NZ Engine

Source: It’s time to fix the secondary teacher shortage

The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. 

“This attack on the tribunal is nothing more than an attempt to limit the accountability the Government has to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon. 

“The Waitangi Tribunal plays a pivotal role in holding Aotearoa true to its founding agreement. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is something that binds us together in building a future for all of us, it is not something that should be used to drive us apart. 

“Across this term, we have seen the actions of this Government trigger a record amount of urgent claims with the Waitangi Tribunal. 

“Let’s be clear, this is not about improving the Waitangi Tribunal like the Minister says, it is about making it easier to trample all over Te Tiriti and punch down on tangata whenua. 

“From the Treaty Principles Bill and undermining marine customary title, to the removal of 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act and now this, the assaults and insults to our founding agreement and our people have been relentless from this Government. 

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a place for us all in Aotearoa. It provides a layer of protection for our people and our lands. This does not suit the Government’s agenda to make the rich richer by allowing big corporations to exploit our people and abuse our environment for profit.

“We know our communities will not stand for this. We saw thousands flood the streets and submit in droves against the Treaty Principles Bill, calling for a country that acknowledges its past and strives for a better future,” says Hūhana Lyndon.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Wairarapa flood resilience has been shored up with the completion of five projects funded by the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with more on the way, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.
“These five projects, supported by Greater Wellington Regional Council, were among 42 priority flood resilience projects across 11 regions announced last year and approved for a total of $101.1 million in funding through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF).
Greater Wellington Regional Council was approved for funding up to $16.1m across Kāpiti and Wairarapa.
“The completed Wairarapa projects are an upgrade of Pukio East Stopbank, protection upgrades at two sites on Waipoua River, and Stages 2 and 3 of the River Road Flood Protection Upgrade on Ruamāhanga River.
Mr Jones today attended an event hosted by Greater Wellington Regional Council at Fullers Bend on Waiōhine River to mark the completion of the five projects and to view progress of another 11 flood protection projects underway.
“I announced the first tranche of projects about this time last year. We wanted projects that would be ready to start as soon as they got the green light – what we have here is delivery on our promises,” Mr Jones says.
“Doing this work now protects local communities, provides local jobs, and builds a sense of security and confidence. It underpins a broader willingness to invest in our local economies
“It also protects Crown assets such as roads, railways, hospitals and schools. It also saves the costs of deploying government emergency services in clean-up operations and eases the demand on other social services. 
Minister Jones also today held a joint regional growth summit for Kāpiti and Wairarapa in Carterton today where he engaged with stakeholders on economic growth, regional priorities, prosperity and resilience.
“Today’s summit was a great chance to discuss further growth opportunities for both of these regions and I look forward to seeing RIF applications through this engagement,” Mr Jones says.
GWRC Projects
To support councils to deliver essential works at pace, the RIF invested as grants to 42 flood resilience projects across 12 councils.
Flood resilience projects in Kāpiti benefitting from RIF investment are:

Otaki Cliffs River Bank Protection: $2.50 million.

Flood resilience projects in the Wairarapa benefitting from RIF investment are:

River Rd Masterton Flood Protection Upgrade – Stage 2: $1.48 million (completed)
River Rd Masterton Flood Protection Upgrade – Stage 3 Remaining Groynes: $2.11 million (completed)
Waipoua SH2 Left Bank Protection Upgrade: $80,000 (completed)
Waipoua Industrial Site – Akura Road Edge Protection Programme: $880,000 (completed)
Fullers Bend Protection: $1.39 million
Awaroa Floodway Spillover Sill: $530,000
Tawaha Floodway Spillover Sill: $1.02 million
Pukio East Stopbank Upgrade, South Wairarapa: $540,000 (completed)
Flood Gates – Fish Passage Upgrades, South Wairarapa: $220,000
Masterton Water Supply Protection Project: $570,000
Hood Aerodrome Masterton Waingawa River Flood Protection: $950,000
South Masterton Stopbank Upgrade: $520,000
Homebush Wastewater Treatment Plant Resilience Works: $270,000
Upper Ruamāhanga Buffer Establishment: $2.16 million
Whakawhiriwhiri Stream – Project Rescope: $860,000

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are now in a position to release the name of the two people who were killed on Christchurch-Akaroa Road at Little River on 3 April.

They were Jack Delano Clark, 91, and Anne Craig, 79.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with their next of kin at this difficult time.

Enquiries into the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: Tairāwhiti Graduates Celebrate Success – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Petdirect Appoints Chief Veterinary Officer

Petdirect has appointed Dr Olja Jovovich as its first Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) following the successful launch of Petdirect Pharmacy in 2024. With rising demand for at-home access to prescription pet medications, Dr Jovovich will lead clinical governance and ensure regulatory compliance. She brings over a decade of experience, including leadership roles at Animates Vetcare and Practical CPD. Her appointment underscores Petdirect’s commitment to trusted, affordable pet healthcare as it scales its pharmacy offering across New Zealand.

The post Petdirect Appoints Chief Veterinary Officer first appeared on PR.co.nz.

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Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Reviewing the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 will ensure the Waitangi Tribunal is best placed to continue serving the interests of Māori and all New Zealanders into the future, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says.
The New Zealand First and National Party coalition agreement includes a commitment to refocus the scope, purpose, and nature of the Tribunal’s inquiries back to its original intent.
“Over the past 50 years, the Tribunal has made significant contributions to the Māori Crown relationship and informed the settlement of both historical and contemporary Treaty claims impacting generations of whānau across the country.
“Given the progress of historical claims and settlements and concerns about the Tribunal’s current workload, it is timely to review the legislation that determines how it undertakes its inquiries.
“A review of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 will ensure the Tribunal continues to effectively meet the intent of the legislation – considering claims relating to breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi – and providing timely, well-reasoned findings,” Mr Potaka says.
An Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) will lead the review, supported by Te Puni Kōkiri. The review will consider whether the Act provides clarity around the Tribunal’s jurisdiction, how different types of claims are managed, and how the legislation aligns with other legislation. 
The ITAG will be chaired by legal expert Bruce Gray KC, and will include senior public servant Kararaina Calcott-Cribb, lawyer David Cochrane, and respected Māori leader Dion Tuuta.
“The ITAG will engage directly with peak Māori and Iwi entities, Treaty law experts, and current and former Tribunal members to ensure that the right voices and perspectives are reflected in the recommendations they provide to ministers at the end of their review,” says Mr Potaka.
“The review will ensure the Waitangi Tribunal remains focused, relevant, effective and fit for purpose not just for today, but for the generations to come.”
Engagement will begin in mid-2025 and continue throughout the review process. Advice will be provided to ministers, including NZ First Minister Shane Jones, by September 2025, with legislative proposals intended to be introduced before the end of the year.

Source: It’s time to fix the secondary teacher shortage

The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s decision to severely underfund financial compensation for survivors of abuse in state care.

“This falls severely short of real redress, our survivors deserve so much better,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. 

“In November, the Prime Minister stood in front of survivors to recognise that the abuse they suffered should never have happened. 

“An apology is empty air without action. The Government has failed survivors by repeating the mistakes of old that resulted in the abuse and trauma detailed by the Royal Commission. 

“To add insult to injury, the Government has now offered survivors well below what they deserve in this redress announcement. 

“The Government is not only failing to heal the wounds of our past but is risking opening up new ones without real redress and a repeat of old mistakes.

“The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care provided us with harrowing testimony from survivors as well as invaluable insight into both how we failed as a society and how we must change. This was an opportunity to learn and do better as a country, an opportunity this Government has completely missed. 

“The Green Party remains committed to working towards a future where every child grows up safe, secure, and free from violence,” says Marama Davidson.

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Two intersections on either side of the Waiotahe River Bridge on State Highway 2 (SH2) near Ōpōtiki will be made safer, with funding approved by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to deliver new tear-drop roundabouts and complete the SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki safety improvements project, Minister of Transport Chris Bishop says.

“Located on a sweeping curve, the intersections of SH2 with Ōhiwa Beach Road and Waiotahe Valley Back Road, either side of the Waiotahe River Bridge, are considered high-risk. With two fatalities, one serious injury, and three minor injuries occurring between 2014 and 2023, upgrades to these two intersections are critical to improving safety for local road users,” Mr Bishop says.

“Delivering safe roading infrastructure that supports economic growth and productivity is a priority. SH2 between Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne is a main route for locals, tourists, and freight between Tauranga and Gisborne. Around 5,000 per day vehicles use SH2 between Ōpōtiki and Wainui Road, with 15 percent of those being heavy vehicles.

“With poor forward visibility and constrained shoulders, the current alignment of the intersections either side of the Waiotahe River Bridge makes it difficult for drivers approaching the area on SH2 to see vehicles wanting to turn right onto the state highway and vice versa. NZTA has now confirmed funding to replace these high-risk intersections with two new tear-drop roundabouts. 

“NZTA will now move to complete the detailed design, finalise land acquisition requirements, complete resource consent applications, and procure a contractor to deliver the works. Construction is expected to begin in mid-late 2026 and take approximately 12 months to complete. This follows and complements work already underway to construct a roundabout at the intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road.

“Construction of the two new tear-drop roundabouts, minor re-alignment of the road, and other associated work, is expected to cost around $10 million. Final costs will be known once a contractor is confirmed. 

“I want to thank the local community in advance for their patience as this important work to make SH2 safer is carried out and I look forward to this work beginning as soon as NZTA it is able to get underway.”

Notes to Editor:

• The 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme prioritises investment in road safety and efficiency by encouraging safer driving behaviour, vehicles and infrastructure. Funding is available for improvements at the highest-risk locations, which includes these two intersections either side of the Waiotahe River Bridge.
• Once complete, these two new tear-drop roundabouts will complement each other in a ‘dog bone’ arrangement, either side of the Waiotahe River Bridge, with road users no longer able to turn right over lanes of active traffic in a high speed 100kmph environment on the state highway.
• Instead, vehicles joining SH2 from Ōhiwa Beach Road or Waiotahe Valley Back Road will have a left turn only and be able to drive over the bridge to safely turn around at the other roundabout and head in the opposite direction.
• The SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki safety improvements project is being delivered by NZTA in three sections:
• Section 1 (Complete) – Safety improvements included wider shoulders, side barriers, edgeline and centreline rumble strips, signs and road markings. Improvements along SH2 were made between Wainui Road and Waiōtahe Valley Back Road and Appleton Road to Woodlands Road. This work was completed in 2023/2024.
• Section 2 (Construction to begin mid-late 2026) – Upgrades to intersections of SH2 with Waiōtahe Valley Back Road and Ōhiwa Beach Road. A tear-drop roundabout either side of Waiōtahe Bridge. To complete final design late 2025, construction expected to begin mid/late 2026 and completed in approximately 12 months.
• Section 3 (In construction now) – SH2 / Wainui Road intersection upgrade (Matekerepu).  A new roundabout is being constructed at this location. Work began in April 2025 and expected to take 12 months to complete.
• The total funding budgeted for the SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki safety improvements project  (Sections 1, 2, and 3) is $37.5M. Each section costs circa $10 million, with the remaining funding covering the business case, concept designs, investigations, land acquisition, resource consents and consent requirements to deliver the works.