NZ Engine

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee is welcoming the Justice Select Committee’s decision to allow a longer submission period for the Arms Bill and is urging New Zealanders to share their views on how it can be improved.

“This Bill will affect every Licenced Firearm Owner, and my goal is for the final law to make it easier for responsible people to safely use and possess firearms. To achieve that, the Committee needs to hear from the people on the ground,” says Mrs McKee.

“I’m encouraging all New Zealanders with an interest in firearms to make a submission. Tell the Committee what you support in the Bill, what needs improving or clarifying, and what further changes you want included. This process is how we arrive at better, more practical law.

“Many Licenced Firearm Owners will be hunting and enjoying the outdoors over summer, often without reliable internet or access to a computer. This may make it difficult for some people to make a submission. 

“I wrote to the Committee to raise this concern and asked them to consider extending the submission period. I’m pleased the Justice Committee has recognised the issue and extended submissions by nearly four weeks, giving people more time to make their voices heard.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get firearms law right, and I’m determined that New Zealand ends up with the world’s best firearms laws once again. That requires genuine input from the people who interact with the system every day.

“For too long, major changes to firearms law have been rushed through with little to no consultation. I’m proud to be part of a Government delivering a fair, fit-for-purpose law that will receive a full six-month select committee process.”

Earlier consultation has shown the value of public engagement. More than 8,500 people made submissions on the Arms Act rewrite earlier this year, providing over 700,000 individual points of feedback.

Submissions on the Arms Bill close at 11.59pm on Monday, 16 February 2026 and can be made here: Arms Bill – New Zealand Parliament

Source: New Zealand Government

Good evening.

Thank you, Professor Frédérique Vanholsbeeck, for your warm introduction, and for the energy and passion you bring to advancing our photonics and optics sector across Australia and New Zealand.

I also want to thank the people who made this event possible:

• David Lancaster, President of the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society
• Chairs: Warwick Bowen, Claude Aguergaray and Stéphane Coen
• And of course, the organising committee and sponsors.

Just four months ago, in August, I joined Fred and many of you at a quantum event at Parliament.

At the event, I shared my progress in delivering the most significant reform to New Zealand’s science and technology system in more than 30 years.

And I’m happy to have this opportunity to update you today, as much has happened since then.

New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology

In July, the Prime Minister and I announced the establishment of the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology – a new Public Research Organisation with a single, overarching purpose: to accelerate our country’s economic growth by investing in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum.

These technologies have the potential to drive New Zealand’s future growth and prosperity, and to transform science, and our economy and society, as we know it. 

Platform 1: Future Magnetic and Materials Technologies 

The Institute’s first research platform – a $71 million investment in Future Magnetic and Materials Technologies, hosted by the Paihau–Robinson Research Institute in Wellington – was announced in May.

This initiative builds on New Zealand’s world-leading expertise in superconductors, magnets, and advanced materials, and will ensure we remain at the forefront of cutting-edge research and innovation.

Platform 2: Artificial Intelligence 

Just eight weeks ago, I announced the Institute’s second research platform – focused on artificial intelligence.

This initiative will support a single, visionary proposal with a seven-year, $70 million investment to push the boundaries of AI research and drive the creation of new high-tech industries that will further grow New Zealand’s economy.

The first round of concept proposals closed recently with more than 100 applications, and the review panel met yesterday to agree on their final recommendations. We will share further details soon, and I look forward to the advancements this will bring.

Platform 3: Quantum 

Today, I have announced a $1.35 million discovery phase to explore the development of a national quantum technologies platform. This activity will be led by the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology and will have a focus on commercialisation opportunities.

The discovery phase is about understanding how quantum technologies can unlock new opportunities for New Zealand – driving innovation, creating high-value jobs, attracting global partnerships, and boosting our economy.

This new investment builds on the momentum from the Dodd-Walls Centre and the Quantum Technologies Aotearoa program. 

It follows my announcement of government support for three joint research projects between New Zealand and Korean researchers aimed at making quantum communication practical and secure over long distances. 

In aggregate, the government’s contribution to quantum related activities includes: 

• the Dodd-Walls Centre of Research Excellence,
• the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology,
• the Robinson Research Institute,
• Seven active Endeavour Fund research grants,
• Seven active Marsden Fund research grants,
• Three Catalyst Fund grants for research partnerships with Korea, and
• seed-funding for a potential commercialisation-focused research platform at the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology.

Through this new investment, the Institute for Advanced Technology will assess our domestic quantum capabilities and explore both domestic and international opportunities for commercialisation.

The goal is to determine whether, and how, further investment could accelerate cutting-edge research and unlock commercial potential.

I invite you to engage with my officials as they undertake this discovery process. Together, we can ensure New Zealand plays an important role in the global quantum ecosystem.

New Zealand’s Photonics and Optics industry 

Before I close, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary strength of the photonics and optics sector across New Zealand and Australia.

Tonight, we have representatives from more than 24 leading research institutions – a clear demonstration of the depth of expertise and collaboration in our region.

This sector is not just academic – it’s about impact. Photonics and optics underpin technologies that drive innovation in healthcare, communications, manufacturing, and energy.

They enable breakthroughs that improve lives, create high-value jobs, and contribute significantly to our economies.

To conclude, New Zealand is proud to stand alongside Australia in advancing this frontier.

Together, we have the talent, the infrastructure, and the collaborative spirit to deliver international excellence and world-class science impact.

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  11 December 2025

Ōtūwharekai, a network of wetlands near the Hakatere heritage site, was a food gathering place used for special occasions by ancient iwi, Rapuwai, Waitaha and Kāti Māmoe peoples, going back hundreds of years. For mana whenua Ōtūwharekai is a place of huge significance, rich with an interconnected network of trails used by tūpuna (ancestors).

It’s also a significant site for European settlers who farmed there. The historic Hakatere buildings were once at the heart of high-country life in the Ashburton Gorge. The buildings includes a stone cottage built in 1862 which may be the oldest building in mid-Canterbury.

Now the site has been officially opened as a Tohu Whenua, part of a growing nationwide network of designated sites chosen to tell the stories of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s history.

Department of Conservation Geraldine-based Operations Manager Tony Preston says the Ōtūwharekai/Hakatere launch event last week represented a coming together of different groups to bring the stories from mana whenua tūpuna to life and as well as the rich history of high-country pastoral farming in the 19th century.

“When I first came in here, I could see the high-country story told here in the buildings, but there was no presence for Ngāi Tahu and Arowhenua. We want to bring those stories to life and take visitors on a journey. I’m so stoked at how this event has brought everyone together and when we put in a bid to have it recognised in the Tohu Whenua programme, that was my aim, to come together and create a meaningful shared history.

“This is where our mahi really starts as we work out, in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, how to tell the stories and hopefully tap into some funding for this as part of the IVL (International Visitors Levy) allocation for Tohu Whenua sites. We see carloads and busloads of people going past Hakatere, unaware of its significance, so hopefully now they’ll stop. People are very interested in the history of a place as well as the natural splendour – we call it ‘heritage naturing’,” Tony says.

Awatea Edwin, from Kāti Huirapa of Arowhenua, says Ngāi Tahu is kind of like the baby brother of all the other iwi that came before and it’s important to remember those older stories.

“Our idea is bringing our peoples back together, to build relationships. Wherever you’re standing you see things differently and it’s important for visitors to this site to get the full picture of what life in this area was like,” he says.

Nicola Jackson from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga wants visitors to Tohu Whenua sites across Aotearoa to walk away with a rich understanding of the area and the people who lived there. Visitors can scan a QR code on a wooden post at each site, and access resources to learn about the history connected to each place.

“We want people to learn new things when they visit these places, not just look at the buildings and the landscape but gain knowledge and appreciation of peoples’ experiences,” she says.

John Greenslade from the Hakatere Heritage Trust agrees and says it’s incredibly important to protect and preserve the living history of the area. The trust spent a lot of money rebuilding the historic stone cottage built in 1862 after some of it came down in the Canterbury earthquakes.

“Within our cultures, there are many people who hold the stories and the histories, and it’s about listening and sharing the knowledge,” John says.

Karl Russell from Arowhenua says his own whānau history goes back 50 generations.

“We came here at different times of the year, we would have whānau from the northern and southern boundaries and from the West Coast. We would meet here for marriages, arranged marriages, chief’s daughters would marry chief’s sons. There was whanaunatanga, whakapapa, learning and all kinds of stuff.

“Ōtūwharekai was the place to go and gather that special kai. It really is a very significant place for us to remember and hear all the stories. It’s a beautiful place to visit, and a fantastic place for a picnic, sharing some kai with whānau just like our tūpuna did.”

The Hakatere heritage buildings and Tohu Whenua post are found at the junction of Ashburton Gorge Road and Heron Road, 23 km west of Mt Somers village.

Further information

Tohu Whenua: landmarks that tell our stories is a tourism programme that promotes significant heritage sites in Aotearoa New Zealand – the places that shaped our country and culture. It is a partnership between Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Department of Conservation with support from Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Te Puni Kōkiri.

Ōtūwharekai Hakatere Heritage is one of eleven sites reaching from Kaikōura to Timaru, showcasing the outstanding heritage visitor experiences in the Waitaha Canterbury region. Learn more and download a brochure at Waitaha Canterbury | Tohu Whenua

Contact

Source: New Zealand Police

Attribute to Sergeant Michael Palmer, Waikato Tactical Crime Unit:

Waikato Police have arrested three people in relation to an ongoing investigation of commercial burglaries targeting large quantities of copper metal.

In August 2025, the Waikato Tactical Crime Unit (TCU) became aware of a commercial property in Frankton that had been the subject of multiple break-ins where reels of copper had been stolen on several nights over the course of a week.

The investigation identified over 200 kilograms of copper had been allegedly on-sold in Auckland following these burglaries.

Police carried our several search warrants in the rural Gordonton and Cambridge area, which has resulted in three people being arrested and charged.

This investigation highlighted the importance of quality, multi-layered security systems on commercial premises including CCTV, alarm systems and outer perimeter measures.

Two women, aged 37 and 50, and a 44-year-old man are all due to reappear in Hamilton District Court on 17 December, charged with burglary.

Police urge the public to report any suspicious behaviour around commercial properties, or any other properties, to Police immediately on 111 if it is happening now, or 105 if it is after the fact.

You can also make a report anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre