Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Posted on

Auckland man gets almost 6 years prison for $1.7m COVID-19 fraud

Source: Ministry of Social Development

An Auckland man was jailed today for more than $1.7m in fraud related to COVID-19 relief schemes.
In one of the largest fraud cases of its kind to date, Luke Daniel Rivers (aka Mai Qu) was sentenced in the Auckland District Court to 5 years and 11 months imprisonment.
Rivers pleaded guilty to 29 charges, including Wage Subsidy and Small Business Cashflow Scheme fraud, and money laundering.
The charges were brought jointly by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Inland Revenue (IR).
Large-scale fraud
MSD Group GM Client Service Delivery George van Ooyen says this is an example of large-scale fraud which was premeditated, sophisticated and solely for personal financial gain.
“This case involved wage subsidy fraud, money laundering and the use of forged documents. The volume of fake documents and the repeated nature of the conduct, point to a significant degree of premeditation and sophistication,” van Ooyen says.
“What he did is an abuse of the COVID-19 relief schemes, solely for personal financial gain.
“The wage subsidy was a high trust scheme providing rapid payments up front for businesses to keep their employees in their jobs and provide some form of financial security.”
Inland Revenue Customer Segment Leader Small to Medium Enterprises Bernadette Newman says Rivers used forged documents to get IRD numbers for people who had never set foot in New Zealand, let alone worked here during the pandemic.
“Rivers used his specialist knowledge as an accountant to game the system. And he used the identities of more than 200 other people to carry out his scheme – all to maximise the amount of funds he could apply for,” Bernadette Newman says.
“He abused both the public trust in the accounting profession and his clients’ trust in him to keep their information private.
“His tax offending is effectively ongoing as he hasn’t remedied his failure to file GST and income tax returns for his four companies.”
What’s to come?
Van Ooyen said the case represents MSD’s ongoing enforcement work to uphold the integrity of the $18.8b in COVID-19 wage subsidy payments made in 2020 and 2021.
“We have active investigations ongoing. Court outcomes and debt recovery will continue beyond this.”
“As of today, 46 people have now been sentenced with a further 49 people still before the courts.
“We’ve also made civil recovery decisions in relation to 52 businesses. More than 25,000 repayments have been made, totalling $830.4 million.”
Bernadette Newman says Inland Revenue has already prosecuted 14 people for fraud involving the SBCS, the Covid Support Payment (CSP) and Resurgence Support Payment (RSP).
“Eleven cases are progressing through the court system, 5 cases where defendants are awaiting sentence, and a number of active investigations around other COVID-19 support fraud cases.
“Increased funding this year means IR can do more audits and debt collection work, and investigations into specific sectors can continue.
“It also means the great majority of New Zealand taxpayers who meet their obligations can continue to be confident that IR will find those who aren’t.”
Background:
COVID-19 relief
The Wage Subsidy scheme was administered by the Ministry of Social Development, and used a high trust approach to provide rapid payments up front to businesses affected by COVID-19 restrictions so employers could continue to pay their employees.
The SBCS loans scheme was administered by Inland Revenue, also under a high trust model. The amounts available under the scheme were determined by the number of employees employed by a business.
Wage subsidy fraud
Rivers made 28 wage subsidy applications on behalf of eight companies, with 12 of those applications being fraudulent. He got $906,818.40 in wage subsidy funds and tried unsuccessfully to get another $724,106.60.
To make the applications look real, Rivers made fraudulent IRD number applications using forged documents (including bank statements, a passport, and Immigration New Zealand documentation) and fake contact details.
He also used the details of innocent individuals that he had obtained as a tax agent and accountant to inflate the wage subsidy payments.
All the money he obtained went into bank accounts he controlled.
More information about wage subsidy cases is available here.
SBCS fraud
Rivers obtained $29,800.00 following a successful SBCS loan application. He made failed SBCS loan applications for a further $41,600.00. Rivers was not entitled to these loans for the same reasons he was not entitled to the wage subsidy funds.
Three other applications were made by Rivers on behalf of companies who he had done accounting work for. He was supposed to have deregistered two of them but instead used their details to apply for the SBCS loans.
Money laundering
When Rivers received money from MSD and IR he transferred large amounts from his New Zealand accounts to bank accounts in Singapore. One of these accounts was in the name of Lei Zhang, Rivers’ fake identity, and another was in the name of Mai Qu, his previous name.
Child Support fraud
Rivers came to New Zealand in February 2001 as Mai Qu and applied for an IRD number in April 2001. He changed his name to Luke Daniel Rivers by statutory declaration in June 2004 but continued to use both names. He applied for a new IRD number under the name Rivers in 2006, while retaining his IRD number under Mai Qu as well.
As a result of holding the two IRD numbers, Rivers was able to misrepresent his total income over seven years, enabling him to pay $45,588.90 less than he was supposed to towards the care of his child.
Income tax and GST
Between March 2020 and March 2023 Rivers failed to file income tax and GST returns for the companies he controlled.
The charges
29 charges, brought by the Ministry of Social Development ( MSD) and Inland Revenue Department ( IRD):
Knowing provision of false information to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue in relation to a matter under the Child Support Act 1991 ( representative);
Using forged documents, in respect of the IRD number application forms, bank statements and a letter from Immigration New Zealand ( representative) (x 2);
Dishonestly using a document, in respect of Wage Subsidy applications, false electronic employment information returns and Small Business Cashflow Scheme ( SBCS) loan application and IRD number applications (x 17, including six representative charges);
Money laundering ( representative) (x 2);
Aiding and abetting another person in knowingly not providing information to the Commissioner when required to do so by a tax law ( representative) ( x7).
Posted on

Business Events – First-ever Raine & Horne National Conference celebrates growth, resilience, and community in New Zealand

Source: Raine & Horne

Highlights

  • Raine & Horne will host its first-ever standalone New Zealand National Conference at Rydges Rotorua on 12–13 August, bringing together real estate professionals from its 60+ office network.
  • The event featured inspiring keynotes from adventurer Kevin Biggar and psychologist Dr Paul Wood, powerful success stories from within the Raine & Horne network, and the announcement of a major two-year partnership with Kiwi children’s charity KidsCan.
  • The conference will conclude with a Gala Awards Night hosted by television presenter Hilary Barry, celebrating excellence in sales, property management, and administration.

Rotorua, NZ (7 August 2025): Raine & Horne, one of Australasia’s leading real estate brands, has marked another significant milestone in New Zealand with its first-ever national conference, uniting agents from its 60+ office network.

The two-day event, held on 12–13 August at Rydges Rotorua, comes just over a year after Raine & Horne cemented its footprint in New Zealand by acquiring the Mike Pero Real Estate Group from Liberty Financial Group.

James Shepherd, General Manager, Raine & Horne, said the conference marks a defining chapter in the super brand’s New Zealand journey.

“When we launched into the New Zealand real estate market in 2023, we knew it was the start of something special,” Mr Shepherd said.

“Fast-forward just over two years and not only have we grown to over 60 offices, but we’ve also welcomed the Mike Pero Real Estate network into the Raine & Horne family.”

Mr Shepherd continued, “Our inaugural conference is about more than celebrating growth—it’s about connecting, sharing ideas, and setting the stage for even bigger achievements in the future.”

A landmark program of ideas and inspiration

The 2025 Raine & Horne New Zealand Conference promises an inspiring program featuring keynote presentations from adventurer and author Kevin Biggar, who famously won the 2003 Transatlantic Rowing race and became the first Kiwi to trek unsupported to the South Pole.

Also taking the stage is Dr Paul Wood, renowned psychologist and motivational speaker whose journey from prison to best-selling author is nothing short of extraordinary.

Conference attendees will also hear powerful stories from within the Raine & Horne network, including some from agents who have overcome extraordinary challenges, to achieve remarkable success.

“What sets our conference apart is that it’s not solely focused on business operations,” said Mr Shepherd.

“This event is about connection, inspiration, and celebrating resilience during a time of significant change for our network.”

Community partnership with KidsCan

Another key highlight of the conference will be the announcement of a significant two-year financial partnership between KidsCan—a charity dedicated to helping Kiwi children living in poverty—and Raine & Horne.

“Giving back to the communities we serve is part of who we are,” said Mr Shepherd. “Partnering with KidsCan allows us to make a tangible difference where it matters most.”

Networking, learning, and celebration

The two-day conference will wrap up with a spectacular Gala Awards Night at Rydges Rotorua, hosted by prominent television presenter and Seven Sharp host Hilary Barry.

The event will celebrate excellence and innovation in sales, property management, and administration across the Raine & Horne network.

Drawing inspiration from the nearby Redwood Forest, the gala will reflect the natural beauty of the central North Island location.

“Our people are our greatest strength. The Conference in combination with the Gala Awards is about recognising their achievements and ensuring they have the tools and connections to thrive,” Mr Shepherd concluded.

Posted on

Economy – Strong relationships highlighted in RBNZ Relationship Charter Survey

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

7 August 2025 – Strong relationships continue to be built and maintained with New Zealand's banks, insurers, and Non-Bank Deposit Takers, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's latest Relationship Charter Survey shows.

In this year's Relationship Charter Survey, 97% of regulated entities rated their relationship with the Reserve Bank as 'good' or 'very good'.

The relationship charter sets out principles for maintaining the best regulator-regulated relationships possible and commits Te Pūtea Matua and the financial sector to a mutual understanding of how both parties will work together to achieve this.

Director Specialist Supervision, Scott McKinnon says building good relationships with industry, guided by the Charter, helps to keep New Zealand's financial system stable and resilient.

“It is heartening to see through the Relationship Charter Survey results that we have continued to maintain positive relationships with the deposit taking and insurance sectors.”

“Half of stakeholders highlighted our communication as a key strength of the past 12 months. In particular, they appreciated our responsive, visible and timely communication style.”

“We will also be taking on board some of the valuable suggestions about how we could do things better and make changes where appropriate,” Mr McKinnon says.

The Relationship Charter was launched in 2018, and this is the sixth year the Reserve Bank has commissioned a survey of how key stakeholders consider it is performing against the commitments in the Charter.

The 2025 edition of this survey was focused on more senior stakeholders who we have the most regular contact with, reducing the number of respondents from previous years, but providing more valuable insights.

More information

Relationship Charter Survey 2025 Results: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=87367991d6&e=f3c68946f8

Posted on

Insurance Sector – Insurers call for stronger direction on reducing natural hazard risk

Source: Insurance Council of NZ

The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihui o Aotearoa (ICNZ) is urging the Government to provide stronger national direction to better manage natural hazards risks like flooding and landslips and avoid developments in high-risk areas.
The Government has recently consulted on a National Policy Statement (NPS) for Natural Hazards, aimed at improving how natural hazard risks are considered in land-use planning decisions.
“New Zealand faces significant natural hazard risks, including flooding, landslips, coastal inundation and sea level rise and these risks are intensifying with the science indicating the prospect of more frequent and severe climate related events,” ICNZ Chief Executive Kris Faafoi said.
“As Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged recently, we can’t keep building in dumb places that put Kiwis in harm’s way. By reducing the risk, we keep insurance accessible for our communities.
“We support the Government’s focus on strengthening the planning system to deal with natural hazards. A strong, clear national policy will empower councils to control development in areas exposed to high hazard risk.
“The draft NPS from the Ministry for the Environment is an important step forward and an improvement on the current approach.
“However, we believe it doesn’t go far enough. Many councils are already following the intent of the draft NPS in their natural hazard decisions. What’s needed now is a policy with real strength.
“We support strengthening the NPS to give councils greater confidence to stop development in high-risk areas. We believe the NPS in its current form creates more uncertainty which may increase the risk of councils having their decisions relitigated.
“ICNZ and its members have been engaging with councils and agree that clearer rules and stronger tools are needed to help them make better decisions to reduce risk and protect their communities. This will also support the future accessibility of insurance in these areas.
“The proposal also risks undermining national consistency by offering too much flexibility, which could dilute the effectiveness of the policy.
“We all know it makes sense to act before disaster strikes, rather than start over, particularly as New Zealand faces increasing risks from climate-related events.
“A clear and strong national direction will help lay the foundation for a more resilient future that protects communities, supports informed planning decisions, and ensures insurance remains accessible,” Kris Faafoi said.
You can read ICNZ’s submission on the NPS for Natural Hazards here. 
Posted on

Govt – Children the priority for the Social Investment Fund

Source: Social Investment Agency

Children of families with complex needs are the priority groups for the first round of the Social Investment Fund, Secretary for Social Investment Andrew Coster announced today.
“To qualify for funding under this initiative, organisations that provide social services will need to be working with one (or more) of the following groups: children whose parent(s) are currently or have recently been in prison, children of parent(s) who experienced the care system, and children that were stood down or suspended from school when they were 12 or younger.
“We know children who have had these experiences are more likely to experience poor outcomes and require significant social support throughout their lives. We want to work alongside organisations in the community to support these whānau and families to ensure the best outcomes for tamariki.
“The Social Investment Fund is designed to work differently to ensure government, the social sector and other partners can work smarter to make a positive difference in the lives of New Zealanders. We’ve heard from the sector that they want to work differently with government, and we’re committed to doing that through the Fund.
“This funding opportunity is the first of four potential pathways providers can access through the Social Investment Fund, all aimed at unlocking opportunities to deliver better services, change the way government works with these partners and use data to improve the impact of government investment in social services,” Mr Coster said.
The Fund will open for applications on 25 August 2025.
Information on the Social Investment Fund is on the Social Investment Agency’s website: www.sia.govt.nz
Notes
The Social Investment Fund (round one) will be open for applications on 25 August 2025
The first three initiatives that have already been announced by the Social Investment Fund as demonstration projects are:
Autism New Zealand’s early screening and intervention programme that provides services and support for family/whānau, caregivers and professionals.
Ka Puta Ka Ora Emerge Aotearoa’s evidence-based approach to tackling youth offending and truancy that will help at least 80 families each year to address youth offending and truancy; and
The He Piringa Whare programme with Te Tihi o Ruahine, an alliance of nine hapū, iwi, Māori organisations and providers that will support 130 families at a time with a wraparound service that supports stable housing, education, training and employment, and other services.
Posted on

Greenpeace extends invitation to Gore District Mayor to work together on drinking water crisis

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace Aotearoa has written to Gore District Mayor Ben Bell to extend an invitation to work together on combatting drinking water nitrate contamination. This follows the organisation’s protest in Gore in late July when nitrate levels in the town water supply exceeded safe limits.
Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Will Appelbe says “What Gore’s drinking water crisis highlights is something that we’ve known for a long time – we cannot allow unchecked dairy industry pollution to continue.”
“The intensive dairy industry, led by Fonterra, is contaminating rural people’s drinking water, and they are refusing to take responsibility for their actions. Meanwhile communities like Gore are left to pick up the cost in the form of unsafe drinking water.”
The letter from Greenpeace outlines the organisation's public health concerns over the unsafe levels of nitrate in Gore’s water supply, and subsequent comments from Mayor Ben Bell which called the current limit for nitrate in drinking water a ‘safe level’.
A growing body of scientific evidence has linked several health risks with much lower levels of nitrate contamination. Long-term exposure to levels of nitrate as low as 1 mg/L has been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. And if pregnant people drink water with nitrate levels of 5 mg/L, there is increased risk of preterm birth.
Appelbe says “Everyone should be able to safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap, but thanks to the intensive dairy industry – led by companies like Fonterra – the health of communities in places like Gore is being put at risk.”
“New Zealand is at the knife-edge of corporate greed. The intensive dairy industry is destroying lakes, rivers, and drinking water to make as much money as they can, and everyone else bears the cost with polluted drinking water and inflated dairy prices.”
“We’ve invited the Mayor to work together with us to protect source water and ensure that crises like what we’ve seen in Gore in recent weeks don’t happen again.”
Posted on

Tax Reform – Proposed privatisation will undermine integrity of revenue collection

Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

The announcement by the Minister of Transport today of the privatisation of road user charge collection has been challenged by Tax Justice Aotearoa as undermining the integrity of the revenue gathering system.

“We are deeply concerned by this initiative as using the power of the state to require citizens to pay charges decided by the state is a core function of government,” says Glenn Barclay Chair of Tax Justice Aotearoa. “It should not be for the profit of anyone and it means that the details of thousands of road users will be held and managed by private organisations with no accountability back to the public.”

“The Minister talks about competition but you don't want or need competition in the conduct of such basic government function and its hard to see how there would be real competition when the charges are fixed by the government,” says Glenn Barclay. “Private companies also have additional costs arising from their need to pay returns to shareholders and to borrow money at commercial rates, so ultimately it is hard to see how this might drive any savings for government or the public.”

Tax Justice Aotearoa is also questioning the grounds on which the decision was made.

“It is buried in a press release from the Minister about the modernisation of the road user charging system, without any information about the problem this policy change will be addressing and what other options have been considered,” says Glenn Barclay. “So it is not just a bad policy but also a bad policy process.”

Posted on

Faire Expands to New Zealand and 14 Additional European Countries, Bringing Global Wholesale Platform to Nearly 35 Countries Worldwide

Source: Faire

Platform's Continued International Growth Unlocks New Opportunities for Independent Retailers and Brands Around the Globe

SAN FRANCISCO – Faire, the leading online wholesale platform, today announced its expansion into New Zealand and 14 additional countries across Europe, making its global network of curated brands and powerful business tools available to independent retailers across nearly 35 countries worldwide. This expansion marks Faire's broadest international rollout to date and underscores its growing role as the preferred platform for independent retailers and brands worldwide.

Over the past four years, Faire has rapidly expanded across Europe's largest markets, covering 70% of Europe's GDP and becoming a key global partner for independent businesses navigating a complex retail landscape. Today, Europe is growing twice as fast as North America, with brands on the continent fulfilling over 2 million orders on Faire and retailers spending nearly $500 million to date.

“Independent retailers are the heart of local economies around the world, and our mission has always been to help them thrive,” said Max Rhodes, co-founder and CEO of Faire. “This expansion doubles our reach across Europe and ext

Posted on

Health – Alzheimers NZ welcomes long overdue update on Health NZ’s review of New Zealand’s aged care system

Source: Alzheimers New Zealand

Alzheimers NZ welcomes the update today from Health NZ on the long overdue review of Aotearoa New Zealand’s aged care system as well as two related reports.
Chief Executive Catherine Hall says the reports reinforce the size and scale of the challenge facing the health sector as a result of our rapidly growing ageing population.
Alzheimers NZ has long raised these issues and offered solutions to improve support for people with dementia and their families.
Catherine welcomes the acknowledgment from Health NZ that they need to do more to focus on community-based services and dementia and looks forward to discussing that with them next month.
“The reports are comprehensive and what is immediately clear is the need for action by Health NZ is now urgent. If nothing is done impact on the wider health sector will only worsen – we’ve seen evidence of that in some tragic incidents recently and then just this week with the reports about the ward in North Shore Hospital.”
Alzheimers NZ wants urgent government action in three areas.First, progressively implement and fund the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan. Secondly, properly fund New Zealand’s 17 community-based dementia support services. Thirdly, create a bespoke health strategy to provide quality, integrated and accessible services with an integrated continuum of care.
Posted on

Health – What are the chances? Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa says you should fool around and find out

Source: Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa

“Fool around and find out!” That’s the advice from Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa – but only when it comes to their new online game, ‘Wheel of Fertility’.
Available now on the Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa website, ‘Wheel of Fertility’ provides the chance to explore your options online without real world consequences.
The interactive game began as a sparkle in the eye of Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa’s Chief Executive, Jackie Edmond.
“I’m so excited to see this game come to life online. Our aim was to come up with a lighthearted new way of talking about some potentially heavy topics,” said Jackie.
Players can input random data, like age, height, weight, lifestyle factors, contraceptives, and menstrual phase, then tap the “Let’s Have Sex” button to spin the 'Wheel of Fertility' and discover the chances of getting pregnant or catching an STI.
Shocked by the results? Re-play the game, change your inputs and see which factors are having the most impact on your chances.
Jackie continued: “Having seen a conference presentation about improving people’s knowledge on what impacts their fertility, I wondered if we could make this information available for our clients to ‘self-serve’ but in an easily digestible way. So then our team came up with the idea for ‘Wheel of Fertility’.”
The interactive game is a first for the organisation which has been operating since 1936. Formerly known as Family Planning, Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa partnered with Christchurch-based game developers CerebralFix for this innovative approach. The browser-based game is available on Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa’s website and can be played on smartphone or desktop computer.
“We loved collaborating on ‘Wheel of Fertility’ – it’s not every day you get to help turn important sexual health info into a game that’s so fun to play,” said Chelsea Rapp, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Cerebral Fix. “It’s playful, eye-opening, and a great example of how digital tools can support better wellbeing.”
“The testers who have been trialling the game have praised the fun design – and told us they’ve learnt new things about contraception options and the menstrual cycle, all while having a bit of a giggle.”
Jackie Edmond reiterated that ‘Wheel of Fertility’ is intended to increase awareness around fertility and STIs, and that the online outcomes are not real medical results.
“This game is a bit of fun and we hope people will enjoy fooling around with it. But of course, if you want to have a serious conversation about your fertility, our clinics are here to provide expert information, advice, and care.”
Note to editors: Formerly Family Planning, Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa is the country's largest provider of sexual and reproductive health services, committed to delivering equity, access and choice for all New Zealanders.