Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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STEAM education and sports key recipients in Canterbury funding

Source: Rata Foundation

Rātā Foundation has announced $617,000 will go to community groups in Canterbury in its most recent funding round, focused on large and multi-year funding.
Tagata Moana Trust, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of Pacific peoples living in Aotearoa, will receive $110,000. The organisation’s focus is on using Pacific arts, language and culture to drive STEAM education and experiences for Pacific peoples of all ages. Sport in the region is also set to benefit, with $100,000 funding for Canterbury West Coast Sports Trust (Sport Canterbury). Other funding recipients include organisations from the arts, education, social services, and disability sectors.
Canterbury will also benefit from an additional $495,000 for multi-region funding (for organisations that bridge two or more of its funding regions).
This funding round is one of four additional rounds reserved for large and multi-year grants, in addition to the eight funding rounds for smaller grants each year.
Chief Executive Leighton Evans says: “At Rātā, our aim is to support communities so that nothing gets in the way of people being able to make the most of life. With responsive and proactive community investment, alongside strategic partnerships and strong relationships, Rātā can help achieve more, and we are seeing that through the long-term positive impact our partnership organisations are making in their respective communities.”
Rātā manages a pūtea (fund) of around $700 million, enabling an investment of around $25 million per annum into its funding regions of Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and the Chatham Islands. Since its inception in 1988, Rātā has invested over $550 million through community investment programmes to empower people to thrive.
Canterbury funding:
Arts Foundation of New Zealand, $55,000
Canterbury West Coast Sports Trust (T/A Sport Canterbury), $110,000
Disabled Persons Assembly (New Zealand) Incorporated, $40,000
Neighbourhood Trust, $50,000
Oak Development Trust, $35,000
Petersgate Trust, $40,000
Social Service Council of the Diocese of Christchurch – Tenants Protection – Collaboration, $60,000
Tagata Moana Trust, $110,000
The Kind Foundation, $40,000
Woolston Development Project Incorporated, $40,000
WORD Christchurch, $37,000
Nelson funding:
Motueka High School, $56,799
Nelson Women's Centre Te Whare Āwhina Mō Ngā Wāhine Puawai Incorporated, $I35,000
Project De-Vine Trust, $135,000
Te Whare Mahana Trust Board, $41,000
Building project (multi-year): Whakatu Group Riding for the Disabled Incorporated, $120,000
Marlborough funding:
Marlborough Pacific Trust, $50,000
Marlborough District Council- Future of Work, $10,000
Building project (multi-year): Wairau Pa Marae (2020) Incorporated, $130,508
Multi-region funding:
English Language Partners New Zealand Trust, $50,000
NZ Family And Foster Care Federation Incorporated, $40,000
Talk Link Trust, $45,000
Tasman Regional Sports Trust (T/A Sport Tasman), $115,000
The Open Home Foundation of New Zealand, $65,000
Youthline Central South Island, $45,000
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Northland News – Nominations for Northland Regional Council open 04 July

Source: Northland Regional Council

People keen to stand for one of nine places on the Northland Regional Council at this year’s local body elections in October can get their nominations in from Friday 04 July.
Dale Ofsoske, the council’s Electoral Officer, says nominations open on Friday 04 July and close at noon on Friday 01 August 2025.
Mr Ofsoske says anyone aged 18 and over can stand for election provided they’re a New Zealand citizen and enrolled on the Parliamentary electoral roll.
“You must also be nominated by two electors whose names appear on the electoral roll within the respective constituency that a candidate is standing for.”
Mr Ofsoske warns against leaving the lodgement of nomination papers to the last minute.
“Should a nomination paper be lodged late on the morning nominations close, and be incorrectly completed or ineligible nominators are provided, there may be insufficient time to correct the situation and the nomination paper could be invalidated.”
Mr Ofsoske says in the regional council’s case seven general councillors will be elected from seven general constituencies (one from each) and two councillors elected from a region-wide Māori constituency (Te Raki).
The general constituencies are Far North, Coastal Central, Coastal South, Kaipara, Mid North, Whangārei Central and Bay of Islands-Whangaroa.
Mr Ofsoske says printed nomination forms and a candidate handbook will be available from 04 July from any regional council office, by phoning (0800) 002 004, from www.nrc.govt.nz or by downloading from esp.electionservices.co.nz/lge2025/NRC 
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Northland Regional Council News – 30 June 2025

Source: Northland Regional Council

NOMINATIONS FOR NRC OPEN 04 JULY
People keen to stand for one of nine places on the Northland Regional Council at this year’s local body elections in October can get their nominations in from Friday 04 July until noon on Friday 01 August 2025.
Anyone aged 18 and over can stand for election provided they’re a New Zealand citizen, enrolled on the Parliamentary electoral roll and are nominated by two electors whose names appear on the electoral roll within the constituency the candidate is standing for.
Printed nomination forms and a candidate handbook will be available from 04 July from any regional council office, by phoning (0800) 002 004, from www.nrc.govt.nz or by downloading from esp.electionservices.co.nz/lge2025/NRC
SECOND FEEDBACK PERIOD ON NAVIGATION SAFETY BYLAW
Northlanders now have a further chance to have their say on Northland Regional Council’s Navigation Safety Bylaw, which sets the rules for keeping people safe on the water.
After a first feedback period during May, the council is now running a second feedback period, recognising the need to provide more detail on key proposals and ensure there is sufficient time for people to have their say.
The provisions in the draft bylaw remain the same, with key proposals including a new requirement to carry two forms of communication on a vessel; amending the requirements for wearing a lifejacket; and removing a clause prohibiting wind-powered board sports in the Ruakākā and Waipū estuaries.
The feedback period runs until Monday 28 July. More detail can be found at www.nrc.govt.nz/bylawreview
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Tech Appointments – Tim Dacombe-Bird Appointed as Head of Google Cloud in New Zealand

Source: Sling & Stone

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, June 30 2025 — Google Cloud today announced the appointment of Tim Dacombe-Bird as Head of Google Cloud in New Zealand. Based in Wellington, Tim will be responsible for spearheading Google Cloud’s local go-to-market strategy and working closely with partners and customers to help Kiwi businesses build an AI-first future.

“Tim is a recognised industry leader in the New Zealand technology landscape, and we are delighted to have him join our team,” said Paul Migliorini, Vice President, Google Cloud Australia & New Zealand. “With a history of successfully leading rapidly growing businesses and developing high-performing teams, Tim has been at the forefront of some major technology shifts, and his expertise will be invaluable in helping our customers maximise their AI and digital strategies.”

“I'm incredibly excited to step into this role and lead Google Cloud's journey here in Aotearoa,” said Tim Dacombe-Bird, Head of Google Cloud, New Zealand. “New Zealand businesses are inherently innovative, adaptable, and ready to embrace the next wave of digitisation. I'm passionate about working with our customers and partners to leverage Google Cloud's leading AI capabilities, helping to drive efficiency and unlock new possibilities. With Google Cloud's ongoing investment in, and our commitment to New Zealand, it's an exciting time to be part of the growth story for Kiwi businesses.”

Caroline Rainsford, Country Director of Google New Zealand, reiterated the strength of Tim’s experience, saying, “We’re thrilled to have Tim join the Google New Zealand team, bringing with him deep knowledge of cloud and well-established connections to the Public Sector. Google is committed to developing and strengthening the digital capacity of Aotearoa, and to bringing the best of Google’s AI to businesses, communities and individuals to grow our digital future.”

Kiwi businesses are choosing Google Cloud for its full stack of AI innovation from infrastructure, to research, to models and platforms. Recently, Auckland Council announced it is trialling 'Ask Auckland Council', an AI assistant leveraging Google Cloud AI solutions and Deloitte, to help Aucklanders get the information they need quickly and easily, across the council’s digital properties. In 2023, Google Cloud signed an All-of-Government Cloud Framework Agreement with the New Zealand Government, allowing eligible agencies to modernise systems and build secure applications.

Google Cloud also continues its investment in New Zealand, recently announcing the ‘Pacific Connect Initiative’, which will deliver two new trans-Pacific subsea cables — Honomoana and Tabua — to help increase the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in the Pacific. The Honomoana cable system will add a branch to Auckland and enable a double Australian landing in Melbourne and Sydney.

Prior to joining Google Cloud, Tim held leadership roles at Wiz, AWS, and VMware in New Zealand.

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Stats NZ information release: Employment indicators: May 2025

Employment indicators: May 2025 – information release

30 June 2025

Employment indicators provide an early indication of changes in the labour market.

Key facts
Changes in the seasonally adjusted filled jobs for the May 2025 month (compared with the April 2025 month) were:

  • all industries – up 0.1 percent (1,689 jobs) to 2.35 million filled jobs
  • primary industries – up 0.4 percent (439 jobs)
  • goods-producing industries – down 0.2 percent (787 jobs)
  • service industries – up 0.1 percent (1,990 jobs).

Visit our website to read this information release and to download CSV files:

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Auditor-General turns down PSA request to investigate Health NZ, refers issues to auditor

Source: PSA

The Auditor General has declined to investigate Health NZ’s decision to downsize the team of audit and fraud experts that monitors the $12 billion of health funding distributed every year.
But the office has referred the PSA’s concerns to Audit NZ.
This move follows the PSA writing to the Auditor-General in May urging it to investigate the restructure of the Audit Assurance and Risk team. Health NZ Te Whatu Ora is proposing to remove 23 roles from the team, a cut of 28% of the workforce.
This is a critical unit focused on ensuring some $12 billion of annual funding of the primary health care sector is paid out correctly and not subject to fraud.
In its response to the PSA the Auditor-General said this was outside its scope of its mandate but agreed to raise its concerns with Audit NZ, the government office which carries out annual audits of agencies to ensure public money is being spent responsibly.
“We thank the Auditor-General for carefully considering our concerns and while it’s disappointing the office is unable to investigate, the issues remain. We hope Audit NZ will now take a close look,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“But it would be much simpler if Health NZ came to its senses and stopped these damaging cuts before it loses such experienced auditors and fraud investigators.
“Millions of precious health dollars could be lost if the restructure goes ahead. Any money saved from the cuts will be lost through the failure to detect overpayments and fraud.
“We are therefore pleased the Auditor-General has placed the issues that concern us on the radar of Audit NZ.
“The Government’s underfunding of health to pay for tax cuts has put the health system under enormous pressure and now more than ever taxpayers need assurance health dollars are being spent wisely. We look forward to Audit NZ looking into this.”
Previous statements
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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Insurers step up as recovery gets underway

Source: Insurance Council of NZ

New Zealanders are now turning their attention to clean-up and recovery efforts following the easing of severe weather conditions across the country, particularly the upper regions of the North and South Islands.
The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihui o Aotearoa (ICNZ) is encouraging people to begin the recovery process safely and as soon as they're able.
“We understand that in the early stages of recovery not everyone can immediately lodge a claim,” ICNZ Chief Executive Kris Faafoi said.
“While it’s important to contact your insurer as soon as you can, don’t wait to prevent further damage if it’s safe to do so.
“Nelson-Tasman Emergency Management has established a community information centre at the Motueka Rec Centre on Old Wharf Road. Insurance staff will be available at the Centre to support affected residents.”
To help speed up recovery and keep people safe, ICNZ recomm

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Japan: Cruel execution a stain on country’s human rights record – Amnesty International

Source: Amnesty International

 

In response to today’s execution in Japan of a man convicted of the murder of nine people, Chiara Sangiorgio, Death Penalty Advisor at Amnesty International, said:

 

“The execution of Takahiro Shiraishi – the first in Japan in nearly three years – is the latest callous attack on the right to life in Japan and a major setback for the country’s human rights record.

 

“Last year’s acquittal of Hakamada Iwao, formerly the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner, laid bare the unfairness of Japan’s criminal justice system and use of the death penalty and was an ideal opportunity to change course. 

 

“But instead of moving to reform and ensure full protection of human rights, the government has chosen to resume executions. This is a significant setback to efforts to end the use of the death penalty in Japan.

 

“As of today, 113 countries worldwide have completely abolished the death penalty in law, and more than 144 have abandoned it in law or practice, yet Japan continues to use this inhuman punishment.

 

“The secrecy that continues to surround the notification of executions make the use of this punishment in Japan additionally cruel. The Japanese authorities must immediately introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step toward abolishing the death penalty entirely —and commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment.”

 

 

Background

 

According to Japan’s Ministry of Justice, the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi was carried out on 27 June 2025.

Shiraishi was convicted in 2020 of the killing of nine people in 2017 by Tokyo District Court and sentenced to death.

This is the first execution under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who came to power in October 2024, and the first since July 2022.

 

Executions in Japan are shrouded in secrecy, with prisoners typically given only a few hours’ notice and given no warning at all before their death sentences are carried out. Their families are usually notified about the execution only after it has taken place.

 

Japan is one of a small group of countries that has carried out executions in recent years. Amnesty International recorded 1,518 executions in 15 countries in 2024 (excluding the thousands believed to have been carried out in China), an increase by 32% from the 1,153 recorded in 2023 largely driven by a spike in three countries in the Middle East – Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.  

 

On 26 September 2024, a long-awaited ruling was delivered by Shizuoka District Court to acquit Hakamada Iwao, described as the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner.

 

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.

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Greenpeace activists rebrand NZ bottom trawler "ocean killer" at sea

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have confronted a bottom trawler on the Chatham Rise, rebranding it “ocean killer”, after bearing witness to it hauling in a net straining with marine life.
Launching from the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, activists came alongside the New Zealand-flagged ship, Talley’s Amaltal Atlantis, on the Chatham Rise on Friday afternoon, and painted the message on its hull with non-toxic paint.
Speaking from onboard the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juan Parada says:
“Appalled by the most recent evidence of destruction, people defending the oceans rebranded this Talley’s vessel today to expose the bottom trawling industry for what they are: ocean killers. When Talley’s bottom trawlers drag their heavy trawl nets across the seafloor and over seamounts, they bulldoze everything in their path, including killing precious marine life from coral to fur seals, dolphins and seabirds.”We’ve all seen the shocking footage of bottom trawling in David Attenborough's film Ocean, and it’s happening right here, right now.”
“Faced with a fishing industry that profits from trashing the ocean, and a government that condones bottom trawling, we’re proud of the peaceful action taken today to call out this destruction and demand that bottom trawling stop.
“The Amaltal Atlantis trawls in the waters of Aotearoa, and has previously received permits to trawl in the High Seas of the South Pacific. Their trail of destruction is wide and long-lasting,” says Parada.
Talley’s vessels have a long history of carrying out bottom trawling destruction. In 2018, the Amaltal Apollo trawled in a protected area on the Lord Howe Rise, in the international waters of the Tasman Sea. The Amaltal Mariner was also convicted of trawling in a marine reserve off Kaikōura in 2019.
The company also has a documented history of health and safety issues, with multiple injuries and even a fatality reported to WorkSafe.
In 2022, Greenpeace activists blocked the Amatal Atlantis from leaving Port Nelson for nearly 10 hours.
The at-sea action comes just weeks after it was revealed a New Zealand vessel dragged up six tonnes of coral in a single trawl on the Chatham Rise, known for being a hotspot for coral life.
In March, Greenpeace Aotearoa documented swathes of destroyed coral in areas of the Tasman Sea intensively trawled by New Zealand bottom trawlers. The Tasman Sea has been earmarked for one of the first high seas ocean sanctuaries, using the Global Ocean Treaty.
New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling in the High Seas of the Tasman.
Parada says, “As the rest of the world moves towards more comprehensive ocean protection for international waters, New Zealand is standing in the way of progress by continuing to advocate for the bottom trawling industry.”It’s time Talley’s, the trawling industry, and the government listened to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who want ocean health valued over industry profits.
“From depleted fish numbers to smashed coral, dead sharks and seabirds, the cost of bottom trawling is too high. To protect the ocean for the future and safeguard the ocean we all love, bottom trawling must stop.”
In response to the activist’s painting activity, Talley’s responded saying they would seek legal action which “may include the arrest of the Rainbow Warrior.”
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New Zealand Flag half-masting to mark the burial of Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau – Tuesday 1 July 2025

Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

To Action: New Zealand Flag half-masting to mark the burial of Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau
Tuesday 1 July 2025, 8am – 5pm (or building hours)
At the request of the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, the Honourable Paul Goldsmith, the New Zealand Flag is to be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings on Tuesday 1 July 2025 to mark the burial of Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp MP.
The New Zealand Flag should be flown at half-mast all day on Tuesday 1 July 2025. This instruction applies to all Government Departments, buildings and naval vessels which have flag poles and normally fly the New Zealand Flag. The Flag should be returned to full mast at the close of business hours on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
The flag is half-masted by first raising it to the top of the mast and then immediately lowering it slowly to the half-mast position. The half-mast position will depend on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole. The flag must be lowered to a position recognisably “half-mast” to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole. As a guide, the flag should be more than its own depth from the top of the flagpole. At the end of the day, the flag should be raised again to the top of the flagpole before being fully lowered.
For more information about half-masting the flag, visit the Ministry’s website: