Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has today released its new Housing Investment Plan, a major shift to a data-driven, needs-based approach to housing investment.

“For too long, governments have invested in social housing without a clear understanding of what is needed, where it is needed, and who is best placed to deliver it,” Mr Bishop says.

“In Budget 2025, the Government created a new contestable Flexible Fund for social housing. From 1 July 2027, it will replace the current patchwork of programmes and funds. The Flexible Fund will invest in social housing and affordable rentals delivered by community housing providers, Māori providers, and others. In future years, Kāinga Ora will also be eligible for additional social homes through the Fund. 

“Put simply – our new approach will ensure we build the right houses; in the right place, for the right people with the right support.

“The Housing Investment Plan released today sets out how investment decisions will be made so that every dollar delivers the right homes in the places with the greatest need. 

“The Plan outlines the Government’s investment objectives, provides a nationwide needs analysis, sets out clear purchasing intentions, explains the procurement approach, and establishes how delivery will be monitored.”

New needs-based system

The Housing Investment Plan uses detailed data and local insights to identify where housing need is highest and which types of homes are required.

“A clear example is that 55 percent of people on the Housing Register need a one-bedroom home, but only 12 percent of Kāinga Ora’s stock fits that need. The Plan ensures future investment reflects the real-world needs of communities,” Mr Bishop says.

Officials analysed the Housing Register, Census 2023 data on severe housing deprivation, and local insights from providers across the country. They also assessed forecast household growth, the homes required to reduce housing need, and the existing pipeline of funded social homes.

“This analysis shows that the areas with the highest housing need are the Far North, South Auckland, the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and Hastings. Our main centres also have large numbers of applicants on the Housing Register. We propose to focus investment on those target locations and main centres.

“It also showed that the communities which tend to have the greatest housing need are whānau Māori, single parents with dependent children, older people, people with disabilities and – particularly in South Auckland – Pacific peoples.  

“The analysis also guides decisions on the type of housing required. It confirms the continued need for social housing, Māori housing, and affordable rentals, and highlights the vital role of Community Housing Providers and Māori providers.”

Flexible Fund to support tailored local solutions

“The Flexible Fund allows providers to bring forward solutions that best meet local demand,” Mr Bishop says.

“Instead of forcing good ideas into rigid categories, we can support interventions that target need and offer strong value for money.

“The Fund includes 41 million dollars in operating funding over four years and 250 million dollars in capital funding over ten years from 1 July 2027. It is expected to support between 675 and 770 social homes and affordable rentals in its initial phase.

“We have also made affordable rentals eligible for the Fund. Affordable rentals bridge the gap between intensive support like social housing and lighter support like the Accommodation Supplement. This helps remove the financial cliff that can discourage people from moving toward housing independence.”

“Some people in social housing are understandably reluctant to improve their circumstances and move to housing independence because they risk being worse off financially. That’s the definition of a perverse incentive – and it traps people. 

“I want a system that supports people to move through the housing continuum. Affordable rentals are the essential first step.”

Clear purchasing intentions and measurable outcomes

“The Plan sets out how the Government will procure new housing and track progress,” Mr Bishop says.

“This is a more transparent, disciplined, and outcome-focused system. Providers will know what we intend to purchase and where, and communities will be able to see what investment is achieving.”

Partnership at the centre of delivery

“Community partnership remains essential,” Mr Bishop says.

“No government can deliver the best outcomes without the knowledge and experience of local providers, iwi, councils, and community groups. The Plan is designed to work alongside that expertise and support the right interventions in each place.”

Levelling the playing field

“The Government’s ambition is for a level playing field between community housing providers and Kāinga Ora. The underlying ownership of a house should not matter. What matters is providing warm, dry homes to those who need them, along with the right support.

“Community housing providers have historically borrowed at higher rates than Kāinga Ora, which raises capital through the Crown. Earlier this year we introduced a loan guarantee scheme for community housing providers and established Crown lending facilities for the Community Housing Funding Agency. These changes are already helping providers borrow at lower rates.

“Our ambition is simple. We want a system that delivers the right homes, in the right places, with the right support. The Housing Investment Plan provides the framework to achieve that.”

Notes to Editor:

The Housing Investment Plan is attached.

Investment locations and indicative allocation of homes

Location	Range of Homes
Target investment locations
Far North	120 – 130
South Auckland1	170 – 190
Eastern Bay of Plenty2	110 – 120
Gisborne – Tairāwhiti	100 – 110
Hastings	15 – 20
Main centres
Hamilton City	40 – 50
Tauranga City	40 – 50
Wellington City	40 – 50
Christchurch City	40 – 50
TOTAL	675 – 770
South Auckland is a target location but also reflects Auckland as a main centre. We are seeking to fund proposals predominantly located in Mangere-Ōtāhuhu, Otara-Papatoetoe, and Manurewa local board areas. We are seeking to fund proposals located in the districts of Whakatāne, Kawerau, and Ōpōtiki.

The Flexible Fund will deliver new social housing from 1 July 2027. In the meantime, funding through Budgets 2024 and 2025 is delivering more than 2,000 additional social homes through Community Housing Providers. 

Note regarding estimated number of homes funded through the Budget 2025 allocation to the Flexible Fund:

When the Flexible Fund was set up in Budget 2025, the original range of 650 to 900 homes reflected the uncertainty about what types of homes would be needed across the country. 

Now that officials have completed the needs analysis and identified the most pressing investment locations, we have a clearer picture of the type of housing required. In many of these areas, the current need is for social housing, which costs more to deliver than affordable rentals.

Source: Press Release Service

Headline: Changes to Clean Car Standards Put New Zealand in Slow Lane

New Zealand EV smart charger manufacturer Evnex is condemning the Government’s decision to scale back the Clean Car Standard, arguing that the lack of clear direction on electrification is putting the country in the global slow lane. Evnex CEO Ed Harvey states this weakening of standards erodes public confidence and is the real cause for the drop in EV sales, not a lack of demand.

The post Changes to Clean Car Standards Put New Zealand in Slow Lane first appeared on PR.co.nz.

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

23 seconds ago

Students at EIT are gaining practical environmental skills through programmes that embed the principles of kaitiakitanga (Māori environmental guardianship).

The NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) and Primary Industry Operational Skills (Level 3) are delivered, combining predator control, native planting, fencing, and machinery training with a kaupapa Māori approach.

Coordinator Tania Basher says the courses are designed to fill a gap in environmental education at these levels, while offering a pathway into further study or work across the primary industries.

Programme tutor Tane Cruikshank says the programme connects people with nature in a kaupapa Māori way, fostering a deeper relationship with the environment.

“Kaitiakitanga is woven through everything we do,” Tane says. “It’s not just a concept we talk about; it’s something the students practice every day through their work in the gully and their growing connection to the whenua.”

Students begin level 2 in February and learn on campus three days per week. Tane says the programme is about more than environmental work, as students practice skills that can be applied across a variety of industries, opening doors to future career opportunities.

Throughout the programme, students practice practical environmental work, including pest control, restoration planting, native tree propagation, and track maintenance. Most learning takes place in a large gully area behind EIT, below Ōtātara Pā, which staff and students have been returning to native bush.

Students build and practice using trap boxes, install DOC 200 traps, monitor wildlife using cameras, and manage a zone within the gully to restore the area. Tania says students have taken guardianship of the gully space and achieved some excellent trapping results.

The level 3 programme, which starts in July introduces advanced tools and machinery use, including scrub bars, chainsaws, light utility vehicles, and tractors. Students also practice skills in fencing and conservation infrastructure, such as building predator-proof enclosures. Tane says the skills they gain can be used in conservation, horticulture, agriculture, or farming.

Alongside practical training, learners practice and gain industry experience through partnerships with local organisation Te Wai Mauri, which runs a native plant nursery and kaitiaki ranger team. This connection reinforces the kaupapa Māori foundation of the programme and provides students with valuable real-world experience.

“It’s about experiencing a connection with the whenua as a foundation for learning,” Tania says.

Applications are open for the February 2026 intake. Graduates can move into entry-level roles in the primary industries or progress to further qualifications, such as Environmental Studies.

Source: New Zealand Government

Five members have been appointed to the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women (NACEW) for a three-year term, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says. 

NACEW advises the Minister on employment issues for women, including identifying emerging labour market trends and commissioning research. More recently NACEW has provided advice to the Minister on economic empowerment for women, and the development of the Gender Pay Gap Toolkit. 

Chair Traci Houpapa, and current members Lyn McMorran (BusinessNZ), and Melissa Ansell-Bridges (the National Council of Trade Unions) have been reappointed.  

“I congratulate Traci, Lyn and Melissa on their reappointment and thank them for their continued service to support the economic empowerment of women in New Zealand.

“I also warmly welcome new members Zoe Lyon-Gifford and Michelle Huang, both of whom bring a mix of leadership and governance experience across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Zoe has proven strengths in strategic oversight, cross sector collaboration, driving gender equity and leading transformational change. Michelle has a track record of creative problem-solving, championing ethnic and intersectional diversity in leadership, and of driving inclusive systems change.” 

The new members will begin their service next month. 

“I look forward to continuing the strong relationship with NACEW to enhance employment opportunities for women in New Zealand,” Ms Grigg says.

Ms Grigg also thanked and acknowledged outgoing members Dame Theresa Gattung, who has served NACEW for nine years, Minnie Baragwanath, Bernadette Pereira, Theresa Rongonui, Naomi Hughes, and Nurain Janah for their dedication to improving women’s employment in New Zealand.  

Source: NZCTU

More than 45 unions, educators, occupational health and safety experts, academics, and public health organisations have signed an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to establish an urgent review into regulatory system failures resulting in asbestos-containing products in workplaces, ECEs, and schools.

“Within four months two unrelated products, both containing asbestos, have entered workplaces and education centres, risking dangerous exposure for workers and children to asbestos,” said New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Sandra Grey.

“There have evidently been huge failures in the regulatory systems designed to protect people. This represents a profound breach of trust.

“Workers and children have potentially been exposed to a known carcinogen that is strictly prohibited under New Zealand law. We need to find out how this was allowed to happen and agree a plan to help prevent this in the future.

“New Zealanders are entitled to full transparency, accountability, and corrective action. We are demanding swift and decisive intervention at a ministerial and system-wide level.

“There must be a broad formal investigation into how the fibre boards and asbestos-containing sand entered New Zealand that looks at border testing, import controls, supplier assurance, and whether government oversight systems are fit for purpose.

“It is critical that all relevant stakeholders are included in this review, ensuring the voice of occupational health professionals, workers, business, and other impacted communities. 

“Asbestos is the most well-known occupational health hazard, and yet asbestos exposure is still killing up to 220 people in New Zealand every year. It is unacceptable,” said Grey.

Source: New Zealand Police

A man has been charged as Dunedin Police continue to investigate a series of arsons around the city.

Following his arrest on Wednesday, the 48-year-old Dunedin man was charged with ‘wilfully setting fire to property knowing that danger to life was likely to ensue’.

He appeared in Dunedin District Court on Thursday 20 November, and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 16 December.

The charge relates to the deliberate fire at a vacant Lees Street property about 12.30am on Tuesday. It followed a fire at a vacant building on Harrow Street about hour earlier, while vegetation was set alight on Brighton Road about 1.20am.

Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh said investigators are continuing to look into the fires, but thanked the community for the information provided so far.

“The arrest is a significant development for us; the investigation team has been chasing down a lot of leads but there’s still work for us to do.

“We’re grateful for those people who have provided information, but we still need to hear from anyone with information who has yet to reach out. If you have any details that could help our enquiries, please contact us.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Leigh said nobody was injured, but that didn’t make the fires any less serious.

“Fire spreads incredibly quickly and it puts everyone at risk, from the public to emergency services. We treat these events seriously, and the arrest we’ve made in this case is a welcome development.”

Anyone with information can update Police by making a report online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking update report, or by calling 105. Please use the reference number 251118/1721. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

Basic financial transactions are about to get a whole lot easier with the first in a series of Anti–Money Laundering (AML) red-tape cuts passing its final reading in Parliament today, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.

The Statutes Amendment Bill makes small but important fixes across 41 Acts, including a key change to the Anti–Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. The amendment simplifies customer verification and ends years of frustration.

“AML rules have been unclear for too long, and businesses have been forced into overly conservative, box-ticking compliance,” says Mrs McKee.

“Under the clarified law, verifying a customer’s address will not be required for standard customer due diligence. That means opening a basic bank account or completing a simple transaction won’t involve pointless paperwork. 

“This is good for both businesses and their customers. It’s particularly helpful for parents opening a bank account for their child, or for a recent widower whose spouse handled all the household bills. They’ll no longer face the frustration of having to prove an address they can’t easily provide.”

The amendment marks the first step in a major overhaul of New Zealand’s AML/CFT system.

“My reforms will make New Zealand’s AML/CFT regime risk-based and proportionate, so it is more effective at tackling real crime, while also cutting costs and paperwork for honest businesses,” says Mrs McKee.

Source: New Zealand Police

Two people have died following a crash between a car and a truck on State Highway 1, north of Timaru.

Emergency services were called to the crash about 5:10pm, near the intersection of Brosnan Road.

Sadly, two people died at the scene, while one person was airlifted to hospital in a serious condition.

The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

The road is expected to remain closed until later tonight.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Plans to improve the state highway network in Dunedin are due to be finalised by the end of this year after encouraging and constructive feedback received from the community.

Earlier this year, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) sought public views on two separate proposals for state highways through Dunedin:

• Changes to support the successful integration of State Highway 1 (SH1) and State Highway 88 (SH88) with the new Dunedin Hospital and central city, and to ensure the safe and efficient operation of SH1.
• Changes to make it safer and easier to use Dunedin’s SH1 one-way system, from the Pine Hill Road/Great King Street intersection to the Anderson Bay Road/SH1 intersection.

That community feedback is captured in summaries and reports now available:

“Encouragingly, the feedback we’ve received is largely supportive of our proposals to enhance safety and make travel more efficient on the state highways through Dunedin,” says NZTA Regional Manager for System Design in the South Island, Richard Osborne.

“This feedback will help us further develop and refine our plans, working with partners such as the Dunedin City Council, so that we get the best outcomes for the city.”  

“The new Dunedin Hospital is going to be a very important development for the city, and our focus here has been mainly on SH88, including enhancing pedestrian safety near the new hospital, with a proposed Barnes Dance Crossing (where all pedestrians cross the road at once). We also proposed moving SH88 from St Andrew Street to Frederick Street.”

“Feedback was mostly positive about the proposed improvements, recognising the value of the Barnes Dance crossing for safe pedestrian access to the hospital. There was less support for associated changes such as removing the right hand turn from SH88 St Andrew Street onto SH1 Cumberland Street to make space and time for the increased number of pedestrians, and for removal of parking to help increase safety and efficiency.”     

“When it comes to the SH1 safety improvements, overall there was support for the proposed changes, particularly for those improving visibility, reducing crash risk, and enhancing pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure in high-demand areas.”

“One of the greatest concerns was around potential parking reductions in busy locations particularly near Duke Street, Queens Gardens and key bus stops. Respondents also emphasised the importance of maintaining access for students, hospital visitors and local businesses.

“The intention is to finalise the plans for both sets of proposals by the end of 2025 and applying for funding for the next stage in early 2026. We will share publicly what those finalised plans are in due course.” 

Source: New Zealand Police

Three people have been arrested and charged on a range of drug-related offences following a planned operation in Invercargill.

After an intensive investigation into the supply and sale of illicit drugs in the Invercargill area, Southland Police’s Organised Crime Group terminated Operation Mist on 6 and 7 September 2025, preventing “astronomical” harm across Southland.

Police executed four search warrants simultaneously at various addresses in Southland and located an ounce (28 grams) of pre-packed methamphetamine, quantities of cannabis and class A and B drugs, $10,000 in cash, and multiple items related to the sale and supply of drugs.

As a result, three people were arrested. They appeared in court on a range of drug related charges and Police have not ruled out further charges.

Southern District Organised Crime Group Manager, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Baird says the operation’s success was the result of strong teamwork across a number of Police workgroups.

“The number of teams involved in this investigation is not only a testament to the level of collaboration that we have come to rely upon in Southland – but also represents the dedication Police have to disrupting this type of offending.

“It’s estimated that the methamphetamine seized alone has a street value of $21,000 and the social harm this could cause would be astronomical.

“I am extremely please with this result and would like to commend the teams on their efforts,” Detective Senior Sergeant Baird says.

Police will continue to target organised criminal behaviour and urge the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity by calling 111 if it is happening now, or 105 if it is after the fact.

You can also make a report anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.