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Arrest made following Papatoetoe assault

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have arrested a man sought in connection with a violent assault in Papatoetoe earlier this month.

This morning, Police released CCTV images as part of an investigation into the incident on May 9 on Sutton Crescent.

“This afternoon, a man presented at the Ōtāhuhu Police Station and has been arrested,” Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward, of Counties Manukau West CIB, says.

“He has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.”

The 25-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court tomorrow.

“Police acknowledge for sharing our appeal today in this investigation.”

ENDS. 

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

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DOC starts local conversations on paid parking pilots

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  28 May 2025

“We’ve begun formally sharing important information with local stakeholders on the paid parking pilots including our plans and timelines,” says Catherine Wilson – Director Visitor and Heritage.

“We’re keen for people’s thoughts on how we can make these pilots a success and are asking for feedback by 19 June.”

The paid parking pilots are expected to begin in October for the coming summer season.

“Piloting paid parking will allow DOC to test if it’s an effective tool for establishing better management of visitor car parking at busy DOC sites, improving the customer experience and contributing toward the financial sustainability of DOC’s visitor network”, says Catherine.

“Other countries use paid car parking to manage visitor numbers and contribute to the costs of national parks and popular tourism sites. Paid parking also allows visitors to give back to the popular places they enjoy.”

In 2018, approximately 500,000 people visited the Pancake Rocks walkway at Punakaiki and over 780,000 people visited Franz Josef. Numbers dropped significantly during COVID but are now recovering to pre-COVID levels.

The paid parking pilots are part of DOC’s work to better manage visitors and their impact while delivering fantastic nature experiences.

For further information on paid parking pilots or to provide feedback, contact PaidCarParking@doc.govt.nz.

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Government releases independent review of Sport New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

An independent rapid review into the effectiveness and efficiency of Sport New Zealand has been released today.

“I am very pleased with the findings of the review,” Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell says.

“The review highlights the effectiveness of Sport New Zealand as a Crown Entity, and I remain supportive of their priorities to ensure young people become and remain physically active.

“The main recommendations from the review focus on potential changes to institutional and governance arrangements.  

“The key action I am taking as a result of this review is to move Sport New Zealand’s strategic policy function to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The review highlighted the anomaly of Sport New Zealand being both a policy advisor to government and a decision-maker on funding.

“Shifting the strategic policy function to a government agency will ensure a more consistent and integrated approach on government priorities and other policy decisions across portfolios like education and health. 

“Sport New Zealand will continue to play an important role to deliver on the Government’s priorities and on opportunities to work collaboratively alongside my other portfolios, particularly in relation to priorities to reduce youth offending and recidivism. I am pleased that Sport NZ have identified some dedicated funding to support these initiatives,” says Mr Mitchell.

“The Ministry will gain additional capability to understand and advise on sport and recreation policy issues across the wider public service system, including clear measures of performance.

“I’ll continue to engage with Sport New Zealand and the Ministry on progressing minor amendments to governance arrangements relating to the appointments of High Performance Sports NZ and Taumata Māori Board members.”

The strategic policy function is intended to move to the Ministry by 1 October 2025.

The independent rapid review was undertaken by Brendan Boyle from November 2024 to January 2025.

The review is available at: Independent Rapid Review of Sport New Zealand 

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Preparing for winter in Kaikōura

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Kia ora koutou,

I hope everyone has been able to catch that first glimpse of snow dusting our mountains. This autumn I’ve been enjoying tidying the garden, planting and ticking off some DIY around the house.

I’m pleased to introduce two new recruits to Kaikōura.

Jemima Gardiner-Rodden is our new senior biodiversity advisor who has come to us from the Department of Conservation (DOC), where she worked as a community ranger.

She spent the last four years in Kaikōura learning about its unique biodiversity and ecological threats.

Outside of her work, she volunteers with Fire and Emergency New Zealand and is the chairperson of the Kaikōura Search and Rescue.

Cameron Wolting will also be joining the team at the end of this month as our new Kaikōura biosecurity officer. He’s come from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council with a wealth of knowledge.

Our new recruits, Jemima Gardiner-Rodden and Cameron Wolting

Tips to help protect our environment this winter

The coming winter months bring a new set of challenges for keeping our environment safe, particularly for our hardworking farmers.

Recycling bale wrap

Preparing for winter grazing means disposing of bale wrap, and there are ways to do that without harming our environment.

Plasback is a nationwide company that collects bale wrap in Kaikōura. Landowners can collect Plasback bins and liners from Farmlands, PGG Wrightson or order them online. Then, fill the bags with clean bale wrap, with the string bagged separately, and arrange for collection through Anderson Ag Kaikōura.

This means rather than burning the wrap, you’re recycling it, and our environment is better protected.

Minimising effluent spills on our roads

Come June, stock will be on the move as they’re transported for winter grazing, which means doing all we can to prevent effluent spills on our roads and waterways.

While stock truck drivers are responsible for managing their effluent tanks and using appropriate disposal facilities, farmers also play a crucial role. Best practice is to stand animals off green feed for four hours, but no more than 12 hours, before transport.

Minimising effluent spillage means cleaner waterways for drinking and recreation.

Avoid tyre dumping

If you’ve got tyres you need to get rid of, remember to take advantage of the free recycling scheme in Kaikōura.

Residents can recycle their end-of-life tyres at Innovative Waste Kaikōura Ltd (IWK), through the national Tyrewise scheme, free of charge.

You can recycle up to five tyres at a time if they are free of dirt, debris and excess water. Bicycle tyres, tyres for non-motorised equipment such as prams, and pre-cured rubber for retreads will come under Tyrewise at a later stage.

Unfortunately, the scheme doesn’t accept commercial loads or tyres on rims.

Being part of this scheme means avoiding the dumping of tyres, which is illegal and poses a risk to the environment through the discharge of contaminants.

Thank you to the Kaikōura Water Zone Committee

To finish, I want to acknowledge the dedicated mahi of the Kaikōura Water Zone Committee as they reach their ten-year milestone. The committee has been instrumental in connecting with the community and supporting local projects that preserve and protect the health of our environment.

Of note is the successful collaborative Waiau Toa/Clarence Weed Control programme, now underway in its tenth year. This project has involved landowners along the awa, Toitū Te Whenua/Land Information New Zealand, Marlborough District Council, Department of Conservation, Runanga, Boffa Miskell and us.

It’s fantastic to see all these partners taking a vested interest in this largely untouched braided river catchment.

Ngā mihi,

Andrew

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Financial support lights up replacement log burner options

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Date:

Financial help is available to replace log burners with new, cleaner forms of heating as thousands of wood burners around Canterbury are set to expire by the end of 2027. 

When Lorraine and Gerald Brown discovered they had to replace the log burner that had kept their west Christchurch home cosy and warm for the past 15 years, they weren’t sure how they were going to pay for a replacement.   

But through a home heating subsidy programme, they’ve secured a new ultra-low emission burner (ULEB) for free. Not only has it halved their heating costs, but they’ve had to take the electric blanket off the bed.  

Subsidies making better heating more affordable  

To reduce home heating emissions and improve air quality, low-emission wood burners are being phased out in Christchurch, Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Ashburton and Timaru, under the Canterbury Air Regional Plan. As existing log burners expire, homeowners are encouraged to replace them with either a heat pump or ULEB. 

“We were gutted when we realised we had to take out our old fire,” Lorraine said.  

Thankfully, like many other Cantabrians, the couple were eligible to have their expired wood burner replaced with a ULEB, pellet fire or heat pumps. Through the subsidy scheme, homeowners with an expired burner who are either a Community Services Card or SuperGold Combo card holder, or who live in an eligible Social Deprivation Index area 8-10 are eligible for the subsidy.  

“The process was the easiest thing we’ve ever done,” Lorraine says of getting in touch with Community Energy Action (CEA), which organised site visits to assess the home’s existing heating and insulation, providing recommendations based on size and layout. “We barely had to do a thing!”

They were rapt to find out their new ULEB would be supplied and installed at no cost. The couple’s existing insulation they had previously installed themselves was still in great condition and didn’t need replacing. However, they were able to access CEA’s curtain bank, a service where good quality, lined curtains that have been donated and are adjusted to fit, are provided to help people create a warmer, more energy-efficient home. 

“Both my husband and I were thrilled with the fire and the process.”

Cleaner heat options warm up winter  

Lorraine and Gerald were pleasantly surprised by the amount of heat produced by their new, efficient burner. “We got it in our heads that the new fire wouldn’t be nearly as hot. Boy, were we wrong!” Lorraine says.   

“We are delighted with the new fire and the huge amount of heat it throws out. We can’t keep the internal doors shut with the fire going anymore. It’s so warm in here we have to open the house up to let the heat circulate. We’ve even taken the electric blankets off the bed.”

The best part? All that efficiency means the couple are using half as much wood and their new fire creates significantly less ash, which means less cleaning the fire out. “We used to go through eight blocks of wood in a night – we’re now down to four,” Gerald says.  

“Our old fire was really big and really pumped out the heat, but this is just so much better!” 

Team Leader Northern Compliance, Brian Reeves says modern woodburners produce significantly more heat with less fuel. “This makes modern woodburners more efficient, converting much more of the fuel energy into heat in the room,” he explains. 

Importantly, he adds, they are designed to burn much more cleanly than older models, and can help to reduce harmful air pollution in our cities.

Lorraine and Gerald’s new ultra-low emission wood burner, paid for by our subsidy

Financial assistance to get cleaner heating options  

Replacing old wood burners with new, cleaner forms of heating can be a costly exercise at a time when simply making ends meet is front of mind for many.  

However, the transition is easier and more affordable, with home heating subsidies available to help low-income households living in Clean Air Zones transition to cleaner forms of heating and further improve air quality. Those who meet the eligibility criteria can get up to 100 per cent of the cost of a replacement ULEB or efficient heat pump.  

If you have any questions, contact our advisory team on 0800 324 636.   

Alternatively, if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria, you may be able to get a loan from your bank or retailer. Some banks allow you to add the cost of home heating appliances to your mortgage without additional fees, while some retailers offer interest-free loans for a certain period. We encourage you to investigate these options. 

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Further drop in cash rate good news for Kiwis

Source: New Zealand Government

Kiwis can look forward to further falls in interest rates following today’s Monetary Policy Statement, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.
The Reserve Bank today reduced the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 3.5 to 3.25 per cent, the sixth consecutive reduction since August last year.
“A lower OCR means lower interest rates for Kiwi businesses and households. For families, it means more money in the household budget and for first home buyers it makes servicing a mortgage more affordable. For businesses, it means lower borrowing costs and customers with more money to spend.
“Today’s announcement shows the work done by the Government to take the pressure off inflation by bringing public spending back under control is continuing to pay dividends.  
“In the past nine months the OCR has now fallen 2.25 percentage points with more reductions forecast by the Reserve Bank.
“The impact of this on an individual family will depend on the terms of their mortgage. But, as an example, someone repaying a $500,000 mortgage over 25 years will be more than $300 better off per fortnight if their mortgage rate falls by 2.25 percentage points.
“Our economy is now recovering, but that recovery cannot be taken for granted. Global uncertainty remains high and this presents potential challenges to New Zealand’s growth, inflation and interest rate outlook. 
“Now, more than ever, the Government must exercise responsible economic and fiscal management. Our recent Budget did just that, with careful initiatives to drive growth while continuing to put the books back in order.
“Kiwi families have paid a heavy price for the previous government’s reckless spending. It pushed inflation up to decades-high levels, drove up interest rates, ate away the value of earnings and savings and battered the Government’s books.
“Our Government will continue the work to secure economic and fiscal recovery so that New Zealanders can get ahead.”

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New emergency department for Wellington Regional Hospital

Source: New Zealand Government

Wellington Regional Hospital is set for a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces to be delivered as part of the Government’s $1 billion Budget 2025 hospital infrastructure investment, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.“This is a major investment in emergency and acute care for the Wellington region, delivering a modern, expanded emergency department to better meet the needs of patients,” Mr Brown says.“Wellington’s ED is currently one of the poorest performing in the country, with outdated infrastructure that is no longer fit for purpose. The current layout is contributing to long wait times and people leaving without receiving care.“Our Government is determined to deliver better for patients, including those in Wellington and the wider region, and this investment is a key part of that. The new, larger emergency department will include 34 additional treatment spaces – boosting capacity from 53 to 87 – to reduce crowding and ensure more patients are seen promptly, especially during peak demand.“The redevelopment will also provide 36 new inpatient beds to ease admission bottlenecks and enable smoother transitions from ED into appropriate care. Another 36 new outpatient consult and treatment spaces will improve access to follow-up care and ease pressure on acute services by supporting earlier intervention and faster recovery.”The project also includes critical upgrades to other key hospital facilities: 

Refurbishment of the Old Children’s Hospital, transforming the historic building into a modern environment for clinical and non-clinical staff to support service delivery.
Expansion of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by four beds to strengthen the hospital’s ability to treat the most critically ill patients and enhance its emergency and pandemic response.
Expansion of the short-stay Medical and Surgical Assessment and Planning Units, providing 16 more additional spaces to support efficient and effective patient flow.
Fit-out of refurbished floors in the Clinical Services Block, bringing underutilised areas back into service to support frontline care and reduce treatment delays.

“These upgrades are essential to ensure Wellington Hospital can deliver timely, high-quality care now and into the future. They’ll relieve pressure on services, improve patient flow, and support modern models of care, while also creating a better working environment for frontline staff.”The previously funded $40 million design and enabling works for the new emergency department are well underway, laying strong foundations for the next stage of construction in 2026. The ICU expansion is expected to be delivered by 2027, ahead of the new emergency department becoming operational in 2029.“Improving hospitals is a top priority for this Government. We are committed to delivering the infrastructure needed to support high-quality, accessible healthcare for all New Zealanders.“This project is about future-proofing Wellington’s emergency care – ensuring that as demand grows, the system is ready to meet it,” Mr Brown says.

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$161 million school property growth plan for Canterbury

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government’s responding to rapid population growth in Canterbury with a $161 million investment into school property, delivering close to 2,500 student places in the region’s growing school network.

“The Selwyn community has been loud and clear, they don’t have enough classroom space to keep up with demand. We are acting decisively to address this through a comprehensive growth plan to provide certainty and ensure more children can flourish,” Ms Stanford said.

A $108 million investment in Selwyn will deliver a new school with 12 classrooms, 52 classrooms at existing schools, and the purchase of a new site for a future new school.

  • Ten classrooms at Lincoln Primary School,
  • A 12-classroom expansion for Ararira Springs Primary School in Lincoln, including two learning support spaces,
  • A six-classroom expansion at Te Rōhotu Whio Primary School in Rolleston,
  • An expansion at Te Rau Horopito, including 12 classrooms, six outside technology spaces and multipurpose space,
  • A 12-classroom expansion and admin spaces at the new campus for Rolleston College,
  • The purchase of a site in Prebbleton for a primary school, and funding to start construction on the first stage, which includes 12 teaching spaces, an admin area and multipurpose space, and
  • A site in Lincoln for a new primary school.

“We are committing a further $53 million to add 51 new classrooms, including a new school in the wider Canterbury region to meet the growing student population,” Ms Stanford says.

  • A new primary school on Milns Road, which includes 12 classrooms, admin block and multipurpose spaces,
  • Eight classrooms at Woodend School,
  • Two classrooms for Sefton School,
  • Four classrooms at Addington Te Kura Taumatua,
  • Two classrooms at Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo,
  • Four classrooms at Te Kura o te Tauawa Halswell School.
  • Three classrooms at Wigram Primary School – Te Piki Kāhu,
  • Two classrooms for Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School,
  • Four classrooms at Christchurch East School.
  • Four classrooms for Knights Stream School – Mingimingi Hautoa and,
  • Four classrooms for Pareawa Banks Avenue School.
  • Two classrooms for Hinds School in Mid-Canterbury.

“Delivering this scale of projects in Canterbury was made possible by the Government driving efficiencies in school property delivery. The use of standardised building designs, offsite manufacturing, and streamlining procurement have lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28%. This has allowed 30% more classrooms to be delivered last year compared to the year before.

“All Kiwi kids deserve to thrive at school, that starts with warm, safe and dry classrooms. Our priority is getting spades in the ground as soon as possible so schools, families and communities have certainty and benefit sooner,” Ms Stanford says.

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PSA calls on Te Roopu Taurima to abide by ERA recommendations

Source: PSA

The PSA is calling on the country’s largest kaupapa Māori community disability provider Te Roopu Taurima  o Manukau Trust to accept an Employment Relations Authority (ERA) Facilitator’s recommendation to settle a collective agreement.
Te Roopu Taurima operates residential whare in Te Tai Tokerau/Northland, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Waikato, Waitaha/Canterbury, and a residential mental health whare in Whangārei.
Following 11 days of bargaining and four days in ERA facilitation, Te Roopu Taurima is yet to agree to the Facilitators’ recommendations to settle the collective agreement for its Kaitaataki and Poutaakai staff members, says Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Kerry Davies.
Kaitaataki and Poutaaki are the leaders in disability residential whare and are key to ensuring tangata receive the best support to enable good lives.
“Kaitaataki and Poutaataki continue to be subject to a lockout of additional hours, despite how this can affect tangata, kaiawhina (support workers they lead) and their own whānau,” Davies says.
“Our members, many of whom are Māori, Pasifika, and migrant workers, have reported losses in earnings of hundreds of dollars, which as already underpaid workers, they cannot afford.
“At the same time the lockout is resulting in shortages of available staff in some whare. It’s a ridiculous lose-lose situation for Te Roopu Taurima, its workers and the people they care for,” Davies says. “It is unusual and baffling as to why Te Roopu Taurima have not accepted the Facilitator’s recommendations.
“Both parties have a responsibility to seriously consider and accept the Facilitator’s recommendations except in extraordinary circumstances.
“Te Roopu Taurima and its bargaining team, who seem determined to continue a dispute without good cause, are failing the workers and the people who rely on them for support,” Davies says.
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2024 Tactical Options Report released

Source: New Zealand Police

The 2024 Tactical Options Report (TOR) finds the use of force by New Zealand Police remains low, consistent with previous years.

“It’s reassuring that even with an increase in our interactions with the public, we haven’t seen an increase in the need to use tactical options,” says Assistant Commissioner Sam Hoyle.

Out of the 2,617,486 interactions Police had with the public in 2024, only 0.3% involved the use of force/tactical options. That’s one in every 338 events.

The number of TOR events in 2024 was just under the number of events in 2023 (by 17) while the number of interactions Police have with the public increased (by 1,630).

The number of TOR events and the number of violence offences both increased from 2018, but both stabilised between 2023 and 2024.

“Frontline policing is a dynamic, unpredictable and occasionally volatile environment. We can walk into highly charged situations and sometimes communication alone will not de-escalate the situation.

“While we don’t want to use force, at times we have to in order to protect the public and ourselves. Our staff are trained to use the least amount of force necessary to bring conflict to a safe resolution.

“Police’s Tactical Response Model and ongoing frontline safety training has ensured our frontline is trained, equipped, and supported to keep themselves and our communities safer.”

Gang members accounted for 10 percent of TOR events in 2024 (up 1%) despite making up only 0.2 percent of the national population, Police are 50 times more likely to need to use force in these interactions.

In 99% of events where Police used firearms, they were only presented not fired. And the use of TASER has remained consistent with only the presentation of a TASER resolving most situations, and only one in five events requiring a TASER discharge.

“It’s important that our use of force lives up to the trust and confidence the public place in us.”

The most recent New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) found that 83% of the public believe New Zealand Police conduct duties professionally and trust and confidence in Police rose 2%.

The information in TOR helps Police to understand patterns in where, when, and how force is used, the factors associated with it, as well as risks to staff, members of the public, and the organisation. This can sometimes identify areas of interest or concern for further investigation and/or research.

You can view the 2024 report and previous ones at: https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/tactical-options-and-environment-and-response-research-reports

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre