NZ Engine

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is set to roll out the first roadside mobile safety camera operated in a trailer later this week, joining the fleet of camera-equipped SUVs which have been operating across the country since May this year.

The first trailer will be begin operating in Auckland from this Wednesday (17 September). Nine more trailers will join the fleet in the coming months, and together with the 34 mobile cameras operating in SUVs, mobile cameras will be operating on average for over 6,500 hours every month across the country. 

“This, coupled with our risk-based approach and 24/7 operation will make our roads safer for everyone by deterring speeding nationwide, and drivers who continue to choose to speed are much more likely to be detected and fined,” says Tara Macmillan, NZTA Head of Regulatory Strategic Programmes.

“The camera technology in trailers is the same as we’re using in our SUVs, but having both vehicle types gives us more flexibility to move cameras between high-risk locations quickly and easily, ensuring that we are targeting stretches of road where speeding drivers are putting themselves and others at risk.

“Using mobile trailers also allows us to have our cameras out for longer stretches of time, and to set up in places that might be difficult for SUVs to operate. Both our trailers and SUVs will be working day and night, detecting speeding wherever and whenever it occurs.

Speeding drivers can cause serious and irreparable harm on the roads, including deaths and serious injuries. Evidence shows that we can reduce the chances of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes if drivers travel within speed limits, and that is why we have safety cameras,” Ms Macmillan says.

Like cameras in SUVs, the camera-equipped trailers can detect speeding vehicles traveling both towards and away from them, from either side of the road. They also won’t be sign posted. 

Both cars and trailers have extensive security and tracking systems and are equipped with CCTV cameras and alarm systems to protect the equipment and ensure the safety of operators. They are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Following engagement with the Picton community, businesses and stakeholders, designs are being progressed for the Picton road network improvements project.

Richard Osborne, Regional Manager System Design, says NZTA/Waka Kotahi has engaged with multiple stakeholders including well-attended community sessions in June.

“Overall, the feedback shows people are interested in the project and the improvements being proposed for State Highway 1 and key intersections in Picton.” 

“While there is support for the project, there are concerns about how it will affect the community. This includes parking, traffic noise, and intersection layouts,” Mr Osborne says. 

He says these concerns are being considered, with the project team reviewing key feedback as they work towards finalising designs.

“Changes are being made to the plans, subject to design considerations, safety requirements, and available funding.”

He says the project team also received some feedback that was outside the direct scope of the project.

“It covered issues such as additional walking and cycling improvements, and enforcement opportunities.”

“We will pass this on to relevant teams at NZTA/Waka Kotahi and also to our transport and local authority partners,” Mr Osborne says 

Once design for the project is complete, updates will be shared with the community and stakeholders before construction begins in mid-2026.

An engagement report, including questions that were raised by the community and stakeholders as well as NZTA’s response, is available on our website:

Picton road network improvements project

Source: New Zealand Police

A team tackling retail crime across some south Auckland town centres have clocked up, and locked up, some promising numbers in the past year.

In July 2024, the Counties Manukau South Community Engagement Team noticed that high rates of retail offending were contributing to a general sense of unease among shoppers and business owners alike.

This was particularly the case in the busy town centres across Takanini, Papakura and Pukekohe.

In the past financial year, the team has arrested 67 people, resulting in 741 retail crime charges and $363,232.20 worth of stolen property recovered.

Sergeant Phill Moody says a series of coordinated efforts and multiple investigations targeting individuals and small groups of offenders has been in motion.

“Our team has also spent a considerable amount of time engaging with business associations, big retail stores and stand-alone local retailers to understand the issues and provide reassurance.

“I’m extremely proud of the team and the great results they have achieved.”

Sergeant Moody says technology like CCTV has also played a key role, as well as the increase in businesses reporting thefts.

“Our team remain actively engaged with retailers, business associations, and the National Retail Investigation Support Unit and we are committed to holding these offenders to account.”

“It takes all of us to keep our communities safe, and we acknowledge retailers who continue to report matters to us.”

If you see any unlawful or suspicious activity, please contact Police.

If it is happening now, or you have immediate concerns for you or someone else’s safety, call 111.

Information after the fact or in non-emergencies can be reported online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Make a Report” or by calling 105.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Government

Today the Government’s sentencing reforms take effect, restoring real consequences for crime, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“Communities and hardworking New Zealanders should not be made to live and work in fear of criminals who clearly have a flagrant disregard for the law, corrections officers and the general public.

“We know that undue leniency has resulted in a loss of public confidence in sentencing, and our justice system as a whole. We had developed a culture of excuses. 

“This Government promised to restore real consequences for crime. That’s exactly what we’re delivering. It’s part of our plan to restore law and order, which we know is working.

“This is a significant milestone in this Government’s mission to restore law and order. It signals to victims that they deserve justice, and that they are our priority.”

The reforms strengthen the criminal justice system by:

• Capping the sentence discounts that judges can apply at 40 per cent when considering mitigating factors unless it would result in manifestly unjust sentencing outcomes.
• Preventing repeat discounts for youth and remorse. Lenient sentences are failing to deter offenders who continue to rely on their youth or expressions of remorse without making serious efforts to reform their behaviour.
• Responding to serious retail crime by introducing a new aggravating factor to address offences against sole charge workers and those whose home and business are interconnected, as committed to in the National-Act coalition agreement.
• Encouraging the use of cumulative sentencing for offences committed while on bail, in custody, or on parole to denounce behaviour that indicates a disregard for the criminal justice system, as committed to in the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement.
• Implementing a sliding scale for early guilty pleas with a maximum sentence discount of 25 per cent, reducing to a maximum of 5 per cent for a guilty plea entered during the trial. This will prevent undue discounts for late-stage guilty pleas and avoid unnecessary trials that are costly and stressful for victims.
• Amending the principles of sentencing to include requirement to take into account any information provided to the court about victims’ interests, as committed to in both coalition agreements.  

Two aggravating factors are also included.

These respond to: 

• Adults who exploit children and young people by aiding or abetting them to offend;
• Offenders who glorify their criminal activities by livestreaming or posting them online.

Source: New Zealand Government

An ambitious new Aviation Action Plan has been released, containing 25 actions to grow and future-proof the aviation sector, ensuring it continues to deliver for all New Zealanders.

Associate Transport Minister James Meager launched the plan, led by industry through the Interim Aviation Council in partnership with government, while speaking at the Aviation Industry Association Conference in Wellington this morning.

“Aviation is vital to New Zealand’s economic prosperity and our way of life. The Aviation Action Plan outlines a strategic programme of work to ensure the sector continues to support trade, tourism, regional connectivity and economic growth across the country”, Mr Meager says.

“This action plan is a first for New Zealand and represents a major sector milestone. It’s a practical roadmap that tackles challenges facing aviation, including the need to embrace growth and innovation, and build a skilled and sustainable workforce.”

Key actions from the Aviation Action Plan include:

·         Promote growth and innovation by reworking specific civil aviation rules, including in emerging technologies like drones and uncrewed aircraft, improving the pace of regulatory decision-making, reducing certification wait times, and automating routine tasks.

·         Developing a programme of work to tackle workforce issues, including by updating the pilot and engineer training pipelines, promoting aviation careers, and progressing international mutual recognition of licences where appropriate.

·         Making RNZAF Base Ohakea available as an alternative runway for wide body aircraft on a permanent basis.

·        Strengthening passengers’ consumer rights and improving accessibility for disabled travellers.

·         Securing vulnerable regional routes by supporting small airlines through concessionary loans and providing investment for interlining arrangements.

“We’ve already made progress on several actions, including targeted investment in regional routes through $30 million in loans from the Regional Infrastructure Fund. We have also commenced the system-wide first principles funding review of the Civil Aviation Authority, which is another recommendation,” Mr Meager says.

“This plan includes long-term steps to continue building momentum, including confirmation we will establish the Aviation Council as a permanent body. I’d like to thank the Interim Aviation Council for its leadership and expertise, and I look forward to working with the new permanent Council.

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

By Janel Hull

This summer, we expect the South Island to experience the biggest beech forest mast in seven years where trillions of seeds blanket forest floors. Beech masts provide a bounty of food but unfortunately also trigger a dangerous ripple effect for native species.

^{Food is abundant ➡️ Rat and stoat populations boom ➡️Predators devastate precious native birds, bats, and insects.}

Predator plague cycle:

Without expanded predator control, the consequences can be devastating. We’ve seen local extinctions before – like the loss of the last mohua population in Mount Stokes following a beech mast without adequate predator control.

But there’s also hope. Predator control helps nature bounce back with native bird and bat numbers increasing.

Our National Predator Control Programme is stepping up with an expanded predator control programme. Thanks to a funding boost from the International Visitor Levy, we’re able to carry out 15 predator control operations this year at high priority sites across about 650,000ha of South Island beech forests. Priority sites for predator control included Kahurangi, Mount Aspiring, Arthur’s Pass, and Fiordland national parks. We’re planning a second round of predator control work in these forests from late 2026. 

Our two-round approach to beech masts targets predators before seeding this year and after seed is gone from late 2026. This approach is backed by strong science and results because it targets predators when food is scarce and they’re more likely to eat toxic bait.

The outcomes of our predator control speak for themselves. In the Landsborough Valley, over 20 years of sustained predator control has led to native bird populations more than doubling. Populations of rare birds like kākā and mohua are also on the rise.  

Landsborough Valley:

Our National Predator Control Programme’s work is critical. It’s about preventing extinctions and giving our wildlife a fighting chance to recover and thrive – especially during a major beech mast.

You can also do your bit ‘naturing’ by trapping in your backyards, joining a local predator free group or donating as we work towards the Predator Free 2050 goal.

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  16 September 2025

The predicted beech mast will drop trillions of seeds, fuelling a surge in rodents then stoats – with potentially devastating impacts on native birds, bats, snails and other species.

DOC National Predator Control Programme Manager Peter Morton says it’s expected to be the biggest beech mast in seven years with seeding most likely in western areas from Kahurangi at the top of the South Island to Fiordland.

“We are planning a bigger predator control programme than usual over the next two years to protect our most vulnerable native species like mohua, rock wren and pekapeka from beech-seed fuelled plagues of rats and stoats.

“Operations will be focused on the best surviving populations of endangered wildlife in Kahurangi, Mt Aspiring, Arthur’s Pass and Fiordland national parks. 

“We know if we do nothing, native species will be decimated. Some of our last surviving mohua populations are hanging on by a thread and there’s a risk with a surge in predators we could lose them,” says Peter.

Mohua/yellowhead are helpless when rats invade the tree holes where they nest and roost. A rat plague during a beech mast in 1999 wiped out the last population of mohua in the northern South Island at Mt Stokes.  

“Our monitoring shows that carefully timed aerial 1080 operations prevent large spikes in predator numbers, enabling birds and bats to survive and breed successfully.

“Controlling predators is one of the most important actions we can take to protect nature. People can do their bit of ‘naturing’ by setting traps in their backyards, joining a local trapping group or donating, as we work towards New Zealand’s Predator Free 2050 goal,” says Peter.      

Beech mast response operations will be focussed in two rounds – later this year before seed falls in autumn and from late 2026, once seed has been eaten or germinated. This avoids times when beech seed carpets the forest floor and rodents are less likely to eat toxic bait. Monitoring through a smaller beech mast in 2023 showed this timing led to the most effective control of predators and best outcomes for native wildlife.

Planning is underway for 15 predator control operations over 650,000 ha at priority South Island sites from spring to early summer in 2025. This is in addition to DOC’s regular programme over another 150,000 ha. DOC is consulting with iwi and hapū, stakeholders and local communities about all proposed operations.

The predator control programme for the second part of the beech mast response in 2026 and early 2027 will be determined by rat and stoat monitoring results from the sites DOC is protecting. If rodent numbers do not reach anticipated damaging levels in some areas, the programme will be scaled back. 

DOC has received $6.5 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy for its expanded programme to tackle invasive predators.

DOC uses climate modelling to predict beech masts a year in advance, and satellite imagery to monitor beech forest flowering across New Zealand. Profuse red flowering of beech trees this summer will be the first sign that the beech mast has started.  

Background information

 Beech forests naturally mast or seed every 2-6 years. Typically, this occurs on a local or regional scale in response to local climatic conditions. The last big mast was in 2019 when beech forests and tussock grasslands across Aotearoa seeded in a ‘mega mast’. A smaller mast occurred in parts of the South Island in 2023.

DOC controls predators on a sustained, rotational basis to protect more than 67 forest sites across the country over about 1.8 million ha or 20% of public conservation land.

Beech mast prediction 2026

Contact

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is beefing up the Commerce Act for the first time in nearly 20 years to provide greater protection to the public and more certainty for business, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson say. 

“These changes provide more certainty and reliability for businesses, and are what this Government was elected to deliver,” Nicola Willis says. 

“Competition is a key driver of growth, innovation and productivity. Consumers and businesses thrive when markets are open and fair. But our current settings are outdated, lack clarity and have led to some of our most important markets being dominated by only a handful of players.” 

Key changes include: 

• Stopping unfair tactics like creeping acquisitions and predatory pricing so genuine competitors can thrive.
• Clearer merger rules to give businesses certainty while keeping markets fair.
• A stronger, better-structured Commerce Commission meaning faster, more transparent decisions.
• Streamlined approval for beneficial collaboration making it easier for businesses to work together where it helps the public.
• Allowing businesses to voluntarily undertake to limit market power as part of merger applications. 

“As part of the changes, the Commerce Commission will be strengthened to ensure it can continue to be an effective agency and is fit for purpose for the additional powers it has been given,” Scott Simpson says.  

“An independent review found the Commerce Commission has outgrown its current structure, with the board handling both governance and regulatory decisions. By separating these functions, the Commission will be able to deliver better outcomes for consumers. 

“Competition is needed. However, there is sometimes a benefit to having competitors collaborate where there are public benefits, and no harm is done to competition. The proposed changes will streamline approval for collaboration between businesses.  

“The Commerce Commission will gain stronger tools, including the ability to pause or ‘call in’ risky mergers before they are completed. This targeted power ensures problematic deals can be properly assessed.   

“The Commission will also be able to accept commitments from businesses – known as behavioural undertakings – to help resolve competition concerns arising from a proposed merger. Alongside this, clearer statutory timeframes will support more timely and transparent decisions. 

These changes will ensure the merger regime is fit for purpose, making it easier to identify and stop deals that could harm competition.   

“Importantly, these changes lift the bar on which mergers can proceed. This will prevent dominant firms entrenching their power and give businesses and consumers more choice, sharper prices and fairer markets.”  

The changes are reflected in amendments to the Commerce Act that will be introduced to Parliament before Christmas and passed by mid-2026.  

Nicola Willis also released an update today on the Government’s Going For Growth work programme. The Competitive Business Settings update sets out how the Government is making it easier for businesses to operate and grow so they can create more jobs and lift Kiwi incomes.  

Source: New Zealand Government

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford will head to the United States this week to lead a delegation of immigration and investment private sector participants to promote our Active Investor Plus visa, with events hosted by Invest NZ who have organised the delegation.

“Since our changes were implemented on 1 April, the Active investor Plus visa has generated significant new proposed investment in New Zealand of over $1 billion, with US investors submitting the most applications. 

“Heading to the US will provide an opportunity to meet with potential investors who want to know more about what New Zealand has to offer.

“We’ve said that New Zealand is open for business, and investor migrants are clearly attracted to our growing reputation as a safe, pro-business, high-potential economy. 

“Attracting investment to New Zealand is crucial to boosting economic growth. It will also support our businesses to expand, hire and grow – and that means more opportunities for New Zealanders.

“It’s fantastic to see this response so far. We welcome investors’ capital, knowledge, contribution to New Zealand’s economic growth, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to meet with them.”

The delegation will travel to meet potential investors in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco at events hosted by Invest NZ.

Minister Stanford will travel to the United States on 15 September and return on 21 September.

Source: New Zealand Government

Public consultation has now closed on a proposal to replace the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), aiming to lift outcomes and better prepare students for life beyond school.

Education Minister Erica Stanford says she is encouraged by the amount of engagement there has been with the proposal.

“We have received over 8,200 submissions. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide feedback, and acknowledge the significant time and expertise contributed by the education sector throughout the process. 

“Your insights, experience, and ongoing commitment to helping young people thrive have been, and will continue to be, invaluable, as we consider the future of NCEA. 

“I also extend my thanks to parents, family, iwi, community members, and industry representatives who shared their feedback. 

“Given this is our national secondary school qualification, it matters that we’ve heard from people from a wide range of backgrounds.

“Now that consultation has closed, I will take time to carefully consider the feedback we have received. My officials will analyse responses from submissions and understand which areas of the proposed changes need further investigation. They are planning for further sector engagement to test areas as needed and get the sector’s further input into the design, before final decisions are made. 

“Once final decisions are made on the features of the qualification, government will work with the sector on detailed design elements – for example, the balance of internal and external assessments.  

“As I have said before, the proposed changes aim to strengthen foundational skills, improve coherence in teaching and assessment, and ensure qualifications reflect what students know and can do.

“This is not change for the sake of change. We have heard from the sector on issues and we have listened. I am pleased that we have heard from professionals and from Kiwis across the country so that everyone can have their say as we work together to improve the qualification system.

“This is about lifting education outcomes for New Zealanders. It’s about ensuring that every student, no matter where they live or which school they attend, has access to a qualification that is credible, consistent, and prepares them with the best education and opportunity for life beyond school.”