Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Greenpeace – Luxon Govt joins Trump’s Climate Stupidity Club – Russel Norman

Source: Greenpeace

The announcement today that the Luxon Government is opening up all of New Zealand to oil and gas exploration shows that the Government has joined Trump’s Climate Stupidity Club.
Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Russel Norman says, “We have just seen Donald Trump embarrass himself at the United Nations by claiming that climate change is not real, while the world watched with a mixture of ridicule and horror. With this decision on oil and gas exploration, Shane Jones and Christopher Luxon have signed up to Trump’s Climate Stupidity Club.
“Well I’ve got news for Shane Jones: climate change is real, paracetamol does not cause autism, fossil fuels need to be phased out, and renewables are much cheaper than fossil fuels. Jones might worship Trump’s inane ramblings but New Zealand needs to base its energy policy on reality, not MAGA dogma.
“In the midst of a wave of deindustrialisation, resulting from a failure to develop a proper energy strategy, the Government is playing Trumpian culture wars by blowing the horn of fossil fuels that will never solve our energy challenges.
“Fossil fuels are a climate disaster, and require massive taxpayer-funded subsidies. The Government spent $300 million cleaning up the Tui oil field, and has offered up another $200 million for gas exploration.
“Its time to bring back the Gas Transition Plan and the NZ Battery Project that Luxon abandoned in 2023,” says Norman. “It’s time to dump Trans Tasman Resources’ seabed mining project, which has seen two international offshore wind generation companies leave New Zealand. It’s time to embrace a rapid rollout of solar, storage and energy efficiency.
“To bring back oil exploration now is like trying to bring back the fax machine. Fossil fuels are outdated, expensive, and are driving climate chaos. The Government should be building clean, affordable renewable energy, not dragging us backwards.”
“Gas is already the most expensive form of electricity generation,” says Norman. “This is a giant leap backwards that will cost households and the climate dearly.”
“Shane Jones and Christopher Luxon can try to lure Big Oil back – but people power kicked every single international oil giant exploring for new oil and gas out before, and we will do it again. We will defend nature.”
More than thirty thousand people have signed a Greenpeace open letter pledging to resist the oil and gas industry should they return to explore for new oil and gas in New Zealand.
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Environment – Real solutions NOT toxic pollution: Day of action against incinerators

Source: Zero Waste Aotearoa

Zero Waste Aotearoa will call on the Ministry for the Environment to embrace real solutions to waste and climate change, not toxic pollution from incineration as part of an international day of action on Tuesday 30 September.

“We have to create the kind of future we want right now, where we redesign, reuse, and repair items, and recycle and compost – not burn valuable resources and pollute the environment,” said Dorte Wray, general manager of Zero Waste Aotearoa.

“Attacks on the Waste Minimisation Fund at both central and local government level have been noticed. These are unacceptable. These funds must be used for waste minimisation at the top of the zero waste hierarchy (Reduce, Reuse, Repair) not for underwriting dodgy waste-to-energy schemes that do not address the sources of waste.”

The day of action includes two events.

Outside Ministry for the Environment

We will be showcasing real solutions outside the Ministry for the Environment at 8 Willis Street, Wellington, at 12 noon on Tuesday, 30 September. We will be showing what solutions can deliver meaningful impacts for waste and climate change while also providing employment and strengthening community resilience.

Online Webinar

We will be hosting an online webinar to discuss waste-to-energy incineration and the alternatives we have available right now on Tuesday, 30 September 7:30pm on zoom.

Speakers are

Dale-Maree Morgan, Waipā District Council Māori Ward Councillor, will talk about the Te Awamutu incinerator, the community opposition, the Board of Inquiry hearing and the outcome

Sue Coutts, Zero Waste Aotearoa, will discuss new waste-to-energy technologies and practices we are hearing about (like feeding hard-to-recycle plastics into the cement kiln) and why these are not real solutions

Giulio Laura, Site Manager at Tāmaki Zero Waste Hub, will speak about the work that Tāmaki Zero Waste is doing, about how to conceptualise waste differently and how to move beyond throwing things away.

The webinar is free and open to the public. Registration is essential: https://tinyurl.com/ynbmjt6c

The events are part of a global day of action organised by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), an umbrella organisation representing communities across the globe committed to a world where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.

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Weather News – Showers, westerlies, and kōwhai in bloom – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 25th – Monday 29th September – The first week of the spring school holidays comes to an end and showers continue as fast-moving fronts pass over today (Thursday) and Friday. 

These fronts build a line of heavy showers, with the risk of thunderstorms for the South Island, and hail about Canterbury and North Otago today. Snow is also expected to affect some mountain roads.

MetService has issued Strong Wind Watches for the following areas on Friday, where localised gusts of 100km/h are also possible:

Canterbury High Country about and north of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
Grey District, and Westland District north of the Glaciers.
Wellington and Wairarapa.

MetService Meteorologist Michael Pawley details “During spring, fronts line up like waves in the sea. There will be blustery northwesterly winds and decent showers, especially for western parts, as each one rolls through. As winds strengthen, the swell will also pick up, so keep a close eye on the marine forecast if you’re looking to take the boat out.”

On Saturday the All Blacks face Australia at Eden Park for the first Bledisloe Cup test. While it looks like a sunny morning, fans might want to keep a raincoat on hand for the line of showers that will move across Auckland during the afternoon and evening, with possible thunderstorms and strong wind gusts.

On Sunday the clocks spring forward for Daylight Saving, and another burst of rain with strong northwesterly winds moves over the South Island.  

Michael continues “Sunday looks to be a great set up for warmer temperatures in eastern regions thanks to the Foehn effect. This happens when rain falls on the West Coast and Southern Alps, it releases heat, the warm dry air then descends on the Canterbury Plains. This Foehn wind mirrors what occurs in the Alps of Europe.”

Christchurch and Kaikōura are forecast to have a maximum temperature of 21°C on Sunday. Napier and Hastings are expected to get to 24 °C.

There is a glimmer of hope for parents hoping to send the kids outside early next week as the weather settles briefly under a ridge of high pressure.

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First Responders – Saving lives this Daylight Saving – check you have working smoke alarms in the right places

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

When the clocks spring forward this weekend make that a reminder to check your smoke alarms are working and in the right places.

“Working smoke alarms give you the best chance to survive a fire,” Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Community Education Manager Tom Ronaldson says.
“Fire moves fast. You have less than three minutes before a fire is unsurvivable,” he says.
“When you are sleeping, you are unable to smell smoke. Working smoke alarms will wake you and allow you to get out and stay out.”
Last year 17 people tragically lost their lives in house fires, the highest number since 2014.
In many of these incidents there were smoke alarms in the home, but they were either not working or not in the right places.
“We’re asking you to make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, living room and hallway,” Tom says.
“This will give you the earliest possible warning of a fire and ensure you and your whānau are able to get out.
“It is important you test your smoke alarms regularly and give them a clean with the vacuum cleaner or duster. To test smoke alarms, push the button and wait till you hear the beep.
“If your smoke alarms don’t beep, replace them straight away.”
Tom Ronaldson says while you are checking your smoke alarms this weekend, take a few minutes to talk to your household about your three-step escape plan.
“To create a three-step escape plan, check you have working smoke alarms in the right places, identify your first and second escape routes from each room and agree on a safe meeting place,” he says.
“Practicing your three-step escape plan is a great way to entertain your tamariki these school holidays, and to make sure they know how to get out in an emergency.”
It’s also a good time to check in on vulnerable whānau, friends or neighbours. People over sixty were the largest group represented in last year’s fatal fires.
“Ensure they have working smoke alarms and can get out of their home safely in a fire,” Tom Ronaldson says.
For more information head to www.fireandemergency.nz/home-fire-safety.
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Health Policy – Dental Roadshow Finds "Neglected" Under-18s Service, "Nationwide Crisis" in Oral Health

Source: Dental for All
A national roadshow on access to dental care sets off on its final trip next week – and has confirmed longstanding concerns about barriers to dental care across the country.
Advocacy group Dental for All – backed by dentists, oral health therapists, unions, and frontline service providers – begins a final roadshow through the South Island on Saturday 27 September.
The roadshow has visited 18 towns or centres as part of a journey that has gone so far from the Far North to the East Coast, and from Wellington to Rotorua. 
The third and final leg of the roadshow will visit at least 8 further towns and centres from Invercargill to Nelson, meaning the roadshow will have visited at least 26 towns and cities, across some 35 events. Events have included free dental days, community discussions, and marae and school visits.
A strong theme of the roadshow has been an under-resourced under-18s dental service, for which there appears to be little government planning or accountability.
“We have heard story after story about the under-18s service being neglected, particularly in smaller centres, where in some cases we're hearing mobile dental vans haven't visited for years,” says Hana Pilkinton-Ching, Dental for All campaigner and spokesperson. “Making dental truly public – building an integrated child, adolescent, and adult community dental service – would improve planning and accountability for the under 18s service, and mean the government has to square up to the fact that oral health is part of general health, and needs urgent attention.”
Across the country, community members have spoken about painful attempts to extract their own teeth because of cost barriers – a cost barrier that the most recent New Zealand Health Survey stops almost half of all New Zealanders from accessing the dental care that they need.
“It's alarming how often we have heard of people being left to pursue DIY dentistry, because of the prohibitive cost barrier,” says Pilkinton-Ching. “The need is enormous, and the Government knows it, so the longer the Government chooses not to act on dental, the more the Government is condoning the significant suffering people are going through across the country when it comes to oral health.”
Dental for All is calling for the government to implement free, universal dental, delivered consistently with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 
When New Zealand's public healthcare system was established in 1938, some dentists lobbied for the exclusion of dental from the service, though dental care for under-18s is free. That exclusion of dental continues to today.
Research commissioned by Dental for All shows the cost of universal dental, at $1-2bn, is less than what the current exclusion of dental from the public system is costing society, with FrankAdvice research showing that the current approach to dental is costing the country $2.5bn in lost productivity and $3.1bn in reduced quality of life. 
In the Far North and on the East Coast local providers have told Dental for All that they are seeking to establish accessible local oral health services because the need is urgent – but there is little or no government support for those measures.
“Local communities and health providers, especially Māori health providers, are seeing the problems in oral health and acting on them by trying to set up local accessible dental services,” says Pilkinton-Ching. “But it shouldn't be down to local providers to fundraise or volunteer time – this is a nationwide crisis that demands a nationwide solution.”
Major Dental for All community discussions will be held in Dunedin on the evening of Monday 29 September and Christchurch on the evening of Wednesday 1 October, with the roadshow closing with an event in Nelson on the evening of Monday 6 October.
Note

– Hana Pilkinton-Ching and Kayli Taylor are available for interviews. Hana can be contacted on 027 253 4641, and Max Harris can be contacted on 022 426 8939 on background or to arrange interviews.
– Details of many of the remaining Dental for All community events can be found online here: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/calendars/dental-for-all-roadshow
– In the 2024 NZ Health Survey, 45% of New Zealand adults reported unmet dental need due to cost: https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/annual-update-of-key-results-202324-new-zealand-health-survey
– Details of the cost of excluding dental from the public healthcare system in terms of lost productivity ($2.5bn) and reduced quality of life ($3.1bn) can be found in this FrankAdvice report at p 4: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6716db8303911558a264ceeb/t/6893fb04bd24865e5efa7e1f/1754528521108/FrankAdvice_report_for_Dental_for_All_Coalition.pdf
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Chief Ombudsman publishes OIA and LGOIMA complaints information for January to June 2025

Source: Office of the Ombudsman

The Chief Ombudsman John Allen has published his half-yearly data on Official Information Act (OIA) and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) complaints.
The data covers the number of complaints received under each Act from 1 January to 30 June 2025, as well as the number of complaints completed by the Ombudsman during this period.
The number of complaints about the way government agencies handle OIA requests has continued to rise year on year. However, in the most recent six-month period, there was a slight decrease in complaints compared to the previous half year (1,025 complaints, down from 1,029 in the previous half year).
The top three types of OIA complaints related to refusals in full (260, down from 315), partial refusals (258, up from 198), and delays in making a decision (210, up from 208). We also received a number of complaints about incomplete or inadequate responses (96, up from 94).
Of the total received, 794 were from individuals (up from 752), 113 from media (down from 131), 54 from companies, associations, incorporated societies or collectives (down from 55).
There were 251 complaints made under LGOIMA, up from the previous six-monthly period when 215 complaints were received.
Of the 251 LGOIMA complaints received, 209 were from individuals (up from 192), 20 from companies, associations, incorporated societies or collectives (up from nine), and 14 from the media (up from 13).
The top four types of LGOIMA complaints were refusals in full (66, consistent with last year), refusals in part (52, down from 54), delays in making decisions (53, up from 34), and inadequate or incomplete responses (47, up from 36).
Complaints data (1 January – 30 June 2025)
Complaints received
Complaint type Individual Media Other Total received LGOIMA 209 14 28 251 OIA 794 113 118 1,025
LGOIMA or OIA complaints received may also be from: political party research units; trade unions; special interest groups, companies, associations, incorporated societies, Members of Parliament, etc. These are categorised as ‘Other’ in this table. See this half year data set for more detail.
Reasons for complaints
Complaint type Delay in decision Refusal in full Refusal in part Incomplete/ inadequate response Extension Other LGOIMA 53 66 52 47 7 26 OIA 210 260 258 96 47 154
Complaints completed
Complaint type Individual Media Other Total completed LGOIMA 230 17 59 306 OIA 1,032 161 155 1,348
The ‘Other’ category may include complaints about decisions to make information available subject to a charge; the manner or form in which information was released; alleged delay in releasing information; extensions of the time limit to making decisions on requests; refusal – statement of reasons; refusal – internal rules and guidelines; refusal – personal information about body corporate. See this half year data set for more detail.
About the data
The data released by the Ombudsman concerns both OIA and LGOIMA complaints received and completed from 1 January to 30 June 2025. It includes information on the number of complaints received by Minister or agency, the nature of the complaint and type of complainant (media, private individual, etc). For the complaints completed, the data also includes the outcome of the complaint.
The data does not enable a direct comparison between agencies, as complaints data on its own does not give the full picture. The number of complaints received by the Ombudsman may be a very small proportion of the total number of OIA or LGOIMA requests received by an agency.
Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission publishes its own data on OIA requests received by agencies and their response times on the same day as the Ombudsman publishes. 
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Security Tech – When Automation Fails: Lessons in Cyber Resilience from Europe’s Airport Ransomware Attack

Source: Cyber News. Article by Mantas Sabeckis

This past weekend, millions of travelers faced a modern nightmare: delays, cancellations, and chaos at some of Europe's busiest airports – Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin – triggered by a ransomware attack on Collins Aerospace's check-in and boarding software. It's very much the reality of today's hyperconnected infrastructure.

This shows how hidden cyber risks can be. It also shows how unprepared many important systems are for these kinds of threats.

This also shows how the vulnerability of supply chains can put businesses in trouble. Collins Aerospace isn't an airport or airline but a software vendor, a third-party provider whose systems connect together vast and complex air travel operations.

This sort of third-party risk is increasingly a preferred target for ransomware gangs. A flaw in one vendor's software can cascade through the global transportation ecosystem, unleashing disruption across an entire continent.

The lesson here is that just making your own computers and firewalls stronger isn't enough. Real protection means keeping a close eye on every part of your supply chain. Are vendors' security practices robust? Do contracts demand transparent vulnerability disclosure? Is patch management swift and audited? Those questions are foundational.

Then, there's the often-overlooked fallback mode: manual operations. This hack blew up the digital convenience airports pride themselves on: automated check-ins, seamless boarding. The reversion to handwritten boarding passes and paper manifests was crude but necessary.

Investing in these manual backups and making sure staff are trained to execute them under pressure is as essential as any other security measure. In the race to digitize, this old-school readiness often gets pushed aside, until it becomes a lifeline.

Experts are trying to find out who's responsible. Terror law watchdog Jonathan Hall KC says it's possible state-sponsored hackers could be behind the attack. Places like Heathrow in the UK are quite obvious targets during big political and economic tensions. Figuring out who's behind attacks like this is always tough, but it shows that important systems like airports are now key targets in global cyber battles.

This incident shows that being ready for cyberattacks isn't just about building stronger defenses. It means taking care of the entire system – making sure every part, including suppliers, is secure, planning for the worst, and having backup plans that keep important services running no matter what.

The aviation sector might be racing toward a more automated future, but we have to keep in mind that the digital runway isn't invincible, and resilience must be built in from the ground up.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mantas Sabeckis is a security researcher at Cybernews, specializing in identifying data leaks, detecting vulnerabilities, and enhancing the security of AI systems. With a strong commitment to responsible disclosure, he collaborates with both large corporations and small organizations to help them address security issues before they can be exploited. Mantas's work centers on understanding how sensitive data is exposed and sharing insights that contribute to stronger cybersecurity practices. His mission is clear: to make the internet a safer place for everyone by advancing research, promoting responsible security measures, and supporting initiatives that protect digital ecosystems.

ABOUT CYBERNEWS

Cybernews is a globally recognized independent media outlet where journalists and security experts debunk cyber by research, testing, and data. Founded in 2019 in response to rising concerns about online security, the site covers breaking news, conducts original investigations, and offers unique perspectives on the evolving digital security landscape. Through white-hat investigative techniques, Cybernews research team identifies and safely discloses cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, while the editorial team provides cybersecurity-related news, analysis, and opinions by industry insiders with complete independence. For more, visit www.cybernews.com.

Cybernews has earned worldwide attention for its high-impact research and discoveries, which have uncovered some of the internet's most significant security exposures and data leaks. Notable ones include:

  • Cybernews researchers discovered multiple open datasets comprising 16 billion login credentials from infostealer malware, social media, developer portals, and corporate networks – highlighting the unprecedented risks of account takeovers, phishing, and business email compromise.

  • Cybernews researchers analyzed 156,080 randomly selected iOS apps – around 8% of the apps present on the App Store – and uncovered a massive oversight: 71% of them expose sensitive data.

  • Bob Dyachenko, a cybersecurity researcher and owner of SecurityDiscovery.com, and the Cybernews security research team discovered an unprotected Elasticsearch index, which contained a wide range of sensitive personal details related to the entire population of Georgia. 

  • The team analyzed the new Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone's web traffic, and found that Google's latest flagship smartphone frequently transmits private user data to the tech giant before any app is installed.

  • The team revealed that a massive data leak at MC2 Data, a background check firm, affects one-third of the US population.

  • The Cybernews security research team discovered that 50 most popular Android apps require 11 dangerous permissions on average.

  • They revealed that two online PDF makers leaked tens of thousands of user documents, including passports, driving licenses, certificates, and other personal information uploaded by users.

  • An analysis by Cybernews research discovered over a million publicly exposed secrets from over 58 thousand websites' exposed environment (.env) files.

  • The team revealed that Australia's football governing body, Football Australia, has leaked secret keys potentially opening access to 127 buckets of data, including ticket buyers' personal data and players' contracts and documents.

  • The Cybernews research team, in collaboration with cybersecurity researcher Bob Dyachenko, discovered a massive data leak containing information from numerous past breaches, comprising 12 terabytes of data and spanning over 26 billion records.

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Oxfam – Colonialism hijacks energy transition: 70% of minerals for renewables lies in Global South but the majority of profits are captured by the world’s richest

Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

  • Although Global South countries hold roughly 70% of transition minerals reserves, the majority of the investments in renewable energy are concentrated in the Global North (50%) and China (29%) – with those profits largely falling into the hands of the richest 1%.
  • In 2024, Latin America received 3% of global clean energy investment, and Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa each received just 2%, despite Sub-Saharan Africa being home to 85% of the world’s population without access to electricity.
  • Latin America holds nearly half of the world’s lithium but captures only about 10% of the value.
  • The energy consumed by the wealthiest 1% alone would be enough to meet the basic energy needs of people without electricity access seven times over.
The vital transition from fossil fuels into renewable energy is being captured by super-rich polluters – individuals, companies and countries – reproducing colonial patterns that are entrenching inequalities and fuelling human rights violations, says Oxfam’s new report ” Unjust Transition: Reclaiming the Energy Future from Climate Colonialism”, published today.
For example, Tesla, the firm owned by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, made $5.63bn from Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales in 2024. For each EV, the company earned profits of $3,145 – 321 times more than the entire Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) got for supplying the 3Kg of cobalt in each car. The DRC captures as little as 14% of the cobalt value chain, but retaining the full value could generate more than $4 billion a year -enough to provide clean energy to half of its nearly 110 million population.
The Oxfam report describes the “plunder” of minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths, land grabs for bioenergy, carbon removal projects, and seizure of large-scale resources for hydropower, wind and solar. These projects often involve violence, forced labour, and environmental harm, with little consent from local people living inside these new “sacrifice zones”.
Currently, mining, renewable energy projects and industrial development linked to the energy transition – overwhelmingly driven by the Global North and powerful elites – are threatening the rights of Indigenous peoples in as much as 60% of their recognised lands; at 22.7m km². This is roughly 85 times the size of Aotearoa.
“The richest countries and super-rich individuals are driving the climate crisis to its current tipping point, over-consuming the carbon budget through deeply unequal and extractive systems. Now they are trying to capture and control the energy transition at the expense of the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries, driving up inequality further,” said Oxfam Executive Director Amitabh Behar. “A truly just transition starts with an end to the patterns of injustice, misrule and excess.”
Rich countries and powerful elites also dominate the international financial architecture, pouring billions into their own transitions while locking Global South countries into a growing debt crisis and leaving them little to fund their own development. So-called developing countries owe $11.7 trillion in external debt-more than 30 times the estimated cost of providing universal clean energy by 2030.
“Many Southern countries are being locked out of transition altogether despite having significant potential – 70% of the world’s wind and solar potential lies in the Global South. Their governments can’t take advantage of falling renewable costs because of high debt and unfair lending terms. Our research shows that the cost of powering people is almost twice as high in African countries, compared to the price in advanced economies. If they do engage with foreign investment, it is all led by extraction and the pursuit of profits for the few over the public good for the many,” Behar said.
Securing a just transition also means tackling today’s shocking inequality in energy access. The richest 10% of citizens consume half of all global energy, while the poorest half of humanity consumes just 8%. If redistributed, the energy consumed by the wealthiest 1% alone would be enough to meet the basic energy needs of people without electricity access seven times over.
“Addressing inequality and colonialism in the transition offers an opportunity to radically reshape the energy landscape. Indigenous People, communities, women, workers and progressive local governments are already building new energy systems rooted in local control, progressive economics and ecological care, and where decent work, social protections, indigenous rights, and reskilling are placed at the core,” said Behar. “We must support them so that the transition stops serving profit and starts serving life.”
The report provides case studies of renewable energy projects that benefit local communities and avoid exploitation. One of those case studies is the Nga Awa Purua geothermal energy project near Taupō, which is operated as a joint venture with Mana Whenua.
“A just transition to renewable energy needs to prioritise decolonisation and include Indigenous communities” said Oxfam Aotearoa Climate Justice Lead Nick Henry.
“Projects like Nga Awa Purua show that when Indigenous communities control their own land and resources, they can fully participate in energy transition and share the benefits.”
Oxfam’s report calls on policymakers to adopt a new decolonised and decentralised energy system, which recognises and repairs the harms of the historical power imbalance and prioritises global cooperation and solidarity by:
  • Adopting a public-first financing approach to climate and development goals and rejecting the ‘Wall Street Consensus’ model where public money is used to guarantee private profits.
  • Rich polluting individuals, companies, and countries need to recognize their responsibility for the climate crisis and pay for the damage.
  • Radically reforming international tax, trade and financing models to unlock current barriers for the just energy transition in Global South countries. These tools include domestic value addition, technology transfer and industrial sovereignty
  • End exploitative practices and uphold labour rights and human rights in the energy transition, including recognizing the land rights and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples.
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Appointments – GUARDIANS APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF RISK

Source: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation

The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, manager of the $85 billion New Zealand Superannuation Fund, has named Maaike van Tol as its new Head of Risk, effective 29 September 2025.

Ms van Tol joined the Guardians' asset allocation team in April 2024, following nine years with ANZ Investments, where she finished as Head of Asset Allocation and Co-Head of Diversified Portfolio Management, responsible for the strategic and tactical asset allocation of the bank's KiwiSaver, Private Bank, Retail and Wholesale investment portfolios.

Prior to her time with ANZ, Ms van Tol spent 10 years in the Netherlands where she worked for NN Investment partners, IMC and ABN AMRO.

Guardians Chief Risk Officer Michael Mitchell said Ms van Tol will take responsibility for risk across the organisation, covering portfolio risk and model risk, compliance, operational due diligence and enterprise risk. 

“Maaike's analytical background and financial markets experience leave her very well equipped to guide the ongoing development of our risk management policies and processes,” Mr Mitchell said.

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Energy Sector – Permits Have Opened. Now Let’s Rebuild New Zealand’s Gas Security

Source: Energy Resources Aotearoa

Energy Resources Aotearoa welcomes the Government’s move to allow new prospecting and exploration permits nationwide, not just in onshore Taranaki. This change creates a faster route to allocate acreage and restart the work needed to rebuild our gas supply.
Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie said the announcement is a necessary pivot from crisis management to enabling the recovery of New Zealand’s gas reserves.
“Gas keeps the lights on, firms our renewable grid and supports thousands of high-value jobs. Opening up the permit area and adding an open market pathway are practical steps that can put capital and operators back to work in New Zealand.
Without new supply, New Zealand faces higher prices for homes and businesses, uses more coal, and has greater energy insecurity.”
Today’s announcement unlocks the potential for exploration and introduces a three-month competing application window to ensure permits are awarded to the strongest work programmes.
Carnegie says the Government’s focus on quality and pace is the right balance for a tight market.
“The open market application process balances urgency with fair competition. Operators can apply as soon as they are ready, while a three-month window for competing bids ensures permits go to those offering the strongest plans for success.”
Carnegie says that upcoming details on co-investment support from the Crown will also help restore investor confidence.
“Exploration is capital-intensive. Clear signals that the Crown is prepared to share that risk alongside industry will help to bring capital back into New Zealand.”
Investors now need confidence that these policy settings will remain in place, Carnegie says, allowing them to commit the billions of dollars required for exploration and development that will underpin our energy security.
“The 2018 exploration ban caused lasting damage – the unintended impacts of which are being felt acutely by all New Zealanders.
These measures from the Government are a step in the right direction, but durable, bipartisan policy settings will be essential to unlock a secure system that provides the energy abundance New Zealand needs to thrive.”