Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government welcomes the delivery of the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons to the Governor-General this morning.  

“I want to acknowledge the Royal Commission’s work to provide its final report. I also want to thank the thousands of Kiwis who had a part in shaping this report by making their voices heard through submissions on the terms of reference for Phase Two of the inquiry,” says Ms van Velden.  

Both the ACT-National and New Zealand First-National coalition agreements included commitments to expanding the Inquiry into COVID-19, showing that a review into the response was important to many Kiwis.  

“New Zealanders told us they weren’t satisfied with the narrow terms of the first phase of the Royal Commission’s inquiry – terms set by the same Government that made the decisions the Commission was investigating. It was important that we expand the Inquiry’s terms of reference to focus on the use of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, in particular inquiring into whether the Government considered the impact these decisions would have on society, our health and education, and on our economy. 

“The inquiry is not simply about learning what the previous Government did wrong, it is about working out what we need to do right. The social and financial costs of the pandemic response continue to be felt across the economy and society. Even today, New Zealanders are facing the consequences as they struggle with the cost of living and the debt disaster the previous Government left behind. We simply cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes again.”

The Royal Commission’s final report will be made public when the report is presented to Parliament on 10 March 2026.   

Health Minister Simeon Brown will now take on the Government’s response to the recommendations in the report.   

“New Zealanders lived through some of the most significant pandemic restrictions in the world. Kiwis remember not being able to visit loved ones in hospital, struggling to secure a managed isolation spot just to return home, and keeping their kids home from school for months on end,” Mr Brown says. 

“Aucklanders felt this more than most, with the previous government’s decisions leading to the region spending more than six months in lockdown – the longest of any region in the country. 

“The uncertainty, the isolation, and the toll it took on families, small business owners, and communities were all a result of decisions made during that time. Those decisions had a significant impact on everyday Kiwis, and it is important we take the time to fully understand why those decisions were made, so that any future response properly weighs the health and economic needs of all New Zealanders.” 

The Government and relevant agencies will carefully consider the findings of the report before responding to its recommendations.

 

Note to Editors: 

The Royal Commission was established on 9 December 2022 to examine New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 and identify the lessons learned that should be applied in future.   

In November 2024 the Government announced an expansion on the scope of the Royal Commission of Inquiry  to include a review of the key decisions taken by the Government in New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 during 2021 and 2022. 

Source: New Zealand Government

A tough on crime approach and a near doubling of police foot patrols have driven a huge drop in the number of victims of violent crime since this Government was elected, figures show.

The latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey shows there were 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime in the year to October 2025 than two years previously.

“Since day one, we’ve been working tirelessly to restore real consequences for crime, and to place victims back at the centre of the justice system,” Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“We have reformed the sentencing regime so those who cause the most harm are imprisoned for longer, given Police effective tools to deal with gangs, stopped taxpayer funding for the proliferation of cultural reports, made stalking an illegal and jailable offence, given victims of sexual assault the power to determine if offenders are granted name suppression, restored Three Strikes, and much more.”

“A higher visibility of Police in our communities goes a long way to deterring crime and keeping criminals off our streets,” Police Minister Mark Mitchell says.

“It is no coincidence that our back-to-basics approach to policing is having a positive effect on reducing violent crime. Backing our frontline has seen more Police out on the beat, with foot patrols almost doubling since coming into Government.   

“Our investment into the frontline has seen 12 new and expanded beat teams stood up nationwide, including the launch of a beat team in Hamilton this week.

“Our beat officers do an outstanding job at keeping the public, businesses and retailers safe. 

“We know there is a lot more to do but these results show we are heading in the right direction.”

“It’s very encouraging to see we’re continuing to track ahead of our violent crime reduction target, with there now being 49,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime than when we came into Government,” Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“The latest figures show 136,000 New Zealanders were victims of violent crime in the 12 months to October 2025. This huge drop in the number of people affected by violent crime is fantastic progress but our work is far from over.

“Our Government remains committed to restoring the basics in law and order and building a future where New Zealanders can feel safe in their communities.

“This is going to be another busy year. We just announced plans to provide police with the power to issue move-on orders to deal with disorderly behaviour. Our Crimes Amendment Bill is making its way through the house, and legislation to strengthen trespass laws will soon be introduced.”

Children’s Minister Karen Chhour says Oranga Tamariki figures show there has been a 22 per cent drop in serious repeat youth offending compared with when the Government came into office.

“This is well ahead of our target of a 15 per cent drop before 2030,” she says.

“We promised to fix what matters to New Zealanders. Ram raids are down 85 per cent. Kiwis are no longer being expected to live in fear that their cars have been stolen and used by young offenders in a ram raid of our local small businesses.

“Young offenders are avoiding re-offending because they know Courts, Oranga Tamariki and Police are working together more closely. They know now that their actions will have consequences.”

Source: New Zealand Police

Attribute to Palmerston North Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Phil Ward:

The search for a man missing in the Manawatū River is continuing today.

Search conditions are better than yesterday – the river has calmed, and water visibility has improved.

The Police Dive Squad and the Land Search and Rescue Kayak Team are joining Police Search and Rescue, Palmerston North Swiftwater Rescue, and regional response teams.

A LandSAR boat and drones are continuing to be used today, with the addition of a jetboat, which will be used to search the river.

Searching is also taking place along the river embankments and at the Foxton Estuary.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.

Source: NZCTU

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges is calling on political parties to adopt the recommendations of the People’s Select Committee and ensure that women are valued and paid what their worth. 

“The release of this unprecedented report is a historic day in the decades-long fight of women to be paid what their worth,” said Ansell-Bridges.

“Never before has a group of former MPs felt compelled to come together and establish a select committee and do the job that current MPs have refused to do.

“This report is clear – the Government’s changes to the Equal Pay Act must be repealed and the cancelled claims should be reinstated without a requirement to restart a pay equity process.

“Community and iwi organisations should be fully funded implement any pay equity settlement to which they are party, and government agencies should improve funding and contracting processes and procurement rules to support future pay equity settlements.

“The Government’s disgraceful gutting of pay equity is a huge setback but this report gives me hope that we will soon get back on track and continue reversing historical undervaluation of women’s work.

“The CTU is calling on political parties to make the recommendations of this report bottom lines heading into the general election. Women are demanding cast-iron commitments.

“For too long women been disrespected, undervalued and underpaid – we are no longer going to put up with it,” said Ansell-Bridges.

Source: NZCTU

The Out@Work Council of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is deeply disappointed by the Government’s decision to not prioritise the Law Commission’s recommendations to explicitly protect transgender, non-binary, and intersex New Zealanders under the Human Rights Act 1993.

“The Government’s refusal to prioritise explicit human rights protections for trans and non-binary whānau is disgraceful,” said Out@Work Convenor Lester Briggs.

“Tens of thousands of New Zealanders, including more than 26,000 transgender adults and over 20,000 non-binary and gender diverse people, are left vulnerable because the law remains unclear.

“Once again, this Government has chosen a pathway that disproportionately impacts already-marginalised communities, compromising their safety, wellbeing, and dignity.

“The Law Commission made clear that current protections are legally ambiguous, untested in courts, and insufficient for safeguarding people against discrimination in employment, housing, education, and access to services.

“We are calling on the Government to reinstate the Law Commission’s recommendations, enshrine explicit protections for gender identity and sex characteristics in the Human Rights Act, and sit down and talk with rainbow communities to understand the lived impacts of ongoing legislative neglect,” said Briggs.

“The NZCTU stands firmly with our trans and non-binary whānau. We urge the Government to reconsider its decision and commit to upholding the human rights of all workers in Aotearoa,” said NZCTU President Sandra Grey.

Source: New Zealand Police

An alleged fraud offender’s numbers were up after he was caught up with by a late-night patrol.

The Auckland City Beat Team were assisting with mobile patrolling in the Mount Albert area this morning, when they came across a vehicle of interest.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews, of Auckland City CIB, says the vehicle was travelling on St Lukes Road just before 1am.

“The vehicle’s registered owner was sought in connection with a fraud case, and so the unit carried out a traffic stop.

“Beat staff confirmed the driver’s identity was the same as the man sought by Police.”

In March last year, an elderly victim in the Far North had allegedly fallen victim to a phone scam, with the caller pertaining to be from a bank’s fraud team.

Detective Senior Sergeant Matthews says all up $15,600 had been taken from her account.

Police were contacted after the bank’s real fraud team had alerted the victim.

Initial enquiries began by Mid/Far North CIB into the case, later identifying a person of interest.

Meanwhile, nearly a year later, the 23-year-old west Auckland man was arrested on the roadside early this morning.

Beat staff handed him over to Auckland City detectives and he was subsequently charged with money laundering and receiving property over $1000.

He will appear in the Auckland District Court on 4 March 2026.

“It’s a great catch by our Beat Team patrolling on night shift, and we acknowledge all the groundwork carried out by our colleagues in the Mid/Far North CIB,” Detective Senior Sergeant Matthews says.

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Government

Thank you to LGNZ for the opportunity, and thank you to the mayors, chairs, and councilors for putting your names forward to serve your communities. It’s not meant to be glamorous, it’s often thankless, but it really matters because you can’t have representative democracy without representatives.

Just like democracy doesn’t work without representatives, it also needs informed voters. That brings me to the Regulatory Standards Act.

At its heart, it is an information device. It is a codified declaration of how a regulation affects citizens. It is designed to help political markets function, by letting voters understand the impact of their representatives’ regulations. 

We take a wide view of regulation. Some people mean a specific category of secondary legislation. We mean any instrument constraining the use and exchange of private property, including bylaws.

It will be law in a few months, by July 1 at the latest, and from that time it will require Consistency Accountability Statements by Councils making bylaws.

A Consistency Accountability Statement asks and answers basic questions about how a new law affects citizens liberties and property rights. What problem is the council trying to solve? What is the cost of the solution? What are the benefits? And who do those costs and benefits accrue to?

To make the Statements credible and meaningful, they can be reviewed by the Regulatory Standards Board, so there is an incentive to maintain quality.

Over time, the publication of Consistency Accountability Statements is designed to drive out poor regulation by making it easier for voters to identify it, and the people responsible.

The Regulatory Standards Act is designed to address New Zealand’s major problem with productivity. At the moment, after a period of inflation, productivity is appearing as affordability. Nonetheless, affordability and productivity are two sides of the same coin low productivity means less to buy and less income to buy it with. 

The average rates bill has increased 43 per cent since 2022. You lump that in with the things that are out of your control, like energy, food and petrol, and you can understand why people are so jaded. 

Councils are both the victim and the perpetrator of poor regulation. So many of the costs you face from earthquake strengthening to temporary traffic management are the result of regulation. You also place a lot of cost on ratepayers in your jurisdiction. Councils and ratepayers both have a vested interest in improving the standard of regulation.

Bad regulation doesn’t just cost money. It stops good things from happening. Property developers abandon proposals that would ease the housing crisis because of ballooning regulatory costs. Community parades disappear under the weight of compliance costs, even when nothing’s gone wrong before. The climbing wall at Sir Edmund Hillary’s old school has signs put up saying don’t climb. 

Here’s what we can do – less. Central Government and Local Government both have a shared responsibility to inflict fewer costs on people. Preventing bad regulation which sucks up time and money is one of the best places we can start.

Central Government isn’t shirking responsibility. We’re finally getting rid of overzealous earthquake laws, methane reduction targets are being halved so farmers can keep on farming, health and safety laws are being overhauled to focus on critical risks. Thanks to resource management reform the number of consents required is expected to half. Meanwhile, peer reviewed analysis estimates that work by the Ministry for Regulation in its first 18 months will deliver a net public benefit of $280 million.

Even small regulations that might seem inconsequential add up. For example, council dictates that Wellington public transport can’t advertise alcohol or food high in sugar and salt. Meanwhile, passengers walk past advertisements for vodka cruisers delivered by uber inside the station. Instead of raising fares or putting more costs on ratepayers, it could be that a needless ban on advertising is preventing the service from being efficient. 

I’m sure there are countless examples like this. The Regulatory Standards Act is going to be the mechanism which levels the playing field between the overzealous regulator, and the regulated party.

How does it work? The Regulatory Standards Act requires certain laws to be tested against long-standing legal principles and to have the benefits and costs assessed. As an information device, it doesn’t prevent a Council passing a law, it does require you to do it more transparently than ever before.

Once part 2 of the Act comes into force, councils will generally need to prepare and publish a Consistency Assessment Statement, a CAS, whenever they make or amend secondary legislation, unless the instrument is specifically excluded.

The Act also creates a pathway for classes of existing secondary legislation to be brought into scope later, by notice – but only where that notice is affirmed by Parliament. 

Councils won’t be expected to go back and write CASs for every existing bylaw by default. Existing secondary legislation only becomes a CAS obligation if it is captured through those mechanisms, or if a CAS already exists for it, or if councils later amend it in a way that triggers the requirements.

If a CAS identifies that a bylaw is inconsistent with one or more principles of responsible regulation, the Act doesn’t say “stop”. It says “explain”. The council must publish a brief statement explaining why the inconsistency exists. For example, because of a legitimate public safety objective. The point is transparency and discipline: if you depart from the principles, you do it consciously and you tell ratepayers why.

Councils will also need to get ahead of the curve by developing plans for regularly reviewing the secondary legislation that falls within scope. This is not meant to be a one-off compliance exercise, but an ongoing habit of keeping rules up to date, proportionate, and justified.

These requirements will start on a date set by Order in Council. And if anything hasn’t commenced before then, the Act provides a backstop: any remaining parts come into force by 1 July 2026.

A number of councils argued local government should be excluded and warned this will impose time and cost and make it harder to pass bylaws. Yes, that is the point, it will be harder to put costs onto ratepayers.

However, I don’t buy that councils don’t have the time to be transparent. Councils somehow find time to make declarations about foreign wars and climate change, invest in relationships with sister cities with no benefit to 99.9 per cent of their ratepayers, ban sugary advertising, and find time to reinvent themselves as Tiriti-centric organisations. Councils just aren’t in a position to argue they can’t file a Consistency Accountability Statement.

Let me offer a ratepayer’s perspective.

If your council can’t explain why a bylaw is necessary, can’t show it’s proportionate, and can’t justify the costs it imposes, then maybe it should be harder to pass.

The Ministry for Regulation is preparing support material to help councils implement the Act, including statutory guidance issued by the Minister for Regulation and the Attorney-General, and non-statutory guidance, such as templates, to make CASs easier and more consistent.

And one more practical point: there has sometimes been confusion about what counts as “secondary legislation”. The definition sits in the Legislation Act 2019. Bylaws are in scope, and so is any other instrument made by a local authority or council-controlled organisation that has significant legislative effect. If ratepayers are paying for it, and it materially affects their lives, they deserve clarity about it.

Now if all of that sounds boring, good. Responsible governance isn’t fun and doesn’t involve thinking up new bylaws and regulations to scratch an electoral itch when it arises. 

Let me put this into perspective with something topical that I’m sure many of you are dealing with. Dog attacks, there’s been a brutal uptick in dog attack incidents and I know there is a lot of fear out there right now, rightly so. The pressure comes on to “do something”.

With every salient issue there’s a desire to find a solution that’s easy and wrong, which is what we’re trying to avoid. 

Bluntly the dogs causing issues are likely owned by gangs and degenerates – people who already ignore the rules. Councils would be wise not to perform any kneejerk regulating that actually just puts more cost or burden on the good dog owners. 

That’s the kind of moment where the Regulatory Standards Act helps. It forces you to ask: will this actually work? Who pays? Who gets punished? What’s the evidence? Is there a smarter option that targets the actual problem rather than the compliant majority?

When central or local government gets it wrong it’s the public that pays. We owe it to taxpayers and ratepayers to deliver better value, better service and fewer unnecessary regulations. 

That’s my challenge to you. But I’ll also offer this, we will help you implement this properly. We’ll provide guidance, templates, and practical support, because the goal isn’t to trip councils up but to lift the quality of decision-making across the board.

Source: New Zealand Police

Emergency Services are responding to a serious crash on Kamo Road, Whangārei.

The crash, involving a truck and a pedestrian, was reported to Police at 9.35am.

Initial reports indicate there are serious injuries.

Diversions are currently in place on Kamo Road between Mains Ave and Simons Street.

The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance.

Police are asking motorists to be patient and expect delays as the road will closed for some time.

ENDS.

Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Police

Police acknowledge the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s findings into an incident in 2023 where a man self-harmed while in Police custody.

The incident occurred on 6 October 2023 at the Auckland District Custody Unit, after a man in custody was found unconscious and unresponsive.

He was taken to Auckland Hospital and died three days later, as a result of suspected self-harm.

The IPCA’s investigation found there were Police failings in the care of the man.

The day before, Police had arrested the man in relation to a stabbing at an Auckland dairy.

He was taken to the Auckland District Custody Unit where he attempted to flee but was detained by staff.

The man was subsequently placed into a restraining chair due to his erratic behaviour, and a short time later an ambulance was called and the man was taken to hospital under sedation.

Later that day the man was discharged from hospital and returned to the custody unit.

The Authority’s report found the use of a restraint chair was justified, but that it was unreasonable to have him handcuffed.

After being returned to the custody unit, a Police doctor carried out a medical observation and advised the man could be placed on ‘frequent’ monitoring, which required him to be checked five times an hour.

Custody staff recorded that they completed 80 checks on the man overnight and a further 30 checks on him in the morning.

The IPCA noted that some of the checks were inconsistent with policy as the officer did not go to the cell.

At about 10.54am that day, an officer went to check on the man and found him unresponsive.

First aid was commenced, and he was transported to hospital where he died three days later.

Auckland City District Commander, Superintendent Sunny Patel, says Police acknowledge the Authority’s findings in this case.

“A critical incident investigation was commenced as well as a review into the prisoner checking system.

“As a result, Police have implemented several learnings including updating the national People in Police Custody Policy.”

“We would also like to again extend our condolences to the man’s family and friends.”

The matter remains with the Coroner.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  26 February 2026

Jewelled geckos are native to the southeast of the South Island and are generally a striking bright green with diamond-shaped patches or stripes although in some populations the males are grey or brown. Their bodies grow up to 8 cm in length, but their tail doubles their length. Their New Zealand threat classification is “At Risk, Declining”. If you’re out naturing in forests or shrublands in places like Canterbury, Otago or Southland, you might be fortunate to see one.

DOC’s Wildlife Crime Team Leader Dylan Swain says a group of 14 jewelled geckos were discovered by Dutch wildlife authorities as part of Operation Thunder in 2023. Operation Thunder is an international operation, involving several government organisations and Interpol, which focusses on the illegal trade in protected wildlife.

“Jewelled geckos have never legally been exported from New Zealand,” Dylan says.

“It’s likely the geckos found by our Dutch counterparts were in fact smuggled out of New Zealand or are the offspring of such animals.”

Dutch authorities are continuing investigations into the person who was found with the geckos.

The six geckos returned to New Zealand comprise two males and four females.  

They were returned to New Zealand in International Air Travel Association‑compliant individual containers with small ventilation holes and kept at a consistent temperature throughout their journey.

All geckos will receive close care and attention, and the entire group will spend a minimum of 60 days in quarantine as part of their return process.

Although some of the original group of animals have since died, DOC has worked closely with at The Netherlands NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority), United for Wildlife (part of the Royal Foundation) and Korean Air to safely return the geckos all the way from Netherlands to New Zealand via Korea.

A Dutch inspector accompanied the geckos on their repatriation journey.

“We are delighted to be able to bring a small group of six of the geckos back to New Zealand,” Dylan says. “They’ll spend a quarantine period at Wellington Zoo before they’re shifted to a new permanent home.”

NVWA spokesperson Lex Benden says: “We are pleased our investigation has contributed to the geckos now being back where they belong.”

Dutch authorities are collaborating with DOC to share information on this matter and the wider trade in geckos across Europe.

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