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Luxon Govt Two Year Anniversary: Greenpeace releases updated timeline of War on Nature

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace says a comprehensive timeline of the anti-environmental actions of the Luxon Government highlights the shocking extent of the coalition's war on nature.
Next week marks the second anniversary of the swearing-in of the National, ACT, New Zealand First coalition Government.
“It's hard to keep track of all the anti-environment policies of this Government since it took power nearly two years ago, there are simply so many of them,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Dr Russel Norman.
“The Government has launched a blitzkrieg attack on nature, on behalf of polluting industries and their lobbyists. They are aiming to overwhelm those seeking to defend nature by sheer volume.
“The first step to defending nature is to understand the attacks on nature, and that is the purpose of this comprehensive timeline.”
The timeline covers everything from the Government’s attempts to dig up more new fossil fuels, to undermining freshwater protections, and everything in between, week by week, over two years.
“The Luxon-led government’s ‘fossil of the day’ award at the COP30 climate talks last week was well earned.
“It's only when you see it laid out in black and white, page after page, week after week, does the full extent of this Government's war on nature become clear,” says Dr Norman.
But Dr Norman says New Zealanders have stood up to defend nature from the moment the coalition took office.
“The coalition's hostile policies are deeply concerning to many New Zealanders.
“It's driving them to take to the streets, whether it's the tens of thousands taking part in the March for Nature or protests by local communities determined to stop seabed mining taking place off the Taranaki coast. Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders have made submissions to Parliament against the Government’s anti-environment laws.
“We will not be silenced – there is simply too much at stake.”
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Greenpeace – Council-supplied tank water in Waimate District at reproductive risk levels

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace is calling for an end to intensive dairy expansion, after outrageous revelations that tank water supplied to Glenavy residents by the district council is contaminated with nitrate at levels associated with increased reproductive risks. The organisation tested both the tank water outside Glenavy Hall and the Lower Waihao town supply today during its free water testing in Waimate, finding both were above 5 mg/L of nitrate contamination.
Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, “This water is being provided as an alternative source for people who cannot drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap. But by getting water from this tank, locals are inadvertently putting themselves at increased risk of bowel cancer and preterm birth due to nitrate contamination.”
“When Glenavy was issued a ‘do not drink’ notice in response to nitrate contamination, locals were advised to drink the water from this tank as it was ‘safe’. From the conversations we’ve had today, it’s clear that many are still collecting drinking water from this tank with the belief that it’s lower level nitrate than the town supply.”
Greenpeace’s water testing revealed that the Glenavy town supply – the Lower Waihao scheme – was testing at 6.07mg/L, while the Glenavy council-supplied tank was testing at an average of 5.38mg/L.
A growing body of international evidence has linked nitrate levels above 5mg/L in drinking water with reproductive health risks, including an increased risk of preterm birth. The New Zealand College of Midwives has advised that pregnant people should consider finding an alternative water source if their water tests above 5mg/L for nitrate.
Greenpeace also tested several private bores today. The highest reading for a private bore was 17.1mg/L, and the lowest was 1.24mg/L. The mean average for private bore nitrate was 5.11mg/L – also above the level associated with increased preterm birth risks.
The organisation says that it’s not all bad news, though. Waimate’s town supply was testing at 0.07mg/L of nitrate on average – which is well below nitrate levels associated with any adverse health impacts.
“While Waimate town’s water supply is excellent, the Waimate District’s water woes are far from over,” says Appelbe. “Intensive dairying has contaminated town supplies and private bores with unsafe levels of nitrate, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Even if all intensive dairying stopped today, it could take another 20 years before we see improvement.”
Greenpeace is advocating for an end to dairy expansion in Canterbury, and a reduction in the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser that is added to the land.
“We need our food systems to work for people and the planet. Agriculture can’t come at the expense of people’s access to clean, safe drinking water and swimmable rivers. Fonterra must support their farmers to transition away from intensive dairying and towards ecological farming practices that are better for nature.”
Additional information:
Greenpeace will be testing drinking water in Darfield tomorrow at the Darfield Recreation Centre from 11am-4pm. Media are welcome to attend.
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Save the Children – Largest aid delivery by NGO since March reaches Sudan with 40 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies

Source: Save the Children

A cargo plane carrying 40 metric tonnes of medical supplies landed in Port Sudan this week, with essential drugs, medical equipment and therapeutic food to treat children in Sudan, said Save the Children.
The delivery from Nairobi was the largest aid consignment by an international NGO since March 2025, when Sudan issued a nationwide ban on all imports from Kenya, applying to ports, border crossings, airports, and entry points.
The consignment is enough to keep hundreds of health facilities running for 6-12 months, allowing hundreds of thousands of children to be treated.
From Port Sudan, these supplies will be taken by road to reach children and families in the hardest-to-access areas across Sudan, including in Tawila, North Darfur.
The medicines in the delivery include essential drugs such as antibiotics to treat respiratory infections, fluids, multivitamins, and treatment for malnutrition. The delivery also includes medical equipment, such as thermometers, syringes and needles, bandage, gauze and dressings, IV fluids, gloves, masks and basic infection prevention items critical for providing health care and saving lives in emergencies.
More than 75% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas in Sudan are non-functional due to attacks, looting, and shortages of staff, medicines, and supplies. Millions especially children and pregnant women are currently without access to even the most basic healthcare, said Save the Children.
Outbreaks of cholera, malaria and measles continue to rise in areas where health, water and sanitation systems have collapsed, according to the UN, while Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates are alarmingly high, ranging from 38% to 75% in El Fasher and reaching nearly 30 % in Kadugli.
Mohamad Abdiladif, Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, said:
“This aid delivery is a critical milestone and was only made possible through complex access negotiations and collaboration with government authorities. It is a lifeline for millions of people.
“Every box received and delivered brings us closer to restoring critical health services in Sudan.
“However, we need more deliveries, greater access, and critically, an end to the violence. Sudan faces escalating malnutrition and famine risk, deadly disease outbreaks in overcrowded displacement sites, and the collapse of maternal and child health services.
“Save the Children remains unwavering in its commitment to deliver life-saving health and nutrition services including mobile clinics and malnutrition treatment so that every child has a chance to survive and thrive.
“But we cannot do this alone. Donors and partners must act now to scale up food and nutrition interventions to avert famine, support health services and outbreak control to prevent deadly disease outbreaks, ensure education and protection for displaced children to safeguard their future, and advocate for safe humanitarian access and sustained funding to keep aid flowing. Together, we can prevent a health and hunger catastrophe and give Sudan’s children the future they deserve.”
Save the Children is urging the international community to redouble efforts to demand an immediate end to hostilities and lifting of all sieges on civilian areas in Sudan to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale-up of humanitarian assistance. Save the Children has been working in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across the country, providing health, nutrition, education, child protection, and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan. 
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Meat exports reach $10 billion in the year ended October 2025 – Overseas merchandise trade: October 2025 – Stats NZ news story and information release


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Health – ProCare announces winners of 2025 Quality Awards

Source: ProCare

Leading healthcare provider, ProCare has announced the winners of its 2025 Quality Awards, celebrating excellence across its Network of 140 general practices and approximately 700,000 patients across Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.

The annual awards were announced Annual General Meeting last night and recognise practices that have demonstrated outstanding performance in delivering high-quality, equitable, and patient-centred care. Finalists were selected based on clinical indicators, patient experience survey results, and equity-focused initiatives.

This year’s Overall Practice Winner Award went to Eden Epsom Medical Centre, recognised for achieving the highest results for total population and high needs across the Outcomes Quality Framework indicators.

The winner of the ‘Our Picture of Health Outcomes’ Large Practice was Mt Eden Medical Centre, Medium Practice was Green Bay Medical Centre, and Small Practice was Eden Epsom Medical Centre.

These awards looked for the practices that achieved ‘best’ care for its overall and high needs patients based on clinical data across the following indicators:

·         Immunisations (8 months & 2-year-olds)

·         Cervical screening

·         Smoking brief advice

·         Cardiovascular disease risk assessment of the newly eligible cohort

·         Good/acceptable blood glucose levels (HbA1c glycaemic control < or equal to 64 mmol/mol)

·         Blood pressure control

·         Management of micro/macroalbuminuria

·         Primary & secondary cardiovascular disease prevention.

Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare says: “These awards reflect the dedication and innovation shown by general practices across the network and highlight the incredible work our practices do every day to improve health outcomes for their communities.

“We’re delighted to recognise their achievements and celebrate their commitment to equity and excellence,” continues Norwell.

In a new category introduced this year, the Best Performing ‘High Needs’ Practice Award was awarded to Otara Family & Christian Health Centre, acknowledging exceptional care and outcomes for patients in high-needs populations.

Other awards included:

Ataria Marsden Māori Equity Award (the best performing practice across the OPOH indicators for Māori population. To be eligible practices would need to have 500+ Māori patients) winner) which went to Tuakau Health Centre Ltd
Dr Sam Fuimaono Pacific Equity Award (the best performing practice across the OPOH indicators for Pacific population in practices with 500+ Pacific patients) which went to Otara Family & Christian Health Centre
Patient Satisfaction Award (this award used patient survey scores from the National PES.  Successful practices had the highest average final score. A minimum of 1.5% of a practice population had to have participated in the survey to be eligible) which went to Assist Health Care

This celebration is part of ProCare’s 30th anniversary year, marking three decades of supporting general practice and championing population health across Aotearoa. All awards were for the period 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025. The full list of winners is available below:

ProCare Quality Award Winners – 2025

·         ‘Our Picture of Health’ Small Practice Award: Eden Epsom Medical Centre

·         ‘Our Picture of Health’ Medium Practice: Green Bay Medical Centre

·         ‘Our Picture of Health’ Large Practice: Mt Eden Medical Centre

·         ‘Our Picture of Health’ Overall Practice Winner: Eden Epsom Medical Centre

·         Ataria Marsden Māori Equity Award: Tuakau Health Centre Ltd

·         Dr Sam Fuimaono Pacific Equity Award: Otara Family & Christian Health Centre

·         Best Performing ‘High Needs’ Practice Award: Otara Family & Christian Health Centre

·         Patient Satisfaction Award: Assist Healthcare.

About ProCare

ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi.

As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz

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Fire and Emergency received calls to 17 incidents during today’s strike

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand received calls for 17 incidents between 12pm – 1pm today, Friday 21 November, the time of the strike action by members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU).
Of these, eight incidents were in areas impacted by the strike.
Four of these incidents were in response to fire alarms. The remaining incidents related to two motor vehicle crashes, a hedge fire and a small fire in a rubbish truck.
Our volunteers responded as normal to incidents within their brigade areas.
Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler thanked New Zealanders for their extra care during the strike hour.
“Thank you to our more than 11,000 volunteers across the country, and their employers for supporting them to respond over today’s strike hour.
“I would also like to thank our Operational Commanders and Communication Centre Managers, who contributed to the response.
“We are disappointed that the NZPFU has issued further strike notices for one-hour strikes at 12pm on 28 November and 5 December.
“I urge the NZPFU to withdraw these latest strike notices and not issue any more, so we can get back around the bargaining table while we wait for our application for facilitation to be considered.
“This is in the best interests of our people, and New Zealand’s communities.
“Fire and Emergency 's goal is, and has always been, to reach a fair, sustainable, and reasonable settlement with the NZPFU. We are bargaining in good faith and doing everything we can to achieve an agreement without disrupting the services communities rely on.”
Notes
  • Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have been negotiating a collective employment agreement for career firefighters since 16 July 2024.
  • Fire and Emergency has improved its original offer of a 5.1 percent pay increase over the next three years, as well as increases to some allowances.
  • Fire and Emergency considers the offer is sustainable; balances cost of living pressures being faced by individuals alongside fiscal pressures faced by Fire and Emergency and is consistent with the Government Workforce Policy Statement.
  • The previous 2022 collective employment agreement settlement provided a cumulative wage increase of up to 24 percent over a three-year period for career firefighters.
  • Fire and Emergency has also been investing in replacing our fleet, with 317 trucks replaced since 2017 and another 78 on order. We are currently spending over $20 million per year on replacement trucks. There is also a significant programme of station upgrades underway, as well as investment in training.
  • For the 2025/26 financial year Fire and Emergency’s operating budget is $857.9 million. Of that operating budget, 59 percent will be spent directly on the frontline, while another 32 percent is spent on frontline enablers. This means that over 90 percent of Fire and Emergency’s budget is spent on the frontline and the people directly supporting the frontline.   
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Workers First Union – Kmart should not expect workers to handle asbestos kiddie-sand recall

Source: Workers First Union

Workers First Union is calling for Kmart to urgently and proactively engage professional waste services and advise all customers publicly that they should not bring returns of asbestos-laced children’s play sand into stores, which is risking staff health and wellbeing and causing major anxiety for Kmart retail workers.
Gary Cranston, Workers First Union’s National Coordinator for Kmart, said the union had been urging Kmart since Tuesday to establish a safe way for the products to be disposed of by professionals instead of putting workers at risk.
“Kmart workers should not be expected to deal with customer returns of contaminated products in the first place,” said Mr Cranston. “They must urgently engage professional services to deal with returns and removal of the products from stores, and get the word out proactively to customers before they reach the carpark.”
“This process should be managed at store entrances by people qualified to handle dangerous substances like this, not workers.”
“The company has not met its obligations to avoid harm to workers sufficiently at this point.”
“Workers should also not have to face the understandable fury of customers when they’re being advised that the store cannot handle their returns.”
One Kmart worker, who commented anonymously due to restrictions on public speech, said it was “chaos” in some stores.
“Customers are just leaving this stuff here on checkouts. We’ve asked managers multiple times to sort it out but it’s not happening quickly or safely,” they said.
“We’re still hearing reports of loose bags full of asbestos sand left on counters, piles of contaminated bags behind checkouts, and stock and break rooms being treated as dumping grounds for the stuff,” said Mr Cranston.
“Workers are stressed out and dealing with the Christmas rush already – this is adding to their anxieties.”
“Let’s get this right and not risk further harm to retail workers.”
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Health – Senior doctors’ union condemns puberty blocker ban

Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists – Toi Mata Hauora (ASMS) condemns the decision from Minister of Health Simeon Brown to ban new prescriptions of GnRH analogues (puberty blockers) for transgender children and young people who are not currently on them.
“It is completely inappropriate for the Government of the day to be determining treatment options for our patients,” ASMS president Dr Katie Ben says.
“These are clinical decisions that should be made by medical specialists and multidisciplinary teams in collaboration with the patient and their whānau.”
“We know mental distress is a significant problem in our transgender patients and evidence tells us there is increased risk of suicidality when gender affirming care is not provided.
“Removing access to puberty blockers will simply exacerbate this distress in young people seeking gender affirming care.
“ASMS echoes the call from the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) for the minister to explain his reasoning for blocking updated guidelines for gender affirming care, finalised in March, and to allow them to be published,” Ben says.
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Health – ProCare celebrates 30 years at AGM and welcomes new Board Members

Source: ProCare

Leading healthcare provider ProCare brought together shareholders, Board members, and its Network last night to celebrate incoming and outgoing Directors and mark the organisation’s 30-year anniversary.

Alister Lawrence, Chair of the ProCare Network Limited Board, says: “It was an evening of acknowledging and celebrating the foundations of primary care – the people on the front line and those supporting them. The network has shown remarkable strength over the past 12 months – despite the challenges facing the primary care sector, including workforce shortages, financial pressures, and ongoing health system reforms.

“ProCare is proudly owned by its network of practices, and our commitment to supporting them in delivering excellent primary health care is at the heart of everything we do.  We’re constantly exploring new and improved ways to help practices thrive, whether through innovation, advocacy, or practical support. Our focus is on ensuring that every practice has what it needs to provide outstanding care to its community,” continues Lawrence.

He adds: “What made this evening particularly special was knowing that our Network has been doing this for 30 years. We’ve been successful, and we continue to grow, improve, and support more New Zealanders.

“Over the past 30 years our practices have looked after more than 2.8 million people, administered 9.6 million vaccinations and provided more than 63 million consultations – that’s a huge achievement and deserves to be celebrated!”

New Co-op Board Directors

During the AGM, ProCare Network Limited welcomed Dr Jamie Shepherd, Mission Bay Doctors, Remuera Doctors, & Freemans Bay Medical Centre as a new Director to the Board and announced that Dr Karl Cole, Papatoetoe Family Doctors, was re-elected as a Director.

“The Board is a guiding force behind the organisations success. It helps set the strategic vision, shapes the policy framework that drives operations, and ensures strong oversight of management activities. Above all, the Board safeguards the interests of our shareholders (our practices) while steering the organisation toward its overarching goals.

“I look forward to working with Jamie and Karl and the rest of the Board to continue delivering meaningful value back to our shareholders and to keep the Co-op thriving for the long term,” says Lawrence.

ProCare also farewelled Dr Francesco Lentini as he concluded his nine-year tenure on the Board. Having served the maximum term, Dr Lentini has been an integral part of guiding ProCare’s strategic direction and supporting its mission to deliver better health outcomes for communities.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr Lentini and deeply appreciate his dedication, leadership, and contribution over the years. We wish him all the best for the future,” concludes Lawrence.

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Northland News – Passion for rangatahi and te taiao drives Ngāti Rēhia’s climate action success

Source: Northland Regional Council

Ngāti Rēhia’s commitment to environmental stewardship, rangatahi empowerment and revitalising mātauranga Māori has earned them recognition at a prestigious business awards event.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia took out the 2025 Excellence in Sustainability and Climate Action Award at the Northland Business Excellence Awards at Whangarei’s McKay Stadium on November 07.
Sponsored and judged by Northland Regional Council, the award honours businesses making measurable strides in environmental responsibility and climate resilience.
Judges praised Ngāti Rēhia’s holistic, future-focused approach to sustainability, which they said was “grounded in mātauranga Māori and community leadership.”
They were also impressed with the hapū’s mahi across ecosystem restoration, waterway protection, sustainable housing, and rangatahi empowerment which had set a benchmark for collaborative, regenerative climate action deeply connected to whenua and wai.
Ngāti Rēhia kuia Nora Rameka says fostering rangatahi capability and intergenerational knowledge-sharing has been central to their vision for a resilient future.
She says the award isn’t just a trophy for Ngāti Rēhia, but validates their commitment to safeguarding te taiao and strengthens their resolve to implement climate resilience strategies.
“We are deeply honoured to receive this recognition as it reflects the collective effort of our hapū, whānau and especially our rangatahi, who stand as guardians of the taiao,” Whaea Nora says.
“This celebration is not just about awards – it’s about recognising the heart and soul of Ngāti Rēhia and how together, we uplift each other and carry our legacy forward.
“This award belongs to all of us, ngā kaitiaki o te Taiao.”
This is not the first time Ngāti Rēhia have been recognised for their mahi in this space, with their Taiao Team winning in the prestigious Kaitiakitanga category at the 2023 NRC Environmental Awards.
Whaea Nora says Ngāti Rēhia’s journey has been marked by visionary initiatives and deep community engagement, with the likes of their Kauri Sanctuary (established in 2018), “becoming a sacred space for protecting kauri and educating the community about kauri dieback”.
She says it has also provided training for rangatahi and whānau on biodiversity and ecological impacts.
Northland Regional Council’s new Chair Pita Tipene says he felt humbled to present the award to Ngāti Rēhia at the event, calling them “the real leaders in the environmental field”.
“E hari ana taku ngākau, I felt proud and elated that Ngāti Rēhia received the Sustainability and Climate Action Award,” Chair Tipene says.
“The establishment of Te Whare Taiao o Ngāti Rēhia (Ngāti Rēhia Environmental Services) was a standout for me.” “They have a great team of hapū rangers working on the ground with very capable management which is fantastic.”
“Ngāti Rēhia are to be congratulated for their great work and should be supported to do more given their exemplary mahi.”
Looking ahead, Whaea Nora says their vision remains bold and deeply rooted in their values, with a focus on growing capacity and investment in their people, systems and structures.
“We’ll deepen partnerships with universities and experts to foster innovation and knowledge exchange, expand restoration and climate resilience projects and protect our whenua and taiao for generations to come,” she says.
“We are dedicated to empowering our people to lead with aroha and purpose and nurturing leadership grounded in tikanga and community.”
The Northland Business Excellence Awards, presented by NZ Chambers of Commerce Northland and powered by Northpower and Top Energy NZ, have celebrated regional business achievement for 48 years.
NorthChamber organises the awards, honouring excellence across all sectors.