Category: MIL-OSI

Source: It’s time to fix the secondary teacher shortage

The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s use of urgency to rewrite the Wildlife Act–without consultation, without an impact statement, and in direct response to a court ruling in favour of protecting wildlife.

“The Government is rushing legislation through Parliament to make it easier to kill kiwi and other precious wildlife,” says Green Party co-leader and Conservation spokesperson, Marama Davidson.

“Our native taonga should be treasured. They connect us to our whenua and whakapapa, and form a critical component of our national identity. 

“This law change comes directly off the back of a court ruling that found it was unlawful for the Department of Conservation (DOC) to permit developers to kill protected species.

“Rather than respecting that ruling, and learning from it, the Government is rewriting the Act to make that killing legal. It’s cynical, calculated, and utterly, utterly devastating.

“For the Minister of Conservation to say only days ago that nature is ‘part of our national identity, economy and way of life,’ then allow this legislation to bulldoze through the House is a disgrace. 

“You can’t claim to value our biodiversity while forcing through law changes to make it easier to destroy it. This isn’t about protecting biodiversity—it’s about protecting profit and feeding corporate greed.

“When nature is only valued for its economic benefit, the outcome is inevitable: destruction. This Government has made it clear that when forced to choose between the interests of industry or the interests of the law, the public, and the environment, it will always choose the bulldozer.

“Our Green Budget will outline our bold vision for an Aotearoa that works with nature, not against it,” says Marama Davidson.

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

8 May 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority received four complaints concerning Wellington Police officers obtaining a warrant and seizing vehicles for unpaid fines in 2022 and 2023. Upon review, the Authority found common themes arose which continue to be relevant to current Police practice.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

The Government is encouraging New Zealanders to mark Victory in Europe Day’s 80^th anniversary today by paying tribute to those who fought for freedom and peace.

“On the 8^th of May 1945, the Second World War in Europe came to an end, bringing relief and hope to millions after six years of devastating conflict,” Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“Today marks a significant milestone in world history, and a poignant moment for New Zealand.

“I encourage all New Zealanders to commemorate this day in their own way. Whether that is by laying a tribute at a local war memorial, pausing to take a moment of quiet reflection, or simply learning more about New Zealand’s effort in this global fight for peace,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“New Zealand played a crucial role in the Second World War, with about 140,000 New Zealanders serving in military forces overseas,” Defence Minister Judith Collins says.

“By the end of the war, nearly 12,000 New Zealanders had lost their lives, and 9,000 had been taken as prisoners of war. Many more served on the home front, supporting the war effort in numerous ways.”

“The nation’s contributions spanned various theatres of war, from Egypt, Italy, and Greece to Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and our people lie in cemeteries around the world.

“We must never forget their service and their sacrifice,” Ms Collins says.

“VE day is a time to remember the immense sacrifice of all who contributed to the Second World War effort, in particular our veterans, of whom fewer than 100 remain with us,” Veterans Minister Chris Penk says.

“As we honour this significant anniversary, we reflect on the courage of those who fought for peace and acknowledge that the most meaningful way to uphold their legacy is by striving for a world free from conflict.”

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has detailed a variety of ways people can commemorate this significant moment on its website.

The Second World War ended for New Zealand on 15 August 1945, when conflict ceased in the Asia-Pacific region with Japan’s surrender. 

Source: Save The Children

Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, research released by Save the Children and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) found that under current climate commitments – which will likely see a global temperature rise of 2.7°C above pre-industrial levels – about 100 million of the estimated 120 million children born in 2020, or 83%, will face “unprecedented” lifetime exposure to extreme heat. 
However, if the world limits warming to the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target, this would reduce the number of five-year-olds impacted to 62 million – a difference of 38 million – highlighting the urgency to protect children through rapidly phasing out the use and subsidy of fossil fuels. Dangerous heat is deadly for children, taking an immense toll on their physical and mental health, disrupting access to food and clean water and forcing schools to close . 
Researchers defined an “unprecedented” life as an exposure to climate extremes that someone would have less than a 1 in 10,000 chance of experiencing during their life in a world without human-induced climate change. The research, published in the report Born into the Climate Crisis 2. An Unprecedented Life: Protecting Children’s Rights in a Changing Climate also found that meeting the 1.5°C target would protect millions of children born in 2020 from the severest impacts of other climate related disasters such as crop failures, floods, tropical cyclones, droughts and wildfires.
The report found that, for children born in 2020, if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5°C rather than reaching 2.7°C above pre-industrial levels:

About 38 million would be spared from facing unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves;
About 8 million would avoid unprecedented lifetime exposure to crop failures;
About 5 million would be spared from unprecedented lifetime exposure to river floods;
About 5 million would avoid unprecedented lifetime exposure to tropical cyclones;
About 2 million would avoid unprecedented lifetime exposure to droughts;
About 1.5 million children would be spared unprecedented lifetime exposure to wildfires.

Climate extremes – which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change – are increasingly harming children, forcing them from their homes, putting food out of reach, damaging schools and increasing risks like child marriage as they are forced out of education and into poverty and food shortages.

Denise-, 16, and her family were forced from their home in Brazil when the country’s worst floods in 80 years devastated their community last year. Their home, including Denise’s bedroom, was severely damaged, and she was out of school for nearly two months. 
She said: “It really affected me mentally, and academically too. Catching up on all my grades to pass secondary school was really tough, especially at a state school. It massively impacted my schoolwork. My grades dropped significantly after the floods.” 
Children impacted by inequality and discrimination and those in lower-and middle-income countries, are often worst affected . Meanwhile they have fewer resources to cope with climate shocks and are already at far greater risk from vector and waterborne diseases, hunger, and malnutrition, and their homes are often more vulnerable to increased risks from floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events.  
Haruka, 16, whose poem is featured in the report, is from Vanuatu, which recently experienced three of the most severe types of cyclone in just a year.  
She said: “Cyclones are scary. For me, they continue to destroy my home, every year – we don’t even bother trying to fix the ceiling anymore. “The past few years, I’ve seen ceaseless destruction and constant rebuilding. This seemingly never-ending cycle has become our reality, and most people aren’t even aware that it’s not just nature doing its thing, but it’s us bearing the brunt of a crisis that we did not cause.”  
As well as comparing conditions under 1.5°C and 2.7°C scenarios, the report also examines a scenario in which global temperatures rise to 3.5°C by 2100, which will lead to about 92% of children born in 2020 – about 111 million children [5] – living with unprecedented heatwave exposure over their lifetime. While we need a rapid phase-out of the use and subsidy of fossil fuels to stick to the 1.5°C target, we must not lose sight of solutions, Save the Children said. 
The report highlights initiatives like increased climate finance, child-centred and locally led adaptation and increasing the participation of children in shaping climate action. 
Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, said: “Across the world, children are forced to bear the brunt of a crisis they are not responsible for. Dangerous heat that puts their health and learning at risk; cyclones that batter their homes and schools; creeping droughts that shrivel up crops and shrink what’s on their plates. “Amid this daily drumbeat of disasters, children plead with us not to switch off. This new research shows there is still hope, but only if we act urgently and ambitiously to rapidly limit warming temperatures to 1.5°C , and truly put children front and centre of our response to climate change at every level.”  
As the world’s leading independent child rights organisation, Save the Children works in about 110 countries, tackling climate across everything we do. 
Save the Children supports children and their communities globally in preventing, preparing for, adapting to, and recovering from climate disasters and gradual climate change. We have set up floating schools, rebuilt destroyed homes and provided cash grants to families hit by disasters. We also work to influence governments and other key stakeholders on climate policies, including at the UNFCCC COP summits, giving children a platform for their voices to be heard. 
READ FULL REPORT HERE.

Source: The New Zealand Treasury

The Interim Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the nine months ended 31 March 2025 were released by the Treasury today. The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (HYEFU 2024), published on 17 December 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year.

The majority of the key fiscal indicators for the nine months ended 31 March 2025 were better than forecast. The Government’s main operating indicator, the operating balance before gains and losses excluding ACC (OBEGALx), showed a deficit of $6.6 billion. This was $0.5 billion smaller than forecast largely due to lower than forecast core Crown expenditure. Net core Crown debt was $2.1 billion lower than forecast at $182.0 billion, or 42.6% of GDP.

Core Crown tax revenue, at $89.5 billion, was $0.2 billion (0.2%) higher than forecast. While GST and other individuals’ tax were both above forecast by $0.5 billion each, this was broadly offset by source deductions and corporate tax which were below forecast by $0.5 billion and $0.3 billion, respectively.

Core Crown expenses, at $104.1 billion, were $0.6 billion (0.5%) below forecast. This variance included some significant offsetting variances and was mostly timing in nature. In particular, core government services expenses were $0.6 billion above forecast, while transport and housing expenses were $0.6 billion and $0.3 billion below forecast, respectively. The remaining variance was spread across a range of agencies.

The OBEGALx was a deficit of $6.6 billion, $0.5 billion less than the forecast deficit. When including the revenue and expenses of ACC, the OBEGAL deficit was $8.4 billion, $0.4 billion less than the forecast deficit.

The operating balance deficit of $4.5 billion was $0.8 billion higher than the forecast deficit. This reflected net unfavourable valuation movements along with the favourable OBEGAL result. Net gains on financial instruments were $4.0 billion lower than forecast, driven by the performance of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZS Fund) and ACC’s investment portfolios. This unfavourable variance was partly offset by net losses on non-financial instruments being $2.6 billion less than forecast. This was largely owing to a $0.7 billion net actuarial gain on ACC’s outstanding claims liability compared to a forecast net loss of $1.0 billion, and the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme with net losses being $0.9 billion lower than forecast.

The core Crown residual cash deficit of $5.3 billion was $1.7 billion lower than forecast. While net operating cash flows were broadly in line with forecast, net core Crown capital cash outflows were $1.5 billion lower than forecast. This variance is expected to be timing in nature, mainly owing to net purchases of investments and net increases in advances which were both below forecast by $0.6 billion and $0.7 billion, respectively.

Net core Crown debt at $182.0 billion (42.6% of GDP) was $2.1 billion lower than forecast. This variance was largely due to the variance in core Crown residual cash deficit and the factors not impacting residual cash which improved net core Crown debt. Of these factors, the most significant was foreign exchange movements since the HYEFU 2024 forecast which have resulted in $0.5 billion of net gains improving net core Crown debt without impacting the core Crown residual cash indicator.

Gross debt at $206.0 billion (48.3% of GDP) was $0.5 billion higher than forecast, largely owing to higher than forecast government stock, partially offset by lower than forecast Treasury bills.

Net worth at $183.8 billion (43.1% of GDP) was $0.3 billion lower than forecast. The variance to forecast reflects a higher operating balance deficit discussed above, partially offset by net actuarial gains on retirement plan schemes ($0.5 billion). Net worth consisted of total Crown assets of $594.7 billion (in line with forecast) and total Crown liabilities of $410.9 billion ($0.3 billion higher than forecast).

1. Using the most recently published GDP (for the year ended 31 December 2024) of $426,925 million (Source: Stats NZ).
2. Favourable variances against forecast have a positive sign and unfavourable variances against forecast have a negative sign.
3. Using HYEFU 2024 forecast GDP for the year ending 30 June 2025 of $427,252 million (Source: The Treasury).
4. Net core Crown debt excludes the NZS Fund and core Crown advances. Net core Crown debt may fluctuate during the year largely reflecting the timing of tax receipts.

Source: New Zealand Police

Please attribute to Relieving Wellington District Commander Inspector Lincoln Sycamore:

Police acknowledge the findings by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) regarding four complaints against Wellington Police officers obtaining a warrant and seizing vehicles for unpaid fines in 2022 and 2023.

The incidents occurred following the start of ‘Operation Cobalt’, a nationwide effort by Police to target and disrupt illegal gang activity. As part of this operation, Police staff would apply for warrants to seize property belonging to gang members with unpaid fines.

Police have reviewed the policy and practice regarding obtaining a warrant to seize property for unpaid fines and have addressed the recommendation made by the IPCA.

In March 2024, we updated our search instructions for officers to ensure they are aware of and understand their obligations. Officers are required to have Ministry of Justice bailiffs present at the search location, unless there is urgency and or good reason for Police to execute the warrant as part of a major event operation or criminal investigation.

We also agree with the second recommendation made by the IPCA and have already begun the process to engage with Ministry of Justice to update an internal form used by officers. This will ensure the form accurately reflects the scope of the search and seizure power under section 99 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Work is moving at pace on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass project, with geotech work beginning this week, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Minister for the South Island and Associate Transport Minister James Meager say. 

“The Government is committed to supporting the fast-growing Waimakariri District. This much needed transport infrastructure will boost economic growth, reduce congestion, improve safety and access to housing growth areas. SH1 approaching Woodend currently carries around 21,500 vehicles per day, of which nine percent is freight. The traffic volume is expected to reach 28,000 vehicles per day by 2048. There have been 280 crashes on SH1 through Woodend between 2014 and 2023, with three fatalities and 25 serious injuries,” Mr Bishop says. 

“The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board endorsed the investment case for the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance in November 2024, which proposes: 

• Widening the southern section of the existing SH1 from two to four lanes.
• A new four-lane motorway bypass in the northern section.
• A grade separated interchange at the Williams Street intersection with SH1.
• Replace the Pegasus roundabout with an overbridge and signalised intersection.
• Kaiapoi Bridge seismic strengthening and widening.
• Construction of new bridges over the Cam River and overbridges at Woodend Beach Road and Gladstone Road.
• Tolling to support the construction and maintenance of the road. 

“In addition to endorsing the investment case in November last year, the NZTA Board also approved $68.1 million in initial funding to complete detailed design work and advance an early works package, as well as around $37 million for property acquisition. Further funding to begin and complete main construction will be considered by the NZTA Board in due course. 

“Delivering this project has substantial benefits, including a three-minute travel time saving along the state highway, and up to 10 minutes at peak. It is also expected to reduce traffic through Woodend from 21,000 vehicles per day to 8,000, and a reduction in deaths and serious injuries from 5.6 to 1.25 per year. 

“The investment case endorsed by the NZTA Board sets an investment envelope between $800 million and $1 billion to design, consent, and construct the project. 

“The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS) requires NZTA to consider tolling for all new RoNS. The investment case confirms tolling is possible and the revenue will support the construction and maintenance of the road. The Government will consider this recommendation and announce next steps of the process in due course.” 

“NZTA is continuing to move at pace on the project with the detailed design contract awarded to Aurecon and Tonkin + Taylor in March this year. Getting geotech works underway is an essential part of the design phase of the project and will involve drilling around 70 boreholes up to 35 metres deep and digging pits at individual sites within the construction area,” Mr Meager says. 

“The geotechnical investigations will look at ground conditions, including soil and rock types, groundwater depths and the strength of soil and rock. This work will take around two months to complete. 

“Once geotechnical data is available, NZTA will confirm the scope and design of an early works package and prepare and lodge consent applications. The early works package will likely begin in early 2026, while main construction is likely to begin later in 2026. The project is expected to take four years to complete. 

“SH1 is a nationally strategic freight route and provides critical access to Christchurch City, Christchurch International Airport, Lyttelton Port, and the major health, education, commercial and industrial services in the Canterbury region. Delivering the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance will significantly improve reliability of the corridor and ensure people and freight can get where they need to go, quickly and safely. 

“I want to thank local Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey, Banks Peninsula MP Vanessa Weenink, Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith and Mayor Dan Gordon who have been a staunch advocates of this project, as well as wider Canterbury MPs Hamish Campbell and Nicola Grigg. I know we’re all looking forward to seeing more progress in the months and years ahead as we move into construction as soon as possible.” 

For more information about the project, you can visit the NZTA website here: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh1-belfast-to-pegasus-motorway-and-woodend-bypass/

Source: New Zealand Police

A young has been arrested as Police progress an investigation into several serious incidents in Invercargill.

It follows two aggravated robberies, two burglaries and an attempted burglary, all between 1.50am and 4.30am on Monday morning.

Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported, but the victims were understandably upset and shaken by what occurred, Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said.

Police have arrested and charged a young person in relation to the incidents. He is facing a number of charges and has been remanded in custody to appear in the Invercargill Youth Court today.

“The investigation into this offending is still very much active. We understand these events are unnerving for our community, and we are working hard to locate those we believe to be involved,” Detective Inspector Harvey says.

“We still need the public’s help and want to hear from anyone who might be able to assist.

“In particular, Police are seeking information about two vehicles that were seen in the area of some of the incidents. One of them, a stolen red Toyota Vitz, was involved in the offending and has been recovered while the other vehicle is described only as a car.

“Police would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am on Monday.”

Anyone with information about these vehicles or those involved is asked to call Police on 105.  You can also share information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS