Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour, and Health Minister Simeon Brown welcome Pharmac’s decision to fund access to five treatments, including for breast and lung cancer, from 1 December 2025.

Pharmac has made decisions to: 

• Fund new, more convenient options for medicines already funded as IV (into a vein) infusions:
• Subcutaneous ocrelizumab (Ocrevus SC) for multiple sclerosis
• Subcutaneous pertuzumab with trastuzumab (Phesgo) for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
  • Fund two new medicines:
• Faricimab (Vabysmo) for diabetic macular oedema and wet age-related macular degeneration (eye conditions)
• Entrectinib (Rozlytrek) for ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer
  • Fund ongoing access to:
• Bevacizumab (Avastin) for people with eye conditions 

“Today’s decisions show the culture we are building at Pharmac. Pharmac listened to what patients want. They funded medicines to make patients’ lives easier, and reduce strain on the health system,” Mr Seymour says. 

“Subcutaneous pertuzumab with trastuzumab (Phesgo) will be the first cancer medicine available in private clinics. When Pharmac fund a new cancer treatment, people already paying for that treatment privately are forced to make a very difficult choice: spend their savings to continue private treatment undisrupted, or transfer to a public hospital. Patients told Pharmac the latter was hugely disruptive and caused significant stress during an immensely difficult period. 

“The new subcutaneous injections are much quicker to administer than current IV treatments. They are expected to save an estimated 7,500 hospital infusion hours in year one, 12,800 by year five, and realise expected health system savings of $11 million over five years. This frees up money and health professionals to deliver other treatments. This is exactly what I expect Pharmac to consider.

“People told Pharmac that they wanted funded access for more people and the ability to administer these medicines in more settings. Pharmac heard that loud and clear. Pharmac removed the Health New Zealand hospital-only restriction for faricimab (Vabysmo) to give people better access. This is another great example of Pharmac listening to consumers. I expect to see more of this.” 

Mr Brown says delivering better and faster access to cancer care in New Zealand has been a focus of this Government, which is why it is one of our five key health targets.

“As Minister of Health, I am focused on improving cancer management through our faster cancer treatment target, strengthening early detection through screening programmes, and ensuring Kiwis have better access to cancer medicines,” Mr Brown says.

“One of the key reasons New Zealanders elected this Government was because they trusted us to fund more cancer medicines. That’s why we delivered a $604 million uplift for Pharmac to deliver more lifesaving and life-extending treatments.

“Pharmac’s announcement today is another important step for Kiwis with cancer and their families. More people will now be able to access the treatments they need, when they need them, helping them get the right care without delay and giving families greater peace of mind during an incredibly challenging time.”

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

A word from Sirocco.

Skraaaaark! Kia ora, friends! Sirocco here, your favourite feathered conservation ambassador, and occasional internet sensation. I’m popping in (virtually, of course) to talk about something close to my heart: the kākāpō adoption programme.

Now, before you get too excited – no, I’m not up for adoption. I’m flattered, truly. But the great news is nine birds are including some of my fav friends, plus my granny and grandad! Symbolic adoptions are one of the coolest ways you can help my species thrive. 

What’s this adoption thing all about? 

When you symbolically ‘adopt’ a kākāpō, you’re not just getting a certificate or a cute soft toy version of one of us (though, we are very cuddly). You’re helping fund the incredible mahi of the Kākāpō Recovery team – the tireless humans who monitor us, protect our habitats, and ultimately help us thrive. 

There are three levels of support, and you can choose an email adoption (eco-friendly and available all year, with just a digital certificate of acknowledgement) or a postal adoption (which includes goodies like a plush toy, certificate, sticker, and bookmark – but these ones are only available until 25 November, so be quick!). 

Who can you adopt? 

I’m not on the list (I know, tragic), but let me introduce you to some of my fabulous friends and whānau up for adoption this year: 

Bluster-Murphy – attack survivor 

My mate Bluster-Murphy has two missing toes, is known for stealing food, and may become a first-time father this breeding season.  

Jem – feisty survivor 

Jem survived a soggy egg incident in her early days. She’s now a great mum and foster mum, known to lay the first ever recorded clutch of five eggs. She is also great at hiding from the rangers. 

Marama – little lady 

The smallest and most delicate female in the population. Wee Marama is a calm and caring foster mum who had three chicks of her own in 2019. 

Waikawa – special starter

The first chick to hatch from a fully artificially incubated egg, the youngest female to successfully breed and a 100% fertility record – Waikawa is making it look easy. 

Nora – marvellous matriarch 

The longest-known kākāpō alive, and my remarkable grandma – Nora! Granny was the first nesting female found on Rakiura. She has many descendants though I’m sure I’m her favourite. She once incubated a kumara, let’s not get into that – all you need to know is that my granny is a living legend.

Rangi – artful dodger 

Boy, does grandad Rangi have some stories to tell. He disappeared for 21 years before being rediscovered booming without a transmitter. Grandad is elusive, alert, and hard to catch but he also has more descendants than any other male. A true legend of the undergrowth. 

Kuia – genetic genius 

The only daughter of the last Fiordland kākāpō Richard Henry. Precious Kuia carries rare genes and is known for eating the most food of all the mums during breeding seasons.  

Rahotu – future promise 

Grandson of Richard Henry and fathered by Sinbad with the help of artificial insemination – some birds just hatch special. Rahotu overcame infection as a little one and has grown into a handsome bird with his father’s bright green plumage.  

Sinbad – Fiordland father 

Sinbad had a dramatic start, needing an oxygen mask on a flight as a chick. Now days, his efforts to pass on his precious Fiordland genes by artificial insemination make him a true conservation success story. 

How to adopt 

Boom boom boom! It’s kākāpō adoption time and it’s super easy. Choose your favourite bird from their online profiles, follow the prompts, and boom – you’re part of our conservation story. You will also receive an exclusive email update on your adopted bird later next year. 

Whether it’s a gift for someone special or a treat for yourself, your support helps keep our species alive and thriving.  

PS. Remember if you want the postage pack with the soft toy, order before 25 November. 

Ngā mihi nui, 
Sirocco

Source: PHARMAC

Source: New Zealand Government

The passing on the Medicines Amendment Bill has ended New Zealand’s prohibition on advertising medicines at medical conferences and trade shows, and New Zealand is open for business, Regulation Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown say. 

“Thanks to the Red Tape Tipline local economies will receive a cash injection, and Kiwis will have more access to medicines they need,” Mr Seymour said. 

“Allowing medical conferences to advertise yet to be approved medicines is estimated to generate $90 million in associated revenue over the next few years.

“Two of Australasia’s largest medical conferences have already confirmed they are coming to New Zealand in 2026. A combined total of 3300 delegates are expected to attend, generating millions of dollars in economic activity.

“Prohibition was introduced in response to the perceived risk that pharmaceutical companies may attempt to circumvent formal medicine approval processes. The Ministry for Regulation investigated this. They found the overly cautious approach was out of step with other recognised jurisdictions. The Government acted fast to fix it.

“Allowing these products to be advertised will also increase medicines access. It provides medical professionals with more knowledge and skills to prescribe these treatments to Kiwis who need them.”

“This Government is committed to removing regulatory barriers so that we can drive economic growth. Removing the red tape around medical conferences has Mr Brown says the Government is committed to removing regulatory barriers to drive economic growth.

“Removing red tape around medical conferences makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for organisers, while also making it easier for our own healthcare professionals to keep up with the latest innovations in health products and medicines,” Mr Brown says.

“Current health regulations can be overly bureaucratic, slowing access to care, increasing costs, and making it harder for patients to get the services they need. Medical conferences are a great way to expand the collective knowledge and skill of the health workforce through the transfer of ideas and technologies.

“We look forward to welcoming more medical conferences to New Zealand, and we have excellent facilities to host them. With the International Convention Centre opening early next year in Auckland, these changes – together with this world-class new venue – will help attract more conferences and support our growing economy.”

Source: New Zealand Government

News that US supermarket giant Costco is planning to open a second New Zealand store in South Auckland is great news for Kiwi shoppers, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says.

“Today’s announcement follows the introduction to Parliament last week of legislation creating a consenting express lane so that new supermarkets can be approved and built more quickly.

“The Government is working with Costco to ensure that we are doing everything possible to make consenting as quick and efficient as possible,” Nicola Willis says. 

Property company Kiwi Property announced this morning that it has reached conditional agreement to sell Costco 6.4 hectares of land next to its 53ha residential, commercial and retail development at Drury. 

The Kiwi Property development, which received Fast-track approval last week, is projected to inject over $1.45 billion into the Auckland’s economy over the next 11 years and deliver about 3420 full-time jobs in construction and related services.

“Costco’s planned expansion will add to that boost by creating more construction jobs,” Nicola Willis says. 

“It is also fantastic news for shoppers. More competition means more choice and lower prices.

“Costco’s West Auckland store has already improved competitive dynamics in that local area and created a new export pathway for several New Zealand food suppliers.

“Costco Westgate has 250,000 members who value the choice it offers. The store employs hundreds of staff. 

“The establishment of another store in South Auckland will give more Aucklanders – as well as people in Waikato access to the same choice.

““Today’s announcement is a vote of confidence in New Zealand and, hopefully, the first of several such announcements from Costco. 

“Developments like this benefit from the steps the Government has taken to make it easier to build supermarkets in New Zealand. They are:

• explicitly allowing developments that improve grocery competition to access fast-track approvals, giving greater certainty of costs and timeframes
• establishing a nationwide building consenting process for grocery developments so they only need to deal with a single, expert consenting authority; and 
• changing the requirements for MultiProof to allow standardised designs for multiple supermarkets to be consented faster.”

Source: New Zealand Police

Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan:

Police are following strong lines of enquiry into the shooting in Wainoni, Christchurch, which occurred on Monday evening, 10 November.

Police would like to reassure the community this is believed to be an isolated incident with no increased risk to the public.

The victim sustained a single gunshot and is in a stable condition in hospital.

Police are concerned around the dangerous and violent act in public and have an increased presence in and around Christchurch as officers carry out reassurance patrols.

Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact Police on 105, quoting file number 251110/6195.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

Education Minister Erica Stanford welcomes the appointment of Ellen MacGregor-Reid as the new Secretary for Education.

“Our reforms are about ambition, raising achievement and delivering better outcomes for our young people. Ms MacGregor-Reid has been acting in the role since October 2024 and has played a crucial role in driving the Government’s agenda to ensure New Zealand has a world-leading education system,” Ms Stanford says.

“Prior to this permanent appointment, she has held senior leadership roles at the Ministry of Education since 2015, including Deputy Secretary positions responsible for curriculum, early learning and policy. Prior to that, Ms MacGregor-Reid held senior roles at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry of Social Development.

“Ms MacGregor-Reid has been appointed for 4½ years beginning 25 November. I look forward to continuing to work with her to ensure every student, regardless of background, has the chance to reach the potential at school,” Ms Stanford says.

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming the passing of the Medicines Amendment Bill at third reading. The Bill enables the ‘Rule of Two’, allowing medicines to be approved within 30 days if the product has approval from two recognised overseas jurisdictions.   

“Faster access to medicines has always been a priority for patients. For many New Zealanders, pharmaceuticals are life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.

“This change will increase access to medicines for Kiwis by introducing a streamlined verification pathway for medicines. People will access new treatments more quickly. This is committed to in the ACT-National and National-NZ First coalition agreements.

“During Covid it was embarrassing that Kiwis had to wait for medicines other countries already had. Living in New Zealand should never be a disadvantage. I’m fixing that. From now, if a medicine is available in two of the countries below, it can be consented within 30 days.”

The policy is starting with Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore and Switzerland, as recognised countries. These are the main countries Medsafe currently recognises.

“New cars are acceptable for the New Zealand market if they meet at least one of several foreign standards. We are applying the same principle to medicines. If other jurisdictions have already done the work and can ensure the products’ safety, we won’t delay patients’ access by doing the exact same tests,” Mr Seymour says. 

“This is a common-sense efficiency that costs nothing. It helps Kiwis in need. It can shave months off the approval process. A perfect example of this was with a treatment for asthma which could have been approved by the end of 2022 under this pathway but was not approved until 16 months later in May 2024. 

“Increasing medicines access is a government priority because it leads to better patient outcomes. So far, we have:

Changed Pharmac’s process so it can assess a funding application at the same time as Medsafe is assessing the application for regulatory approval
Allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders
Made patient voice a crucial consideration in Pharmac’s funding decisions
Put pseudoephedrine back on the shelves of pharmacies
Funded access to 66 additional medicines benefitting over 200,000 New Zealanders in the first year of funding
Pushed Pharmac to consider the societal impacts of funding or not funding a medicine

“We’re committed to ensuring that the regulatory system for pharmaceuticals is not unreasonably holding back access. It will lead to more Kiwis being able to access the medicines they need to live a fulfilling life.”

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government’s marking one year on from the public apology to survivors of abuse and neglect in care by acknowledging and remembering those who suffered while in the care of the State or faith-based institutions.

“A year ago, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and seven public sector leaders apologised for the abuse and neglect suffered by children, young people and vulnerable adults in care and for the torture of children and young people at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit,” Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford says.   

“While it was meaningful for many, it can never undo the harm inflicted on people who should have been protected and cared for. Instead, they were utterly failed. The experiences of thousands of brave survivors will forever be etched in our history. It is on all New Zealanders to do all we can to ensure abuse that should never have been tolerated, no longer occurs.

Around New Zealand, 65 public and private events led by survivor communities and their supporters received support from the National Day of Reflection Fund announced by the Government in July. Events include whānau days, performances, cultural and remembrance ceremonies, film screenings, and exhibitions. 

“To further support survivors, the Government is allocating an additional $2.7 million for a second round of the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund which will open on 13 November. The contestable fund is for non-government organisations and community groups to deliver support and services to survivors of abuse in care and local authorities to identify and memorialise unmarked graves.

“A year on from the apology there continues to be significant work to be done to prevent, identify, and respond to abuse in care. The Government remains committed to continuing this work with care to ensure the wrongs of the past are not repeated,” Ms Stanford says.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

If you’re organising an overseas voyage, the easiest way to stay safe and compliant with ballast water management (BWM) rules is to make sure you have a plan and get certified. This will help you avoid having to justify something to an enforcement officer.