Category: MIL-OSI

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Man in court after Northcote aggravated robbery

Source: New Zealand Police

A man is appearing in court today following an aggravated robbery at a Northcote liquor shop on Saturday night.

Police were called to the Pearn Crescent store just before 6pm on 24 May.

“A man allegedly entered the store and initially made demands and presented a weapon making further threats when the victim refused,” Waitematā East Area Prevention Manager, acting Inspector Tim Williams says.

“The victim managed to flee to safety and locked the offender inside the store, calling 111.”

Police arrived on scene and attempted to engage with the man inside.

“After a period of time negotiating with this man, he emerged outside and was taken into custody without incident.”

The 42-year-old man has been charged with assault with intent to rob and wilful damage, acting Inspector Williams says.

“It’s pleasing that Police can bring this matter before the court and we will also be opposing this man’s bail.”

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

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Name release: Fatal crash, Wairoa

Source: New Zealand Police

Police can now release the name of the man who died following a crash on Kopu Road in Wairoa on 18 May.

He was Gene Hyrem Popata, 39, from Wairoa.

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

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

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“It takes a village!” Hihi spread their wings after record breaking breeding season

Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  26 May 2025 Source:  Department of Conservation and Auckland Council

Earlier this month, 40 hihi were relocated to the Auckland Council managed Shakespear Open Sanctuary. They join Shakespear’s small but thriving population translocated in 2024.

Environmental champion Councillor Mike Lee says the reintroduction of hihi to the Whangaparāoa Peninsula enables more people to see and hear them in their natural habitat.

“Thirty years ago, I was present when the ancestors of these hihi birds were introduced to Tiritiri Matangi. To be able to help release their descendants on the mainland is a conservation dream come true,” says Cr Lee.

DOC Tiritiri Matangi Ranger Nick Fisentzidis agrees the translocation from island to mainland shows great outcomes for nature are possible when iwi, DOC, council, and community band together.

“They are one of Aotearoa’s rarest and quirkiest birds. There is a total population of only around 2000 nationwide and they require a lot of special attention, so it takes a village!” says Nick.

“We work side by side with Ngāti Manuhiri, Auckland Council, Hihi Conservation Charitable Trust, Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society and conservation research institutions to care for these taonga.”

John Ewen, Hihi Conservation Charitable Trust Trustee and Professor of Conservation Science at Zoological Society of London says hihi are nationally threatened, with Te Hauturu-o-toi Little Barrier Island holding the only naturally-surviving population since the 1880s.

“Habitat loss, the introduction of predators such as cats and rats and specimen collection probably contributed to the decline of hihi on the mainland,” says John.

Thanks to significant recovery efforts, there are now small managed populations of hihi on Tiritiri Matangi and Kapiti islands, Zealandia in Wellington, Bushy Park Tarapuruhi near Wanganui, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, Rotokare Scenic Reserve and Shakepear Open Sanctuary.

“This season has been superb on both Tiritiri Matangi and Shakespear, likely due to lots of natural food. Flax and cabbage trees, in particular, were abundant,” says John.

An initial translocation to Shakespear of 40 birds in May 2024 has been a resounding success, with at least 60 chicks fledging throughout the summer.

The council’s Open Sanctuary Senior Ranger, Matt Maitland, says the support from volunteers through the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society (SOSSI) has helped to ensure the birds can flourish.

“It’s not an easy journey, being moved to a completely new site but we are working together to give the birds a better chance. A second release to Shakespear brings genetic diversity to the hihi already present, and greater security and resilience for the species against any challenges they may face in the future.”

SOSSI chair Owen Johnston says volunteers will provide nest boxes, ongoing monitoring and supplementary food to help the birds settle into their new home.

All hihi whakapapa to Hauturu o Toi. Hihi are taonga to Ngāti Manuhiri, the iwi with an ancestral land connection to Hauturu, Tiritiri Matangi and Shakespear.

Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust spokesperson Delma O’Kane says “as kaitiaki, we acknowledge the dedication of all involved in this kaupapa, from rangers and conservationists to the local community.

“It is through their unwavering commitment to pest control, monitoring, and habitat restoration that both Tiritiri Matangi and Shakespear Regional Park continue to thrive as a sanctuary for our native flora and fauna.”

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Government to deliver redevelopment of Nelson Hospital

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Nelson Hospital will get a major redevelopment as part of the Government’s $1 billion boost to hospital infrastructure and will be the first hospital in the country to receive a new temporary inpatient unit while construction is underway, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“This is a significant investment in the future of healthcare for Nelson. It includes the construction of a new inpatient building by 2029, two years earlier than planned,” Mr Brown says.

“Nelson Hospital is under increasing pressure from a growing and ageing population. It has a shortage of beds, putting pressure on elective treatment. Surgeries are being cancelled, and operating theatres are not being fully utilised due to a lack of inpatient beds.”

To help address this while construction on the new building is underway, Nelson Hospital will be the first site to receive one of the Government’s new modular, transportable 28 to 32-bed inpatient units, designed to provide extra capacity quickly and support ongoing care during major infrastructure projects.

“These modular units are part of a broader Budget 2025 initiative to ensure hospitals can continue delivering for patients during redevelopment. They can be moved where needed, making them a flexible and fast solution to bed shortages. It is expected the unit for Nelson will be delivered within the next 12 months.”

The new inpatient building at Nelson Hospital will include 128 beds, adding 41 more beds to the current capacity, along with an acute assessment unit, a transit lounge, a pharmacy, a blood bank, and dedicated areas for assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation services.

The hospital’s two main buildings – the George Manson and Percy Brunette buildings – will be refurbished and seismically strengthened. A new Energy Centre will house critical hospital infrastructure, and there will be digital upgrades to support modern models of care.

“The Nelson Hospital redevelopment is moving at pace following Cabinet’s approval of the detailed business case.

“The Government’s staged approach to delivering major hospital projects is ensuring a well-planned and efficient build programme, with the $73 million in design and enabling works well underway, laying strong foundations for the next stage of construction.

“The $11 million emergency department expansion, part of the redevelopment to meet growing demand, is expected to be completed in early 2026.”

Health New Zealand is also planning for future workforce requirements, ensuring the right clinical teams are in place to deliver more healthcare for the Nelson community.

“Improving health infrastructure is a priority for the Government to ensure patients have access to timely, quality healthcare.

“Our Government is providing certainty to the people of Nelson by getting on with the project, which has been delayed for many years. In August 2023, decisions were made to rescope the project’s delivery. Since then, Health New Zealand has completed a Business Case, which was approved by Cabinet earlier this year – and has now been funded in Budget 2025.

“This investment – alongside the delivery of new inpatient capacity – will ensure that as the Nelson community grows, the health system’s infrastructure grows with it. It’s an investment in better care, better access, and better outcomes for patients,” Mr Brown says.

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AI training to boost public sector productivity

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

New artificial intelligence (AI) training will increase the uptake of AI and boost productivity in the public service, Digitising Government and Public Service Minister Judith Collins says.

“Across the public sector, AI offers a real opportunity to improve decision-making and deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders,” says Ms Collins.

“I want public service leaders to embrace AI and support their teams to use it safely and effectively.

“That’s why the Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) and the Public Service Commission’s Leadership Development Centre have partnered to develop two new AI training programmes. 

A three-part AI Masterclass series is now available to senior leaders to improve the understanding of and use of AI within agencies. These sessions will cover core AI concepts and key decision-making considerations. 

The all-of-government AI Foundational Development Programme starts this month for general public service users. 

Around 50 participants from 10 agencies will be upskilled in basic AI concepts and present their own ideas for the use of AI. This will create a pipeline of agency-specific AI applications to improve productivity, cost efficiency and customer experience.

The five-week online course will be piloted from 26 May to 30 June and be repeated throughout the year. Material from these sessions will be published on the LDC: Public Service Core Learning Hub.

“This initiative will enable greater use of AI in the public service, enhancing both the speed and quality of service delivery for Kiwis,” Ms Collins says.

“Government agencies are already seeing promising results and this training will build on them to transform the way our government serves New Zealanders.”

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Have your say on Public Finance Amendment Bill

Source:

Media Release

On behalf of:    Finance and Expenditure Committee

For release:     26 May 2025

Have your say on Public Finance Amendment Bill

The Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for submissions on the Public Finance Amendment Bill. The closing date for submissions is 11.59pm on Monday, 7 July 2025.

“The proposed changes will enhance the transparency and accountability of our public finance system. They specifically aim to make the extent of fiscal risks clearer for incoming governments,” says Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, Cameron Brewer.

He says the changes also dispense with the requirement for Treasury to produce a Wellbeing Report every four years. What’s more, governments will no long have to articulate the wellbeing objectives that guide Budget decisions.

“A second tranche of reforms to the Public Finance Act is likely next year, once our committee has completed its inquiry into performance reporting and public accountability,” says Mr Brewer.

The bill would amend the Public Finance Act 1989. Among other things, the bill would:

  • introduce more specific disclosure requirements for the statement of specific fiscal risks
  • introduce a requirement to publish a tax expenditure statement
  • repeal the requirement to articulate wellbeing objectives in the Budget Policy Statement
  • repeal the requirement to prepare a wellbeing report
  • amend the publication window for the pre-election economic and fiscal update.

Tell the Finance and Expenditure Committee what you think:

Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on Monday, 7 July 2025.

For more details about the bill:

ENDS

For media enquiries contact:

Finance and Expenditure Committee Staff

fe@parliament.govt.nz

MIL OSI

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Submissions are now open on the Regulatory Standards Bill

Source:

Media Release

Organisation:   Finance and Expenditure Committee

For release:     26 May 2025

Submissions are now open on the Regulatory Standards Bill

The Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill with a closing date of 1pm, 23 June 2025.

The bill aims to support Parliament’s scrutiny of legislation, and its oversight and control of the use of delegated powers to make legislation. The bill would achieve these objectives in four ways. First, it would introduce a set of regulatory principles that new and existing regulations would be measured against. These include the rule of law, personal liberties, taking of property, taxes, fees, and levies, and the role of courts. Responsible Ministers, administering agencies, and other makers of legislation would be required to assess the consistency of proposed and existing legislation against these principles. Ministers, as well as makers of secondary legislation, would be required to publish or present to the House of Representatives the results of those assessments.

The bill would also establish a Regulatory Standards Board to independently consider the consistency of legislation with the principles. The members of the board would be appointed by the Minister for Regulation. The board would carry out inquiries into whether legislation is inconsistent with the principles following a complaint, at the direction of the Minister, or on its own accord. Finally, the bill would strengthen the regulatory oversight of the Ministry of Regulation by requiring the Ministry to report on the overall state of the regulatory management system. It would empower the Ministry for Regulation to require agencies to supply information as a part of its oversight of the regulatory management system. This would include public service agencies, makers and administrators of secondary legislation, and agencies and contractors that perform a statutory function.

Tell the Finance and Expenditure Committee what you think

Make a submission on the bill by 1pm on 23 June 2025.

For more details about the bill:

ENDS

For media enquiries contact:

Finance and Expenditure Committee staff

RegulatoryStandardsBill@parliament.govt.nz

MIL OSI

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Improving our guidance

Source:

WorkSafe is improving its approach to developing, maintaining, and sharing guidance to make sure businesses have the information they need to manage their biggest health and safety risks.​

We publish a range of information and resources to help businesses and workers to understand how to meet their responsibilities to ensure work is healthy and safe.

We are focusing our efforts where we can make the biggest difference:

  • making it easier to understand your responsibilities for health and safety under the law
  • explaining how you can comply with specific requirements for regulated work
  • what you can do to manage the key health and safety risks and high-risk work activities that contribute to the most serious harm and inequities.

We’re tidying up our website and removing outdated information that has been replaced by newer guidance, is included in other guidance, or is no longer needed.

The decision to remove specific guidance products is based on our criteria for developing and maintaining guidance, and also considers our website statistics to see how often guidance is accessed and stakeholder feedback.

We will also be making changes to our website design over the coming months to make it easier for you to find the health and safety information you need, focusing on the main concepts of health and safety law in New Zealand and our priority sectors of agriculture, construction, forestry, and manufacturing.   

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Agriculture – Federated Farmers launches ‘SOS: Save Our Sheep’ Campaign

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, SOS: Save Our Sheep, calling for urgent action to halt the collapse of New Zealand’s sheep industry.
“Once the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, sheep are fast becoming an endangered species in this country,” Federated Farmers meat & wool chair Toby Williams says.
“Each year we’re losing tens of thousands of hectares of productive farmland. Where sheep and lambs once grazed, pine trees are taking their place.
“Sheep farming is at a real crossroads. That’s why farmers are sending out an urgent SOS to save our sheep – and the Government need to answer that call before it’s too late.”
In just one generation New Zealand has lost over two-thirds of our national flock, reducing from over 70 million sheep in 1982 to fewer than 25 million sheep today.
Sheep numbers are rapidly plunging with almost a million sheep disappearing every year.
“If that trend continues, we’re not going to have any sheep left in our country within two decades. We’ll just have hills plastered in nothing but pine trees,” Williams says.
“That would be a huge loss for our country – not just for our economy, but for our cultural identity and rural communities too.”
Williams says the number one driver of sheep farming’s collapse is clear: carbon forestry.
“New Zealand’s climate change policies are badly broken, and it’s gotten to the point where food production and the viability of our rural communities are being threatened.
“The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is effectively subsidising pine trees to offset fossil fuel emissions, and that’s pushing sheep farmers off the land, never to return.
“We’re the only country in the world that allows 100% carbon offsetting through forestry within our ETS.
“Most other countries have recognised this as a significant risk and have quite rightly set policies to restrict it – so New Zealand is way out of step with international norms.”
Between 2017 and 2024, 260,000 hectares of sheep and beef country were swallowed up by pines.
“That’s not because forestry is necessarily a better use of the land, but because Government policy makes it more profitable to plant pine trees than to farm sheep,” Williams says.
“Climate policy is trumping food production. We’re blindly sacrificing rural jobs, local processing infrastructure, and sustainable red meat exports at the altar of carbon offsetting.
“Unfortunately, the Government aren’t doing enough to stop the relentless march of pine trees across productive farmland – and if they don’t act soon, it will be too late.”
Federated Farmers is now calling on the Government to urgently review the ETS and fix the rules to either limit or stop the offsetting of fossil fuel emissions with forestry.
Williams says New Zealanders need to ask themselves a simple question: do we still value our sheep industry?
“Because if the answer is yes, we need to act now, and act fast, before it’s too late.”  
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5 royal ways to celebrate King’s Birthday weekend

Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

Make the most of the King’s Birthday weekend holiday on 2 June by having a right royal good time around Auckland. But spending the day living a life fit for a king doesn’t mean riding in gilded carriages, cutting ribbons or waving from a balcony – King Charles III has a wide range of interests, from beekeeping to the theatre. You can enjoy the King’s favourite hobbies in many locations around Auckland.

1. Brush up on your art

King Charles III has had an interest in watercolour painting since his days at boarding school. He’s also been a keen gardener since a young age, and he and his sister Princess Anne had a small vege patch at Buckingham Palace. You can combine both of these hobbies by visiting the Botanical Art Worldwide 2025 exhibition at Auckland Botanic Gardens.

King Charles, pictured painting in Switzerland in 1994, prefers to paint his watercolours en plein air (in the open air) as he finds the experience relaxing.

New Zealand is one of many countries taking part in a global exhibition highlighting botanical art, plants and their importance to humanity. Each participating country is holding their own exhibition featuring art from their region, and New Zealand’s display, titled Our Plants – Past, Present and Future / O Tātou Tipu o Mua – o Ināianei me te Āpōpō, includes 40 stunning works. There’s also a screen showing digital images of the artworks from the international exhibitions.

While you’re at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, you might be inspired to take in your surroundings and paint outdoors en plein air, which is King Charles’ favourite way to paint. If you’d like to hone your craft further, consider a painting or watercolour class at Mairangi Arts Centre, Howick’s Uxbridge Arts and Culture or the Botanical Art Basics with Jennifer Duval-Smith at Te Uru in Titirangi.

If you’re keen to embrace your artistic side like King Charles, Te Uru offers an array of classes where you can hone your skills.

2. Dare to be dramatic

King Charles is a long-time supporter of the performing arts, and is a patron of The Royal Ballet, the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Theatrical Fund. He even took the stage himself, playing the title role in a 1965 school production of Macbeth. Other schoolboy roles for the future king include playing the Duke of Exeter in Shakespeare’s Henry V, as well as the Pirate King in the Gilbert and Sullivan musical The Pirates of Penzance.

Auckland Council supports a wide range of performing arts groups and theatre venues across the region, and there’s no shortage of shows to see in the winter season. Some upcoming shows include Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan at Q Theatre (25 June-5 July), a choose-what-you-pay performance of Snart at Basement Theatre (3-7 June), and The Play That Goes Wrong (14 May-1 Jun) and William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (15 Jul-9 Aug 2025) at ASB Waterfront Theatre. If you prefer the drama of the opera, NZ Opera’s La bohème is playing at Aotea Centre’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre (29 May-6 June). Or if you’ve ever considered taking the stage yourself, why not try an acting class at Howick Little Theatre or TAPAC?

Opera singer Benson Wilson is performing in NZ Opera’s La bohème.

3. Bee kind to pollinators

Queens rule the beehive, and King Charles loves bees – he’s been known to sweeten his tea with a spoonful of honey harvested from the hives at Highgrove House. There are also hives at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, and honey from each estate has the distinctive taste of the flowers and trees in each garden.

King Charles, seen here looking at a beehive at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in 2002, keeps hives at several of his estates.

Many members of the British monarchy have a connection to bees, including King Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, who also keeps hives, and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. When Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, the royal beekeeper took part in an old tradition of draping the hive with a black ribbon.

To attract wild bees into your garden, why not plant your own pollinator garden? Find inspiration in the bee-friendly gardens at Howick Historical Village, the herb garden at Auckland Botanic Gardens and Auckland’s Eco-Neighbourhood community groups, many of which have workshops and share information about helping bees and other pollinators.

If you’re keen to get hands-on with beekeeping, check out the beginner beekeeper’s course at the Auckland Beekeepers’ Club, based at Gribblehirst Community Hub. Please note that all hives must be registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and beekeepers should follow Animal Management Bylaws and responsible beekeeping guidelines.

4. Saddle up

King Charles was a polo player for many years and a keen horse rider for most of his life, and only recently gave up the saddle due to injuries. In fact, in many royal visits to New Zealand over the years, Charles has enjoyed his favourite horsey hobbies, even playing polo in Clevedon on a visit in 1983. While you might have to wait until spring and summer to “stomp the divots” at a polo match, there are many parks around Auckland where you can enjoy a ride.

If you wish to enjoy horse riding, one King Charles’ favourite activities, the Farm Loop trail at Duder Regional Park offers epic views of the Hauraki Gulf.

Auckland’s terrain is a far cry from the grounds of Sandringham, but there’s plenty of variety in our riding tracks – from beautiful views at Duder Regional Park to the bridle path at Tōtara Park in the heart of suburban Manurewa, to trails along the white sand beaches of Te Ārai Regional Park. Riding is permitted in these parks and many others with a free Auckland Council horse riding pass. Please note however that most locations will be closing due to wet conditions over winter. 

5. Dig in to help the planet

King Charles has been advocating for conservation and sustainable living since the 1970s, and his decades of work with environmental groups have seen him dubbed “the climate king” and “the most significant environmentalist in history”. Highgrove House’s gardens and farm are completely organic and highly sustainable and embody Charles’ environmental philosophy: that it is better to work with nature than against it. Sustainable practices at Highgrove include chemical-free pest control using predatory insects, recycling of waste materials, rainwater harvesting, solar power, composting, free-range chickens, wildflower meadows and restoring native species.

King Charles has been dubbed “the climate king” due to his strong interest in environmentalism. He is pictured here planting a tree at Highgrove House in 2008.

If you’re feeling inspired and want practical ideas for living a greener life here in Tāmaki Makaurau, head to Auckland Council’s Live Lightly website, where there is a wealth of information on sustainable transport, healthy eating, energy-efficient home solutions, carbon-conscious shopping ideas and growing your own food.

Spread your efforts beyond your own backyard by getting involved in Auckland’s biodiversity and conservation projects to protect native species through Auckland Council’s Friends of Parks programme. Many local and regional parks regularly hold working bees and tree planting days to provide habitat for wildlife and replenish the whenua.