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The Government is strengthening trespass laws to make them more effective and practical for businesses, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “We know our trespass laws are no longer fit for purpose. They’re difficult to enforce and often criminals take no notice.
One year on, more Police on the beat across New Zealand’s major cities is being celebrated by Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Today I am excited to be part of welcoming the new Beat Team in Rotorua and getting some time to be out on the beat with them,” Mark Mitchell says. “Our beat officers have an important role in ensuring our retailers and members of the public feel and are safe.
The Government’s focus on improving roads across the country is well on its way, with the successful completion of one of the largest state highway road renewal programmes in New Zealand history, Transport Minister Chris Bishop confirmed today. “We are focused on ensuring government agencies are better at looking after the infrastructure assets we already have, to ensure New Zealanders get the most from their public infrastructure,” Mr Bishop says. “That’s why we’ve invested in road maintenance and renewals through the $2 billion State Highway Pothole Prevention fund, which ensures vital work is carried out to keep our roads safe and suitable for the people that use them.
The Government is investing more than $56 million into water resilience projects in rural Canterbury to help protect against changing weather patterns and increase productivity through higher value land use, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson say. “Ease of access to water is a top priority for Canterbury’s rural communities,” Mr Jones says. “Canterbury has so far avoided the extreme drought experienced in previous years, thanks in part to high rainfall over December and January.
The appointment of Scott O’Donnell to the KiwiRail board will bolster its freight expertise Minister for Rail Winston Peters says. “Railways have no shortage of potential for New Zealand, and we expect to see sustained growth in earnings, revenue, volumes, reliability, and safety to turn this business into something great. ” Mr O’Donnell is a current director of HW Richardson Group and was its managing director from 2006 to 2015.
Ferry Holdings has reached agreement with CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail on core infrastructure scope, Rail Minister Winston Peters announced today. The agreements set out the scope of physical work and equipment to be delivered by 2029 when two new ferries arrive, with port and KiwiRail agreements to be entered later this year to confirm the investment splits between Ferry Holdings and each other company and other commercial terms. “This is not our first regatta, as this no-nonsense infrastructure focus is what was supposed to happen in 2020 until poor management and a lack of oversight allowed iReX to blow out.
New Zealanders will soon benefit from strengthened Whānau Ora support services with a renewed focus on those in greatest need, Whānau Ora Minister Tama Potaka says. Four new Whānau Ora commissioning agencies - Rangitāmiro, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Te Tauraki (a subsidiary of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu), and the Cause Collective (operating as The Tātou Collective) - will begin commissioning services from providers starting 1 July. Mr Potaka attended the launch event for Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira’s Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency at Hongoeka Marae in Plimmerton this morning.
The government’s secure digital storage capability has been significantly boosted with the opening of the new all-of-government data centre, the Minister Responsible for the GCSB and Minister of Defence Judith Collins says. “This facility will provide a safe, secure storage capability for New Zealand agencies to process and store some of the government’s most sensitive information for the next quarter of a century,” says Ms Collins. “Today we conduct the vast majority of our business digitally, and the amount of government data that requires safe and secure storage is only going to increase.
Broadcaster Paul Henry has been appointed to the TVNZ Board, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Henry has spent nearly his entire career involved in the broadcasting industry, producing news, current affairs, and entertainment programming both here in New Zealand and overseas. “He was integral in the establishment of the successful multi-platform Paul Henry breakfast show, established and sold a radio station in the Wairarapa, and was heavily involved in the launch of the former radio network Today FM.
Canterbury’s Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre has been allocated permanent test flight airspace, giving advanced aviation companies the freedom to safely trial next-generation technologies, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) permanent special use airspace designation for Tāwhaki anchors Canterbury’s growing reputation as a national hub for space and advanced aviation innovation. ” Ms Collins announced the Tāwhaki designation at the launch of the Waitaha Canterbury Aerospace Strategy, which aims to position Canterbury as a global leader in aerospace innovation by 2035.
Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis has written to the major supermarkets to restate the basic expectation that they take all steps needed to comply with the Fair Trading Act and ensure Kiwi shoppers are not subjected to misleading price claims. “Supermarkets have statutory obligations under the Fair Trading Act to ensure that pricing information is accurate and does not mislead consumers. “I am disappointed that I have to spell out to some of New Zealand’s biggest and most sophisticated retail operators - Foodstuffs North Island, Foodstuffs South Island, and Woolworths - that they should have in place processes to prevent inaccurate pricing, institute and publicise refund policies, and train staff to ensure that when errors are reported, fixes occur system-wide.
A reservoir to be built near Carterton will be a game-changer for the town and wider Wairarapa region, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The 20ha reservoir, which will hold up to 1 million m3, will provide water for industry at Waingawa Industrial Park and irrigation for land. “Water resilience has been identified as a regional priority for Wairarapa.
The Government will require Auckland to allow even greater housing and development around City Rail Link stations, ensuring that Auckland takes economic advantage of this transformational investment in the city, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. “CRL is a massive multi-billion dollar investment for the Government and Auckland Council. It’s important that we get ‘bang for buck’ by maximising the opportunities for economic growth and increased productivity that the CRL will bring when it opens next year,” Minister Bishop says.
The Government is enabling more tāmariki access to full immersion learning in safe, warm and dry classrooms. A $28 million investment will deliver 20 new classrooms across four Māori Medium and Kaupapa Māori Education kura and the commencement of a permanent site for a kura north of Auckland – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāringaomatariki. The announcement was made at Takaparawhau, Bastion Point, during Matariki Hautapu celebrations with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have announced a new $16 million package of support for Ukraine ahead of this week’s NATO Summit in the Hague. “New Zealand stands in solidarity with Ukraine. Its war of self-defence is well into its fourth year and our condemnation of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion remains undiminished,” Mr Luxon says.