Articles tagged with Department
New Lower Hutt After Hours Medical Centre Enhances Urgent Care Access
1 day ago | 101 viewsHealth Minister Simeon Brown and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop inaugurated the new Lower Hutt After Hours Medical Centre on Connolly Street, emphasizing its importance for urgent healthcare in the area. The facility aims to alleviate pressure on hospital emergency departments by offering faster access to essential treatments like diagnostics and urgent medicines. The center, set to begin daytime urgent care services in December 2025, will provide expanded care with consulting rooms, triage rooms, radiology services, and pharmacy access, enhancing healthcare accessibility for the Hutt community.
Tags: Simeon Brown Chris Bishop Health Minister Lower Hutt urgent care medical centre healthcare New Zealand emergency department radiology servicesNew Zealand to Boost Economy and Jobs by Expanding Access to Conservation Areas
3 days ago | 234 viewsPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced plans to stimulate economic growth on a third of New Zealand's land, aiming to create jobs and boost wages nationwide. They highlighted issues with the current concessions regime for businesses operating on conservation land, proposing to reform the Conservation Act to streamline processes and introduce charges for foreign visitors at popular sites. The revenue generated from these charges, estimated at up to $62 million annually, will be reinvested in maintaining and enhancing conservation areas, while ensuring free access for New Zealanders.
Tags: Christopher Luxon Tama Potaka New Zealand Conservation Act Department of Conservation National Party Conference tourism agriculture infrastructure concessionsBoosting Sustainable Tourism with $17.5M Investment in Natural Attractions
6 days ago | 153 viewsThe $17.5 million investment in sustainable tourism aims to boost regional economies by supporting jobs and incomes at popular natural attractions in New Zealand. The funding will improve visitor planning and management at key sites like Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and Milford Sound, ensuring the conservation areas continue to attract tourists with stunning nature. Additionally, investments in Great Walks and DOC campsites will enhance service and management, contributing to the country's economic growth driven by tourism expenditure of $44.4 billion and over 300,000 jobs.
Tags: Tama Potaka sustainable tourism Conservation Minister Aotearoa New Zealand tourism conservation areas Department of Conservation Great Walks tourism concessions economic growthGovernment Funding Boost to Combat Invasive Weeds in NZ Tourist Landscapes
6 days ago | 155 viewsConservation Minister Tama Potaka highlights the importance of eradicating invasive weeds to benefit tourism and rural businesses in New Zealand. The government is investing in early detection technology and allocating funds from the International Visitor Levy to protect iconic landscapes like Abel Tasman, Aoraki/Mt Cook, and Tongariro. Additional funding is directed towards combating wilding pines and other significant weeds, aiming to safeguard the environment, economy, and biodiversity of the country.
Tags: Tourism rural businesses Government action invasive weeds early detection technology Conservation Minister Tama Potaka Department of Conservation International Visitor Levy wilding pines Biosecurity Minister Andrew HoggardEmpowering Frontline Workers: Enhanced Training for Family and Sexual Violence Response
1 week ago | 228 viewsFrontline services are implementing enhanced training to support staff in responding to family and sexual violence, aiming to train 10,000 workers within the next two years. Minister Karen Chhour emphasizes the importance of this training in providing best practice support for victim-survivors and enabling staff to effectively address such violence. Progress against the Te Aorerekura Action Plan includes training for Ministry of Justice, Department of Corrections, and Police recruits, with a focus on collaboration and commitment to improve support for victim-survivors.
Tags: training staff support family violence sexual violence frontline services Minister Karen Chhour government departments Te Aorerekura Action PlanNew Zealand Minister Proposes Safer Online Gambling Bill, Sets Stricter Rules for Operators
3 weeks ago | 302 viewsMinister Brooke van Velden's Bill to regulate New Zealand's online gambling market passed its first reading in Parliament, aiming to protect players and ensure safer gambling practices. The Bill allows for up to 15 online gambling licences to be auctioned, with strict criteria for companies to meet, including harm prevention strategies and compliance history. The Department of Internal Affairs will enforce the new regulations, with fines of up to $5 million for rule violations, and public submissions on the Bill are encouraged as it moves to the select committee stage.
Tags: Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden Bill online gambling New Zealand player safety harm minimisation regulatory system Department of Internal Affairs licensed operatorsBoost in Great Walks Bookings Signals Conservation Success and Economic Growth
3 weeks ago | 265 viewsA significant boost in the number of people booking bednights along the country’s Great Walks is a good sign for conservation tourism and local businesses, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. Opening day bookings for each of the Great Walks were up by over 10,000 bednights compared to last year, totalling more than 140,000 bednights and bringing in more than $9 million to the Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai, says Mr Potaka. “Booking system upgrades - including a new online lobby - successfully processed a peak of nearly 12,000 people waiting to book the Milford when it opened on 28 May in an hour.
Tags: Conservation Minister Tama Potaka Great Walks Conservation tourism Local businesses Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai International Visitor Levy National Parks Rakiura National Park International visitorsSelwyn District Leads the Way in Water Services Reform with Launch of Selwyn Water
4 weeks ago | 306 viewsSelwyn District is the first council in the country to launch its new water services entity, Selwyn Water, meaning safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water and wastewater for ratepayers, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says. “The launch of Selwyn District’s water service entity today marks a significant milestone of water reform, and I look forward to seeing similar Local Water Done Well plans progress in the coming months,” Mr Watts says. “Selwyn District Council is also the first council to have a Water Services Delivery Plan accepted and approved by the Secretary for Local Government, Paul James and the first to establish a water services council-controlled organisation (CCO) under the Coalition Government’s Local Water Done Well policy.
Tags: Selwyn District Simon Watts Local Government Minister Paul James Selwyn Water Water Services Delivery Plan Commerce Commission Department of Internal Affairs Sam Broughton Local Water Done WellAccelerating Economic Growth Through Efficient Conservation Land Applications Processing
4 weeks ago | 247 viewsA targeted effort to reduce the backlog of applications for use of conservation land is accelerating economic growth without compromising conservation values, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. “Over the years, decision makers at the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai became wrapped and trapped in a sticky ball of red tape unnecessarily slowing the success of tourism operators, researchers, major infrastructure project developers, among many others. “The department is doing a great job delivering on my expectation to crack on with the mahi.
Tags: Conservation Minister Tama Potaka Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai tourism applications economic growth infrastructure AI tools Kokiri Lime conservation land62 percent fewer scam texts reported after Internal Affairs crackdown
1 month ago | 380 viewsMinister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has made significant progress in tackling scams in New Zealand, with a 62 per cent drop in reports of SMS scams in 2024 from 2023, following the Department’s investigations into scammers. The Department’s 2024 Digital Messaging Transparency Report, published this week, details some of the actions the Department has taken to catch people perpetrating scams, including by conducting search warrants and seizing equipment. “Scams cause serious financial and emotional harm, often preying on vulnerable people in our communities.
Tags: Auckland Brooke van velden Department Department of internal affairs Digital Government Messaging transparency report New zealand Scott simpson Van veld Zealand