Category: MIL-OSI

Posted on

Kaikohe: Investigation continues into little girl’s death

Source: New Zealand Police

Northland Police are continuing to investigate the tragic death of a 3-year-old girl in Kaikohe on Wednesday evening.

Police attended an address on Taraire Street where the girl was initially located unresponsive.

“A scene examination has taken place today and will continue into tomorrow,” Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston, of Northland CIB, says.

“These are always difficult investigations, for the whānau, community and the police themselves.”

At this stage the circumstances are still unexplained. A post-mortem was conducted today and Police are waiting on the results.

“The investigators are determined to uncover the full facts and have a team of 20 working on the case,” Detective Inspector Johnston says.

“The enquiry team is supported by staff who’ve arrived from other districts given a number of serious matters being investigated.”

Investigations into the little girl’s death will continue across the weekend.

ENDS.

Nicole Bremner/NZ Police

Posted on

Two men before the courts after firearms incident

Source: New Zealand Police

Please attribute to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Darren Pritchard

Two men have been arrested in Gisborne this afternoon, following an incident involving a firearm earlier today.

At around 6:30am today Police were called to an address on Colin Street after receiving reports of two vehicles being damaged, and a firearm presented at the occupants of the address.

Armed Police attended and two men, aged 29 and 50 were taken into custody at the scene.

A search of a nearby address resulted in Police locating two firearms.

The incident, which was not gang related was resolved quickly due to a swift Police response, and enquiries into the incident will continue.

The two men are due to appear in the Gisborne District Court tomorrow, charged with wilful damage, commission of a crime with a firearm and presenting a firearm at a person.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Posted on

Budget 2025 – Principals describe Budget as Bitter Sweet

Source: NZ Principals Federation

Principals say the boost to Learning Support from Budget 2025 is the most substantial in years, even though there is a cost through other valuable resources.
“For schools, this Budget has delivered a breakthrough. The Government has recognised the intense pressures teachers and principals are under with minimal support,” said Leanne Otene, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation. (NZPF).
“We have been calling for a substantial increase to learning support, especially for our most vulnerable tamariki, for years, and at last we have been heard,” said Otene.
“The Additional Learning Support Coordinators, Teacher Aide hours, 25 new specialist classrooms and specialist services will make a huge difference to our schools,” said Otene.
“Our only concern is where these people will come from,” she said. “We have often been told there are not enough qualified specialists to cover schools’ needs and more will have to be trained,” she said. 
Principals were also pleased that the Minister has recognised the role of principals and the minimal support they receive. The additional Leadership Advisors will give confidence to principals, especially those new to the role.
“We are thrilled to see an increase in the number of Leadership Advisors. Principals report high satisfaction rates with the existing service which now gets a boost from 16 to 34 Leadership Advisors across the country,” she said. “That will still not be enough, but it is a step in the right direction,” she said.
Otene also acknowledged what services have been reprioritised in the Budget process,
“We have lost valued services such as Resource Teachers of Literacy, Resource Teachers of Maori the Kahui Ako collaborations and the halt to pay equity will affect our future Teacher Aide staff.”
” I call it the ‘Bitter-Sweet Budget,” said Otene, “because the gains in learning support resources and leadership support are hugely welcome, but it is at the cost of losing other valued resources,” she said.  
Otene was clear that if the new funding is to be effective, it must be ‘demand driven’ and not restricted to a single Budget. 
“This funding needs to be locked in and grow to meet the real needs in our schools,” said Otene. “This gives us a great kick start, but more is needed for long term changes in learning and behaviour,” she said. 
Posted on

NZ and Australia: navigating turbulent times together

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

New Zealand and Australia are redoubling our efforts to navigate an increasingly challenging strategic environment together, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.

“It’s been an honour to be hosted in Adelaide today by Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong,” Mr Peters says. 

“We wanted to get across the Tasman as soon as possible after the Australian general election because there is so much for us to tackle together.

“New Zealand and Australia face an unpredictable, contested and disordered region and world. We are strongest when we meet these challenges together.”   

Ministers Peters and Wong meet formally for Australia–New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations twice a year. Today’s FMCs in Adelaide follow those held in Melbourne and Auckland in 2024 and covered bilateral cooperation, priorities in the Pacific, regional security in the Indo-Pacific and global tensions and developments. 

“Australia is New Zealand’s closest, most important and most likeminded partner, and it has been invaluable to discuss in detail with Minister Wong today how we will work together in the period ahead on the issues that matter most to our countries and our peoples,” Mr Peters says.

“The global environment is such that New Zealand and Australia face more concerted threats to our interests and values than we have for generations. In that context, we have been able today to update each another on our respective government priorities at an important moment in our countries’ political cycles, while focusing on how and where we can cooperate for mutual benefit.

“Our relationship is as strong as ever, and we are committed to maintaining this close bond now that Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong and their colleagues have secured a second term.

“These consultations highlight not just the value New Zealand places in our relationship with Australia, but also our enduring commitment to work together to promote our shared international goals, such as Pacific development and security,” Mr Peters says. 

Minister Peters will depart Australia for Sri Lanka tomorrow, where he will begin a tour of South Asia

Posted on

Legislation – Regulatory Standards Bill inflicts ACT’s far-right principles on Aotearoa – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

The Government is facing backlash over David Seymour’s controversial Regulatory Standards Bill which passed its first reading today, under the shadow of the Budget.
“After the uproar over the Treaty Principles Bill, the Luxon Government looks to be trying to keep Seymour’s latest unpopular Bill quiet. They’ve clearly chosen to introduce it in Budget week to minimise scrutiny,” said Greenpeace spokesperson Gen Toop.
“The Regulatory Standards Bill tries to make all future lawmakers in government follow a rigid set of the ACT Party’s far-right principles – prioritising corporate interests over people, nature, and Te Tiriti,” says Toop.
The Bill was also the subject of a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry, brought by over 13,000 claimants. The Tribunal found the Crown had breached its Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and called on the Crown to halt further work on the controversial bill until it consults with Māori.
One of the principles in the Regulatory Standards Bill would create a new and unprecedented expectation that the Crown compensate corporations if environmental or public interest laws affect their property.
“It’s a simple principle: polluters should pay – not be paid by the public. But Seymour’s bill turns that on its head,” says Toop.
“If this bill becomes law, corporations like ExxonMobil, Fonterra and Monsanto would expect taxpayer handouts when the government introduces basic environmental or public protections.”
“These extreme neoliberal ideas have no place in our legal system here in Aotearoa, where we have long valued fairness and collective responsibility rather than individual entitlements to harm nature or others under the guise of freedom,” says Toop.
Greenpeace, along with Forest & Bird, WWF-New Zealand and the Environmental Defence Society, issued an open letter to the Prime Minister on Monday calling on him to reject the Regulatory Standards Bill, warning that it is an “unprecedented threat” to environmental protection, climate action, and the country’s democratic and constitutional foundations.
Posted on

Budget 2025 – Budget Investment for ENRICH Education Programme – Methodist Mission Southern

Source: Methodist Mission Southern

The Hon. Erica Stanford has today announced an investment in the ENRICH oral language programme – which will see the programme reach 525 early learning services over four years.
ENRICH is an evidence-based programme created by Professor Elaine Reese (University of Otago) in partnership with Methodist Mission Southern (MMS). Over the last four years, the programme has been extensively researched through the world-leading Kia Tīmata Pai study – involving 140 ECEs from BestStart.
ENRICH focuses on strengthening oral language skills, communication skills and early maths competencies – all critical foundations for future learning and long-term life success. The programme has demonstrated significant improvements for tamariki in these areas in research trials, and has been successfully implemented in ECE classrooms since 2021.
The implementation of ENRCH is led by Jimmy McLauchlan, Chief Development Officer at Methodist Mission Southern, who has spent ten years working in partnership with researchers, policymakers, and education providers – to translate child development science into practical programmes that can benefit children on a national scale.
“Some of the world’s best child development science has come out of this country – and programmes like ENRICH are turning that science into learning for hundreds of thousands of New Zealand children,” said McLauchlan.
“ENRICH works because it shares the science of language development through practical techniques that have been co-designed with teachers to work in busy classrooms. The programme embraces our cultures and curriculum, and has been tested by hundreds of teachers around the country over the last four years.”
ENRICH will initially be rolled out to 525 ECEs over the next four years, alongside ongoing research and evidence-gathering work, which is aimed at making the programme even more effective and sustainable across the entire ECE sector in coming years.
“This investment today means we can reach even more tamariki with tools that build language, communication and early literacy skills when it matters most.”
Posted on

Budget 2025 – Oranga Whenua, Oranga Tangata: Hāpai Te Hauora Responds to Budget 2025

Source: Hapai Te Hauora

Hāpai Te Hauora says Budget 2025 is not a Budget for whānau – it is a Budget for landlords, corporates, and cuts.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis promised no lolly scramble; but somehow, the sweet stuff still landed in boardrooms and business accounts, while the pantry stayed locked for whānau.
“This Budget is a choice – and that choice is clear,” says Jacqui Harema, CEO of Hāpai Te Hauora. “A choice to gut pay equity. A choice to ask rangatahi to prove their poverty. A choice to back the boardroom while gutting community support.”
Businesses receive a 20% tax write-off on new assets. Meanwhile, whānau get 25-cent KiwiSaver contributions, tighter benefit rules, and income-tested child payments. “A baby’s best start now depends on a parent’s payslip – that’s not equity,” Harema says.
The wealthy retain their capital gains. Yet rangatahi on Jobseeker now face new restrictions based on their parents’ income. “We’re means-testing the vulnerable while letting privilege off the hook.”
Health receives funding, but only just. Emergency departments remain overwhelmed. Nurses are still burning out. And while primary care sees a modest boost, there is no targeted investment in Māori health – and prevention is notably missing.
“If we want to reduce long-term costs and create better outcomes, we must fund prevention,” says Jason Alexander, COO of Hāpai. “That means backing kaupapa Māori solutions before harm happens – not waiting until our people are in crisis.”
Education receives $2.5 billion, but $614 million of that comes from scrapped initiatives. Programmes like Kāhui Ako are axed, and school lunches (Ka Ora, Ka Ako) are set to expire in 2026. “You do not build brighter futures by cutting kai from classrooms,” says Harema.
Tax cuts favour business, while low- to middle-income families receive just $14 more a fortnight under Working for Families tweaks – roughly the cost of a pack of nappies.
This Budget did not prioritise Māori health, wellbeing, or equity. It disestablished Te Aka Whai Ora, clawed back unspent Māori housing funds, and continued the short-term funding cycle.
Hāpai Te Hauora’s Budget 2025 Wishlist included:
  • Investment in Māori-led housing
  • Protection of school lunch programmes
  • Long-term contracts for Māori health services
  • Increased income support and kaupapa Māori employment pathways
  • Serious investment in prevention
What we got instead were cuts, exclusions, and short-term gains.
“This is not the Budget for tamariki. Not for our mokopuna. Not for our taiao,” Harema says. “Whānau deserve better.” 
Posted on

West Auckland Cyclone Gabrielle road repairs 80% complete

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

Auckland Transport’s flood recovery team has repaired 80% of the slips that occurred on local roads in the west Auckland area during the early 2023 extreme weather events.

More than 2000 slips on local roads were reported to AT during this time across the Auckland region. Of these, 1200 smaller slips were fixed fairly quickly, but more than 800 bigger slips required extensive investigation to inform sustainable and resilient engineering design solutions.

In the west Auckland area 191 complex slips needed repairing: 119 minor (less than $250,000 to repair) and 72 major (more than $250,000 to repair). By the end of April 2025, 153 slips had been fixed while three are under construction and the rest are in the design or procurement phases.

“It’s been a massive job, and we thank the people of west Auckland for their continued patience, especially those communities dealing with long road closures,” said Alan Wallace, GM Road Asset Maintenance and Renewals at Auckland Transport.

“A number of roads like Scenic Drive, West Coast Road, Huia Road, Karekare Road and Lone Kauri Road sustained slips in multiple places, and many sites required complex engineering solutions and logistics before construction could begin.

“In some places utilities like power lines, internet, gas and water lines needed to be relocated, and a number of affected roads in close proximity to each other meant options for alternative traffic routes or detours during simultaneous repairs have been limited.

“We’ve also had to navigate tricky and often unstable terrain, variable weather conditions, environmental considerations, proximity to homes and tight operating conditions during construction using heavy machinery.”

Mr Wallace says AT expects most slip sites in West Auckland will be repaired by the end of 2025.

For more information, visit the AT website.

Posted on

Building consent exemption for granny flats a step closer

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

New Zealanders are a step closer to being able to build a granny flat of up to 70 square metres in their backyard following the successful first reading of the Building and Construction (Small Standalone Dwellings) Bill in Parliament. 
 
“It’s currently far too hard to build the homes New Zealanders need, with even the simplest dwellings requiring time-consuming and costly consent processes,” RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. 

“We know increasing housing availability directly translates to lower living costs for our communities. That’s why the coalition Government is committed to making it faster and more affordable to build granny flats. These simple dwellings have the potential to be part of the solution for providing families with more housing options, particularly for grandparents, people with disabilities, young adults and workers in the rural sector.  

“Following public consultation which received huge support, the Government agreed earlier this year to allow granny flats of up to 70 square metres to be built without resource or building consents.

“We’re removing the requirement for a resource consent through our updated package of National Direction under the Resource Management Act which will be in place by the end of this year, and today’s first reading of the Building and Construction (Small Standalone Dwellings) Bill ensures we’ll remove the requirement for a building consent at around the same time.” 

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says removing consent requirements for granny flats will boost productivity in the building sector.  
 
“Tradies will be able to get on with the job without being bogged down by costly and time-consuming paperwork, while homeowners can have confidence their granny flat project won’t be hit by unexpected costs from delays waiting for council inspections. 
 
“The consent exemption is expected to deliver about 13,000 more granny flats over the next ten years. That’s thousands of homes built faster and more affordably, and more consistent work for builders – without frustrating hold-ups.”  
 
The legislation delivers on a New Zealand First–National coalition commitment to reform the building and resource consent system to simplify granny flat construction.  
 
Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says the changes will help lift living standards and support multigenerational living. 
 
“This will allow older New Zealanders to maintain their independence while staying close to whānau. It’s also a practical solution for young adults, especially in rural areas where housing options are limited. 
 
“I look forward to seeing this Bill passed by the end of the year, so families can start building these much-needed homes without delay.”

Note to editors:

  • The Bill will exempt granny flats of up to 70 square metres from needing a building consent if:
    • The granny flat meets the requirements of being a simple design and meets the Building Code
    • Building work is carried out by authorised building professionals
    • Homeowners notify their local council before they commence building and once it is completed.
  • To support local infrastructure in growing communities, councils will charge development contributions for granny flats when issuing a Project Information Memorandum (PIM).
  • The proposed consent exemption will not apply to any building work currently in progress or existing structures that fit the specifications of a granny flat under the final exemption criteria. It will apply only to granny flats built after the exemption is in force.
  • Anyone who is unsure whether their building work needs a building or resource consent should check with their local council. 
Posted on

Have you seen Michael?

Source: New Zealand Police

Wellington Police are continuing to appeal for sightings of missing man Michael, who was reported missing on 19 May.

Police and Michael’s family are becoming increasingly concerned for his safety.

It has now been established that the last known sighting of him was on CCTV at the intersection of Bouverie Street and Udy Street in Petone at about 2:45pm on 19 May 2025.

He was wearing the clothing pictured in the images shared here.

Police are asking anyone who was in the Petone or Alicetown areas on the afternoon of 19 May who may have information, or may have seen Michael, to contact Police through our 105 service, quoting reference number 250520/2542.

We are also asking for anyone with dashcam footage, or residents or businesses with CCTV footage, to review their footage for any sightings of Michael on the afternoon in question.

Anyone who believes they see Michael is urged to call 111 immediately.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre