our reactions to situations in school when coupled with exhaustion and heightened anxiety.  ‘Being kind’ can be a big ask when you’re struggling to cope.

Drawing on the strength of collectivism

This is why the whakatauakī from Dr Hinemoa Elder’s book Aroha resonated with me.  Now more than ever, we need to seek the strength of the collective in our branches.  When we are under the pump we need to collaborate, have more eyes, minds and hands working together.

Branch chairs can’t be expected to shoulder being the sole disseminator of information or support for fellow members.  Other members can help by, for example, reading the daily MoE bulletin and being able to assimilate it and the ramifications for the next day at school with the branch.  Instead of leaving it up to the branch chair, other members could collectively work with school leaders to ensure they understand their responsibilities as employers as they too scramble to meet the changing expectations and challenges for schools.

Top tips from this Field Officer

“Breathe.  Breathe before you speak.  Breathe before you hit send.  Breathe!”

And don’t stop reaching out to your Field Officer – you are who we are here for.

Ngā manākitanga

Kathleen West

Last modified on Wednesday, 17 May 2023 09:12

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Tapping into the part-time potential

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“I’m having a ball.”

That’s not something you hear often when talking to a secondary teacher at the moment, but it’s how Northland Maths and Science teacher Hazel McIntosh describes her current part-time role.

Hazel, who stopped teaching full time in 2019, says she  would usually prefer to relieve rather than work part-time because normally  part-time teachers get taken advantage of. “I live in a rural area so I would be be physically at the school for the whole day. So even though you’re not being paid for the whole day you are there on site and regarded as available.

Attractive conditions make it worthwhile

“I accepted a part-time position this year because the school has made it attractive by giving me the conditions that make it manageable and worthwhile for me.” Hazel teaches 11 hours a week, with Wednesdays off and she has pro-rata non-contact time. The school accepted everything she asked for because they were desperate, having employed a teacher who was overseas but could not get back due to COVID-19 restrictions. In the same week that she accepted her current position, she was called by two other schools wanting to employ her.

“We are in a very unusual situation of being given the terms and conditions which enable us to be genuinely part-time. If I didn’t have these conditions, relieving would be far more attractive because there is no preparation, no marking, no meetings, no pastoral care. Comparing part-time with relief teaching is like chalk and cheese.

“But I actually prefer part-time teaching to relieving because I miss the actual teaching. I much prefer being able to suport learning for the kids. I miss thinking about how I’m going to get a particular science concept over to the students. I miss the relationship you have with the students and being fully part of the school. Even if you’re relieving at the same school all the time,  you’re not really part of the school.

Need to face workforce facts

“When I’m relieving outside my subject area some poor HoD has to prepare the lessons, it’s not making good use of my skills and we are not doing students any favours. I feel like I am a wasted resource. Everyone loses.”

Hazel says schools need to think about hiring more part-time teachers and creating more job sharing positions.  “Schools need to face the fact that we have an ageing teaching population. There are a lot of us older teachers who cannot meet the demands of full time teaching as it is a physically exhausting job, but we are a very useful part of the workforce who could really support the team in a lot of subject areas –  if you make part-time teaching attractive for us.”

Last modified on Wednesday, 17 May 2023 09:11

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Secondary teachers welcome NCEA timeline changes

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 “Introducing new standards for literacy and numeracy in 2024, at the same time as full implementation of the new Level 1 NCEA, makes great sense. We have advocated strongly for the timeline to be changed to enable that to happen. We are pleased Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti has agreed to  the change.

“Secondary teachers support the new standards. They are a significant step towards ensuring rangatahi leave school equipped with basic literacy and numeracy skills. But they must be tested and evaluted adequately so they work. The new timeline is a great help in that regard.

“The new timeline will mean that more piloting of the new standards can be done next year so teachers will be more familiar with them and what is expected.

“Far from the return to normal that we had hoped for, this year has been another one of huge disruption for ākonga and kaiako.” This change will benefit ākonga as there will be more time to test the new requirements and ensure they are right, before they are implemented in all schools.”

 

Last modified on Wednesday, 17 May 2023 09:12

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Urgent solutions needed to make schools safer

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“Recent incidents show that levels of violence in our school communities are escalating.  Schools are meant to be places where students feel safe in an environment that enables them to bring their best selves to the fore.  I’m horrified and saddened that this does not seem to be the case for increasing numbers of students and staff.

“One student bringing a knife or any kind of weapon to school is one too many. The fact that students feel they need to protect themselves in such a way is seriously concerning, and the harm they are willing to inflict on others along with the impact on the school community, is even more so.

“Sadly, incidents such as this are not isolated and in fact show how widespread violence is becoming in our school communities. It can instil huge fear in students, makes teachers’ work even more stressful and it needs to be addressed urgently.

“Schools need a lot more pastoral support at the grassroots level – more experienced and skilled school counsellors working with both students and their families. Schools are in many ways the heart of their communities and reflect what is going on within communities, particularly the uncertainty, economic stress, and anxiety.

“This means that schools are having to deal with increasingly complex and serious social issues. Schools desperately need the support and resources that will enable them to become models of the environment our rangatahi deserve, rather than mirrors of some of the worst elements of our society.”

Last modified on Wednesday, 17 May 2023 09:12

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Politics and Human Rights – Chilling Government proposal to remove voting rights

Source: Amnesty International

Yesterday news broke that the Government is proposing a total ban on voting for people in prison. Currently people in prison who are serving less than three years are able to vote.
The proposed blanket ban is a breach of human rights. The High Court has previously ruled it is an unjustifiable limitation on the rights protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and made a “declaration of inconsistency”, which was upheld in a Supreme Court decision. The 2023 Independent Electoral Review stated all prisoners should have the right to vote.
Lisa Woods, Movement Building and Advocacy Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, said:
“This is disturbing. Despite a raft of decisions and advice saying it breaches people’s human rights, the Government is still proposing this blanket ban, which will disproportionately harm Māori. The right to vote is a fundamental right. This Government’s proposal is chilling.
This policy is also incoherent. We’re seeing the stacking of punishment on top of punishment, when the focus should be on rehabilitation.
It fundamentally undermines human dignity. We all want a sense of agency. We all want respect and to have a say in the decisions that influence our lives. 
When systems are designed so we can all make a meaningful contribution, we can all benefit in so many ways, including more well-rounded and informed decision-making, stronger communities and feelings of belonging and connection.
Ultimately, we’re concerned that this is part of a wider raft of laws, policies and practices stripping away the foundations of our society.
We have to see the big picture and seriously question what path this is leading us down as a society. We must take a stand for the type of society we want. Te Tiriti provides a starting point – a strong foundation that offers a place for us all to belong, for respectful relationships to flourish and a just foundation for how we can make decisions together.”
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Pacific enforcement agencies welcome new detector dog teams

Source: Tairawhiti District Health

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has acknowledged nine new Detector Dog Handlers and their dogs from across the Pacific and New Zealand who graduated at the Dog Training Centre in Trentham this afternoon.

The teams celebrated the occasion in front of whānau and friends, executives from New Zealand Police with officials from the New Zealand Customs Service, Aviation Security Service New Zealand, and New Caledonia Customs.

Commissioner Chambers, who is currently in the Pacific meeting local police leaders, congratulated them all on their achievements.

“Our New Zealand and Pacific Detector Dog teams play a crucial role in all kinds of policing, at our borders and within our communities.

“They are remarkable at what they do in detecting cash, firearms, and narcotics and some detecting explosives.

“These graduates have worked hard to obtain this operational qualification, and they’ll keep learning and developing with experience and time on the street and at their borders.”

Today’s graduates are from Customs agencies in New Zealand, Samoa, New Caledonia, and Fiji with one dog team bound for New Zealand’s Aviation Security Service.

The police graduates are from New Zealand, Tonga and for the first time ever, a policewoman has graduated as a dog-handler from the Fiji Police Force.

They will be welcomed into their various roles in the Pacific, and around New Zealand, very shortly,” says Commissioner Chambers.

Customs Deputy Chief Executive International and Governance, Joe Cannon, highlighted the importance of this long-running Pacific Detector Dog Programme and its role in building ongoing enforcement capability in the Pacific region.

“Detector dogs are a valuable enforcement tool in combating transnational and serious and organised crime syndicates who continue to target Pacific countries.  We know that where there are illicit goods, there is criminal activity – and detector dogs are trained to help track them down.

“For us in New Zealand and our partners in the Pacific, having this additional capability puts us all in a better position to defend our borders. 

This programme also highlights what can be achieved when countries and agencies work toward a common goal, which in this instance is protecting our borders and keeping our communities safe.”

Inspector Todd Southall, National Coordinator Police Dogs and Manager of the Pacific Detector Dog Programme says, “These incredible dogs are trained to detect drugs, explosives, firearms and cash and it’s a proud day for all teams, both experienced and new when they qualify.”

“This ceremony marks the end of a demanding few weeks training to become an operational team. It takes patience and perseverance to get through the training programme.

“There is high demand for detector dog teams across the Pacific, so planning will continue as we manage more courses throughout the year.

“In the meantime, best wishes to all our new teams as they begin their operational lives in New Zealand and throughout the Pacific,” says Todd.

Established in 2018, the Pacific Detector Dog Programme (PDDP) is jointly managed by the New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs Service. It is funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Pest eradication to remove wallabies and possums from Kawau Island gets under way

Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

Auckland Council has been working with landowners and residents on an operation to restore native forest on Kawau Island by removing wallabies and possums. After years of planning and preparation, the first stage of the project, Working towards a pest-free Kawau Island, is now under way.

The project is a ground-based operation, primarily carried out by hunters, trained indicator dogs and thermal drones. Subject to permit approval and necessity, targeted toxins are proposed to be used in a second phase of the project to support hunting in areas where monitoring has revealed a high number of wallabies and possums.  

The first stage will begin at the southern end of the island, targeting pest populations in that area before moving to the northern side. The entire programme is expected to take 18 months, with monitoring continuing for a further six months.

From 1 May 2025, hunting will start in the public conservation land of Kawau Island Historic Reserve and nearby private properties (block 1 in the map below), targeting wallabies and possums.

A map of Kawau Island showing the treatment areas.

Towards a pest-free Kawau Island

The complete removal of pest animal species, starting with wallabies and possums, will make Kawau Island one of the largest inhabited pest-free islands in New Zealand –and a legacy for generations to come.

This collaborative environmental programme is part of the Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan 2020-2030, and works with, and builds on, the Pohutukawa Trust’s conservation efforts by seeking to eradicate mammalian pest species from Kawau Island to benefit nature, residents and visitors.

Auckland Council is working in partnership with Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust, Department of Conservation, a ground-based delivery consortium led by Island Conservation, as well as actively engaging the island’s community to achieve a pest animal-free Kawau Island.

The project is collaboratively funded, thanks to Predator Free 2050 Ltd, Auckland Council (through the Natural Environment Targeted Rate), the Ministry for Primary Industries (through the Tipu Mātoro National Wallaby Eradication Programme), Department of Conservation and the Kawau community.

“This project wouldn’t be possible without our project funders, including landowners and residents of the island. We’ve seen generous donations and pledges through the New Zealand Nature Fund by the Kawau Island community. We know landowners, residents and those who frequent Kawau Island are invested in this project, the decisions we make and the outcomes,” says Samantha Hill, Auckland Council General Manager, Environmental Services.

“We will continue to engage with user groups, landowners, occupiers and stakeholders about the operation. We are also working closely with our iwi partner, Ngāti Manuhiri and agencies like the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Health.”

The impact of introduced pest animals

A large island, Kawau has an extensive canopy of native forest. It is home to threatened and at-risk indigenous species including the North Island weka, kororā/little blue penguin and pāteke/brown teal, as well as many other species of shore and forest birds, including the North Island brown kiwi and kākā.

“Browsing species like possums and wallabies put pressure on our forests which, if left unmanaged, can lead to long-term damage and changes to the natural environment. This is especially evident on Kawau Island, where the selective browsing of wallabies and possums has changed the forest composition, increased fire risk and destroyed potential habitats and food sources for indigenous species,” explains Samantha Hill.“

“Additionally, Kawau Island continues to be the only place where wallabies are found in Tāmaki Makaurau and their continued presence is a biosecurity risk to primary industry and the natural environment in mainland Auckland and Northland,” she says.

“A successful programme will enable the forest to recover, potentially attracting new species from nearby pest-free islands and sanctuaries. It will also allow us to preserve habitats for threatened and at-risk species that make Kawau unique.”

Important information

  • Stage one of the programme begins on 1 May and involves hunting.
  • Residents and visitors to the island should follow all warning signage.

Signage will be in place during the operation and will remain for the duration of the caution period. For more information on the Working towards a pest-free Kawau Island project, including FAQs and further factsheets, please visit the project website or phone us on 09 301 0101. To support this project and ongoing conservation efforts, visit New Zealand Nature Fund.

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Release: Labour backs workers while Govt cuts jobs and protections

Source:

This May Day Labour is standing with workers to defend decent jobs and fair pay.

“Many Kiwis are struggling to find work or have lost their jobs because of this Government’s disastrous choices,” Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“Under National, unemployment is up to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work. Construction workers are leaving the country, manufacturing jobs are being cut, and more Kiwis are worried about finding or keeping a job.

“They’re also making life harder for those still in work by scrapping Fair Pay Agreements, docking pay for strike action, and halting progress on pay transparency and equity.

“That makes it harder for workers to negotiate fair wages and keep their jobs. People are left with less job security, fewer rights, and pay that doesn’t keep up with the cost of living.

“Labour believes everyone deserves decent, secure work that allows them to make positive choices in their own lives,” Jan Tinetti said.

Jan Tinetti marked May Day at a workers’ hui at Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve in Mt Maunganui, one of several held nationwide to push back against the Government’s anti-worker agenda. Labour Leader Chris Hipkins also spoke at a May Day event in New Plymouth with union leaders and workers. Other Labour MPs are marking the day at events around the country.

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