MIL-OSI – Page 43

April 1, 2026

Fatal crash, Stanmore Bay

Source: New Zealand Police

One person has died following a single vehicle crash in Stanmore Bay this morning.

Emergency services were called to Vipond Road, Stanmore Bay at around 10.25am.

Sadly, one person was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Vipond Road is currently closed between Doyly Drive and Lea Place.

The Serious Crash Unit is attending, and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

ENDS.

Frankie Le Roy/NZ Police

April 1, 2026

Kapiti takes aim at ‘possums of freshwater’

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date: 01 April 2026

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has partnered with mana whenua to eradicate introduced koi carp from stormwater retention ponds on private land in Paraparaumu.

DOC Freshwater Technical Advisor Phoenix Hale says koi carp are “an absolute menace” to freshwater plants and animals, outcompeting them for food, preying upon native invertebrates, and churning up sediment.

“Although we only know of a few remaining koi carp populations in the lower and eastern North Island, they breed like crazy and could easily spread further. They’re like the possums of freshwater.”

DOC, partners, and the landowners planned the eradication project following landowners’ reports of koi carp in the stormwater retention ponds several years ago.

“We attempted to remove koi carp by draining the ponds last year, but excessive rainfall refilled them before we could get to the fish,” Phoenix says.

“Our plan then changed to using rotenone, a plant extract that’s toxic to fish, which is the most effective koi carp control tool we’ve got.”

The koi carp eradication using rotenone took place in March 2026, following a massive translocation effort where DOC moved more than 21,000 native fish from the stormwater ponds to safe waterways nearby.

The eradication team is monitoring the ponds closely to make sure all the koi carp were removed. To confirm the eradication was successful, the site must be carp-free for three years.

Northland Regional Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council supported DOC and mana whenua with the eradication operation. Northland Regional Council staff travelled to Kapiti to lend a hand and learn more about how to run a rotenone operation.

DOC led an eradication of a Dannevirke koi carp population last year, and all signs point to it being successful, though final results are still a couple of years away.

Phoenix says there is another suspected koi carp population is in Lake Waitawa, also in the Kapiti area.

“Waitawa is a large lake and a popular spot for recreation, so an eradication operation would be complex. Any work on koi carp at this site would be done in close collaboration with the landowners, Fish & Game, and mana whenua.”

DOC is asking for the public’s help to eradicate koi carp from the lower North Island. If you see a koi carp – they’re large orange fish with a ‘moustache’ – do your bit for naturing and call 0800 ASK DOC (0800 275 362) to report it.

For more information on koi carp

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

April 1, 2026

Purchasing rules lifted for disability support

Source: New Zealand Government

From today, disabled people with flexible funding will gain more choice and control over their supports, with purchasing rules removed and guidance available to help people manage their budgets.

Minister for Disability Issues Louise Upston says restoring flexibility is possible because of action taken since 2024 to stabilise the disability support system so it can sustain supports into the future.

“We’re not claiming the job is done. These are only first steps, but we have tackled long-standing and critical problems, to provide stability, predictability, and consistency of supports. This has laid the groundwork for further long-term, positive change for disabled people, their whānau and carers.

“The 2024 Independent Review confirmed long‑standing issues in the disability support system. The system struggled to track or forecast costs, and oversight was limited.

“The review also found unclear criteria and processes for people to access flexible funding created an ‘inequitable and unfair’ postcode lottery for disabled people around the country and contributed to increasing costs.

“This Government took action to stabilise the disability support system.

“We began by listening. Through extensive consultation with disabled people, whānau, carers, providers, and advocates, we heard people want a fairer, clearer, more consistent system that recognises their needs, gives them choices and supports good lives.

“Disabled people nationwide now experience one consistent approach to assess their needs and ensure supports are allocated fairly and consistently – no matter where they live. Support for families’ and carers’ needs can also now be part of the assessment.

“DSS has also built stronger budgeting and financial controls and simplified pricing and contracting for residential providers. Together these improvements help ensure funding is being used effectively to support disabled people, families, whānau and carers. Since 2024, the Government has invested $2.1 billion of additional funding into the disability support system.

“The 2024 purchasing rules were a difficult but necessary decision to limit unsustainable cost increases over several years – and I acknowledge the past couple of years have been challenging for many disabled people, their families and carers.

“All of this work and investment has built a more stable and sustainable disability support system. Today, we can now responsibly remove the purchasing rules, keep people’s flexible funding budgets at current levels and provide clear guidance to help people manage their funding.

“This gives disabled people, whānau and carers more choice, certainty and control to use their flexible funding in ways that work for them and their disability support needs – including respite options for carers,” Louise Upston says.

Editors’ Notes

From 1 April 2026:

The purchasing rules, including the March 2024 changes, will be removed.
Flexible funding budgets will stay at each person’s current allocation level.
Flexible funding must still be spent in line with people’s funding plans, but people will have more choice about what works for them.
People still need to keep their spending within their allocated budgets.
Flexible funding still cannot be used for prohibited items such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling and illegal activities.
. A small number of purchases will need pre-approval. For example, international travel equipment, complementary therapies or one-off purchases over a set limit.
There will be extra guidance to plan and manage budgets for people with Individualised funding and some hosted Enabling Good Lives personal budgets. The guidance people get depends on their situation. Hosts will be in touch with each person from 1 April onwards about this.
There is information on the DSS website: Flexible funding changes | Disability Support Services

April 1, 2026

Open Banking to power business growth

Source: New Zealand Government

Open Banking will be extended to business banking channels, opening the door to a broad range of tools and services for businesses, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson and Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk say.

It means businesses can share their banking data with trusted providers, unlocking faster loan comparisons, automated accounting, and smarter cashflow tools to boost competition and productivity.

“This is about making life easier for businesses. It means fintechs can develop new tools for businesses which can mean less time on paperwork and admin, and more time focusing on customers and growth,” Mr Simpson says.

“Simple things like automated accounting tools and streamlined payment systems can save businesses hours every day.”

In the United Kingdom, businesses using Open Banking tools saved around 150 hours a year on basic tasks.

“That’s nearly a month of time gained, and that’s time that can be spent growing the business, supporting staff, or serving customers.”

“Since regulated open banking launched in December 2025, major banks have rolled out services to customer banking channels, with fintechs already delivering innovative new tools to New Zealanders.”

Cabinet has confirmed that banks will not be required to enable regulated Open Banking for large corporates and institutions. International examples show limited demand, and use case for Open Banking among larger entities.

Minister Penk says Open Banking is particularly valuable for small businesses because it tackles several of their biggest constraints at once.

“Small businesses can struggle to secure loans because they lack long credit histories or substantial collateral, but Open Banking products allow lenders a clearer picture of how a business is actually performing.

“Cash flow is also one of the biggest pain points, which fintechs can use Open Banking to address by bringing accounts from different banks into one place, helping owners track money in and out in real time so they can avoid shortfalls and make better spending decisions.

“For smaller operators with fewer staff, manual reconciliation, invoicing, and financial tracking take up valuable time. Services harnessing Open Banking can automate these tasks, reduce paperwork and errors, and free up capacity to focus on running the business,” Mr Penk says.

“Open Banking will boost competition, improve productivity, and give businesses better choices. This next step means more businesses will start to see those benefits in their day-to-day operations.”

“Easy access to Open Banking tools and their wide range of benefits is all about boosting productivity and reducing the burden on small businesses. It’s a key priority for this Government,” Mr Simpson says.

April 1, 2026

Correction: Court sentencing brings reminder firearms safety

Source: New Zealand Police

The media release titled ‘Court sentencing brings reminder of firearms safety’ issued yesterday at 5.13pm transposed two names.

The first line should read “Police acknowledge the sentencing handed down today in the High Court at Hamilton to Jack Hargreaves, for the murder of his brother Joshua Hargreaves in July last year.”

Police unreservedly apologise to the Hargreaves family for the error.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

April 1, 2026

McClay attends key WTO negotiations

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has wrapped up negotiations as Vice Chair at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

“Disappointingly, proposals to reform the WTO and to extend the WTO-wide prohibition on the imposition of tariffs on digital trade flows could not be agreed in time,” Mr McClay says.

“However, all Members agreed the WTO needs to be modernised.

“An agreement on the final package is in reach and securing these decisions through further work in Geneva will now be the priority for New Zealand.”

Mr McClay also met with counterparts from 17 countries during the conference, including the United States, India, China, European Union, United Arab Emirates
and Saudi Arabia.

“While fuel supplies remain healthy for New Zealand, I took the opportunity to meet with Ministers from Singapore, and Korea, as well as Heads of Delegation from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, to discuss critical fuel supply chains,” Mr McClay says.

Progressing the implementation of a new Electronic Commerce Agreement, underpinning approximately US$159 billion in trade, was agreed to by 66 WTO Members – who between them account for 70 per cent of global trade.

“This significant outcome will provide more predictability to our small businesses and exporters including through a permanent ban on tariffs on digital trade flows between the parties,” Mr McClay says.

“New Zealand also continues to pursue progress on negotiations to limit fisheries and agricultural subsidies, which are a significant issue in reducing our exporters’ returns.”

Labour Party Trade and Export Growth spokesperson Damien O’Connor joined the New Zealand delegation.

April 1, 2026

Tongariro Alpine Crossing – How To

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

By Krysia Nowak

It’s an iconic hike, you’ve seen it all over Instagram, and maybe you plan on hitting it this Easter: here’s how to get the most out of it, and what not to do.

Emerald and Blue Lake on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

” data-image-caption=”

Emerald and Blue Lake on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

The stunning and sacred landscape of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing draws visitors from around the world.
📷: P Baxter

So, you want to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing? Here’s how it could go:

Getting the most out of Tongariro Alpine Crossing

You see your weather window a couple of days out, and book your spot on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (it’s free!). You receive a helpful email with extra safety information. You choose to book a shuttle as well, so you don’t have to worry about transport on the day.

Knowing it can be quite a challenging hike in an alpine environment you prepare carefully. Your trusty tramping boots are by the door ready to go, along with sunscreen and a hat. You’ve got layers of warm and windproof clothing and extra layers in your bag. Lots of water and plenty of food to keep you going. You’ve tucked a personal first aid kit in there too – you don’t want the embarrassment of calling for a rescue because you got a blister!

On the day, you wake up super early and jump on the shuttle. Your driver is friendly and gives you advice about the weather conditions for today. Looks like it’s going to be stunning, but you’re prepared just in case.

At Mangatepopo Road end you are greeted by Te Ririo, the beautiful carved pou that watches over all who attempt the Crossing. Friendly Manaaki Rangers check you’re all prepared for your trip and you appreciate their warm send-off.

Pou Te Ririo. Manaaki Rangers provide helpful information at the start of the track.

” data-image-caption=”

Pou Te Ririo. Manaaki Rangers provide helpful information at the start of the track.

Te Ririō, the carved pou whenua (guardian post) at the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

” data-image-caption=”

Te Ririō, the carved pou whenua (guardian post) at the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

_{Manaaki Rangers provide helpful information at the start of the track. | Pou Te Ririō.
📷: DOC}

You start the track. You take lots of photos and use the toilets when they’re available. When a tissue drops out of your pocket you quickly pick it up – this place is too special to mess up.

You’re glad of your clothes preparation when a chilly breeze comes up, and the extra food helps keep up morale during the hard trek.

You’re careful not to enter the lakes, which are considered tapu, and at the same time you feel privileged to be able to experience a landscape which has such importance to Māori.

You finish the day exhausted, but safe, and feeling very accomplished. Can’t wait to put this on Insta!

Here’s how NOT to do it

Here’s how to ensure you and those around you have a terrible time on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

You don’t book your visit, so you miss all the useful information you’d receive in the booking confirmation email.

You’ve seen the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on Instagram and it looks like anyone can do it, so you’re not too worried. You throw on some clothes, jandals, and chuck 500ml of water in your bag. You wander up the roadside to the start of the track, dodging transport shuttles on the narrow road.

You rock up with your bike and your dog. People at the start of the track tell you it’s against the rules, but you know better, so you ignore them.

Sometimes you have to ride off the track to go around some walkers, and your dog is mostly off-track keeping out of everyone’s way. It’s only tiny alpine plants anyway, the erosion isn’t too bad, and what’s the big deal if your dog goes for a swim in the sacred Emerald Lakes?

Halfway through the walk you pull your drone from your bag to get some footage. The high-pitched whine echoes across the quiet of the Dual World Heritage National Park.

You poop on the side of the track. You run out of water. You get cold. You call for help and are helicoptered out.

But really….

OK, this is an extreme example, but it draws from actual things people have done on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

We’ve had people riding their bikes. We’ve had people taking ‘emotional support’ dogs. We’ve had drones destroying the peace. We’ve had people in jandals, with no extra water, no preparation. People have gone off-track, causing erosion and damaging slow-growing alpine plants. We’ve seen people being rescued for stupid reasons, costing thousands of dollars and hours of stress for rescuers and community. Just in the last fortnight we’ve had to provide assistance to tourists who were off-track, attempting to summit Ngauruhoe despite its sacred nature and the safety risks of doing so.

Don’t be that person.

Tourists caught biking on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in 2023 were fined and had their bikes confiscated.

” data-image-caption=”

Tourists caught biking on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in 2023 were fined and had their bikes confiscated.

Tourists caught biking on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in 2023 were fined and had their bikes confiscated.
📷: DOC

Top tips

Here are my top tips to get the most out of the Crossing without being ‘that person’:

1. Go to the DOC website – find out if the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the right experience for you (and what you can and can’t do there).

2. While you’re there, book in – you’ll get a neat little email with useful info.

3. Book transport if you can – it’s a safe and hassle-free way to do the track

4. Prepare! Be prepared for changing weather and a challenging hike. Think hiking boots, warm clothing, 2-3 litres of water, extra food, and a first aid kit.

5. Be flexible. If the weather is bad, why not try a safer alternative? There are plenty of other great tracks in the Tongariro area.

6. Be respectful of the land and the people around you.

If you’re attempting the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, be prepared, so you, and those around you, can have the best experience naturing in this beautiful area.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

” data-image-caption=”

Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

📷: DOC

Krysia Nowak is DOC’s Central North Island Communication Advisor, based just around the corner from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. She provides communication support to the team responsible for managing the Crossing, helping them to keep the people, and the land, safe.

Learn more about the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on the DOC website.

April 1, 2026

Fuel disruption brings City Rail Link benefits into sharper focus

Source: Auckland Council

The world’s fuel shock is making life challenging at the pump.

Conflict in the Middle East and this fuel price pressure, whilst difficult on many fronts, are reinforcing the value of the City Rail Link (CRL) as the city gets ready for day one of the new network in the second half of 2026.

Public transport is already one of the most affordable ways to travel. Up to 400,000 weekday trips are being recorded at the moment, the highest level since COVID, and there is capacity for more. CRL is set to make public transport options even more attractive.

Auckland Transport has a fully electric train fleet shielding it from fuel price rises and any potential fuel restrictions. For the last few years it’s been gradually adding more trains to be able to carry more people when CRL opens later this year.

When the South City (S-E), East West (E-W) and Onehunga West (O-W) lines are up and running and ticketing gates first open at the city’s new CRL stations, many Aucklanders will start to experience the benefits of the new network every day.

Some big-picture benefits are anticipated too – things like improved sustainability, productivity, liveability and walkability to stations.

Big-picture benefits

Commentators say CRL will lift Auckland as an international contender for talent, investment capital, tourism revenue and big events.

Councillor Andy Baker who is Chair of Auckland Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee says the City Rail Link network itself, the upgrade of neighbourhoods around new stations, and the higher frequency timetable will all improve how the city moves, grows and competes.

“When the new stations open, I think Aucklanders will be proud of what they see. We have built stunning long-term assets for the city. Our city centre has been regenerated, and we’re ready. I’m excited that Aucklanders will soon be able to enjoy it.

“It will open up easy and efficient travel in and around the city for those further from the city centre, while connecting the likes of Pukekohe and Franklin with our urban population. Everywhere will benefit,” says Councillor Baker.

Auckland Council Director of Resilience and Infrastructure Barry Potter says CRL is the largest, most complex transport project undertaken in New Zealand for decades.

“Just as Waitematā Station has driven quality development in downtown, the CRL’s new stations will also drive investment. It will continue to have a positive catalyst effect.

Auckland Council’s Barry Potter in Myers Park which was upgraded as part of Te Waihorotiu Station neighbourhood.

“And the more people use the rail network and the more vehicles come off the roads, the more sustainable Auckland becomes,” says Potter.

Looking at the economic advantages of the new transport network, Auckland Council Chief Economist Gary Blick says improved connectivity between people and jobs enabled by CRL will drive urban productivity.

“A more productive Auckland is not only more competitive in attracting people, skills, and investment; ultimately it’s a more liveable place for everyone,” he says.

Reflecting on the upgraded streets and spaces the Auckland Council group has delivered around the new stations to welcome the surge in passengers, Auckland Council Priority Location Director for the city centre, Simon Oddie, says people will see that CRL is much more than a transport project.

“It’s a city-shaping investment. Our new station neighbourhoods have created places that connect people seamlessly to jobs, learning, culture and daily life, while supporting a more walkable, resilient and low-carbon city centre,” he says.

Renowned French urbanist Alain Bertaud said central Auckland’s public spaces are among the best he’s seen in the world, while visiting Auckland last week. (Source: BusinessDesk)

For more big-picture benefits, read more on OurAuckland.

And for more on the newly completed CRL station neighbourhoods read about the Waitematā Station neighbourhood and Karanga-a-Hape Station neighbourhood.

Everyday benefits

Councillor Andy Baker in Waitematā Station Plaza.

For a full outline of the new train lines, a City Rail Link information brochure is available in eight languages on the Auckland Transport website.

Once the CRL-enabled timetable is operational, the city’s twin underground 3.45km rail tunnels will make the rail network and bus connections more efficient – reducing travel times, improving access to the city centre and unlocking direct journeys across Auckland.

What does that mean in the north, south, east and west? This is a snapshot:

South

People who live in Papakura or near any station on the South City (S-C) line will have direct rail connections into the city with two more stations in central Auckland – Te Waihorotiu Station and Karanga-a-Hape Station. This opens up direct access to jobs, universities, restaurants, shops and theatres in the city centre.
From Te Waihorotiu Station, with entrances / exits at Wellesley and Victoria Streets, there will be frequent buses to the North Shore; and from Waitematā Station, buses and ferries to the North Shore are a short walk from the platforms.
In 2026, two new stations will open on the S-C line between Papakura and Pukekohe – Drury Station and Paerātā Station – with a third, Ngākōroa Station, to be built in Drury West. The stations will all have a bus interchange right outside. 65,000 people are predicted to live in Drury by 2050. That’s more than the population of Rotorua.
Onehunga residents will have the Onehunga West (O-W) line on their doorstep once CRL is operational, taking them further west as far as Henderson off peak – or to the city centre via a quick transfer at Newmarket Station.

North

The Northern Busway is an example of good investment in public transport infrastructure. The busway has proven to be easy to use, quick, cost-effective, frequent – and is well-used.
People arriving in downtown – at the Albert Street bus interchange – on the NX1 or on a ferry will simply walk through Te Komititanga – downtown’s central square – and step on a train at Waitematā Station.
Other North Shore buses – such as the NX2 –will arrive at the Wellesley Street bus interchange which sits at the heart of the CRL rail system, with quick and easy transfers to the rail network via Te Waihorotiu Station.

West

From day one of CRL the train journey from Henderson to the city centre will be quicker. The new CRL underground tunnels eliminate the need to go via Newmarket, creating a more direct trip, significantly reducing travel times.
The journey will take just 35 minutes from Henderson Station to Te Waihorotiu Station – getting to and from work in the city centre or into the midtown arts quarter in the evenings on one single train via the East West (E-W) line.
Operating until around 11pm seven days a week (every 30 minutes after 8pm), and a little later on Friday and Saturday nights, people will have the freedom to come and see a show in the city centre by train, without needing to think about parking, taxis or train changes.

East

Train trips from Glen Innes or any eastern station to the city centre are already fast because that section of Auckland’s rail system was built in the 1930s, so it’s flatter.
Before CRL, people would have taken multiple trains from the east to the west or south. With CRL, people will travel from stations in the east to Eden Park, Sylvia Park or Manukau, for example, on a single train using the E-W line.

*These are peak travel estimates using public transport.

More information on the CRL transit map can be found in this document [695KBs].

April 1, 2026

Border fee changes make system fairer

Source: New Zealand Government

A new levy regime that comes into effect today makes the goods management system fairer by better reflecting the risks and costs associated with clearing goods at the border, Customs Minister Casey Costello and Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said today.

“The changes are about more fairly recovering costs and also address a significant increase in the volume of low-value goods (worth less than $1,000) crossing our border,” Ms Costello says.

Low-value goods imports – people buying online from the likes of Amazon and Temu – more than tripled from 2017/18 to 2023/24, from 7.8 million packages to 24 million packages annually.

“Businesses pay customs levies on the goods they import, but people shopping online in this way often didn’t,” Ms Costello says. “That growth meant substantially more processing work at the border and taxpayers were funding almost all the costs involved. That changes from today.”

“Customs and the Ministry for Primary Industries make a critical contribution to New Zealand’s economic prosperity and growth, by ensuring trade can flow as safely and efficiently as possible,” Mr Hoggard says.

“Between them, they protect against biosecurity risks, which could devastate our primary sector, and illegal drugs and other criminal activity that harms our communities costing our economy hundreds of millions of dollars every year, while also preventing illegal export activity and ensuring our exports are able to enter overseas markets with minimal delay or disruption.

“The new goods management fees properly reflect the costs of this work and sit within a long-standing government cost recovery framework where costs are recovered from those who use border services or create the need for them.”

“Customs calculates that over four years from 2025/26 to 2028/29, the new goods levy regime will shift NZ$71 million in costs from taxpayers to importers and exporters who create the need for border management services,” Ms Costello says.

The changes taking effect from today are:

Different rates for sea and air consignments for both high value goods – (over NZ$1000) and low value goods (less than NZ$1000 – Customs only).
Consignment-based charging for low value goods, replacing charges per cargo report.
Charging low-value goods transported by international mail.
Ending taxpayer subsidies for low-value goods and commercial vessels, with full cost recovery for Customs and MPI services.
The introduction of a commercial vessel charge.
The introduction of charging international transshipments and empty shipping containers. (Customs only)

The changes were approved by Cabinet last year following extensive industry and public consultation. Customs and MPI have been working with industry stakeholders to ensure that the changes are implemented smoothly.

April 1, 2026

Government commits $10 million to EIT Hawke’s Bay campus rebuild

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

23 seconds ago

The Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) has welcomed Cabinet’s approval of $10 million from the Government’s contingency fund to support the rebuild and improvement of its Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Cabinet’s decision, announced yesterday, follows the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, which resulted in catastrophic flooding across the campus.

About 90 per cent of ground-floor buildings were inundated with floodwater and contaminated silt, damaging more than 500 teaching and support spaces and forcing widespread disruption to learning and operations.

Many buildings were unusable for months, with teaching delivered across temporary sites throughout Napier and Hastings while repairs progressed.

EIT has since worked to restore campus functionality, using limited insurance proceeds to carry out essential remediation and keep programmes running. While significant progress has been made, insurance funding has not been sufficient to fully meet long-term rebuild needs.

EIT Chief Executive Lucy Laitinen (left) and Council Chair David Pearson have welcomed Government funding to support the rebuild and improvement of the institute’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale.

EIT Council Chair David Pearson said the Government’s decision was a turning point.

“This funding is a genuine game-changer for EIT. We have rebuilt as much as we could with the resources available, but there have been clear gaps that insurance simply will not be able to cover.

“This investment gives us certainty as we complete the next stage of our rebuild and plan for the future. I am delighted and deeply appreciative of the Government’s support.”

EIT acknowledged the support of Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Hon Penny Simmonds, along with local MPs, regional leaders, iwi partners and the wider community, who supported the institute through its recovery and return to independence following the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga.

Chief Executive Lucy Laitinen said the funding comes at a pivotal time as EIT moves forward as an independent institution.

“EIT is well and truly back in business. Our student enrolments are strong, our staff are energised by our independence, and we are reconnecting with local industry and our wider communities to ensure we are meeting their needs. This funding will help fill critical gaps in our rebuild and ensure our Taradale campus can continue to serve Hawke’s Bay for generations to come.”

She said the recovery reflects the commitment and resilience of staff, students and supporters across the region.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received through thick and thin from government, our local MPs, regional and civic leaders, iwi, industry partners and the community. We never stopped delivering for our learners, and this investment allows us to focus on rebuilding a campus that is resilient, fit for purpose, and aligned with Hawke’s Bay’s future skills needs.”

The funding will enable EIT to accelerate rebuilding work, improve campus infrastructure, and strengthen its long-term sustainability as Hawke’s Bay’s regional institute of technology.

Category: MIL-OSI

Fatal crash, Stanmore Bay

Kapiti takes aim at ‘possums of freshwater’

NATURE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM HERE

Contact

Purchasing rules lifted for disability support

Open Banking to power business growth

Correction: Court sentencing brings reminder firearms safety

McClay attends key WTO negotiations

Tongariro Alpine Crossing – How To

Getting the most out of Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Here’s how NOT to do it

But really….

Top tips

Fuel disruption brings City Rail Link benefits into sharper focus

Big-picture benefits

Everyday benefits

South

North

West

East

Border fee changes make system fairer

Government commits $10 million to EIT Hawke’s Bay campus rebuild

NATURE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM HERE

Contact

Getting the most out of Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Here’s how NOT to do it

But really….

Top tips

Share this:

Big-picture benefits

Everyday benefits

South

North

West

East