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Environment – Danish Govt to lower drinking water nitrate limit, Greenpeace calls on NZ to follow

Source: Greenpeace

The Danish Government has officially confirmed, via its coalition agreement, that it will dramatically lower legal limits for nitrate contamination in drinking water in line with authorities’ recommendations, following outcry from Danish citizens over the country’s pork industry and its links to water contamination.
Greenpeace Aotearoa says that New Zealand should follow in Denmark’s footsteps, calling nitrate contamination a ‘hidden public health crisis’ and warning that it will worsen if action isn’t taken.
The existing nitrate limits – set at 50 mg/L NO3 , which is equivalent to the 11.3 mg/L NO3-N metric used in New Zealand – were set in the 1950s by the World Health Organisation in response to methemoglobinemia risk in infants (Blue Baby Syndrome), but do not account for long-term and chronic health risks. Denmark is set to lower its nitrate limits to 6 mg/L NO3, equivalent to 1.3 mg/L NO3-N, following the recommendations of an independent scientific review commissioned by the Danish Ministry for the Environment.
“From New Zealand to Denmark and beyond, nitrate contamination is threatening rural communities’ health,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe.
“Intensive meat and dairy corporations are poisoning drinking water, and governments are not holding them accountable. Denmark’s commitment to lowering the nitrate limit is the first step towards forcing these corporations to stop their pollution.”
“Denmark has just proven that public health can take precedence over corporate agribusiness lobbies. Every child should be able to grow up drinking safe, clean water at home, without pollution from industrial livestock production making them sick.”
“Lowering the nitrate limit will make that possible for Danish communities. But New Zealanders will find little comfort in this while they are drinking water that could be making them sick.”
Nitrate contamination in drinking water has been linked to increased risks of bowel cancer and preterm birth by a growing body of international scientific research.
“New Zealand is in the middle of a nitrate crisis,” says Appelbe.
“Already, many rural communities cannot safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap. Towns like Darfield and Oxford in Canterbury, or Lumsden in Southland, have levels of nitrate in their drinking water that put pregnant people at an increased risk of preterm birth. This is unacceptable, and New Zealanders should be ashamed that it’s got this bad.”
“While Fonterra and other corporations are reaping record profits, their intensive dairy farms are leaking nitrate and other toxins into the soil and water systems. A handful of wealthy agribusiness executives cannot be allowed to compromise the health of our communities just to enrich themselves. That’s why New Zealand must lower the nitrate limit immediately, just like Denmark.”
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Health Provision – GenPro cautiously welcomes once-in-a-generation funding reform

Source: General Practice Owners Association (GenPro)

The General Practice Owners Association (GenPro) has cautiously welcomed the Government's proposed changes to general practice funding, including a review and reweighting of capitation payments, annual funding uplifts, and measures designed to help limit increases in patient fees.

However, GenPro remains concerned about aspects of the package and its impact on a significant minority of practices.

Approximately 1,000 general practices yesterday received details of the proposed changes, which were provisionally agreed this week through a forum of health sector stakeholders, including GenPro.

GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers said the package represented the most significant review of general practice funding in more than two decades and acknowledged the Government's willingness to address longstanding flaws in the system.

General practices will now consider the proposed changes and vote on whether to ratify amendments to contracts with Primary Health Organisations funded by the Government.

“We congratulate Health Minister Simeon Brown for undertaking a comprehensive review of capitation funding and recognising that the current system needed updating,” Dr Chambers said.

“General practice has been advocating for a fairer funding model for many years. The Government has made a genuine effort to address some distortions that have developed over time and better target funding towards patients with greater health needs. That said, a couple of big distortions – Very Low Cost Access and the Equity Adjustor – which should have been addressed, have not been.”

Under the proposed arrangements, around 60 percent of practices would receive increased funding through capitation reweighting and annual funding uplifts. However, approximately two in five practices would experience a reduction in income under the new funding formula.

To address this, the Government has proposed transitional arrangements that would protect practices from immediate losses by guaranteeing their existing funding levels.

“We welcome the decision to grandparent funding for practices that would otherwise be negatively affected by the changes. This means most practices should be no worse off in the short term while they adjust to the new funding settings.”

Dr Chambers said the transitional arrangements would help soften the impact of the reforms but would not eliminate longer-term challenges for some practices.

GenPro also welcomed Health New Zealand's decision to reform rural funding support but said additional investment remains necessary.

“There are significant healthcare challenges in rural communities, and we urge the Government to commit further funding to rural general practice over time.

“The additional rural funding is welcome, but it is modest relative to the scale of the challenges facing rural practices and the communities they serve.”

Dr Chambers said the package reflected an attempt to address multiple issues simultaneously, including updating capitation settings, supporting practices facing rising costs, improving equity, and helping keep patient fees under control.

“That complexity means a small but significant number of general practices will see little or no improvement in their financial position despite the overall increase in funding.

“That said, we support the direction of travel. The Government has listened to concerns from the sector and has made a serious effort to improve the funding model.

“This is not a perfect solution, and it will not satisfy everyone. However, it is a constructive step forward and an important recognition that primary care funding requires ongoing attention if general practice is to remain sustainable, accessible and able to meet growing patient demand.”

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Fire and Emergency New Zealand reminds public to be extra careful when strike action takes place

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is warning the public that the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) will be undertaking a strike today, Friday 5 June, and tomorrow, Saturday 6 June, between 12pm and 1pm.
The NZPFU has indicated its intention to continue twice-weekly strikes.
“I want to reassure the public that all 111 calls will be received and responded to during the strike periods,” Deputy National Commander Ken Cooper says.
“However, our response times will be delayed in impacted areas as volunteer crews will be responding from the next closest location. So, we are asking the public to remain extra careful.
“Our advice remains the same. If there is a fire, get out early, stay out, then call 111.”
During the one-hour strikes, Fire and Emergency will prioritise emergencies and may not attend less serious incidents, such as private fire alarms where there is no sign of fire, small rubbish fires, traffic-management assistance, and animal rescues.
In addition, Fire and Emergency has established a process with Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance for responding to medical events in impacted areas.
“We remain focused on achieving a fair and sustainable settlement with the NZPFU so we can continue working to keep communities safe,” Ken Cooper says.
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New Samoan Language Music Videos Launched During Samoa Language Week 2026

Source: Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata (MMAA)

Palmerston North, New Zealand—5th June 2026

Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata (MMAA) proudly launched four new bilingual Samoan children's music videos during Samoa Language Week 2026, continuing its commitment to preserving, promoting, and celebrating gagana Samoa for future generations.

The music videos formed Part Two of a collaborative project between Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata and award-winning children's music duo The KaRs, led by Kane Parsons and Regan Taylor. The project was proudly supported through the Creative Communities Scheme, administered by Palmerston North City Council, over both 2025 and 2026.

Building on the success of the 2025 project, the partnership previously released 10 original bilingual Samoan songs and two music videos. One of those videos, I'a Mase'ese'e (Slippery Fish), attracted more than 100k views on YouTube, highlighting the demand for engaging and accessible Samoan language resources for children, families, educators, and communities across Aotearoa and beyond.

The launch took place on Thursday, 4 June 2026 and brought together children, families, educators, community leaders, and supporters to celebrate the richness of the Samoan language and culture.

This year's Samoa Language Week theme, “‘E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu‘u” – “From the high mountains are the blessings of the village,” acknowledged the collective contributions of families, communities, leaders, and educators who nurture and strengthen future generations. The theme reflected the spirit of this project, which was made possible through collaboration, partnership, and a shared commitment to language revitalisation.

Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata Centre Manager, Tiana Fauolo, said the project continued to respond to the growing need for quality Samoan language resources.

“We were delighted to share these new resources with our families and community during Samoa Language Week. We hope these resources encourage families, educators, and communities to use gagana Samoa every day.”

The videos featured the voices and talents of Malamalama Moni tamaiti alongside The KaRs, whose work is widely recognised for creating educational music and resources that inspire children to learn through song and play.

Kane Parsons of The KaRs said the collaboration demonstrated the power of community partnerships in supporting language learning. ‘Music has an incredible way of bringing language, culture, and community together. Seeing tamaiti singing confidently in gagana Samoa through these songs and videos has been incredibly rewarding for all of us involved. This project has always been about creating resources that families can use together at home, in centres, and out in the community. We’re also incredibly proud of the visual storytelling in these videos, captured beautifully by videographer Trent Skeet, a recent UCOL graduate, whose creativity and passion helped bring the songs to life for tamariki and audiences everywhere.’

At the heart of the partnership between Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata and The KaRs is a shared belief in the power of music to inspire learning. Both organisations are passionate about supporting young children during their formative years, when language, culture, identity, and confidence are developing rapidly. Through songs, movement, and storytelling, they have worked together to create resources created for use both in the classroom and at home, the resources support learners of all ages to hear, speak, and enjoy gagana Samoa in meaningful and engaging ways.

The project reflected a simple but powerful belief: language thrives when it is spoken, sung, shared, and celebrated together.

Acknowledgement

Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata, The KaRs and Hokozoo Productions gratefully acknowledges the support of the Creative Communities Scheme, administered by Palmerston North City Council. Funding received over the past two years made it possible to develop and produce bilingual Samoan language songs and music videos that promote gagana Samoa and celebrate Pacific culture through music, learning, and community connection.

 

About Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata

Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata is a bilingual Samoan early childhood education centre based in Palmerston North. Established under the EFKS Church, the centre provides a nurturing environment where children are immersed in gagana Samoa, aganu'u Samoa, Christian values, and a strong sense of identity, belonging, and cultural pride.

About The KaRs

The KaRs are an award-winning children's music duo consisting of Kane Parsons and Regan Taylor. Through music, books, videos, and live performances, they create educational content that encourages children to learn, explore, and celebrate diversity through creative experiences.

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WORLD VISION WARNS NZ IS NOT PREPARED FOR GROWING PACIFIC CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT

Source: World Vision

  • Nearly one million Pacific people displaced by climate disasters between 2010-2021
  • New Zealand has no dedicated framework to manage cross-border disaster displacement
  • New report calls for practical, Pacific-led solutions before pressures worsen
A new World Vision report is calling for New Zealand to take practical steps to better support Pacific peoples displaced by climate disasters. 
In the ten years to 2021, climate disasters resulted in the displacement of nearly one million Pacific people [i] and the humanitarian agency says this number will grow as storms, flooding and sea-level rise intensify. 
The organisation today released a report, To Stay or Move with Dignity , which outlines practical steps New Zealand could take to address climate and disaster-related displacement, while helping Pacific communities to remain safely on their land if possible. 
World Vision New Zealand’s Head of Advocacy and Justice Rebekah Armstrong says widespread displacement caused by climate disasters in the Pacific is no longer a future issue. 
“Cyclones, floods, and rising seas are already disrupting lives across the Pacific, and children are often the first to feel the impacts through disrupted education, food insecurity, displacement, and loss of safety. 
“Most Pacific peoples want to remain safely on their ancestral lands for as long as possible, but when movement becomes necessary, families should not be left navigating uncertainty or protection gaps alone,” she says. 
World Vision’s report outlines a coordinated regional approach for New Zealand to offer greater support, including:
  • Increasing Pacific-led climate finance and disaster risk reduction support
  • Establishing an Emergency Protection Framework for people displaced across borders by disasters
  • Adapting existing migration pathways, including the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and Pacific Access Category, to better respond to climate and disaster pressures.
Armstrong says New Zealand’s policy settings have not kept pace with the growing realities of climate and disaster-related displacement in the Pacific, with many more people seeking to come to New Zealand for climate-related reasons than current visa quotas allow for. 
“Poorly managed displacement places pressure on communities, services, and regional resilience which is why early planning early matters. We’re calling for New Zealand to do this work now so that we have systems in place that are safe, predictable, and well-supported,” Armstrong says. 
The World Vision report emphasises that stronger investment in Pacific-led adaptation, resilience, climate finance, and disaster risk reduction must remain the first priority.
Manase Lua of the Pacific Leaders Forum says responses must be grounded in dignity, partnership, and Pacific priorities. 
“We are people of the moana, connected by ocean, whakapapa, and responsibility to one another. Across our region, communities are already living this reality and what matters is that our people are not left without choice. 
“Our people want to remain on their lands for as long as possible. But where movement becomes necessary, it must be planned and supported in ways that protect dignity, strengthen communities, and reflect Pacific leadership and partnership.” 
World Vision is calling on political parties to address climate and disaster-related displacement in the Pacific as part of this year’s general election. 
The organisation says immediate priorities should include strengthening Pacific disaster resilience, increasing climate finance, and establishing an independent Pacific-informed advisory mechanism to guide climate and disaster mobility policy including an emergency protection framework.
Notes: 
To Stay or Move with Dignity draws on an adapted systematic review of more than 300 sources, New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal case law analysis (189 Pacific cases, 2000-2025), and consultations with Tuvaluan, I-Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Ni-Vanuatu communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. 
World Vision New Zealand is a global, child-focused humanitarian organisation. We work alongside children, families, and communities to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice, serving all people regardless of faith, ethnicity, or gender. 
The report’s recommendations include:
  • Strengthen regional disaster risk reduction through Pacific-led, anticipatory, and integrated systems
  • Provide fair, adequate, and accessible climate finance to support in-place adaptation
  • Adapt and strengthen the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme as a climate resilience and disaster response pathway
  • Establish an Emergency Protection Framework for disaster displacement
  • Develop clearer guidance for climate- and disaster-related protection claims
  • Adapt existing Pacific migration pathways to better reflect climate mobility
  • Establish a dedicated rights-based pathway for proactive movement in response to slow-onset climate risks
  • Establish an independent Pacific-informed mechanism to support oversight and accountability
  • Strengthen settlement systems to provide culturally responsive support for people displaced by disasters and climate change.
[i] Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), Disaster Displacement in Asia and the Pacific: A Business Case for Investment in Prevention and Solutions (Geneva: IDMC; Manila: ADB, 2022), https://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/disaster-displacement-in-asia-and-the-pacific/.
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PikPok recognised for global success and industry leadership at 2026 ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards

Source: Business Central

WELLINGTON, NZ: Wellington-based video game developer and publisher PikPok has been named ASB Exporter of the Year at the 2026 ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards. Proudly sponsored by ASB, the awards recognise exporting excellence from across Central New Zealand, spanning Greater Wellington to Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Whanganui, Manawatū and Nelson Tasman.
Judged by a highly experienced panel of exporting specialists, PikPok was awarded the supreme title in recognition of its international success and contribution to New Zealand’s wider gaming and interactive media sector.
“Nearly three decades in, PikPok continues to set the standard. Their impact goes well beyond their own commercial success. They have helped make New Zealand a globally recognised centre for game development talent through collaboration, incubation, and a genuine commitment to growing the wider industry,” the judges said.
ExportNZ Regional Manager Amanda Liddle said that all of this year’s winners reflect the ambition, innovation and resilience driving export growth across the region. “What stood out this year was the calibre of businesses coming through. These are exporters with strong commercial instincts, clear market positioning, and the ability to adapt and grow internationally while continuing to invest back into New Zealand.”
The breadth of exporting success emerging from the central region is reflected in the 2026 winners. From Mufftech’s fast growing international expansion and highly targeted market approach, to Double Vision Brewing’s customer led innovation strategy gaining traction in China, the awards highlighted businesses finding success through very different paths. Judges also recognised T&R Interior Systems through the Judges’ Choice Award for their continued export growth and contribution to the sector.
ASB’s Head of International Trade, Mike Atkins said the quality and diversity of this year’s finalists was particularly impressive. “This year’s winners demonstrate what’s possible when New Zealand businesses combine innovation, customer insight and disciplined execution. From advanced manufacturing and software development through to brewing and specialist construction systems, these exporters are proving New Zealand businesses can compete successfully on the world stage.”
Libby McFadden, a judge from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise added that what set this year's winners apart wasn't just ambition – it was strategic clarity. “They understood their market, knew their customer, and built for it deliberately. That kind of success deserves to be celebrated, because when New Zealand businesses win on the world stage, we all benefit.”
Below is the full list of winners for 2026:
2026 ASB Central Region Exporter of the Year PikPok
Gallagher Insurance Best Established Business PikPok
DHL Best Emerging Business Mufftech
Henry Hughes IP Excellence in Innovation Double Vision Brewing
Judges’ Choice Award T&R Interior Systems
CentrePort Everyday Heroes Award recipients Liz Johnston – Retail Manager, The Village Goldsmith Clint Keil – Freezer / Coolstore Foreman, Taylor Preston Mark Clifford – Hirtenberger Defence Technology
About the ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards Now in its tenth year, the ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards recognise and celebrate the contribution exporters make to the regional and national economy. Supported by Business Central NZ, the Awards highlight the ambition, capability, and global impact of businesses operating within the central region. 
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Health Provision – Disability data gaps leave health inequities hidden, new report finds

Source: Health Quality and Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora

A significant gap in New Zealand’s health data is making widespread inequities for disabled people invisible, according to a new report released Friday June 5 by the Health Quality and Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora (the Commission).
According to the 2023 Household Disability Survey, disabled people make up around one in six New Zealanders.
A Window on Disability report finds that disability is largely invisible in national health data, meaning the health system has limited ability to identify, measure or address the health needs and inequities experienced by more than 850,000 disabled New Zealanders.
For example, while everyone who uses the health system is assigned a National Health Index (NHI) number, the NHI record does not capture whether a person is disabled or what support they may need.
Despite these limitations, the report uses new data analysis techniques to connect existing datasets and, for the first time, build a national picture of disabled people’s experiences of health care quality and safety.
What emerges is a clear pattern of systemic barriers and poorer health outcomes across the lifetimes of disabled people. These include:
  • maternity care: disabled people are less likely to enrol with a lead maternity carer and have higher rates of pre-term birth
  • children and youth: services are generally responsive in early years, but the transition to adult care is a significant pressure point where connections between services begin to fragment and disparities in health outcomes between disabled and non-disabled people widen
  • adults: disabled people face barriers to accessing primary care, contributing to higher emergency department use and increased rates of cancer, diabetes, post-operative complications, poor oral health, and mental health conditions
  • older adults: a growing group of people with age-related disabilities is emerging, but their needs are not well distinguished in current data.
The compounding impacts throughout disabled people’s lifetimes build and result in the Window’s stark finding that disabled people die from treatable conditions at five times the rate of non-disabled people. This rises to 10 times for Māori disabled people.
Professor Sunny Collings, Chief Executive of the Commission, says the findings highlight both the impact of inequities and the risks of data gaps on disabled people’s health outcomes.
“Disabled people have long reported barriers in the health system, but until now, those experiences haven’t been visible in national level data.
“A Window on Disability shows what becomes possible when we start to connect the data, but also how much is still missing”.
Improving disability data collection is critical. The report identified a good first step is to commit to, and fully resource, the mandatory inclusion of standardised disability identification questions across all existing and future health data collection processes.
Professor Collings says “reliable, good quality data is essential to understanding where in the health system we need to focus our efforts to improve health outcomes for disabled people”.
A Window on Disability is released on the same day as the Health and Disability Commissioner’s report ‘Disabled people’s | Tangata whaikaha experiences of health services’ which states that about 25 percent of complaints it receives are about care provided to disabled people.
Background
A Window on Disability was developed in a partnership between the Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora, researchers from the Donald Beasley Institute, and data analytics group Nicholson Consulting.
The Window combines disabled-led research and disability community engagement with advanced Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) data analytics.
The Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) is a large research database managed by Statistics NZ. It holds de-identified microdata about people and households that comes from government agencies, Statistics NZ surveys, and non-government organisations (NGOs).
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Disabled People’s | Tāngata Whaikaha Experiences of Health Services: Report on complaints to HDC

Source: Health and Disability Commissioner

Disabled People’s | Tāngata Whaikaha Experiences of Health Services: Report on complaints to HDC
Report highlights barriers disabled people face in health services
A report released today by the HDC highlights the significant barriers disabled people continue to face when engaging with health services. Complaints made to the HDC detail the impact of a health system that does not meet the needs of disabled people.
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner, Rose Wall said that HDC’s report reflects concerns disabled people have consistently raised for many years.
“Disabled people engage more frequently with the health system, yet too often they continue to face barriers that affect their dignity, safety and ability to access care on an equal basis with others.”
‘Disabled People’s | Tāngata Whaikaha Experiences of Health Services: report on complaints to HDC’ details an analysis of complaints received between 2023 and 2025. The HDC makes a series of recommendations related to the right of disabled people to receive safe, person-centred care.
“Disabled people experience poorer health outcomes, and implicit and explicit biases towards disability remain.”
“Trust in the health system is critical. Disabled people need to know they will have their rights upheld when they receive care.”
“This report looks at how gaps in service design, communication and coordination within and between agencies negatively impact on disabled people’s experiences and outcomes.”
Over the three-year period, HDC received approximately 1,800 complaints from disabled people about health services. A close review of 176 complaints highlighted recurring issues relating to person-centred care, cultural responsiveness, informed consent, understanding and management of coexisting health and disability conditions, and coordination of care across services.
“Improving outcomes for disabled people requires more than individual service improvements – it requires a coordinated, cross-system approach. I have recommended that Health NZ and Disability Support Services work together as lead agencies to address the issues highlighted in the report.”
The report identifies the need to strengthen reasonable accommodations and reduce barriers to care and highlights the importance of cross-agency collaboration in supporting disabled people to navigate between multiple systems.
HDC has also stressed the importance of the health workforce being supported to improve their understanding of the rights of disabled people, the diverse experiences and support needs of disability communities.
“Disabled people must be at the centre of this work. Their voice and leadership are essential in shaping services that are safe, accessible and responsive to their needs.”
HDC will continue to work with relevant agencies and providers to monitor progress and advocate for system-wide improvements.
The full report is available on the Health and Disability Commissioner’s website: www.hdc.org.nz
This release of this report coincides with the publication of ‘A Window on Disability’ by the Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora, with both reports highlighting the ongoing barriers and inequities in outcomes disabled people continue to experience across the health system.
Anonymised excerpts from complaints:
  • A non-verbal consumer reported waiting hours in ED before a nurse identified a simple alternative communication method, enabling contact with an emergency support person and medication to be provided.
“After hours, another nurse came in and tried to speak to me. She quickly realised I was nonverbal and asked if I could answer by shaking or nodding my head – I could. It took her one minute to do this and to find out she could call one of my emergency contacts to tell her what had happened … I was then moved to a quieter place in ED, given a cup of water with a straw so I could actually drink, was given the medication I had waited hours for.”
  • A hearing-impaired consumer described relying on a phone transcription app to communicate with hospital staff after surgery, despite informing staff about their communication needs in advance.
“I told the nurse who admitted me to the ward [for surgery] I was very hearing impaired. She wrote on my information whiteboard that my language was ‘lip reading’ … I am not a good lip reader, it requires intense concentration and skill, and after surgery there was no hope of me lip reading … I was relying on Google Live Transcribe to understand what people were saying to me.”
  • A wheelchair user reported having to bring their own ramp to medical appointments because a clinic was not accessible.
“The clinic… had no accessibility, meaning any time I visited I had to bring my own ramp for my wheelchair.”
  • A father described concerns about autism-related care needs and specialist notes being ignored during an emergency department presentation, resulting in distress for his son and premature halting of healthcare.
“On [consumer’s] medical notes there are two red flags noted by a psychologist and a psychiatrist, which highlights the difficulty for him when receiving treatments in hospital … [consumer’s father] relayed this information to the ED consultant but the information was ignored and resulted in [consumer] becoming anxious, aggressive towards staff … [consumer’s father] wanted [consumer] to remain in hospital but felt, with the low level of acceptance and acknowledgement about [consumer’s] autism and the recorded notes by specialists being ignored, it was in the best interest of [consumer] to take him home.”
  • A disabled man who did not meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis spent multiple years in a psychiatric ward due to a lack of alternative support options.
“[We] are concerned there is no end to this [three-year psychiatric] hospital admission for [consumer with learning disability and no diagnosed mental health condition] and [we] are uncertain he is being prioritised in terms of a pathway for [him] to be successfully integrated back into the community.” 
Notes
Please only use the photo provided with this media release. For any questions about the photo, please contact the communications team.
The full report of this case can be viewed on HDC’s website – see HDC's ' Latest Decisions'.
Names have been removed from the report to protect privacy of the individuals involved in this case.
The Commissioner will usually name providers and public hospitals found in breach of the Code unless it would not be in the public interest or would unfairly compromise the privacy interests of an individual provider or a consumer. More information for the media, including HDC’s naming policy and why we don't comment on complaints, can be found on our website here.
HDC promotes and protects the rights of people using health and disability services as set out in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights (the Code).
In 2022/23 HDC made 592 quality improvement recommendations to individual complaints and we have a high compliance rate of around 96%.
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Value of building work put in place: March 2026 quarter – Stats NZ information release

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Government Cuts – Stop using AI as an excuse to sack public servants, PSA warns

Source: PSA

Maxim Institute report should be wake up call for Govt
A new report warning that AI risks replacing public servants and undermining democracy should be a wake-up call for a government that last week rammed under urgency a law enabling automated welfare decisions.
“Even a conservative think tank is now saying what we’ve been saying: slow down, stop treating AI as a shortcut to slash jobs, and do the serious work to get this right,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The Maxim Institute’s Algorithmic Government: Of the people, for the people, by AI? report, released today, warns that unchecked AI adoption could see decision-making quietly migrate from humans to opaque systems nobody truly controls. It recommends the Government treat AI as ‘an augmentation to, rather than a replacement for, human judgement in rights-affecting decisions’.
“That’s exactly the principle this Government is ignoring. The Social Security Modernisation Bill was rushed through Parliament five days ago, opening the door to automated decisions on welfare benefits. The report itself cites Australia’s Robodebt as a cautionary tale. Yet this Government is charging down the same path with this Bill. It’s wrong.
“AI can make public servants more productive. We welcome that. The Maxim report says it clearly: public sector AI should be pursued for ‘higher productivity, faster responsiveness, and stronger oversight, while remaining bounded by law and accountability’. But no country in the world has evidence that AI can replace public sector workers at the scale this Government is betting on. Sacking 8,700 workers and hoping AI fills the gap is not a strategy, it’s a gamble with the services New Zealanders depend on.
“The report calls for a proper roadmap rather than letting AI ‘grow by accretion’ and says workforce training is essential to harness gains safely. This Government has done neither. Instead, it’s gutting IT teams across the public service at the very moment it should be investing in them to help public service workers embrace the opportunity.
“Māori data is taonga. The push for automated decision-making in welfare, justice, and health, where Māori are disproportionately affected, poses a direct threat to Māori data sovereignty and Treaty obligations this Government is already dismantling.
“If we rush this and don’t think it through, we risk government by algorithm. That is not democratic.
“As the report states, incremental expansion of AI could result in a ‘government formerly democratic but substantively shaped by algorithmic systems that humans supervise rather than truly control.’ That’s a frightening prospect.
“The overall message is simple: slow down and ensure AI is used to make public servants more productive, not more disposable.”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.