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Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on local leaders to join the Government in driving up school attendance, citing it as a foundation for community and national success.

Seymour has written to all mayors across New Zealand urging them to use the Government’s new daily school attendance dashboard to raise awareness and spark local action.

“I’m calling on mayors to be champions for education in their regions. When students go to school, communities are stronger and better prepared for generations to come,” says Mr Seymour.

“The dashboard provides region-specific data. For instance, the Mayor of Southland is able to see their region recorded an 89% attendance rate on the last Monday of Term 1.

“This is a tool for action, local leaders can now see how their region is doing at a glance, and lead the change they want to see.

“Every day a child misses school is a day they miss out on opportunities to learn, to grow, and to succeed.

In the letter, Seymour encourages local councils to:

• Check out the dashboard and how your region compares with other parts of New Zealand. Encourage others in your community to engage with this dashboard.
• Lead a conversation with your community around how they can support schools to improve attendance. Even small steps like encouraging local businesses to be aware that school-aged children should be at school during school hours is helpful.
• Amplify the message that school is helping our young people achieve better outcomes.
• Let us know what’s working, or not working, in your community, to get young people in school.

In Term 4 of 2024, 58.1% of students attended school regularly, up from 53% in Term 4 of 2023 — a 5.1 percentage point rise. Every region saw an increase on the year prior.

“Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities that every student deserves,” says Mr Seymour.

“I encourage students, parents, and educators to prioritise education. That is what this Government is doing, and it is what is required for New Zealand to have a better future.”

Attendance data can be found here Attendance | Education Counts 

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Minister for Trade and Investment Hon Todd McClay will today welcome Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, His Excellency Eng Abdulrahman A. AlFadley, to New Zealand. 

Minister AlFadley is leading a delegation of more than 35 senior Saudi officials and business people to Auckland for the 9th New Zealand–Saudi Arabia Joint Ministerial Commission—a key platform for advancing trade and economic ties between the two countries.

“The hosting of this Joint Commission in New Zealand reflects the strong momentum in our relationship with Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf region, particularly following the successful conclusion of negotiations for the New Zealand-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement late last year,” Mr McClay says.

“In a time of global uncertainty, the Government is focused on opening doors for Kiwi exporters and providing greater certainty for New Zealand businesses.

lf’s largest economy and one of our top export markets, with exports reaching $1.14 billion last year, Saudi Arabia presents significant opportunities for Kiwi businesses through the NZ-GCC FTA.”

Alongside the Commission, the Ministers will participate in business outreach focused on agriculture, technology, and digital innovation.

“This visit provides a valuable opportunity to profile world-class Kiwi exporters and highlight investment opportunities in New Zealand’s fast-growing tech sectors,” Mr McClay says.

The Joint Ministerial Commission and business programme will run from 28–30 April in Auckland.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey is pleased to announce today that the Women’s Refuge is the latest recipient of the Government’s Mental Health and Addiction Innovation Fund. 

“Women’s Refuge do incredibly important work in our communities. They provide a safe space for women and children experiencing family violence, some of whom may be experiencing mental health and addiction challenges. I am delighted that the organisation will receive funding from the Government to help deliver mental health and addiction support to those in need,” Mr Doocey says.

“I am pleased the funding announced today will support 250 advocates based within the 41 Women’s Refuges across New Zealand with mental health and addiction training, advisory support from clinical specialists and strengthen referral pathways so clients can access local mental health and addiction services more efficiently.  

“The feedback I often hear about mental health services is that it is too hard to navigate and know where to go in a time of need. This funding will enable Women’s Refuge to upskill their staff on mental health and addiction as well as improve connections with local services and referral pathways and join up the system to make it more accessible to those in need.

“Over the past five years, Women’s Refuge has supported an average of 15,000 clients per year. This funding will strengthen the workforce and improve referral pathways for those women and children who are accessing Women’s Refuge services.

“Initiatives like this is exactly what the Innovation Fund was designed for, and this support will only grow as we move into the second round of funding.”

The Women’s Refuge will receive $540,000 from the Government across two years, which will be matched by the Women’s Refuge to make a total of $1,080,000 over a two-year period.

In round one of the Innovation Fund the Government have so far supported MATES in Construction, The Mental Health Foundation, YouthLine, Wellington City Mission, Rotorua Youth One Stop Shop and the Sir John Kirwan Foundation.

“I am committed to doing everything possible to bring down mental health and addiction wait times in New Zealand. Partnering with organisations such as Women’s Refuge through the Innovation Fund to deliver innovative projects and initiatives supports the Government’s priority focus of increasing access to mental health and addiction support for Kiwis,” Mr Doocey says.

Note to editors: 

A future procurement opportunity for round two of the Fund was released on the Government Electronic Tender site (GETS) last week and a Request for Proposal is scheduled to be released in May 2025.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

The Government is updating the way it co-invests in public electric vehicle (EV) chargers with the private sector to accelerate the delivery of EV chargers across New Zealand, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Energy Minister Simon Watts say.

“New Zealand needs more EV chargers. We have fewer public chargers per EV than many other countries in the OECD, and we know that this is a barrier to Kiwis purchasing EVs,” Mr Bishop says.

“People buying an EV need confidence that they can charge where and when they need to on a comprehensive public network.

“The number of EV charge points (as of 31 December 2024) is 1,378 – around one for every 84 EVs (battery electric and plug in hybrid). The Government is targeting 10,000 by 2030, so that there will be one public charge point to around 40 EVs. This will remove people’s ‘range anxiety’ and make owning an EV as easy as possible.

“The Government will therefore utilise the highly successful Ultra-Fast Broadband model to accelerate the roll-out of EV chargers. Under the status quo, the private sector are reluctant to invest in charging infrastructure until there’s sufficient demand, but demand for charging won’t grow until the purchase of EVs stops being hampered by a lack of public charging. This chicken-and-egg situation is hampering the roll-out and justifies government action.

“Since 2016, government investment in EV chargers has consisted of direct grants. This made sense when the market for public EV charging was being established. This model is now outdated, with EVs now making up over 2 per cent of the light vehicle fleet, and expected to make up around 11 per cent by 2030. A range of charge point operators have now also entered the market.

“The Government is moving to a more sophisticated, commercial procurement model. We have set aside up to $68.5 million in currently held grant funding, to provide concessionary loans to private operators to co-invest in public EV charging infrastructure. Loans will be quicker to implement and will help achieve the Government’s objectives with less complexity, cost and risk.

“Concessionary loans will bring forward private investment in public EV charging infrastructure by lowering the cost of capital. They will also provide better value for money by maximising private sector investment while keeping the taxpayers’ contribution to a minimum.

“Loans will be awarded through contestable co-investment rounds, and applications will be open to proposals to establish portfolios of public EV charging sites (i.e. multiple charging locations). This is the best way to support scaled-up development and to maximise competitive tension between providers.

“Giving effect to commitments made on the National-Act Coalition agreement, this competitive tension will help ensure public investment flows to proposals delivering the best value-for-money. A cost benefit analysis will also be applied at the point loan applications are assessed, with a successful applicant having demonstrated that the benefits to New Zealand of its project outweigh the costs.”

Mr Watts says that EVs make a huge amount of sense for New Zealand.

“With our bountiful renewable energy resources EVs are a winner for New Zealand. Kiwis charging their EVs are essentially filling their cars with predominantly water, wind, and geothermal energy – rather than fossil fuels – due to our high level of renewable energy.

“There are real benefits to owning an EV. Not only does it support our economic and climate goals, but it also delivers long-term benefits to users by helping keep running costs low. This Government is focused on growing the economy so Kiwis can get ahead.

“By giving people more options to reduce everyday expenses like transport, we’re helping households stay ahead and build a more sustainable future. By co-investing to accelerate public EV infrastructure ahead of demand, we will give more Kiwis the confidence to go electric.”

The new EV charging initiative will be administered by National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (NIFFCo), the successor organisation to Crown Infrastructure Partners (which delivered Ultra-Fast Broadband). EECA will provide assistance as required.

Editor’s notes

• Increasing the number of chargers to support rapid EV uptake will help to reduce New Zealand’s light road transport emissions. An EV used in New Zealand emits at least 60 percent fewer emissions over its full life cycle than do petrol vehicles.
• The concessionary loans will offer up to 50 percent of project costs, have a zero percent interest rate, and a maximum tenure of 13 years. The loans will be awarded through a contestable co-investment bid process.
• Applications will be assessed against value-for-money criteria to ensure loans are awarded to projects of greatest benefit and that New Zealand’s EV charging network grows at pace. A Request for Proposals (RFP) for interested parties is expected to be released shortly.
• Consumer monitoring by EECA consistently shows that some of the main perceived disadvantages of EVs include that the driving range is not suitable for long distance travel, and that there are not enough public chargers available. Increasing the availability of public charging infrastructure gives drivers the confidence to switch to an electric vehicle. See EECA’s Transport Monitor: https://www.eeca.govt.nz/assets/EECA-Transport-Monitor-Mar-Jun-2024.pdf 

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Physician associates will become a regulated profession that will contribute to New Zealand’s talented workforce of health professionals delivering timely, quality healthcare to New Zealanders, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.

“Physician associates are overseas-trained health professionals who can evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients under the supervision of a doctor.

“They work in a range of health settings in New Zealand, such as general practice and hospitals, assisting with both clinical and administrative tasks to ensure patient needs are met.

“About 50 physician associates are currently employed across the country, with the workforce expected to grow over coming years.

“Regulating physician associates under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 demonstrates the Government’s commitment to patient safety and providing high quality care.

“By regulating physician associates, they will be required to meet clear standards that are appropriate for the New Zealand health system, including training, supervision, and ongoing professional development.”

The Government has recently made a series of announcements to enable more health professionals to prescribe the medicines patients need. These have included amending the Medicines Act to provide nurse practitioners greater prescribing rights, and changing regulations to allow podiatrists to prescribe medicines relating to their role.

“Ensuring that all New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare is a priority for the Government.

“I look forward to seeing how health services use this growing resource to meet our priorities,” Mr Brown says.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

One hundred and 10 years ago, on the dawn of this day that we commemorate every year in New Zealand, Anzac troops came ashore here, shoulder-to-shoulder with their brothers from half a world away.

Some anticipated an adventure far from home.

But as the sun rose and the shadows drained from the gullies, it was not adventure that greeted them, but horror.

Instead of the peace we feel now, they faced wave after wave of firing.

Each bullet seeming to come closer than the last, as one soldier put it.

Days became weeks, and weeks became months – but only for those who survived that long.

The metronome of gunfire and shelling kept the dreadful rhythm of life in the trenches.

Gallipoli is a name etched into New Zealand’s national identity.

It represents not only this shore and these hills, but the valour that was shown here on both sides, the terrible sacrifice, and the utter tragedy of war.

Some 16,000 Kiwis served here. At the time, we were a nation of just one million people.

Our contribution as a small nation at the bottom of the world, was disproportionate.

What happened here scarred generations of New Zealanders.

While we remain proud of those who served, we do not glorify what happened here. We know too much to do that. Instead, we acknowledge the courage and tenacity of the Anzacs, and we respect the valour of the Ottoman Turks who resisted them.

Our most decorated Gallipoli veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Cyril Bassett VC said, “real courage isn’t just an act of daring; it’s carrying on.”

And carry on they did. On both sides.

Everyone fought in the same horrific conditions and, through that, unbreakable bonds were formed.

Men of means fought in lockstep with those who came from little.

For the Anzacs, a bond was built between New Zealanders and Australians which we sustain to this day.

The passage of 110 years has lifted the fog of war and given us a clearer view of the futility of the Gallipoli campaign and New Zealand’s role in it. But that greater understanding does not dim our respect for those who fought.

On Anzac Day in particular, we remember the stories of selfless acts of courage that ordinary men committed to save their mates, never knowing that, in doing so, they were writing themselves into the history of our nation.

But it would be a disservice to those whose valour we remember if we forget the real lesson of this campaign: That we should do all we can to prevent anything like it happening again.

Many young Turks lost their lives here defending their country. They fought fearlessly in defence of their position, at great cost. Today, we honour them too.

On behalf of all New Zealanders, I thank Türkiye for protecting the cemeteries and memorials on this site, and caring for our fallen sons as you do for your own.

Visiting this place has become a rite of passage for New Zealanders young and old who seek a connection with those who gave so much for us, so long ago.

Some come looking for their family’s surnames on the headstones.

But some headstones bear the names of men who were struck down too young to bear families of their own.

Whatever motivation visitors have for coming, nobody leaves here unmoved.

Only last year, fire struck the peninsula, reminding us of the fragility of this special environment.

We thank Turkish firefighters for their success in containing the fire and commend the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for restoring the memorials. And as always, we express our gratitude to the Turkish authorities for ensuring this sacred ground is protected into the future.

Soon, the light will reveal the landscape as it did at this hour, on this day, 110 years ago.

It will show us the names etched onto headstones marking where men fell.

It will show us the names of our great grandfathers.

And it will show us the names of men who never became fathers.

We think of them all.

We will remember them.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins KC today announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges.   

The appointees will take up their roles in May, filling vacancies at the Wellington, Manukau and Dunedin courts.   

Those appointed are: 

David Laurenson KC 

Mr Laurenson worked as a paralegal in London from 1988-1990 and was admitted to the New Zealand bar in 1990. He joined Bell Gully in 1990 before moving to Luke Cunningham from 1993-1996, then going back to Bell Gully in 1996. 

He established himself as a barrister in Wellington in 1999, initially at Capital Chambers and since 2002 at Thomas More Chambers, which merged with Clifton Chambers in 2017.   

Mr Laurenson was a member of the Crown Prosecution Panel between 2000 and 2006, appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014, and his practice has been primarily in the public and commercial law areas in recent years. 

He will be based at the Wellington District Court and is due to be sworn in on 12 May. 

Sacha Nepe 

Ms Nepe (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and Te Aitanga a Mahaki) was admitted to the bar in 1997 and started her legal career in Rotorua as a staff solicitor with Rangitauira & Co before moving to Hamilton, joining Preston Matenga in 1999. In 2004 she moved to Bogers Scott & Shortland as a Senior Solicitor before becoming a Barrister and Solicitor in 2007.   

She has worked primarily as a litigator in the District Court, working in both the summary and jury trial jurisdictions. In the Family Court she has worked as a Lawyer for Child, Youth Advocate and Lawyer for Subject Person.  

She will initially be based at the Manukau District Court and is due to be sworn in on 23 May. 

Hermann Retzlaff 

Mr Retzlaff is currently serving as the National Public Defender of New Zealand. 

He was admitted to the bar in 2003 and, after serving his scholarship bond in Samoa with the National University of Samoa, started his legal career in New Zealand in 2005 as a Crown Prosecutor with Meredith Connell. He joined the Public Defence Service in 2009 as a Senior Solicitor, working in all the Auckland courts, and latterly as the Public Defender of North Shore.  

In 2016 he was appointed the Attorney-General of Samoa, serving four years in that role before moving to Kayes Fletcher Walker as a Senior Crown Prosecutor in 2020. In 2021 he was appointed as Public Defender of Waitakere, rejoining the Public Defence Service until being appointed to his current position in February 2024.  

Mr Retzlaff served as President of the Pacific Lawyer’s Association from 2012 to 2014 and carries the chiefly matai titles from his family in Samoa of Lemalu from Safato’a Lefaga, and a bestowed chiefly title of Mua’utasi from Puipa’a Faleata.  

He will be based at the Dunedin District Court and is due to be sworn in on 19 May.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful three-day visit to the United Kingdom, where he met with His Majesty King Charles III and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

“The UK is one of New Zealand’s most trusted partners, and I had a hugely productive day with Prime Minister Starmer,” Mr Luxon says.

The two leaders released a Joint Statement in which they pledged to do more to ensure the partnership remains robust in a rapidly changing world.

“Prime Minister Starmer and I underlined our commitment to the international rules-based system. We also talked about boosting bilateral trade and investment, especially while the global economy is under such extreme pressure.”

“Export growth will be critical to improving our economic prospects in the coming years so our businesses can create more jobs and lift incomes for Kiwis.

“Our free trade agreement provides New Zealand business with certainty of access to the high-value UK market where we have enjoyed export growth of more than 20 per cent in the last year.”

Mr Luxon also hosted an investment roundtable with British business leaders to promote New Zealand as open for business.

“Building on the success of our international investment summit earlier in the year, I continued to make the case for New Zealand as a place to invest, so we can get infrastructure built and grow our businesses to put more money in Kiwis’ pockets.

“During my visit to London I also witnessed a number of commercial deals between UK and New Zealand companies, worth more than $120 million.”

The Prime Ministers agreed to refresh the Joint Statement on Defence Cooperation to ensure the partnership can respond to today’s global challenges.

Mr Luxon also announced New Zealand will extend the deployment of NZDF personnel to the UK and Europe to train Ukrainian soldiers until December 2026.

Mr Luxon visited some of those soldiers, met with representatives of the UK Government, the Leader of the Opposition and New Zealand and UK businesses.

He now travels to Türkiye where he will attend Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli before going on to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

World Immunisation Week, celebrated in the last week of April, is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to ensure their children are up to date with their immunisations, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“High immunisation coverage is critical to protect not only the health of individuals, but the community from the spread of preventable diseases.

“This week is an opportunity to emphasise our focus on childhood immunisation and achieving our target of 95 per cent of children aged 24 months being fully immunised.

“We know that immunisation for both children and their parents and families is one of the best tools we have to protect Kiwi kids from serious illnesses like whooping cough (pertussis) and measles.

“Last month, a Taranaki healthcare provider hit 100 per cent for all enrolled children under eight months of age. This is an incredible achievement, and one that we want to see replicated around the country.”

The recent spread of measles internationally has highlighted the importance of ensuring Kiwis are vaccinated against the disease.

“A measles outbreak in New Zealand would mean kids off school, in hospital and, as we’ve seen overseas, could cost some children their lives,” Mr Brown says.

“Raising the country’s childhood immunisation rates is a priority for this Government. High rates of immunisation are a safe and effective way to better protect New Zealanders from disease, including measles, and saves lives.”

Results released in the second quarter 2024/25 earlier this show more children are now fully immunised, with 77 per cent of two-year-olds being immunised in the second quarter of this year, up from 75.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Councils from regions severely impacted by the 2023 North Island Severe Weather Events continue to make steady progress repairing transport routes and building future flood resilience for their communities, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister, Mark Mitchell says.

“As at the end of February 2025, Auckland, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay councils have stabilised 1,125 slips, repaired 25 local bridges and completed 51 km of stop banks.

“The Crown cost-share agreements with these councils provided more than $1.6 billion for the council-led Category 3 residential property buyouts, flood risk mitigation and local transport projects.

“The Government recently approved plans for the final three projects, bringing the total number of approved projects to 54,” says Mr Mitchell.

“I would like to acknowledge the considerable work councils in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti and Auckland have done to prepare Delivery Plans for these projects.

“Some of these projects have required significant programmes of work involving multiple workstreams, and I am conscious that councils have also been delivering other aspects of their region’s recovery.

“Many of the flood mitigation projects are technically complex, and councils have taken time to plan and consult with impacted communities to balance the level of protection with minimising the impact on properties before deciding on the final design.

“Completing the flood mitigation projects, which are part funded by the councils, will reduce the risk of future flooding, allowing many impacted properties to move from Category 2C. This will mean many people can continue living on their property with greater confidence.

“Progressing the flood risk mitigation projects and repairing roads and bridges will make a considerable difference for impacted communities and will support growth in these regions.”

Combined, the total cost of the flood risk mitigation and local transport projects is $1,050 million of which the Crown is funding $907 million.