NZ Engine

Source: NZCTU

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi President, Sandra Grey, is calling on the Prime Minister to uphold democratic values and ensure his MPs refrain from making false and inflammatory accusations about unions. Claims of bullying tactics from Sam Uffindell on social media yesterday are not only untrue, they undermine the integrity of the thousands of parents who serve on school boards across the country.

“The Prime Minister must stop his MPs from making false and inflammatory accusations about unions employing bullying tactics. This rhetoric is an insult to the democratically elected school boards, composed of parents, who are independently choosing to take a stand,” Grey said.

“These parents are independently choosing to stand up for what they believe is right for their tamariki. To dismiss their decisions as the result of union pressure is both disrespectful and out of step with the values of fairness, participation, and community leadership that New Zealanders expect.”

More than 1,300 school communities have expressed clear support for honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in law. Their voices reflect a deep commitment to partnership, respect, and the wellbeing of all learners.

“We urge the Prime Minister to listen to these communities and acknowledge the strength of their mandate. The Government has misread public sentiment on this issue. Rather than compounding that error with anti-union misinformation, it should change course and engage constructively with the people it serves,” Grey said.

Source: New Zealand Government

Health New Zealand’s announcement that around 1800 graduate registered nurses will begin hospital-based roles represents a significant boost for the health system, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“A sustainable health system relies on a steady pipeline of skilled New Zealand-trained nurses entering the workforce,” Mr Brown says.

“I welcome Health New Zealand’s decision to offer around 1400 hospital-based roles to the 2025 end of year cohort of nursing graduates, which means more than 80 percent of those who pass their exams are expected to secure positions.”

“When combined with the more than 400 mid-year graduate roles it has already offered, Health New Zealand expects to support around 1800 graduate nurses into the workforce in the current financial year.

“This is a significant step in strengthening our workforce and ensuring locally trained nurses are supported into frontline roles. These positions will help hospitals across the country maintain the staff needed to deliver timely, quality care.”

Graduate nurses will start receiving offers from Health New Zealand from 1 December.

The remaining graduates will be supported into roles outside of Health New Zealand, including in primary care.

“Alongside hospital-based positions, the Government is investing in supporting graduate nurses into primary care. Funding is available for primary care employers to take on up to 400 graduate nurses each year, with $20,000 provided for each graduate employed by rural primary and community providers, and $15,000 for those employed by urban providers.”

Mr Brown says expanding graduate opportunities is essential to building a sustainable, long-term workforce.

“Importantly, these roles provide new graduates with structured support, professional development, and a clear pathway into clinical practice. That is how we build a workforce that is resilient, well supported, and prepared for the future.

“Since coming to Government, around 2000 additional nurses have joined the health system. We remain focused on continuing to grow the workforce so New Zealanders can access timely, quality care – and supporting locally trained nurses is key to delivering on that commitment,”

“I want to congratulate all nurses on completing their studies and look forward to welcoming them to the health workforce in the coming months as they begin their careers caring for New Zealanders,” Mr Brown says.

Source: New Zealand Government

The nationwide Top Up campaign, launched in August to encourage Kiwis to take everyday actions that boost mental wellbeing, has reached 3,283,076 people and achieved a milestone of 115,000 website visitors in its first four months, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says.

“The response to the Top Up campaign has been phenomenal and shows there’s a real appetite for simple, evidence-based ways to look after our mental health,” Mr Doocey says.

“A perfect example of what success looks like is if you’ve had a challenging day on the farm or stress from work is building up, we want New Zealanders to automatically think which of the five actions they can do to top up.

“Seeing this level of engagement in the first few months gives me real confidence that more Kiwis are taking positive steps to top up their wellbeing.”

Launched in August, Top Up promotes the Five Ways to Wellbeing – Connect, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Be Active which are proven to support better mental health. The campaign has reached millions through TV, radio, and digital channels, driving strong engagement across all communities.

“This campaign is about shifting the conversation from crisis to prevention. Applying the Five Ways to Wellbeing has been shown to aid recovery from tough times and the management of long-term mental health issues.” Mr Doocey says.

“By encouraging everyday actions, we’re helping New Zealanders take proactive steps to maintain their mental wellbeing and prevent small problems growing into big issues.”

Developed by VML in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, Top Up aligns with the Government’s Mental Health Targets focused on prevention and early intervention. It is complemented by a new Top Up Community Grants Scheme, which offers $250,000 annually for two years to support grassroots wellbeing initiatives, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.

“I’m delighted with the success of this campaign, already exceeding expectations, I hope to see it further break down the stigma around mental health over the next two years.”

Notes to editor

The Top Up website which includes the promotion campaign video can be found here.
The campaign aimed to reach up to 2.6 million New Zealanders each year through a range of multimedia channels such as TV, radio, social media and other online platforms. But it’s performing better than hoped.
 

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Transport Minister James Meager has confirmed a significant Government investment into new container-handling equipment for Gisborne’s Eastland Port, which will unlock fresh economic opportunities for the Tairāwhiti region.

Mr Meager announced the $5 million investment while visiting the Port, as part of his two-day visit to the region.

“This funding will directly benefit local businesses, exporters, and industries, by enabling the ability to ship containers out of Gisborne,” Mr Meager says.

“In addition to supporting regional prosperity, the investment will secure Tairāwhiti’s connectivity, as it creates an avenue for essential supplies to be brought in by sea if the region is cut off by road, as we saw in Cyclone Gabrielle.”

Eastland Port is the first confirmed recipient of funding from the Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund, which was established through the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024. The $30 million fund invests in projects which enhance the sector’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from events that could disrupt New Zealand’s freight system.

“Supporting freight movements in and out of Gisborne is vital for the region’s economic growth and supports our Government’s plan to double the value of exports in the next 10 years,” Mr Meager says.

“By providing efficient container handling capabilities, Gisborne can attract new trade, stimulate investment, and support job creation in the region. This investment will help local producers access wider markets, strengthen supply chains, and increase the region’s competitiveness.

“I would like to acknowledge local MP Dana Kirkpatrick for her advocacy for the Gisborne community and investment in Eastland Port.”

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Auckland Transport (AT) and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) are advising drivers to expect significant delays on Auckland’s roads when IKEA opens its first New Zealand store at Sylvia Park next Thursday (4 December).

Road users are being encouraged to plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.

“We expect the opening day, and subsequent weeks or even months to draw big crowds to the Sylvia Park area, and for this to have a substantial effect on the transport network both locally and across Auckland,” says Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) Manager Claire Howard.

“Travel times across the wider Auckland  transport network are likely to be substantially longer than usual, and our traffic modelling shows that in a worst-case scenario, there could be 40-minute-plus queues to exit the motorway at Mt Wellington and wait times of up to an hour to get into car parks at IKEA,” Howard says.

“Surrounding streets in Mt Wellington will also be busy, with forecast delays of up to 40 minutes on Mt Wellington Highway in peak traffic.”

ATOC, which is a joint venture between AT and NZTA for managing the transport network in real time, has been working with IKEA to ensure their traffic management plan minimises the traffic impact as much as possible, and will be actively managing traffic light signals and diverting traffic where possible as congestion levels increase. 

“We know people are excited about IKEA opening, but like any popular event or destination that attracts a large crowd, it’s going to put pressure on the transport network,” Howard says.

“The best thing you can do is allow plenty of extra time, check routes and travel times on navigation apps and travel outside of peak times if you can.

“We expect congestion will be at its worst during evening peak traffic on weekdays and on Saturdays from 1-4pm, particularly heading Northbound from South Auckland toward Mt Wellington.”

Multiple channels for informing Aucklanders of travel delays

There will be multiple channels used for keeping Aucklanders and people travelling from other regions informed about disruptions and delays on Auckland’s transport network during this busy period.

These will include real-time updates on the NZTA Journey Planner website, AT website and AT Mobile app notifications, electronic signs on the highway network and local roads, and NZTA/AT social media channels.

“When the store opens on 4 December, staff at ATOC will be monitoring and responding around the clock to keep traffic moving as best we can and we will provide real-time updates for road users and public transport users,” Howard says.

“Our focus is on minimising disruption as much as possible and ensuring people can make informed travel choices.”

Travel advice for IKEA shoppers – taking the train may be your best bet

To avoid the longest queues, people should consider visiting the store outside of peak traffic times.

For those who aren’t planning to buy large furniture, catching the train on the Eastern Line will be the fastest way to get to and from the store.

ATOC Manager Claire Howard says people should consider travelling by train if they are able to.

“It’s a 19-minute train ride from Waitematā Station to Sylvia Park Station compared with expected travel times of more than an hour for the same journey by car, especially if you’re just window shopping or able to get your purchases delivered.” Howard says.

Staff will be on the ground at Sylvia Park Station to help direct people to the store who are travelling by train.

Travel advice for people travelling through Auckland

Drivers coming from out of Auckland to either visit the store or drive through this part of SH1 through Mount Wellington should plan for potential delays and check traffic levels before departing.

Drivers can explore other routes, for example the Western Ring Route (State Highway 20, 18 and 16) through Māngere, Mt Roskill and Massey to avoid State Highway 1.

We recommend using navigation apps to check traffic levels and find the best route before you travel.