Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

A new all-of-government plan to tackle organised crime was released today by  Associate Police Minister Casey Costello.

“We are at a critical time in the fight against Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime (TSOC),” Ms Costello says.

“New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours are being increasingly targeted by organised criminal groups, who are using new technologies and new ways of operating – and we need a different, stronger and more cohesive response. 

“This new TSOC strategy and action plan are designed to achieve this, with the aim being to make New Zealand the hardest place in the world for organised criminal groups to do business and cause harm.”

The action plan sets out key cross-agency initiatives to improve the response to TSOC. The immediate priorities are:

exploring options for a department or agency responsible for TSOC to drive accountability and coordination across government
developing a new mechanism for cross-agency information and data sharing
implementing the package of actions that respond to methamphetamine harm, and
strengthening communities and addressing harm through Resilience to Organised Crime (ROCC) initiatives.

“Organised criminal activity including the illicit drug trade, scams, migrant exploitation and money laundering inflicts misery in our communities. It drives violent crime, and harms individuals and families, legitimate businesses and the broader New Zealand economy,” Ms Costello says. “The illicit drug trade alone is estimated to cost the country around $1.5 billion in social harm.

“This Government is determined to address this and is looking to a step-change in approach. 

“We established a Ministerial Advisory Group to provide expert advice, and its key recommendations were the need for strengthened governance and accountability across government and better information sharing.

“Basically, we need organised government to fight organised crime, and through the action plan we are working on the best way of doing this and making full use of all of the resources, powers and information that agencies collectively possess.”

Note to Editors:

The TSOC strategy was informed by the report of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime and the twenty-eight agencies with responsibilities in this area.
The shift in naming convention from Transnational Organised Crime to Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime (TNOC to TSOC) reflects the shift in the Government’s strategic approach to incorporate domestic offending and the harm perpetrated in communities.
The Action Plan covers a five-year period and will be regularly reviewed and updated as needed to reflect new and emerging risks.

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has committed to a major biosecurity investment to protect New Zealand’s primary industries and drive economic growth, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop. 
 
The Ministers today toured the construction site of the new Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) at the Mt Albert Research Centre in Auckland. 
 
“This facility will play a critical role in protecting New Zealand’s environment and economy from plant pests and diseases, while supporting surveillance, diagnostics, and emergency response capabilities,” says Mr Hoggard. 

“The new facility is a strategic investment to replace the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) aging Tāmaki PHEL with modern, fit-for-purpose facilities that will support New Zealand’s biosecurity system for the next 50 years. 

“The services this facility will provide are essential to maintaining the trust of our trading partners and New Zealand’s access to export trade markets. 

“New Zealand’s $60.4 billion food and fibre sector accounts for approximately 82 percent of New Zealand’s goods exports. Protecting and growing this sector is critical to achieving the Government’s goal of doubling export value by 2034. 
 
“Strengthening New Zealand’s defences against biosecurity threats and the potentially devastating impacts for our primary industries and environment is more important than ever as the risk of new pests and diseases increases with climate change and an increasingly complex trade environment,” says Mr Hoggard. 
 
Mr Bishop says the start of construction is a major milestone for the Government’s infrastructure programme.  

“We’re delivering a world-class scientific facility that will strengthen our biosecurity system, support our primary industries and create hundreds of jobs in the process. 
 
“Once complete, this facility will be one of the most advanced biosecurity centres in Australasia.”  
 
“This programme is part of the $7 billion construction programme, aimed at boosting jobs and economic growth through infrastructure investment before Christmas. 
 
“This is exactly the kind of vertical infrastructure we need to support innovation, resilience and long-term economic value.” 
   
Site preparation works have been completed, foundations have been constructed, and the structure is starting to take shape. Crown Infrastructure Delivery is managing the delivery of the facility, with Southbase Construction the lead contractor. 

Construction is scheduled to finish in 2028, and the facility is expected to be ready for service in January 2029. 
 

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

Source: New Zealand Government

People in South and East Auckland will soon be able to access urgent care earlier, later, and overnight, reducing pressure on hospitals and keeping care close to home, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

Getting urgent care in South and East Auckland is about to become significantly easier, with longer hours now in place and full round-the-clock services coming early next year.

From 17 December, Tāmaki Health has extended urgent and after hours care at Local Doctors Ōtara from 7.30am until midnight. This will move to full 24/7 care from 19 January 2026.

“These changes mean people can get help for urgent health issues any time of the day or night, without going to hospital unless it is a genuine emergency,” Mr  Brown says.

“Families deserve care that is close to home, easy to access, and good value. Extending Ōtara’s proven service overnight means whānau can get timely, high-quality medical attention when they need it, while easing pressure on emergency departments.”

After hours services between 5pm and 8am remain free for children and subsidised for those who need it most, helping ensure urgent care stays affordable and accessible.

East Auckland will also benefit from expanded urgent care next year. From 1 March, Eastcare will extend its closing time from 11pm to 1am, while continuing to open from 7am.

“These improvements mean more Aucklanders can get the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” Mr Brown says.

The changes form part of the Government’s national Urgent Care and After Hours Framework, which aims for 98 per cent of New Zealanders to live within a one-hour drive of in-person urgent care.

Recent progress under this framework includes expanded weekday urgent care services in Lower Hutt from 1 December 2025 and a new 24/7 urgent care service in Dunedin from 17 December 2025.

Further improvements are planned across the country next year, including a new 24/7 urgent care service in Whangārei, expanded support for rural communities, 24/7 services in Tauranga, and extended daytime urgent care in Invercargill.

“We are also introducing a more consistent national approach to fees and subsidies, so costs are fair, predictable, and responsive to local needs,” Mr Brown says.

Source: New Zealand Government

Spades are in the ground for the Ngākōroa Train Station and the interim upgrade of the State Highway 22 (SH22)/Jesmond Road intersection as part of the SH22 Drury Upgrade project in South Auckland.

“This is an important milestone as the last of a series of major Government funded rail projects in Auckland to get underway,” says Mr Peters.

“The new Drury railway stations were funded in 2020 when we were previously responsible for Rail, and over recent years the Government has invested $2.3 billion in the city’s rail network.

“To help get people out of their cars and trucks and off our congested roads we’re making rail a better option for the people of Auckland and for freight.

“The new Drury and Paerātā stations are underway and due to open in 2026, electric trains began travelling to Pukekohe early this year thanks to the extension of overhead cables from Papakura, and the new Third Main line in South Auckland is creating more flexibility and helping better separate rail freight from passenger services – all funded by us in 2020,” says Mr Peters.

Ngākōroa Station is expected to open in 2027.

“The SH22 Drury upgrade will widen a 2km section of SH22 between Jesmond Road and Mercer Street from two lanes to four to provide better connections to and from Drury Interchange,” says Mr Bishop.

“The highway upgrade will support housing growth in the area, giving growing communities access to multiple transport options and address existing safety issues on this section of the highway.

“Over the next 30 years, an extra 130,000 people are expected to call South Auckland home. The growth and development happening around the Drury area means the role and function of the state highways and transport in this part of Auckland is changing and evolving.”

“To support the 2027 opening, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is staging the SH22 Drury Upgrade project, with interim works starting now to provide access to the new Ngākōroa Station being built by KiwiRail before it opens.”

The interim upgrade will involve adding a fourth leg to the intersection opposite Jesmond Road and will take six months to complete. The full SH22 Drury upgrade is expected to begin in 2027, once the required land has been purchased and full construction funding has been confirmed.

Notes to editor:

Ngākōroa Station is part of the $475 million Government investment in three new stations between Papakura and Pukekohe, announced by Rt Hon Winston Peters in January 2020.
The $2.3 billion does not include City Rail Link or Auckland Transport’s level crossing works.
Key features of the Ngākōroa Station project include:

Carparking for 200 vehicles with room for expansion in the future
A new bus interchange
A covered pedestrian overbridge and train shelters on platforms

The station is being future proofed, with capacity for additional rail tracks and longer platforms to accommodate nine car trains.
The full SH22 Drury Upgrade expected cost envelope is $168 million to $197 million. This includes a combination of approved funding from the Major Capital Investment Programme (MCIP) and the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) for pre-implementation, property acquisition and delivery of the interim intersection at Jesmond Road.
Funding (within the total expected cost of $168 million to $197 million) for construction of the wider SH22 Drury project will be sought from the NLTF in 2026 once design is complete.

Source: New Zealand Government

Parents will know more about what their children are learning at school and will have the tools to help them learn at home through new updates to the Parent Portal, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

The Ministry of Education’s Parent Portal digital resource is now live with every learning area of the refreshed knowledge-rich curriculum from Year 0 to Year 10, including draft areas. The interactive resource allows parents to see what their child will learn under the proposed new curriculum, across every year level, in a clear and understandable way.

“The refreshed curriculum is designed to ensure children are learning the fundamentals they need, and it gives clarity to teachers on what to focus on in the classroom. We’re making sure there’s clarity at home, too,” Ms Stanford says.

“The Parent Portal will also be getting updated with activities and resources to support reinforcing key learning from the last year at home over summer.

“The first resource will be a curriculum-aligned, freely available online maths practice tool for children in Years 3 to 8, and will be available from next Tuesday. This will cover basic facts, fractions, rounding, working with money, place value, counting patterns, square numbers, and word problems. There will be further content uploaded in January for children ready for more topics.

“Parents want their children to achieve to the best of their abilities at school, and we’re providing the information and resources they need to be involved in their child’s learning. Our education reforms are putting educational achievement at the heart of learning, making sure all Kiwi kids get the chance to unlock their potential and thrive,” Ms Stanford says. 

Notes to editor:

The Parent Portal is available on the Ministry of Education website at: www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal 

Consultation is currently open for feedback on the Year 0-10 draft learning areas.

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has published the Whole of System (Core Crown) Report on Treaty Settlement Delivery 2025, providing transparency for Treaty settlement delivery and setting a benchmark for performance across Government.

“Accountability is critical to maintaining the integrity of settlements, and to ensuring the that the Crown delivers on its obligations,” Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says.

“The report today shows encouraging progress and increases across the system. Currently, 83.3 percent of commitments are complete or on track, up from 76.7% in 2024. Delivery issues have also reduced from 4.9 percent to 3.5 percent.

“It is positive to see this progress made in the last year, however there is still work to do to strengthen Treaty relationships and ensure timely delivery of our commitments.”

This year’s report includes deeper insights from Crown agencies, and for the first time, insights from post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs). This provides a more balanced view of the Treaty relationship and the practical aspects of delivering on commitments.

PSGEs described their Treaty relationships as generally constructive, but emphasised that success depends on reciprocal engagement, timely delivery, and adequate resourcing. 

In instances where these elements are strong, PSGEs report confidence in building future-focused partnerships. Where there is more room for improvement, they reported friction and resource pressures.

“Strong Treaty relationships are built on trust and partnership. This report helps keep those priorities front of mind for every agency,” Mr Potaka says.

“Looking ahead, I will be closely monitoring progress made by agencies to strengthen post-settlement relationships with PSGEs, and to ensure timely delivery on commitments,” Mr Potaka says.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have strung together the events leading to a number of crimes in East Auckland.

Officers have been on the hunt for a person believed to be responsible for at least three separate incidents in the Highland Park and Botany Downs areas on Sunday.

Senior Sergeant Simon Cornish, of Counties Manukau East Police, says Police had been making a number of enquiries into the whereabouts of a person of interest.

“Excellent patrolling located the man walking along Ti Rakau Drive yesterday where he was quickly taken into custody.

“As a result, we were also able to locate two stolen guitars, which have since been returned to their rightful owners.”

Senior Sergeant Cornish says this was a great result for staff, and reassuring for the community to see that Police are committed to taking action against crimes like these.

“Our community deserves to go about their business without the threat of being a victim of crime and we will continue to respond and hold these offenders to account.

“However we cannot do this alone, if you witness any suspicious or unlawful activity, please contact Police with as much information as possible.

You can contact us on 111, or for non-emergencies through 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Make a Report” or call 105.

A 33-year-old man will appear in Manukau District Court today charged with burglary and  two counts of unlawfully being in an enclosed yard.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Police

Two men have been arrested over a shooting in Gore this week.

The pair – aged 36 and 54 – were arrested in Invercargill on Thursday afternoon (18 December).

Both men are facing a range of charges and are due to appear in Invercargill District Court today.

One victim remains in hospital, recovering from their injuries, while the other victim has been discharged.

Inspector Mike Bowman, Southland Area Commander says investigators have been following a number of lines of enquiry, but information from the public had proved invaluable.

“We want to thank the community for their help so far, the support we’ve had from the public shows people aren’t willing to tolerate violence like this.

“The arrests are the result of excellent work across the team involved and help from the public.

“The investigation still needs to hear from anyone with information who hasn’t yet been spoken to. Even the smallest detail can make a big difference.

“While the investigation is continuing, officers will have a visible presence in Gore over the coming days as they carry out reassurance patrols and show their support for the community.”

How to contact Police

Information reported online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “update report”, or by calling 105. Please use the reference number 251217/1617.

Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers, by calling 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.