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Local News – Porirua residents to be asked their thoughts on amalgamation

Source: Porirua City Council

The topic of whether to explore council amalgamation will be included in Porirua City voting papers in this year’s local election, after a decision of Porirua City Council today.
Mayor Anita Baker put a report to the full Council today, seeking approval to add a non-binding referendum question to this year’s voting documents.
The question to be included is:
“Should Porirua City Council work with councils in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, and the Wellington Regional Council to explore the possibility of creating one single council, that combines relevant services and functions regionally, while keeping appropriate local services and decision making local?”
Mayor Baker said the last time amalgamation was proposed for the Wellington Region was 2013, and since then the local government environment had changed considerably.
“I believe it’s the right time to ask our residents what they think. We’ve had discussions across the region on whether or not amalgamation is a worthwhile idea, but we’ve never asked our people.
“This is about democracy in action. I get asked what I think, but it should be about what the residents think.
“For me it’s about local voice and keeping our local voice.”
Mayor Baker said the Government had signalled that it would support amalgamation if the movement originates from local communities.
“This referendum would provide an opportunity for the debate to be had in our city, and potentially across the region, and provide a good basis for future decision-making.”
The referendum is non-binding and if voters are supportive it will be up to the future Council, post-election, to work with other councils in the region to explore the idea, she said.
“The future Council would not be bound by this referendum, but it will provide a strong indication of residents’ support.”
After debating the issue, the Council voted nine to one in favour of including the question in the voting papers.
The local election will take place in October this year. As well as voting for the city’s Mayor and councillors, there is a binding poll on whether to retain the city’s Māori Ward.
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Results – Fonterra announces 2025/26 Farmgate Milk Price, continued strong FY25 earnings

Source: Fonterra

·         Normalised1 profit after tax: NZ $1,158 million, up 11%  

·         Normalised continuing earnings per share: 70 cents per share, up 13%  

·         Return on capital: 11% down from 11.9%  

·         FY25 full year forecast earnings range: 65-75 cents per share  

·         2024/25 season forecast Farmgate Milk Price: $10.00 per kgMS  

·         2025/26 season opening forecast Farmgate Milk Price: $10.00 per kgMS.

Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd today provided its Q3 business update, announcing strong profit after tax of $1,158 million, up $119 million on this time last year.  

As a result of these strong earnings, the Co-op narrowed its year-end earnings range to 65-75 cents per share, at the upper end of the guidance provided in March of 55-75 cents per share.  

At the same time, Fonterra announced an opening forecast Farmgate Milk Price for the 2025/26 season of $10.00 per kgMS, driven by stable near-term market demand.  

CEO Miles Hurrell says Fonterra is committed to delivering strong shareholder returns through both earnings and the Farmgate Milk Price.  

“We’ve delivered strong shareholder returns through FY25, including a 22-cent interim dividend, and as we get closer to the end of the year, we are focused on maintaining this momentum.  

“Our forecast Farmgate Milk Price for the current season is driven by strong demand for our milk price reference products and our range is unchanged at $9.70-$10.30 with a midpoint of $10.00 per kgMS. We’re also pleased to tighten our year-end forecast earnings within the existing range, given the strength of our third quarter performance,” says Mr Hurrell.

2025/26 season opening Farmgate Milk Price  

“Looking at the season ahead, we expect this demand to continue for now, but we acknowledge the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and the potential for a wider series of outcomes across the season.  

Therefore, our opening forecast Farmgate Milk Price for the 2025/26 season of $10.00 per kgMS sits within a wide forecast range of $8.00-$11.00 per kgMS.  

For the current season, the milk price of $10.00 per kgMS equates to around $15 billion into the New Zealand economy. The majority of this flows into regional New Zealand where it plays a strong role helping to sustain local communities.  

Business performance

Fonterra’s focus on optimising its product mix has driven a Q3 normalised profit after tax of $1,158 million, equivalent to 70 cents per share, with operating profit of $1,740 million, up $267 million on last year.  

“This result reflects the scale and ongoing strength of our Ingredients channel, and volume growth in our Foodservice and Consumer channels with each channel increasing its third quarter performance compared to the same period last year.  

“Our rolling 12-months Return on Capital is 11%, which is above our previous target for FY25 and within our long-term target range of 10-12%,” says Mr Hurrell.  

“Our full year forecast earnings range of 65-75 cents per share assumes flat earnings in Q4 of FY25 due to the seasonality of our milk collections, the higher input prices for our Consumer and Foodservice businesses, ongoing investment in our ERP system and an increase in costs associated with shaping the Co-op post divestment to execute our strategy.  

“We are heading into year end with a strong balance sheet and full year debt metrics on track to be below the Co-op’s target range,” says Mr Hurrell.  

Strategic delivery  

Miles Hurrell says a priority for Fonterra this year has been the implementation of its strategy, which deepens the Co-op’s focus on its high-performing Ingredients and Foodservice businesses.  

“Last year, we announced a step-change in our strategic direction, including a decision to divest our global Consumer and associated businesses.

“This step was grounded in an understanding of how we best create value for farmer shareholders and ultimately for New Zealand.  

“We have been thoroughly testing the terms and value of both a trade sale and initial public offering (IPO) as divestment options. This work is on track as planned and we will seek farmer shareholder approval to divest through a vote in due course.  

“Given the confidence we have in our strategy, we have strong conviction that a divestment is the right choice for the Co-op and its owners.  

“Our financial results show we have an impressive business as a global B2B dairy player, powered by our home-base of New Zealand milk and operations.  

“If we divest our Consumer business, we will still be a Co-op with global reach and scale, and a diverse product mix sold to customers in more than 100 countries.  

“By focusing on our core strengths and the sales channels that deliver the highest returns, we have the confidence to target an average Return on Capital of 10-12%, which is above our 5-year average. This is alongside paying farmers the highest sustainable Farmgate Milk Price, which we are always committed to,” says Mr Hurrell.  

Fonterra continues to target a significant capital return to shareholders and unit holders following divestment.  

1 Normalised profit after tax excludes $77 million of costs associated with the divestment of the Consumer channel integrated businesses in Australia and Sri Lanka.

About Fonterra  

Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together.  

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Animal Welfare – Proposed welfare code betrays animals and the law – SAFE

Source: SAFE For Animals

SAFE is demanding that the Ministry for Primary Industries’ proposed Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle be scrapped, calling it a legal shield for cruelty that fails to meet even the most basic obligations under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.
The animal rights organisation says the code legitimises inherently harmful practices – including mud farming, feedlots, and painful procedures like castration and tail docking without pain relief – while continuing to allow animals to suffer without access to shelter.
“If this code is accepted in its current form, it would effectively become a manual for animal cruelty,” says SAFE CEO Debra Ashton.
SAFE warns that the code is not an isolated failure, but a symptom of a broken regulatory system that routinely favours industry convenience over animals’ needs, experiences, and rights.
“We’ve engaged in good faith for years, but this draft proves the system can’t be trusted. It’s time to draw a line,” says Ashton.
The organisation has written to NAWAC Chair Dr Matthew Stone, MPI Director of Animal Health and Welfare Carolyn Guy, Minister for Agriculture Todd McClay, and Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard, urging them to abandon the draft and take urgent action to address these systemic failures.
“It’s a betrayal of our welfare law and the animals it’s meant to protect.”
SAFE’s full statement reads:
Proposed Code of Welfare Entrenches Cruelty and Undermines Animal Welfare Law
The proposed Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle, currently open for public consultation, represents a profound failure of New Zealand’s animal welfare system. Rather than lifting standards or upholding the Animal Welfare Act 1999, this code would entrench practices that cause widespread suffering – including painful procedures without pain relief, intensive confinement in mud farms and feedlots, and a diluted shelter standard that puts animals’ lives at risk in extreme weather.
SAFE rejects the premise that this code provides meaningful guidance for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act. It does not. Instead, it offers legal cover to inherently harmful farming systems and practices that cause serious and avoidable suffering.
For that reason, SAFE will not be participating in the consultation process for a code that attempts to sanitise cruelty.
When animals are confined on mud farms, concrete, or barren feedlots, they are stripped of their most basic expressions of life – grazing, playing, resting comfortably, ruminating, and relating to one another. These are not abstract ideals, but the everyday needs of sheep and cattle.
Codes of welfare are intended to support our animal welfare legislation — not undermine it. If this code is adopted, it will set a dangerous precedent: where cruelty is legitimised, public expectations are ignored, and the intent of the Animal Welfare Act is effectively nullified.
This failure is not isolated. In 2023, the Regulations Review Committee recommended a prompt and substantive review of how secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act is developed – and whether existing instruments, particularly codes of welfare, are consistent with the purpose and intent of the Act. Almost two years have passed without action. It must now be prioritised to ensure that regulation genuinely reflects the law and protects the animals it exists to serve.
SAFE is calling for the proposed Code of Welfare for Sheep and Beef Cattle to be scrapped. The code must be rewritten in full alignment with the Animal Welfare Act — not shaped to prioritise profit, productivity, or convenience over animals’ wellbeing and legal rights.
We urge the Government and the public to reject this code and demand a future where animal welfare law is not just symbolic but lived. It’s time to build a system that reflects what the Animal Welfare Act already affirms: that animals are not merely commodities to be managed, but sentient beings with needs, feelings, experiences, and intrinsic worth.
SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.
We're creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.
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Consumer NZ – New Zealanders have rising concerns about insurance costs as financial pressures mount

Source: Consumer NZ

New insights reveal insurance is a growing financial burden for New Zealand households, as trust in the industry dips and climate pressures loom.

Insurance has jumped to the fourth most significant financial pressure for households, behind housing, food and household debt, marking a notable rise from sixth place in October 2024. This shift reflects a growing sense of strain as premiums continue to climb across house, contents, car and health insurance.

At the same time, trust in the insurance industry is falling, based on results of the latest Consumer NZ Sentiment Tracker survey of more than 1,000 New Zealanders.

“Insurance is meant to provide a safety net, but for many people, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to access. When you add the complexity of policies and the lack of transparency, it’s easy to understand why trust in the industry is falling,” says Rebecca Styles, Consumer investigations team leader.

Insurance affordability now in focus

Consumer’s upcoming report on house and contents insurance will delve deeper into these issues, exploring how rising premiums are affecting consumers’ ability to access appropriate cover. With the effects of climate change increasing risk and, in turn, premiums, more New Zealanders are feeling financially exposed.

“We’re hearing more and more from consumers who feel they’re being priced out of essential cover,” Styles says.

Interestingly, this comes as climate change concerns are cooling. Fewer New Zealanders now rank climate change as one of the top three most pressing issues — now at 12% (down from 15% in January and 17% a year ago), as more immediate pressures take priority.  

Cost of living still top concern

The cost of living remains the number one issue for New Zealanders, with 65% of respondents identifying it as their top concern – a new high. Financial pressures across housing, food, debt and now insurance continue to weigh heavily.

Trust in the insurance sector drops

As premiums rise, trust in the insurance sector has taken a hit. More people now say they distrust insurers than trust them – a reversal from previous sentiment tracking and part of a broader decline in trust across sectors such as healthcare and energy.

Consumer warns that the decline in trust signals a need for the insurance industry to do more to demonstrate value, transparency and fairness in its offerings.

Climate risks compound affordability issues

With climate change increasing the frequency and severity of weather events, insurance affordability is a growing concern. Many New Zealanders living in high-risk areas are already facing pricier premiums or are being denied insurance altogether.

“Our upcoming report will highlight how the affordability of house and contents insurance impacts resilience in Aotearoa,” Styles says.

 

Notes

The Consumer NZ Sentiment Tracker is a quarterly nationally representative survey of 1,000 New Zealanders. It provides a snapshot of public opinion on key consumer issues, including financial wellbeing, trust in institutions and sector-specific sentiment.

The winter issue of Consumer magazine has a focus on insurance and will be on newsstands Monday 9 June 2025.

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Health – Pressure on addiction treatment services highlighted

Source: Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission

New analysis shows a 10.5% reduction in the number of people accessing addiction treatment services over the last five years raising concerns about whether there is sufficient capacity to respond to an increase in demand.
“Recent reports show drug use has increased, yet over the past five years there has been a drop in the number of people accessing treatment and support. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is concerned that people may not be able to access support when they need it,” said Sonya Russell, Director Mental Health and Addiction System Leadership.
In 2023/24, around 45,000 people accessed addiction treatment services, 5,000 fewer than five years earlier. Referrals have also dropped, down 14.6% in 2023/24 compared with the peak in 2020/21. And the percentage of declined referrals has almost doubled over the last five years from 4.7% of total referrals in 2019/20 to 8.6% in 2023/24.
“A reported surge in methamphetamine use in the last year is likely to put further pressure on services. At a time that we need to be bolstering services, we’re seeing fewer people access addiction services.”
“Another sign that the system is under pressure is the wait time for people seeking support. For those seeking support from a specialist addiction service, the wait is getting longer.”
“There is a strong case for increased investment in addiction services,” Sonya Russell said.
“We are concerned there is not sufficient capacity within the health system to cope with increasing needs. By bringing a dedicated focus to investment, workforce and removing barriers, we will ensure more people will get the help they need.”
Alongside a focus on addiction specialist services, Te Hiringa Mahara has published further insights into access to publicly funded mental health and addiction services.
Notes:
You can get copies of the two new data summaries here: www.mhwc.govt.nz/2025-data {Live from 5am Thursday 29 May 2025]
In February the Commission released a factsheet with details of Access to specialist mental health and addiction services, 2023/24, and in April the Access and Choice programm: Monitoring report on progress and achievements at five years report was published .
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Health – Statement on "run it straight" from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Aotearoa New Zealand Trauma Committee

Source: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

The Aotearoa New Zealand Trauma Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons expresses profound concern regarding the increasingly prevalent informal activity known as “run it straight.” This practice, characterised by two players charging directly at each other in a high-speed collision, poses significant risks to participants, leading to severe injuries and, tragically, fatalities.

We call on everyone who can influence this activity to:

  • raise awareness so participants understand the potential for serious injuries and the long-term consequences of high-speed collisions,
  • support regulatory measures such as medical evaluation, age restrictions and safety protocols to minimise risks,
  • promote safer alternatives for fundraising events that do not involve high-risk physical competition,
  • encourage educational about the risks, and help young athletes protect their health, and
  • engage healthcare professionals to provide valuable insights into injury prevention and help inform public policy decisions.

Recent tragic events, including the death of a young man during a “run it straight” challenge, have brought the dangers of this practice into focus. This incident is not an isolated case; it highlights a broader issue within both organised and informal sports where the emphasis on toughness and bravado can lead to reckless behaviour. The glorification of head-on collisions as a measure of strength is outdated and harmful, particularly for youth and young adults who may feel pressured to participate in these dangerous activities to prove their worth or bravery.

The biomechanics involved in “run it straight” significantly increase the risk of serious injuries, including concussions, cervical spine injuries, and long-term neurological damage. Unlike controlled tackles within the framework of regulated gameplay, this practice lacks tactical purpose and amplifies the potential for high-impact forces that can result in catastrophic consequences. The repetitive head trauma associated with such collisions poses a well-documented risk for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease increasingly recognised among athletes in contact sports.

The environment in which “run it straight” typically occurs – often informal, unsupervised and unregulated – further compounds the dangers. Most of these events happen outside of structured sporting contexts, frequently in casual settings where safety protocols are absent. This lack of regulation exposes participants to unnecessary risks and highlights the urgent need for action from the broader community, including parents, coaches, schools and sporting organisations.

To combat the rising trend of dangerous practices like “run it straight,” the Aotearoa New Zealand Trauma Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons calls upon all stakeholders to take immediate and concerted action:

Raise awareness: public health campaigns must educate individuals, especially young athletes and their families, about the dangers of participating in “run it straight” and similar activities. It is crucial that participants understand the potential for serious injuries and the long-term consequences of high-speed collisions.

 Support regulatory measures: we advocate for the establishment of clear guidelines and regulations governing informal and organised sporting events. This includes mandatory medical evaluations for participants, age restrictions and well-defined safety protocols to minimise risks.

Promote safer alternatives: charitable organisations and community groups should seek safer alternatives to fundraising events that do not involve high-risk physical competition. Engaging communities in activities that encourage fitness and camaraderie while prioritising safety is essential.

Encourage educational initiatives: educational institutions and sports organisations must incorporate discussions about the risks associated with “run it straight” into their curricula and training programs. By promoting a culture of safety and informed decision-making, we can help young athletes understand the importance of protecting their health.

Engage Healthcare Professionals: collaboration with healthcare professionals is vital to advocate for participant safety in all forms of sports, including informal activities. Their expertise can provide valuable insights into injury prevention and help inform public policy decisions.

“Run it straight” represents an alarming trend that requires immediate attention from all associated parties. We urge stakeholders to prioritise safety and foster a culture that values wellbeing over reckless displays of toughness.

About the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)

RACS is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The College is a not-for-profit organisation that represents more than 7000 surgeons and 1300 surgical trainees and Specialist International Medical Graduates. RACS also supports healthcare and surgical education in the Asia-Pacific region and is a substantial funder of surgical research. There are nine surgical specialties in Australasia being: Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Urology and Vascular Surgery. www.surgeons.org

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Banking – ASB cuts interest rates

Source: ASB

ASB has responded to the RBNZ's OCR announcement today, and is reducing interest rates across personal, business and rural lending by up to 0.25%.

ASB’s Executive General Manager Personal Banking Adam Boyd says, “As the easing interest rate cycle continues, we are maintaining support for our customers with lower lending rates.  Our variable loans are held by nearly 150,000 New Zealanders across personal, business and rural lending and these rates are the lowest they’ve been in more than two years.”

“We carefully consider the impact rate reductions have for all our customers. Today’s response to the OCR will bring relief to households and businesses while acknowledging the needs of our savers by not passing on the full 25 basis point cut to our savings products,” says Mr. Boyd.

ASB’s Housing Variable Rate will drop 20 basis points from 6.64% to 6.44%, while Orbit Variable will move from 6.74% to 6.54%. ASB’s Business Base Rate will drop 25 basis points from 11.77% to 11.52% while its Rural Base Rate will also drop by 0.25% from 9.01% to 8.76%.

In response to the OCR decrease, ASB is lowering some of its savings products, including Savings On Call and Headstart, by 20 basis points.

 

 

Home Loan* 

Current Rates 

New Rates 

Rate Change 

Housing Variable 

6.64% 

6.44%

– 0.20% 

Orbit Variable

6.74% 

6.54%

– 0.20% 

Back My Build 

4.19% 

3.99%

– 0.20% 

Note – Back My Build applications are no longer open to new customers. 

*These changes are effective from Wednesday 4thJune 2025 for new lending customers, and Friday 6thJune 2025 for existing lending customers.

 

Business Loan*

Current Rates 

New Rates 

Rate Change 

Business and Rural Floating Base Rate

 

4.94%

 

4.69%

 

– 0.25%

Business Base Rate

11.77%

11.52%

– 0.25%

Rural Base Rate

9.01%

8.76%

– 0.25%

Corporate Indicator Rate

6.18%

5.93%

– 0.25%

Special Purpose Base Rate

4.75%

4.50%

– 0.25%

*These changes are effective from Thursday 5th June 2025 for both new and existing customers.

 

Savings 

Band 

Current Rates 

New Rates 

Rate Change 

Savings On Call & ASB Cash Fund*

All Balances 

0.90% 

0.70% 

– 0.20% 

Savings Plus**

No Bonus 

0.70% 

0.50% 

– 0.20% 

Partial Bonus

0.80%

0.60%

– 0.20%

 

Full Bonus

2.90%

2.70%

– 0.20%

Headstart*

All Balances

2.90%

2.70%

– 0.20% 

*These changes are effective from Friday 6thJune 2025 for new and existing customers.

 

ASB has practical information for customers on the current interest rate environment available on its website as well support to help customers take control of their financial wellbeing and achieve their goals at its Financial Wellbeing Hub.

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Environment – Antarctic footprint clean-up challenges – How a remote Antarctic base clean-up protected one of Earth’s clearest lakes

Source: NIWA

The clean-up and site restoration of a New Zealand research station in Antarctica has provided valuable lessons on the challenges of contaminated sites, according to a study in the journal Polar Record, recently published by Cambridge University Press. 
The study found that while tonnes of contaminated materials were removed from the former Vanda field station, some residual contamination still remained. However, the remediation of the site in Antarctic’s Dry Valleys, which had served as a research base for a quarter of a century, didn’t affect measurably the water quality of the area’s largest and deepest lake or the biological communities that colonised the station footprint.
There was no detectable human-induced environmental change to the pristine Lake Vanda following the decommissioning of the research station, conclude researchers from NIWA, Waikato and Canterbury universities, and Antarctica New Zealand. The successful site rehabilitation shows that in a harsh environment, amongst delicate ecosystems, it is possible to ensure minimal impact from the restoration of a contaminated site, says NIWA aquatic scientist Dr Clive Howard-Williams.
“Located in Antarctica’s largest ice-free area, the arid Dry Valleys, Vanda Station is one of the few research stations that have been decommissioned under more stringent Antarctic environmental standards. Neither minimizing human impact nor climate change may have been top-of-mind when construction commenced in 1968. The eight-building complex was built on a ridge 200m away from Lake Vanda, which has a depth of 78m and some of the clearest water on earth, with a unique warm bottom layer that is more saline than the Dead Sea.”
The station facilities included a workshop, lab, generator room, huts for a dozen people, and a toilet above a removable drum, with a tractor hauling supplies and fuel from three helicopter landing areas to the station. The station was occupied every summer from 1968 (and even had staff year-round for three winters), hosting scientists, surveyors, maintenance staff, aircraft crews and VIPs. By the time it was closed in 1992, the site had hosted nearly 17,000 person-days – the equivalent of nearly 46 years. For a polar desert site, this is a substantial human footprint, says Antarctic inland water expert and veteran of more than three decades in the Dry Valleys, Waikato University’s Dr Ian Hawes.
It wasn’t the cumulative human impact that prompted the decision to close the research station, but the consequences of changes in climate. 
“While the station was located 15 m above the level of the large, ice-covered Lake Vanda, over time more glacial meltwater flowed from Antarctica’s longest waterway, the Onyx River, into the closed-basin lake. So by 1991, it was just 2.5m below the site. The threat of inundation meant removing the buildings and structures became critically important. In 1991, the Antarctic Treaty Parties had just agreed on the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which provides for the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment. Its Annex III on waste management and disposal outlines the requirements for the management of wastes associated with present and future activities. Annex III called for programmes to clean up existing waste disposal sites and abandoned work sites so long as their removal didn’t result in a greater environmental impact than leaving the structure in its existing location. It was decided that decommissions of the station would be compliant with the Protocol even though New Zealand did not implement the Protocol into domestic legislation until 1994 as the Antarctica (Environmental Protection) Act.”
One concern was that compounds not normally found in the lake, such as organic phosphates, hydrocarbons, fats and soot, might contaminate Lake Vanda, says Professor Hawes. 
“A site survey found soil contamination around the station and other locations with hydrocarbons and domestic waste, including high metal concentrations, and contamination associated with detergents, food scraps, packaging and fuels, particularly in the area known as Greywater Gully. If contaminants or nutrients were released into the lake, it could affect the unique microbial mat communities that grow on the floor of Lake Vanda .So, a great deal of effort was put into removing the most contaminated soils and groundwater before the site was flooded. To assess the effectiveness of the rehabilitation, these microbial mats have been monitored, along with levels of trace metals and nutrients in the lake water at the station site.”
Rather than return the site to a pristine state, the plan focused on ensuring minimum impact on the lake ecosystem, ensuring that benefits outweighed the damage of remediation activities, says Dr Howard-Williams. 
“The plan included excavating and removing the soils and contaminated groundwater, including lead-based painted rocks and fuel-splattered dirt, and returning the terrain to a more natural, pre-human appearance. Around 400kg of contaminated groundwater from the gully along with 7,000kg of soil were shipped back to Scott Base for treatment and disposal.” 
Results showed that while initial research suggested contaminants from the gully could potentially impact the lake’s ecosystem, 20 years after decommissioning and the complete flooding of the site, there was no evidence of contaminants entering the lake water and the microbial communities colonising the station site were not significantly different from those developing in uncontaminated areas.
Dr Howard-Williams says while recent guidelines on cleaning up contaminated sites in Antarctica outlined in the Antarctic Clean Up Manual are useful, challenges remain particularly when not much is known about the consequences of contamination of Antarctic ecosystems. 
“It has been estimated that across Antarctica there may be around two million cubic metres of abandoned waste materials and hydro-carbon contaminated sediment. Effective remediation in Antarctica requires early planning, robust environmental baselines, and adaptive strategies grounded in research – recognising that full decontamination is rarely possible and must be balanced against the risk of further environmental harm. Despite the lack of comparable data, detailed clean-up guidelines, and contaminant baselines, Vanda’s clean up not only demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to good environmental management, but it will also serve as an example to other countries involved in operations across Antarctica.”
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Health and Employment – Auckland theatre nurses begin one-month on-call strike

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

More than 370 Te Toka Tumai Auckland Te Whatu Ora theatre nurses have begun a month-long on-call strike over short-staffing which has forced them to do involuntary overtime.
It involves members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Hospital. Perioperative nurses are those working in preoperative, theatre and postoperative care.
NZNO delegate and Starship perioperative nurse Haim Ainsworth says the month-long on-call strike follows rolling two-hour strikes by Auckland theatre nurses on 1 May.
“There are chronic and ongoing staff shortages in Auckland’s hospitals which are forcing us to work longer than we should.
“We stay late when we are needed because we care about our patients. Te Whatu Ora needs to ensure our shifts are adequately staffed and we are paid properly for any overtime we have to do.”
Haim Ainsworth says Te Whatu Ora needs to stop taking advantage of the goodwill of perioperative nurses.
“We won’t walk out on our patients. But short staffing which leads to nurses having to frequently do overtime is a risk to patient safety. It prevents nurses having enough time to care properly for their patients and leads to burnout. It is not sustainable and it's time it stopped,” he says.
NOTES:
– The strike began Monday 26 May at 7am and will run until Monday 23 June.
– The “on-call strike” involves perioperative nurses refusing to participate in the on-call roster which results in them having to do overtime they are not properly compensated for.
– NZNO has worked with Te Whatu Ora to ensure Life Preserving Services are in place for the duration of the strike.
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Economy – The lowering of the OCR by 0.25% to 3.25% is welcome news – FMAANZ

Source: Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association of New Zealand

May 28, 2025 – Comments from Leigh Hodgetts, country manager, Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association of New Zealand (FAMNZ)

RBNZ interest rate decision – “The lowering of the OCR by 0.25% to 3.25% is welcome news to borrowers and potential home owners across New Zealand.

Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association of New Zealand members have reported a steady stream of first home buyers entering the market and the news today will bring more comfort to Kiwis as they take on new mortgages.

Banks have started to factor in the lowered rates before the announcement today.

Both 1-2 year and 3-5 year fixed term rates are looking attractive as an option to the regular short term view.

Floating rates are still popular as borrowers gamble to see if we have reached the lowest rates for 2025.

This move today may encourage Kiwis to review their loans. As always we recommend you speak with a mortgage adviser to work out the best structure for your own mortgage that will reflect your personal circumstances.”