NZ Engine

Source: New Zealand Government

People in Marlborough no longer need to make the long journey to Nelson for dialysis, with the opening of the region’s new dialysis unit in Blenheim, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“The opening of this unit is the result of years of dedication and advocacy from the Marlborough community,” Mr Brown says.

“This new dialysis unit in Blenheim is a great example of what can be achieved when local voices, iwi, and health providers work together to deliver patient-centred care. It’s about designing services with communities, not just for them, ensuring local perspectives are embedded in how care is delivered.”

Marlborough Primary Health has led the development of the unit in collaboration with Health New Zealand.

“Until now, Marlborough patients needing dialysis have had to travel to Nelson Hospital three times a week – a two-hour journey each way.

“This new four-chair facility will operate three days per week initially, with capacity to expand as demand grows. It’s designed for clinically stable patients and brings together wraparound services such as podiatry and social work.

“This will be life-changing for many people. It brings care closer to home, supports families, and ensures people can receive treatment in an environment that reflects their needs and their community.”

The facility also reflects outstanding community generosity, with funding support from the Care Foundation, the Marlborough Hospital Equipment Trust, and contributions from the Rātā Foundation, Churchill Trust, Lotteries, and the Marlborough District Council.

Mr Brown also acknowledged the strong advocacy of Kaikōura MP Stuart Smith in championing the project.

“With an ageing population and rising rates of chronic kidney disease, locally led, collaborative models like this are vital to ensuring services remain accessible and close to home.

“This is a great day for Marlborough – one that celebrates community determination and ensures patients can receive the care they need, right here at home in Blenheim.”

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

The state highway summer maintenance season is picking up the pace in the top of the South Island, and road users can expect to see multiple chip sealing sites in the lead-up to Christmas.

It is essential to ensure the region’s highways are kept safe and resilient for road users.

Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington/Top of the South, says after the recent spate of wet weather, the focus is on getting as much road resurfacing completed before Christmas and the busier holiday season.

“We know drivers commonly ask why there are more road works at this time of the year. The simple answer is permanent repairs need good weather to be effective and can’t be done during the wet and cold winter months.”

Mr Owen appreciates that road works cause delays and frustration for drivers, and that there is a lot of work underway in the region.

“It is a busy time. Not only do we have chip sealing underway, but we are also doing road rebuilds, recovery work following the recent weather events, and resilience improvements aimed at protecting critical transport links in the long term.”

“We are trying to minimise the impact of these works as much as possible. But, as the saying goes, you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs; road works do affect traffic,” Mr Owen says.

He says it is a significant investment in infrastructure and helps keep our highways safe./p>

“All road users benefit from this work. The work we do now helps prevent costlier and more disruptive repairs in the future.”

Programme Update:

In Nelson/Tasman, all chip sealing sites will be completed before Christmas. Drivers can expect to see work on State Highway 60 in Motueka, State Highway 60 in Golden Bay and State Highway 6 near Murchison. 

In Marlborough, crews will be active on State Highway 1 from November until Christmas. They will then be at various sites on State Highway 6 in February 2026 including around Okaramio, Havelock, Canvastown, Pelorus and Rai Valley, as well as State Highway 1 in Riverlands and State Highway 63 near St Arnaud.

Road users travelling to the West Coast and further south over summer can also expect to come upon chip seal operations during their journeys.

Stop/go controls will be in place while chip seal work is underway. Temporary speed limits will apply day and night and remain in place until the new surface beds in. Crews will then sweep the new surface before re-applying road markings.

Mr Owen says 30 km/h limits are in place for good reason. 

“If people drive too fast, they will damage the road surface, meaning the work has to be redone – creating even more travel delays. Stone chips can also flick up and damage other vehicles.”

“Sticking to the posted speed limit also helps to keep everyone, including our road workers, safe,” Mr Owen says.

Summer Maintenance Season – Tips and Advice:

• Drivers need to be aware other summer maintenance, resilience and recovery works are happening around the region.
• We recommend allowing an extra 40 minutes travel time on State Highway 6 between Nelson and West Coast and an extra 15 minutes travel time on State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim due to work on these state highway corridors.
• We recommend allowing an extra 40 minutes travel time on State Highway 1 between Picton and Christchurch.
• Drivers should check road conditions before they travel as knowing when and where road works are happening means you can time your travel to avoid them or allow extra time for your trip.
• Whenever you come to a worksite, remember that our road workers are doing their best to complete their work and keep you moving. Please be respectful and follow their advice and instructions.
• State Highway Summer Maintenance – Top of the South Island(external link)
• State Highway maintenance – Frequently Asked Questions(external link)
• Tips for driving through worksites (video)(external link)

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

State Highway 28-Harwoods Road will be closed for approximately 5 weeks while work continues on a roundabout at the SH28/State Highway 5 intersection east of Tīrau.

The roundabout has been under construction since August this year and the upcoming closure is necessary to safely complete the next phase of work and to keep the project on track. 

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter says that work has been progressing well and that people can expect to be using the new roundabout in March next year. 

“To get this completed safely and on time we need to close the SH28-Harwoods Road part of the worksite for 5 weeks.” 

”During the closure there will be no access into or out of Harwoods Road at the SH5 intersection, apart from emergency vehicles and a school van. SH5 traffic will continue to flow through the worksite under the current speed restrictions. 

“The closure will affect interregional traffic and SH28 is a well-used freight route. That traffic will be detoured along State Highway 27 and State Highway 29. Travel times are about the same” Mr Coalter says. 

“All of Harwoods Road will remain open except for the 600m section between Tapapa Road and SH5. Local roads will all remain open, but we ask people to plan alternative routes to access their homes, farms and businesses during this closure period.” 

Road closure details: 

• Where: SH28-Harwoods Road at the SH5 intersection.
• When: 6am Thursday 13 November to approximately Wednesday 17 December 2025.
• Detour: SH27 and SH29. Local roads will remain open, but with no access from the worksite. Emergency services and the local school van will be provided with access through the worksite. 

Corridor works: 

The roundabout project is part of the wider safety improvements being made along SH5 between Tīrau and Tārukenga, on the Rotorua side of the Mamaku Range. 

The improvements include: 

• SH5/SH28-Harwoods Road roundabout. Under construction, completion expected in March 2026.
• Shoulder widening and wide centrelines:  
  • Whites Road to Waimakariri Road: In construction, completion expected next month.  
  • Waimakariri Road to Harwoods Road: Construction likely spring 2026, depending on funding being confirmed.
• SH5/SH28-Whites Road roundabout: Completing detailed design works. Construction when funding confirmed.
• SH1 Tirau to SH5/SH28-Whites Rd intersection: Detailed design underway for shoulder widening and wide centrelines. Construction when funding confirmed.

For more project information, visit:

SH5 Tīrau to Tārukenga safety improvements

View larger version of the detour map [PDF, 277 KB]

Source: New Zealand Government

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has today announced the government is delivering more frontline workers and establishing new services for people in need of a better crisis response.  

“When someone takes the brave step of reaching out, I want that support to be there,” Mr Doocey says.

“Today I’m announcing a $61.6 million funding boost to deliver a better crisis response:

Crisis assessment teams – 40 additional frontline clinical staff for crisis assessment and treatment teams nationwide.
Peer-led acute alternatives – two new 10-bed peer-led acute alternative services to reduce inpatient ward admissions.
Peer support in emergency departments – three more EDs will receive peer support workers, on top of the eight already launched.
Crisis Recovery Cafés – two new cafés, bringing the total to eight across the country.

“We don’t want people in distress waiting long periods of time for a crisis assessment. With 40 extra clinical staff, more New Zealanders will get faster access to crisis support.

“People in crisis shouldn’t be waiting too long for an inpatient bed. Peer-led acute alternative services provide more choice for people experiencing mental health issues, and get people seen quicker.

“We’re already hearing great feedback about peer support workers in emergency departments. Rolling out peer support workers in more EDs will result in a better crisis response and more people being better supported.

“I’m determined to grow the peer support workforce. Crisis Recovery Cafes offer a peer-led, non-clinical space where people in distress can go to get support.

“Today’s announcement builds on Budget 2025, which invests $28 million to roll out 10 mental health co-response teams across the country to respond to 111 mental distress calls and adds additional crisis helpline capacity.

“We’ve already implemented a 60-minute handover from the Police to emergency department workers for people arriving in distress to an ED.

“When someone takes the brave step to reach out, whether it’s you, your child, a friend, or a family member we’re committed to ensuring the right support is always there to answer that call. This package goes a long way in making sure that’s possible.”

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation to protect productive farmland by limiting farm-to-forest conversions is now in place, marking a campaign promise fulfilled, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay says.

The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme – Forestry Conversion) Amendment Act came into effect on 31 October 2025 and forest owners will notice these changes in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) system from this week.

“Through this Act the Government delivered on protecting food production, supporting rural communities, and ensuring foresters can continue to invest with confidence,” Mr McClay says.

The legislation restricts exotic forests from entering the ETS on Land Use Capability (LUC) class 1-6 land – New Zealand’s most productive soils – with certain exceptions, including for Māori-owned land and erosion-prone areas.

Farmers will retain flexibility to plant some land should they choose.

Transitional exemptions from the restrictions are available for those who can demonstrate both a clear interest in the land and a qualifying forestry investment made between 1 January 2021 and 4 December 2024.

“Farming and forestry are both important to our regional economies and communities and this Government is supporting both sectors to create jobs and grow exports,” Mr McClay says.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has worked to keep the sector well informed, including running webinars to explain the new restrictions. Its website has been updated to include the changes and guidance documents.

Dedicated MPI staff will continue to provide specific support. 

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) says the findings from an official inquiry on the Manahau barge grounding obtained by media show the vessel was unsuitable for conditions and have absolved crew that were blamed for the grounding.

A Maritime New Zealand investigation summary obtained by media confirms MUNZ’s claims from the outset of the 2024 incident at Westport.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the union and its members are not surprised by the findings.

“MUNZ stated from day one that the Manahau was an inappropriate, underpowered vessel for the rugged West Coast,” says Mr. Findlay.

He says WMS previously attempted to “throw the crew under the bus,” by releasing its own in-house report to blame the crew for the grounding.

However, according to documents obtained by the media, it has been found WMS failed to document and implement a safe system of work for anchoring, particularly in adverse conditions.

WMS also failed to follow safe operational procedures when adverse weather conditions prevented safe access to Westport, and it failed to consult, co-operate with, and co-ordinate safe operating procedures with StarHigh Asia Pacific PTE Ltd, the company it contracted to manage the vessel’s safety management system.

WMS claim to be concerned for ‘its people’ had no credibility at this point, says Mr. Findlay.

“They have tried to weasel their way out of responsibility all the way.”

He says it is “bizarre” WMS had apparently accepted the formal warning from Maritime NZ but was continuing to refer to its own in-house report which contradicts the official findings.

“There are only two reports that count – the report from Maritime New Zealand and the forthcoming report from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). These are independent and credible authorities.”

The Manahau was a foreign-flagged vessel, operated by a foreign crew who were denied access to union support in the immediate aftermath of the grounding, and who were repatriated as soon as possible by their employers.

Mr Findlay says at a time of high unemployment for skilled New Zealand workers, WMS were seeking to use foreign crews and foreign-flagged vessels that are not fit for purpose.

“A qualified New Zealand crew would have understood the treacherous conditions of the West Coast.”

MUNZ says the required outcome is for Maritime NZ to insist the company finds a suitable, safe new vessel for any future West Coast operations, operating under a New Zealand flag.

That vessel must be crewed by a New Zealand crew.

Mr Findlay says MUNZ would be happy to assist WMS to find a qualified New Zealand crew that were paid at New Zealand market rates once they source an appropriate new vessel.

“We are only a phone call away.”

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has released an investigative report showing Eden Park planning restrictions could be costing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue with hundreds of fewer jobs and is inviting public feedback on proposed changes, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.

“Eden Park is a vital asset for Auckland and for New Zealand, hosting major sporting and entertainment events that inject millions into the local economy,” Mr Bishop says.

“Restrictive local planning rules, however, are stifling Eden Park’s ability to drive economic growth and create jobs, according to the investigative report. 

“The report looks at whether local planning rules – such as strict limits on the number and timing of concerts and sporting events – are restricting Eden Park’s capacity to contribute further to Auckland’s economic growth.

“The investigation found that restrictions on Eden Park’s operations will cost the region at least $432 million in lost income with 751 fewer jobs over the next 10 years, unless changes are made.

“On Monday I wrote to the Council with a copy of the report. They have 20 working days (until 28 November) to come back with their feedback.

“Today, as well as releasing the report, we invite the public to give feedback on the recommended changes to the planning rules relating to events at Eden Park.”

Recommendations in the Eden Park report include:

Enabling a broader range of uses such as markets, fairs, trade fairs, cultural, and community events
Permitting 12 large concerts (30,000+ people) and 20 medium concerts (10-30,000) each calendar year
More flexibility on timing for concerts, including permitting concerts of up to eight hours duration
More flexibility for sports games
Three levels of noise standards with different noise limits for everyday activities, sports games, and concerts
Removal of size limits for conferences and large functions

Currently, Eden Park’s event restrictions include:

A limit of six artists for a total of 12 concerts per year, with strict conditions on days, times, and event duration
A cap on the number of night-time sporting fixtures with controls on scheduling, particularly on Sunday evenings
Limiting conferences and functions to a maximum of 2,000 attendees

“These rules were originally put in place in an attempt to balance use of Eden Park as a venue with the local community’s preferences around noise and traffic levels. However it’s important to ensure the rules remain fit for purpose and do not unnecessarily hold back Auckland’s event and tourism sectors,” Mr Bishop says.

“We know that big concerts deliver big economic benefits. For instance, over three years, 14 Auckland shows including Coldplay and Pearl Jam generated $33.7 million for the local economy.

“Tourism is already our second-largest export earner and contributes $17 billion to GDP as well as providing nearly 200,000 jobs. We want to see the sector continue to grow.

“The conferences and convention sector is also growing. Last year it grew 10 per cent and delivered over $280 million to the New Zealand economy, creating jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders.

“The Government is committed to making sure our planning system supports economic growth and vibrant communities. 

“A public consultation process on the proposed Eden Park rule changes begins today and will run until 19 November 2025 via the Ministry for the Environment’s online consultation hub.

“I encourage people – particularly local residents and business owners – to give feedback through this process.

“Following the consultation, I will consider what changes are warranted to create local jobs and boost economic growth for the region and hope to make further announcements by the end of this year.”

Details on how to participate in the consultation and access the full investigation report are available on the Have Your Say section area of the Ministry’s website.

Note to editor:

The report, a comparison table and the consultation form are available on the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police continuing to investigate the shooting incident at Pukehinau Flats in Brooklyn, Wellington, on Sunday afternoon are appealing to anyone with further information to come forward.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch says Police are still to determine exactly what occurred in the lead up to the shotgun being discharged.

“We do know that a person wearing a balaclava and carrying a shotgun approached a flat on level 4 of Block A,” he says.

“An altercation occurred that resulted in a shot being discharged along the hallway as the victim ran away from the offender. 

“Fortunately, the victim was not injured by the shot, however he did sustain injuries as he jumped from the southern end second-floor balcony to escape the offender.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Leitch says this incident is extremely concerning to Police, as this was a targeted attack that exposed the victim to extreme risk of serious harm.

“This reckless action was very upsetting for other innocent building residents, who could have easily been inadvertently injured.”

A scene examination and area canvass has been completed, and CCTV from the area is being collected.

Anyone that has footage of the area around the scene, or was passing by at the time and has dashcam footage, is asked to contact Police via 105.

“There are several pedestrian accessways into the flats from surrounding streets, and a vehicle access from Brooklyn Hill Road the offender may have used,” Detective Senior Sergeant Leitch says.

“Someone will have seen the offender before or after the incident and we urge them to contact us.

“Others will know who was responsible, and we ask they make contact also,” he says.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Government

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has released a new Assessment Framework for Carbon Removals, alongside a range of improvements to New Zealand’s climate change legislation.

“The Carbon Removals Assessment Framework is a crucial step toward recognising and rewarding non-forestry carbon removals in New Zealand, unlocking new opportunities for landholders and businesses,” Mr Watts says.

This new framework delivers a priority action from the second Emissions Reduction Plan, showcasing the Government’s commitment to climate action that grows the economy and supporting emissions reductions. It also delivers an election promise to investigate biodiversity credits to reward the creation of new wetlands, recognising their enormous potential.

“We have been clear on the important role that nature-based solutions and credible markets play in our climate response,” Mr Watts says.

“The framework will support any landholder, project owner, or group interested in accessing a carbon market, to understand whether their project or activity has the environmental and scientific rigour needed to enter those markets.

“Forestry is already a critical part of our climate response, but we also want to enable businesses and organisations to explore other ways to reduce emissions. We are progressing work to help farmers and landholders access pathways for recognition and reward for activities that remove carbon from the atmosphere on farm, including opportunities around rewetting peatlands.” 

Alongside the Framework, the Government is making targeted changes to the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA) to ensure it is working efficiently and as intended.

“New Zealand’s climate change system can be unnecessarily complex and duplicative in parts, which creates high compliance costs and slows effective action,” Mr Watts says.

“We have been clear in our commitment to look into the CCRA to see where we can make improvements.”

Key changes to the CCRA include:

• Removing or fixing unnecessary, complex or duplicative requirements in the Climate Change Response Act. This includes removing the need for the Climate Change Commission to provide advice on policy direction prior to an emissions reduction plan being developed by the Government and removing duplicative consultation requirements, for both the Commission and the Government. 
• Improving functions of the NZ ETS, including:
  • amendments to Industrial Allocation settings to provide more certainty for the market and reduce disincentives to invest in decarbonisation projects
  • changing the annual ETS settings process to a biennial one.
  • removing the requirement for ETS Settings to accord with Nationally Determined Contributions
• Expanding opportunities for other types of carbon removals to be recognised in the NZ ETS in the future.
• Other technical updates to make it easier for stakeholders to comply with the requirements of the CCRA. 

“These proposed changes will reduce costs to government and business and provide greater certainty, enabling us to make meaningful reductions more efficiently. They do not lower our ambition,” Mr Watts says.

The Government intends to introduce an amendment bill to the Climate Change Response Act to make these changes next year. 

The Government has also decided to change the neutrality goal for the Carbon Neutral Government Programme from 2025 to 2050.

“This change acknowledges that the original 2025 deadline was too soon for organisations to reduce their emissions enough to meet carbon neutrality,” Mr Watts says.

“The new deadline also aligns with New Zealand’s broader, legislated 2050 net zero target.”

Additional detail on the changes being made and the Assessment Framework for Carbon Removals can be found on the Ministry for the Environment’s website https://environment.govt.nz/publications/assessment-framework-for-carbon-removals/. 

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Napier’s new Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre (CVSC) will focus on the safety of heavy vehicle operators and ultimately improve travel efficiencies, once it’s built.

Motorists travelling along Hawke’s Bay Expressway towards Prebensen Drive will now start to see work happening at the site of the new Napier CVSC building. The main construction is set to begin in a fortnight.

The Napier CVSC is situated at the corner of Prebensen Drive and Hawke’s Bay Expressway. It will be built by contractor Fulton Hogan.

The site was formally blessed by iwi yesterday morning, marking the start of site establishment. This was followed by a cultural induction for contractors to deepen understanding of mana whenua aspirations for the area.

CVSCs monitor heavy vehicles across the country alongside in-road technology that operates 24/7 which provides data on operator and vehicle behaviour such as vehicle weight, permit compliance, and indicators of driver fatigue. CVSCs are operated by NZ Police and they play a pivotal role in promoting road safety and ensuring regulatory compliance across the transport network.

The expressway is a high-volume freight route, carrying trucks and other heavy vehicles between Napier and Hastings.

As part of the project, sets of in-road scales (weigh-in-motion plates), in combination with an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera, will be installed at various locations on the approach to the CVSC – including on the expressway at Westshore; SH50 on the Ahuriri truck bypass; SH51 Georges Drive at Marewa and the expressway at Greenmeadows.

If a heavy vehicle is flagged during screening, digital signage near the scales will instruct the driver to pull into the centre by showing the vehicle’s licence plate number.

Once at the CVSC, the vehicle will drive over a weigh bridge and undergo compliance checks, such as checking road user charges or logbooks, or completing a vehicle safety inspection.

The Napier CVSC is one of 12, including a recently opened centre at Ōhakea in Manawatū.

Using data from the in-road technology and centre, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will be able to focus education and compliance work toward operators who aren’t compliant on our roads, making sure they’re paying their fair share of road maintenance costs, while keeping compliant operators moving and our roads safer for all users.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Head of Commercial Transport Regulation, Tara McMillan says this technology will help streamline travel for operators, because compliant drivers who are not flagged during screening, will be able to keep driving and delivering freight across the country.

“The data we collect will give us really good insight into the behaviour of heavy vehicles on the network. Using this data, we’ll be able to target our education and compliance work toward where safety issues are in the industry, protect our roads from damage, and bring down road maintenance costs.”

NZTA Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery Rob Partridge says having this facility will help NZTA and Police ensure drivers and vehicles passing through the region are safe and compliant.

“This is an exciting development for Napier and the freight industry because it means more efficient travel for those who are compliant while improving safety for all road users.”

Traffic impact

In the next fortnight, people travelling past will see a lot of activity on site, including the establishment of offices. However, because the work on the centre is off to the side of the expressway, disruption will be minimal. A shoulder closure and traffic management will be in place.

During the construction process, from time to time, traffic impacts may change, for the likes of the in-road scale installation. NZTA will let people know as early as possible.