NZ Engine

Source: New Zealand Government

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper held the second annual NZ-UK Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in London today. 

“The UK is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most important international partnerships,” Mr Peters says. 

“In the current adverse strategic environment, the UK-NZ relationship is only becoming more and more important.

“Our discussions at today’s Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue underlined the vast array of issues on which New Zealand and the UK must cooperate even more closely.”

Discussions included bilateral security, economic and strategic cooperation; working together in the Pacific and Indo-Pacific region; and combating Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“This was a valuable opportunity to discuss our shared values, as natural partners in a challenging global environment. New Zealand is committed to working with our like-minded partners to uphold the international rules-based order,” Mr Peters says.    

Mr Peters invited Foreign Secretary Cooper to visit New Zealand in 2026 for the third annual Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue.

While in London, Mr Peters also met Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Seema Malhoutra; Shadow Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel; and the Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage. 

During his ongoing European trip, Mr Peters will also visit Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

Source: New Zealand Police

A person has died following a boating incident off Napier today.

Police were contacted at 1.40pm today after two people failed to return from a crayfishing trip this morning.

Coastguard Hawke’s Bay were deployed and located one of the people in the water at 3.10pm.

That person was transported back to shore by Coastguard Rescue, where they were checked over by Ambulance staff.

Tragically the second person was located unresponsive in the water a short time later and was unable to be revived.

The death will be referred to the Coroner.

ENDS
 

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is improving the protection for people in state care, with the Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill passing its third reading.

“This Bill is an important part of our wider response and complements the work already well underway to implement the Royal Commission’s recommendations. The changes will improve the safety and wellbeing of children, young people, and adults in care,” Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford says.

“We are committed to doing better for survivors, and I know these changes to our existing legislation will make a difference.” 

The legislation changes include:

Oranga Tamariki Act 

• Removes the ability to undertake strip searches of young people in secure residential care.
• Clarifies the amount of time a child can be placed in secure care units.
• Provides new search powers for people visiting youth justice facilities to improve the safety of young people and staff. Body image scanners will be used to search for harmful items on entry to a secure Youth Justice residence.

Children’s Act 

• Establishes process to prevent NZ citizens and residents with overseas convictions associated with serious harm from working with children. 

Crimes Act 

• Includes disability in the definition of vulnerable adult to make it explicit that those caring for disabled adults owe them a statutory duty of care. 

Records Act 

• Enforces better record keeping by Government agencies to address challenges survivors faced in accessing their records.
• Enhances current monitoring powers of the Chief Archivist with the potential to issue performance notices to agencies to improve recordkeeping practice. 

“I want to acknowledge the bravery of the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences of abuse and neglect with the Commission and contributed to its important work. 

“There is still a lot more to be done to ensure the wrongs of the past are not repeated. The Government is committed to continuing this work with urgency and care,” Ms Stanford says.

Source: New Zealand Government

The Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill passed its first reading this afternoon, Lead Co-ordination Minister for the Crown Response, Erica Stanford says.

The Bill provides that the purpose of a State redress scheme is to:

• recognise a person’s experience of abuse in care, and
• offer a pathway as an alternative to litigation to provide for redress for abuse in care.

Redress includes a financial payment, an apology, access to care records, and counselling or other wellbeing services.

The Bill also provides for more meaningful apologies to be able to be made by state agencies as well as introduces a new framework for independent consideration of financial redress where a survivor has also committed specified serious sexual or violent offences and been sentenced to more than five years in prison. 

“I acknowledge there will be strong and diverse views about the proposed additional scrutiny by an independent decision maker where a survivor has committed serious offences. This approach, based on the Australian model, does not automatically exclude any survivor from receiving financial redress. However, it does require that the independent decision maker satisfy themselves that making such a payment would not bring the scheme into disrepute. This recognises that there are a small number of survivors who were abused in care have also gone on to perpetuate harm to others.

“The Bill has now been referred to the Social Services and Community Select Committee for five months. I know the Committee will give the Bill the careful consideration that it deserves and I encourage survivors, their advocates, and all other interested parties to submit on the Bill.”

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are assisting Fire and Emergency New Zealand in relation to multiple large fires in Kaikōura.

A number of cordons are in place, with multiple road closures around the area

Police are also assisting with the evacuations of schools and residents in surrounding areas.

If members of the public have been evacuated, Police advise them to travel to Kaikōura High School or the Kaikōura Golf Course.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: New Zealand Police

A man who was located deceased on Horotane Valley Road in Heathcote Valley on 19 September has been formally identified, and the man’s death has been referred to the Coroner.

A Coronial order is in place prohibiting any publication of identifying details regarding the man, so no further information or comment can be provided at this time.

ENDS
 

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source: New Zealand Police

Please attribute to Northland District Commander, Superintendent Matt Srhoj:

Police are continuing with a critical incident investigation surrounding the events leading up to a fatal crash in Whangārei on 11 October.

We are now in a position to release the name of the victim.

He was Rhys Harris-Wikaira, 31, of Whangārei.

We would like to acknowledge the impact this event has had on the community and our thoughts are with those involved.

Several investigations are underway, which will work to establish all the facts surrounding this tragic incident.

Police are still seeking information from any witnesses who may have been in the area at the time, or prior to this incident occurring.

If you have information, please update Police online now or call 105.

Please use reference number 251012/3275.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Police

State Highway 50, near the Waipawa River bridge, is blocked after a truck has rolled due to wind this afternoon.

Police were notified of the single-vehicle crash at around 2:50pm.

Initial indicators are that a person has been injured.

Eastern District Police have received sveral reports of vehicles rolling/tipping due to high winds.

We are urging motorists to seriously consider delaying travel, especially if you are travelling in a high-sided vehicle.

ENDS

Source: New Zealand Police

Emergency services are responding to a fire in the carpark at Whangārei Hospital.

Fire and Emergency NZ are currently leading the response, however Police are present at the scene.

The public is asked to please avoid the immediate area while emergency services are in attendance.

Residents and anyone in the nearby area are also asked to close their windows at this time.

Further information will be provided when we are in a position to do so.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  21 October 2025

Kirsty Prior, Operations Manager Marine, says that this summer DOC’s focus is on helping people understand the new rules and boundaries.

“We’ve got a new team of marine rangers, community rangers and a bunch of seasonal staff gearing up for summer. We’ll be heading to events, boat clubs, boats ramps and out on the water to chat about these new marine protections,” says Kirsty.

“We understand this is a big change for many in the fishing community, and we’ll be working alongside you as everyone gets familiar with the new boundaries and what they mean.

“This law is brand new. It will take time for the practical changes to take place – such as updates to electronic chart-plotting systems and installing physical markers.

“These protections are very important. They will take some pressure off crucial underwater habitats such as productive reefs and sensitive sea floors. We’re giving space for marine life to thrive, and over time this will help contribute to a healthier gulf with more fish for everyone.”

The DOC team and support vessels are based in Whitianga, Warkworth, Auckland’s North Shore and the CBD. Their role includes educating people on marine protection, undertaking compliance and monitoring changes in the underwater habitat. 

“Currently the team is working to install signage at boat ramps and entry points, distributing protection area maps to local businesses such as fishing retailers, updating the DOC website, and have provided maps to chart-plotter providers to update their mapping systems,” says Kirsty.

“We expect updates to digital charts to happen when these manufacturers are able. The installation of signs and marker buoys will roll out progressively over summer and into early 2026. Fishers can find the latest maps and updates at www.doc.govt.nz/haurakigulfmarinepark.

“Our focus for now is on education and support. Compliance activity will gradually increase as people become more familiar with the new protections. This will include both on-the-water patrols and the use of drones and high zoom CCTV cameras to monitor activity in these protection areas.”

Key info on new protections for the fishing community:

“We’ve had questions about what the new protections mean for recreational fishers, and for customary fishing. Here’s a quick guide to clear things up,” says Kirsty. “While some areas now have higher protection, the majority of the Gulf remains open for recreational fishing.”

• High Protection Areas ban recreational and commercial fishing. Limited commercial ring-net fishing is permitted in only 2 of the 12 HPAs for 6 months of the year largely over winter. This will be reviewed after 3 years.

• Customary non-commercial fishing is allowed in High Protection Areas. Customary fishers require a written authorisation from a tangata kaitiaki (a local guardian for a specific area) under the Customary Fishing regulations, and fishing must be for a customary purpose such as a hui or a tangi/funeral. In recent years there has been very little customary fishing in the Gulf.

• Seafloor Protection Areas ban fishing methods that have a high impact on the seafloor such as bottom-trawling and dredging, but allow low impact methods such as line fishing and diving for seafood. To be clear: rec fishers can line fish in SPAs.

• Over 94% of the Gulf remains open to recreational fishing.

You can learn more about the marine protections: Hauraki Gulf marine protected areas.

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