Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: New Zealand Government

Source: New Zealand Government

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in the Gisborne region are benefitting from $3.55 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief. 
 

“Cyclone Gabrielle had a devasting impact on the East Coast, causing widespread destruction to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, one year after grant applications closed, 121 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden. 
 

Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024. Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.  
 

“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events”. 

Gisborne projects that received funding include: 
 

$49,916 to St John Gisborne Area to protect the ambulance station from flooding 

$29,839 to the Pehiri Emergency Management Group for communications systems, emergency supplies, and equipment  

$30,000 to the Ruatoria Volunteer Fire Brigade (Fire and Emergency New Zealand) to purchase and install additional water storage tanks to increase brigade water capacity and resilience for fire emergency response 

$25,000 to the Tahunga Residents Association Incorporated for amenities and upgrades to the community hall so it can be used as an emergency hub 

 

“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards better preparing impacted communities for future events.” 
 

The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. 
 

The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal. The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023. 

Source: New Zealand Government

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities across Auckland are benefitting from $1.8 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.  

 

“Cyclone Gabreille had a devasting impact on parts of Auckland, causing widespread damage to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, two years on, 71 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.  

 

Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which were then distributed to the community in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua. 

 

“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events.” 

Auckland projects that received funding include:  

$20,000 to the Titirangi Volunteer Coastguard Incorporated to replace equipment damaged in the cyclone 

$21,921 to Karekare Surf Life Saving Club for essential search and rescue equipment to support lifeguard operations during extreme weather events 

$30,000 to South Kaipara Good Food for water tanks, generators, irrigation systems and other equipment to support food resilience   

$24,733 to Bethells Beach Emergency Resilience Group for equipment and resources for emergency support  

“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards relief for Aucklanders doing it tough in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.” 

 

The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. 

 

The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal.  

 

The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.  

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has expanded the criteria for medallic recognition for Defence personnel who have served in operations supporting the UN’s sanctions against North Korea, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today.

“This medal – the New Zealand General Service Medal (NZGSM) 2002 (Korea) – has already been awarded to 180 personnel and the move to widen eligibility means a further 350 personnel will be recognised,” Ms Collins says.

“Personnel who have served as part of Operation Whio – which monitors the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – since 2018 are now eligible for this medal.

“Over the past seven years, there have been 19 rotations of Operation Whio – including seven deployments of P-3K2 Orion and P-8A Poseidon aircraft, aircrew and support personnel, and the deployment of HMNZS Aotearoa in 2024.

The aircraft and ship conducted and supported maritime patrols to detect and deter evasions of United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. The other rotations were of small numbers of staff officers in headquarters roles.

“This is another example of how we are contributing to upholding the international rules-based order. 

“Previously this specific medal, the NZGSM 2002 (Korea), was only awarded to United Nations Command activities relating to preserving the Korean Armistice Agreement,” Ms Collins says.

“The men and women of our Defence Force rightly deserve this acknowledgement of their service.

“Our people do what we ask of them, when we ask it, often in trying conditions, and medallic recognition such as this is one way we recognise this.”

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

The winter school holidays mean it’s time to wear a few more layers to the beach.

But school’s out also means maintenance is in for the Pekatahi Bridge.

The bridge, which is located north of Tāneatua on State Highway 2 (SH2) will close for 6 days for essential deck repairs from Monday 30 June.

This is part of much needed quarterly maintenance of Pekatahi Bridge for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

The bridge will close daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July for structural work, included bridge surface plank replacement. It will close again from 8.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday 5 July for sealing work. If the weather is wet on Saturday, the contingency day is Monday 7 July. Sealing requires dry weather, so if Monday is also unsuitable, sealing may have to be undertaken under stop/stop at a later date.

“The bridge is narrow, and due to nature of the work, full daytime closures are required,” says Sandra King, NZTA’s System Manager for the Bay of Plenty. 

“We understand this is an important route and the closure is disruptive, but closing the bridge allows contractors to carry out repairs safely.

“This essential maintenance work has been programmed for the school holidays when traffic volumes are lower, and no school buses will be on the road.

“Contractors will be using the closure to its full potential by repairing and replacing broken and loose decking planks and carrying out other general maintenance such as checking surfacing screws and resurfacing,” Ms King says.

A detour will be in place for all traffic; northbound using Tāneatua Road, Arawa Road, Hinemoa Street and onto SH30 towards Awakeri and southbound traffic will use the same route in reverse. This detour is expected to add up to 20 minutes to journey times and is suitable for all vehicles, including High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV). 

NZTA thanks Whakatāne District Council for allowing the detour route on their local roads and road users for their co-operation.  

Detour information below:

View larger/downloadable map [PNG, 342 KB]

Source: New Zealand Police

Two vehicles have collided on SH 60 near Mapua Drive, Tasman District.

One occupant has serious injuries and another occupant has minor injuries.

The road will be closed for some time while emergency services are at the scene.

Diversions are in place at the intersection of SH60 and Moutere Highway (Pea Vine Corner).

Traffic will need to use the inland route (not The Coastal Highway) and rejoin SH60 at Gardner Valley Road.

END

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Police

Attribute to Detective Inspector Dave De Lange:

Police have charged a second person after alleged interference in the murder investigation of 15-year-old Kaea Karauria.

A 21-year-old Napier woman was taken into custody earlier today, after Police learned while conducting follow-up enquiries, that she had provided instructions to another person to destroy evidence.

The alleged incident occurred on 11 May, the day of the fight in which Kaea was killed.

The woman has been charged with wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice, and will appear in the Napier District Court on 26 June.

Police will continue to act without hesitation when a witness is threatened, or attempts are made to sabotage an investigation. Any witness tampering will be treated very seriously.

We would still like to hear from anyone who has information about the incident. Our team continues to work hard on this investigation, as Kaea and his family deserve justice.

Information can be reported via our 105 service, either over the phone or online, referencing file number 250511/1317.

We have also set up a phoneline for those wanting to share information about the incident and people can leave a message on 0800 852 525.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has concluded the successful Shanghai leg of his official visit to China, accompanied by Ministers Louise Upston and Mark Mitchell and a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders from across the food and beverage, health and wellbeing, education, and tourism sectors.

“Our bilateral trade relationship with China is one of our most important, with two-way trade exceeding NZ$39 billion in the year ending March 2025. 

“This relationship accounts for more than 20 per cent of New Zealand’s total goods and services exports,” Mr Luxon says.

“It’s been great to see $400 million of commercial agreements signed today between New Zealand businesses and their Chinese partners. This is a clear sign of the strength and momentum in our trade relationship.

“We also announced we would be making it easier for Chinese nationals to transit via New Zealand by removing the need to get a transit visa, instead being able to get a New Zealanders Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), significantly cutting costs and time for visitors. 

“This resulted in one of the major announcements in Shanghai, that China Eastern Airlines was launching twice weekly flights to South America via Auckland.” 

Mr Luxon participated in a tourism livestream event watched by over 10 million people, to promote New Zealand travel offerings.

“New Zealand welcomed 248,000 visitors from China in the past year, with holiday arrivals up 31 per cent. We’ve made recent changes to visa settings to make it easier for Chinese visitors to enjoy New Zealand’s natural beauty and warm hospitality,” Mr Luxon says.

Mr Luxon also visited Fudan University, one of China’s most prestigious academic institutions, to promote New Zealand as a destination for world-class research, study, and partnership.

“We’re focused on deepening our education links through student connections, institutional partnerships, and joint research that benefits both countries,” Mr Luxon says.

Mr Luxon also met with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining to discuss Shanghai as a gateway for a high proportion of New Zealand goods, services and people-to-people flows, and other bilateral issues.

The Prime Minister will now travel to Beijing, where he will meet with China’s leaders.

Source: New Zealand Police

Waikato Police uncovered methamphetamine, cannabis, a firearm, ammunition and a homemade taser during search warrants in Waihi yesterday.

Police, including the Armed Offenders Squad and drug detector dogs, executed the two search warrants in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Drugs, drug paraphernalia, firearms and ammunition, stolen property and a homemade taser were found. A firearm was also found in a concealed cavity in a wall.

“We see the harm that drug dealing causes to our communities daily,” says Inspector Mike Henwood.

“These warrants represent local police’s ongoing commitment to tackling drug offending in our rural towns and the associated crime that follows.

“Drug dealing takes a huge toll on our local communities and leads to other offending like thefts and burglaries from innocent residents and hard-working businesses.”

“I am really proud of the work the teams did investigating this offending – being able to hold these offenders to account shows our commitment to stamping out drugs in our community.

“Recovering the drugs and dangerous weapons that were present, alongside evidence of dealing, is a great result.”

A 33-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman are due to appear Hamilton District Court on drug dealing and weapons charges today.

If you have concerns about illegal drug use in your community, please call 111 if there is an immediate public safety risk or contact us via 105 online or by phone to make a report.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government’s ensuring hundreds more students in Otago benefit from new, safe, warm and dry classrooms.
A $27 million investment into new infrastructure will help make sure schools meet the needs of their communities and gets ahead of new growth.
It will support the construction of:

Six new teaching spaces at Dunstan High School
A twelve-teaching space expansion at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau

The investment is in addition to the purchase of a site at Ladies Mile in Queenstown last year, which will accommodate a new primary school in the area.
“Queenstown in particular, has had strong and steady growth over the last decade, and we are committed to ensuring they are equipped to teach the basics brilliantly. Planning for the two growth projects is underway and is expected to begin in the next 12 months. This means that students, families and the Otago community can benefit sooner,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
“Funding for the construction of the new primary school at Ladies Mile will be considered in future years. Securing the land at this time means that we will be able to hit ‘go’ on construction when capacity is needed.” 
This announcement builds on the Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in school property, and follows recent announcements to support growth in Canterbury, the Central North Island and provision of specialist education. 
“Quality education is crucial to growing the regions. These new classrooms are an investment in the future of young learners in Otago Central Lakes and builds on the 120 new classrooms announced for Canterbury in the last month,” South Island Minister James Meager says.
“There is huge potential for Otago Central Lakes to become a hub for digital and tech investors, alongside our traditional backbone industries of tourism and agriculture. To enable that investment, we need to foster brilliance in our young people by investing in their future and building for growth. We also need a high-quality education infrastructure to attract the best quality workforce to our regions.”
“Our efficiencies in school property delivery allows more schools, communities and children benefit sooner. The use of standardised building designs and offsite manufacturing have lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28%, allowing 30% more classrooms to be delivered last year compared to 2023. We will continue to drive costs down so more Kiwi kids can thrive,” Ms Stanford says.