Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Health Minister Simeon Brown today announced an additional $59 million in funding for the Taranaki Base Hospital Redevelopment, ensuring Stage Two is completed by the end of 2025.

“This redevelopment is a critical investment in modernising healthcare for the people of Taranaki,” Mr Brown says.

“The additional $59.2 million is required to meet cost pressures that have emerged since 2022 – ensuring we can complete Stage Two of the project on schedule and deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose hospital that can meet the region’s needs now and into the future.”

The funding will support the delivery of the new East Wing Building – a six-storey, 20,000-square-metre facility due to open by the end of 2025.

“This building will house many of Taranaki Base Hospital’s core acute and specialist services, including the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, maternity, neonatal, and radiology services.

“It will increase the number of patient spaces to 151 – an additional 55 to current capacity – and provide a total of 34 laboratory workstations. It has also been designed with future expansion in mind.

“The East Wing Building will also include a modern acute assessment unit, a primary birthing unit, an Integrated Operations Centre, a rooftop helipad, and a tūpapaku viewing room – a reflection of a more culturally responsive and patient-focused model of care.

Mr Brown said the redevelopment would help meet the growing and changing needs of the Taranaki region.

“This is about delivering smarter, more efficient healthcare. It’s about ensuring the system can meet the needs of a growing and ageing population, while also supporting the workforce with modern, integrated facilities.

“We are making the long-overdue investments needed to strengthen our hospitals and ensure the health system delivers better outcomes for New Zealanders.”

“Modern infrastructure helps reduce wait times, improve care, and ensure patients get the high-quality treatment they expect and deserve.

“The completion of the East Wing Building will be a significant milestone for healthcare in the region and a key part of our Government’s broader commitment to a stronger, more resilient public health system.”

“We are focused on delivering the hospital infrastructure New Zealand needs – with clear outcomes for patients and communities,” Mr Brown says.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

The Port Health and Safety Leadership Group enthusiastically welcomed the Approved code of practice for loading and unloading cargo at ports and on ships (ACOP) when it came into effect late last year.

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  29 May 2025

The North Canterbury ranger’s job is to not only clean public toilets at DOC sites but also replace the toilet paper.

Now DOC has revealed how much toilet paper was ordered by regional offices around Aotearoa for the 2024/2025 period, a whopping 15.5 million metres nationally.

That’s roughly 15,500 kilometres of paper which would stretch the length of New Zealand nearly ten times.

The figures reveal across DOC’s operational regions the most toilet paper was ordered by the Southern South Island which includes Fiordland and the Great Walks (3,103,037 metres), followed closely by the Northern South Island which includes Abel Tasman Great Walks and the iconic Tōtaranui campground (3,069,369) and in third place, Hauraki Waikato Taranaki (which includes the Coromandel) 2,727,160 metres.

Daryl Sweeney looks after DOC sites in Canterbury including the toilets at the hugely popular and culturally significant Kura Tāwhiti/Castle Hill on the highway to Arthurs Pass and the West Coast.

“What we do outdoors makes all the difference for New Zealand’s unique nature. This includes toileting responsibly. How and where we go is key to ensuring we do no harm to our great outdoors.

“Visitors are encouraged to go to the toilet before they start their trip and plan stops at toilets along the way. Those heading further into the backcountry need to know what to do when there’s no toilet – you can find this advice on DOC’s website.”

And it’s not just about using the facilities provided, says Daryl Sweeney.

“It’s shocking how much toilet paper is used. Sometimes it’s piled up beside the toilet in a mountain. The state some of the toilets are left in is also appalling to be honest,” he says.

“You wouldn’t do this at home so why would you do it in public toilets. Everyone has a role to respect the natural environment and not leave rubbish in and around these places.”

North Canterbury Operations Manager Leeann Ellis says Daryl is just one of the hard-working rangers nationally who drive kilometres every day across multiple sites to replace toilet paper and keep facilities clean, including over the weekends and on public holidays.

“Many people don’t realise this is a core role DOC undertakes. It takes a huge amount of time for our rangers and some of what they deal with would turn your stomach,” she says.

With the opening of bookings for all the Great Walks this month, and on the eve of Kings Birthday holiday weekend, DOC says it’s a timely reminder for people to look after public facilities at DOC sites, to read the signs and not leave rubbish around for others to pick up.

Daryl Sweeney says everyone has a part to play in looking after nature and says it would be a huge bonus for him if the toilets were left in a better state.

“I’m answering other people’s calls of nature,” he jokes, “but it’s about time people answered their own, and respected the amazing places they are visiting. I feel like if people had to do my job for a day, they’d understand. My message is use the toilets provided, use less toilet paper, put it in the toilet or the bin and leave the toilet in a tidy state. It’s simple.”

Find out more on the DOC website.

Poo in a loo – and be prepared for when there isn’t one: Know before you go

Contact

Source: New Zealand Police

A pedestrian who was seriously injured after being struck by a car in Christchurch last week has died.

The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being struck by the car in Halswell Road at around 10.45am on 23 May. Sadly he passed away in hospital on 24 May.

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

[Remarks during press engagement in Kathmandu with the Foreign Minister of Nepal, Dr Rana Deuba, Kathmandu, Nepal]

Thank you Foreign Minister Deuba for the warm welcome to Nepal.

We are very pleased to be here on this historic occasion; the first visit by a New Zealand Foreign Minister to Nepal and, tomorrow, the 72nd anniversary of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary’s summit of Mount Everest Sagarmāthā.

Norgay and Hillary’s achievement in 1953 was a watershed moment in the histories of both of our countries, and a formative event in the bilateral relations between our countries.

The legacy of that shared history continues today, and is reflected in our long-standing, warm relationship.

With Minister Deuba, we discussed New Zealand’s support for over 70 years to the Himalayan Trust established by Hillary to support development and education in the Everest region.

We also discussed our long-standing development and education ties. Beginning with assistance under the Colombo Plan and supported under a number of different scholarship initiatives since, Nepalese students have been studying in New Zealand for more than 70 years. Education cooperation is a strong strand of our bilateral relationship, and one which we will continue to nurture.

We were pleased to confirm that New Zealand will continue this support by contributing NZ$2.5 million to development projects and scholarships in Nepal over the next three years.

We acknowledged Nepal’s positive contribution to climate action and noted that Nepal is able to draw on New Zealand’s NZ$15 million contribution to the Global Green Growth Institute.

Earlier today we were pleased to also meet President Paudel and Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli.

In these meetings we reiterated our shared interests in regional and global security and acknowledged Nepal’s significant troop contribution to UN peacekeeping.

We discussed New Zealand’s strong commitment to multilateralism and the importance of working together to uphold the rules-based international system.

We also discussed the multiple pressures on the global trade and economic system, and ways we can strengthen bilateral cooperation.

We spoke of our ambition to have an Air Services Agreement between New Zealand and Nepal in place in the near future to support the growth of tourism and trade. 

The New Zealand Government is committed to bringing more energy to our relationships in South and Southeast Asia, and we are pleased to count Nepal amongst our most long-standing relationships in the region.

Thank you once again to Foreign Minister Deuba, the government, and the people of Nepal for your generous hosting of our delegation, and for continuing our friendly and constructive relationship.

Thank you.

Source: Green Party

The Government’s latest move to unwind the ‘pay parity’ regime carefully negotiated between government and the sector is a kick in the teeth for already undervalued and underpaid kaiako.

“Make no mistake, this is a move by the Government to ensure that pay increases for teachers stay low, while cutting costs to employers,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Early Childhood Education, Benjamin Doyle (they/them).

“Today, the Ministry of Education announced that, following a decision by Minister Seymour, centres in the pay parity scheme don’t have to offer new teachers pay parity rates. So while they can’t cut the pay of their existing workers, they don’t have to maintain these rates for new employees – meaning reduction in wages over time. 

“This is another blow to kaiako – already undervalued and let down by this government by the pay equity debacle. Slashing pay sends a clear message that teachers don’t matter.

“Driving down wages means more teachers walking away, and it’s our tamariki and their whānau who will pay the price. We can’t gamble with their futures by short-changing the very people who shape them.

“This news comes less than a fortnight after we learned the dire state of sector’s confidence in the direction the Government is taking ECE, with 82 per cent of those at the coalface saying it’s going in the wrong direction.

“Every child in Aotearoa deserves the best start in life. That demands an ECE system that places tamariki at its core by supporting and valuing the important work of teachers and educators.

“Our Green Budget has shown that we can pay every ECE teacher fairly—if we make the sector not-for-profit, public, and community-led.

“Take out the corporate greed and put every dollar into tamariki and kaiako – that’s how we can lower costs for parents and pay teachers what they deserve,” says Benjamin Doyle.

Source: New Zealand Police

Northland Police investigating the death of Horeke man Daniel Hepehi are continuing to build a picture about events that led up to an incident at his property.

Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston, of Northland CIB, says the investigation team are working on fresh lines of enquiry following an appeal for information yesterday.

“We have a motivated team building a picture of what happened to Mr Hepehi and we continue to ask people with information to come forward,” he says.

Police are appealing for sightings of the 77-year-old, who was also known as Danny Whitson, on Wednesday, May 21.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who saw or interacted with Mr Hepehi on May 21,” Detective Inspector Johnston says.

“We know he shopped for groceries in Kaikohe around 10.30am last Wednesday.”

Police are continuing an appeal for sightings of a green and gold 4-wheel-drive with the number plate LCP129 on May 21.

“Police are investigating a connection between the vehicle and Daniel Hepehi,” Detective Inspector Johnston says.

Anyone with information is asked to update Police online or call 105.

Please quote the reference number 250522/0155. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

Source: Worksafe New Zealand

28 May 2025

Welcome to the seventh WorkSafe High Hazards newsletter. In this issue we cover:

• Introduction from Pelin Fantham, Chief Inspector High Hazards 
• PFAS firefighting foam transitional period ending 
• Natech guidance for senior leaders 
• Incident insights – Management of Isolations 
• How to use the quantity-ratio sum (QRS) 
• The role and limitations of consequence modelling 
• Tips for consulting emergency services and government agencies about emergency response plans. 
• High hazards notifiable incidents – quarterly data
• Incidents in the news

Read the full newsletter(external link)

Source: Press Release Service

Headline: Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement

Invercargill City Council has requested a staff report on a proposal to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements, following a motion from local residents and the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. If adopted, Invercargill would join other New Zealand councils aligning with international law and UN Resolution 2334, aiming to ensure ratepayer funds are spent ethically. The council vote will be scheduled once the report is complete.

The post Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement first appeared on PR.co.nz.

Source: Press Release Service

Headline: Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’

Biochar Network New Zealand is delighted to be part of the Forestry Hub again at Fieldays 2025. In New Zealand and internationally, biochar made from forestry residues is used for a variety of regenerative agriculture applications, saving farmers money, and increasing productivity. BNNZ will be demonstrating the principles of pyrolysis & gasification for biochar production over the four days. The BNNZ team will also be presenting in the Forestry Hub main stage on biochar production and its applications to agriculture and the natural environment.

The post Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’ first appeared on PR.co.nz.