AM Edition: Top 10 Energy Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 25, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Media Outreach

LAHORE, PAKISTAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 April 2026 – Midea Hiconics is making a major push into the Pakistani market this week at Solar Pakistan 2026. From Booth A-3-8, the energy division of Midea Group is showing off its latest hardware and has just signed a key distribution deal to get its products into more homes and businesses across the country.

Hardware Built for Local Conditions

The company isn’t just showing off standard gear; they’ve brought systems specifically designed to handle the challenges of the local energy landscape.

• PowerX1 Hybrid Inverters: Intelligent energy management, seamlessly switching between solar, battery, and grid for stable, uninterrupted power. Supports multi-source integration and rapid power transition.
• Powerinfi All-in-one ESS: ISO 13849 PL-d and IEC 62443 certified for functional safety and cybersecurity. Features a multi-layer battery safety system within a compact design.
• Advanced Solar & System Protection: Incorporates N-type HOT3.0 solar cell technology for enhanced low-light performance. The system boasts an IP66 rating for superior dust and water resistance.

A New Partnership with MIA Group

The big news from the show floor is the new Annual Channel Distribution Strategic Partnership with MIA Group. MIA Group is already a household name in Pakistan for HVAC and energy, and this deal means they’ll be the main bridge for Midea Hiconics’ tech to reach the local market.

“We’re excited to get to work with MIA Group,” a Midea Hiconics spokesperson said. “They have the reach and the local knowledge we need. By putting our hardware in their hands, we’re making it much easier for people here to switch to reliable, clean energy without the usual headaches.”

Media Contact:
Midea Hiconics Press Office
Website: https://www.hiconics-global.com/
Location: Solar Pakistan 2026, Booth A-3-8

Hashtag: #MideaHiconics

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Radio New Zealand

A resurrected minerals deal with the US is causing mixed reactions among environmentalists.

A Cabinet paper has revealed that Resources Minister Shane Jones wants to continue negotiations for a bilateral agreement with the US over rare minerals.

Currently, the US has been heavily reliant on China for these materials.

Critical minerals are used in a variety of modern-day tech, from smartphones and renewable energy to weapons.

Their use in a military context gave Greenpeace director Russel Norman pause.

“Donald Trump hates renewable energy. It’s all about getting minerals to fuel his war ambitions,” he said.

He worried that the deal could be used to circumvent environmental protections and let foreign interests plunder New Zealand’s resources.

He pointed to Trans-Tasman Resources, an Australian-owned company, which wanted to mine 50 million tonnes of seabed a year for 30 years in the South Taranaki Bight.

“There is no benefit in New Zealand in destroying the biodiversity off in South Taranaki just so that an Australian mining company can dig up vanadium and give it to the US military.”

The Fast Track panel rejected Trans-Tasman Resources’ plans.

Norman said New Zealand “should have nothing to do with the deal”.

“We don’t need to go and destroy the seafloor all around the world in order to get those minerals.”

This was supported by University of Auckland professor Nicola Gaston.

She said highly sought-after, rare minerals can be sourced through recycling.

She cited several companies that had created circular economies of extracting materials from waste products for new applications, such as Mint Innovation and Zethos.

“If a deal is about us actually backing these New Zealand companies to do the work that they’re doing internationally, that would be super.”

But she expressed reservations about the deal if it involved mining.

“I just would not want us to be locking ourselves into some sort of exploitation that is not able to be managed according to our own policy goals or the social licence that we have in New Zealand for mining.”

‘They never have practical alternative solutions’ – Jones

Jones responded to criticism, saying New Zealand was not solely pursuing a bilateral deal with the US, but was also exploring wider partnerships with ”like-minded nations”.

He said this country was already part of an international agreement with countries like the UK, Japan and South Korea to work together to secure supplies of critical minerals.

Jones said any development of the sector would still be subject to New Zealand’s environmental and legal safeguards, including the resource consenting process and Treaty obligations.

”Obviously, the consenting process – we need to ensure that when these minerals are extracted, it happens with established statutory guardrails,” he said.

He also noted the challenges of refining, saying there was currently little capacity in New Zealand and that processing minerals can come with ”a host of negative externalities”.

Responding to the criticism from Greenpeace, Jones said environmental advocacy groups rarely offered workable alternatives.

”Greenpeace are consistent critics in terms of capitalism, economic development… They never have practical alternative solutions,” he said.

”They want a clean green future, but they refuse to acknowledge that New Zealand has the very minerals that can contribute to that future,” he said.

Jones said opponents were holding back the sector.

”Mining has been marginalised in New Zealand by green Luddites, lily-livered bureaucrats and politicians that have been unwilling to show Kiwis that we can mine and still have positive environmental impacts.”

He also downplayed concerns about the potential military use of exported minerals.

”I don’t believe it is a concern… New Zealand is not in the weapon-making business,” he said, adding that lawful trade should not be restricted based on how what’s being traded will be used.

Jones said the government would continue discussions with multiple countries and planned to host a critical minerals forum at Parliament to get feedback from the sector.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council and the Auckland Council Group (our council-controlled organisations AT, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and Watercare) have been taking a hard look at how we use fuel, where we can make changes and fuel savings, and how increased fuel prices are affecting our budget and the everyday lives of Aucklanders.

What’s our role in the fuel supply disruption conundrum?

As a local authority, we are guided by the National Fuel Plan 2026 and current government direction, which places New Zealand at Fuel Response Phase 1 (minimal impact anticipated, but with potential to escalate). The government has confirmed that national fuel supply remains stable and that stock levels are healthy.

Essentially, like most businesses, residents and families in Tāmaki Makaurau, we’re dealing with the early impacts of the international fuel supply issue (price) and planning ahead for potential escalations of the situation (supply). 

Read more about the government’s Fuel supply disruption response here. 

How does fuel supply disruption affect us? 

We’re a big business.  Actually, we’re a big family of businesses. We work together to purchase fuel for the services that we deliver directly. This type of purchasing ensures we can get good prices and value for money – nonetheless, those prices are going up and we have to plan for how we might manage limited supply in the future. 

Petrol and diesel to power buses, vehicles and machinery is not the only supply chain area we’re monitoring. Petrochemical products like the resin used to make polyethylene pipe are also part of the fuel supply chain and are products that we rely on in our infrastructure projects. 

So, the cost and supply of fuel and fuel-related products, plus the impact on our staff and customers who are feeling the pinch at the petrol pump or other cost increases as a result of fuel going up, is our key focus right now. 

How much fuel does the council and its services use? 

The Auckland Council Group and its contractors collectively consume around tens of millions of litres of diesel every year, to deliver essential services across Tāmaki Makaurau. This fuel use supports critical frontline activities including waste collection, public transport operations, water and wastewater services, emergency response, infrastructure maintenance and other time‑critical council functions.

Auckland Transport (AT) is the council group’s largest fuel user, requiring approximately 700,000 litres of diesel per week across bus and ferry operations. 

Waste collections require around 60–70,000 litres of diesel per week and areas like Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience see our stormwater operations, capital delivery and maintenance activities using around 32,000 litres per week.

Next up are our parks and facilities operational needs (like mowing, maintenance, emptying public bins and looking after our facilities and open spaces, their contractors in an average month use approximately 240,000 litres of diesel. 

It’s a big step down to other fuel-dependent council services, like running our regional parks operations and our fleet vehicle pool, which serves functions like building inspections, animal management and compliance services. 

What about all of those electric vehicles? 

AT currently has at least 380 electric buses in its fleet and expects to have 434 on the road by the end of June. AT’s focus is on maximising use of the electric fleet while ensuring sufficient capacity across public transport services. This may mean making some changes to which buses you see on your route, but the route stays the same. 

Some neighbourhoods will have seen compact little food scraps collection vehicles quietly picking up your food waste for composting. Around one third of the food scraps fleet is currently electric.

There are just over 1,000 vehicles in the council group’s fleet, covering everything we do – from parking wardens and zookeepers, to rangers and building inspectors. Some of our specialist vehicles, like utes and vans for Animal Management and Auckland Emergency Management, are petrol or diesel powered, but just over half of our fleet (51 per cent) is fully electric or battery electric hybrid. 

How this affects everyone’s budget

The impact on our operating and capital costs remains dynamic and uncertain. Fuel costs sit within complex contractual arrangements and we will continue to closely manage and monitor these evolving pressures.

Because we work directly with our contract partners, we have some ability to manage any immediate impacts within our current contract arrangements. 

We’re also thinking ahead and will work with the Mayor and Councillors through the Annual Budget and Long-term Plan processes to adjust strategic levers in response to emerging cost trends. 

For our staff, increased prices at the petrol pump means thinking about their commute to work and the impact of increased costs on their home and family lives. We haven’t made any changes to the way we work but we have good flexible working policies in place that enable our people to work from home if their job allows, or work at other council buildings or hubs close to where they live. 

And we’re acutely aware of how fuel price pressures are impacting on Aucklanders. The government has announced a temporary in-work tax credit increase of $50 in response to the recent rises to the cost of living. You can find out more from Inland Revenue. 

Here are some other ways to help ease the pressure of petrol price rises: 

• Public transport – leave the car at home and get on board the bus, train or ferry. Visit AT’s website and lock in all the public transport you need for a maximum of $50 per week.
• Fareshare – if you’re an employer looking to support your kaimahi with commuting costs, check out Fareshare, an easy way to subsidise work travel by bus, train or ferry where you can choose the amount you share and whether it’s weekdays or every day.
• Stretch every tank – check out what EECA, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, has to say about changing your driving habits and getting up to 20 per cent more out of a tank of gas. Look out for EECA’s fuel efficiency campaign or visit eeca.govt.nz/fuel.
• Love local. Save fuel.
  • Check out the hundreds of free, low-cost and family-friendly local events on OurAuckland and Discover Auckland.
  • Follow our Out and About programme on Facebook for events and activities at parks and community facilities in your neighbourhood.
  • Take a hike – check out AKL Paths for walks and hikes in your area.
  • Make the most of your local library – from activities for the kids to millions of library items to read, listen to, watch and learn from. Plus free wifi, exhibitions and events, and much more… visit Auckland Council Libraries.
  • Upskill for free and make budget savings. Sound good? Read more here.  
  • Get to the pool – at Auckland Council pools, entry is free for young people aged 16 and under and in some local board areas, adults swim for free too. Visit aucklandleisure.co.nz. 

What’s next?

We’ll continue to take direction from the government on its plans to manage fuel allocation during potential shortages and include that guidance in our own planning. We have provided feedback to the work that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is doing, to help inform the settings they put in place for local government. 

We’ll also keep working on our own business continuity and contingency plans. This helps us to identify the council group’s fuel-critical services and confirm potential minimum service levels. 

And we will be thinking about any medium-term considerations that the council may need to make if we’re faced with fuel or cost-related delays to our capital and infrastructure programmes. 

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Health researchers at the University of Auckland have suggested a tax on utes in response to high emissions and more deadly accidents.

They said traffic accidents involving utes were seven times more likely to be fatal, burdening the healthcare system.

“There is a cost, we’ve got so much more air pollution and so much more injury associated with these things. Someone has to pay that cost,” senior researcher Dr Kirsty Wild said.

“We have a particularly polluted and dangerous transport system at the moment and it’s putting particular pressure on our healthcare resources.”

She noted a significant difference in emissions between utes and other cars.

“There’s quite a big difference actually, New Zealand research shows [utes] contribute about seven times as much social harm when it comes to things like air pollution, particularly toxic exhaust with diesel vehicles,” she said.

That was primarily an issue in cities, she said.

“Utes are not as much of a problem in rural areas, but they’re not primarily being used in rural areas, our research showed that about two thirds of ute trips are happening in cities,” she said.

“And they’re just particularly dangerous in cities, seven times more likely to kill you if they hit you, particularly dangerous to kids, and [cities are] where air pollution is a real problem, having 3000 early deaths every year due to our air pollution problems.”

The shape and size of a ute made them significantly more damaging in a crash, Wild said.

“The traditional bonnet of a car, it’s sloped and fairly soft, it’s designed to reduce some of the impact, you go up on the bonnet. With [utes] they’re very high, instead of hitting you in the legs they hit you in the chest and are more likely to drag you under the car,” she said.

Wild and her colleague Professor Alistair Woodward were spearheading calls for a tax to discourage people from buying utes if they did not need them.

“Thinking about whether there [should be] higher charges for things like congestion charges, and also asking councils not to do things like make parking spaces bigger to accommodate these vehicles which just encourages it,” Wild continued.

That could extend to a ban on advertising.

“[Utes] are one of the most heavily marketed commodities in the world, and like we see with other harmful commodities, things like tobacco, yeah I think there’s a case [for] restrictions on advertising.”

Such a thing was not unprecedented, she explained.

“There are a range of things that have been implemented, mostly in Europe, around sales taxes, around parking taxes, and in general they don’t have the same problem because they have better pollution standards and pedestrian protection standards in their transport planning.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Police Commissioner has sought answers after some recruit wings at Police College fell below expected numbers, including one with fewer than 50 recruits.

New Zealand First and National’s coalition agreement in November 2023 contained a commitment to “training no fewer than 500 new frontline police within the first two years“.

It had taken up until now to get the number of constable full-time equivalents (FTEs) to 297. There were 275 recruits currently under training, six months out from the election.

In response to questions from RNZ, Assistant Commissioner Deployment Jeanette Park said the work to deliver 500 more police as soon as possible was a “priority programme for NZ Police”.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

She said the number of applicants “remains healthy”, and the current wing at the Auckland campus and its corresponding wing in Porirua were near capacity.

“However, it has been disappointing to see some smaller wing numbers at the College in recent months, including one with fewer than 50 recruits.”

Park said Police Commissioner Richard Chambers had sought an explanation for the numbers.

“A meeting was held earlier this week and attended by the Commissioner, myself, other leaders and recruitment leads.

“It was made clear that focus must be maintained on achieving the 500 and we cannot lose momentum at any stage of the recruitment process.”

She said it was a priority to ensure police did their best for applicants who had worked hard to get into Police College.

“Police is in the fortunate position of being able to increase its constabulary numbers and we have worked hard to try to achieve that.

“Irrespective of the election, the Commissioner has previously said he wanted Police to hit the target of 500 as early as possible this year.

“That relies on ensuring we have good numbers of recruits in training at RNZPC, as well as attrition remaining relatively low.”

She said the pipeline of applicants was “strong” with about 1000 people at different stages of the process.

“The Commissioner has asked us to ensure we maintain momentum in ensuring that process is as efficient as it should be and address any potential hold-ups.”

As of 20 April there were 10,508 Constable FTEs, which did not include the 275 recruits that were undergoing training.

“This is growth of 297 Constable FTEs above our starting point in November 2023 when the Government set their 500 target.”

The 12-month rolling average for constabulary attrition was 4.7 percent, down from 5.7 percent at the same time last year.

Associate Police Minister Casey Costello said in a statement to RNZ the government had provided the extra funding needed to recruit and achieve the 500 extra staff target.

“It is something that everyone wants delivered,” she said.

“What I’ve seen is that our numbers are on track, and with usual attrition rates, the extra 500 will be delivered this year.

“As you know, recruitment works as a pipeline, and there are still healthy numbers of officers in training. Our job is to make sure that every part of the pipeline stays strong”.

On Thursday, a scathing review of police by the Public Service Commission was released. The report said an “integrity reset is urgently needed” with a perceived culture that held seniors to a “lesser standard than juniors”.

An overview of the report said police needed to tackle three “major challenges” in the next five years.

“They need to rebuild police integrity; address persistent traditional crime while adapting to increasingly complex, digital, and transnational threats; and build their corporate performance in the face of ongoing fiscal pressures.”

The Commission’s Performance Improvement Review also looked at how well police were positioned to deliver on the government’s priorities, including delivering the 500 extra officers, referred to as the D500 programme.

“Police have faced challenges delivering the D500 including limited capacity at the Police College, and attrition from an ageing workforce and competitive pressure from Australian police services.

“Treasury projects that a net increase of 500 constables will not be reached until September 2026, which is almost one year later than the 2025 target from the coalition arrangement.”

The report said police had supported the programme by expanding the college and opening an additional Auckland campus.

“Police also refocused its recruitment campaign, launching the Ride Along series and targeted campaigns to attract former officers back to Police. These efforts have resulted in more applications (June 2025 recorded 643 constabulary applications – almost two-thirds higher than the previous monthly average).”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand