Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Posted on

Health Policy – Election year puts rare disorders care under spotlight as families wait for action

Source: Rare Disorders NZ (RDNZ)

As an election year gets underway, pressure is mounting on political parties to explain how they will act on rare disorders care.

Rare Disease Day tomorrow marks the start of Rare Disorders Month and 583 days since the Government agreed to New Zealand's first Rare Disorders Strategy. While a recent hui between Health Minister Simeon Brown, implementation agencies and stakeholders has been welcomed as a positive step by Rare Disorders NZ (RDNZ), formal implementation has yet to begin.

RDNZ says the delay of nearly two years continues to affect an estimated 300,000 New Zealanders living with a rare disorder, many of which start in childhood and are lifelong.

RDNZ Chief Executive, Chris Higgins, says the organisation has written to all political parties seeking clear commitments for how they would act on priorities important to the rare disorder community. These include early and accurate diagnosis, planned clinical care pathways, access to medicines, disability and social supports, workforce development, research and national data collection.

“Implementing the Rare Disorders Strategy is an important first step to progress improvements on many of these issues. Election year presents an opportunity for all parties to show how they would turn the Strategy into action for New Zealanders living with rare disorders and their families,” Higgins says.

For families, the consequences of delay in diagnosis could be life changing.

Sophia Ama was three days old when her mother Brooke Ama noticed her becoming grey, floppy and refusing to feed.

“She was quivering and I knew something was seriously wrong,” Brooke says.

Sophia was urgently transferred to Starship's paediatric intensive care unit, where she was placed on life support and dialysis before being diagnosed with a rare metabolic genetic condition, Propionic Acidemia. Doctors told her parents that if treatment did not start that night, there was only a five percent chance she would survive.

“Early diagnosis gave Sophia a chance. Without it, she wouldn't be here,” Brooke says.

Chris Higgins says, unlike Sophia, over half of New Zealanders with rare disorders wait more than a year for diagnosis.

“Each year during Rare Disorders Month in March we have seen the wider community show up for Rare, supporting one another. The question now is whether the current and successive governments will do the same and implement the changes that would improve diagnosis and other outcomes,” Higgins says.

Tomorrow night, 49 landmarks across the country will light up for Rare as the community gets ready for a month of activity to raise awareness.

Rare Disorders NZ is a charitable organisation that is currently the only source of support, data and advocacy for the 300,000 New Zealanders living with a rare condition.

Posted on

Security – ASB warning customers of bank impersonation scam

Source: ASB

ASB is alerting customers to an increase in fraudulent activity involving scammers making cold calls and pretending to be bank staff.

Scammers are contacting people by phone, claiming to be from the bank’s fraud team and saying there is suspicious activity on the customer’s account. They then ask the customer for personal and banking details including login details, dates of birth and access codes, in order to access their account.

ASB Acting Chief Operating Officer Gerard Graham says the bank is taking the scam activity seriously and acting quickly to warn customers.

“These scammers are persistent. They’re also highly sophisticated and so come across as credible when trying to convince customers to hand over their online banking credentials.

“If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you are unsure, ask for a Caller Check. This allows us to send a secure message directly to your ASB Mobile Banking App so you can verify you are speaking with us before sharing any information. If in doubt, hang up and call us back on one of our publicly listed numbers.

“Regardless of where you bank, protecting yourself from scams starts with staying informed.”

Mr Graham says customers should be aware that while ASB's fraud team may on occasion call customers to verify unusual transactions, the bank will never:

  • Ask for banking passwords, PINs, or any codes the bank sends to your phone
  • Ask for a full credit card number, especially not the CVC
  • Ask customers to purchase gift cards, set up cryptocurrency accounts, or transfer funds to keep their money safe
  • Ask customers to download software or for remote access to their device
  • Send verification emails. Any verification from ASB will come through ASB’s Mobile Banking App.

ASB is urging any customer who believes their account may have been compromised to contact the bank immediately on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or +64 9 303 0332 if calling from overseas, or to visit their local branch.

Posted on

Government Cuts – Govt. science jobs exodus ramps up – 134 jobs going at new bioeconomy institute – PSA

Source: PSA

The Bioeconomy Science Institute, in existence less than a year, is shedding 134 jobs in the latest blow to the science workforce already gutted by hundreds of jobs losses since the Government began overhauling science and research agencies.
The Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI) announced today that a voluntary redundancy process had resulted in 134 staff members agreeing to leave, representing around 6% of its workforce of 2,300.
BSI was formed last July from the merger of AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion.
“This is just more of the same from a government determined to shed talented people across the public sector regardless of the consequences,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“BSI was set up to promote innovation in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology – how can it do this with a smaller workforce?
“Voluntary redundancy is preferable to forced dismissals but make no mistake, every expert who takes a package and heads overseas is a loss New Zealand will feel for years to come.”
BSI’s downsizing comes on top of three of the agencies (AgResearch, Scion and Landcare) axing 152 roles in an earlier restructure. With the disbanding of Callaghan Innovation and cuts to other Crown Research Institutes, the Government has shed more than 600 scientists and researchers on top of many other experts.
“This is another black mark on the Government’s record on science. Remember Science Minister Shane Reti’s bold promise in May 2025 announcing the reforms.
‘These reforms are about unlocking the full potential of science to deliver stronger economic growth and greater resilience for New Zealand. We’re not wasting a moment.’
“Such hollow words Dr Reti. Your government is wasting the tremendous talents of so many, paying lip service to the real potential of the science sector to drive economic growth and prepare us for the challenges we face from AI and other new technologies through to climate change.
“All the Government is doing is shifting the deck chairs with no increase in funding.
“It’s ignored the repeated warnings from its own Science System Advisory Group, a warning the group made explicit in its final report last October, stating that ‘the lack of adequate investment in science, innovation and technology has played a significant role in our sluggish productivity’.
“Come November the PSA will be reminding voters of the choice the Coalition Government political parties made to prioritise tax cuts over a science sector equipped to drive our future prosperity.”
Previous statement
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.
Posted on

PSA and NZNO to host pay equity rally at Parliament

Source: PSA

Workers belonging to the Public Service Association and New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation alongside public supporters will rally in support of pay equity at Parliament this Monday.
Care and support worker Kate Halsall is bringing along a trolley of groceries to symbolise the earnings she is missing out on every week. On average, care and support workers have been missing out on $145.85 every week since their pay equity claim was cancelled.
“Groceries, warrants of fitness, absolutely everything is going up except my pay packet,” she says.
“I hear from my coworkers that everyone is constantly juggling their budgets. If there’s even one unexpected little hiccup, our whole budgets are blown. We do important, life-saving work – it's so wrong that we're not valued for the work we do.”
“Women have not forgotten the betrayal of the National-led Government when, under the cover of darkness, they cancelled pay equity claims and gutted the Equal Pay Act,” PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says.
“As we saw in the People’s Select Committee report this week, the changes to pay equity that this Government made last year were an abhorrent abuse of power. New Zealanders value women’s work, and believe everyone in female-dominated sectors deserve to be paid fairly.
“This rally is part of a whole week of action in support of working women in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March.”
NZNO spokesperson and aged care health care assistant Lisa Marriner had her pay equity claim cancelled last year.
“It’s taken for granted that women in female-dominated sectors such as care and support are paid much less than men in other sectors,” she says.
“We are acutely aware we are undervalued compared to men. We know our value and how important our work is but it’s more than that. It’s actually not fair that a man with similar skills and experience to us in a male-dominated sector is paid much more than us because someone, somewhere decided their work is worth more than ours.
“That’s why we must keep speaking out. For ourselves, our colleagues, our daughters and our nieces.”
Rally details
What: Rally in support of pay equity and working women.
When: 12:00-12:30pm, Monday 2 March.
Where: Parliament Lawn.
Confirmed MPs in attendance include Labour MP Jan Tinetti.
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.
Posted on

ASB – Housing confidence on the rise according to ASB

Source: ASB

Confidence in New Zealand’s housing market has lifted sharply this quarter, with an increasing proportion of Kiwi expecting house prices to rise over the next year, despite growing expectations that interest rates will increase.

In ASB’s latest Housing Confidence Survey, a net 30% of respondents now expect house prices to increase over the next 12 months, up from 17% in the previous quarter. Buying sentiment remains high and broadly unchanged, with a net 27% of respondents saying now is a good time to buy a home – well above the long‑term average.

What’s driving the shift?

ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley says the results suggest confidence that the housing market has moved past its weakest point is building, even if a strong price upswing is unlikely.

“House price expectations have clearly rebounded after a soft patch through 2025,” Nick says. “However, high levels of housing supply and only moderate demand are likely to keep price increases relatively subdued through the first half of 2026.”

At the same time, households are considering the interest rate outlook.

“With inflation ending 2025 above the Reserve Bank’s target band and mortgage rates already edging higher, people are now anticipating further increases this year,” Nick says.  “The switch over the quarter to fewer people expecting declining rates and more expecting higher rates was marked.  In the face of that shift, the greater degree of confidence on future house price increases is a call-out”.

What it means for the housing market

Optimism has increased across all regions, led by the South Island with a net 36% expecting house prices to rise over the coming year. Auckland recorded the largest quarterly improvement, with net house price optimism rising to 33%.

Nick says conditions continue to favour buyers, particularly first‑home buyers, with listings remaining high, giving purchasers plenty of choice and time to negotiate.

“From a buyer’s perspective, prices are stable, supply is at a 10‑year high and mortgage rates are still relatively low. However, rising expectations for both house prices and interest rates could prompt some buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines to act sooner rather than later, to avoid getting priced out.”

What's next?

Expectations for both interest rates and house prices to rise over the next year may encourage some buyers to bring forward purchasing decisions. This, alongside an expected improvement in broader macroeconomic conditions, could underpin housing market activity. The recent lift in home lending to both investors and first‑home buyers supports this.

Despite the improvement in sentiment, ASB economists caution that household finances remain a key constraint. Unemployment is still elevated and economic recovery remains uneven across the regions which is likely to temper any near‑term surge in housing activity.

ASB economists are anticipating a 25bp OCR hike by year‑end and an eventual OCR peak of 3.25% but note that circumstances can change quickly – (read more here: https://www.asb.co.nz/content/dam/asb/documents/reports/economic-note/asb-rbnz-review-feb26.pdf?et_rid=NDE3ODI5NTcxMjM5S0&et_cid=10091851

The current steer from the RBNZ is that the OCR is expected to rise, just not immediately.

The latest ASB Housing Confidence Survey, along with other recent ASB reports covering a range of commentary, can be accessed at the ASB Economic Insights page: https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-insights.html

Posted on

Fragile hospital IT systems again exposed by major outage – action needed now – PSA

Source: PSA

Patient care has again been compromised by the second major IT outage to impact hospitals across Auckland and Northland in less than a month.
The PSA is aware a critical outage this afternoon impacted the systems which store and manage all medical images from x rays, CT and MRI scans. The system crashed for an hour impacting hospitals in our most populous region. The Northland region is continuing to experience issues.
“This is the second critical failure in less than a month, again exposing how fragile the hospital IT systems are. Patient safety is again being put at risk because of government underfunding,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“The PACs system impacted by the outage is a critical function of our hospitals which clinicians rely on to access images so they can assess and treat patients needing urgent treatment in EDs, in operating theatres and elsewhere.
“The outage means clinicians and radiographers must communicate by text and phone to pass on vital information from scans. Without a doubt this will slow down treatment, compromising care.
“It was only late last month that a 12 hour outage forced clinicians across hospitals in Auckland and Northland to use paper-based systems and whiteboards.
“The Government shouldn’t need another wake-up call. It needs to immediately review funding for health digital services and IT infrastructure, admit its mistakes in cutting digital services expertise and commit to properly resourcing IT system upgrades and maintenance.
“Does someone have to die before urgent action is taken? New Zealanders deserve better, we can’t afford to wait.
“This comes after we warned the Government of the consequences of severely downsizing Health NZ’s digital services team, but it still ploughed on with significant cuts.
“This is 2026 – our health system should not be grinding to a halt because of preventable IT failures.”
Previous statement
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.
Posted on

Events – Jim Beam Homegrown announces emerging artists to perform at 2026 Festival

Source: Jim Beam Homegrown

Thursday, 26 February 2026 – Jim Beam Homegrown is turning up the volume on the future of New Zealand music, announcing six breakthrough acts from 150 entries to perform on the Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage at this year’s festival at Claudelands Oval in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton.

The Jim Beam Homegrown Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage is a dedicated performance platform for emerging Kiwi artists and reflects the Festival’s commitment to fostering homegrown talent.

Andrew Tuck, Jim Beam Homegrown chief executive and managing director, says the new stage represents a defining step in the festival’s evolution.

“Homegrown has always been about backing Kiwi music at every level,” says Tuck. “The Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage gives these emerging artists the opportunity to perform and gain visibility. These artists are already making noise, but we’re providing them with a stage to be louder!”

The selection process
The six emerging artists who will perform at Jim Beam Homegrown have been selected from a nationwide competition, which was open to artists of all genres. To be eligible, artists needed to have 2026+ monthly listeners, followers, or streams; 2026+ social followers; a press kit; radio ready single; and the ability to perform a 45-minute set of original music. Jim Beam Homegrown received 150 entries, of which the final six have been selected.

They are: Altercation X Erin G, Cordian, Imani-J, PRINS, Verity, Wet Denim.

Tuck says the overwhelming number of entries to the competition proves the future of Kiwi music is in safe hands.

“To see more than 150 artists put themselves forward shows just how much talent is out there. Narrowing it down to six wasn’t easy, but these artists have something special. In a few years, we fully expect some of these artists to be headlining major stages across the country.”

Tuck says: “Jim Beam Homegrown has always been a ground for fostering Kiwi talent, and this initiative strengthens that pathway. We’re not just booking artists for a set, we’re investing in the next chapter of New Zealand music.”

With seven stages, tens of thousands of fans, and the most ambitious production scale in Homegrown history, the addition of the Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage reinforces the festival’s mission: uplifting local talent while celebrating the artists who carry the sound of Aotearoa to the world.

Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage Line Up

Altercation X Erin G | Auckland
Tamaki Makaurau-based singer-songwriter, Erin G, and Queenstown DJ/Producer Altercation will team up to dive into new sonic territory with their EP, Dream it Again, a poignant EP which captures Erin G’s intimate storytelling alongside Altercation’s soulful side of drum and bass.

Cordian | Auckland
An alternative/progressive rock group from Auckland, the band consists of Mike Raven (Guitars/Keys, Kris Raven (Drums/Percussion, Nick Raven (Bass) and Dity Maharaj (Vocals/Artwork).

Imani-J | Nelson
Haitian-New Zealand artist, Imani-J is crafting music that sits at the intersection of Afrofusion and R&B. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Imani-J is a singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer with a strong vision for her future.

PRINS | Auckland
PRINS is a New Zealand-born pop artist carving out a bold, international lane with sleek pop hooks, sharp visuals, and a live show built for scale. Blending high-energy pop with a darker, confident edge, her sound sits comfortably alongside RAYE, Selena Gomez, Tate McRae, and Ashnikko, polished, emotionally charged, and unapologetically modern.

Verity | Hamilton
Known for her deeply honest storytelling and blend of pop, soul, and R&B, vocalist, performer and social media star, Verity started her musical journey in Hamilton, Kirikiriroa and continues to carve out a sound that is raw, real and unmistakably her own.

Wet Denim | Wellington
Four-piece rock pop band from Wellington, Wet Denim established themselves as a must-see live act in the Australasian scenes. The group’s sound is a blend of captivating vocals, lush guitar chords, syrupy basslines, and hard-hitting drums.

The festival will be held in Hamilton for the first time in 2026, kicking off on Saturday, 14 March at Claudelands Oval.

About Jim Beam Homegrown

Jim Beam Homegrown is New Zealand's largest Kiwi-only music festival, celebrating the best of Aotearoa's musical talent. Established in 2008 in Hamilton, initially as X*Air, an extreme sports festival, Jim Beam Homegrown showcases a wide range of genres, including rock, funk, pop, reggae, hip-hop, and electronic music.  

Tickets to the inaugural Hamilton event can be found at www.homegrown.net.nz

Posted on

Ki Tua O Matariki Warns Government That "Move-On" Powers Targeting Homeless Whānau will have negative consequences

Source: Ki tua o Matariki

Ki Tua O Matariki Warns Government That “Move-On” Powers Targeting Homeless Whānau will have negative consequences
Ki Tua o Matariki strongly encourages the Government to reconsider the expansion of “Move-on Orders” under amendments to the Summary Offences Act, which would allow Police to direct people to leave public spaces nationwide and impose penalties for non-compliance.
Under the proposed changes, individuals who breach a move-on order could face fines of up to $2,000 or up to three months’ imprisonment. These powers are expected to apply across town centres and may impact rangatahi as young as 14.
Ki Tua o Matariki does not want to see the Government make decisions it may later regret. The long-term consequences of punishing whānau in need risk creating mistrust, causing whānau to withdraw from visibility and support, and allowing their needs to deepen. We remain committed to supporting the Government to make decisions that uplift and protect our whānau and communities, and to ensure policies do not unintentionally cause further harm.
“From our experience, punishing people who cannot afford necessities such as housing, food, or transport does not reduce homelessness- it deepens fear and mistrust,” says Zoe Witika-Hawke, Chief Executive of Ki Tua o Matariki. “For whānau to engage in support, trust must come first. Pushing people further into the criminal justice system moves them away from the very support that enables long-term wellbeing. Evidence shows that prison does not resolve homelessness, addiction, or mental health challenges. We welcome the opportunity to work alongside Government and communities to implement solutions that strengthen whānau and create the Aotearoa we all want.”
Māori are disproportionately affected by homelessness in Aotearoa. Severe Housing Deprivation estimates from the 2023 Census show tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness or unstable housing conditions, with Māori significantly over-represented in rough sleeping, overcrowding, and insecure housing. Māori women are particularly impacted, with sector research indicating four out of five homeless women in Aotearoa are Māori.
This amendments of the Summary Offences Act, reflects a concerning assumption that people sleeping rough have somewhere else to go,” says Hineraukura, founding member of the Māori maternal mental health advisory group Hine Ki Te Wheiao. “It prioritises public comfort over addressing the structural drivers of homelessness, including inflation, rising living costs, and housing insecurity. Treating homelessness as a behavioural issue rather than a systemic one risks ignoring the economic realities many whānau are facing. We believe the focus must shift toward practical, compassionate solutions that respond to the real pressures impacting our communities”
Any policy that increases enforcement without increasing housing supply and wraparound support risks disproportionately impacting whānau and deepening inequities already present in our system. At Ki Tua o Matariki, we see firsthand that homelessness is rarely about choice. It is connected to poverty, intergenerational trauma, mental health challenges, addiction, and systemic inequity. Our communities – Māori and non-Māori – deserve better.
Ki Tua o Matariki provides tailored tautoko for mātua taiohi, hapū māmā, their pēpi, and wider whānau. Alongside safe housing, we provide:
– Mental health support
– Transport assistance
– Counselling access
– Education and employment pathways
– Nursing and midwifery care
– Kaupapa Māori wānanga
– Weekly wraparound support
We know what works: stability, trusted relationships, cultural grounding, and consistent support.
Ki Tua o Matariki remains committed to supporting the Government to make decisions that strengthen whānau wellbeing and community safety, while ensuring policies do not unintentionally cause further harm. “Move-on” powers are not solutions to homelessness. Solutions lie in investing in housing, prevention, and culturally grounded wraparound support. We encourage the Government to prioritise policies that care for whānau, rather than moving them out of sight – these are the kinds of policies that Government will not regret.
Our communities deserve public policy grounded in manaakitanga, not punishment.
Posted on

Legislation – Four bottom lines for a workable farm plan system – Federated Farmers

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers has made it clear to the Government that it could support a national farm plan system, but only if it meets four firm bottom lines.
The Government is currently seeking feedback on its draft legislation to replace the Resource Management Act.
This includes a proposal to introduce nationally consistent farm plans under the new Natural Environment Bill.
“We’ve been looking closely at the wording and it’s fair to say we have some serious concerns,” Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst says.
“Farm plans should be a positive, practical and enabling tool that help farmers improve environmental outcomes in a way that makes sense on their own farms.
“We don’t want to see farm plans adding unnecessary complexity, duplication, or another layer of expensive regulation for farmers to grapple with.
“Unfortunately, we don’t think the regulations as they’re currently drafted will deliver what farmers are expecting or what’s been sold to them by politicians.
“That’s why Federated Farmers is stepping up, drawing a line in the sand, and making it clear we have four clear bottom lines when it comes to farm plans.”
Federated Farmers’ first and most important non-negotiable is that farm plans must replace regulation, not add to it.
“Farm plans need to be the primary compliance tool for farmers. That’s what will make a real difference for farming families,” Hurst says.
“That means a farm plan should be able to replace all of the overlapping rules, duplicated requirements and expensive resource consents from the current system.”
Under the proposed legislation, all commercial dairy farms and all other farms over 50 hectares would be required to have a farm plan covering the whole farm.
However, those same farms could still be required to get a resource consent in addition to their farm plan.
“That framework doesn’t simplify anything. In fact, it’s actually adding more complexity and duplication for farmers,” Hurst says.
“It’ll create a system that’s even more onerous than what farmers face now, where they either operate within permitted standards or apply for a resource consent.”
Federated Farmers wants to see changes so that a farm plan is enough to demonstrate compliance.
“A certified farm plan should be the equivalent of holding a resource permit or consent,” Hurst says.
The second bottom line is that farm plans must be proportionate, practical and scaled to risk.
“Farms that are low-impact and low-risk should be able to complete a simple, quick and easy plan themselves,” Hurst says.
“We agree that higher-risk farms may need more detailed plans, but there’s absolutely no point putting low-impact farms through the wringer.”
The third bottom line is that, while farm plans should be auditable, not every plan should be audited.
“Many farming activities are currently low-risk and don’t require consents or ongoing oversight,” Hurst says.
“Requiring those activities to have a farm plan, and then auditing that plan, will put in place expensive red tape for absolutely no environmental gain.
“It will waste time and money that could be put to far better use improving the environment rather than just ticking boxes and shuffling paper.”
Hurst says certification may make sense for higher-risk activities if it replaces the need for a consent, but routine auditing of every farm sends the wrong message.
“Audit-everyone systems don’t create a high-trust environment. They simply create a box-ticking culture and get farmers offside, rather than driving better outcomes.”
Federated Farmers is instead advocating for a model similar to the tax system.
“That means everyone is expected to do the right thing, but only some are audited, either randomly or where non-compliance is suspected.
“That’s a fair, practical approach that farmers can understand.”
The fourth bottom line is that existing farm plans must be recognised.
“Many farmers already have plans in place through industry programmes or local catchment groups,” Hurst says.
“Farmers have put real time, thought and money into these plans because they care about water quality.
“They shouldn’t be punished for being proactive or early adopters.”
Federated Farmers wants existing plans that meet minimum standards to be recognised as equivalent.
“Forcing farmers to start again from scratch would be a completely unjustifiable waste of time and money,” Hurst says.
While the detailed regulations are still to come, Hurst says expectations are clear.
“Farm plans must be tailored to risk and, for higher-risk farms, should become a genuine one-stop shop that replaces permits and consents.
“That’s how farm plans can actually work.”
Federated Farmers has put these four non-negotiables to the Government in its submission on the RMA reform, which you can read in full here: https://fedfarm.org.nz/Web/Policy/Submission/2026/February/Submission-on-the-NEB-Bill-and-Planning-Bill.aspx
Posted on

Defence News – New Zealand’s Navy, Army and Air Force combine for successful South-West Pacific operation

Source: New Zealand Defence Force

The Governor-General of New Zealand’s visit to Tokelau, the upgrade of critical tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment on Raoul Island, and a search and rescue operation near Tonga were among the achievements of the New Zealand Defence Force’s first extensive operation to the South-West Pacific this year.

With New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel aboard, military sealift vessel HMNZS Canterbury under the name Operation Calypso covered 4580 nautical miles without the ship needing to take on additional food or fuel over 23 days.  

Commanding Officer, Commander Wayne Andrew, said the mission was a busy one for everyone and was one of the best examples of Service interoperability he had seen.

“With two NH90 helicopters and crew, and supporting personnel from the NZ Army’s 5 Movements Company, this was a tri-service operation covering a range of tasks supporting New Zealand Government agencies in our Pacific neighbourhood.”

MetService personnel were aboard to assess available meteorological observing resources on the three atolls, and a New Zealand Police officer met the Tokelau Chief of Police and took part in community engagements.

Commander Andrew said the NZDF’s strong Pacific connections were an important part of the mission.

“Not only was the ship there for the centenary of New Zealand’s administration of Tokelau, but two Tokelauan members of the Navy were able to reunite with their families there.”

The ship’s company also had two Tongan speakers who were able to translate when Canterbury was last week called on to rescue two men drifting 105 nautical miles south of Tonga.

“Seeing the reaction when our two Tokelauan personnel were welcomed home was incredibly emotional for everyone who witnessed this, and having two Tongan speakers within our ship’s company meant we could reassure the rescued sailors that we would be delivering them home,” Commander Andrew said.

The ship’s final stop at Raoul Island allowed crew working parties to clear overgrowth from the Homestead and Green Lake areas, while NH90 helicopters and 5 Movements Company personnel secured and flew MetService and Earth Sciences NZ (ESNZ) personnel and equipment to remote parts of the island.

Critical tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment on Raoul Island, which provide an early warning system for New Zealand and the region, were upgraded.

As Canterbury returned to Devonport Naval Base this week, Commander Andrew reflected on what the mission had achieved.

“All the people who joined the ship from Her Excellency the Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro through to the MetService and ESNZ scientists and technicians, NZ Police, Army and Air Force personnel, fully immersed themselves in the ship’s culture and added to it.

“Canterbury’s motto is Kotahitanga (Unity) and this was certainly on display throughout.”