Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Environment – EPA welcomes High Court ruling on glyphosate decision

Source: Environmental Protection Authority

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) welcomes the High Court’s ruling last week that it acted lawfully when deciding not to reassess glyphosate, a commonly used weedkiller.
The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) filed a claim in judicial review challenging the EPA’s 2024 decision that there was no significant new information about glyphosate that would warrant a reassessment of the weedkiller.
The judgment released on 17 October 2025 recognised the EPA’s role as New Zealand’s authority on hazardous substances and confirmed it has wide discretion when deciding whether to reassess a chemical.
The Court accepted the EPA as the expert body on the subject and found no error in the way the EPA’s experts approached the decision. In particular, when ELI presented the EPA with studies and literature reviews on glyphosate, the EPA was entitled to scrutinise that material for reliability and to weigh it against other recent reviews by international regulators. 
The Court also considered claims made by ELI that the EPA failed to apply the legislation properly, did not follow proper procedures, and was inconsistent in its decisions. After reviewing the case, the Court rejected all of ELI’s arguments and found that the EPA acted lawfully and appropriately throughout the process.
Recently, regulators from jurisdictions including the European Union, Australia, and the United States have extensively reviewed glyphosate. They concluded it should not be classified as a carcinogen and that any potential risks from using the substance have not changed.
“We will continue to monitor international developments and review any new research relevant to the New Zealand context,” says Dr Shaun Presow, Manager Hazardous Substances Reassessments.
“This case sets an important precedent for how the EPA applies the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. It also reinforces the value of our expert scientists and our commitment to transparency and science-based decision-making.”


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LADY TUREITI MOXON REJOINS URBAN MĀORI TRUST BOARD

Source: Tapuwae Road

Tapuwae Roa has announced today the appointment of Lady Tureiti Moxon to its Board of Directors, a move set to strengthen the Trust’s commitment and service to urban Māori communities.
Lady Moxon (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) served as Director of the Trust (then Te Pūtea Whakatupu) for six months in 2017. Her re-appointment recognises Lady Moxon’s long-standing history with the Trust and its mandated Representative Māori Organisations.
Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato in 2024, for her services to Māori health, welfare, and justice, Lady Moxon has long advocated for equity and resourcing to meet the needs of whānau Māori living in cities. Since 2012, she has chaired the National Urban Māori Authority (NUMA), representing affiliated urban Māori organisations across Aotearoa.
Alongside her governance roles, Lady Moxon is also the managing director of Te Kōhao Health, a marae-based health and community centre, where she has championed kaupapa Māori approaches to hauora and whānau ora since 2002.
“Tapuwae Roa plays an important role in empowering urban rangatahi, whānau and community groups to create solutions for themselves,” says Lady Moxon.
“I look forward to working together with Tapuwae Roa and Te Ohu Kaimoana boards to bring about sustainable gains for our whānau.”
Lady Moxon will succeed Kate Cherrington, who has served the Tapuwae Roa board since 2017, and is welcomed by remaining directors Maria Ngawati (Chair) and Awerangi Tamihere, and alternate directors Tatiana Greening, Bernie O’Donnell, and Naomi Manu.
“Lady Moxon brings so much experience across the health and legal sectors, but more than that, she brings the lived understanding of how best to reach our underserved whānau,” says Maria Ngawati, Chair of Tapuwae Roa.
“The current political and fiscal environment is such that we need to work in close partnership with others to maximise our collective impact.
“Lady Moxon’s track record of achieving this speaks for itself – nō mātou te maringanui.”
To read more about Tapuwae Roa’s board of directors, visit: https://www.tapuwaeroa.org/about/our-board/
ABOUT TAPUWAE ROA
Tapuwae Roa (formally, Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust) was established under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004 as part of the settlement of Māori fishing rights claims. As an independent charitable trust, its role is to provide strategic leadership in education, training, and workforce development for Māori, and to manage the Trust’s fund made available for these purposes. Tapuwae Roa has a particular obligation to ensure benefits are made available to all Māori and give regard to Māori who do not associate with their iwi and/or do not receive benefits from a Mandated Iwi Organisation.
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Education – Whitireia and WelTec celebrate 30 years of nursing specialty practice: mental health and addiction

Source: Whitireia and WelTec

Graduates, tutors, sector leaders and government representatives came together at Whitireia and WelTec recently to celebrate 30 years of the New Entry to Specialist Practice (NESP) mental health and addiction nursing programme.
Held during Mental Health Awareness Week, the event honoured three decades of preparing nurses to step into vital roles across Aotearoa New Zealand’s mental health and addiction services.
The celebration hosted by Whitireia and WelTec’s Head of School for Health Carmel Haggerty, supported by the Dean Te Wānanga Māori Jeanette Grace (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Ngāti Koata), bought together representatives from government, including Minister for Mental Health Hon. Matt Doocey, alongside senior nursing leaders from Te Whatu Ora, Te Pou, and the wider sector.
The NESP programme was first piloted in 1995 to support graduate nurses entering mental health, addiction, and disability services. Since then, more than 1,400 nurses have completed the post graduate qualification; with many progressing into leadership positions and specialist roles across the motu.
Minister for Mental Health, Hon. Matt Doocey, acknowledged the importance of specialist training in supporting the country’s mental health workforce. “I’ve been clear that one of the biggest barriers to timely mental health support is our workforce vacancy rates, so it was particularly pleasing to join the celebrations recognising both 30 years of the NESP programme and the exceptional role Whitireia and WelTec continue to play in preparing registered nurses for entering a fulfilling career in specialist mental health and addiction practice,” said Minister Doocey.
“Nurses help form the backbone of mental health and addiction services around the country, and they help ensure vulnerable Kiwis get the right support, in the right place, when they need it. I want to personally thank organisations like Whitireia and WelTec and others for their efforts in continuing to grow our mental health workforce and helping deliver faster access to support for Kiwis. I’ve made growing our frontline workforce a priority – including through New Zealand’s first Mental Health and Addiction Plan, which provides 110 additional NESP training places,” said Minister Doocey.
Speakers also highlighted the way NESP has embedded a holistic approach to practice, drawing on Te Whare Tapa Whā and close collaboration with service user organisations. Carmel Haggerty, one of the programme’s earliest leaders, explained “collaboration with our clinical partners has enabled us to integrate lived experience and specialist knowledge into our programme, which not only ensures graduates are technically ready to engage in mental health, addiction, and intellectual disability care, they have a deeper understanding of the needs and experiences of people who use these services.”
The event was both a celebration of the past and a moment to look forward. “The strong connections we have built with clinical partners truly equips our graduates with the essential skills, professional networks, empathy and resilience to work with service users and their whānau,” said Jeanette Grace. “This approach and continued sector collaboration ensures our graduates are not only clinically skilled but also resilient, culturally responsive, and able to meet the evolving needs of individuals, whānau and communities.”
As Mental Health Awareness Week shined a spotlight on the importance of wellbeing and support, the milestone also reinforced the critical role of education in building a skilled, compassionate workforce for the future.
Discover nursing at Whitireia and WelTec . Programmes are open for enrolment, including the Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health, Addiction, or Intellectual Disability services. Enrol now: https://www.whitireiaweltec.ac.nz/study-programmes/health/nursing
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Universities – Discovery of new marine sponges a ‘huge surprise’ – VIC

Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
A research team exploring marine sponges in Fiordland has found half of the 82 sponge specimens collected during a recent trip are new to science.  

The discovery of so many new species was “a huge surprise” and exceeded all expectations, said Professor James Bell, a marine biologist at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and leader of the research team.  

“We set out expecting we might find a few new species—if we were lucky. We had no idea of how many different sponges the fiords hold. It seems crazy because we dive so much there, but we have just been swimming past all these beautiful, undescribed sponges,” said Professor Bell.  

Sponges play a vital role in the marine environment, recycling nutrients and forming “sponge gardens” that provide habitat for fish and other species.  

Dr Michelle Kelly, a sponge taxonomist specialist at Earth Sciences New Zealand, confirmed 41 of the sponge species collected in Fiordland were undescribed and have yet to be named. They add to the approximately 1,700 sponge species already known to live in waters around Aotearoa New Zealand.  

The sponges were collected during a research trip in April to investigate the distribution of these animals in Fiordland and how it differs between the inner and outer parts of the fiords. Back in the lab, the sponge specimens were compared with samples of known species held in a collection at Earth Sciences New Zealand.  

Dr Kelly described the study of taxonomy—identifying, naming, and describing species—as “like a good Agatha Christie novel, putting all the clues together to get an answer”. Finding new and undescribed species was “very exciting, although not unexpected give the sheer abundance of sponges on the vertical walls of the fiords and the lack of previous formal research on Fiordland sponges,” she said.  

Sponge identification starts by creating “spicule preparations”, where sponge tissues are dissolved to reveal the calcium carbonate and silica spicules—tiny parts of the sponge skeleton. These spicules are used along with other characteristics—including shape, colour, texture, mucus production, and even smell—to classify different species.  

Dr Francesca Strano, a post-doctoral research fellow at Te Herenga Waka who worked with Dr Kelly, said identifying and describing the new species was crucial for effectively managing and conserving Fiordland’s marine ecosystems, and tracking changes in the environment.  

“Species identification takes a lot of time but is really important for managing our oceans, particularly when there is still so much biodiversity we have yet to discover, often just under our noses,” said Dr Strano.  

The study is one of the projects of the Southern Fiordland Initiative, a research collaboration aiming to find out more about the marine environment in the fiords and how it is changing. The George Mason Charitable Trust and Te Herenga Waka provided funding for the research.

Video footage from the research trip can be found on the university’s YouTube page at:
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Property and Construction – Construction costs have surged almost twice as fast as inflation over the past decade

Source: Quality Valuation (QV)

New Zealand’s residential construction costs have risen around 61% since 2015, compared with a 33% rise in the Consumers Price Index (CPI) — highlighting how building costs have surged ahead of everyday prices.

The data, drawn from QV CostBuilder, New Zealand’s largest subscription-based construction-cost platform, shows that building-cost inflation has run at roughly 1.8 times the pace of general inflation over the past ten years.

“Over the past decade, our data shows the cost of building a standard 175m² home rose 61%, compared with a 33% rise in general consumer prices,” said QV CostBuilder Quantity Surveyor Martin Bisset. “That’s a 28-percentage-point gap — building-cost inflation has been running well over one and a half times the pace of overall inflation.”

Since its launch in 2015, QV CostBuilder has provided those working in the construction industry including builders, quantity surveyors, valuers, architects, students and councils, with trusted data to help price and plan projects. The platform now tracks more than 61,000 rates and 18,000+ material and installer prices nationwide, updated monthly.

Mr Bisset said that while the last decade included dramatic spikes — particularly through 2021–2022 when global supply chains were disrupted and material costs soared — more recent years have brought greater stability. “We’ve seen the cost of construction flatten out since 2023, with annual increases back down around 1% in 2025,” he said.

Some materials have risen far faster than the average. Cedar weatherboards recorded the greatest increase tracked by QV CostBuilder, rising from $17 per metre in 2015 to a high of $64 in 2022, before easing back to $53 today. Shadowclad exterior plywood is up 110%, windows 72%, and steel sheet roofing 76%. Radiata pine clear flooring climbed 122%, carpet 41%, ready-mix concrete 43%, and Radiata pine framing 45%. Plywood saw one of the lowest rises, up just 12%. Construction labour costs increased slightly higher than CPI, up about 35%.

Non-residential buildings (excluding educational) rose 42% over the decade — quite a bit less than residential increases.

“There’s no doubt the past decade has been one of the most extraordinary periods for New Zealand’s construction industry,” said Mr Bisset. “QV CostBuilder’s consistent data has helped professionals benchmark costs and plan with greater confidence through some very challenging years.”

Many salaries in New Zealand have also failed to keep pace with inflation, rising much less than 33% over the past decade, making the affordability challenge even more pronounced for those wanting to build homes.

Over the past ten years, 439,000 individual costs have been updated within QV CostBuilder, helping subscribers save thousands of hours of research time. The platform delivers reliable, data-driven insights, providing ten years of support and 0% guesswork for construction professionals who rely on it to cost and plan projects with precision.

Since its launch, QV CostBuilder has continued to evolve — with new tools like Pick Lists for customised rate downloads, and close supplier engagement to keep data current and credible. As the construction sector looks to the next decade, QV CostBuilder continues to expand— providing the trusted foundation professionals need to plan, price, and build smarter.

QV CostBuilder is powered by state-owned enterprise Quotable Value (QV) and remains New Zealand’s most comprehensive subscription-based building-cost platform, covering everything from square-metre rates for homes, schools, and offices to material and labour pricing.

Mr Bisset added that to celebrate 10 years of QV CostBuilder, the company is offering $50* off new subscriptions for those who sign up by 14 November 2025 using the promo code COUNT-ME-IN. Go to costbuilder.qv.co.nz for more details.
*T&Cs apply

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Employment – More than 1200 ACC workers join other health workers in striking Thursday

Source: PSA

PSA members at ACC have voted overwhelmingly to strike this Thursday, joining more than 100,000 other workers protesting the Government’s under funding of public sector services.
More than 1200 workers from across ACC will strike from 6am to 8pm after the failure of the Government to provide a meaningful offer and ongoing concerns over workplace culture. They join around 17,000 other PSA members who work directly in the health system – members of the Allied Health collective, mental health nurse, mental health assistants, IT specialists and many others.
“ACC staff are being disrespected, their voices are not being listened to, compounded by a pay offer that does not reflect cost of living pressures – they have had enough,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Morale at ACC is at rock bottom – its leaders have not taken on board the damning findings in its culture review which showed that staff concerns were not being treated with respect.
“The latest decision to impose a new working from home rule of a minimum of three days in the office, without consultation or considering existing legal contracts smacks of the dysfunction at this critical organisation.
“These workers have the public right behind them as New Zealanders up and down the country know they are standing up for services they rely on.
“ACC workers play a vital role in the public health system -in their work on prevention, helping rehabilitate the injured and support thousands of New Zealanders every day to resume their normal lives, but like so many in the health system, this government does not value their critical work.
“ACC needs to do better – and that means agreeing meaningful pay rises for poorly paid predominantly female workers and urgently fix the deep-seated culture problems.
“Like many others, by taking this action, our ACC members are telling the Government loud and clear that its priorities are all wrong. New Zealanders expect a well-funded health system that meets their needs today and tomorrow and one that values health workers.”
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.
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Annual inflation at 3.0 percent in September 2025 – Consumers price index: September 2025 quarter – Stats NZ news story and information release


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Education – Ara Institute of Canterbury launches ‘Get Set’ campaign ahead of 2026 independence

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Ara Institute of Canterbury has launched its first major independent brand campaign since 2020, marking a confident step toward full independence in 2026.
Titled 'Get Set', the campaign puts the focus on learners who are ready to take the next step – even if they’re still figuring out their options. 
It’s a message of momentum, confidence, and possibility, designed to meet ākonga (students) at the starting line and support them from day one.
“At Ara, we’re more than an education provider – we’re the catalyst that transforms ākonga ambition into real achievement,” said Carl Pavletich, Manager – Local and Global Marketing. 
“This campaign harnesses ākonga hopes and showcases how Ara provides the skills, confidence, and support needed to help them ‘get there.’”
More than 30 programme-specific ads are now live across the South Island – on billboards, buses, digital screens, and social media. 
A new television commercial, filmed on Ara’s North Green and featuring real ākonga launches today across YouTube and On Demand platforms.
The campaign will also highlight the full student experience, including learners who balance study with mahi (work), whānau, sport, volunteering, and side projects.
It positions Ōtautahi Christchurch as New Zealand’s 'Capital of Cool' – a creative, collaborative city that’s increasingly attracting young talent.
“This is more than marketing – it’s a statement,” said Deanna Anderson, Head of Marketing and Recruitment. “Ara is direct, adaptable, and unapologetically real. Our story is unmistakable – we’ve been fueling this thriving region with skills for 120 years.”
As Ara transitions out of Te Pūkenga, it reaffirms its identity as a proud, local provider rooted in the thriving Waitaha (Canterbury) region and driven by hands-on learning, strong industry links, and a deep belief in every ākonga’s potential.
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Banking and Finance – ASB cuts mortgage rates further

Source: ASB

ASB has today reduced six of its fixed home lending rates, including a market-leading 18-month term.

ASB’s Executive General Manager Personal Banking Adam Boyd says “These rate reductions will be welcome news to the thousands of households looking to refix their mortgages or begin their home ownership journey.”

ASB also reduced its term deposit rates.

All rate decreases are effective Tuesday 21st October.

 

  Fixed home lending term

Previous rate

New rate

Rate decrease

6-month

4.95%

4.85%

-10 bps

1-year

4.49%

4.49%

N/C

18-month

4.49%

4.45%

-4 bps

2-year

4.65%

4.49%

-16 bps

3-year

4.94%

4.79%

-15 bps

4-year

5.19%

5.09%

-10 bps

5-year

5.39%

5.15%

-24 bps

 

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Transporting New Zealand calls for bipartisan commitment on Roads of National Significance programme

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand is welcoming progress on the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) Programme, but says that a bipartisan commitment is needed to avoid the risk of costly cancellations and further disruptions to the infrastructure pipeline.
The Minister of Transport announced today that the NZTA Board has now endorsed investment cases for all of the RoNS, including Sections 2 and 3 of the Northland Expressway, the East West Link, Hamilton Southern Links, Petone to Grenada and Cross Valley Link, SH1 Wellington Improvements including a new Mt Victoria tunnel, and the Hope Bypass. This involves $1.2 billion of combined funding to move the RoNS to the next phase of development.   
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih said that improved roading connections were good news for safety, productivity, and improving New Zealand’s lagging economic growth.
“When people and freight are moving efficiently, that’s good news for the entire country. You can see this in the close correlation between heavy traffic movement and GDP growth.”
Heading into an election year, Kalasih is calling on all political parties to support the infrastructure pipeline by maintaining the projects identified in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027, including Roads of National and Regional Significance.
“These are not projects that can be delivered within a couple of election cycles. They require consistency across successive governments if they are to be delivered affordably and without delay. A politically-driven cancellation or winding-back of this infrastructure programme would be a nightmare for road users, local communities, and the national economy.” says Kalasih.
“I’m optimistic that we can get buy-in on a bipartisan infrastructure pledge. Senior government ministers have highlighted the value of bipartisan commitments, and opposition spokespeople have indicated they don’t want to see projects cancelled.”
Transporting New Zealand’s five proposed bipartisan transport pledges:
  • 1. Support the infrastructure pipeline by maintaining the projects identified in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027, including Roads of National and Regional Significance.
  • 2. Maintain road maintenance and economic growth as strategic priorities in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.
  • 3. Back low-emission and high-productivity vehicles through continued land transport rule reform and pricing incentives.
  • 4. Follow through on road revenue reform, including the transition to Road User Charges for all vehicles from 2027 (at the earliest).
  • 5. Support sustainable transport funding through tolling and greater use of public-private partnerships.