Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Save the Children New Zealand

The strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in a decade has struck the western part of Colombia, causing widespread destruction across the Pacific Region. The disaster has left children and families facing uncertainty, fear and the loss of homes, schools and essential services, said Save the Children.

The quake hit on Monday morning as families were at home or beginning their day, with tremors felt as far away as Venezuela. While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, preliminary reports indicate that over 100 people, including children, have been killed, while many more have been injured.

Maria Mercedes Liévano, Save the Children’s Country Director for Colombia, said: “While the full extent of the damage is still emerging, we know that earthquakes can have a devastating impact on children in an instant. In the aftermath of an unforeseen event like this, children may face heightened risks to their safety, well-being and access to essential services. Communities are currently grappling with disruption and uncertainty.”

The full scale of the impact is still emerging as damaged infrastructure, power outages and communications disruptions hamper assessments in some of the worst-affected areas. Reports indicate that buildings have collapsed, raising concerns that people may remain trapped beneath the rubble. Schools and public hospitals have been evacuated, with many sustaining severe damage, disrupting children's access to education, healthcare and safe spaces at a time when they need them most.

Children are among the most vulnerable in the aftermath of earthquakes, facing heightened risks to their health, protection and wellbeing, said Save the Children.

As response efforts continue, there is an urgent need for lifesaving assistance and support to rescue survivors, and help children and families cope with their immediate needs in the days and weeks ahead.

Save the Children stands ready to support affected communities and is closely monitoring the situation to provide support where it is needed the most.

Save the Children has worked in Colombia for 40 years, working in the regions most affected by natural disasters, armed conflict, violence, poverty, climate change, and mixed migration.

New Zealanders wanting to support Save the Children's work in emergencies can donate to our Children's Emergency Fund.

About Save the Children New Zealand

Save the Children works in more than 100 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

Source: Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland and Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, University of Otago

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2026

Researchers have published a study that has found a link between maternal vaping and Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI).

Maternal vaping is emerging as a potential risk factor for Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), according to New Zealand researchers. They say their findings highlight the need to reassess public health messaging around vaping in pregnancy and bed sharing.

Smoking during pregnancy by mothers and sharing the bed with their baby are recognised major risk factors for SUDI, especially when they occur together. In New Zealand smoking in pregnancy has decreased, but SUDI rates remain the same.

A recent study of a series of 101 SUDI deaths in New Zealand during 2022 and 2023 had detailed information about maternal nicotine exposure and the infant's sleep environment for 66 cases.

Findings showed that smoking and/or vaping was reported in nearly three-quarters of these cases, while nearly 70 percent of infants had died while directly bed sharing. Maternal vaping was reported in half of the SUDI cases involving direct bed sharing, compared with one in five cases where direct bed sharing was not reported.

“The interaction between maternal smoking and bed sharing is well established,” says lead author Professor Ed Mitchell, of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. “What is new and concerning is that vaping may be showing a similar pattern of risk as smoking, especially when combined with bed sharing. This raises the possibility that the effects of nicotine itself, rather than how nicotine is delivered, may be contributing to infant vulnerability.”

The researchers stress that the study does not prove that vaping causes SUDI. “Uncertainty is not reassurance,” says co-author Professor Barry Taylor, of the University of Otago, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka. “When the possible consequence is an infant death, a precautionary approach is warranted while the evidence develops.”

The researchers say the findings raise a fundamental question about current pregnancy advice. “Vaping has been widely approached as a safer alternative to smoking and a smoking cessation aid, including in pregnancy. Our findings suggest we need to consider all nicotine exposure during pregnancy, particularly when it is combined with bed sharing,” says Professor Mitchell.

In a related policy analysis published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, the same authors argue that pregnancy requires a different approach to nicotine policy from that used for non-pregnant adults. “Nicotine crosses the placenta, reduces foetal blood flow and lowers birthweight,” explains Professor Taylor. “We suspect that vaping may also produce the same infant ‘arousal defect’ seen with tobacco exposure.”

The researchers recommend a pregnancy-specific approach with being nicotine-free as the goal, and coordinated support for women to achieve this across addiction services, pregnancy care, SUDI prevention and family support. “Every woman who vapes or smokes during pregnancy needs support that meets them where they are in terms of their circumstances and confidence,” says co-author Stephanie Cowan, of Change for Our Children. “The aim is to help every woman move towards cessation as early as possible in pregnancy, because that is how both mother and infant are protected.”

In the SUDI cases studied, 84.8 percent of deaths occurring during direct bed sharing involved maternal smoking or vaping.

The researchers say more research is needed urgently to establish the specific risks associated with vaping during pregnancy. In the meantime, they argue that vaping, like smoking, should be discouraged in pregnancy and women should be supported to be nicotine-free as early as possible, as the new health norm.

Source: Buy NZ Made

Buy NZ Made says local councils are dragging their feet on procurement reform, a year after central government overhauled its own rules to give New Zealand businesses a fairer shot at public contracts – and did nothing to bring councils along with it.

The 5th edition of the Government Procurement Rules came into force on 1 December 2025, introducing a mandatory economic benefit to New Zealand test and a clear expectation that lower-value contracts go to capable local suppliers. It was a hard-won admission that decades of procurement practice had treated New Zealand businesses as an afterthought.

However, local councils, which between them control billions of dollars a year in ratepayer money on everything from civil works to professional services, are not covered by the new rules.

Procurement at the council level is still set by each authority's own policy under the Local Government Act, and Buy NZ Made's engagement with members over the past year shows the vast majority have made no move to apply anything like the same test.

The result is a public procurement system running on two different sets of values at once: one that increasingly backs New Zealand businesses, and one – closer to home, spending ratepayers' own money, in their own communities – that still doesn't ask the question at all.

“Central government worked out that shovelling public money offshore while local firms go under is a bad look and bad economics,” Buy NZ Made executive director Dane Ambler says.

“Councils are some of the biggest buyers in their regions. Every contract they hand to an out-of-town or offshore supplier by default, without even weighing the local benefit, is ratepayer money that could have kept a local business, and local jobs, alive.”

In the latest horror story, Buy NZ Made has uncovered councils moving ahead with the purchase and installation of container-mounted shelters supplied by companies importing Chinese-made shelters.

Many firms present themselves as “NZ Made” when they are, in fact, only New Zealand-owned. Councils must take note of this important distinction: NZ ownership does not mean a product is made in New Zealand.

Buy NZ Made is not asking councils to abandon value for money or open competition. It is asking them to stop pretending local economic benefit is someone else's problem. That means adopting an economic benefit test equivalent to central government's, publishing how local benefit is weighed in tender evaluations, and stripping out the compliance barriers that quietly favour large out-of-town incumbents over capable local and New Zealand-owned suppliers.

Source: Federated Farmers of New Zealand

Federated Farmers congratulates those councils that seized the chance to help steer local government reorganisation that works best for their districts and ratepayers.

“Change on the scale the Government is pursuing is necessary and overdue – but it’s nevertheless unsettling and challenging for councillors, and for those they represent,” Feds local government spokesperson Sandra Faulkner says.

“Federated Farmers encouraged councils to put in high-level proposals before the 9 August ‘Head Start’ deadline.

“These big decisions, especially when opinions among residents are split, take courage.

“But it’s far better for councils to hold the pen and help write the next chapter of their future than leave it to the Government to call all the shots,” Faulkner says.

In multiple regions, including the Waikato, Canterbury, Wairarapa, Otago and Southland, plans have been submitted.

They include options for a significantly reduced number of new unitary councils, separated along metropolitan and provincial lines.

“This is the blueprint Federated Farmers has consistently backed,” Faulkner says.

“City and provincial areas have different needs and priorities.

“This model allows each council to focus their efforts and maximise savings and gains, without seriously diluting provincial representation and residents’ connection with their council.

“Federated Farmers now strongly urges the Government to recognise the logic of that separation, honour those councils’ wishes, and work with them as we enter the detailed design phase.”

Federated Farmers applauded the Government announcement last year that New Zealand’s 11 regional councils would be disestablished from 2028 in a drive to eliminate duplication, improve efficiency and reduce costs.

To speed up council discussions on forming new unitary councils, Ministers Watts and Bishop set the clock ticking three months ago by naming 9 August as the deadline for merger proposals.

“Councils that failed to propose streamlined arrangements would be put into a post-2028 backstop, with the Government deciding their future.

“That backstop could well be mega councils covering the entire boundaries of current regional councils, and leaving provincial areas outvoted and sidelined by the big cities,” Faulkner says.

Several Head Start proposals from the Waikato were tabled.

Hauraki, Matamata-Piako and Thames-Coromandel agreed to form a Waihou-Piako-Coromandel Unitary Authority.

Waitomo and Ōtorohanga proposed a new King Country Unitary Council. This leaves Taupō as a potential new unitary and question marks over the future of the lower Waikato.

Waikato Federated Farmers supports a disaggregated model with new unitary councils for the King Country and Waihou-Piako,” Faulkner says.

“Added to this would be a new unitary that combines the current Waipa and Waikato districts, and a standalone Hamilton City Unitary.

“The needs of Hamilton, serving a population of more than 190,00, would completely dominate decision-making, to the detriment of the districts.

“A city of that size deserves its own council at any rate.”

In Bay of Plenty, a three-unitary council set-up – Western (Tauranga and Western BoP), Central (Rotorua alone) and Eastern (Whakatāne, Kawerau and Ōpōtiki) – has been proposed.

“Federated Farmers has strong misgivings about Western BOP being lumped in with Tauranga,” Faulker says.

“Again, in line with that metro-provincial split, Federated Farmers backs the proposal from Stratford and South Taranaki districts to form a new unitary, leaving New Plymouth as a separate council.”

Federated Farmers also supports the bid from Masterton and Carterton District Councils for a union with South Wairarapa District.

“A Wairarapa unitary council serving that large catchment makes far more sense than the Wairarapa being totally overshadowed by the huge new Wellington/Hutt Valley/Porirua metro to the south.”

Reorganisation in Canterbury is shaping up in a way that works for provincial/rural interests, Faulkner says.

“Hurunui and Waimakariri districts want to form a new North Canterbury unitary; Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate, Waitaki and Ashburton could form a new southern council.

“Christchurch City and Selwyn could be stand-alone councils.”

Meanwhile, Otago’s rural councils favour a new unitary comprising Central Otago, Queenstown Lakes and Clutha councils.

In Southland, Federated Farmers continues to back the call for Invercargill to form one unitary, and the rest of the province another.

The Government is due to announce which Head Start proposals it accepts ‘in principle’ in September, with work continuing by councils on detailed design.

Final proposals are due to be submitted in March next year, with the Government – if it survives the November election – confirming proposals in May 2027.

“It is really positive so many rural councils have taken the initiative and proposed new unitary councils based off rural communities of interest.

“Federated Farmers will be calling on Government to approve these proposals.

“Whatever shape local government ultimately takes, Federated Farmers isn't going anywhere.

“We'll keep on working constructively with councils, through the transition and beyond, making sure the voices of rural communities are heard every step of the way.” 

Source: Waka Ama Aotearoa New Zealand

11 AUGUST 2026

Hundreds of kaihoe across Aotearoa prepare to take on the world stage as
teams unite in Singapore for the 2026 International Va’a Federation (IVF)
World Sprint Championships. More than 200 Aotearoa club-team entries have
qualified to compete at the Championships, alongside nationally selected
elite teams and individual V1 representatives.

The contingent will travel to Singapore for the championships at Marina Bay
from 17–31 August, bringing together 3,000 of the best paddlers from around
the globe for one of the biggest events on the international waka ama
calendar.

For Waka Ama Aotearoa NZ (WAANZ), the scale of the Aotearoa contingent
reflects the growth of the sport that is now drawing elite athletes,
rangatahi, kaumātua, whānau and club crews from communities right across
the country.

“This is a hugely significant moment for waka ama in Aotearoa, and the
first time our world championships have been held in Asia,” says Waka Ama
Aotearoa NZ Chief Executive Lara Collins.

“We are sending a contingent of 580 kaihoe to represent our sport. From
elite athletes who have committed to a 10-month high-performance campaign,
through to club crews who have earned their place in the national
qualifiers. They are carrying the aspirations of their clubs, their
regions, their whānau and Aotearoa with them – many of whom will be
travelling to Singapore to support them.”

The 2026 qualifying entries
<2026 qualifying entries>
include clubs from Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty,
Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Horowhenua, Te Whanganui-a-Tara and
beyond. Demonstrating the nationwide reach of waka ama and the strength of
the club system providing opportunities through the high-performance
pathway.

The current WAANZ qualifying roster records 210 club-team entries, compared
with 208 qualified club teams for the 2024 World Sprint Championships in
Hilo, Hawai‘i. That growth comes on top of the national elite programme,
which includes J19 Wāhine, J19 Tāne, Open Wāhine, Open Tāne and Para Mixed
teams.

Source: Federated Farmers of New Zealand

Federated Farmers is welcoming the Government’s new $1 million funding programme to support grassroots efforts to control wilding pines.

Announced by Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard today, the fund will bolster community-led control projects on top of the Government’s $109 million investment over the next three years.

Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins says the funding is a welcome boost for the people already putting in the hard yards to tackle wilding pines.

“Wilding pines are a huge threat to productive farmland, our water catchments and native biodiversity, and we need to be throwing everything we can at getting on top of them.

“National coordination and significant investment are important, but so is backing the people on the ground who know their own patch best.

“Farmers, landowners, volunteers and community groups have been doing huge amounts of work to control wilding pines, often with limited resources.

“This funding will help turn more of those local efforts into action, which is a really positive step.”

The Government’s funding boost shows it understands the scale of the problem.

“We have a big job ahead of us, but with $109 million going into the national programme and now another $1 million available to support community-led work, we have a real opportunity to make a serious dent in this problem.

“We welcome the Government recognising that local people need to be part of the solution.”

Wilding pine control is such a serious issue that Federated Farmers has made it a priority in its 2026 election platform, Dawkins says.

“We’re calling for whoever forms the next government to allocate a 10-year funding stream to control wilding pines.

“We also want to see 100% of International Visitor Levy funding used for conservation and tourism projects, as it was intended.

“This problem isn’t going away and it will just get worse unless we hit it head on, which requires reliable, long-term funding.”

Dawkins says another weapon in the battle against wildings is the use of low-impact stock grazing on conservation land.

“That costs absolutely no money to the taxpayer but actually works, as having sheep and cattle on that land keeps weeds and pests at bay, including wilding pines.

“That’s why we’ve asked in our election platform for 500,000 hectares of Department of Conservation land to be restored to grazing.

“Many Kiwis don’t see the scale of the wilding pine problem, but I can tell you that these destructive trees are rapidly spreading their way across good, productive land.

“Now is the time to hit them hard with every tool in the toolbox.”

Source: Solomon Islands Government Ministry of Rural Development

MONDAY 10TH AUGUST, 2026

The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) is one of the 24 ministries within the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) machinery. MRD is established on the 28th September, 2007.

Its core mandates as contained under Legal Notice 164 in accordance with the Constitution of Solomon Islands is to oversee the effective planning and implementation of Government’s Rural Development Policies.

Our vision is to ensure all rural Solomon Islanders become meaningfully participated in development activities to improve their social and economic livelihood.

Minister for Rural Development Honourable Daniel Waneoroa says the Ministry's policy intentions and reforms are aimed at empowering rural constituencies and communities, central to building national resilience and inclusive growth.

“Our rural communities are where the majority of our people live and build their livelihoods,” he said.

Speaking in Parliament last week, Waneoroa said strengthening communities and families through development interventions has a strong correlation to a stronger, peaceful and prosperous nation.

“In undertaking these interventions, implementation of the Constituency Development Funds Act 2023 is paramount to ensure legitimacy for the systems of delivery, including efficiency and effectiveness,” he said.

On capacity, Waneoroa said the Ministry continues to prioritise developing the capacity of constituency officers, including at community level, to ensure the legislative and administrative reforms under the CDF are well understood.

He added that information sharing is also important, noting that keeping constituents informed on projects around the country is key to ensuring all citizens are included.

“In ensuring information is passed down into our communities throughout the country, MRD continues to implement its civic and community awareness program through community visits, as well as other media, including our weekly radio program and social media,” he said.

Source: Solomon Islands Government Ministry of Rural Development

MONDAY 10TH AUGUST, 2026

The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) is one of the 24 ministries within the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) machinery. MRD is established on the 28th September, 2007.

Its core mandates as contained under Legal Notice 164 in accordance with the Constitution of Solomon Islands is to oversee the effective planning and implementation of Government’s Rural Development Policies.

Our vision is to ensure all rural Solomon Islanders become meaningfully participated in development activities to improve their social and economic livelihood.

The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) has begun developing a policy framework to establish Constituency Economic Growth Centres (CEGCs) at strategic sites across Solomon Islands.

Minister for Rural Development, Hon. Danial Waneoroa, announced the initiative in Parliament last week.

“In further support for rural development, it is earmarked under my Ministry to work towards establishing Constituency Economic Growth Centres in strategic sites in our constituencies throughout Solomon Islands,” he said.

Minister Waneoroa said the initiative is grounded in the principle that development must be equitable, benefiting the majority of the population rather than a select few.

“All citizens of this nation aspire for a good life — the role of government is to facilitate and create the conducive environment for this to take place,” he said.

He confirmed that MRD has already begun work on the policy framework, which will guide the rollout of CEGCs nationwide.

“The policy framework intends to provide the guidelines and clarity on how this is to be rolled out in the constituencies, and giving clear policy definitions on what CEGC entails.”

Minister Waneoroa called on the Government and all constituencies to support and work with MRD to implement these activities and processes in 2026.

The CDGCs are envisioned as decentralized administrative, commercial, and industrial hubs designed to bring governance, social services, and economic opportunities closer to the rural populace. To ensure a structured, transparent, and sustainable rollout of these centres, MRD has identified the development of a comprehensive CDGC Policy Strategy and Implementation Framework as a key policy priority for 2026, and has already commenced work on it.

Source: Consumer New Zealand

11 August 2026

As rising power bills put pressure on household budgets, New Zealanders searching for savings are increasingly focusing on just two electricity retailers, according to Consumer NZ’s Powerswitch data.

Record numbers have been using Powerswitch, and almost 28,000 have initiated a switch on the service this year.

The data shows Electric Kiwi and Genesis have dramatically increased their share of consumer interest since March, while several other major retailers have seen significant declines.

Of the Powerswitch initiated switches in July, 55.5% were to Electric Kiwi (up from 37% in March) and 17.4% to Genesis (up from 3.8% in March).

Meanwhile, Contact’s share of Powerswitch initiated switches fell from 26.9% to 11.4% and Mercury’s from 12.3% to 4.1%. Powershop dropped from 11.6% to 5.2% after thousands took leave after its new app rollout. Powershop app rollout information

Consumer NZ’s Powerswitch manager, Paul Fuge, says the data shows New Zealanders are becoming far more focused on a small number of retailers when looking for better deals.

“What stands out is how concentrated consumer movement has become recently. Nearly three out of every four of those switching through Powerswitch in July went to either Electric Kiwi or Genesis.

“People are clearly responding to offers that deliver meaningful savings. In a market where power prices have risen sharply, households are paying closer attention to who is offering the best value. The data shows they are now more inclined to take action.”

Fuge says the figures should serve as a reminder that sticking with the same retailer year after year can be costly.

“Electricity retail is more of a revolving door than a pecking order. Retailers rise, fall and fight their way back again as they compete for customers. The retailer topping the rankings today can quickly find itself chasing the pack tomorrow.

“Power prices are already high, up 20% in the past two years alone. Don’t add a loyalty tax on top. The average annual saving for people who switch on Powerswitch this year is now around $479.”

Powerswitch, which recently celebrated its 27th birthday, is Consumer NZ’s free and independent electricity price comparison service, helping households compare plans and identify potential savings through switching retailers.

Notes for editors

Analysis is based on Powerswitch switching data from March to July 2026.

Electric Kiwi’s share increased from 37.0% in March to 55.5% in July.

Genesis increased from 3.8% to 17.4% over the same period.

Contact dropped from 26.9% to 11.4%, Mercury from 12.3% to 4.1%, and Powershop from 11.6% to 5.2%.

Electric Kiwi and Genesis accounted for 72.9% in July.

The average annual saving for consumers who switch using Powerswitch this year is approximately $479.

About Consumer

Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.