Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

[Joint Statement delivered at the Australia – New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations, Canberra 17 March 2026]

Closer Defence Relations Statement

At approximately 4:30am on the 25th of April 1915, the first ANZAC landing at Gallipoli forged a bond unlike any other; changing the Australian and New Zealand relationship forever. Since then, Australians and New Zealanders have served and fought 
side-by-side with selflessness, courage, perseverance, and mateship, to defend our freedom, our values, and uphold a peaceful world. 

This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Alliance in the 1951 ANZUS Treaty, and reflect on the legacy of 111 years of Anzac history. Our Alliance continues to underpin the defence relationship between New Zealand and Australia. Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles and New Zealand’s Minister of Defence Judith Collins KC today reaffirm our formal commitments to each other as allies. We share a long history grounded in democratic values, an enduring commitment to multilateralism and international law, and our collective commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. 

Anzac 2035 Vision

The Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces are operationalising our Alliance with a vision of being able to operate seamlessly as an increasingly integrated, combat capable Anzac force by 2035, while remaining respectful of our status as two sovereign countries. In the face of a sharply deteriorating security environment, we must be ready to meet the security threats we face today and in the future.

Operationalising our Alliance builds on the significant work to date to strengthen integration. Our two militaries are building deep interoperability and interchangeability, including through common procurement and development of platforms and systems, where it makes sense to do so. We will be force multipliers for each other and combine our military forces in defence of our sovereignty, shared interests, and common values, and territory.

Operationalising our Alliance includes lines of effort across force posture activities, combined operations and exercises, preparedness, defence industry integration, resilience, and Pacific security as ways to protect our sovereignty and uphold regional security. 

Line of Effort One – Force Posture Activities

Further enhancing our ability to train and operate from each other’s territory strengthens our ability to respond to the threat of conflict and the prospect of coercion. Force posture cooperation enables us to project force to deter actions contrary to the security of our region and respond to crises. Our cooperation to monitor military activities in our region in 2025 demonstrated our ability to work together in pursuit of shared objectives. Deepening force posture cooperation will bolster our interoperability, our Alliance and collective deterrence. 

By 2035, we will:

Enhance force posture cooperation, including rotational activities in, from, and through our respective geographies, where this is in each countries’ national interest; and
Scope ways to increase Australia and New Zealand’s participation in each other’s force posture activities and force posture activities of our partners.
Establish and use an Australia-New Zealand Force Posture Working Group to develop recommendations to advance force posture cooperation.

Line of Effort Two – Combined Operations and Exercises

Australia and New Zealand’s combined operations and exercises in the Indo-Pacific are an important contribution to deterring potential threats and promoting a stable, resilient region in which international rules are respected. Increasing the complexity of our combined operations and exercises will mean that by 2035, we will be able to increasingly integrate our forces should the need arise. 

By 2035, we will:

Operate and exercise as a more integrated Anzac force alongside other allies and partners;
Deploy increasingly integrated and interchangeable units to achieve our 2024 Closer Defence Relations Shared Defence Objectives;
Further strengthen combined mission planning, combat readiness, and synchronisation mechanisms, including through the presence of embedded staff in each other’s strategic and operational headquarters;
Exercise and plan for a range of potential crises and contingencies, including through Exercise TALISMAN SABRE; and
Procure and employ common and complementary capabilities on our exercises and operations, including strike capabilities in a variety of domains, autonomous systems, maritime and air platforms and equipment, and land systems, where it makes sense to do so.
Build understanding of our respective and collective force readiness that underpins our ability to generate military power;
Foster Australian and New Zealand sovereign capabilities and industries where possible to leverage our respective cutting-edge technology development;
Reduce barriers to defence industry participation in our respective industries and build connections across our defence industry representative bodies;
Increase resilience of our sovereign industrial bases and supply chains to increase self-reliance to better support our shared defence needs;  
When it makes sense to do so, explore opportunities to co-develop, co-produce, and co-sustain common capabilities further entrenching our ability to act together in support of shared interests;
Leverage Australian and New Zealand sovereign capability and sustainment services to increase shared logistics and sustainment (eg C-130J and P-8A), which provide redundancy for our respective defence forces; and
Optimise collective training, education, exchanges and attachments to focus on common operating platforms. 

Lines of Effort Three, Four and Five – Force Preparedness, Resilience and Defence Industry Integration

Modern conflicts reinforce the need to be able to sustain military operations over time, and to have the resilience and industrial depth to support those operations. This also means building our collective capabilities and self-reliance within our Alliance construct. Cooperation across preparedness, resilience and defence industry is critical for us to generate and sustain the ability to achieve our 2024 Closer Defence Relations Shared Defence Objectives, drive cost-effective solutions, build resilience into our respective supply chains, and develop cutting-edge technologies. 

By 2035, we will:

Line of Effort Six – Pacific Security

New Zealand and Australia are Pacific nations. Our security is inextricably linked with the security of the broader Pacific region. Recognising our shared geography and the importance of our defence relationships with our Pacific partners, we will continue to support combined operations and exercises in the Pacific. We will work through the region’s security architecture to continue delivering Pacific-led solutions to regional security challenges and enhance our collective capabilities. 

By 2035, we will:

Increase Pacific defence force interoperability across a range of military tasks, with a focus on embedding the Pacific Response Group as a regional asset that enables more effective co-deployments in times of need, such as disaster response situations;
Expand our combined operations and activities in the Pacific to address regional security concerns;
Increasingly work through the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) to meet defence needs of the Pacific in accordance with Pacific aspirations and the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace; and
Increase our support to Pacific-led combined maritime activities to uphold and bolster regional maritime security.

Implementation and Monitoring

This statement on Operationalising the Alliance, our 2024 Joint Statement on Closer Defence Relations, and our defence dialogue architecture provide the policy framework to regularly review, update and adapt our Alliance. Subordinate working groups will take forward practical implementation initiatives against each of the lines of effort above. ANZMIN will remain the primary vehicle for managing our Alliance. 

Signed in Canberra, Australia on 17 March 2026 by Hon Richard Marles MP and Hon Judith Collins KC MP

Source: New Zealand Government

17 March 2026

1. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence the Hon Richard Marles MP and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong hosted New Zealand Minister of Defence Hon Judith Collins KC MP and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters MP on 17 March in Canberra for the third Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations (ANZMIN 2+2). Ministers also met separately for a Defence Ministers’ Meeting and Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
2. Australian Ministers expressed gratitude for the sympathy shown by the people of New Zealand for the families and friends of the 15 people who tragically lost their lives in the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach and affirmed their commitment to stamping out antisemitism in all of its forms.
3. Ministers recognised that the trans-Tasman relationship is more important than ever given the fundamental shifts in the global geostrategic environment and the risks posed to our shared national interests. They reaffirmed Australia and New Zealand were fundamentally aligned and rising to the challenge of permanent strategic contest through closer cooperation and major strategic investments by both countries to strengthen the fabric of peace in our region.
4. Ministers discussed the evolving situation in the Middle East and Iran’s long record as a destabilising force and a threat to international peace and security, including through its nuclear program, support for proxy groups, and brutal acts of violence against its own people and beyond its borders. Ministers condemned Iran’s reckless and indiscriminate attacks on countries in the region.  Ministers urged the protection of civilian life, resumption of dialogue and diplomacy and adherence to international law.

 Our Alliance 

1. Ministers reaffirmed that our Alliance is the foundation of our foreign policy and defence partnership, and is built on trust, shared values and collective security. Our Alliance has a critical role in safeguarding both nations’ security, supporting stability in the Pacific, and advancing a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific where sovereignty is respected. Ministers highlighted the centrality of ANZMIN in setting the Alliance’s direction, and our shared commitment to using the full suite of statecraft tools to respond to intensifying global competition and a deteriorating strategic environment, both individually and together. Ministers welcomed the 75th Anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, which underpins our formal commitments for the Australia-New Zealand Alliance.
2. Ministers welcomed the “Anzac 2035: Operationalising the Alliance” Joint Statement, issued today by Deputy Prime Minister Marles and Minister Collins KC, which sets out the Defence Ministers’ vision for our defence Alliance over the next ten years. It focuses on enhancing interoperability, including through collaborating on defence industry, preparedness and resilience, combined operations and exercises, and force posture, so we are increasingly ready to combine as an integrated Anzac force to deter, counter and respond to shared threats.

 Partnering in the Pacific

1. Ministers recognised the peace, stability and prosperity of all countries and territories in the Pacific are interconnected. They reaffirmed their commitment to working in partnership with fellow Pacific countries and to supporting Pacific‑led regional architecture, with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) at the heart of Pacific regionalism. Ministers committed to support Palau’s hosting of the PIF Leaders’ Meeting in 2026 and welcomed New Zealand’s hosting in 2027.
2. As fellow founding members of the PIF, Ministers recognised Australia and New Zealand’s roles in contributing to a stronger Pacific family, upholding common values and norms. They underscored the importance of supporting the PIF Chair and the principle of engaging on issues through talanoa. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the Pacific’s priorities set out in Pacific Leaders’ 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its Implementation Plan, as well as to the Blue Pacific being an Ocean of Peace. They called on the international community to engage in the Pacific in ways that respect and strengthen regional norms and institutions, and respond to Pacific-led approaches to peace and security.
3. Ministers highlighted the Revitalised Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declaration to accelerate gender equality and social inclusion in the Pacific and noted the growing challenge of maintaining hard‑won gains and sustaining momentum, including in addressing gender-based violence. Ministers agreed that continued, appropriately supported and well‑coordinated efforts on gender equality, social inclusion and human rights will help achieve the vision for a resilient, peaceful, prosperous and stable Pacific Region.
4. Ministers emphasised that climate change remains the single greatest threat to Pacific countries. COP31 presents an opportunity to deliver genuine progress towards keeping warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. This comes at a critical time in this decisive decade for climate action.  Ministers noted Australia and New Zealand would continue supporting Pacific priorities and amplifying Pacific voices globally, including to enhance access to climate finance, and elevate the ocean-climate nexus. They reaffirmed the Pacific Pre-COP and Special Leaders’ event to be held in Fiji and Tuvalu in October 2026 as cornerstone opportunities to support these priorities. Ministers reiterated support for the Pacific Resilience Facility as a Pacific-led solution with global benefit as a model, to which Australia and New Zealand had pledged significant contributions, and encouraged further pledges at the special climate finance session for small island developing states at COP31.   
5. Ministers acknowledged the impact of transnational organised crime on Australia, New Zealand and throughout our Pacific neighbourhood, and agreed that combatting transnational organised crime, including drug trafficking to and through the Pacific, is a shared challenge and an urgent priority. Ministers committed to using defence and foreign affairs resources, where appropriate, to support efforts to combat transnational organised crime. Ministers acknowledged the call from PIF Leaders for a coordinated regional response to transnational organised crime and agreed to work with Pacific partners to develop collective approaches, including for consideration at the Transnational Crime Summit to be held in Fiji in May 2026.
6. Ministers acknowledged the value of our close coordination to maintain shared awareness of our maritime areas of interest and counter the risks posed both by concerning military vessel activity and the shipment of illicit drugs by sea.
7. Ministers reaffirmed their enduring commitment to cooperating closely to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the Pacific and to support Pacific-led responses in that regard. They commended the rapid establishment of the Pacific Response Group (PRG) through the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM), as a regional asset to strengthen Pacific‑led responses to Pacific humanitarian and disaster response events and welcomed New Zealand’s forthcoming leadership as the host of the PRG headquarters after Australia. Ministers welcomed SPDMM’s direction to explore expanding the mandate of the PRG to cover wider Pacific security threats. They noted regional efforts to enhance Pacific-led responses to regional security challenges including through the scoping of a SPDMM Status of Forces Agreement, the Regional Operations Deployment Framework being scoped by the Joint Heads of Pacific Security and efforts to better coordinate regional defence and security architecture.
8. Ministers welcomed the Political Declaration between New Zealand and Niue of 2025 and acknowledged New Zealand’s special constitutional relationships with the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau, which are part of the Realm of New Zealand. They recognised New Zealand’s responsibility for the defence and security of the Realm and the benefits that these relationships bring to New Zealand and to the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau.
9. Ministers welcomed the signing of the historic Pukpuk Treaty between Papua New Guinea and Australia and the new Alliance in the region. They welcomed negotiations to finalise the Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu and to elevate the Australia–Fiji Vuvale Partnership and the intention to establish the Kaume‘a ‘Ofi Partnership Agreement with Tonga.

10.  These partnerships reflect a firm commitment to ensuring that the Pacific is in the driving seat to shape its future and that we are supporting each other in shared interests and challenges. 

Collaborating to address global challenges

1. Ministers reaffirmed their enduring commitment to multilateralism and international law and to supporting UN and regional institutions. Challenges to the rules-based multilateral system called for strong partnerships in our region and beyond. Ministers agreed on the need for bold and effective reforms to achieve a UN system capable of better delivering on its core mandates. Ministers welcomed the adoption of a new Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, setting out practical actions for stronger accountability, safer access, and better protection for aid workers everywhere.  They affirmed the need for deeper bilateral engagement and with regional partners to support the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, including promoting women’s full, equal, safe and meaningful participation and leadership across all levels of conflict prevention, and regional peace and security. Ministers announced their support for Australia’s and New Zealand’s respective United Nations Security Council candidacies in 2029-2030 and 2039-2040.
2. Ministers discussed economic security and the importance of maintaining open and connected supply chains to facilitate the flow of fuels and goods.  Respect for the commitments we and our trading partners have made underpins our prosperity and resilience, and that of our region. Both countries remain committed to working together and with other trade partners to ensure that trade continues to flow unimpeded.
3. Ministers committed to uphold and promote the Antarctic Treaty System rules and norms that keep this part of our region peaceful and free from conflict, cooperative and protected, and dedicated to scientific research. They agreed officials would strengthen cooperation through an annual strategic dialogue.
4. Ministers reaffirmed their support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN-led regional architecture, and highlighted ASEAN’s central role in shaping a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. As Comprehensive Strategic Partners of ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand reiterated their commitment to building upon longstanding ties with our region by deepening economic engagement. Ministers welcomed progress implementing Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 and New Zealand’s increased focus on Southeast Asia as part of its Foreign Policy Reset.  Ministers committed to continue working together on shared priorities under regional free trade agreements.
5. Ministers emphasised the need for strategic competition to be managed responsibly and welcomed continued dialogue between the United States and China. They acknowledged our collective agency and shared responsibility for the stability of our region. They reaffirmed the need to promote open channels of communication, transparency and practical measures to reduce the risks of misunderstanding, miscalculation, escalation and conflict.
6. Ministers reiterated concerns about the intensification of destabilising activities and instances of unsafe and unprofessional behaviour by China in the South China Sea. They reiterated all countries must adhere to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. They recalled the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award is final and binding on the parties. Ministers affirmed their shared commitment to promoting regional stability and security and to working with partners to build capability and strengthen interoperability, including through Multilateral Maritime Cooperation Activities. They also reiterated their concern about the situation in the East China Sea and unsafe and unprofessional conduct in the sea and air.  
7.  Ministers reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposing any unilateral action to change the status quo and encouraging dialogue rather than resorting to coercion or the use of force. They also reiterated their will to continue deepening relations with Taiwan in the economic, trade, and cultural fields as well as enhancing development coordination in the Pacific.
8. Ministers reiterated their grave concerns about human rights violations in Xinjiang. They expressed deep concerns about the erosion of religious, cultural, educational and linguistic rights and freedoms in Tibet. They shared deep concern over the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including the actions of Hong Kong authorities in targeting pro-democracy activists both within Hong Kong and overseas.
9. Ministers reiterated continued investment in the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA). The FPDA remained an indispensable anchor for regional security as the only multilateral security arrangement of its kind in Southeast Asia.
10. Ministers reaffirmed the importance of our relationships with global security partners, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), including through cooperation as Indo-Pacific partners of NATO.  Ministers agreed that the Five Eyes partnership remained vital to our shared security architecture.
11. Ministers unequivocally condemned Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. They condemned the ongoing deployment of troops and transfer of military material from the DPRK to Russia, which supports the continued conflict. As active participants of the Coalition of the Willing discussions, Ministers welcomed the efforts of the United States of America, European countries and others aimed at ending the war, in line with international law. Ministers again urge Russia to end its war of aggression and engage in good faith with Ukraine on a ceasefire and peace deal. Ministers called on all those with influence on Russia, particularly China, to exert it now to end the war.
12. Ministers urged all parties to uphold the terms of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict and agreed Australia and New Zealand, together with our partners, would continue to do what we can to contribute to a just and enduring two-state solution. Ministers expressed deep concern over Israel’s actions that undermine the path to peace, including the expansion of settlements and control over the West Bank, increasing settler violence against Palestinians, and restrictions on INGOs that impede their humanitarian operations.
13. Ministers strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and its malicious cyber activities used to evade sanctions and fund these programs, and urged compliance with UNSC resolutions. 
14. Ministers reiterated their grave concerns about the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and the military regime’s airstrikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Ministers noted that recent elections did not meet the conditions of a free, fair and inclusive process. Ministers reiterated their calls for a cessation of violence, the release of those unjustly detained, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and inclusive dialogue. Ministers confirmed their countries stand ready to support genuine efforts to alleviate humanitarian suffering, improve economic and social conditions and advance a sustainable resolution to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. Ministers reaffirmed their full support for ASEAN’s central role in resolving the crisis and called again for the full implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
15. New Zealand looks forward to hosting the next ANZMIN 2+2 in 2027.

Source: New Zealand Police

Please attribute to Superintendent Shanan Gray, Counties Manukau District Commander:

Police have arrested four men after they carried out a home invasion and fled across parts of Auckland.

At around 3.10pm Police received reports of an aggravated burglary at an address on Bleakhouse Road, Howick.

The offenders were reported to be in possession of a machete and left the scene in a Ford Ranger stolen from the address.

A short time later Police sighted the vehicle heading towards the East Tāmaki area.

Eagle monitored the vehicle as it drove dangerously through Ōtara, Manukau and onto the Southern Motorway into the central city.

On multiple occasions it was seen driving on the wrong side of the road at high speeds.

Through the course of the incident, it has been involved in several collisions with vehicles belonging to members of the public.

Police vehicles were rammed on more than one occasion.

Given the risk posed the Armed Offenders Squad was deployed and pursued the vehicle on Queen Street.

AOS has carried out a non-compliant vehicle stop on Karangahape Road, immediately taking all four occupants into custody.

Police deployed a range of tactics including a distraction device, a non-lethal sponge round and a Police dog to effect the arrests.

One person was transported to hospital in a moderate condition after receiving injuries from a dog bite.

It is extremely lucky that the reckless behaviour of these individuals did not result an anyone suffering serious injuries.

Police will be laying charges for the number of offences committed this afternoon.

Police seeking victims:

Police are aware a number of people may have been victims of minor collisions or have been side swiped by the offending vehicle.

If you believe you have had your vehicle damaged by a white Ford Ranger this afternoon between 3.15pm and 4.30pm, Police would like to hear from you.

Please call 105 and use the refence number P065783141.

ENDS.

Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

Source: Family First

MEDIA RELEASE

17 March 2026

App Store Accountability Bill Proposed To Strengthen Online Safety For Children

Family First is calling on the government, or individual Members of Parliament, to adopt its App Store Accountability Bill, designed to target an obvious ‘choke point’ for accessing digital content, to improve online safety for children and young people by placing new responsibilities on app store providers and app developers operating in New Zealand.

The draft Bill proposes that age verification or estimation is adopted by app store providers and developers, and for those underage, clear consent given by parents or caregivers. The proposed Bill responds to growing concerns about those under 16 accessing inappropriate digital content, making in‑app purchases without proper oversight, and being exposed to privacy risks. It establishes a clear and enforceable framework that ensures young New Zealanders can use mobile apps more safely while giving parents greater visibility and control.

“We believe the Bill is an achievable and realistic first solution, while also watching how Australia and other jurisdictions are attempting to implement their social media bans.  Importantly, this Bill empowers parents to make decisions affecting their own children and places an appropriate level of accountability and responsibility on Big Tech,” says Simon O’Connor, Director of External Engagement with Family First NZ.

So-called App Store Accountability Bills are now law in Louisiana, and Utah, and Texas (with Texas’ law being challenged).  Multiple other US state are considering similar laws including  Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas and New Hampshire. Federal legislation has also been introduced to Congress

In the New Zealand-based Bill, key protections for children and parents include requirements for app store providers to:

• Verify the age category of all account holders, using accurate and commercially viable methods (note, this is age verification or estimation, and not digital ID)
• Obtain verifiable parental consent before minors can download apps, make purchases, or access certain features.
• Share limited age‑category data and consent status with developers so they can apply age‑appropriate restrictions.
• Reconfirm parental consent when an app undergoes a “significant change,” such as introducing new data collection, monetisation features, or content.
• Protect sensitive age‑related data through strict data minimisation and security requirements aligned with the Privacy Act 2020.

Similarly, developers will be required to:

• Use the age‑category information provided by app stores to enforce age‑appropriate settings and comply with New Zealand law.
• Request and use age‑category data only when necessary and in accordance with privacy standards.
• Notify app stores of any significant changes that may impact on the safety or privacy of young users.

The Bill also prevents both app store providers and developers from enforcing financial contracts (such as in‑app purchases) against minors unless proper parental consent has been verified.

The draft Bill reinforces New Zealand’s commitment to protecting children’s privacy by ensuring that only the minimum necessary information is collected, that data is secured to industry standards, and that it cannot be repurposed beyond what the Act permits.

Emergency-only apps, such as 111 or crisis support applications, are explicitly exempt from parental consent requirements to preserve immediate access in urgent situations.

Family First calls on the government or individual MPs to take up this sensible and world-leading draft legislation.  Drawing off developments overseas, New Zealand is well placed to be one of the first countries to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework requiring age verification / estimation, parental consent, and responsible data sharing across mobile app ecosystems.

Family First calls on the current parliament to make this App Store Accountability Bill a priority before the 2026 election.

READ THE BILL HERE

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has ringfenced $50 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for the development of geothermal projects, Regional Development and Resources Minister Shane Jones says.

“Early-stage geothermal exploration involves high upfront costs. Targeted government investment will help de-risk exploration and get more projects off the ground,” Mr Jones says.

“Given the scale of opportunity, it makes sense to ringfence $50m to help de-risk and ensure geothermal projects are well-positioned to lift productivity and strengthen regional resilience,” Mr Jones says.

In New Zealand, geothermal energy accounts for about 20 percent of our electricity supply. Geothermal heat can also have direct industrial and commercial uses such as in timber or milk drying, heating glasshouses for horticulture, or water for prawn farms. It’s also used to heat buildings and water in hospitals, homes and tourist spas.  

Three projects have so far been successful in seeking funding, totalling $23m, from the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF).

“Through this ringfenced funding, two $10m loans have been granted to two projects – the Taumanu and Kopura geothermal projects near Rotomā and Kawerau,” Mr Jones says.

The projects involve early work needed to potentially unlock two new geothermal power stations for electricity generation. It includes underground surveys and the exploration well-drilling and testing necessary to confirm the geothermal resource.

The funding for the Taumanu and Kopura Projects will be delivered through joint ventures between renewable energy company Eastland Generation and local Māori land trusts. 

“These are early-stage projects that, if successful, have the potential to develop additional renewable, reliable, low-emissions, home‑grown energy, while helping boost Māori economic development, jobs, and long‑term regional growth and resilience,” Mr Jones says.

Around 140 jobs are expected during construction, with up to 20 permanent roles once the power stations are operating and opportunities for local suppliers.

A third project, in the Bay of Plenty, has received a $3m grant. The Whakatāne Geothermal Temperature Gradient Well Programme is a project run by the University of Auckland through the Geothermal Institute. It plans to drill three exploratory wells in Whakatāne to provide data that will reduce geological uncertainty and enable future development of renewable heat supply for industrial and community users in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

Relevant projects which meet the criteria and have already applied to the RIF will be considered for the ring-fenced funding. Applications for new projects will also be accepted for consideration.

Successful projects will be announced when they have been evaluated and ministers have made decisions.

Today’s funding announcements follow on from the $60m ringfenced for supercritical geothermal announced in November 2024. 

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has unveiled its strategy to harness the tremendous power of its geothermal resources and double its energy use by 2040, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.

From the Ground Up was launched by Mr Jones in Rotorua today, at an event attended by industry, stakeholders and media. The document sets out a practical plan to boost investment in the sector, build regional resilience and economic growth.

“Geothermal has been used for generations to power our regions and industries. This strategy provides momentum by clearing barriers, speeding up development, giving investors confidence and giving developers a green light to get on with it,” Mr Jones says.

The strategy lays out actions to modernise outdated regulatory settings, improve access to geothermal data, reduce early-stage risk for developers and support the growth of both traditional geothermal power and lower‑temperature geoheat applications.

“The strategy also lays a pathway for New Zealand to lead the world in next-generation geothermal technologies, including supercritical/superhot geothermal projects.” Mr Jones says.

“From Ngāwhā, Kawerau, Taupō and beyond, geothermal is already powering industry, tourism and local jobs while contributing around 18 percent of the electricity to the national grid.

“With the right settings, geothermal can do even more through attracting investment, enabling new technologies and giving Māori landowners and regional businesses real opportunities to create value from the resources beneath their feet.” Mr Jones says

Following consultation on a draft, the strategy has been strengthened to better reflect the cultural and economic importance of geothermal resources to tāngata whenua and commits to ongoing partnerships in development, protection and economic participation.

“Geothermal has always been a taonga for Māori. This strategy respects that history while opening the door to shared prosperity and long-term regional benefits.

“This strategy is about action through unlocking investment, supporting innovation, and building a stronger, more resilient energy system. We’re backing geothermal to help power New Zealand’s next chapter of growth.”

Source: Green Party

Rising food prices are hitting New Zealanders in the pocket and driving them to hunger says MP Ricardo Menéndez March, Green Party spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

“While the supermarkets have been making $1 million a day in excess profits, food prices have surged 4.5% over the last year. Fruit and vegetables, a core staple, are up a massive 9.4%.”

“The stark contrast is appalling, and these ridiculous prices are not sustainable for New Zealanders who are being strong-armed by a duopoly.”

“Woolworths NZ made $100 million in profit over the past six months while one in three households are experiencing food insecurity, yet the Government is doing nothing to address rising food prices.”

“Can we really trust that the supermarkets won’t exploit the emerging fuel crisis to needlessly increase their prices? Supermarkets must be held accountable.”

“This only has the potential to get worse, unless the Government actually steps up to take on the supermarket duopoly.”

“Consumers have been waiting for structural change for years, yet no government has been willing to take on the duopoly and stop them from price gouging ordinary New Zealanders.”

“While large corporations are generating record profits, thousands of families are forced to make impossible choices about what they can spend their income on.”

“Banning price gouging, taxing excess profits, or breaking up the duopoly are all simple and effective ways to make sure massive corporations stop exploiting New Zealanders, ensuring all of us can afford to have food on the table, a safe place to call home, and live a good life.”

“We can end corporate exploitation of ordinary New Zealanders so that everyone can make ends meet,” says Ricardo.

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay raised the impact of the Middle East conflict on supply chains with fellow members of the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership last night.

“This meeting was an opportunity for New Zealand to discuss the risks of global supply disruption and raise issues like fuel supply chain challenges, with other small and medium trade-dependent countries,” Mr McClay says.

“Measures like export restrictions and stockpiling on a large-scale basis can unnecessarily worsen the economic impacts.

“It is in our mutual interest to ensure that trade lines remain open, including via air and sea freight, to facilitate the flow of fuel and other essential goods.

“We see an opportunity for FIT partners to signal a joint commitment to maintaining open and resilient supply chains, working together to share real-time information and co-ordinating joint responses when supply chains are disrupted.”

The Partnership is a grouping of 16 small and mid-sized trade dependent countries. It issued a declaration on supply chain resilience in November 2025.

New Zealand hosts the next FIT Partnership Ministerial Meeting in Auckland in July 2026.
 
Note for editors: 
The FIT Partnership was established in September 2025. It provides a strategic platform for small and medium-sized economies to work together to shape the future of global trade and investment.

The Partnership brings together Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

Source: New Zealand Government

Parents will soon benefit from clearer, more useful information on how their child’s school is performing through an overhaul to ERO’s school reports, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“Parents, teachers and school boards want to celebrate the successes of their local schools and need to clearly understand any areas for improvement. To date, reports on school performance through ERO have not sufficiently focussed on the details most relevant to parents and have been dense and complicated to read and understand.

“As Minister, I’ve heard this from parents and know that too often, key challenges facing our schools, or the successes they’re achieving haven’t been evidenced through ERO’s reporting. I am pleased to be releasing a new, simplified report that is focussed on student achievement, progress and engagement and co-designed with parents to ensure fit-for-purpose reports help families to feel informed and support schools to respond. 

“From Term 2, parents can expect more detail on almost twice as many topics. Reports will have clear measurements and strong, visual, easy-to-understand overviews of performance and the value that schools are adding for students.

“The new reports will recognise successes as well and provide a roadmap for improvement. They focus on the key changes that will make the most difference for students.

“ERO has engaged with schools across the country and hosted parent focus groups to gather valuable feedback, and this is apparent in the new parent focus throughout the reports.”

Ms Stanford says the new ERO reports will join the Government’s wider initiatives to lift student achievement and do the basics brilliantly including the introduction of twice yearly assessments in reading, writing and maths for Year 3–8 students, the introduction of the Phonics Check, the Year 2 maths check, and updated student reports.

“The Government’s education reforms have put educational achievement back at the centre of our education system.

“The results for children are beginning to show, and we’re ensuring parents can see exactly where their child is excelling and needing help, so that they can go with them on that journey and help them achieve their potential.

“The Government is committed to ensuring parents have detailed information to be involved in their child’s education, including through updated assessments, clear curriculum outlines, and better reporting.”

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

2 minutes ago

A ministerial delegation from Kiribati has visited EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus to learn about the institute’s national training programme supporting workers in New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

The delegation, led by Kiribati’s Minister for Employment and Human Resources Hon Auria Kitina, met with EIT staff involved in the programme during a visit on Friday (March 13).

The visit, coordinated by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, focused on labour mobility and opportunities for Kiribati workers participating in the RSE scheme.

It was the first time a Kiribati ministerial delegation had visited EIT. Since the programme, known as NOA – Village of Learning, was launched in June last year, a ministerial delegation from Papua New Guinea has also visited, along with liaison officers from other Pacific countries.

EIT holds the national contract to deliver training to RSE workers across New Zealand, providing practical courses designed to build skills that workers can take back to their home countries.

EIT RSE National Operations Manager Meriama Taufale said it was a privilege to host the delegation and share how the programme supports both New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries and Pacific communities.

“It was a privilege and an honour to host a ministerial delegation from one of our Pacific partners and for them to see first-hand the opportunities available through the NOA programme,” Meriama said.

“The RSE scheme is hugely important to New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries, and it also creates real economic benefits for Pacific countries through the opportunities workers have while they are here, and the skills they take home with them.”

Secretary Terengaiti Awerika, on behalf of Kiribati’s Minister for Employment and Human Resources Hon Auria Kitina, said the visit provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections between EIT and the Kiribati Institute of Technology.

“It was a privilege for the Minister and the delegation to meet with EIT staff and learn more about the NOA training programme and how it is tailored to the needs of Kiribati workers.”

“The skills workers gain while in New Zealand are valuable not only for their jobs here but also when they return home, where they can create opportunities for themselves and their families.”

A cohort of Kiribati RSE workers have recently arrived in New Zealand ahead of the harvest season, and Meriama said they will have the opportunity to take part in the programme while they are in the country for nine months.

Since June last year, nearly 1,500 RSE workers have taken part in EIT training programmes delivered across key horticulture regions, from Central Otago to Northland.

Meriama said the programme is designed to ensure workers gain practical skills that can support them long after their time in New Zealand.

“It’s about setting workers up for long-term success when they return home. We are conscious of keeping it simple but doing it well.

“The biggest thing is being able to deliver the training within a country context, meaning it is delivered in the language workers can understand and use to contextualise the learning.”

Courses include practical skills such as concreting, small engine maintenance, financial literacy and small business training.

Meriama said feedback from both workers and employers had been very positive as the programme expanded across the country.

EIT Chief Executive Lucy Laitinen said Noa highlights the importance of partnerships between education, industry and Pacific nations.

“Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti sit at the heart of New Zealand’s horticulture sector, and the RSE scheme plays a vital role in supporting growers in those regions, and around the country. At EIT, we’re proud to deliver training that supports the industry while helping workers

build skills they can take back to their families and communities.”