Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council Libraries are leading the way lifting literacy across Tāmaki Makaurau with a stack of activities, support and smart technology.

With 56 local libraries across the Auckland region, a fleet of mobile libraries on the road and borrowing available online, Aucklanders have access to the largest public library network in Australasia.

Auckland Council Libraries carry a whopping 3.4 million items available to borrow or view for free. Anyone with a library card can access the collection, thanks to a network of specialist teams and technology constantly moving items around the region on request. 

Head of Library and Learning Services Catherine Leonard says customer demand for requests across the collection is strong, with between 12,000 to 15,000 items moving through the central book sorting system each day.

“On top of that, we’ve had an incredible 14 million items borrowed in total over 12 months and our visitor numbers have climbed to 6.75 million so far this financial year, which is well above our expectations,” Catherine says.

E-books continue to gain popularity with 5 million checkouts in 2024, which places Auckland Council Libraries in the top ten eLending libraries worldwide.

On top of the borrowing figures, Catherine says a key indicator that things are going well for regional library services is the customer feedback they receive. Over the past two years, customer satisfaction has consistently hit 90 per cent or higher and is currently sitting at 93 per cent.

To keep the momentum going, Auckland Council Libraries team has adopted a new three-year service plan (2025-2028), which includes key priorities to inspire creativity, learning and discovery.

This ensures our region-wide focus consistently supports those aspects of community wellbeing that libraries uniquely hold, says Catherine.

Every day, Auckland Council librarians support literacy by encouraging reading. They work hard to make sure everyone has access to the safe and inclusive environments of libraries and the wide array of resources they hold.

Other priorities include improving participation, championing Mātauranga Māori and celebrating cultural identity.

An innovative content-creation and publishing programme launched in 2000 has led to the creation of 20 bilingual books to fill a gap in the collection for Māori and Pacific readers, 16 documentary films, 10 podcasts and a range of other material including virtual reality content.

Catherine says demand for free digital equipment and library programmes continues to grow. All Aucklanders have unlimited access to public computers, internet, printing and Wi-Fi when visiting their local libraries.

For researchers, Auckland Central City Library contains a treasure trove of resources with one of the largest collections of heritage and research materials in the country. Access to rare and precious taonga (manuscripts, historical maps, photographs, rare books) can be easily arranged.

“Our staff are always looking for new ideas and developments in libraries to improve and engage new customers. Responding to feedback continues to be a priority for us, and the hugely-popular Bestie collection celebrating local authors is an example of this. We have just launched a new board game collection and plans for a Bestie collection for children are on track with the collection set to be launched towards the end of the year,” she adds.

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Environment Canterbury © 2025
Retrieved: 3:29pm, Tue 10 Jun 2025
ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/zone-news/upper-waitaki/targeted-willow-control-in-ahuriri-catchment/

Source: Green Party

Last week, world-leading climate scientists called out the Government’s approach to agricultural emissions. This week, climate lawyers have sued the Government because its Emissions Reductions Plans do not add up.

“Luxon’s Government has chosen to pour oil, coal and gas on the climate crisis fire. Their climate ‘plan’ is not worth the paper it is written on. That’s why they’re being sued today,” says the Green Party’s co-leader and spokesperson for climate change, Chlöe Swarbrick. 

“I called it a demonstrable lie when the Prime Minister told Parliament in December 2023 that he wasn’t weakening actions on climate – while he was actively weakening actions on climate. It was and remains a demonstrable lie. This is the first leg of the legal case.

“The Luxon Government’s second Emissions Reduction Plan relies on unproven, economically unfeasible technologies and plastering our country in pine trees. This is the second leg of the legal case.

“Christopher Luxon has spent the better part of two years telling the country everything is fine while he dismantles effective climate policy, gives handouts to the fossil fuel sector and platforms lobbyist’s pseudoscience on agricultural emissions. This would be a meme – a joke – if it wasn’t so serious.

“The Greens have shown we can reduce climate-changing emissions five times faster than the Government’s ‘plan,’ while reducing the cost of living and improving our quality of life.

“New Zealanders deserve so much better than this Government taking them for chumps,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

NOTES:

Source: NZCTU

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi welcomes the legal action taken against the Minister of Climate Change by a coalition of legal experts as an important step in ensuring that Aotearoa meets its climate action obligations.

“We strongly support legal action to ensure that the Government is held to account for its legal obligations under the Climate Change Response Act,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“The union movement is deeply concerned by the Emissions Reduction Plan 2026-2030, which contains no significant policies to reduce emissions and will fail to get New Zealand meaningfully closer to our 2050 net-zero commitment.

“The actions – or lack of them – by this Government on climate change are the actions of climate deniers, not responsible leaders.

“Workers and communities need real political leadership that combats global emissions and invests in creating a just transition for industries and workers. We need leadership that develops and upholds long term consensus, not more U-turns.

“Instead, we have a government that cancelled 35 climate policies without consulting the public first, as required by law. Robust public engagement is essential.

“Climate policy is yet another area where this Government is prioritising corporate interests over democratic accountability and the interests of working people.

“Evidence is clear that a near-total focus on tree planting through vast pine forests is not a sufficient response – we must reduce emissions at source.

“Alongside the weak emissions budget, in Budget 2025 we saw a total abdication of responsibility on climate change and ensuring a Just Transition for working people in an increasingly volatile world.

“The NZCTU supports bold climate action to reduce emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and transition to a zero emissions economy that provides full employment for workers,” said Wagstaff.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are asking for the public’s help after an aggravated robbery on Wednesday 4 June.

Police were called to the Oxford Terrace store about 8pm on Wednesday, after three males entered the premises and threatened a worker.

The offenders then fled in a vehicle, after stealing a number of items.

Thankfully the worker was not physically injured.

The vehicle used was a Black Mitsubishi Colt, registration KCB102, and was reported stolen prior to this incident.

Police are requesting the public’s help to identify the individuals pictured, including the male in the 4th picture who was seen with the stolen vehicle 2 days earlier.

Anyone with information about them, or anyone who witnessed the robbery, is urged to contact Police as soon as possible via 105.

If you can help, please call 105 and quote reference number 250604/5483.

You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is welcoming changes to toughen up the proposed anti-stalking law, including being triggered after two specified acts within 24 months. 

“This change better recognises patterns in stalking behaviour and time that can pass between incidents. For example, stalking that occurs around anniversaries would not be covered under the original 12-month period,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“We’ve said from day one victims are our priority. Returning them to the heart of our justice system underpins all our work to restore law and order.

“Stalkers have been able to evade real consequences for their actions for far too long. As I announced in November, the offence will have a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

“This builds on our work already underway to restore real consequences for crime, with our sentencing reforms coming into effect at the end of this month. 

“I want to thank those who made submissions during the select committee process. Your input has identified some important ways we can combat this insidious behaviour.

“The Justice Committee has now put forward a raft of recommendations, which government parties have agreed to. 

“This includes strengthening the pattern of behaviour definition to only require two specified acts, and within a two-year period.”

Other changes made to the Bill by the Committee to enhance its effectiveness include: 

• Addressing the publishing of any statement or other material relating to the other person, or purporting to originate from that person (also known as doxing).
• Adding new sections to enable the disposal of any intimate visual recordings possessed by a person convicted of the new stalking and harassment offence.
• Adding the new offence to the Firearms Prohibition Orders regime, allowing those orders to be made when a person is convicted of the new offence.
• Clarifying the new aggravating factor relating to stalking by more clearly linking the associated stalking and harassment-type behaviours to the offence the person is charged with.
• Making it clear that restraining orders under the Harassment Act 1997 and orders under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 can be made when a person is discharged without conviction in relation to the new offence.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are now in a position to release the name of the man who was found deceased in an apartment on Mansfield Street, Newtown on Saturday.

He was 40 year old, Oliver Hayes.

Police extends our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.

Enquiries into the circumstances of Mr Hayes’ death are ongoing.

Police are appealing for anyone who knew Mr Hayes and who had recent contact with him, to please contact us immediately.

Police would also like to speak to anyone who may have seen Mr Hayes in the days prior to Saturday evening, in particular residents of the apartment complex who may have seen him moving about.

If you have information or saw Mr Hayes, please contact Police on 105 either over the phone or online, and reference file number 250607/5712

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are now in the position to release the name of the man who died following a crash on Waikoha Road on 30 May.

He was 30-year-old Shaun Timothy Rich, from Te Pahu.

Police extends our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Police

A 45-year-old man has been arrested and faces charges relating to a series of burglaries and thefts from vehicles in the Richmond and Stoke areas in recent months.

A number of search warrants were executed in the Nelson area over the last couple of weeks, where Police recovered numerous items of stolen property, as well as two firearms and both class A and class C drugs.

A 33-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were also arrested following one of the warrants, charged with receiving stolen property, unlawful possession of firearms and possession of drugs with intent to supply.

We would like to thank the members of the public who reported these incidents to Police, as the information provided assisted greatly in making the arrests.

We would also like to remind everybody to lock their vehicles and not keep any valuables inside if your vehicle is unoccupied. If you own any tools, ensure these remain out of sight and you have recorded a list of all the serial numbers, or engrave your initials into them.

The 45-year-old man is due to appear in the Nelson District Court on 1 September, facing a number of charges including burglary and unlawfully being in an enclosed area.

The 33-year-old man is due to reappear in the Nelson District Court on 7 July, and the 31-year-old woman will reappear in the Nelson District Court on 16 June.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Police

One person has died following a house fire in Upper Hutt overnight.

Emergency services were called to the Tararua Street property, between Ross Grove and Louis Street, about 2.25am, and found the house fully ablaze.

Sadly, one person was found deceased at the property.

A scene guard was in place overnight and Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand investigators carried out a scene examination this morning. The cause of the fire is still to be determined, but it is not believed to be suspicious.

At this time, no further details are available.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre