Source: New Zealand Police
A murder charge has been laid following the death of an inmate at Mount Eden Corrections Facility on 27 June.
“A 32-year-old man has been charged with murder,” acting Detective Inspector Greg Brand, of Auckland City CIB, says.
“Police enquires are ongoing and at this stage and as this matter is before the courts Police are unable to comment further.”
The man will appear in the Auckland District Court on 3 July.
ENDS
Nicole Bremner/NZ Police
Source: New Zealand Government
From today, people getting Jobseeker Support will need to reapply every 26 weeks (six months), instead of just once a year, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says.
“This previously signalled change increases accountability, while also improving opportunities for jobseekers,” Louise Upston says.
“Reapplying for their benefit more often makes sure people receiving Jobseeker Support engage with MSD more regularly. Frontline staff are then able to check people are doing everything they can to find a job and prepare for work, while getting the right kind of support from MSD to make that happen.
“It also gives MSD another opportunity to assess people’s eligibility and make sure they understand what they need to do to stay on track with their obligations while receiving a benefit.
“We know getting back into work produces better outcomes for people and their families. Reapplying for Jobseeker Support every 26 weeks instead of 52 is a realistic expectation, as part of the Government’s initiatives to actively support people off welfare and into employment.
“Having to apply only once a year was a significant gap and didn’t help either jobseekers or the MSD staff working with them.”
Changes have also been made to the reapplication process to make it easier for many people reapplying. If they’ve recently interacted with MSD about their job search, for instance, they may be able to complete their reapplication online without needing an appointment.
“The improved reapplication process means less time repeating information and more time focusing on support to overcome barriers to work,” Louise Upston says.
Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has today announced that Pharmac have created their comprehensive list of medical devices which are used in public hospitals, to improve the way they manage medical devices.
“Almost everyone diagnosed or treated at a public hospital relies on medical devices for their care. These can range from bandages and cotton swabs to pacemakers, hip replacements, hospital beds, and robotic surgery machines,” Mr Seymour says.
“Pharmac has made a list of all medical devices currently used in public hospitals to improve the way medical devices are managed in New Zealand. Establishing the comprehensive list will not only support better planning and investment decisions, but it will also help identify funding priorities and guide future purchasing.
“Over 26,000 medical devices were added to the comprehensive list, bringing the total number of devices on the list to 220,000. Pharmac will continue to refine the list as we engage with more suppliers and prepare for the next phase of the medical device management work.
“We’re working toward a future where all public hospitals work from a single, trusted national list. One list used by all public hospitals brings greater transparency to what devices are used and funded. This will support consistent access, reduce duplication, and improve equity across the country.
“Previously the Hospital Medical Devices list only included medical devices covered by Pharmac’s contracts with suppliers. We recently added the remaining medical devices used by hospitals to this list, to create the comprehensive list of medical devices.
Pharmac consulted on what to include in the comprehensive list from 11 February until 31 March 2025.
“Pharmac staff carefully reviewed all feedback received during the consultation process. They contacted suppliers to validate data, confirm which medical devices have been added to the list, and explain why others have not,” Mr Seymour says.
“When the Government manages its accounts like families and businesses have to, money goes a lot further.”
Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand
The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) says suggestions of privatisation of the new Cook Strait Interislander ferries would be a dangerous step backwards.
The proposals were contained in a cabinet paper presented to the Government earlier this year and obtained by media under the OIA.
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says past privatisation of strategic transport infrastructure had caused great harm to our national supply chain.
He says the ideological push for privatization will be coming from the extreme right in the Government represented by the ACT Party.
Mr Findlay says New Zealand’s rail network, including the ferries, had been sold off to overseas corporates in the 1990s by a right wing National Government.
“What followed was a textbook case of corporate raiding, where assets were stripped for short-term profit, maintenance was run into the ground, and workers paid with their lives due to shocking health and safety breaches.”
“The taxpayer was then forced to spend millions to buy back the asset and start the long process of fixing it up.”
Mr Findlay says it is essential for a New Zealand owned, public ferry operator to be on the Cook Strait for economic security and supply chain resilience.
He says the Cook Strait is our ‘blue highway’, an essential extension of State Highway 1 and the Main Trunk Line.
“We believe the Minister of Rail, Winston Peters, who has spoken at length about the failures of past privatisations, will not allow the Government to be swayed by ACT style agendas.”
Mr Findlay says the ferry replacement process has already been a fiasco, with the decision of Finance Minister Nicola Willis to cancel the iRex project creating years of delays and a billion dollar cost to New Zealand.
He says there are many other opportunities for private operators to enter into other coastal shipping services, and the Government should be supporting this goal.
“For the Cook Strait, our focus should be on investing in a modern, reliable, and publicly-owned ferry fleet that is fit for the 21st century and serves all New Zealanders.”
The Maritime Union of New Zealand represents seafaring and catering crews on both Cook Strait ferry operators.
Source: New Zealand Government
New rules taking effect today will provide greater protection for Kiwis’ money in the unlikely event of a bank collapse, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.
From today, deposits at banks, building societies, credit unions and finance companies are insured up to $100,000 per person, per institution.
The change comes from the launch of the Depositor Compensation Scheme (DCS).
“The implementation of this scheme should give New Zealanders extra peace of mind that if something were to go wrong at the institution where they have entrusted their money, they will get their money back.
“It has the additional benefit of promoting better competition by providing smaller deposit takers the ability to compete on a level playing field.
“Sometimes a smaller deposit taker can provide a more competitive deal, but the consumer’s confidence is undermined by that organisation’s exposure to risk. This scheme helps overcome that issue, promoting better competition, and therefore better deals for Kiwis.”
The introduction of the scheme, which is funded by deposit takers and administered by the Reserve Bank, brings New Zealand in line with internation peers, such as Australia and the United Kingdom.
Under the DCS, each depositor is protected up to $100,000 per deposit taker. That means that in the unlikely event of a deposit taker collapse, people who have put their money in eligible accounts will get back up to $100,000 per person.
The DCS covers money held in standard banking products, including transaction, savings, notice and term deposit accounts.
The change is automatic and depositors do not have to do anything to be covered, but it is recommended people check with their deposit taker – be it a bank or something else – to see what is protected by the scheme.
Notes:
For more information on the Depositor Compensation Scheme, including what it covers, and which banks and non-bank deposit takers provide DCS-protected deposits visit this page.
Source: PHARMAC
New Zealanders with cancer will have greater continuity of care from today, following Pharmac’s decision on amending pharmaceutical schedule rules to allow access to new publicly funded cancer medicines in private hospitals and clinics.
From 1 July 2025, when Pharmac funds a new cancer medicine or widens access to existing funded cancer medicines, eligible patients will be able to receive their medicine within private hospitals or clinics for a period of up to 12 months, without having to move their care to a public hospital.
“This decision will provide greater continuity of care for New Zealanders with cancer,” says Pharmac’s Director Strategy, Policy and Performance, Michael Johnson.
In the past, patients whose cancer medicines became publicly funded during their treatment found themselves having to transfer their treatment to a public hospital to access publicly funded medicines or else continue their private treatment and self-fund the costs.
“This change will allow these patients to benefit from newly funded cancer medicines, while maintaining their current treatment plans,” Johnson says.
To be eligible, patients must already be receiving treatment at the date that their cancer medicine becomes funded by Pharmac, or have an approved treatment plan, and are about to start treatment at the date that their medicine becomes funded. This policy applies only to newly funded cancer medicines after 1 July 2025.)
To support the Government’s decision to enable transitional access to publicly funded medicines in private settings, Pharmac consulted on rule changes to the pharmaceutical schedule between 26 May – 13 June 2025.
“While most people were supportive, we have listened to feedback and have decided to change the way we plan to implement this decision,” Johnson says.
Pharmac initially proposed that private facilities would be able to obtain the funded medicine from public hospitals, as private hospitals are not currently able to make subsidy claims for cancer medicines.
“However, people told us this approach wouldn’t work and would likely lead to patient safety risks due to double handling of medicines, process differences between public and private, and incompatibility of administration kits,” Johnson says.
“People told us they would prefer for private facilities to directly order cancer medicines and submit subsidy claims to Pharmac. We’ve listened to this feedback and have decided to change the way we plan to implement this decision,” Johnson says.
Initially, Pharmac will work with private facilities to implement a direct payment arrangement for the cancer medicines that fall under this policy. Pharmac will in the future look to work with private facilities, Health NZ and suppliers to consider creating a claiming mechanism similar to that used by public hospitals.
Source: New Zealand Police
Police can now release the name of the woman who died following a crash in Waipukurau on 29 June.
She was 31-year-old Amberlee Carlson, of Waipukurau.
Our thoughts are with those close to her at this difficult time.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash remain ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
Source: New Zealand Police
Waitematā Police targeted boy racers and illegally modified vehicles during the past two weeks, as part of an operation focusing on disrupting anti-social road user behaviour.
The operation, which took place on the Fridays and Saturdays between 19 and 28 June, succeeded with a string of results including more than 154 infringement notices issued, 10 vehicles impounded and 13 arrests.
Waitematā District Road Policing Coordinator, Senior Sergeant Damian Albert, says the focus of the operation was not only on illegal and dangerous driving, but driver compliance around licensing and vehicle safety.
“Altered seatbelts, suspension, exhausts, airbag modifications, window tints, lighting, tyres, and window stickers were just some of the vehicle faults we detected.”
As well as targeting safety and compliance, officers carried out hundreds of traffic stops, resulting in arrests for drink driving, possession of drugs, breaching bail conditions and various other offences.
Summons were also issued for driving while disqualified, sustained loss of traction and the serving of demerit suspension notices.
A team of officers took part in the operation, sending a clear message to boy racers that anti-social and dangerous behaviour on roads won’t be tolerated.
Senior Sergeant Albert says during the operation officers stopped a motorcycle seen travelling at speed on Lincoln Road.
“The rider was signalled to stop, and enquiries revealed the rider owed more than $3000 in unpaid fines.”
The motorcycle was seized by the Ministry of Justice who partnered with Police, and driving infringement notices were issued.
“We have a low level of tolerance towards all anti-social road user activity that causes extreme danger to road users and annoyance for our communities,” Senior Sergeant Albert says.
“Police will continue the great work done during this operation by enforcing any illegal activities on our roads and ensuring all modified vehicles are compliant with legislation.”
Preliminary results:
• 154 infringement notices issued
• 13 people arrested
• 10 vehicles impounded
• 45 green stickers
• 7 pink stickers
• 4 blue stickers
• 299 vehicles stopped
Anyone that sees anti-social road user behaviour or suspicious activity around vehicles should call Police on 111 if it’s happening now, or you can file a report online at 105.police.govt.nz, or contact us via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-nz.org
ENDS.
Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police
Source: New Zealand Police
To be attributed to Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Deegan, Central District Investigation Manager:
Police are investigating after a 6-month-old baby was found with critical injuries at a Foxton Beach house on Sunday 29 June.
Emergency services were called to the Seabury Avenue house at around 5.30am that day.
The baby was initially transported to Palmerston North Hospital before being airlifted to Starship Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
Police are working to establish how the baby boy came to be injured. This includes a scene examination at the Foxton Beach house, where a scene guard is currently in place.
Seabury Avenue residents can expect to see a continued police presence in the coming days, as we conduct the scene examination and speak to neighbours as part of our enquiries.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.
Source: PHARMAC
Media release Hospital devices
New Zealand’s first ever nationwide list of medical devices, effective from today, will support better patient care and enable long term investments in medical devices, Pharmac’s Director Medical Devices Catherine Epps says.
Pharmac has been building a list of all medical devices currently used in public hospitals as it works to improve the way medical devices are managed in New Zealand.
Medical Devices help people get the best health care possible. They are things like bandages, gloves, hospital beds, pacemakers, hip implants, and even advanced equipment like MRI and X-ray machines.
“Medical Devices are so important to the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders. Nearly everyone who receives health care in New Zealand will interact with a medical device,” says Epps.
Pharmac’s Comprehensive List of Medical Devices, effective from 1 July, brings greater transparency to what’s used and funded in public hospitals. This will support consistent access, reduce duplication, and improve equity across the country.
This list represents medical devices covered by Pharmac’s contracts with suppliers, and medical devices used by hospitals that aren’t covered by Pharmac contracts.
“For the first time in New Zealand’s history, we have a nationwide list of medical devices used by public hospitals,” Epps says.
Epps says having a comprehensive list of medical devices will support better patient care.
“When hospitals have the right medical devices at the right time they can deliver better health care, which can result in shorter stays in hospital and better health outcomes for patients,” Epps says.
This list will also support hospitals to better plan and invest to meet the needs of the communities they serve. It will also improve transparency by showing what devices are used or funded in public hospitals.
“Having a complete list of what is used will allow the health system to make more strategic, long-term investments in medical devices.”
Pharmac consulted on the comprehensive list from 11 February, until 31 March 2025.
“We asked suppliers and public hospitals to help us finalise a national list of medical devices currently used by Health New Zealand hospitals,” Epps says.
Pharmac staff carefully reviewed all feedback received during the consultation process.
As a result of this consultation process, over 26,000 medical devices used in public hospitals have been added to the comprehensive list.
“This represents a historic milestone for the management of medical devices in New Zealand,” Epps says.
“Ultimately, this comprehensive list lays the foundation for a single national list from which public hospitals will select their medical devices, ensuring the best possible health outcomes for New Zealanders.”