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Source: New Zealand Government

Information about steps the Government will take to improve the rights of disabled people in line with international obligations is now publicly available, Disability Minister Louise Upston has announced.

Reinforcing New Zealand’s strong commitment to human rights, Cabinet late last year agreed the Government’s approach to address the 63 concluding observations (recommendations) made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Information about the recommendations, the actions that Government agencies have committed to, and how progress will be tracked, is now public on the Human Rights Monitor.

“Ensuring we make clear and demonstrable progress is important, for both the disability community and our Government,” Louise Upston says.

“Having this information publicly available shows our commitment to disability rights and being transparent about the work we are doing to deliver results.

“Multiple agencies are leading work on 30 of the recommendations we have committed to, while a further 17 are being considered as part of the work being done by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha on the refreshed New Zealand Disability Strategy.” 

An additional 16 recommendations were considered and noted, with the Government retaining flexibility to reconsider the response to these recommendations at any time.

“We are making good progress, but we know there is still plenty of work to do.

“As part of this, I recently re-established a Ministerial Disability Leadership Group to drive action for disabled people across government and to oversee the work to implement the UNCRPD recommendations.

“This is one of the ways we are delivering real results for the disabled community, alongside work such as the refreshed disability and sign language strategies.”

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has put an end to building open-plan classrooms, ensuring all new classrooms are designed in a flexible way to ensure better student outcomes. 

“Overwhelming feedback I’ve received from schools across New Zealand is open-plan classrooms aren’t meeting the needs of students. While open-plan designs were originally intended to foster collaboration, they have often created challenges for schools, particularly around noise and managing student behaviour,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“This Government is focused on raising achievement and closing the equity gap and an important part of our reform package is ensuring learning spaces are designed to improve student outcomes.

“In many cases, open-plan classrooms reduce flexibility, rather than enhance it. We have listened to the sector and new classrooms will no longer be open plan.” 

The Government has not designed and built open plan classes since being in office other than classrooms that have been specifically requested.

All new classrooms will be built using standard designs that prioritise flexibility over open-plan layouts. For example, the use of glass sliding doors mean spaces can be open when classes collaborate but can also close for focused learning. This approach ensures schools have fit-for-purpose environments that support a range of teaching and learning styles.

“We are ensuring school property delivery is efficient and sustainable. We’ve lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28 per cent so we could deliver 30 per cent more classrooms last year compared to 2023. We’re continuing to drive down costs so more Kiwi kids can access them, faster. In 2025, new classrooms cost on average $620,000 compared to $1.2 million at the end of 2023.”

Wellington is the latest region to benefit from this, with a $25 million targeted investment into areas experiencing population growth.

The schools receiving new classrooms are:

Newlands Intermediate – 10 classrooms
Aotea College – 16 classrooms

“Aotea College is a prime example where existing open-plan classrooms did not support learning outcomes. The lack of functionality of the open design meant spaces could not be shared or multipurpose due to disruption and noise. This investment will deliver new, standard teaching spaces that better meet the needs of both students and staff.

“Delivering these classrooms through repeatable designs and offsite-manufactured buildings also ensures we are achieving maximum value for money. Planning is already underway for these projects, with construction expected to begin within the next 12 months,” Ms Stanford says.

Source: New Zealand Government

Parents will know more about how their children are doing at school with the confirmation of a new assessment tool in Years 3-10 classrooms from 2026, the latest part of the Government’s plan to teach the basics brilliantly.

Janison Solution Pty Ltd will deliver the Student, Monitoring, Assessment and Report Tool (SMART) which will enable twice-yearly assessment of reading, writing and maths in schools nationwide.

“Last year the Auditor General found there was no consistent and comprehensive summary of student achievement and progress in New Zealand, and what information the Ministry of Education had was more detailed for some students than for others. This new tool changes that,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“The check-ins will be low stakes measures of student progress and provide teachers with information on next steps in learning. They’ll give parents confidence as to how their children are progressing so they can support learning at home. It will also provide crucial information to the Government to know where to invest more resource to help accelerate learning.” 

SMART will be modern, flexible and curriculum aligned. It will also be bilingual to cover pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau in kura. Years 9 and 10 have been included so parents and teachers know how ready students are for NCEA.

“This builds on our new suite of classroom tools that help parents and teachers understand more about student progress. The Phonics Checks undertaken at 20 weeks of schooling and repeated at 40 weeks identifies a child’s reading ability early and wrap around support if needed. A similar approach is being taken with maths, from 2026 every child will have their maths ability checked in Year 2. 

“I am committed to helping parents clearly understand their child’s progress at school, because when parents are informed and involved, students are more likely to reach their full potential,” Ms Stanford says. 

Source: New Zealand Government

Thousands more high school students are passing the foundational literacy and numeracy assessments required for NCEA, clear evidence the Government’s relentless focus on the basics is delivering results, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“The latest NCEA co-requisite assessment results show a marked improvement in student achievement in numeracy and reading, especially in Year 10 for those sitting the assessments for the first time. The Government’s $2.2 million investment in 2024 to provide targeted support to students in 141 lower decile schools has resulted in more students achieving assessments,” Ms Stanford says.

• Numeracy:
  • 57 per cent of students achieved the standard across all year levels – up from 45 per cent in May 2024.
  • 68 per cent of Year 10 students passed the numeracy assessment, 95 per cent of whom were sitting it for the first time.
  • 34 per cent of students in lower decile schools passed the numeracy assessment in May 2025 compared to 19.8 per cent in May 2024.
• Reading:
  • 61 per cent of students achieved the standard across all year levels – up from 58 per cent in May 2024.
  • 72 per cent of Year 10 students passed the reading assessment, over 95 per cent of were first time participants.
  • 41 per cent of students in lower decile schools passed the reading assessment in May 2025 compared to 34 per cent in May 2024.
• Writing:
  • 55 per cent of students achieved the standard across all year levels – holding steady from May last year.
  • 66 per cent of Year 10 students passed the writing assessment, 95 per cent of whom were sitting it for the first time.
  • 35 per cent of students in lower decile schools passed the reading assessment in compared to 34 per cent in May 2024.

More than half of this year’s Year 12 students who did not meet the co-requisite while in Year 11 last year have now achieved it — and around a third of these students will now be awarded NCEA Level 1. This takes the pass rate for NCEA level 1 in 2024 from 71.5 per cent to 79.6 per cent.

“These early improvements are the result of a comprehensive reform package focused on lifting academic achievement. We have introduced a new year-by-year, knowledge-rich and internationally benchmarked English and maths curriculum, restored a focus on structured literacy and structured maths, and provided schools with hundreds of thousands of high-quality resources — including over 830,000 maths textbooks, workbooks and teacher guides. 

“We’re investing significantly in teacher professional development, mandated an hour a day of reading, writing and maths and banned the use of cell phones in schools to ensure every student gets the focused instruction they deserve.

“While these results are positive, there are still too many students who don’t have the fundamental literacy and numeracy skills they need to thrive. That’s why this Government is unapologetically reforming the education system to prioritise improving student outcomes. As our back-to-basics approach beds in, more children will be better equipped when taking these assessments in the future,” Ms Stanford says.

Source: New Zealand Government

More than 80,700 people moved off a main benefit and into work in the last financial year, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. 

“Despite challenging economic conditions, the Government has been relentlessly focused on getting New Zealanders into work. It’s encouraging that 80,000 Kiwis were able to kick start new roles over the past 12 months and there will be more to come.” 

Overall, MSD stats released today show that as expected in the current economic climate, the overall number of people receiving a benefit has increased, ahead of a forecast decrease from December. 

The number of people receiving a main benefit in June 2025 (406,128) increased by 7,965 (2.0 percent) compared to March 2025 (398,163).

The number of people receiving Jobseeker Support in June 2025 (216,009) increased by 6,171 (2.9 percent) compared to March 2025 (209,838).

“Over the last three years, MSD have traditionally seen a trend of more people coming onto benefit in the March to June period,” Louise Upston says.  “It’s likely this is partially because there’s less seasonal work around during the winter months.”

“MSD is continuing to provide great support to job seekers on the frontline. Our Government has increased the number of people in case management at any one time from 60,000 to 70,000 people. 10,000 of those are getting help through a new phone-based case management service. That’s more people getting more support. 

“We’ve got 2,100 more places for young people to get community job coaching, more regular work seminars, employment plans to help people get ready for work, and a traffic light system to help them stay on track with their obligations.

“People now also have to reapply for their benefit every six months, instead of just once a year. This gives MSD an extra opportunity to support them into a job.

“We know some Kiwis are still doing it tough while the economy recovers, but we’re working as hard as possible to get New Zealanders off welfare and into work,” Louise Upston says.

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  17 July 2025

Eva Obushenkova, an Investigator with DOC’s National Compliance Team, says the first incident occurred between 11:20 am and 12 pm on May 21, and involves a recreational boat skipper seen steering his vessel through a pod of bottlenose dolphins.

“One witness has seen the vessel launched at Waiake Beach on Auckland’s North Shore,” Eva says.

“They reported seeing the boat head straight toward the dolphins, which were clearly visible, and get very close to them.

“Our witness has also stated the boatie later changed direction and began following the pod, steering his vessel among the dolphins and eventually stopping the engine to take photographs.”

Under the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations, vessels cannot travel through a pod of dolphins.

Eva says the boat involved in the incident is a Haynes Hunter named Plaisir.

“We’d like to talk to the owner or skipper of Plaisir, and encourage them to come forward,” she says.

Anyone who saw the incident, or can share information on the vessel, can contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE Works case number 9189. Any information offered by members of the public is kept confidential by DOC.

In a separate incident at Muriwai in Auckland in early June, members of the public discovered two dead kekeno/NZ fur seals with their heads removed on the beach. The discovery was reported to DOC.

DOC science staff who’ve seen the images say the decapitations are the result of human actions, and not predation by another species.

Anyone with information on the decapitation of the dead seals at Muriwai – whether it’s eye-witness reports of incidents, or other potentially valuable evidence – is asked to contact 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE Works case 9390.

Although DOC staff acknowledge the seals were discovered dead on the beach, there is still no justification for removing the animals’ heads. The Marine Mammals Protection Act clearly states it is illegal to take any part of a marine mammal.

“It’s not acceptable for people to tamper with protected wildlife, and it’s illegal to remove a protected species’ head,” Eva says.

DOC protects and nurtures more than a third of New Zealand’s landscape, marine areas, and thousands of endangered species – a role guided by several key laws like the Conservation Act, Wildlife Act, and National Parks Act. These legal frameworks ensure our unique biodiversity is properly safeguarded.

When people or organisations don’t follow the rules, it further threatens our special places and native wildlife. DOC takes these responsibilities very seriously and has a range of enforcement tools to hold rule-breakers to account.

However, DOC can’t be everywhere, so public eyes and ears make a real difference. DOC staff continually urge the public to help protect nature by reporting unlawful activity through 0800 DOC HOT.

Contact

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Cyber security webinars
Modified 19 June 2024
Over the last year, the Cyber Security for the Tertiary Sector initiative facilitated online webinars to help organisations in the New Zealand tertiary education sector to better understand cyber security and help them decide what steps they can take to become more secure.
https://www.tec.govt.nz/teo/working-with-teos/improving-cyber-security-in-the-tertiary-sector/how-to-improve-your-cyber-security

Source: New Zealand Government

Minister of State for Trade and Investment Nicola Grigg will travel to Fiji this week to attend the Pacific Island Forum’s Trade Ministers Meeting (FTMM). 

“Trade plays a critical role in getting more money into your back pocket, helping you and your family to thrive. It drives employment, economic growth, and lifts the standard of living in New Zealand and across the Pacific,” Ms Grigg says. 

The Pacific Island Forum’s (PIF) biennial Trade Ministers Meeting will be held in Suva on 18 July. It is a key regional event, bringing together Pacific trade ministers to discuss and shape the future of trade and economic integration. 

“The Government is strongly committed to supporting Pacific Island countries to grow the positive impacts of trade. New Zealand’s attendance at the FTMM signals our continued commitment to regional cooperation, resilience, and leadership in advancing Pacific trade priorities under the 2050 Strategy for the Pacific Blue Continent,” Ms Grigg says. 

“This key regional meeting provides a timely platform to discuss the critical importance of the rules-based trading system, with the World Trade Organisation at its core. This structure is particularly vital for small countries like New Zealand and PIF members. We are best served by a world in which trade flows freely governed by rules. 

“I will attend a Fiji New Zealand Business Council event where the Council will launch its strategy to help reach the joint New Zealand and Fiji goal of lifting two-way trade to NZ$2 billion by 2030.

“I also look forward to engaging with my PACER Plus Ministerial counterparts. PACER Plus is the largest and most comprehensive trade agreement in our region. It is helping both large and small businesses — including women-led businesses — to grow; reduce costs through e-commerce and enhance regulatory cooperation between governments, streamline customs processes, paperless trade, and provisions on investment that protect investors; and to promote cross-border investment flows. 

“While PACER Plus is a trade agreement, with currently 10 parties, that also speaks to the bonds between our nations, as neighbours, partners, and family, whose interests, prosperity, and well-being are intertwined.” 

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is warning motorists to be prepared for challenging driving conditions on central South Island highways over the next few days as freezing conditions set in.

Weather forecasts supplied to NZTA show that persistent freezing fog is likely for parts of State Highways 8 and 80 at least through until Sunday, along with hoar frosts and potential black ice on the roads. The area between Twizel and Tekapo on SH8 is expected to be especially high risk.

“These types of conditions are not new for roads in the Mackenzie Basin area, but it is important that motorists take notice and adjust their driving for the conditions. Especially when there is an increased risk like this over a number of days,” says NZTA maintenance contract manager Chris Chambers.

“We are expecting the freezing fog to hang around all day in places and there is a significant risk of black ice, especially in the mornings. All of this means increased risk of accidents and injury. It’s important that drivers take extra care and slow down in these conditions, increase their following distances and drive with their lights on.”

Roading contractors will be out around the clock in the coming days, checking the roads and gritting or de-icing the affected highways to reduce the risk.   

“If people can avoid travelling on the affected highways during these times of increased risk, they should. Otherwise people need to plan ahead and be aware of the conditions they are travelling into by checking our Journey Planner site,” Mr Chambers says.

“We have the option of closing sections of highway, or introducing restrictions, if the conditions warrant it. Our preference is to keep the roads open, and motorists can help us do that by driving with caution or staying off the roads if they can.”

Journey Planner(external link)

Winter driving advice

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and Malaysia have committed to boosting trade in high-quality halal meat products.

Minister for Food Safety Andrew Hoggard says, “Malaysia is a significant market for New Zealand’s premium halal meat products, with exports of more than $60 million last year.”

“Malaysia is facilitating the approval of several New Zealand halal meat premises seeking first-time access to this market, which is crucial to growing exports.

“With a population of more than 35 million people, new access will help set the stage for significant growth in the Malaysian market.

“Once approved, this will boost returns for Kiwi farmers, processors and exporters,” Mr Hoggard says.

Malaysian authorities will visit the new premises to review their halal production processes as part of the approval process.

This progress was announced at a Halal Forum in Wellington today, hosted by Mr Hoggard and Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Haji Hamidi.

Dato’ Seri Zahid says New Zealand and Malaysia are also working closely together to streamline the export requirements for New Zealand halal meat.

“Malaysia places significant importance on compliance with halal requirements.”

“We are working hard with New Zealand to strengthen halal collaboration, which includes refreshing the requirements for the export of halal meat to Malaysia. This is a testament to the strong relationship between both countries, and the confidence Malaysia has in New Zealand’s halal processing and assurance systems,” Dato’ Seri Zahid says.

Mr Hoggard says the refreshed requirements will help provide certainty for Kiwi producers in areas including registration of new premises, documentation, processing, labelling, packaging, and storage.

“New Zealand remains fully committed to our strong relationship with Malaysia and supplying the best quality halal products to consumers in this important market.”