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Women demand political parties commit to pay equity – NZCTU

Source: NZCTU

NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges is backing working women who are demanding that political parties reverse the pay equity changes and fund all pay equity claims.

“Thousands of working women from Whāngarei to Invercagill took to the streets today to demand that politicians back pay equity,” said NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges.

“Women in Aotearoa have been fighting to be paid equally for 132 years. We must ensure that our daughters and granddaughters don’t have to continue the fight.

“Pay equity will be a central issue at the next election. This Government has proven it doesn’t care about working women, so we are calling on opposition parties to pledge that they will reverse the changes in the first 100 days and fund all pay equity claims.

“It’s great that opposition MPs were out on the streets with us today. We will hold them to account and ensure they follow through when they return to power.

“No Government can dismantle pay equity – we have won it before, and we will win it again,” said Ansell-Bridges.

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First Responders – Strong winds raise the risk of fires

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

With strong winds predicted across most of the South Island from tonight and extreme wind speeds forecast in parts of Canterbury, Fire and Emergency is urging people to avoid lighting any outdoor fires this weekend.
MetService has issued a red wind warning for most of Canterbury and orange level warnings for most of the rest of the South Island.
Fire and Emergency District Commander Rob Hands says that the winds will make any fires very hard to control and could easily ignite old fires that have not been completely extinguished.
Anyone who has had an outdoor fire in the last two weeks should go and check the site and make sure that it is completely out. Put water on the ash piles or embers if there is any sign of heat.
“We had a foretaste of this last Wednesday, when there were multiple fires across our region and our firefighters dealt with some very challenging situations due to preventable fires. We want to avoid that happening again,” Rob Hands says.
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Weather – MetService issues Red Warning for Damaging Winds for Canterbury High Country

Source: MetService

Covering period of Saturday 20th – Sunday 21st September – At 9:58am MetService escalated the severe weather warning in the Canterbury High Country to a Red Warning for Damaging Winds in consultation with the Canterbury Regional Council.

MetService Red Warnings are reserved for the most extreme weather events where significant impact and disruption is expected.

The escalation to a Red Warning comes as the South Island prepares for the arrival of an active front with very strong and damaging northwesterly winds, as well as heavy rain.

The Red Warning is in place from 10pm tonight (Saturday) to 3pm on Sunday during which severe gales with speeds of 150 km/h are possible in exposed areas.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane says, “Destructive winds are expected to cause widespread damage, including to roofs, powerlines and may impact on power supply. Falling trees may threaten life and property. The winds will also create dangerous driving conditions and disruption to transport. Travellers, especially as school holidays get going, are advised to plan for potential disruptions.”

“A Red Warning signifies that people need to act now as immediate action is required to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services.”

This is the third Red Warning MetService has issued this year, and it’s the 18thRed Warning weather event since the highest alert level was introduced back in May 2019.

The strong winds are not confined to the Canterbury High Country. Nearly all of the South Island is under Orange Warning for Strong Winds late Saturday to Sunday, with winds of 120 km/h possible in exposed areas. In the North Island, Wellington is also under an Orange Warning for Strong Winds.

In addition, heavy rain is expected along western parts of the South Island, as well as the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers where Orange Warnings for Heavy Rain are in place.

Details of the Severe Weather Warnings and Watches can be found on the MetService app or on our webpage:  https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home.

MetService also now provides push notifications for Red Severe Weather Warnings via our app.  More information can be found here about enabling them.
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Overseas merchandise trade: August 2025 – Stats NZ information release


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Christmas Pressies from the RSA are on their way to deployed NZDF personnel

Source: Royal New Zealand RSA

 

A taste of home is on its way to every member of the New Zealand Defence Force deployed overseas this Christmas, thanks to the Royal New Zealand RSA.

 

For 85 years, the RNZRSA has sent Christmas parcels to deployed personnel, and while the content has changed over the years – the sentiment at the heart of them remains the same.

 

This year 150 parcels have been sent to deployments around the world including the Republic of Korea, South Sudan, Egypt, the Middle East and Antarctica.

 

The parcels were packed near Trentham Military Camp yesterday by a busy production line of `elves’ including the Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies, RNZRSA National President Sir Wayne Shelford, staff from the RNZRSA’s National Office and volunteers from the New Zealand Defence Force.  

 

Christmas boxes were filled with treats and Kiwi classics donated by the wonderful team from Pams. Each box also contained a poppy and cards handmade by students from Mt Cook and Silverstream Primary Schools in Wellington, to let those serving overseas know the country's thoughts are with them. 

 

RNZRSA National President, Sir Wayne Shelford said the parcels are designed to let New Zealand’s service men and women know they are not alone at Christmas time.

 

“It’s hard for anyone to be away from family at Christmas, but for our deployed service men and women they’re also facing uncertain circumstances and may have limited communication.

 

For 85 years the RSA has sent these Christmas parcels to show our defence personnel how grateful we are for their sacrifice, and to let them know how much we value them.”

 

Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies said that these small packages make a big difference to those away from home at Christmas.

 

“Deployments come with many challenges, not least of which is being separated from family and loved ones. These packages really do help our people feel connected at Christmas time – and we’re grateful to the RSA for their continued support.”

 

Background

 

The RSA is incredibly grateful for the generosity of Pams New Zealand and Packaging Products. Pams donate the majority of goodies inside the parcels, and this year included items such as packets of lollies, roasted and salted deluxe nut mix, scorched almonds, packets of biscuits and much more. Packaging Products print and donate the boxes the goodies are packed into.

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Iwi, unions announce ‘Rā Whakamana’ national day of solidarity

Source: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi

The National Iwi Chairs Forum and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi are today announcing that on the 28th of October there will be a national day of solidarity, Rā Whakamana, to reaffirm the tino rangatiratanga of Tangata Whenua and protect the rights and wellbeing of all workers.

The 28th of October carries deep meaning – it marks the signing of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni and the first Labour Day demonstrations in 1890 that helped secure the eight-hour working day.

Iwi, unions, and activist groups are calling for mass mobilisations across the country at 12pm on 28 October to send a powerful message that we will not back down in the face of the Government’s ongoing attacks on our people.

“Rā Whakamana is a tikanga-led stand for cultural wellbeing, dignity, workers’ rights, mana wāhine, rangatahi, and tino rangatiratanga – guided by iwi leadership in partnership with the union movement,” said iwi spokesperson Dr Kenneth Kennedy.

“Despite the defeat of the Treaty Principles Bill, this Government continues its anti-Tiriti and anti-worker agenda. They are undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi, removing Treaty clauses from law, pushing the Regulatory Standards Bill, blocking pay equity for wāhine, and eroding workers’ rights and protections while costs keep rising,” said iwi spokesperson Na Raihania.

“Rā Whakamana is about keeping the pressure on. We will continue to mobilise and disrupt until this Government stops attacking Māori, dividing communities, and damaging the cultural health and safety of Māori workers,” said union spokesperson Laures Park.

“Together as iwi, as unions, as Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti, we are not just resisting, we are creating a future where tino rangatiratanga is real for everyone and Te Tiriti o Waitangi unites all communities,” said union spokesperson Grant Williams.

Rā Whakamana is the first time that iwi and unions have collaborated on a national scale. Events will be held across the country.

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Northland News – $600k Climate Resilient Communities Fund allocated

Source: Northland Regional Council

Twenty-two Northland projects will share $600,000 of funding to support community-led initiatives that build resilience to the immediate and ongoing effects of climate change.
Northland Regional Council Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Gibbard says the council’s Climate Resilient Communities Fund is investing directly in what matters most; “our people and local systems”.
Community feedback during consultation on the council’s Long Term Plan 2024-2034 had emphasised the importance of council taking a leading role in helping to build climate resilience.
“By building resilience now, we avoid bigger costs later and ensure our communities are ready, not just reacting.”
Mr Gibbard says funding is available for innovative and forward-thinking projects that make plans or take action to improve our long-term resilience to a changing climate.
Community organisations can apply for up to $40,000 plus GST and this year 75 applications requesting $2.8 million had been made from groups across Te Taitokerau.
Of the successful applicants, five are for Northland-wide projects, nine are from the Far North district, five from Whangārei district and three from Kaipara.
Mr Gibbard says each project is a testament to the determination of Northlanders to shape a resilient, sustainable future.
“These projects will connect communities, build capacity, and strengthen our readiness for whatever lies ahead.”
Funding has been granted for projects that create scalable infrastructure and economic pathways for local food growing, ensuring affordable, healthy kai and income for local producers.
“These initiatives build ‘food sovereignty’, reduce carbon miles transporting food, and lessen our reliance on supply chains bringing kai into Te Taitokerau…supply chains that are increasingly at risk from a changing climate.”
 Mr Gibbard says other funded projects include nature-based resilience projects led by youth from several Whangārei schools that are actively shaping adaptation planning by embedding ecological literacy and civic engagement into the city’s future.
“Alongside these initiatives are proactive approaches to community-led solutions for water security, and solar infrastructure projects that aspire to embed energy resilience in the wider community, also enabling a remote a community vulnerable to a changing climate to progress their planning for a secure future.”
He says Resilient Communities Funding goes directly to supporting NRC’s community outcomes, primarily “carbon neutral, resilient communities in a changing climate” but also delivering “sustainable, innovative and equitable economy” outcomes, “meaningful partnerships with tāngata whenua” and “healthy waters, land and air”.
2025 recipients and their funding are:
-ōNuku Aotearoa – Toihuarangi “Regenerative Orchards”; $40,000
-Tree Born Forests – Food Forest “Seed Blocks” for communities; $30,000
-Āteanui Limited – Peruperu Rawa; $40,000
-Climate Change Taitokerau Trust – Food Web (Stage 2 Kai Strategy); $20,000
-Te Kura o Ōmanaia – Te toitūtanga kai ki Ōmanaia; $9000
-Whakaora Kai Food Rescue – Kai connections, sustainability and resilience; $15,000
-Maungatūroto Residents Association – Edible Village Project; $20,000
-Whangarei Girls High School, Whangarei Boys High School, Whangarei Intermediate School, Whangarei Primary School – Waiarohia Stream Community Engagement and Resilience; $35,000
-Morningside School – A Water Resilience Powerhouse in the Urban Jungle; $15,000
-Arawai Limited – Ōkokori Wetland and Forest Restoration for Climate Resilience; $40,000
-Haititaimarangai Marae 399 Trust – Tupehauora – Restoring Our Coastlines, Honouring Our Ancestors; $40,000
-Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust – Takahiwai 9B Marae Stream and Wetland Restoration; $12,000
-Climate Club Aotearoa – Student Climate Action “Ripple Effect” Workshops; $29,700
-Kaitaia Intermediate School – Climate Action Workshops; $870
-Ihirangi Trust – Te Aka Taiohi; $15,000
-Mangawhai Museum and Historical Society – Special Exhibition on Storms; $20,000
-PermaDynamics – Syntropic Agroforestry Research and Training; $20,000
-Te aho Taiao o Waimamaku – Te Mauri o te Taiao; $32,000
-Te Whānau a Te Hinetapu – Te Waiora o Pataua; $30,000
-He Kete Kai – He Kete Kai o Hokianga; $20,000
-Owhata Marae – Solar Power Project; $40,000
-Dargaville Intermediate School – Energy Resilience Project; $40,000.
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Education – Ara celebrates significant spring graduation

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

The numbers are impressive, but the stories of achievement behind them are perhaps even more so.
On Friday, more than 1,400 graduates had qualifications conferred in Ara Institute of Canterbury’s spring graduation – the polytechnic’s last such ceremony under Te Pūkenga. In January 2026, Ara returns to being a standalone institute.
With the age of graduates spanning 15 to 75 years, Ara celebrated the awarding of almost 200 Bachelor’s degrees, 34 Postgraduate and Master’s qualifications and an enormous 780 Level 3 and 4 certificates.
In this graduation alone, a snapshot of the qualifications earned shows Ara contributing:
– 106 Bachelor of Nursing graduates to the healthcare sector
– 188 newly qualified graduates to the construction and trades sector
– 73 graduates in business, accounting and applied management study streams
– 53 graduates to the health and wellbeing sector
– 39 early childhood education workers
Speaking at the Woolfbrook Arena celebration, Ara Institute of Canterbury Executive Director Darren Mitchell said the skills needed for Waitaha Canterbury industries and our changing world were embodied in the graduates.
“Technology is evolving rapidly. Industries are being reshaped. Climate, global health, and social equity are no longer distant issues, they're part of our everyday reality. The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities.”
“I see every day how Ara responds to change – how we innovate, how we partner and how we prepare our learners to meet the future head-on. Graduation is a truly special celebration of that collective impact,” Mitchell said.
The largest cohort of graduates was in the Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways, with 207 learners ready to take their next steps into higher-level study or employment.
Tāua (grandmother) Huriana Russell is an example of a learner who took that path.
Overcoming decades of addiction, Russell stepped into pathway study at Level 3 having never opened a laptop. On Friday, she will graduate with a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4), specialising in Mental Health and Addiction Support. Her learning journey is continuing, as she ultimately seeks to give back to her community how she herself has been supported.
Russell was an Ara Eke Panuku award winner in her first year of study in 2023, in recognition of intergenerational whānau (family) transformation through education, agency and enterprise.
Drawing on the whakatauki (proverb) Poipoia te kākano, kia puāwai (nurture the seed and it will blossom), Ara Māori Success Team Kaumātua Poutama | Te Waha Pu Harry Westrupp paid tribute to her dedication.
“This is whānau transformation – one kuia’s courage opening doors for generations,” he said. “Tena koe (congratulations), Huriana.”
Among the crowd will be graduates, their whānau, their kaiako (tutors) and often their kaituku mahi (employers).
Presenting the ākonga for graduation, student speaker Alicia Esera brought her own inspiring story to the event.
A wife and mother of three, with two of her children diagnosed with disabilities, Esera said her family was her ‘why’.
“I came to my nursing studies after experiencing phenomenal neonatal nursing care for my youngest child who was born with a genetic disorder,” she said.
“Amora is now six and doing so well – but our journey with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) which affects growth, development, appetite, and behaviour has caused us some challenges – there’s been a lot of appointments in between classes!”
“Ara became more than a place of study for me; it became a place of growth. The patient guidance of our tutors and the encouragement of classmates sharing both struggles and laughter has got us through,” she said.
With her husband and three children on hand to watch her graduate – her dream is to give back with a role in paediatric nursing or for her Pasifika community.
From first laptops to late night assignments, Ara’s last Te Pūkenga graduation marks a bold new beginning – with over 1,400 learners ready to shape what comes next.
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Education – Ara qualification life-changing for graduating taua (grandmother)

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Two years ago, at the age of 58, Huriana Russell decided she wanted more for her life than sitting watching afternoon soaps.
Putting two decades of addiction behind her and having never touched a laptop, Huriana decided the path to a positive future lay in study.
On Friday, friends and whānau cheered her on as she graduated with a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) specialising in Mental Health and Addiction Support, from Ara Institute of Canterbury.
“I’m so happy that my whānau including some of my mokos were here. They are the ones who've seen me uplifted from when I first started,” she said.
“I feel more like an inspiration to my mokos now. They’ve seen me out there doing something, not a 60-year-old lady sitting in a chair. I saw my mum do that and I wanted a change from what I saw,” she said.
The past few years have been life-changing for Huriana. She overcame addiction on her own at first, then found strength and direction through Purapura Whetu, Kaupapa Māori Health & Social Services, Christchurch NZ.
“Their awhi (support) helped me see a new path forward and gain inspiration to begin study,” she said. “My journey to recovery gave me the opportunity to see there was more to life than the struggle I’d been in, but it had been so many years since being in a classroom, I had to learn to write essays!”
The answer lay in Ara’s New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 3) Support Work and Social Work Pathway in 2023, followed by the qualification she celebrated at Ara’s spring graduation today.
As part of her studies, Huriana completed a placement at Purapura Whetū – the very organisation she once turned to for support. Team members from there also attended the ceremony to see her cross the stage at Woolfbrook Arena.
One of her Ara tutors Dr Joanna Cobley said Huriana brought “a respectful and wholehearted energy to her learning.”
“She drew deeply from her lived experience and was driven by a genuine desire to grow her knowledge and skills to serve a community with specific needs. Her journey reflected Ara’s values of hono, hihiri, and aroha – connecting with others, learning with purpose, and leading with compassion,” Cobley said.
Huriana received an Ara Eke Panuku award in her first year of study in 2023, in recognition of intergenerational whānau (family) transformation through education, agency and enterprise.
Drawing on the whakatauki (proverb) Poipoia te kākano, kia puāwai (nurture the seed and it will blossom), Ara Māori Success Team Kaumātua Poutama | Te Waha Pu Harry Westrupp paid tribute to her dedication.
“This is whānau transformation – one kuia’s courage opening doors for generations,” he said. “Tena koe (congratulations), Huriana.”
When asked about her study journey, Huriana described every step of her experience as a highlight.
“Each paper that I had to do, each and every wānanga and kōrero, has contributed to my growth personally and professionally. I see my journey as one whole continuous highlight. It gave me a whole new outlook on life.”
And the study hasn’t stopped. Completing her Level 4 qualification earned her entry to Matatini Ora – Diploma in Māori Public Health (Level 6) Māori Mental Health and Addiction through Te Rau Ora.
The hope is to give back to those who helped her. “Giving back to the community is so important to me – I know what it’s like to have healing supported and being part of positive change in the community. I want to use my skills and lived experience to help whānau and rangatahi (young people) who’re walking a similar journey that I’ve been on.”
She hopes sharing her story inspires others.  “I say to young ones, now it doesn’t matter your age or the challenges you face every day, we all have the opportunity to learn more.”
“I hope that my journey shows moko and whānau and community that change, growth and learning is always possible.”
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GAZA: Failure by the UN Security Council to pass a ceasefire resolution is an abdication of legal and moral responsibility to children

Source: Save the Children

The international community has disregarded the lives of one million children in Gaza yet again with the failure of the UN Security Council to pass another ceasefire resolution today, Save the Children said.
The vote took place just days after the UN Commission of Inquiry found that the Government of Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, and as Israeli forces launched a ground offensive in Gaza City. This follows weeks of bombardment of the city and displacement orders forcing nearly one million people already facing famine to flee south to ever shrinking and overcrowded patches of land.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Regional Director for Save the Children in the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe said:
“Just two days ago, a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that genocide is being committed in Gaza. What we are witnessing on the ground is consistent with these findings.
“These findings are among the clearest legal assessments yet, but Israeli forces are still tightening their grip on Gaza City-killing, starving, and displacing children and families. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council and Israel’s allies remain unwilling to act.
“It is clearer now than ever before that not only the Government of Israel but also the international community has the moral and legal responsibility to stop this. If now is not the moment, when is?
“We call on the UN Security Council to reconvene without delay and to continue meeting-day after day if necessary-until it fulfils its moral and legal obligations to secure a ceasefire and guarantee humanitarian access for children.”
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in more than 100 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.