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Govt – Children the priority for the Social Investment Fund

Source: Social Investment Agency

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

Source: Greenpeace

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

Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Faire

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Alzheimers New Zealand

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

Source: Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa

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

Source: ChildFund New Zealand

ChildFund New Zealand welcomes the return of Celebrity Treasure Island to TVNZ, after actor and musician JP Foliaki won last year, and donated his winnings to water projects in the Pacific.
“When JP won, there were celebrations across the Pacific – from Kiribati to Solomon Islands,” says CEO of ChildFund, Josie Pagani.
99% of households in eighteen villages in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands, for example, do not have reliable access to clean safe drinking water.
“JP’s winnings – roughly $110,000 – will help change this.”
Thousands of children across the Pacific still lack access to clean, safe drinking water. Children get sick and even die from drinking contaminated water. Or they miss school to walk hours to collect clean water.
“Clean water changes everything. Kids stay healthy, go to school and get the best chance of realising their potential.”
“We know that New Zealanders want to see where their donations go, and if the money makes a difference. Development is hard. Some projects work better than others.”
To find out more JP is going to ‘follow his money’ to see how it is being used in some of the most remote islands of Solomon Islands, in Temotu Province.
JP Foliaki will be joined by ChildFund CEO Josie Pagani, and leading paediatrician trained in tropical medicine, Dr Caroline Hart for filming in October. ‘Follow the Money’ will be filmed by documentary maker, Mike Bhana from Wild Films.
Mike has filmed in the Pacific for many years, and is best known in New Zealand for his documentary series, Fish of the Day with Clark Gayford. 
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Transport User-Pays – Privatising Road User Charges risks higher costs for drivers – PSA

Source: PSA

The Government's plan to privatise the collection of Road User Charges, at the same time as moving all vehicles on to the system, risks adding to the cost of living for New Zealanders, the PSA says.
Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi says “it is concerning that the Government is moving to privatise a key government role – revenue collection – without presenting a clear, evidenced justification.
“Administration fees on Road User Charges are already low, about 1% of the revenue collected, and do not make a profit for NZTA. Putting RUC in the hands of private companies, who will need to make a profit on the transactions, is a recipe for higher fees for drivers.”
“Ramping up driving costs at a time when the Government is failing to control inflation makes no sense. This is another example of the Government's reckless focus on privatising provision of public services, even if it increases costs to New Zealanders.
“As we have seen time and again, privatisation means less accountability to the public and Parliament. It will result in less public control over how much drivers are charged.
“Privatisation is a problem masquerading as a solution. The only people who will see any benefit from this scheme are the corporates who take their cut to gather the tax,” says Fitzsimons.
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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Govt’s anti-climate policies should be top of hazards list in latest briefing document – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace says the Government’s recently announced Long Term Insights Briefing on Building Resilience to Hazards – including climate change – is deeply ironic, as its policies are pouring fuel on the fire of more severe weather events.
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says “Top of the list of hazards should be the Government’s own policies, which are driving us closer to climate disaster.
“Ironically, this briefing was released only days after Luxon quite literally poured more fuel on the fire of climate change by overturning the offshore oil and gas ban.”
Luxon’s Government has repealed more than 35 climate actions that were outlined in the first Emissions Reduction Plan, with no replacement policy for reducing emissions.
“Under pressure from lobbyists, Luxon is fast-tracking coal mining and handing out hundreds of millions in fossil fuel subsidies to try to bring back deep sea oil exploration,” says Larsson.
“His policies will lead to more severe weather and flooding, which are identified in this report as increasingly costly and deadly hazards for New Zealanders.”
The Long Term Insights Briefing flags that agriculture is one of the sectors most at risk from climate impacts – and that economic diversification and nature restoration are key to mitigating this impact.
Larsson says, “Intensive dairying is New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter. And Luxon’s Government is giving the industry a free pass to increase its pollution.”
The Luxon-led government has exempted agriculture from joining the Emissions Trading Scheme until at least 2030. He is also exploring changing how methane is accounted for to further weaken climate targets for the sector – a move that was criticised by leading international climate scientists as an “accounting trick” that “ignores scientific evidence.”
“It is frankly deplorable that the Government can claim to be providing important educational information to New Zealanders with this briefing while doing the complete opposite of heeding its own advice,” says Larsson.
“The briefing is ostensibly ‘intended to spark thinking’ but there doesn’t seem to be much thinking going on in the Beehive about its role in fuelling the storms that are raging on its front step.
“People all around the world are taking action against big polluters, in the streets, in the courtrooms, and on the frontlines where industry is trying to push ahead with their destructive practices. If Luxon’s Government won’t take action, then everyday people will.”
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Climate – New Zealand Experiences 4th-Warmest July on Record – Monthly Climate Summary July 2025 from Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA)

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

New Zealand has recorded its 4th-warmest July since records began in 1909, according to the Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) latest Monthly Climate Summary.
The mild start to winter for most of the country in June continued through July, with the nationwide average temperature of 9.2°C. for July being 1.1°C above the 1991-2020 July average. It was New Zealand’s 4th-warmest July since Earth Sciences New Zealand's seven station temperature series began in 1909, says Earth Sciences NZ climate scientist Gregor Macara.
“Nine locations observed their warmest July on record, including Hokitika and Chatham Island, where records date back to 1866 and 1878, respectively.”
Temperatures were above or well above average for most the country, says Macara. The highest temperature was 22.7°C, observed at North Canterbury’s Waipara West on 29 July.
Rainfall was above or well above normal for northern, central and southern parts of the North Island, Tasman, Buller, Nelson, and Marlborough, but below or well below normal for Southland, Otago, Canterbury, and the eastern North Island from Napier to Castlepoint. The highest 1-day rainfall was 164 mm, recorded at Motueka on 11 July.
The three sunniest locations in 2025 so far are Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, and Auckland. Of the six main centres in July 2025, Auckland was the warmest, wettest, and sunniest, Christchurch was the coolest and driest, and Dunedin was the least sunny.
There is more detailed information on the key climate highlights for July 2025, including for the regions and main centres, notable extremes and weather events, the Nelson-Tasman floods and slips, and a record for Milford Sound in the full report at Monthly | Earth Sciences New Zealand | NIWA