Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government, through its procuring company Ferry Holdings Limited has secured Guangzhou Shipyard International as the builder of two new ferries, Rail Minister Winston Peters confirmed today.

“GSI is the largest modern integrated shipbuilding enterprise in Southern China, founded in 1954 and is listed on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges,” Mr Peters says.

“We want the best deal possible for New Zealand taxpayers and a shipbuilder of the competence, capability and capacity of GSI underscores the high degree of confidence in our no-nonsense ferry replacement programme.

“Ferry Holdings and GSI are still in negotiations, and details will not be disclosed until these negotiations are completed along with the port agreements with CentrePort Limited and Port Marlborough New Zealand Limited.

“As we said in early September, we have secured major components including a fixed price, completion in 2029, and full delivery of our ship specifications for 200-metre-long ferries with road and rail decks, and room for 1,500 passengers each.

“We intend to make an announcement before the end of this year detailing our agreements and how we have saved the taxpayer billions by cancelling project iReX and returning to the no-nonsense solution we started in May 2020,” Mr Peters says.

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

29 seconds ago

EIT Hawke’s Bay will host its annual Information and Enrolment Day this week, giving prospective students a chance to explore local study options across its campuses and learning centres.

The event runs from 9am to 6pm at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale, with additional sessions held from 10am to 2pm at the Maraenui, Hastings, and Central Hawke’s Bay Learning Centres.

EIT Executive Director of Operations Glen Harkness says the ability to study close to home is becoming increasingly important for students and families.

“EIT allows people to gain qualifications locally while staying connected to whānau and community. Whether you’re looking to upskill, change careers, or explore new study options, our friendly team will be ready to help you find the right path.”

Glen says the Information and Enrolment Day is a chance for people to visit the campus, ask questions, and get a feel for the learning environment.

“It’s a great time to showcase our new purpose-built facilities, which have a strong focus on student wellbeing and success.”

The event also ties into EIT’s Live here, Study here, Work here campaign, which features local actress Kristyl Neho, delivering the message at familiar locations around Hawke’s Bay.

EIT offers a wide range of qualifications, from certificates and diplomas to degrees and postgraduate programmes, with flexible full-time, part-time and online options.

“Many of our programmes are filling fast, so we encourage people to enrol early to secure their place.”

For more information, check out the EIT website or EIT Hawke’s Bay on Facebook and Instagram.

Source: New Zealand Police

The Geraldine-Fairlie Highway is closed following a serious crash.

Emergency services were advised around 11:25am that at least two vehicles were involved in a crash at the intersection with Bracefield Road.

Two people are said to be in serious condition, and three others have minor to moderate injuries.

The intersection is closed while the Serious Crash Unit attends the scene.

ENDS

Source: New Zealand Government

Better access to a new, more efficient science funding system will make it easier for researchers to focus on delivering results that matter for New Zealand, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.

Following recommendations from the Science System Advisory Group, a single, independent board, called Research Funding New Zealand, will be established to make most funding decisions. 

“The message from the science and research community has been loud and clear – the current funding system is too complex, too bureaucratic, and takes time and energy away from actual research,” says Dr Reti. 

“So, this Government is simplifying the way we fund science, so our researchers can spend less time on paperwork and more time on discovery, innovation, and results that will grow our economy and benefit New Zealanders.

“Research Funding New Zealand will replace the multiple layers of decision-making, taking on the Endeavour, Marsden and Strategic Science Investment Funds – currently administered by three separate funding bodies.

“The change doesn’t change the value of funding available for science, innovation and technology in New Zealand, instead reducing duplication and making the process easier to navigate for applicants.” 

Under the new model, public investment in science will be focused on the economy, the environment, health and society, and technology.

An in-principle decision has also been made to transfer health research funding from the Health Research Council to Research Funding New Zealand, with existing funding continuing be invested in critical health research.

“These changes are about smarter investment and stronger outcomes and aligns science funding with similar structures in other small, advanced economies,” Dr Reti says. 

“By streamlining funding and improving accountability, we’ll drive science that grows our economy, supports our exporters, tackles environmental challenges, and improves the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders.”

The Government will continue to back a broad range of science – from blue-sky research through to applied and commercial innovation – but with a system that is simpler, faster, and more focused on impact.

The transition to Research Funding New Zealand will be phased carefully over four years to ensure continuity and minimise disruption. All current research contracts will continue, and the Government will work closely with the sector to ensure the new approach delivers for scientists, industry, and the country.

“This is about getting the system working better – less bureaucracy, clearer priorities, and a stronger focus on research that makes a difference,” Dr Reti says.

Source: PHARMAC

Information on what the Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee (CTAC) will be considering at its meeting in November 2025.

Source: New Zealand Government

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed the Reserve Bank’s intention to relax restrictions on lending, making it easier for first home buyers to get started.

“Home ownership is part of the Kiwi dream,” Nicola Willis says. 

“Relaxing the restrictions on the amounts banks can lend will make it easier for Kiwis to get a foot on the property ladder.”

The Reserve Bank announced today that it was consulting with banks on easing loan to value (LVR) restrictions from 1 December this year.

“Presently, only 20 per cent of the new loans banks are allowed to make to owner-occupiers can go to buyers who have deposits of less than 20 per cent of the value of their properties.

“The Reserve Bank is proposing to increase that limit of new lending to 25 per cent. That will make more funding available to first-home buyers. 

The Reserve Bank is also proposing to increase the amount banks can lend to residential property investors with deposits of less than 30 per cent of the value of their properties from 5 to 10 percent. 

“The proposed change follows the Reserve Bank’s introduction of debt-to-income (DTI) restrictions last year. The Reserve Bank’s view is that the introduction of DTI restrictions increases the resilience of the banking system and means LVR restrictions can now be eased. 

“I look forward to hearing the outcome of the Reserve Bank’s consultation with the commercial banks.”

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  14 October 2025

Classified as nationally vulnerable, koekoeā are the larger and rarer of two cuckoo species found in New Zealand, with a distinctive long tail and striking speckled plumage.Compared with other native birds, little is known about them.

DOC Principal Science Monitoring Advisor Terry Greene says the conservation status of koekoeā worsened in the most recent assessment in 2021, due to the declining population in the South Island.

Koekoeā breed only in New Zealand. They lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species such as whitehead, which are left to raise the cuckoo chicks. The adult birds then migrate to spend the winter elsewhere in the Pacific. They are thought to return to their place of birth, despite very large seasonal migration movements. The current fieldwork and research aims to understand their movements within New Zealand, whether remaining populations are genetically different, and how the birds are faring.

“To understand why the population is declining we need to learn about where they go, where they return to, how to count them, and the threats they face – all of which will help with their conservation,” Terry says.

“Koekoeā breeding has been affected by forest clearance and the decline of their preferred host bird species – particularly mohua in the South Island.”

Terry says additional risks and threats for the birds include land use changes, cyclones and predation.

The October fieldwork coincides with the birds’ arrival for breeding – and involves counts of birds in the central North Island as well as catching birds and fitting them with GPS and satellite tracking tags so their movements between New Zealand and Pacific islands, and between different breeding sites within New Zealand, can be monitored.

Terry says using satellite tags will be vital to unveiling the birds’ journeys.

Mist nets will be used to catch the birds, which live near the top of the forest canopy and can be difficult to see despite their loud calls. The fieldwork will take about a week and be followed by data analysis later this year.

Bioeconomy Science Institute Conservation Ecology Researcher Neil Fitzgerald is studying the dispersal of forest birds, including koekoeā, and says understanding their movements is crucial for effective conservation.

“With a cryptic and highly specialised species like koekoeā, there is a real risk that conservation work could be much more difficult and expensive, or even come too late, if we don’t understand what these birds need.”

New tracking and genomic tools will give us new insights, and Neil says an exciting part of his koekoeā research is that the public can help.

“Unfortunately, koekoeā are often killed or injured by flying into windows. On the bright side, even these birds can make an important contribution to our work.”

Here’s how to help:

• Anyone finding an injured koekoeā should phone 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) or contact your nearest DOC office or native bird rescue and then contact Neil.
• If you find a freshly dead koekoeā, please put it in a plastic bag, freeze it, and contact Neil via email – FitzgeraldN@landcareresearch.co.nz 

The team undertaking the research will also be monitoring kererū and kākā population trends. The Pureora Forest is a biodiversity hotspot for the North Island, and a popular location for people naturing through activities such as hunting, hiking or enjoying the Pureora Timber Trail.

Contact

Source: New Zealand Police

Police can now release the name of the man who died on Mount Taranaki on 30 September.

He was Vladimir Levchenko, 69, of Gulf Harbour, Auckland.

Police extend their condolences to his loved ones.

His death has been referred to the Coroner.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

Patients in Porirua and surrounding communities now have access to faster, more accurate diagnostic imaging, with a new state-of-the-art Photon Counting Computed Tomography (PCCT) scanner operational at Kenepuru Hospital, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“This is Kenepuru Hospital’s first scanner, representing a major step forward for medical imaging in the region,” Mr Brown says.

“It delivers sharper, faster, and more detailed scans, helping patients get the care they need sooner and closer to home.

“By bringing scanning capability to Kenepuru Hospital, patients who would otherwise travel to Wellington Hospital for CT scans can now be treated locally. This will reduce travel for patients and staff, improve convenience for families, and ease pressure on regional services.”

“It will boost the region’s outpatient scanning capacity by more than 5000 scans a year, reducing pressure on Wellington’s tertiary hospital scanners and improving patient flow for inpatients and emergency department cases across greater Wellington region.

“The addition of advanced technology PCCT scanning will also enhance acute chest pain services, allowing quicker and less invasive diagnostic treatment for cardiac patients who currently require angiography procedures.”

The Kenepuru Hospital scanner is the second PCCT scanner to be installed in New Zealand, following the first at Christchurch Hospital in September. A third scanner is expected to become operational at Wellington Regional Hospital by mid-2026.

The PCCT scanner produces significantly higher image quality than traditional CT machines, allowing specialists to detect very small structures and subtle cardiac abnormalities that were previously difficult or impossible to see.

“The improvement in imaging is like moving from black-and-white television to Ultra HD. It means patients can often avoid invasive procedures and overnight stays, while staff can focus on those with more complex needs.

“We are committed to delivering modern, quality health infrastructure that enables better care for New Zealanders. This new technology is another step towards ensuring patients receive world-class care closer to home in Porirua,” Mr Brown says.

Source: New Zealand Government

A $108 million upgrade to New Zealand’s diagnostic infrastructure will deliver 32 new and replacement CT, MRI, and SPECT scanners across the country, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“Modern diagnostic equipment is essential to delivering timely, quality, and accurate care for patients,” Mr Brown says.

“This investment will increase national imaging capacity by around 6 per cent, significantly improving access to faster and more accurate medical imaging for patients across New Zealand.”

The upgrade is in addition to the three CT and three MRI scanners already committed through hospital redevelopment projects, bringing the total to 38 scanners.

“Communities in Northland, Counties Manukau, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North, and Porirua will benefit from additional scanners, expanding local capacity and enabling procedures such as CT angiograms for heart disease to be carried out in new locations for the first time.

“Three of the new CT scanners will be photon-counting models, including one announced today at Kenepuru Hospital. 

“These machines can deliver more detailed images and often remove the need for more invasive angiograms. That means quicker, lower-risk procedures for patients and more capacity in hospital labs for treatment.

“The new scanners are expected to enable around 32,000 additional CT scans and 6,800 additional MRI scans each year once fully operational. The new technology provides clearer images and greater diagnostic accuracy, while modern software makes them easier to operate.”

In total, the three-year procurement includes 31 replacement machines, renewing 29 per cent of the national scanner fleet, and seven new, additional machines across 14 hospitals. Once complete, 87 per cent of CT scanners and 93 per cent of MRI scanners will be within their 10-year useful life.

“This investment ensures hospitals have the modern equipment needed to deliver faster, more reliable diagnostic services, supporting the Government’s $65 million Diagnostic Improvement Programme to expand access to timely scans.

“Work is also underway to recruit the workforce needed to operate these machines, supported by the Diagnostic Improvement Programme and National Radiology Clinical Network.

“By upgrading equipment and expanding imaging capacity, we are taking practical steps to reduce wait times and bring care closer to home, so patients across New Zealand can get the tests and treatment they need when they need them.”