Source: oToBrite

Hsinchu, Taiwan – oToBrite, a provider of automotive-grade Vision AI and camera solutions for unmanned vehicles, off-highway machines, and robotics, today introduced the GMSL2 Repeater, a compact device that doubles rugged camera-to-SoC transmission to 30 meters on large machines. A single repeater regenerates the GMSL2 signal at the midpoint of the link, doubling the roughly 15-meter reach of a standard GMSL2 connection without changing the camera architecture or the location of the compute unit.

Source release

Large machines place cameras far from the compute unit. Trailer-rear, boom-arm, harvesting-head, and perimeter cameras routinely sit outside the reliable range of a standard GMSL2 link over automotive cabling. Reaching those positions has required either relocating the compute unit or redesigning the cable architecture. The GMSL2 Repeater removes both steps.

Signal Regeneration Extends the Link to 30 Meters

The repeater installs inline between the camera and the host. It recovers the incoming GMSL2 signal in full, then retransmits a clean copy across a second link. This full recovery, rather than analog signal boosting, extends the link to a full 30 meters and adds under 1 microsecond of latency. The device has one GMSL2 input and one GMSL2 output on FAKRA Type Z connectors, runs at 6Gbps, and draws power over the same coax as the camera, requiring no separate power supply.

IP69K Rating and a Compact Body for Permanent Outdoor Use

The GMSL2 Repeater measures 34.6 by 36 by 19 millimeters and installs permanently on the machine. It carries an IP69K rating when its FAKRA connector is mated to a cable connector rated to the same standard, supporting high-pressure washdown. The device operates from minus 40 to 85 degrees Celsius and draws up to 1.3 watts, excluding camera power.

Backed by a Decade of Automotive and Autonomy Programs

For more than a decade, oToBrite has supplied automotive-grade cameras and Vision-AI systems for production vehicle programs and autonomous machine fleets, working with global automotive, off-highway, and robotics companies across the United States, Japan, and Europe.

Applications Across Heavy Machinery and Autonomous Platforms

Primary applications include heavy construction, mining, agricultural, and forestry equipment, along with long-haul trucking. Outdoor autonomous mobile robots and unmanned ground vehicles are a further application as those platforms grow larger and move into harsher environments.

A Single Source for the GMSL2 Camera Chain

The repeater extends the reach of oToBrite’s GMSL2 cameras, which the company offers from 1 to 8 megapixels along with plug-and-play adapter kits that connect them to NVIDIA Jetson platforms. That lets a system builder source the cameras, the compute connection, and the long-distance link for a large machine from a single automotive-grade supplier.

Availability: August 2026.

Full specifications and the datasheet are available at https://www.otobrite.com/product/gmsl-repeater/category#gmsl2-repeater.

Key Specifications

• Interface: GMSL2, one input and one output
• Connectors: FAKRA Type Z
• Data rate: 6Gbps
• Power: 10.5 to 17 volts DC over Power over Coax, 1.3 watts maximum, excluding camera power
• Operating temperature: minus 40 to 85 degrees Celsius
• Storage temperature: minus 40 to 95 degrees Celsius
• Ingress protection: IP69K when the FAKRA connector is mated to an IP69K-rated cable connector
• Dimensions: 34.6 by 36 by 19 millimeters
• Added latency: under 1 microsecond
• Extended reach: 30 meters with a single repeater, validated over 24 hours with zero frame loss

About oToBrite

oToBrite is a Vision AI company that brings automotive-grade cameras and perception to autonomous vehicles and robots. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan, it manufactures in an IATF 16949-certified facility and its cameras have been adopted in OEM programs in Japan, Germany, and the United States, including heavy-duty off-road vehicles. For more information visit https://www.otobrite.com.

MIL OSI

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Council of Financial Regulators

28 July 2026

The Council of Financial Regulators (CoFR) held its quarterly meeting on 27 July 2026.

The meeting was co-chaired by Financial Markets Authority Chief Executive Samantha Barrass and Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman.

Heads discussed the current economic and regulatory environment, including ongoing global uncertainty, developments in financial markets, consumer outcomes, and the resilience of New Zealand’s financial system. Agencies shared updates on emerging risks and priorities across their respective mandates.

CoFR also discussed work underway to support the Government’s broader economic agenda, including initiatives relating to capital markets development, payments, and the future of financial services in New Zealand. Heads noted the importance of ensuring New Zealand’s regulatory settings can support innovation while maintaining confidence.

Heads considered a range of longer-term developments, including technological change and innovation in financial services, and discussed opportunities for continued collaboration across agencies on these issues.

Heads also reviewed progress across CoFR’s existing work programme and discussed opportunities to strengthen engagement with industry and other stakeholders as this work progresses.

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Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

• Top six fossil fuel corporations expect Q2 profits to nearly double Q1 levels. Annual profits for 2026 are set to exceed the previous 21 months combined.
• Emissions from five fossil fuel corporations were enough to cause about 1 in 4 heatwaves between 2000 and 2023, which would have been virtually impossible without climate change.
• A tax on the richest oil and gas corporations could raise up to $400 billion in its first year, enough to cover annual climate adaptation costs in low- and middle-income countries.

The world’s six biggest fossil fuel corporations are expected to nearly double their combined net income in the second quarter of 2026, jumping from $23 billion in the previous quarter to $45 billion, reveals new Oxfam analysis ahead of their earnings announcements. New data also finds that the emissions of these corporations have significantly magnified the frequency and severity of heatwaves this century.

The projected full-year profits of BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies amount to $147 billion, more than their combined profits over the previous 21 months (Q2 2024 to Q4 2025). Among the biggest winners, Chevron is expected to report that it has quadrupled its profits to $1,200 a second in the last three months, while ExxonMobil’s profits are expected to have tripled to $1,800 a second.

Oil and gas corporations share an outsized responsibility for the climate crisis. New Oxfam analysis of academic data published in Nature finds that the emissions from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies were sufficient to cause around 1 in 4 heatwaves reported globally between 2000 and 2023 – heatwaves that would have been virtually impossible without human-made climate change. Using S&P Capital Trucost data, Oxfam estimates that Big Oil was responsible for $60 billion in environmental damage last year.

The findings come as record-breaking heatwaves scorch South Asia, Europe and North America, killing tens of thousands of people. Meanwhile, West African countries are struggling with devastating monsoons and floods that have upended thousands of lives and destroyed vital infrastructure across the region.

Yet rather than scaling back fossil fuel production and accelerating the transition to renewable energy, the six largest fossil fuel corporations plan to increase oil and gas production by 14 percent by 2030 compared to 2024 levels, equivalent to pumping an additional 2.5 million barrels of oil a day.

“Fossil fuel corporations are making a killing, literally and figuratively. As extreme heat, floods and storms devastate communities across the world, the industry is preparing another bonanza of profits. Families are paying the price three times over: through destroyed homes and harvests, through soaring energy prices, and through a cost-of-living crisis worsened by dependence on fossil fuels. Big Oil’s greed is incompatible with a livable planet and unless governments rein it in, they will make a mockery of international climate targets,” said Oxfam’s Climate Policy Lead Mariana Paoli.

Oxfam estimates that a tax on the profits of the largest fossil fuel corporations could raise up to $400 billion globally in its first year, enough to cover annual climate adaptation costs in the Global South. An additional excess profits tax on all corporations could generate up to $681 billion globally.

“While Big Oil fuels extreme weather events, rich countries are refusing to increase the public climate finance that poorer countries urgently need to cope with the climate crisis,” said Paoli. “Until governments make the richest polluters pay, fossil fuel corporations will keep driving us deeper into climate chaos. Taxing the richest polluters could help close the gap in funding for climate adaptation and speed the transition towards renewable energy. Fossil fuel corporations must feel the heat, not us.”

Political momentum for taxing the richest polluters is growing. Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Austria have called for a new windfall tax on energy profits. In Australia, where Oxfam research found that one in three coal, oil and gas corporations are paying no corporate income tax, many members of Parliament are speaking out in support of a 25 percent export tax on gas, with strong public support.

Research in 60 countries found that 28 percent of them have implemented a temporary windfall tax on excess profits from fossil fuel companies in recent years, with a further 13 percent supportive. Just 12 percent are explicitly against the measure.

Oxfam Aotearoa’s Advocacy and Policy Lead, Nick Henry, said, “Fossil fuel companies have a global responsibility for climate change. The New Zealand Government should be holding these rich polluters to account and making them pay the cost of their climate damage.”

Oxfam’s research is based on S&P Capital IQ’s consensus estimates compiled from financial analysts’ forecasts. The six largest fossil fuel corporations are due to publish their second-quarter earnings over the coming week. The projected surge in profits reflects the sharp rise in oil prices following the unlawful US and Israel war against Iran.

Methodology note

Comprehensive investigation

Peer-reviewed analysis

Heatwave deaths and West African flooding

Oxfam estimate

UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025

Oxfam’s rich polluter profit tax model

EU finance ministers’ letter

Oxfam Australia’s Freeloaders report

Government-support country mapping

MIL OSI

Source: Save the Children

Two thirds of children across Western Europe [1] were exposed to extreme heatwaves between 1 January and 14 July this year, according to new data from Save the Children as temperatures soar and record wildfires ravage parts of Europe. [2]

The child rights organisation said that the number of children impacted by extreme heatwaves during that six-and-a-half-month period was already three times the figure from the whole of 2025 – and more than any entire year since 2003.

Save the Children analysed satellite imagery of surface temperatures covering every part of the world. The aid agency defined an extreme heatwave as three consecutive days experiencing a temperature in the top 1% of all those recorded in that location in the previous 30 years.

The data is particularly stark given the majority of the time period in the analysis covers winter and spring in Western Europe, when temperatures are lower. This suggests that findings for the entire 12 months of 2026 will be even more severe, Save the Children said.

In Germany, the number of children exposed to extreme heat in the first six months of this year was larger than the past five years combined. [3]

In the UK, 10 million children – three quarters of the child population – have been exposed to extreme heat in the first six months of this year. This is more than the total for any single year in the past 30 years. [4]

Children already affected by inequality or discrimination – such as those living in poverty, refugees or children with disabilities or underlying health conditions – are at a unique disadvantage, Save the Children said.

Zainab, 16, a child campaigner with Save the Children UK, said:

“For many people, particularly those living with chronic illnesses, this heat is not simply uncomfortable, it is dangerous. For some, a heatwave means an ice cream, a day in the park or turning on a fan. For others, it’s dehydration, exhaustion, dizziness and pain. Medication can become harder to manage. Existing illnesses becoming more severe.

“I know that because I live it. I have lived with Type 1 diabetes for most of my life. When temperatures rise, managing my health becomes harder. My body does not get to experience extreme heat as a minor inconvenience. The climate crisis does not stay outside my window. It enters through my body. Climate change does not affect everyone equally, but when the temperature rises, inequality rises with it.”

Human-induced climate change is making extreme weather events like heatwaves, drought and wildfires more frequent and severe. Save the Children’s findings reveal that across the globe, extreme heatwaves now reach substantially more children than a generation ago. In the 1990s and 2000s, around one in 10 children worldwide [5] were exposed to an extreme heatwave each year. In the 2020s so far, that average has increased to one in seven children [6]. Two of the four worst years since 1990- the start of the period examined – were in the past three years.

A report by Save the Children and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel last year found that almost a third of the world’s children born in 2020 – about 38 million – would be spared a lifetime’s “unprecedented” exposure to extreme heat [7] if we can meet the 1.5 degrees C warming target by 2100.

The health risks of dangerous heat to young children are acute, due to their ongoing physical development and lower capacity for body temperature regulation. During heatwaves, children are at a high risk of electrolyte imbalance, fever, respiratory disease, and kidney disease. [8]

This kind of unprecedented heat is also disrupting children’s education. In June, schools in France and the UK were forced to close or alter timetables to protect children from dangerous heat as temperatures surged.

Matilde Angeltveit, Senior Advisor and Global Climate Advocacy Lead at Save the Children, said:

“Over the past few months, we have seen the climate crisis unleash unbearable heat on children and families across Europe. Heat like this damages children’s health, disrupts their sleep and schooling, and brings basic services to a standstill. We also fear that crops will fail and food prices surge due to the heat at a time when families are already struggling to cope.

“Children are disproportionately vulnerable to extreme heat, yet they have done the least to contribute to the climate crisis. We know by now that we urgently need to adapt to this situation – but children need us to put their lives, rights and needs front and centre.

“While we need this today, ultimately, in order to safeguard children’s futures, we need to see a rapid phase out of the use and subsidy of fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy in an equitable and fair way. We know that this is in our power, and if we do it in the shrinking time window available to us, children’s exposure to these dangers will be curbed dramatically.”

Save the Children is calling for the recognition of children’s unique vulnerabilities to climate change, the delivery of high-quality, affordable funding to lower-income countries, including financing to cut emissions, and the urgent phase out of the use and subsidy of fossil fuels.

As the world’s leading independent child rights organisation, Save the Children works in over 100 countries, tackling climate change across everything we do and putting children at the heart of climate action.

Notes:

More information available here on 28 July.

[1] Countries included in Western Europe in data set: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

[2] Methodology available here – full data available on request

[3] Full data available on request

[4] Methodology available here – full data available on request

[4] an average of 200 to 230 million children

[5] 360 million children

[6] For the research in the Born into the Climate Crisis 2 report by Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Save the Children, scientists have defined a heatwave as: when the daily Heat Wave Magnitude Index of that year exceeds the 99th percentile of pre-industrial Heat Wave Magnitude Index distribution for the specific climate model grid cell. The Heat Wave Magnitude Index measures how intense a heatwave is during a year. It looks at the hottest stretch of at least three days in a row when temperatures are much higher than what was normal before industrial times. The higher the number, the more extreme the heatwave.

[7] Born into the Climate Crisis, Save the Children and Vrije Universiteit Brussel

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

MIL OSI

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA)

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is today supporting a bill that will cut annual leave entitlements for tens of thousands of working New Zealanders as it moves through the Committee of the Whole House in Parliament.

“Christopher Luxon wants to take a holiday: yours,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. “It is disgraceful that he is advancing a law that will steal people’s time – their well-deserved holidays and the time they need to recover from sickness.

“It casts his parental leave announcement over the weekend in a very hypocritical light.”

Luxon, along with his National colleagues and ACT and NZ First coalition partners, is progressing the Employment Leave Bill, which will reduce annual and sick leave for anyone whose hours vary from week to week, who is off work because of an injury, or who works shorter shifts on public holidays.

The bill, which would replace the Holidays Act, would introduce a system where workers accrue annual and sick leave for “standard” hours they’re required to work under their employment agreement.

Overtime and extra hours would not accrue leave, so anyone regularly working those extra hours would get less leave than they do under the current law, which guarantees at least four weeks annual leave and ten days sick leave a year.

“Workers will be getting less leave for the same amount of work – passing this bill would be deeply unfair, especially in in a cost-of-living crisis,” said Fitzsimons.

Workers would also not accrue leave while getting compensation from ACC, and people working shorter shifts on public holidays will no longer receive a full day in lieu to compensate.

“This heartless law does not recognise the disruption caused to family life and personal time by working on public holidays,” said Fitzsimons.

The PSA represents many of the people who would be worse off, including those working in hospitals, those caring for mental health patients, corrections officers, and care and support workers looking after our most vulnerable.

Last week the PSA also revealed analysis that the bill would cut the pay of over 200,000 New Zealanders. The PSA also gave all MPs the opportunity to pledge to oppose any changes that will leave workers worse off – only Labour, Green, and Te Pāti Māori MPs signed.

“Working people deserve holidays, and they deserve to be paid properly for them. We will be fighting for the repeal of this bill and for a government that respects working people,” said Fitzsimons.

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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Employment indicators: June 2026 – information release

28 July 2026

Employment indicators provide an early indication of changes in the labour market.

Key facts
Changes in the seasonally adjusted filled jobs for the June 2026 month (compared with the May 2026 month) were:

• all industries – up 0.1 percent (2,728 jobs) to 2.35 million filled jobs
• primary industries – up 0.7 percent (730 jobs)
• goods-producing industries – flat (up 149 jobs)
• service industries – up 0.1 percent (1,648 jobs).

In June 2026, there were 2.35 million actual filled jobs, up 14,327 jobs (0.6 percent), compared with June 2025.

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Household living costs increase 3.2 percent – news story

28 July 2026

The cost of living for the average New Zealand household increased 3.2 percent in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

The 3.2 percent increase, measured by the household living-costs price indexes (HLPIs), follows a 2.1 percent increase in the 12 months to the March 2026 quarter.

“Higher petrol prices were the largest contributor to the increase in household living costs in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter,” prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden said.

Meanwhile, inflation – as measured by the consumers price index (CPI) – was 4.1 percent in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter, following a 3.1 percent increase in the 12 months to the March 2026 quarter.

MIL OSI

Source: Island Innovation

27 July, 2026: The Virtual Island Summit (VIS), the premier free online conference for island communities worldwide, will return on 15-17 September 2026.

Now in its eighth year, VIS marks a significant shift from previous editions. The three-day event will follow a narrative arc, with each day building on the last and programming spanning time zones from the Pacific to the Caribbean so audiences everywhere can join live at times that work for them.

• Day 1, Adapt to Change, looks at how island communities are responding to conditions that have already shifted, from decarbonising marine transport and adapting to coastal erosion, to the generational knowledge and ocean governance practices that have sustained island communities for decades.
• Day 2, Transform Systems, examines the models and mechanisms already reshaping island futures: rethinking tourism before pressures become irreversible, turning waste into a circular local economy, reviving indigenous languages, and building food sovereignty in the face of import dependence.
• Day 3, Mobilise Action, turns to what moves people, capital and political will: the funding structures, coalitions and leadership approaches that turn plans into results.

The event is free to attend and open to the public, continuing the Summit’s commitment to accessible, Zero-Carbon knowledge sharing between islanders and global partners alike.

“The Virtual Island Summit is our flagship online event and we are proud to deliver a high-level knowledge-sharing platform that puts islands at the heart of global discussions,” said James Ellsmoor, Chief Executive Officer of Island Innovation. “The Summit highlights islands not simply as places facing shared challenges, but as places developing practical solutions with relevance far beyond their own shores. This year we are evolving the format to reflect how island communities actually work through challenges: understanding the problem, finding what works, and mobilising the resources to scale it. We want attendees to leave VIS 2026 with a clearer sense of where islands stand and what comes next.”

The first confirmed speakers for VIS 2026 include heads of government and senior policy leaders such as:

• Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam;
• Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister, Government of Tuvalu;
• Cora Richardson-Hodge, Premier of the Government of Anguilla;
• Albert Bryan, Governor of the US Virgin Islands
• Jache Adams, Minister of Public Works and the Environment, Government of Bermuda;
• Hannah Mary Goodlad, MSP for Shetland Islands & Minister for Public Finance, Scottish Government;
• Chris Lee, Senator, Hawaii State
• Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Chief Executive Officer, Hawai’i Green Growth
• Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate;
• Chris Elmore, MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Multilateral, Human Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Corsican Assembly & President of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR)

They are joined by researchers, educators and sector experts including:

• Dr Dai-Yeun Jeong, Director of the Asia Climate Change Education Center;
• Maria Ackrén, Director of the Stefansson Arctic Institute;
• Laurie Brinklow, Chair, Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Prince Edward Island;
• Peter Van Aert, Researcher and Teacher at the Institute of Culture, Society and State, National University of Tierra del Fuego;
• Chalapan Kaluwin, Director of Momis Ocean and Climate Research institute & Dean of School of Sustainable Resources Management & Business Studies, PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment;
• Olly Newton, Executive Director of The Edge Foundation.

Additional speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Previous editions have brought together heads of state, ministers, and senior practitioners from over 500 island communities across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and beyond, drawing more than 10,000 attendees.

All sessions will be available free of charge. Registration is now open at islandinnovation.co/events/virtual-island-summit-2026.

MIL OSI

Source: Greenpeace Aotearoa

In protest over the Conservation Amendment Bill, Greenpeace climbers have hung an eighteen square-metre banner from a giant rimu tree in an ancient West Coast forest.

The activity recreates one of New Zealand’s most iconic environmental protests – the Native Forest Action tree occupation and campaign that helped to successfully end logging of native forest on public land.

Nearly three decades later, on World Conservation Day, Greenpeace says New Zealanders are being called on to defend the forests previous generations fought so hard to save.

Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop says, “The forests, wildlife and waterways that define Aotearoa are under attack from this Coalition Government’s despicable Conservation Amendment Bill.”

“Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders spent decades fighting to protect native forests and establish the conservation estate and National Parks we know today. This Government is now trying to dismantle those hard-won protections.”

“Today, on World Conservation Day, we remember all those people who stopped the chainsaws, blockaded the logging roads and defeated all the previous governments that have tried to destroy native forests before.”

Logging of native forest on public land was finally brought to an end in 2002 after decades of public campaigning, including high-profile actions in the podocarp forests of the West Coast, kauri forests of Pūketi, and giant rimu forests of Pureora and Whirinaki-Te Pua-a-Tāne.

The image of the late Pat McNamara suspended high in the forest canopy during a five month long occupation of the Charleston Forest in 1997 by Native Forest Action (NFA) became a defining image of that campaign and inspired people around the country.

The campaign ultimately won an end to native forest logging and saw 130,000 ha of native forest on the West Coast transferred into protection under the Department of Conservation.

Greenpeace says if the Coalition Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill passes it would unravel decades of conservation progress. It proposes to reverse the purpose of the country’s Conservation law from protection, to commercial exploitation “to the greatest extent practicable”, potentially opening conservation land up to logging once more.

Dean Baigent-Mercer, one of the original group who occupied Charleston Forest in 1997, says, “Many native forests only stand today in Aotearoa because people defended them, generation after generation. People who refused to accept their destruction. It’s time for us to do it again.”

The banner unfurled by Greenpeace today reads ‘Toitū te Taiao. Join Us. Defend Nature’.

Toop says, “The generations that came before us fought hard battles, marched, petitioned, occupied trees and never gave up in defence of nature. Today, we inherit that same responsibility to defend these forests for the generations that will come after us.”

“We’re calling on all those who respect the forests, waters and lands of Aotearoa, to join us and defend them from this Government’s Conservation Exploitation Bill.”

Greenpeace is inviting people to join a Nationwide Day of Action on 15 August to say Hands off Conservation Land. The organisation has also teamed up with Forest and Bird and are together inviting people to ‘March for Nature’ down Auckland’s Queen Street on September 19.

Background

• The Native Forest Action campaign to end logging of native forest on the West Coast endured from 1997 till 2002. Helen Clark and the Labour Party committed to a ban prior to the 1999 election. On the first day they were sworn in after the 1999 election they signed an order to stop logging of native forest on public land.
• In May 2001, 130,000 ha of public land was transferred to the conservation estate. About 18,000 ha went to National Parks, Westland Tai Poutini, Kahuranagi and Paparoa, the latter of which increased in size by nearly 25%. Notable and rich additions to the conservation estate included North Ōkarito, Ianthe, Ōpārara, Mokihinui and Saltwater.
• The campaigns to protect the forests of Aotearoa, including NFA’s campaign are documented in the book Fight for Forests by Paul Bensemann.
• Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling for a national day of action on Saturday 15 August to protect the forests of today. People around the country will organise their own actions against the Conservation Amendment Bill. More information is available at binthebill.nz.
• Greenpeace Aotearoa with Forest & Bird and allied groups are coordinating a March for Nature. At 1pm on Saturday 19 September 2026 people will come together in Auckland to say ‘hands off conservation land’. More information is available at marchfornature.nz.

MIL OSI

Source: Northland Regional Council

Concerns over high-powered LED lightbars and spotlights have prompted a plea for Northland boaties to display the correct lights from sunset to sunrise and in restricted visibility conditions like rain and fog.

Northland Regional Council Deputy Harbourmaster Peter Thomas says the Harbourmaster’s office has noticed an increasing number of boats are failing to display the correct light patterns at night.

“Of particular concern is the use of high-powered LED lightbars and spotlights used as a type of headlight to illuminate the water in front of a boat while it is underway.”

“One might say it’s ‘blindingly’ obvious why you shouldn’t do this, especially if you have experienced a light like this coming toward you at night.”

Mr Thomas says the bright lights render people on other vessels unable to determine any red or green navigation lights, compromising everyone’s safety.

“Properly displayed lights enable other people to help identify the type of vessel and the direction you are travelling in to help prevent collisions and accidents.”

“There are many potential hazards out there that require good nighttime vision and awareness; ruining the dark adaptation of your eyes can give a false sense of security.”

He says correct lighting displays for different size vessels can be found in the council’s boating book and other maritime publications.

“It’s also an offence under the council’s maritime rules and bylaws to display an incorrect light pattern.”

“The current fine is $200 so check your lights before heading out and make sure they are compliant.”

MIL OSI

Source: Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO)

Mums and their newborn babies are missing out because Plunket services are running on shoestring budgets with skeleton staffing, and their health needs are unable to be met, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.

NZNO national delegate and Plunket nurse Kelly Morrissey says due to funding shortages, Plunket nurses are booking and travelling to six to seven appointments a day, while doing up to 10 on clinic-based days. This reduces the quality time required for pēpē and their whānau.

“Limited funding and understaffing feels like juggling several balls in the air always mindful it could come crashing down at any time.”

She has called on the Coalition Government to keep its promise from the previous election campaign and fund Plunket properly.

Whānau Āwhina Plunket looks after society’s most vulnerable members as it takes care of the health and wellbeing of children under five and their families. However, years of decreasing financial support from the Government has led to the not-for-profit organisation being stretched to the limit.

Kelly Morrissey says the Coalition’s promises to “ensure Plunket is funded to do their job properly”, made during the last election campaign has not materialised. The situation for Plunket has in fact worsened.

“Budget 2026 was the Government’s last chance to fulfil its coalition agreement between the National and NZ First parties but we were ignored again. To make matters worse our pay equity claim was scrapped last year when we were just weeks away from submitting it.

“How are our services expected to cope with this neglect from the Government? In some parts of the country, local fundraising still supports our services.”

Government funding is also vital to recruit and retain staff, she says.

“Plunket nurses are paid considerably less than our hospital-based colleagues. The lack of funding is resulting in much-needed staff leaving for higher paying jobs in hospitals, further hampering the ability to provide vital care and support.

“Proper Government funding would keep nurses from leaving Plunket for better paid hospital jobs.

“The simple solution is pay parity where all nurses with the same skills qualifications and experience are paid the same. Without funding this is impossible to do.”

MIL OSI

Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

MEDIA ADVISORY

On the opening day of the 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro, taking place from 27 to 31 July 2026, UNAIDS is releasing a new report showing the extent and impact of funding cuts and disruptions experienced in 2025 as well as global progress in the AIDS response.

The new report ‘United to End AIDS’ will show the severity of the cuts to funding and the impact on HIV prevention, community services, key populations and the sustainability and future of the AIDS response.

The report will include countries experiencing rises in new HIV infections as well as countries continuing to progress towards reaching the 2030 targets and will look at ways forward to end AIDS by 2030.

WHAT: Launch of new UNAIDS Report on HIV United to End AIDS

WHEN: Monday 27 July, 14:00 BRT, 17:00 GMT, 19:00 CET

REGISTRATION: AIDS 2026 registration

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of UN organizations and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org.

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Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Te Whatu Ora must reassure Wellingtonians it is adopting recommendations made by the Health and Disability Commissioner after a damning report was released today, NZNO says.

The report followed a complaint to the Commissioner by a 55-year-old man who went to Wellington Regional Hospital in August 2023 with chest pain. Despite being given a triage score of 3 which required him to be seen by a doctor within 30 minutes, he was not seen for four-and-a-half hours.

The HDC found the hospital emergency department (ED) was at 200% occupancy at the time and had a shortfall of 10 nurses.

NZNO College for Emergency Nurses co-chair Natasha Hemopo says in the past two years, Wellington ED has faced ongoing critical care deficits – when the staffing levels don’t meet patient demand.

“Occupancy has not improved; it has increased to 240%. Critical care and significant care deficit hours at Wellington ED are now at 72%, meaning the vast majority of patients are not receiving the interventions or monitoring they need.

“The HDC also found a significant nursing FTE shortfall. Despite identifying the need for 63.7 additional FTE, this fell only to 62 in 2024, to 56 in May 2025 and was at 41 FTE in May 2026.

“A 20% vacancy rate in ED is not sustainable and is not good for patient outcomes. More staff must be hired for the department,” Natasha Hemopo says.

The Commissioner said Te Whatu Ora has met with the man involved who was pleased with changes being made but wanted assurance recommendations are being adopted.

Natasha Hemopo says the College welcomes the Commissioner’s ongoing oversight – including on whether current staffing levels are acceptable – and that Te Whatu Ora was now sending nurses on its National Emergency Nurses Triage Course.

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Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Ara Institute of Canterbury fashion ākonga (student) Alex O’Hagan claimed three major honours at the 2026 Hokonui Fashion Design Awards at the weekend, earning national recognition for a collection developed as part of his final year of study.

O’Hagan won the Open Collections category before also receiving the Best Use of Fabric Award and the Mataura Licensing Trust Award of Excellence.

“It was such a shock. I genuinely didn’t expect to win, so to come away with three awards is pretty amazing,” the third-year Bachelor of Design (Fashion Technology and Design) ākonga said.

The award-winning collection emerged from a summer internship completed as part of his studies and formed a significant chapter of his final-year learning journey.

Drawing on that experience, O’Hagan developed a collection exploring the relationship between control and spontaneity within the creative process.

Judge Dayne Johnston, Head Designer at Kowtow, said the panel was instantly drawn to the winning collection.

“What really stood out was the designer’s understanding of how to work with the chosen fabric. It felt elevated, innovative and aligned with international trends.

“The proportions were incredible, creating silhouettes that felt both modern and beautifully balanced. The craftsmanship was exceptional, with every detail thoughtfully executed. It was a collection that demonstrated both technical excellence and a strong creative vision.”

Ara fashion tutor Denise McKee, who attended the awards ceremony in Gore and accepted the honours on O’Hagan’s behalf, said the achievement reflected his dedication throughout his studies.

“Alex’s success is a testament to his commitment. He’s taken what he has learned at Ara and applied it thoughtfully to create a collection that reflects both his technical skills and creative vision.

“It was a privilege to attend the awards and accept these honours on his behalf. We’re incredibly proud of Alex and of all the learners who represented Ara at Hokonui. Their achievements reflect the creativity, hard work and perseverance that underpin our fashion programme, and it’s wonderful to see that recognised on a national stage.”

The 2026 Hokonui results also saw success for other members of Ara’s fashion community, with fashion programme co-lead Holly Liberona named runner-up in the Open Gala category and second-year ākonga Isabella Fenton earning a Highly Commended placing in the Open Avant Garde section.

The results add to a long tradition of success for Ara’s fashion programme, with both learners and tutors regularly recognised on the national stage.

There’s been little time for O’Hagan to dwell on his Hokonui success. On Monday, less than 48 hours after his triple triumph, he was back at Ara completing a proposal for his final graduate collection.

With one award-winning collection now behind him, his attention is already turning to the next.

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Source: Dental for All

Monday 27 July

The Dental for All coalition welcomes the Green Party’s commitment to publicly delivered, free dental care for everyone and support for by-Māori for-Māori services in their new election manifesto. This announcement follows increasing attention on the failures of the current approach to oral health and calls for free dental care to be included in the public healthcare system.

“As an oral health therapist, I believe that oral health is a universal right, not a privilege. It is encouraging to see oral health recognised within the wider health agenda, alongside commitments to kaupapa Māori approaches that will help reduce inequities,” says Samuel Carrington, Associate Dean Māori and Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry and member of the Dental for All coalition.

“The PSA is very supportive of this policy which seeks to fully fund dental healthcare,” says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary of the Public Service Association. The PSA represents the public oral health workforce and is a member of the Dental for All coalition.

“Dental care privatisation has completely failed New Zealanders. The provision of dental care is patchy, and is so expensive that many families now avoid going to the dentist at all. New Zealanders deserve to have dental care wrapped into our public healthcare system, so that all our communities can benefit – not just those who can afford it,” says Fitzsimons.

According to the latest NZ Health Survey, 43% of New Zealand adults report unmet need for dental care due to cost, and previous research released by Dental for All shows that the downstream effects cost the country billions every year.

Polling conducted by Talbot-Mills, released in March, shows that 83% of people support dental care being brought into the public healthcare system, with widespread support from voters across the political spectrum.

In April, Dental for All released a costed policy plan which includes a network of community oral health clinics to deliver universal, free oral healthcare as part of the public healthcare system, investment in the oral health workforce and resourcing for Māori tino rangatiratanga over oral health.

“There is a clear evidence base and strong public mandate for universal, Te Tiriti o Waitangi-consistent oral healthcare. We know that this is a viable, cost-effective policy and it has popular support.” says Dental for All campaigner, Hana Pilkinton-Ching.

The Green Party’s newly-announced health policies include a focus on prevention in health services, expanding access to essential primary and dental care (working towards publicly delivered, fully free services), funding dental vans to visit rural communities and kaupapa Māori approaches to end health inequities.

“We welcome this direction and look forward to seeing meaningful investment, a strengthened oral health workforce, and a clear pathway to delivering accessible, equitable oral healthcare for all people in Aotearoa,” says Carrington.

“It’s great to see the Greens are ready to put oral health back where it belongs, in the public system. We hope that other political parties will respond to the call from communities around the countries and commit to policies that address the urgent need for access to oral healthcare, and lead us towards a better future,” says Pilkinton-Ching.

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Source: Federated Farmers

ACT’s plan to transfer responsibility for managing game animals on conservation land to the Game Animal Council needs a major rethink, Federated Farmers says.

Richard Dawkins, Federated Farmers pest management spokesperson, says allowing the Game Animal Council to set game population targets is extremely concerning.

“ACT has fired a shot with this policy, but they’ve completely missed the mark,” he says.

“Hunters generally see deer as a valuable resource. They want healthy herd numbers, plenty of hunting opportunities and, in some places, quality trophy animals.

“On the other hand, many farmers view those same deer as pests that cause huge problems when they damage pasture, crops, fences, forestry and native vegetation.”

That conflict is evident in ACT’s description of Himalayan tahr as a ‘treasured herd’, Dawkins says.

“They may be treasured by hunters, but they’re also an introduced pest that can cause significant damage to vulnerable high-country vegetation.

“Under ACT’s plan, the people who value the animals would be setting the limits, while neighbouring farmers could carry the consequences and the costs.

“That is an obvious conflict of interest.”

Dawkins says there is plenty in the announcement worth discussing.

“Hunters make a valuable contribution to conservation and back country maintenance, and we support better access and more secure funding for community groups.

“But giving hunters control of population targets crosses a line.

“ACT has made a significant mistake by assuming the interests of hunters and neighbouring farmers are automatically aligned – they are not.

“Farmers should not be expected to carry the cost of maintaining game animal populations for someone else’s recreational benefit.”

Federated Farmers says the practicalities are also far more complex than ACT’s announcement suggests.

Game animal management sits alongside the Wild Animal Control Act, the Conservation Act, Treaty obligations, public access, visitor safety and communications with people using conservation land.

It must also work alongside OSPRI, regional pest management plans, 1080 operations and control programmes for goats, pigs and other species.

“These animals are often managed across the same landscape,” Dawkins says.

“Having one organisation managing deer while another manages goats, biodiversity and disease control risks duplication, conflicting objectives and more bureaucracy.”

Dawkins says the Wapiti Foundation demonstrates that carefully designed partnerships between hunters and government can work in specific circumstances.

“That success reflects a unique arrangement with clearly defined objectives and does not justify transferring responsibility for setting deer population targets nationwide.

“Good local partnerships should be expanded where they work, not used as the basis for a wholesale transfer of responsibility.”

Dawkins says the answer is clear targets, better coordination and targeted investment.

“Federated Farmers agrees the current system is not delivering the level of feral browser control New Zealand needs, but simply transferring responsibility from DOC to the Game Animal Council is not the answer.

“What we need is a properly funded national feral browser strategy that brings hunters, farmers, DOC, OSPRI, councils, iwi, foresters and conservation groups around the same table, with clear targets, responsibilities and accountability.

“Similar to the coordinated approaches used for wilding conifers and wallabies, hunters should have a strong seat at the table and an important role in delivery, but they should not set population targets alone.”

Population targets should be informed by independent ecological monitoring, animal health risks and the effects on neighbouring landowners.

Dawkins says more International Visitor Levy funding could significantly increase pest control, monitoring and community partnerships.

“Hunters are an important part of the solution, but they cannot be the sole judge of how many pest animals should remain on the landscape.

“Good policy must balance hunting values with the rights of neighbouring landowners and the protection of New Zealand’s environment.”

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27 July 2026

PSNA has today challenged the Prime Minister to explain why his government has not revealed how New Zealand voted at the International Criminal Court on Friday when ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was ousted from his role after intense Israeli/US lobbying.

Khan is under attack from Israel and the US because he sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says Israel and the US intensified their lobbying and diplomatic bullying after an ICC Judicial Panel established to examine the evidence on claims of sexual abuse against Khan declared they were ‘unanimously of the opinion that the factual findings by OIOS (the ICC evidence collecting body) do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework’.

Israel and the US rejected the ICC legal ruling and demanded a vote of all member states of the ICC to remove Khan. That vote was held on Friday and Khan removed from office.

“The key question for Mr Luxon is ‘Did we capitulate to Israel/US pressure, or did we stand up for the ICC’s legal processes?” Tamimi says.

“We are not able to make any judgement on the allegations against Mr Khan, but New Zealand should have voted against his expulsion and insisted a proper judicial process be followed”

“Did we?” asks Ms Tamimi.

“In October last year, Foreign Minister Winston Peters issued a formal statement, with Nordic ministers in Stockholm, to ‘reaffirm our unwavering support for the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court’.”

“Did Mr Peters we waver on Friday?”

“New Zealand has already failed numerous times to uphold international law in the face of Israeli/US pressure. We want an assurance the Coalition didn’t throw in the towel again”

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27 July, 2026:

“We are deeply alarmed by reports coming out of Nablus in the last days including that of Israeli forces storming Nablus Specialised Hospital, alongside clashes elsewhere in the governorate that have killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.

These violent incidents in Nablus are not isolated. They sit within a wider pattern of Israeli raids, state-sponsored settler violence, the disruption of essential services, and mounting pressure on civilians and healthcare.

When armed forces enter a hospital, the impact is immediate: fear, interruption of care, delayed treatment, and added risk for already vulnerable patients.

The protection of healthcare facilities must be respected. They must remain accessible to people in need. It is unacceptable for hospitals, ambulances, staff, and patients to be targeted by violence anywhere in Palestine.”

Filipe Ribeiro, Head of Mission, MSF Palestine

For more context on MSF’s work in the West Bank read: “The impossible reality of life in the West Bank”

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au

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