Posts

Posted on

Appointments – Asia NZ Foundation welcomes four new trustees to its board

Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation

The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono welcomes the appointment of four new trustees to its Board.
Established by the New Zealand Government in 1994, the Asia New Zealand Foundation is the country’s leading authority on Asia. The Foundation provides experiences and insights that help New Zealanders to build their knowledge, skills, and confidence to engage effectively in the region.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has appointed Brahma Sharma, Frances Valintine CNZM, Kenneth Leong, and Tracey Epps to the Foundation’s Board. Their three-year terms commence on 1 May 2026.
The new trustees join Hone McGregor, who has been elevated to Chair, Professor David Capie, John Boswell ONZM DSD, and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bede Corry (ex officio member), completing the eight-member Board.
The Foundation acknowledges the significant contribution of outgoing trustees Dame Fran Wilde DNZM QSO, Carol Cheng, Tina Porou MNZM, and Mitchell Pham ONZM, and thanks them for their service.
Outgoing Foundation Chair, Dame Fran Wilde, says the new trustees bring a valuable mix of expertise, experience, and networks that will strengthen the Foundation’s work and support New Zealand’s engagement with Asia.
“The Foundation is essential in supporting New Zealand’s growing relationships with Asian countries. It plays a role that official agencies just can’t do and has helped many hundreds of people from all sectors to experience Asia for themselves and form enduring relationships. It has been a great privilege to chair this critical organisation,” she said.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation’s work spans more than 20 countries across Asia and is delivered through a range of core programmes, including arts, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, media, research, Track II diplomacy, and sports. The Foundation is guided by its Board of Trustees and supported by a network of Honorary Advisers in New Zealand and across Asia.
More about the Foundation: www.asianz.org.nz
Posted on

Heritage NZ – Listening Sessions at Old St Paul’s set to shake up lunchtime

Source: Heritage New Zealand

Lunchtime in central Wellington is about to get a shake-up courtesy of Old St Paul’s and NZ Music Month Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa.
Throughout May, Old St Paul’s will celebrate NZ Music Month with a series of lunchtime listening sessions featuring selected 2026 Aotearoa Music Award-nominated albums played in full.
The series ties in with the theme of this year’s NZ Music Month – Our Sounds, Our Spaces – which is aimed at highlighting unique, local and historic venues across Aotearoa. The nationwide theme is designed to celebrate local music and the spaces that sustain it, including heritage sites, community halls, and live music venues.
“What better way to experience some of New Zealand’s finest contemporary music than in this beautiful historic setting, cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga,” says Old St Paul’s Event Coordinator, Jane Nye.
“Audiences can enjoy the ambience of this very special Gothic Revival building as well as its near-perfect acoustics.”
The listening series will be held twice weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from midday, with entry by koha.
“These albums deserve to be experienced as complete works, heard from start to finish in the unique surroundings of Old St Paul’s,” says Jane.
Visitors are welcome to drop in for part or all of each session. For upcoming albums, follow Old St Paul’s social media channels for the latest schedule. 
Posted on

Defence News – NZDF assists Bougainville in destruction of WWII-era bombs

Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

Two large unexploded Second World War-era bombs in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, have been made safe by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) after the Autonomous Bougainville Government asked for New Zealand’s help to dispose of them.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel deployed to Bougainville to dispose of a 1000lb (454kg) bomb discovered at Aropa Airfield and a 500lb bomb found at Kieta Primary School.

The six-person EOD team, equipment and aid packages were flown to Bougainville on a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules and then on to Aropa Airfield via an NH90 helicopter from No.3 Squadron.

The helicopter and crew were already in PNG delivering aid to areas hit by Tropical Cyclone Maila.

An earlier reconnaissance trip found the bombs were too dangerous to move and had to be destroyed in-place. Sandbags were placed around the sites and large cordons set up before the disposal.

Special Operations Component Commander, Colonel Grant Scobie, said that the EOD squadron was highly trained for these tasks.

“Disposal of explosive remnants of war is something we do regularly.  Our personnel have completed recent disposal operations in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Nauru.

“We would like to acknowledge the leadership of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the support and assistance of communities in Kieta and Aropa, which enabled us to successfully carry out the operation.”

Members of the EOD team will also be speaking at a community education event about how to safely mark and report unexploded ordnance when they are found.

This task rounds out a two-week mission in Papua New Guinea, as the NZDF worked with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), Australian Defence Force, International Organisation for Migration and Mission Aviation Fellowship under the guidance of the Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre to distribute aid to areas hit by Tropical Cyclone Maila.

Two NH90 helicopters had arrived with HMNZS Canterbury into Port Moresby on 15 April to carry out training with the PNGDF, but following a request from the PNG Government pivoted to aid delivery missions.

A C-130J was also subsequently deployed with aid supplies from New Zealand.

The training programme will resume this week.

The deployment to Bougainville has built on more than 25 years of New Zealand support to its peace, security and development, including through the Kirapim Stongpela Bougainville Polis Service, delivered by New Zealand Police, which provides capacity-building to the Bougainville Police Service, and helped to develop the Bougainville Auxiliary Police.

The NZDF’s Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Andy Scott, said No. 3 Squadron especially had a long-standing relationship with Bougainville.

In 1990, the squadron deployed UH-1H Iroquois helicopters to transport PNG and Bougainville delegations negotiating the Endeavour Accord, and again the squadron deployed with the NZDF-led international Truce Monitoring Group in 1997-1998.

“We value our long-standing friendship with Bougainville and so it was great for the 3 Squadron team to be able to head back to provide this support and further enhance our relationship,” Air Commodore Scott said.

Posted on

Local News – New mural brightens Porirua’s city centre

Source: Porirua City Council

During a Council planning process several years ago, a group of rainbow rangatahi from Aotea College requested a mural for the city celebrating their community, and Porirua City Council agreed to make it happen.
Last year a group of students from Rainbow Aotea sat down with council officers to work out the process and design brief. Through an expressions of interest process, artists were able to submit their ideas based on the students’ brief. The students decided on two concepts and later selected the final mural image.
Plimmerton’s Heneriata Te Whata was the artist selected to complete the mural. The finished work was recently installed in Ferry Place where it was blessed today by Ngāti Toa Kaumātua Dr Te Taku Parai.
Heneriata said she included the hihi, or stitchbird, for the symbolism of the sun catching the light on its golden wings, lighting a path forward, which is what she feels our diverse communities do for us all.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said it was nice to see a specific request from young Porirua residents, made during the Long-term Plan process, coming to fruition.
“This has been a great collaboration between the council and rangatahi and we’re proud to have the mural now complete and adding rainbow colours to our city.”
Posted on

Local News – Licence plate recognition technology hits Porirua streets

Source: Porirua City Council

Porirua City Council is introducing licence plate recognition technology to efficiently enforce parking around the city and to keep parking officers safe.
Licence plate recognition (LPR) was introduced in Wellington and Hutt City in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and is also in use in Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
In Porirua, from 4 May, the technology will be attached to one of the Council’s cars and, for the first month, be used to monitor parking around the city’s schools – checking if cars are parking on broken yellow lines, across driveways, or on footpaths – to make sure children are able to walk safely in and out of school.
The camera records information about vehicles and visible parking signage as it drives around and then, on its return, can register whether a car should have moved or whether it has paid for the parking. The information is sent back to Council and a staff member reviews it before issuing a ticket.
The technology allows our parking staff to stay in the vehicle. Down the track, LPR can be used for checking warrants of fitness and registrations and whether a car is stolen, along with data collection of parking and road use around Porirua, informing future decisions and city development by our transport team.
Council’s Manager of Policy, Planning & Regulatory Services, Nic Etheridge, says the camera operates within the requirements of the Privacy Act and people’s faces will be blurred in any images. Council will use images only for evidence gathering and enforcement – LPR information will be stored on the same system our current infringement information is stored.
“We’re embracing up-to-date technology which allows us to do a job safely, fairly and efficiently,” Nic says.
“This is the next step we’re taking in terms of enforcing parking, but our message will always be that if you park correctly, you have nothing to worry about.
“We’re rolling this out around schools in the first instance, because we know that unsafe parking around school neighbourhoods creates a very real danger for tamariki, limiting visibility and making them hard to see.”
Budget for the technology was approved in Council’s 2024 Long-term Plan.
There are FAQs on the Council’s parking webpage, answering the most likely queries the public will have. Go to https://poriruacity.govt.nz/services/parking-transport/find-carpark/
Posted on

Economy – Senior Trans-Tasman leaders convene to address fuel disruption and strengthen economic resilience – BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ

The Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) held a high-level industry roundtable on Friday 24 April to address ongoing fuel supply challenges. The session took place alongside the official bilateral meeting between the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer of Australia, and the Hon Nicola Willis, Minister of Finance of New Zealand.
The discussion convened business leaders from the energy, aviation, agriculture, transport, retail, technology, cybersecurity and banking sectors. These industries, central to supply chain operations, shared insights on managing rising costs and maintaining the delivery of essential services despite current fuel availability pressures. The high-powered chief executives of Ampol, Z Energy, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Federated Farmers, National Farmers Federation, HW Richardson, Team Global Express, Woolworths, CyberCX, ASB and the Australian Banking Association all participated in the dialogue with the Australian Treasurer and New Zealand Minister of Finance
The roundtable identified a strong alignment between the two nations, noting that businesses in both Australia and New Zealand are facing consistent challenges. Participants emphasised that this shared experience presents a clear opportunity for closer trans-Tasman coordination to strengthen long-term energy resilience and prepare for future economic shocks.
John Paitaridis, ANZLF Co-Chair (Australia), said:
“This was a unique and timely meeting, bringing together the Australian Treasurer, New Zealand Finance Minister and business leaders from both countries across the sectors most directly affected by the current fuel crisis. It created an important platform to explore practical opportunities for deeper cooperation and coordinated action.”
Greg Lowe, ANZLF Co-Chair (New Zealand), added:
“This dialogue underscored the value of close trans-Tasman collaboration. By aligning our efforts and sharing expertise, we can strengthen resilience across our economies and respond more effectively to the challenges posed by the fuel crisis.”
The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Australian Treasurer, commented:
“Australia and New Zealand are working closely together to strengthen fuel security and supply chains across the Tasman, because it’s in the interest of both our countries. By coordinating our efforts and staying closely connected to industry, we can better understand the challenges they’re facing and respond in a way that supports resilience across our region.”
The Hon Nicola Willis, New Zealand Minister of Finance, stated: “New Zealand and Australia have one of the closest economic relationships in the world. Stronger integration means greater resilience during global shocks, more trade, more investment, and more opportunities for businesses and workers in both countries.”
The ANZLF will continue to facilitate this government-to-business dialogue to support economic integration and ensure both nations remain resilient against global supply chain disruptions.
About the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF)
The ANZLF is a business-led initiative that brings together senior leaders from the private and public sectors to help steer the trans-Tasman economic relationship and promote deeper integration between Australia and New Zealand.
Posted on

Health – Effectively addressing rising distress in rangatahi and young people

Source: Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission

Te Hiringa Mahara is calling for greater investment in early intervention and secondary prevention for young people experiencing distress. New evidence shows timely, lower-cost support can stop distress escalating, lift wellbeing and ease pressure on an overstretched system.
The 2024/25 New Zealand Health Survey found 1 in 5 of 15-24-year-olds experienced high to very high psychological distress. Primary and specialist mental health and addiction services cannot meet need at this scale.
“We know that without easy-to-access support, early distress can lead to long lasting negative outcomes,” says Dr Ella Cullen, Te Hiringa Mahara Director of Wellbeing System Leadership and Insights.
“That’s why today we’re releasing an evidence brief on what works to support young people experiencing early signs of distress.”
“The review shows young people need a range of support options, and services work best when young people co-design them and lead the way. It also highlights the value of culturally appropriate approaches, and practical steps to make proven models easier to implement.”
“Critically, young people need to be involved from the start. Simply adapting adult services doesn’t meet the needs of young people.”
“Early intervention and secondary prevention are effective, scalable ways to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people, and reduce the need for more intensive services. The challenge now is making sure support is available for everyone who needs it.”
“Rangatahi and young people shouldn’t have to wait for crisis before they can access effective help,” says Dr Cullen.
NOTE:
Posted on

Health – Surge in Dental Tourism Highlights Unmet Need in New Zealand, Advocates Point to “Gap in the Public Health System”

Source: Dental for All

Dental advocates are pointing to the rising popularity of dental tourism as a “damning reflection” of New Zealand’s current approach to oral healthcare.

“We know that many people are getting extractions or even resorting to DIY dentistry instead of receiving the dental treatments they need, because the cost is just too high,” says Dental for All campaigner, Jasmine Taankink (Ngā Mahanga-a-Tairi). “While dental tourism has provided a more affordable option, it shouldn't be necessary.”

“It is really alarming and a damning reflection of the privatised model of oral healthcare that the best option that some people are left with is to go overseas,” says Dental for All campaigner, Hana Pilkinton-Ching.

In New Zealand, oral healthcare is publicly funded for children up to the age of 18, but not for adults. 43% of adults have unmet need for oral healthcare due to cost, as well as 53% of Māori and 56% of Pasifika adults, according to the 2024/45 NZ Health Survey.

A new policy report released by Dental for All last Thursday, ‘Fixing Oral Healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Costed Policy Plan for Delivering Dental for All’, outlines a detailed proposal to bring oral healthcare for adults into the public healthcare system. This follows recent polling by Talbot Mills, released in March this year, which showed that 83% of people in New Zealand support the move.

The report proposes a network of over 700 community clinics to provide free oral healthcare universally to adults across the country, as well as investing in workforce development and Māori oral health, among other recommendations. The policy has been costed by independent economists. Notably, these costings fall well below the costs of the current model due to the negative impacts of unmet need for oral healthcare on productivity and quality of life.

“Our research shows that we have the resourcing, workforce, and infrastructure needed to deliver universal dental care in Aotearoa. It is unacceptable for politicians to continue to ignore this gap in the public health system, forcing people to take matters into their own hands, when a different approach is workable and would benefit everyone.”

“We should all be able to access the oral healthcare that we need, right here in Aotearoa. It's time to bring the mouth back into the body, and into the public health system,” says Taankink.

An earlier report released by Dental for All in 2025 shares ten human stories of struggle with oral healthcare. One person interviewed for this report, ‘Mac’, delayed necessary dental treatment due to the cost, and waited for a planned trip overseas to get a root canal done. He experienced further pain and complications due to the delay in accessing care. Mac described his experience as “a series of dental woes”. The greatest barrier he faced to accessing the care he needed in New Zealand was the high cost of private dental care. He also described the poor availability of services in his rural home town, and the shame and stigma associated with not being able to afford dental care. Mac explained that he is now determined to look after his oral health and keep his remaining teeth, however shared that “it still feels like only rich people get to have good quality teeth.”

Posted on

Economy – Enhanced Monetary Policy Committee transparency changes announced – Reserve Bank

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

30 April 2026 – The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and the Minister of Finance have agreed changes to the MPC Charter that will provide more transparency and accountability of MPC decision-making.

The new Charter will make it easier for MPC members to communicate their individual views publicly. When a vote takes place, the votes of individual members will now be attributed. At the same time, the Charter reconfirms that the MPC decision-making process should focus on seeking consensus where possible.

RBNZ Governor Anna Breman says the updated Charter enhances transparency of MPC members' views and supports accountability of members.

“These changes make it easier for MPC members to communicate their individual views and brings us in line with some of the most transparent central banks in the world,” Dr Breman says.

The new Charter will make it easier for MPC members to publicly express their views on the economic outlook and monetary policy strategy, and it makes clear that members are encouraged to communicate those views externally. At the same time, rules that ensure equal access to information will be retained.

As well as attributing votes, the MPC intends to attribute material differences of view or judgement within the Committee in the published Record of Meeting. This is expected to occur even when the Committee reaches consensus on the decision.

“Monetary policy transparency is important as it ensures that central banks remain accountable to the public and credible in their decisions. The changes to the Charter further enhance the transparency of monetary policy decision-making at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.” Dr Breman says.

“This is part of a wider effort to increase transparency where the Reserve Bank has already introduced press conferences at Monetary Policy Reviews, moved to eight monetary policy meetings per year, and increased public outreach and external communications.”

There will be a 12-month review of the Charter to ensure that the changes are having a positive impact on the understanding of MPC decision-making, publicising of individual members' views and overall monetary policy transmission.

The updated Charter will be in effect for the May 2026 Monetary Policy Statement.

More information

Link to the new Charter: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=f4dda1dccc&e=f3c68946f8
Recommendations for Minister – Transparency of decision making: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=6817a6a58d&e=f3c68946f8
Proposed amendments to the MPC Charter – Memo, proposed amendments and clean version: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=a47370bd1f&e=f3c68946f8
About the Monetary Policy Committee: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=ae32cf6cff&e=f3c68946f8

Posted on

Awards – ASB, One NZ and Tower – delivering a new wave of innovation reshaping banking, telco and insurance

Source: Canstar

Canstar has announced its 2026 Innovation Excellence Award winners, recognising five standout products and services – from three providers across banking, insurance and telco – that are changing how Kiwis manage their money, homes, and everyday lives. The awards are an annual program that recognises innovative products and services across financial services, energy and telecommunications.

Products and services are measured and calculated against two factors:

·         Degree of innovation: uniqueness, innovation in the marketplace and wow-factor.

·         Impact: affordability, ease of use and how they improve Kiwi consumers' lives.

Key trends that emerged across this year's submissions:

·         Frictionless operations: processes are becoming increasingly automated, in part due to the use of AI.

·         Translating complexity into clarity: data and information that were once opaque are being presented in ways that are easier to understand.

·         Building resilience and security: companies are embedding safety nets into products and processes to support consumer confidence and reliability.

Bruce Pitchers, Canstar.co.nz's Editor, says: “Canstar's 2026 Innovation Excellence Award winners stand out not only for what they add to the consumer experience, but for what they remove. Across the three sectors of mortgage lending, insurance and telco, our winners are making complexity invisible to their customers by automating processes, revealing fresh data insights and providing easy access to advanced technology.”

2026 Innovation Excellence Award winners

ASB – This year ASB scores a hat-trick of wins, thanks to a trio of innovations that make banking safer, easier, and more sustainable:

Caller Check: Caller Check is a first-of-its-kind security feature that allows customers to verify a bank caller's identity instantly through the ASB Mobile Banking app.

Joint Home Loan Application: ASB's Joint Home Loan Application system is designed to simplify and speed up the home-lending journey for co-borrowers.

Smart Solar: ASB's Smart Solar is a two-part solution that steps up for the environment and the rural community. The ASB initiative features a five-year, 0% interest loan of up to $150,000 for solar power that combines with the high-tech Power My Farm solar toolkit, which uses laser mapping to find the best spots for solar panels.

Rebecca James, Executive General Manager Business Banking, ASB says: “Winning three of the five Canstar Innovation Excellence Awards is a proud moment for ASB, and a powerful reflection of how our teams are continuing to think one step ahead of what customers need next, delivering real world solutions that make a meaningful difference.

“From seeking to keep customers safe through Caller Check, to simplifying joint home loan applications and helping Kiwi take up solar, this recognition reflects our continued investment in forward thinking products that support better futures for New Zealand.”

One NZ – Satellite TXT: In a global first, One NZ became the first company to launch a nationwide satellite service that allows compatible off-the-shelf mobile phones to communicate directly with SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, offering communication outside of conventional terrestrial mobile networks.

Joe Goddard, Chief Product & Marketing Officer, One NZ, says: “At One NZ, we're committed to delivering the next generation of connectivity for New Zealanders. Our nationwide Satellite TXT service, powered by Starlink, was a world-first, and is already helping people stay connected, safer, and more productive in more places.

“We're proud to see this work recognised with a Canstar Innovation Award. Since launch, New Zealanders have sent more than 14 million messages via satellite, highlighting the real impact this technology is having across the country, and we're pleased this is proving even more useful as we roll out new capabilities, like data and voice calling through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.”

Tower – Landslide and Sea Surge Insurance: Tower's Landslide and Sea Surge risk-based insurance pricing harnesses the latest technology to the benefit of Kiwi home-insurance customers, by giving them access to property-level risk factors that were previously hidden. And, importantly, for over 90% of Tower's customers, it translates into a reduction in the natural hazards portion of their premiums.

Paul Johnston, Tower CEO, says: “As adverse weather events become more common, we know New Zealanders want clearer information about their property's insurance profile. Our free online tool has been updated to include landslide and sea surge risk ratings, alongside earthquake and flood – available to all Kiwis, not just Tower customers.

“Tower is at the forefront globally in developing tools like this, using detailed risk modelling to give customers practical insight into the risks at their specific property. This innovation is delivering real benefits, with more than 90% of Tower customers seeing a reduction in the natural hazards portion of their premiums. By investing in smarter risk assessment and sharing insights with government, we're helping customers make more informed decisions about their insurance, while supporting stronger national resilience.”

For more information about Canstar's Innovation Excellence Awards click here: https://www.canstar.co.nz/star-rating-reports/innovation-excellence-awards-2026/