Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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NZ Drug Foundation – Overdose Good Samaritan Bill to be debated in Parliament

Source: New Zealand Drug Foundation

A law change that would provide legal protections for people seeking help in the event of an overdose could to be debated in Parliament for the first time tomorrow.

The Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill, a member’s bill in the name of Green MP Kahurangi Carter, would provide explicit protection for people who are seeking help for themselves or others in the event of an overdose or other ‘drug-related acute adverse reaction’.

The NZ Drug Foundation is welcoming the Bill, which is an example of what is often called an ‘overdose Good Samaritan law' internationally – something the charity has long advocated for.

The Foundation’s Executive Director Sarah Helm says that if passed, the law change will save lives.

“We lose almost three people a week to entirely preventable overdose – and we know that people aren’t seeking help because they fear getting in trouble,” she says.

A survey of people at risk of drug harm conducted by the Drug Foundation in 2025 found that almost 40% of respondents would be worried to call 111 if someone was experiencing an adverse reaction to drugs.

“If passed, this small law change will let us send a clear message that people should get help straight away and that they won’t get in trouble,” says Helm.

Helm points to several coronial findings in recent years that have highlighted witnesses’ hesitancy to call for help as a contributing factor in drug deaths.

“Some of the stories we’ve heard have been heartbreaking. The fact that in so many of these critical moments people are weighing up getting in trouble with the law versus getting help for their friends is just tragic.”

Helm says that she is hopeful Parliament will send the Bill to select committee so that MPs can hear evidence from the public and people who’ve been impacted by overdose while they scrutinise the Bill.

Notes:

At the time of writing, the Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill is the fourth members’ order of business on Parliament’s order paper. Subject to other business in the House, the Bill may not be debated until the next Members’ Day, or the first reading debate may be interrupted before a vote is taken.

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Freight access protected during critical Tiniroto Road repairs

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand says improved access arrangements for urgent Tiniroto Road repairs are a positive step after initial closure plans threatened major disruption to freight and the local community.
Membership Manager, Lindsay Calvi-Freeman says getting work underway ahead of winter is important given the poor condition of the road.
“We strongly support this work getting done. Tiniroto Road has been in a very poor state and repairs are critical for safety, resilience, and keeping freight moving.”
However, Calvi-Freeman says the initial plan for a full closure – announced on a Friday afternoon for work beginning the following Monday – left operators with virtually no time to adapt.
“This route is critical for logs, livestock, aggregate and other freight moving in and out of the region. With limited alternative routes, a full closure would have had a major impact on these freight movements and the local economy.”
Following engagement with Transporting New Zealand and the Tiniroto Community Association, changes were made to improve access.
Initially, a stop/go system was used for the first two days of work. Access has improved from two to four daily convoy openings, all of which are open to trucks. The convoy times are 8am, 10am, 1pm, and 2:45pm, providing improved flexibility and certainty for freight operators and local road users.
“We worked closely with council and the community to find a more practical solution, and we appreciate the willingness to respond quickly to those concerns,” says Calvi-Freeman.
Transporting New Zealand says continued collaboration is essential to ensure road maintenance can be carried out without disrupting rural communities or supply chains.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
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Blood donation policy reform marks long-awaited step toward inclusion – Burnett Foundation

Source: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa welcomes the New Zealand Blood Service’s move toward more equitable, behaviour-based donor screening. This change enables more people – including gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men – to donate blood, while maintaining the high standards New Zealanders expect with blood safety.
For more than a decade, advocates, community organisations, and individuals have called for a more inclusive, evidence-based approach to blood donation policy. This change reflects meaningful progress, shaped by sustained advocacy, scientific advancement, years of research like SPOTS (Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study), and a willingness to evolve longstanding practices.
“We welcome this as an important step forward,” says Burnett Foundation Aotearoa Chief Executive Liz Gibbs.
“It reflects years of advocacy and the growing recognition that policy must evolve alongside science and community understanding.”
Shifting assessment of risk away from a blanket-approach based on identities, to one based on behaviours helps reduce stigma while keeping everyone safe.
“Ensuring that communities most impacted by HIV are treated with fairness and respect stays central to our work. At a personal level, it gives men who have long been excluded, an opportunity to give back to their community. And ultimately this change helps increase the number of potential donors, which can help cover shortages in blood supply.” says Gibbs.
This moment reflects what can be achieved through partnership, persistence, and a shared commitment to inclusion. It is a meaningful step forward, while reinforcing the importance of continued progress toward policies that fully reflect equity, dignity, and current scientific evidence.
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Events – Firefighters race it out on Wellington waterfront in UFBA national championship

Source: United Fire Brigades' Association

New Zealanders will have a front-row seat to the strength, skill and determination of the country’s firefighters as Wellington hosts a high-energy national championship this week.
On Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May, more than 160 firefighters from across Aotearoa – including volunteer, career, airport and defence force crews – will converge on Odlins Plaza for the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) Firefighter Challenge New Zealand National Championship.
Following several extreme weather and fire events, the competition offers a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the physical and mental demands firefighters face when responding to emergencies.
The Challenge is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled event that tests competitors against the clock in a series of intense tasks designed to replicate real-life firefighting conditions. Wearing full protective gear and breathing apparatus, participants race up a six-storey tower carrying a 19kg hose pack, haul equipment skyward, force entry using weighted tools, navigate obstacles, and finish by dragging an 81kg mannequin 30m to the finish line.
The event draws both seasoned competitors and first-time challengers, each pushing themselves to their limits in a close-up display of resilience, teamwork and dedication.
With 2026 marking International Volunteer Year, the championship also highlights the vital role of New Zealand’s volunteer firefighters. Around 12,000 dedicated volunteers make up approximately 86% of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s frontline workforce, serving communities nationwide, around the clock, alongside their work and family commitments.
The UFBA welcomes the public to attend, capture the action, and show support for the firefighters who protect communities every day.
Event details: Location: Odlins Plaza, Wellington Waterfront 
Dates: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May 
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm (approx.) both days
About the UFBA – for over 140 years the United Fire Brigades’ Association has been the leading association representing firefighters in New Zealand. Today our services support c.14,000 firefighters throughout the fire and emergency services sector. We champion volunteerism, provide advocacy and support, skills-based challenges, workshops, and service honours.
For more information visit www.ufba.org.nz
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World Vision – Give a gift that gives twice this Mother’s Day

Source: World Vision

World Vision’s ethical gift catalogue offers New Zealanders a meaningful way to celebrate mums, while helping families around the world

This Mother’s Day, New Zealanders looking for a meaningful alternative to flowers or chocolates are being encouraged to choose an ethical gift that changes lives.

Gifts from World Vision New Zealand’s Gift Catalogue help deliver practical, life-changing support to millions of mothers and children worldwide facing hunger, displacement, and poverty.

Through the catalogue, shoppers can choose unique and ethical gifts that honour their special mum or mother figure while supporting families living in some of the world’s toughest places.

With prices starting from just $10 (which can provide lifesaving immunisations for a child), the practical and life-changing gifts make it easy for everyone to contribute to a brighter future for vulnerable children and mothers globally.

Popular gifts include fast-growing seeds so families can grow more food ($10); nutrition programmes for mothers and babies ($63); cooking classes to help fight malnutrition ($54); emergency food for children suffering hunger ($60); and support for women to start a business ($160). Larger gifts such as emergency shelter can also help families rebuild after disasters or conflict.

World Vision New Zealand’s National Director, TJ Grant, says Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the care and compassion mothers show every day.

“Mother’s Day is about recognising the love and sacrifice of mums and mother figures in our lives. Choosing an ethical gift is a powerful way to celebrate that love while extending it to another family who may be facing incredibly difficult circumstances.

“These gifts provide practical support for women and children around the world — whether that’s access to nutritious food, education, healthcare, or the opportunity to earn an income and build a better future.”

Ethical gifts are designed to support both immediate needs and long-term change, helping communities strengthen food security, improve health outcomes, and create opportunities for women and girls.

Each gift comes with the option of a printed card or e-card, allowing the giver to share the story behind the gift with their mum on the day and explain how their present is helping families around the world.

To make a meaningful impact this Mother’s Day, visit the World Vision New Zealand Gift Catalogue at worldvision.org.nz/give-now/smiles-gift.

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PSA – Snap rally outside Birthright Hutt Valley tomorrow to save the service

Source: PSA

The PSA has organised a snap rally outside Birthright Hutt Valley tomorrow after last week's announcement of the service's proposed closure sparked an outpouring of public outcry.
Single mother, Sheyaine Sanson, who has been supported by Birthright for nearly 7 years said “I’ve gone through some pretty hard things in my life and Birthright has always been there for me. Finding out it is closing is not only sad, but it’s absolutely shattered a lot of people. Birthright is a pillar in our community and to lose this is absolutely devastating. There’s no other service like this.”
Birthright is the only specialist social service for single-caregiver whanau in the Hutt Valley. It has served the community for 60 years. Government cuts across the sector have forced more organisations to compete for a shrinking pool of philanthropic funding, pushing community services like Birthright to the wall.
“The response from the community since the announcement has been extraordinary and it tells you everything about what Birthright means to people,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary, PSA Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“When Birthright closes, there is no equivalent service for these families to go to. If the Government is serious about children and families doing well, it can’t let a service like this disappear,”
“Staff at Birthright are facing losing their jobs. But when you speak with them, they are actually more worried about the whānau they support. What happens to those families when the doors close,”
“Tomorrow’s rally will bring together staff, whānau, community members and supporters from across the Hutt Valley to urge the Government to provide the necessary funds to keep the service going,”
“Birthright is a small organisation with a big heart, and there’s still time to save it.”
Event details:
WHAT: Community rally outside Birthright Hutt Valley
WHERE: 101 Copeland Street, Epuni, Lower Hutt 5011
WHEN: 12pm, Wednesday 29 April 2026
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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Cost Builder – Fuel pressure building as construction costs hold steady

Source: Quality Valuation – QV

Construction price rises remain relatively contained, despite significant fuel pressures.

The latest QV CostBuilder monthly update incorporates more than 11,000 of the latest material price movements across six main centres, offering a detailed view of how construction costs are responding to current market pressures.

It shows that overall construction cost inflation remains relatively modest, with elemental and trade rates both increasing by an average of 0.3% between March and April 2026.

However, rising diesel costs – up 37.6% in a month and 109.8% since February – are continuing to flow through, particularly in fuel-intensive areas of work.

In the trades, excavation recorded the most significant increase this month, rising by 7.9% since QV CostBuilder’s last update. Piling and demolition also increased by 1.6% and 1.3% respectively, largely due to higher diesel prices.

Diesel costs also fuelled rises in the elemental costs, including a 2.2% increase in site preparation and a 1.9% increase in substructure costs, with exterior works also climbing 1.9% over the month partly for the same reason.

QV CostBuilder spokesperson and quantity surveyor Martin Bisset said fuel had emerged as the most significant construction cost driver this year, amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Fuel has really become the dominant cost driver in recent months. That’s where the most upward pressure on construction costs is coming from currently,” he said.

“What makes fuel different to other inputs is how broadly it feeds into the construction process – from machinery on site through to transport and materials – so the impact tends to build over time rather than show up all at once.”

“The key thing is that price pressure is building, even if it’s not fully reflected in headline cost increases just yet. Hopefully this will still be a short-term spike and price pressure will eventually ease,” he concluded.

CostBuilder is an online subscription-based building cost platform, powered by state-owned enterprise Quotable Value (QV).

It covers everything from the building costs per square metre for warehouses, schools, and office buildings, to the approximate retail supply cost of GIB and more than 8,000 other items, plus labour rates, labour constants, and more.

Visit QV CostBuilder at costbuilder.qv.co.nz.

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Asia NZ Foundation – Report highlights untapped Pacific role in New Zealand’s engagement with Asia

Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation

As Asia cements its status as a global hub of innovation and growth, new research shows Pacific New Zealanders have deep, and often underutilised, connections with the region.    
A survey of 348 Pacific New Zealanders found they are 26 percent more likely to be interested in Asian languages and 20 percent more likely to engage with Asian arts and festivals than non-Pacific New Zealanders.
More than half of Pacific New Zealanders surveyed identified cultural ties as their strongest connection to Asia, citing shared values such as respect for family and elders, and a strong emphasis on hospitality.
The findings come from Asia New Zealand Foundation’s latest report – Perceptions of Asia: Pacific New Zealanders’ Perspectives. It the first time Pacific New Zealanders’ views about Asia have been examined in depth, after nearly three decades of the Foundation surveying all New Zealanders about their attitudes to Asia.
Asia New Zealand Foundation chief executive Suzannah Jessep says the Asia-literacy and capability of Pacific New Zealanders is something New Zealand should be paying closer attention to and utilising more.
“Asia is home to seven of our top ten trading partners and represents more than 60 per cent of the world’s population. As we navigate an increasingly contested and unpredictable global order, it is vital that New Zealanders have the breadth of skills, perspectives, and cultural literacy needed to thrive in and across Asia.
“New Zealanders of Pacific heritage make up almost 10 percent of New Zealand’s population. Through this research, we can shape policies that support a more connected and resilient region.”
The research also examines views on the role of Asian countries in the Pacific region. While technology, development and investment are welcomed, eighty-five per cent of respondents expressed concern about Pacific Island countries’ debt burden and major-power rivalry in areas such as deep-sea mining.
More than three quarters of respondents want to see New Zealand play a bigger role in the Pacific.
Dr Ashalyna Noa, who co-wrote the report, believes the findings bring to light a “superpower” she always felt she had: growing up with Chinese and Samoan heritage in New Zealand.
“Many Pacific New Zealanders also have Asian ancestry, including many Samoans of Chinese descent. If harnessed effectively and appropriately, these connections could play a key role in shaping New Zealand’s future engagement with Asia.”
About the report
The report was commissioned by the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and research was conducted by Dr Ashalyna Noa, Fine Lavoni Koloamatangi and Caleb Uti-Kere.
The research involved a mini poll of 348 Pacific diaspora, four talanoa with Pacific New Zealanders living in Auckland, Wellington, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.
About the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono
Established in 1994, the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is New Zealand’s leading provider of Asia insights and experiences. Its mission is to equip New Zealanders to excel in Asia, by providing research, insights and targeted opportunities to grow their knowledge, connections and experiences across the Asia region. The Foundation’s activities cover more than 20 countries in Asia and are delivered through eight core programmes: arts, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, media, research, Track II diplomacy and sports. 
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Freight productivity measures will support jobs and economic growth – Transporting New Zealand

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand says that has welcomed the Government developing options to remove regulatory barriers to improve freight productivity and minimise diesel use, saying that urgent action is required to keep the economy moving and protect jobs.
Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that Transporting New Zealand has been working with officials on many of the measures outlined, including reforms to the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule and improved access for over-dimension vehicles.
“These are practical productivity gains that will deliver immediate relief to businesses and consumers around the country. Modest increases in payloads and more efficient routes mean fewer trips, lower fuel use, and reduced vehicle operating costs across the supply chain,” Kalasih says.
“Heavier trucks use more diesel, but increased payloads reduce the diesel intensity per tonne of freight moved, that is clearly established from the data we’ve been able to provide officials. There are also associated vehicle cost savings including road user charges, wages, tyre wear, and reduced repair and maintenance requirements.”
“Transporting New Zealand called for urgent freight productivity relief back in March, and we’ve been impressed at the engagement we’ve had from the ministers and officials to get these regulatory options prepared and help reduce pressure on freight costs.”
Kalasih says the focus must now shift to prompt implementation.
“We have members with trucks parked up, as high diesel prices start to impact energy intensive activities such as construction and log harvesting, and customers who are able to warehouse stock delay transport. Unless we get some downward pressure on transport costs this is going to seriously impact economic growth and jobs.”
“Diesel prices have more than doubled, with the cost of fueling a linehaul truck increasing by over $500 per day. That’s a huge cost for transport companies and their customers to meet.”
“These freight productivity measures are common sense improvements that can deliver immediate benefits. We encourage the Government to move quickly to put them in place rather than waiting to see if the situation will get worse.”
Kalasih says he hopes there will be bipartisan support for the productivity relief measures, and is encouraging all political parties to engage constructively with the proposals.
Transporting New Zealand says it will continue working with the Ministry of Transport and New Zealand Transport Agency to support safe and timely implementation.
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Oxfam – Fossil fuel companies projected to earn almost $3,000 a second in 2026 while families struggle to afford energy bills worldwide

Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

Six of the biggest fossil fuel companies are projected to earn $2,967 a second in profits in 2026, new Oxfam research finds, ahead of the first global conference this week on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia.
This marks an increase of almost $37 million a day compared to the 2025 profits of these six corporations – Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Exxon and TotalEnergies. Their total projected fossil fuel profits of 2026 are $94 billion: enough to provide solar power for the energy needs of almost 50 million people in Africa.
In the context of the global energy crisis, Oxfam commissioned new polling in seven countries. It found that three times as many citizens supported greater government investment in renewable energy compared to increasing fossil fuel extraction, and approximately two thirds (68 percent) supported increasing taxes on the profits of large oil and gas corporations to help fund the transition to renewables.
Currently, families around the world continue to be pushed into energy poverty as geopolitical instability, the impacts of escalating violence in the Middle East that has already taken many lives, and the sharp increase in the wealth of the super-rich in contrast to everyone else is leaving ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.
A huge proportion of the profits from fossil fuels are going straight into the pockets of the wealthiest 1%, based mainly in the Global North, who are profiting from the subsequent climate destruction these corporations cause while working to maintain global dependence on fossil fuels by monopolising wealth and political influence.
“A just transition away from fossil fuels must support people in poorer countries, who face the brunt of climate disasters while their governments are forced to spend more money on repaying debts than on education or health, let alone climate adaptation,” said Mariana Paoli, Climate Policy Lead at Oxfam. “Taxing the richest polluters who have no intention of investing in a clean future is central to a just transition. At Santa Marta, governments must end the pollutocrat era.”
Fossil fuel corporations and the super-rich that profit from them are entrenching inequality and turning their backs on the people most impacted by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis. Just last month, ExxonMobil announced a significant reduction of a third of its planned investment in low-carbon energy projects and TotalEnergies refused to adopt a net zero transition plan aligned with 1.5 degrees.
At Santa Marta, Oxfam urges governments to:
  • Scale up public climate finance. Introduce measures to tax the corporations and the super-rich profiting from fossil fuels and the cost-of-living crisis, including through a Rich Polluter Profit Tax on fossil fuel corporations and an Excess Profit Tax across all sectors. They must tackle unsustainable sovereign debt through debt cancellation, fair restructuring, and by adopting a UN framework on sovereign debt.
  • Put justice at the heart of the energy transition through principles of responsible divestment. States and fossil fuel corporations must address the environmental damage and livelihood loss they’ve caused and centre the rights and participation of those communities most impacted by extractive industries.
  • Implement an equity-based roadmap to end fossil fuels that reflects the historical responsibility, financial capacity and fossil fuel dependence of different states.
Notes
The global poll, conducted by market research company Norstat in April 2026, gathered responses from people in seven countries (UK, France, Brazil, Turkey, Australia, the Netherlands and Colombia). The polling also showed that support for taxing oil and gas corporations to fund the renewable energy transition crossed party lines. In six of the countries, there were more far-right respondents who supported such a tax, than those who opposed it. Download the results: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WVTJecotQD_RTDd-sjJPHPr-_AFlSarAKMo4m8h0DdU/edit?usp=sharing
Oxfam’s report “ Unjust Transition ” outlines how the richest 0.1 percent are undermining efforts at a just energy transition through overconsumption of the carbon budget and investing in fossil-intensive industries. If just one year’s energy consumption of the wealthiest 1 percent were redistributed, it could meet the modern energy needs of all the people in the world without electricity seven times over. The cost of the energy needs in different countries is in the report methodology note.
See Oxfam Aotearoa’s report “ Closing Time ” on why Aotearoa needs a just transition from fossil fuel production. (ref. https://www.oxfam.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Closing-Time-Report-Oxfam-Aotearoa.pdf )