Work on one of the largest flood resilience investments by the Regional Infrastructure Fund is underway in Mataura, Southland, with Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson on site today to mark the occasion.

“The Mataura River flood resilience infrastructure upgrade is about safeguarding the long‑term prosperity of the region. That’s why the Government is backing this critical project with a $10.8 million loan from the Regional Infrastructure Fund,” Mr Patterson says.

“The works here will strengthen flood protection for neighbouring towns Mataura and Gore, both of which are on the banks of Mataura River. The river poses significant risks to these communities when heavy rain causes the river to rapidly rise.”

The project will increase flood protection for more than 7000 people, over 1500ha of productive land, and around $803m in capital assets including homes and businesses. It will also protect key local infrastructure including transport links and schools.

Environment Southland is co-funding $7.2m of the $18 million project.

“Southland is familiar with the devastating impacts that flooding can have, from the major events of 1984 to the widespread evacuations due to flooding in 2020. Those experiences reinforce why investing in resilience is so important,” Mr Patterson says.

The project works include building rock walls and new stopbanks, strengthening and extending existing stopbanks, and riverbed gravel works across Mataura River through both towns. 

It is estimated the project will create up to 37 fulltime roles during construction.

Since the Regional Infrastructure Fund was launched, $18.5 million has been allocated to Southland to support five flood resilience projects:

• Ōreti River Catchment Flood Protection Upgrade Project, $3 million
• Aparima Catchment Flood Protection Scheme Upgrade, $300,000 (completed)
• Te Anau Basin Catchment Flood Management Project, $300,000
• Mataura River flood protection improvements (Gore and Mataura), $10.8 million
• Invercargill and Ōreti flood resilience stopbank upgrades, $4.1 million

MIL OSI

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

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 8 May 2026 – Apple Storage is once again redefining the public’s imagination of self-storage. Located at the Lap Tai Industrial Centre in Tsuen Wan, the group has launched Hong Kong’s first IP-themed concept store, spanning over 10,000 square feet. This new branch seamlessly blends the brand’s exclusive IP characters with lifestyle aesthetics, introducing a premium “Airport VIP Lounge” experience to the storage industry for the first time.

In addition to specialized storage solutions—including dedicated units for clothing, collectibles, books, and bicycle parking—the facility features a groundbreaking VIP Lounge. Customers can enjoy complimentary access to massage chairs and co-working spaces, extending the storage experience into a lifestyle enjoyment. Apple Storage is committed to transforming storage from a utility into an exclusive clubhouse, allowing customers to free up home space while fully immersing themselves in hobbies such as outdoor activities or art collection.

Business-Grade Work Facilities

The branch features a dedicated co-working space equipped with computers, printing facilities, workstations, and charging points. Customers can conveniently handle business or personal administrative tasks, such as printing documents or conducting online research, directly on-site.

Party Room-Style Entertainment

To make the storage process relaxing and enjoyable, Apple Storage has equipped the VIP Lounge with professional massage chairs for immediate post-task stress relief. The Group has upgraded the facilities to rival a “Party Room” environment, featuring billiards, television, and Nintendo Switch consoles. This allows family members to stay entertained while customers manage their storage units at their own pace.

The lounge also includes a spacious communal table, perfect for assembling intricate models or playing board games. Guests can enjoy complimentary coffee and various beverages from the self-service refreshment counter, turning a cold warehouse into a private sanctuary for family time.

Comprehensive Storage Amenities

The facility is equipped with 24-hour support, climate and humidity control, CCTV, smart access control, and regular staff patrols to ensure maximum safety and comfort. Additional amenities such as packing zones, trolleys, and bicycle repair tools are provided for customer convenience. Customers can retreat to the leisure area or VIP lounge whenever they need a break.

Over 120 Branches: Hong Kong’s Leader in Regulatory Compliance

With deep roots in Hong Kong since 2005, Apple Storage has expanded to over 120 branches, serving more than 100,000 customers. Recognizing that safety is always the clients’ top priority, Apple Storage adheres to the highest standards of compliant operations. As an industry leader, Apple Storage maintains close communication with the Buildings Department and the Fire Services Department. Apple Storage takes pride in having the largest network of branches in Hong Kong that have successfully passed inspections by both departments. The Group pledges to continue upgrading fire safety facilities in line with government guidelines to ensure total peace of mind for every customer.

A New Era of Smart Storage: Integrating AI Technology

Apple Storage Group continues to invest heavily in integrating smart technology into its services. Hardware upgrades, including facial recognition systems and smart sensor lighting, have been rolled out across all branches to enhance security and energy efficiency.

On the innovation front, Apple Storage has developed a proprietary Customer Matching System. Utilizing AI data analysis, the system creates tailor-made storage solutions for clients, driving the business toward full digitalization. Currently, the Group is developing an “AI Smart Warehouse” project, which will apply cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence to unit management and customer interaction, signaling a new future for the industry.

Professional & Transparent: One-Stop Moving Team

Apple Storage offers a comprehensive “one-stop” moving and storage service, managed by the Group’s professional brand, APPLE MOVING. The team handles everything from general moving to third-party delivery and pickup. To ensure maximum protection, the team provides packing materials—such as boxes and bubble wrap—in advance of the moving date.

Unlike many local independent movers, Apple Moving operates under a transparent corporate management model. With strict service guidelines and a standardized quoting system, the Group guarantees transparent pricing and strictly prohibits “on-site price hikes” or the solicitation of tips, providing customers with a reliable brand guarantee.

Two Decades of Excellence: Recipient of the “10th Year Award for Hong Kong Service Brand”

Since opening its first branch in 2005, Apple Storage has accompanied Hong Kong families and businesses for over 20 years. Today, with branches in every corner of the city, Apple Storage’s commitment to a “premium environment” and “reliable service” remains unchanged.

The company’s professionalism has earned widespread market recognition, including five consecutive years of Quality Service Certification from the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA). In 2026, the Group was honored with the “10th Year Award for Hong Kong Service Brand” by the Hong Kong Brand Development Council. These accolades reflect the trust of over 100,000 customers.

Multi-Brand Synergy: A Comprehensive Storage Ecosystem

The Group’s portfolio includes Apple Storage Premium, U SPACE, Apple Moving, and Apple Wine Cellar, providing a diverse range of integrated storage solutions. From flexible self-storage and professionally managed central storage to door-to-door storage and point-to-point logistics, current services cover every user need.

Apple Storage offers various sizes and specialized units, such as climate-controlled storage for clothing and sneakers, display units for toys, specialized bicycle racks, and flexible shelving units, creating bespoke space solutions for every client.

Driving ESG Strategy for a Green Future

Apple Storage Group has actively implemented ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies in recent years. Regarding Environmental Protection, Apple Storage is transitioning to sensor-based energy-saving systems and prioritizing appliances with “Grade 1 Energy Labels.” Apple Storage’s own headquarters has also gone paperless through comprehensive digitalization.

In terms of Social Responsibility, the “Apple Volunteer Team” has collaborated with charities for years to support the underprivileged. Looking ahead, Apple Storage has set clear sustainability goals: a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 10% within three years and increased investment in philanthropy, including pro-bono moving services and storage space donations. Recently, Apple Storage collaborated with a charity to provide free storage and moving services for residents of Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, assisting them during their relocation and home clearing process.

Hashtag: #AppleStorage

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

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

Date:  08 May 2026

Matt has been working for the Department of Conservation (DOC) for three years, after a previous life as a bricklayer, where he apprenticed and worked in the industry for 10 years.

Last week, he taught DOC rangers from around New Zealand how to look after heritage masonry, in a hands-on workshop repairing the Economiser Building at Waiuta, a historic ghost town south of Reefton on the South Island’s West Coast.

Matt says DOC is the biggest manager of heritage brick structures in New Zealand: “We’ve just got thousands – there’s lots to do and lots to learn.”

Historic masonry structures managed by DOC in New Zealand are varied – from old chimneys at historic homesteads and huts to industrial heritage structures such as fan houses and brick works.

“Heritage masonry is a lot older than what you find on an average house, and it’s in a state of decay – it needs a lot of love.

“Older masonry might be falling apart or have deterioration issues, or incorrect previous repairs are starting to show – we want to stop these things happening. I’m focused on fixing things, giving people advice of what to do, and getting people excited about heritage.

“The workshop we ran aims to equip rangers with the skills they need to make repairs to heritage masonry structures – they’ve learnt how to assess a brick structure and repairs needed, and how to make simple repairs.”

The transition from commercial brickie to conservation ranger was a big decision and change for Matt.

“It was an exciting shift because I’d been doing the same job for 10 years, and I gave up working in the town or the city to go ‘full bush’ with a scrub bar or chainsaw or just a few handtools – I was just frothing every day.”

Although his first job in Reefton for DOC wasn’t solely focussed on heritage, it soon became a passion, with many sites around the area containing important heritage artifacts. As Matt did more work on heritage structures and saw how much masonry there was, he started to see where his skills as a brickie could be helpful.

“I was awarded the 2024 Stephen O’Dea Award, which is given each year in honour of the DOC Field Centre Manager who died in the Cave Creek Disaster, and used this to attend specialist heritage masonry and building conservation training.

“Before I got started on the heritage masonry work, I had always assumed that masonry buildings were built to last forever, but the reality is that our climate, particularly cycles of rapid heating and cooling, moisture, and high salt exposure, is accelerating deterioration. I’ve learned techniques rooted in traditional materials and methods that are far more compatible with historic buildings than many modern interventions.

“Well-meaning repairs using modern materials can cause significant damage. For example, using modern cement in place of traditional lime mortars can trap moisture and lead to faster decay of heritage fabric. In most cases, lime is the more appropriate material for repair, as it allows new work to gradually deteriorate without damaging the original structure.

“In my new role, I’m looking after heritage sites across the West Coast and sharing my knowledge within DOC, so rangers are better able to maintain these special places. I couldn’t be more stoked.”

As an important place to learn about New Zealand”s history while out naturing, Waiuta is recognised as a Tohu Whenua site. 

Contact

MIL OSI

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

A major report highlighting the risks of climate change to almost every facet of New Zealand life is a “big wake-up call”, climate researchers say.

One is calling for a war-time approach to climate adaptation, saying partisanship must be removed from crucial decisions about costs.

The Climate Change Commission’s national risk assessment, released on Thursday, highlighted what it said were the 10 biggest climate-related risks for the country.

Threats to buildings, road and rail, and the country’s “degraded” water infrastructure were all on the list, but it also included social and community wellbeing, emergency management, funding and decision-making.

There were “extreme” shortfalls in policy for many of the risks, and too much money was being spent reacting to events instead of building resilience, the commission said.

Earth Sciences New Zealand principal climate scientist Nick Cradock-Henry said since the previous risk assessment was published in 2020, the urgency of the climate risk was now clear.

“The speed and scale, the speed of onset of these risks, is increasing almost in real time,” he said.

“We’re having extreme weather events from once every few years to almost monthly – that is a dramatic acceleration in just a few years.”

Risks that had previously been hypothetical, like insurance retreat, were now a reality in some places, Cradock-Henry said.

“We are seeing already then in the absence of a comprehensive strategy to deal with climate change, insurers are waking up to the fact that there’s no plan.

“There is increasing exposure and there is an unwillingness in the part of insurers to bear the costs of that.”

Responding to the report’s release, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said adaptation to climate change was “a key priority” for the government.

“That’s why last year we released a National Adaptation Framework and are progressing a range of work across the planning system, emergency management, and local government to give us an enduring system that prepares New Zealand for the impacts of climate change, while keeping costs to our society as low as possible,” he said.

The commission’s report would help the government to “better understand the urgency and severity of climate risks so we can sequence and prioritise action”.

Cradock-Henry said the government’s framework was “skeletal” and local councils needed much more clarity and support.

“They are on the front lines of managing this and they are under-resourced and are in many ways essentially flying blind,” he said.

“We need a Climate Adaptation Bill.”

University of Canterbury political science professor Bronwyn Hayward said the report had been released at the “worst time politically”.

“We’re going into a highly partisan election, we’ve got a rushed ultimatum to local government for restructuring, we’re restructuring the key agencies that are responsible for delivering responses to risk, particularly the Ministry for the Environment, and all of this almost chaotic change is really putting at risk our ability to move thoughtfully, inclusively, and transparently in not just planning, but actually implementing action.”

Politicking needed to be put aside so that lasting decisions could be made about how to share the costs of adaptation.

“We’ve seen it occasionally at times of great crisis,” she said.

“In World War II, we actually had ministers that were appointed from the opposition as well as from government. During Covid, we had a select committee that was led by the opposition.”

In the meantime, there was no “coherent plan”.

“We’re leaving individuals to respond to risk and to inform themselves, and we’re dealing with events as if they are one-off emergencies each time that we face them.”

Climate Prescience director and researcher Nathaneal Melia said from a scientific perspective, the report was “a big wake-up call” but likely still underplayed the risks.

It should be treating the massive costs to the economy and society from the North Island weather events in 2023 as the current “best worst-case scenario”.

“Come, say, 10 years’ time, you’re going to get another event like that, that’s going to be worse. And then the one 10 years day the line is going to be worse than that,” he said.

“So, are our systems robust enough to cope with these ‘black swan’ events that are coming?”

The government now has two years to respond to the risk report with a new adaptation plan.

Climate Change minister Simon Watts has previously said that no decisions about cost-sharing will be made until the next term of government.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

The Green Party says the Government is bringing in the bulldozers to rip up New Zealand’s precious landscapes by making it easier to privatise public conservation land.

“This Government has made it clear that when forced to choose between the interests of industry or the interests of the law, the public, and the environment, it will always choose the bulldozer,” says Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson for conservation Marama Davidson. 

“Conservation land will be able to be sold off to mining companies and developers to make a quick buck under the changes announced today.” 

“Over half of New Zealand conservation land will be eligible for land exchange and disposal under the new settings. This is a betrayal for future generations who will no longer have access to these significant environments.”   

“This is a Government that talks up our love of the outdoors while quietly handing the keys to anyone with a chequebook and a chainsaw.” 

“Under, the changes to the Conservation Act we will see less protection, less oversight, less land safe for the species and ecosystems that depend on it.” 

“This is all happening while our native species are already threatened or at risk of extinction.” 

“Our native taonga should be treasured. They connect us to our whenua and whakapapa, and form a critical component of our national identity.” 

“When nature is only valued for its economic benefit, the outcome is inevitable: destruction.”

MIL OSI

Installation of solar panels takes months; we are conducting a Sector Review into the installation of residential and small to medium scale solar, with the aim of making installation in New Zealand the simplest in the developed world, Regulation Minister David Seymour says.

“Kiwis need access to reliable and affordable energy. This review will make solar an easy option in New Zealand,” Mr Seymour says.

“Most New Zealand households could save more than $1,000 a year on power by using solar panels. At an estimated cost of between $8,500 to $11,500 for a small-to-medium system, they pay for themselves after about 10 years. But in New Zealand only around 3-4 percent of New Zealand households currently have solar.

“Solar installation in New Zealand is a red tape nightmare. Just getting it approved can take months. In parts of Australia, approval of similar low risk solar can be done in just 24 hours. More than 30 percent of households in Australia utilise solar power.

“In Victoria, Australia there is one layer of signoff for small-scale solar installation. The whole solar installation process is managed and carried out by the chosen installer. Standard installations are inspected by a licensed electricity inspector without a site visit. Photos clearly show compliance. A site visit is only carried out in person if something unusual or non‑compliant is identified in the photos.

“In New Zealand there are up to eight layers of sign-off before small small-scale solar systems can be switched on. This requires up to five separate site visits, from four separate entities. For example, during installation the installer often cannot turn off or reconnect the fuse, update the meter, or carry out the required independent electrical inspection. These tasks must be done by other entities, requiring additional site visits.

“The Ministry for Regulation listens to people’s regulatory problems, then fixes them. People voiced issues with solar installation rules through the Red Tape Tipline. Now the Ministry is going to fix them.

“Common sense says that if something is low risk, the rules should reflect that. Every unnecessary requirement pushes up costs and puts people off doing sensible things like generating their own power.”

Analysis by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority shows that most New Zealand households could save more than $1,000 a year on their power bills by installing solar panels.

Analysis by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority shows Kiwi’s could expect to spend about $8,500 to $11,500 for a small-to-medium system.

MIL OSI

Faster decisions, more jobs, and stronger protection for nature are at the centre of a landmark overhaul of New Zealand’s conservation system, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

The Government has lodged the Conservation Amendment Bill to modernise how conservation land is managed, support economic growth, and improve environmental outcomes.

“This is the most significant reform of conservation legislation in nearly 40 years.

“Tourism on conservation land generates around $5.3 billion a year and supports jobs across the country. More than 1,600 businesses operate on or around conservation land, contributing to regional economies and local livelihoods.

“But the system has not kept pace. The Conservation Act is nearly 40 years old, and outdated rules and slow processes have created unnecessary cost and delay.

“These changes mean less red tape, faster approvals, and more investment into biodiversity, tracks, huts, and visitor infrastructure.”

The reforms will make it faster and easier to get concessions by removing unnecessary rules and lodged exempt and pre-approved activities. Up to 30 to 40 percent of applications will no longer require individual processing.

A new National Conservation Policy Statement will replace overlapping plans, providing clear national direction and greater consistency.

The Bill will:

support economic growth and regional jobs on conservation land
cut red tape and speed up decision-making
reinvest revenue directly into conservation and visitor infrastructure
provide clearer, more consistent processes for applying Treaty obligations

“New Zealanders shouldn’t have to choose between protecting nature and growing the economy, this Bill delivers both.

“It supports jobs, improves visitor experiences, and protects the places New Zealanders value.”

The Bill will also enable international visitor access charges at a small number of highly visited sites.

“Just like when Kiwis travel overseas and pay to access national parks and visitor sites, these changes will allow a suitable contribution from international visitors using some of New Zealand’s most iconic conservation locations.

“This is expected to raise around $60 million a year, which will be reinvested back into conservation, biodiversity protection, heritage sites, tracks, huts, and visitor infrastructure. New Zealanders will continue to have free access.”

All activities will continue to be subject to clear statutory safeguards.

The Bill will now progress through the legislative process, including select committee, where New Zealanders will have the opportunity to provide feedback.

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Date:  23 April 2026 Source:  Office of the Minister of Conservation

The Government has set out its priorities to restore biodiversity in New Zealand and make a difference for nature, in the ‘Action for Nature’ – Implementation plan for Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.  

“Biodiversity underpins our environment, our economy, and our way of life. It connects people to place, to whakapapa, and to each other.

“At the same time, nature is under pressure. Around 75% of our indigenous species are at risk. Without action, we risk losing more of what makes New Zealand unique.”

Action for Nature sets out a clear direction for smarter investment, stronger partnerships, and better use of information to guide decisions.

“This means more native species returning to the places people live, work and visit, and making sure funding goes to projects that deliver real results.

“It also supports jobs and tourism in regions that rely on a healthy natural environment, and backs communities already doing the work on the ground.”  

The plan sets out four ambitious priorities: 

• Coordinated action and investment, including publicly accessible sources of biodiversity information
• Increasing revenue from public conservation land and waters
• Getting better evidence and knowledge to guide decisions on where best to invest in nature
• Empowering people and partnerships, including establishing a network to identify and advise on domestic emerging biosecurity risk.

“This targets effort where it will make the biggest difference and gets more value from every conservation dollar.

“Predator Free 2050 remains central, backed by thousands of New Zealanders taking action in their communities.

“Together, this strengthens our environment and the regional economies that depend on it.”

Action for Nature, the second implementation plan (PDF, 4,937K)

Contact

MIL OSI

Date:  19 March 2026 Source:  Office of the Minister of Conservation

Located in the heart of Tongariro National Park, the Chateau has long been an iconic destination for visitors and an important part of the region’s identity.

“The Request for Proposals (RFP), opening on 19 March 2026, invites interested parties to put forward plans that recognise both the heritage significance of the Chateau and the cultural importance of Tongariro National Park.

“The Chateau is a landmark many New Zealanders have visited for holidays to school trips and international visitors experiencing Tongariro for the first time.”

Restoring the building will help ensure the area continues to attract visitors while supporting local businesses and tourism in the wider region.

“We are looking for proposals that balance commercial viability with conservation values, respect for tangata whenua aspirations, and the unique character of Tongariro National Park.”

The RFP process will help identify operators capable of restoring the building while ensuring it remains consistent with the values of one of New Zealand’s most important national parks.

Notes to editors:

The RFP will be open from 19 March to 21 April 2026.

A panel will assess all proposals submitted through the RFP process. Participation in the RFP does not guarantee a concession, and applicants will need to demonstrate they can meet the Department of Conservation’s concession requirements, including all statutory, environmental, and heritage obligations.

Contact

MIL OSI

Date:  07 May 2026 Source:  Department of Conservation and Pioneer Energy

The primary purpose of the structures is worker access to the hydro scheme, south of Queenstown, however public usage has surged in recent years, with around 12,000 people crossing the dam and pipeline per year.

Because of the significant increase in public usage, Pioneer is closing the structures for general use while work is underway to understand what is required to provide a safe visitor experience.

Pioneer CEO Peter McClean says the popularity of the area has soared in the last 12 months following social media exposure.

“Our structures have not been designed for the volume of traffic they are now seeing. As a consequence, we have made a decision to close the track while we assess potential improvement options.”

The closure only impacts the Pioneer-owned structures; the dam, and pipeline walk to the helipad and South Branch waterfall. The DOC track from the car park to the hydro dam remains open, as is the track to the Lower Wye Creek basin and Remarkables Conservation Area beyond. A gate will be installed at the track junction, preventing access across the hydro dam. Signage will be in place at both the car park and track/dam junction.

DOC Operations Manager Whakatipu wai Māori David Butt says people may not be fully aware when they cross the dam at the track junction, they are leaving the DOC track.

“All structures beyond the junction are privately owned, and were never designed for public use. This means people may not be making an informed choice – they may presume the pipeline and other structures are subject to the same standards as DOC bridges and platforms which is not the case.” Any future decisions on the structures will be made by Pioneer Energy.

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Lara Mathews
Brand and Marketing Lead
Pioneer Energy Group
Email: lara.mathews@pioneerenergy.co.nz 

Email: media@doc.govt.nz 

MIL OSI

Urgent, decisive action is needed on how communities will pay for the costs of adapting to climate change, a major new report says.

Climate-driven severe weather events were already causing “long-lasting hurt, grief and fear”, and tens of thousands more people would likely be exposed to hazards by 2050, the Climate Change Commission said.

However, there were “extreme” shortfalls in policy to address some of the biggest risks, including vital decisions about how to fund and guide adaptation and relocation.

Commission chief executive Jo Hendy said that had left the country in “react and recover” mode where too much money was spent cleaning up after events, instead of on proactive measures to limit damage and build community resilience.

The commission’s National Climate Change Risk Assessment, released on Thursday, identified what it said were the 10 biggest risks to the country from climate change.

Threats to buildings, road and rail, and water infrastructure are all on the list, but it also includes social and community wellbeing, emergency management, funding and decision-making.

The country’s “degraded” water infrastructure would be at extreme risk by 2050, hundreds of thousands of buildings were already exposed to coastal or inland flooding hazards, and the current emergency management system “lacks the capacity or capability to deal with significant, complex, widespread events impacting multiple regions at once”.

The report repeatedly highlighted the lack of clarity about how climate adaptation would happen and who would pay for it.

That was especially true for communities that needed to move, in whole or part.

“The need for guidance and funding options for communities to work together on planned relocation is urgent,” the report said.

Successive governments had failed to find a way forward, it said.

The current government’s National Adaptation Framework, published late last year, did not even address displacement of people or communities.

“Neither is it clear about how action led by communities or local government can be funded.”

Legislation the government promised last year, that would require councils to develop adaptation plans for high-risk areas, had not yet made it to Parliament, the report noted.

Councils and communities that had proactively developed their own plans also had no way to progress.

“Some councils are building adaptation plans with communities that set out what would work in the local context, but these cannot be put into action without additional funding.”

Others had developed possible funding solutions, but needed central government assistance or a legal mandate to go ahead.

“Many councils lack the funding or borrowing capacity to directly implement the changes they have identified,” the report said. “This delays resilience building and increases future costs.”

There were “high human and financial costs when people are forced to move”, and uncertainty about a community’s future could erode people’s sense of safety and belonging.

The prospect of relocation might be a necessary solution in some places, but could “break relationships, divide communities and undermine trust in institutions”.

Well-planned and managed relocation could reduce those risks but that required “long lead times’, the commission said. “It is important to start as soon as possible.”

In pressing for urgent action, the commission was aware of cost-of-living pressures and constraints on government budgets, Hendy said.

“The point is that we’re actually already paying …every time we react.”

The choice was not between funding climate resilience or paying for other things the country needed, she said.

“The choice is whether we stay paying to clean up the same disruption over and over again, or we move to actually put that money into building resilience.”

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has said that decisions about cost-sharing will not be made until the next term of government.

An expert working group commissioned by the previous government published a lengthy report in August 2023, that set out how planned relocation could take place, including suggested levels of compensation.

However, its report came too late to be picked up by the previous government.

In 2025, an independent reference group commissioned by the current government recommended handing over adaptation planning to local councils. It did not spell out cost-sharing arrangements, but said adaptation measures should largely be “beneficiary-pays”, and compensation limited to hardship support.

The extremes New Zealand will face

Since the first national climate change risk assessment was published by the Ministry for the Environment in 2020, the 2023 North Island severe weather events had become the most severe and destructive in recent history, the new assessment said.

“This was demonstrated again in the summer of 2026, when a string of extreme events occurred over four weeks, with loss of life and widespread distress and damage from Banks Peninsula to the Far North.”

Hendy said there was now “much more lived experience” of climate-related extreme weather.

“People are experiencing increasing disruption from storms and floods right now, and that’s really ramped up.”

The latest climate projections showed that weather extremes of all kinds would continue to increase in intensity and frequency throughout this century, the report said.

“This includes extreme rainfall (and the inland flooding and landslips that result), very hot days and high winds, drought and wildfires, and sea-level rise and coastal inundation (flooding).”

The number of people exposed to coastal flooding could rise from 32,000 to about 50,000 by 2050, and 94,000 by 2090 if little was done to limit global warming.

The rainiest days are projected to be five percent wetter by 2050, and up to 10 percent wetter by 2090. That would increase the risk of inland flooding and landslips, affecting thousands more people, buildings and pieces of infrastructure.

Already, 793,000 people were exposed to inland flooding. Up to 107,000 more people would be exposed by 2090, depending on how fast the climate warmed.

By 2090, 1.5 million people could experience an extra 10 very hot days (above 30°C) every year, with risks for human health.

Recent research has highlighted an increased risk of stroke, among other health conditions, as extreme heat from climate change increases.

Drier, hotter conditions in some regions would also mean large amounts of production land would be drier by 2050, and wildfires were increasing in both number and scale, the assessment said.

It also highlighted the risk of compounding climate hazards – such more intense rainfall and sea-level rise combining to increase the frequency and severity of coastal flooding.

Although the report focused on adapting to risks, it was crucial not to lose sight of the other part of the climate change response, Hendy said – limiting New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“It really is in our best interests to support and contribute to global efforts to curb emissions, to stop the problem getting significantly worse.”

“There’s actually only so far we can adapt our way out of this,” she said.

“While we don’t directly control global emissions … we should be doing what we can to help make that happen.”

The 10 biggest risks

Overall, the assessment identified 37 different climate-related risks to New Zealand.

It chose 10 as the most significant because of the effect they were already having, or would soon have, on people, and because they were risks where addressing them soon could have a big influence.

The report also focused on the way risks affected each other and “cascade through”, Hendy said.

“For example, when a slip closes a road then services can’t get in to fix the powerlines and communication towers.”

Many of the risks had the potential to affect the wider economy, she said.

“When you look at roads, they are the networks that keep people connected and goods flowing.”

Water infrastructure

Climate change would put pressure on “every part of this system”, the Commission said.

Infrastructure was already degraded and under strain, meaning this would be the first risk to reach an “extreme severity level” – within 25 years.

“Drinking water pipelines are exposed to river and surface flooding, and drinking water supplies face increasing stress from drought, declining water quality, and higher temperatures. Rising seas, coastal flooding and more frequent and intense rainfall events threaten wastewater and stormwater networks.”

The ‘Local Water Done Well’ reforms underway “present an important opportunity to plan for and embed resilience to climate hazards”, the report said.

Buildings

Approximately 556,000 buildings are already exposed to inland flooding. The financial implications were “far-reaching”, the commission said.

On top of that, most buildings in New Zealand had not been designed with higher temperatures in mind. “Under future climate conditions, this could make them at times unliveable, posing acute health risks.”

Poorer households would find it hard to strengthen their homes, voluntarily relocate or afford higher insurance costs. “Insurance retreat appears to have already started for some properties at high risk.”

The National Adaptation Framework sent important signals, but many measures were at the early stages and were not translating into practical action.

Road and rail networks

A quarter of roads and a third of rail lines are exposed to surface, coastal and river flooding – putting them at risk of both short-term disruption and long-lasting damage, the commission said.

Extreme heat could soften asphalt, create potholes, and buckle bridges and railway lines.

“Climate change is expected to reduce the reliability and service levels of road and rail networks in a variety of ways, from more frequent closures, delays, and speed restrictions to higher maintenance and repair costs, and more frequent emergency works,” it said.

“The consequences are especially severe for rural and isolated areas, where alternative routes are limited and sometimes non-existent.”

Social and community wellbeing

This was one of the most significant risks “because of the high human and financial costs when people are forced to move, and when climate-related distress, grief, discontent and uncertainty go unchecked,” the commission said.

Uncertainty about housing and livelihoods could erode people’s sense of safety and belonging. The prospect of relocation might be a necessary solution, but it “can break relationships, divide communities and undermine trust in institutions”.

Planning and managing relocation well, and working together with the affected communities, could help reduce those effects. The need to set up national guidance and funding options for communities was “urgent”.

“It takes a long time to set up processes that fairly address all needs, and there are communities already trying to navigate these choices.”

Emergency management

Strong emergency management will save lives and livelihoods, the report said. However, the current system “lacks the capacity or capability to deal with significant, complex, widespread events impacting multiple regions at once”.

The government had introduced an Emergency Management Bill in December 2025 and an Emergency Management System Improvement Plan, it noted. “These ongoing reforms are promising, though it is too soon to tell how successful they will be.”

Local response networks such as coastal and riverside marae were themselves vulnerable to climate change. Some communities had strengthened their own responses, the report said – highlighting the example of Ngātiwai in Northland, which had equipped its marae with solar, petrol generators and satellite internet.

Ngā mea hirahira o te ao Māori – risks in the Māori world

For Māori, climate change was not just a physical or economic problem, the report said.

Many sites of cultural significance were now highly exposed to climate hazards, while extreme weather and more gradual environmental changes were affecting taonga species, habitats, and harvesting practices.

Climate change was also compounding structural inequalities – many at-risk locations had higher Māori populations, and the incidence of heat-affected health conditions like respiratory and cardiovascular disease was higher.

Ecosystems and biodiversity

“Increasing land and marine temperatures change the environmental conditions species live in, while extreme weather events and wildfire cause shocks to ecosystems,” the report said.

Under more severe scenarios, the combined effects of climate change and existing pressures could, within decades, “push some systems past a point where they can recover”.

“These changes could disrupt food production, increase damage from extreme weather and impact health and wellbeing.”

Forestry

Planting trees was “central” to New Zealand’s current plan to reach net zero emissions. However, extreme weather, drought, wildfire, and new pests and disease could all threaten this strategy, along with the economic benefits from forestry.

“Damage to these forests reduces not only their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide and the sector’s economic contribution, but also exposes waterways and downstream communities to devastating sediment and debris flows,” the report said.

There was no coordinated government and industry approach to directly address climate risks.

Central and local government funding

Climate change was putting growing pressure on central and local government finances, the report said.

Climate disasters such as Cyclone Gabrielle were costly and hard to budget for. They could also affect government revenue because of their wider economic effects. At a local level, many councils had constrained budgets or had reached their debt limits.

Since 2010, 97 percent of government expenditure on natural hazards had been on responding to and recovering from disasters, with just three percent spent on things that reduced risk and increased resilience.

The government’s National Adaptation Framework signalled that costs would be “shared across society and over time”, the commission said.

“While helpful for the government to signal this, the National Adaptation Framework does not include detail of when or how decisions will be made around how costs will be shared.”

Decision-making and delivery

“The demands of climate change are putting Aotearoa New Zealand’s ability to plan, decide and act together under increasing pressure,” the report warned.

Decision-makers needed to “drive forward” on adapting to climate change. “Delays leave the country facing spiralling costs – including for central and local government – without effective ways of planning and acting together. Decisive action is needed now.”

The consequences of failing to manage the overall climate response would land hardest on people who were already the most exposed, the commission said.

“This can be the people who live in areas that get hammered by the weather events that are becoming more frequent and more intense – especially the areas with smaller, rural councils with lower rates income. Or it can be population groups where the impacts are disproportionate, such as for iwi/Māori.”

‘Ones to watch’

As well as the 10 most significant risks, the commission also highlighted agriculture and horticulture as “ones to watch”.

“These risks were rated at minor severity at present, but they are expected to move to major by 2050,” the assessment said.

“This step change is anticipated because drought and extreme weather events are expected to affect both horticultural crop yields and feed supplies for livestock, the impacts from soil erosion and coastal inundation on the pastoral sector may become irreversible, increased temperature extremes and pest pressure could substantially affect yields, and the increased frequency of extreme events will shorten recovery periods in both sectors.”

The government now has two years to develop a national adaptation plan that responds to the risks raised by the report.

The commission will provide its progress review on the current adaptation plan, adopted in 2022, later this year.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Several edits have been made to this story for clarity and to include the developer’s reply on claims kiwi are present in the area.

A developer is calling on the Upper Hutt City Council to let it build what it believes to be a crucial road, so it can construct 1600 homes.

Guildford Timber Company (GTC) wants to build the road through an area of council-owned land known as the Silverstream Spur, home to a number of native bird species.

It had been looking to develop 330 hectares of its own land for the homes in Silverstream, a 30-minute drive from downtown Wellington’s, since 2007.

It wanted to establish a link road between its sites on the ridgeline and valley floor, saying the “the best access available” was through the Silverstream Spur.

In 2024, Upper Hutt City Council decided to rezone the Spur as a natural open space, which would not allow for the development of a road on the land.

GTC appealed the decision in the Environment Court, on the grounds that the rezoning had intended for a provision to allow for infratsructure, such as a road. A date for the hearing has yet to be set.

Matt Griffin, a project manager whose family co-founded GTC, said a road through the Spur was necessary for the development.

“We were looking at other access routes, they just don’t tick those same metrics from our point of view and potentially pull the development out of the heart of the local community,” he said.

GTC said the road would link the development to train and bus networks, reducing car dependency.

“We want ideally a way that people can walk or ride their bike and connect into the local train station and for it to become a vibrant part of Silverstream and Pinehaven,” Griffin said.

However, the idea of a road through the Spur has garnered vocal opposition.

‘Wildlife corridor’

Forest and Bird applied to be party to GTC’s Environment Court proceedings. Regional Conservation Manager Amelia Geary said the organisation is defending the council’s decision to zone the Spur as a natural open space.

She said Forest and Bird did not oppose GTC’s development, but a road would be “incompatible with the purpose of the zone”.

She argued that a road would remove the forest’s ability to regenerate and become a “wildlife corridor”.

“We say that Silverstream Spur is too important ecologically for a road to be enabled and to bulldoze the values that are there.”

Locals echoed her worries. Pinehaven resident Debbie said: “We are truly blessed to be living here, surrounded with trees and nature, native bush. And with that native bush comes the wildlife –Tuis, wax eyes, bellbirds, morepork, kaka parrots, and now also the kiwi.”

“I have a really heartbreaking concern that if these houses are built, then that forest is gone forever. There’s no coming back from that. And we know that the wildlife will suffer.”

The developer denied that kiwi were present.

“But in time we want to make this area safe enough through intensive predator control that they can return,” GTC said in a statement. “The whole point of the project is to transition the forest from pine to natives, paid for through the development. It is a huge ecological gain that locals will get to experience themselves.”

GTC stressed that a road would only take up a small part of the Spur – about a tenth of the area.

“I think there’s a misconception in New Zealand that just because an area is bush, it must have ecological merit and is somehow surviving by itself, and frankly that’s not the case. You know, land needs to be managed and it takes resources and people to do that,” Griffin said.

‘No-complaint covenants don’t work’

However, a tenth of the area was too much land to give up for Jason Durry, the operations manager of Silver Stream Railway, who also joined the Environment Court proceedings.

“We’re not talking about a little, minor, narrow road up the hill. It is going to be quite a major road.”

Durry said the Spur had been acquired by the council as a reserve and there should not be any provisions to allow for a road to go through it. He challenged whether GTC needed to have a road go through the Spur.

“They don’t need it. They have numerous other access points that they own already that they can use.”

He also worried about reverse sensitivity – which considers how existing infrastructure might negatively impact the development’s future residents.

Durry argued that residents could complain about noise and smoke from the heritage railway, which may constrain operations. “We’ve worked to preserve New Zealand’s railway history and consider ourselves an important part of the Upper Hutt community. We operate along a section of former railway line that turned 150 years old this year.”

He was not reassured by GTC’s assurances that their development would have no-complaints covenants, which in theory would stop residents from complaining about disruption from nearby infrastructure, such as the railway or the landfill.

“No-complaint covenants don’t work. We’ve got other property that we have sold in the past to developer. And part of that [had] a no-complaints covenant on it. The residents have still occasionally complained.”

Hutt City Council commissioned a report which found that noise and odours from Silverstream Landfill may be too objectionable for future residents of the proposed development and so could jeopardise its operational license. This would have knock-on effects on the council resulting in possibly higher council rates.

GTC disputed this, stressing that it had been in communication with the landfill to manage any impacts from the development. It said it also commissioned a report into reverse sensitivy from its development to inform design and mitigation measures.

“We don’t want to cause any issues for the operation of the landfill as we agree with Hutt City that it is critical infrastructure. So our design captures that and ultimately we will only build where those effects can be managed, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to sell the homes,” the company said.

Flooding ‘misconceptions’

GTC said it wanted to clear up “misconceptions” about the development causing more flooding or slips – arguing it would strengthen the area’s flood resilience..

Several Pinehaven and Silverstream locals told RNZ they worried that building houses and deforestation were worsening stormwater run-off and erosion

One resident, Debbie said: “We know that Guildford Timber have, over the last five years or so, removed a lot of pine from up on those hills. And in the two floods that we’ve had this year already, the water’s coming more quickly. The water is filled with silt.”

But a GTC spokesperson rejected this. “It’s actually the opposite. Through a development you actually control and direct water flows, so once this project is complete the risk will have been permanently reduced compared with current land use,” they said.

However, lobby group Flooding Us Director Steve Pattinson said extra run-off from a development was “inevitable”, as forest was replaced by “hard surfaces like roads, roofs, driveways”.

He doubted that the developer could mitigate extra run-off . “Mitigation relies entirely on the reliability of the modelling. The modelling is not reliable.”

Pattison argued that flood maps for the area were overestimating potential flood risks. GTC countered that more conservative estimates would only allow for better protection.

‘Vehicles all over the place’

GTC has run into other zoning issues with its development. Its land is classed as a general rural zone, which limits the density and scale of the homes it can build.

Upper Hutt City Council proposed rezoning the area in 2023 as a general residential zone, which would remove these limitations.

But the council withdrew the proposal in December last year after receiving a majority of submisisons that opposed to the project.

Hutt City Council, the Greater Wellington Regional Council and New Zealand Transport Agency provided submissions against the zone change.

NZTA’s submission read: “No evidence or information has been provided to understand the transport effects of this proposal. In particular NZTA is concerned about what (if any) improvements would be required to the local road/SH2 intersection as a result of the increase in traffic movements.”

On local community Facebook groups, residents of Pinehaven and Silverstream said they were concerned roading infrastructure would not be able to accommodate more cars.

Silverstream resident William told RNZ the transport network was unsuitable for the current population, and said there were already “vehicles all over the place”.

However, GTC said traffic could be managed, especially when accounting for planned upgrades to the area. It added that it had budgeted for minor roading upgrades.

Griffin joked that the concern was not unique to this development.

“I think everybody in every town in New Zealand sort of is frustrated with how their local roundabout or traffic lights do or don’t work,” he said.

In order to rezone its land, GTC has applied for Fast Track Approval. The Silverstream Forest development was listed as a Fast Track project in 2024.

‘Exciting potential’

Alongside the concern, the project has also aroused support in the local population.

Property manager Veronica Watson said she was “surprisingly impressed” by GTC’s proposal.

She learnt about the project from a neighbour petitioning against it. “I went into it expecting this is going to be another sort of [project to] cram houses on the tiny little sections, no concern for the environment, no care for the neighbours.”

Watson liked that GTC addressed the development’s ecological impacts and wanted to preserve the area’s special character.

“Rather than having rows and rows and rows of Coronation Street houses, [GTC] actually had properties designed to be sympathetic with the environment.”

Griffin said his family had been involved in the community for more than 100 years.

“It’s something we’re really proud of. We consider ourselves guardians of this amazing landscape and we’re really passionate about doing something unique.”

He said GTC was “passionate about ecological outcomes” and that the development would provide resources to support wildlife and pest control.

“Some people still believe we plan to strip the forest and replace it with homes. But in reality we’re talking about using 30 to 35 percent of the land for development, which includes roads, with the remainder being green space,” the company said.

Patrick McKibbin, head of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he had been keeping a “keen eye on the project”, hoping it would pour money into the Hutt Valley.

“The potential for our businesses, to create jobs, to create opportunities, to grow, to be as successful as possible is very, very significant if this project goes ahead. The potential of this is very, very exciting.”

He estimated that the project could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars over a decade or so. He added that there had probably never been a project of this size undertaken in one go before in the area.

McKibbin added that the area needed more housing to keep up with a growing population.

Upper Hutt City Council estimated that its population would grow from 46,000 to 70,000 by 2051.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

The Government is investing up to $7.1 million to upgrade six Great Rides cycle trails, strengthening regional tourism and safety, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka say.

“This investment supports the continued growth of New Zealand’s world-renowned cycle trails, one of our most successful regional tourism assets,” Louise Upston says.

“The Great Rides boost economic growth by creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and attracting new hospitality and accommodation services to set up nearby.

“They are vital to our local economies with people enjoying more than 2.5 million trips on the 23 Ngā Haerenga Great Rides of New Zealand each year and spending an estimated $1.28 billion in the regions.”

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the investment will strengthen the connection between people and New Zealand’s natural environment while supporting long-term conservation outcomes.

“Our conservation estate is one of our greatest assets, and these trails give people safe, meaningful access to experience it.

“This investment supports a Bluegreen future, where we grow tourism and regional economies while protecting the natural places that make New Zealand unique.

“It also helps ensure these trails are resilient, well-maintained, and able to support both visitors and conservation outcomes for generations to come.”

The six investments, covering infrastructure and remedial projects, are for:

• Roxburgh Gorge Trail to close the 12 km gap in the trail (up to $1 million)
• Queen Charlotte Track realignment (up to $1,457,500)
• St James Cycle Trail upgrades (up to $2,012,000)
• Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Cycle Trail enhancements (up to $2,197,000)
• Otago Central Rail Trail restoration (up to $302,000)
• Remutaka Cycle Trail at the Wild Coast Section resurfacing and upgrades (up to $165,000)

The projects are co-funded through the NZ Cycle Trail Fund and the Department of Conservation, to ensure the long-term success and resilience of the Great Rides network.

“These projects will support regional dispersal of visitors and future-proof our Great Rides for both domestic and international riders alike,” Louise Upston says.

“The Government is working together to invest in infrastructure, building a future that delivers for communities, conservation and the economy.”

MIL OSI

A developer is calling on the Upper Hutt City Council to let it build what it believes to be a crucial road through native bush, so it can construct 1600 homes.

Guildford Timber Company (GTC) wants to build the road through an area of council-owned land known as the Silverstream Spur, where “tuis, wax eyes, bellbirds, morepork, kaka parrots, and now also the kiwi” live.

It had been looking to develop 330 hectares of its own land for the homes in Silverstream, a 30-minute drive from downtown Wellington’s, since 2007.

It wanted to establish a link road between its sites on the ridgeline and valley floor, saying the “the best access available” was through the Silverstream Spur.

In 2024, Upper Hutt City Council decided to rezone the Spur as a natural open space, which would not allow for the development of a road on the land.

GTC appealed the decision in the Environment Court, on the grounds that the rezoning had intended for a provision to allow for infratsructure, such as a road. A date for the hearing has yet to be set.

Matt Griffin, a project manager whose family co-founded GTC, said a road through the Spur was necessary for the development.

“We were looking at other access routes, they just don’t tick those same metrics from our point of view and potentially pull the development out of the heart of the local community,” he said.

GTC said the road would link the development to train and bus networks, reducing car dependency.

“We want ideally a way that people can walk or ride their bike and connect into the local train station and for it to become a vibrant part of Silverstream and Pinehaven,” Griffin said.

However, the idea of a road through the Spur has garnered vocal opposition.

‘Wildlife corridor’

Forest and Bird applied to be party to GTC’s Environment Court proceedings. Regional Conservation Manager Amelia Geary said the organisation is defending the council’s decision to zone the Spur as a natural open space.

She said Forest and Bird did not oppose GTC’s development, but a road would be “incompatible with the purpose of the zone”.

She argued that a road would remove the forest’s ability to regenerate and become a “wildlife corridor”.

“We say that Silverstream Spur is too important ecologically for a road to be enabled and to bulldoze the values that are there.”

Locals echoed her worries. Pinehaven resident Debbie said: “We are truly blessed to be living here, surrounded with trees and nature, native bush. And with that native bush comes the wildlife –Tuis, wax eyes, bellbirds, morepork, kaka parrots, and now also the kiwi.”

“I have a really heartbreaking concern that if these houses are built, then that forest is gone forever. There’s no coming back from that. And we know that the wildlife will suffer.”

GTC stressed that a road would only take up a small part of the Spur – about a tenth of the area.

“I think there’s a misconception in New Zealand that just because an area is bush, it must have ecological merit and is somehow surviving by itself, and frankly that’s not the case. You know, land needs to be managed and it takes resources and people to do that,” Griffin said.

‘No-complaint covenants don’t work’

However, a tenth of the area was too much land to give up for Jason Durry, the operations manager of Silver Stream Railway, who also joined the Environment Court proceedings.

“We’re not talking about a little, minor, narrow road up the hill. It is going to be quite a major road. And the route where it wants to smash through is some of the best bits, with the best native vegetation on it.”

Durry said the Spur had been acquired by the council as a reserve and there should not be any provisions to allow for a road to go through it. He challenged whether GTC needed to have a road go through the Spur. “They don’t need it. They have numerous other access points that they own already that they can use.”

He also worried about reverse sensitivity – which considers how existing infrastructure might negatively impact the development’s future residents.

Durry argued that residents could complain about noise and smoke from the heritage railway, which may constrain operations. “We’ve worked to preserve New Zealand’s railway history and consider ourselves an important part of the Upper Hutt community. We operate along a section of former railway line that turned 150 years old this year.”

He was not reassured by GTC’s assurances that their development would have no-complaints covenants, which in theory would stop residents from complaining about disruption from nearby infrastructure, such as the railway or the landfill.

“No-complaint covenants don’t work. We’ve got other property that we have sold in the past to developer. And part of that [had] a no-complaints covenant on it. The residents have still occasionally complained.”

Hutt City Council commissioned a report which found that noise and odours from Silverstream Landfill may be too objectionable for future residents of the proposed development and so could jeopardise its operational license. This would have knock-on effects on the council resulting in possibly higher council rates.

GTC disputed this, stressing that it had been in communication with the landfill to manage any impacts from the development. It said it also commissioned a report into reverse sensitivy from its development to inform design and mitigation measures.

“We don’t want to cause any issues for the operation of the landfill as we agree with Hutt City that it is critical infrastructure. So our design captures that and ultimately we will only build where those effects can be managed, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to sell the homes,” the company said.

Flooding ‘misconceptions’

GTC said it wanted to clear up “misconceptions” about the development causing more flooding or slips – arguing it would strengthen the area’s flood resilience..

Several Pinehaven and Silverstream locals told RNZ they worried that building houses and deforestation were worsening stormwater run-off and erosion

One resident, Debbie said: “We know that Guildford Timber have, over the last five years or so, removed a lot of pine from up on those hills. And in the two floods that we’ve had this year already, the water’s coming more quickly. The water is filled with silt.”

But a GTC spokesperson rejected this. “It’s actually the opposite. Through a development you actually control and direct water flows, so once this project is complete the risk will have been permanently reduced compared with current land use,” they said.

However, lobby group Flooding Us Director Steve Pattinson said extra run-off from a development was “inevitable”, as forest was replaced by “hard surfaces like roads, roofs, driveways”.

He doubted that the developer could mitigate extra run-off . “Mitigation relies entirely on the reliability of the modelling. The modelling is not reliable.”

Pattison argued that flood maps for the area were overestimating potential flood risks. GTC countered that more conservative estimates would only allow for better protection.

‘Vehicles all over the place’

GTC has run into other zoning issues with its development. Its land is classed as a general rural zone, which limits the density and scale of the homes it can build.

Upper Hutt City Council proposed rezoning the area in 2023 as a general residential zone, which would remove these limitations.

But the council withdrew the proposal in December last year after receiving a majority of submisisons that opposed to the project.

Hutt City Council, the Greater Wellington Regional Council and New Zealand Transport Agency provided submissions against the zone change.

NZTA’s submission read: “No evidence or information has been provided to understand the transport effects of this proposal. In particular NZTA is concerned about what (if any) improvements would be required to the local road/SH2 intersection as a result of the increase in traffic movements.”

On local community Facebook groups, residents of Pinehaven and Silverstream said they were concerned roading infrastructure would not be able to accommodate more cars.

Silverstream resident William told RNZ the transport network was unsuitable for the current population, and said there were already “vehicles all over the place”.

However, GTC said traffic could be managed, especially when accounting for planned upgrades to the area. It added that it had budgeted for minor roading upgrades.

Griffin joked that the concern was not unique to this development.

“I think everybody in every town in New Zealand sort of is frustrated with how their local roundabout or traffic lights do or don’t work,” he said.

In order to rezone its land, GTC has applied for Fast Track Approval. The Silverstream Forest development was listed as a Fast Track project in 2024.

‘Exciting potential’

Alongside the concern, the project has also aroused support in the local population.

Property manager Veronica Watson said she was “surprisingly impressed” by GTC’s proposal.

She learnt about the project from a neighbour petitioning against it. “I went into it expecting this is going to be another sort of [project to] cram houses on the tiny little sections, no concern for the environment, no care for the neighbours.”

Watson liked that GTC addressed the development’s ecological impacts and wanted to preserve the area’s special character.

“Rather than having rows and rows and rows of Coronation Street houses, [GTC] actually had properties designed to be sympathetic with the environment.”

Griffin said his family had been involved in the community for more than 100 years.

“It’s something we’re really proud of. We consider ourselves guardians of this amazing landscape and we’re really passionate about doing something unique.”

He said GTC was “passionate about ecological outcomes” and that the development would provide resources to support wildlife and pest control.

“Some people still believe we plan to strip the forest and replace it with homes. But in reality we’re talking about using 30 to 35 percent of the land for development, which includes roads, with the remainder being green space,” the company said.

Patrick McKibbin, head of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he had been keeping a “keen eye on the project”, hoping it would pour money into the Hutt Valley.

“The potential for our businesses, to create jobs, to create opportunities, to grow, to be as successful as possible is very, very significant if this project goes ahead. The potential of this is very, very exciting.”

He estimated that the project could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars over a decade or so. He added that there had probably never been a project of this size undertaken in one go before in the area.

McKibbin added that the area needed more housing to keep up with a growing population.

Upper Hutt City Council estimated that its population would grow from 46,000 to 70,000 by 2051.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Days of tunnelling, an uncertain outcome, a welcome find – it has been high drama on Te Kākahu / Chalky Island as the 2026 kākāpō breeding season comes to a close.

At the end of March the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Kākāpō Recovery Programme announced that this year was officially the biggest kākāpō breeding season on record.

The final tally of chicks hatched was said to be ‘at least’ 105, which was a somewhat imprecise number for a species that is as intensively managed and closely monitored as kākāpō.

This was because on remote Te Kākahu / Chalky Island, in Fiordland, a kākāpō mum called Rimu had chosen to nest in a precarious spot. Activity data beaming from her hi-tech transmitter showed she was nesting, but kākāpō rangers were unable to confirm how many eggs she had laid or whether any chicks had hatched.

“She’s built this clifftop fortress that we haven’t been able to access yet”, said Kākāpō Recovery Programme operations manager Deirdre Vercoe in April, on the Kākāpō Files podcast. “It seems very unlikely that her chicks will survive their first foray into the world, but fingers crossed”.

The small entrance to Rimu’s underground nest was on the edge of a 60-metre drop, with a narrow ledge the only way of getting in and out. It was not safe for DOC rangers keen to see whether Rimu had successfully laid fertile eggs, nor would it be safe for bumbling kākāpō chicks when the time came for them to leave the nest.

For several months the contents of the nest remained a mystery, and egg and chick tallies for the 2026 kākāpō breeding season had an element of uncertainty.

But last week, a significant tunnelling effort by Kākāpō Recovery staff Petrus Hedman and Daryl Eason revealed a happy surprise.

When Hedman’s digging eventually broke through the back wall of the nest, he stuck a hand into the cavity, “fumbled around a little bit and struck something soft”. Further digging revealed a large, healthy kākāpō chick. Mystery solved. The tally of chicks hatched is now a definite 106.

The rangers made the new hole large enough for chick and mum to use, and blocked off the unsafe clifftop entrance.

“We went back the following night and it looked like the chick had already been using the back way into the nest. There was some poo outside and yeah, all seem to be going well there,” Hedman told the Kākāpō Files podcast this week.

After a number of chick deaths from various causes, the tally for this breeding season had dropped to 92 confirmed chicks still alive at the end of last week. This record-breaking number now gets boosted back up to 93 with the addition of Rimu’s mystery chick.

Operations manager Deirdre Vercoe remains cautiously excited about this potential boost for kākāpō numbers “I’ve been in seasons before where we’ve got to this point and it’s feeling fantastic, and then we’ve had a disease outbreak or a few deaths in a row, so I carry a bit of tension about what could happen still. But if I can put that aside for a moment and think about it, we’ve had such a fantastic season so far… When I started with the programme [as a ranger, in 2002] we had 84 birds, full stop.”

The total adult population of kākāpō today is 235 birds. The new chicks won’t get counted in the population until they have passed 150 days old and are fully fledged juveniles.

And now, with Hedman and Eason’s help, Rimu’s chick will hopefully make it there too.

Follow Kākāpō Files on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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

TikTok leads new BOI approvals as Thailand moves to strengthen power readiness, clean energy access and fast-track strategic investment

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

A pair of senior takahē are set to make Wellington wildlife sanctuary Zealandia their new home.

The duo, 13-year-old Autahi and 16-year-old Hopi, come from the Department of Conservation’s Burwood Takahē Centre near Te Anau and will bring the number of takahē currently living wild at Zealandia to five.

Zealandia general manager conservation and restoration, Jo Ledington, told Morning Report the pair had made a special trip from the south early on Wednesday morning.

“They were captured at Burwood near Te Anau, and they’ll be driven up to Queenstown, and then a direct flight to Wellington.”

The South Island takahē are two of just 520 of the species remaining, and were welcomed by members of Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Ngāi Tahu, alongside Zealandia staff and volunteers.

Autahi and Hopi will join Waitaa and Bendigo, a young couple who were presumed infertile, however produced a “miracle” chick in 2025.

While the new residents will be welcomed, takahē are known to be territorial, so they will remain separated from the others.

Ledington said this could mean they are hard to spot for visitors for a little while until they get settled.

Zealandia chief executive Dr Danielle Shanahan said takahē have a way of marching their way into the hearts of Zealandia’s visitors and staff.

“Takahē are such an incredible example of why we should never give up when it comes to nature. A small population of the species was rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in the 1940s, 50 years after being declared extinct.”

Takahē are usually found in inaccessible habitats such as remote mountains, meaning their presence at Zealandia allows people to see the vulnerable species.

Autahi and Hopi were due to arrive at Zealandia last month, but their arrival was postponed due to the floods in the Wellington region.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Analysis – National’s local government reforms face one of the same problems Labour encountered with Three Waters, with councils at risk of being left out in the cold.

The coalition’s approach offers an illusion of choice which may yet help it avoid the breakdown in relations Labour eventually had to resolve.

RMA Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts on Tuesday delivered their ultimatum to councils: “lead your own reform, or we will do it for you”.

Councils have until early August to do so.

Bishop and Watts have been pushing towards amalgamation as part of Bishop’s RMA reforms, announcing in November a plan to have mayors form boards with some level of government oversight – but consultation suggested mayors would be too busy for that.

Some had already come up with plans to amalgamate – and the ministers presented their plan as a way to enable that, giving councils choice.

The problem is: the solutions one group of councils comes up with could leave others in the lurch.

It is a problem Labour knows only too well from its Three Waters reforms, which also aimed at amalgamating council services and which also struggled to balance effective representation against cost savings.

As I revealed in late 2021, Labour’s Cabinet had agreed to that in June to force councils into its reforms rather than take an opt-out approach – but did not publicly announce it until October.

Cabinet papers showed finalisation of the mandatory ‘all-in’ strategy was delayed to September – with the aim of using the intervening time to build support with the councils, including negotiating with LGNZ to not actively oppose the move, damaging the representative group’s own internal relations.

That secretiveness from Labour, combined with the sustained oppositional campaign led by National, ACT, the Taxpayers’ Union and a breakaway grouping of councils, helped to fuel public opposition.

Of course, the ‘Stop Three Waters’ catchcry also leaned on fears around co-governance and communities losing control of their water assets, but the backlash was effective enough that Labour had to water down its reforms and have Kieran McAnulty visit every council in the country to sell the idea.

By contrast, Bishop and Watts have been relatively upfront about the need for change across the entire sector.

Their warning on Tuesday that oppositional or inactive councils will have reforms imposed on them makes clear the stakes and at least gives some certainty about what the alternative is – a wise move.

But that’s not to say their approach is all sunshine and roses.

Letting councils come up with their own plan may have worked in securing at least acceptance from councils in joining their own water reforms, but it also inevitably meant more groupings and reduced savings.

Applying the same approach to council mergers could end up with some messy, bespoke proposals with their own unique ways of working.

It also risks leaving some councils isolated – without the resources to perform as effectively as their neighbours – and could mean some of the complex structures and processes the reforms aims to eliminate are retained.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment wrote to Bishop last month warning that allowing proposals to come from the sector could lead to having “many more unitary councils than the 17 regional entities” which could “pose serious problems for functions such as catchment management, that must not be fragmented”.

It seems unlikely to come to that – with all the complications involved, the government is incentivised to make the new council boundaries as simple and streamlined as possible.

Bishop and Watts were also clear on Tuesday it was Cabinet that would make the final decisions, and while they will take ideas and pay lip service to councils’ preferences, they will also want a solution that best serves all ratepayers.

The shift away from what they had announced in November – where groups of city and district mayors would come up with the plans – is then almost a mirror to Labour’s shift to a mandated approach to water, but with better stage management.

We’re already seeing complications, with LGNZ’s statement on Tuesday warning some regions would face “greater complexity that needs to be worked through”, and asserting that all councils in a given region – including at the regional level – should be included in amalgamation plans.

As with Three Waters, mayors approached by RNZ after the announcement backed the idea of change – but were quick to raise concerns about how they would be directly affected.

What’s more, National faces the problem of having vocally campaigned for “localism and devolution” on the back of Three Waters, but once in government having consistently taken council decision-making powers away.

Think of Christopher Luxon’s speech to LGNZ in 2024, the crackdown on so-called ‘nice to haves’, the legislated change in purpose for councils, and most tellingly the 4 percent rates cap announced last year.

These are actions that fit the mould of “Wellington knows best”, and sharply at odds with the rhetoric of the last election.

Unlike Labour, this government – far more cash-strapped – is also offering councils no additional funding to ensure its reforms are effectively managed.

Where National would surely decry wasteful spending, similarly cash-strapped councils are already feeling ignored with increasingly expensive rates making up only about a 10th of the total tax take – the rest going to central government.

Their repeated calls to have the option to impose a bed tax or to set their own fees and fines have largely faced resistance – although Bishop indicated imminent legislation to enable “development levies”.

The election promise of “regional deals” has also ended up looking relatively ineffectual – Auckland mayor Wayne Brown calling the first one “quite underwhelming” less than a month after signing it, no doubt partly as a result of the lack of funding that had made overseas examples shine.

Regardless of all this, local government reform seems unlikely to become the flashpoint for opposition that Three Waters became.

While Luxon’s pre-election rhetoric is a mismatch with his government’s actions, those moves have been popular with National’s base.

The timing is also far more favourable, with Cabinet not making final decisions on council proposals until 2027 – after the general election, rather than before it – so simmering backlash to any final decisions would come at the start of the next government’s term and land at the feet of whoever is in power.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Date:  06 May 2026

The Department of Conservation is surveying a range of habitats both inside and outside the new marine protected areas as a monitoring baseline of the marine environment. It is working with mana moana, universities and research institutes.

The monitoring is an essential part of ensuring the purpose of the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act – to restore the health and mauri of the area – is being met. The monitoring aims to understand the ecological condition and trends, the effectiveness of protection measures, and the impacts of any permitted activities.

Emma Kearney, a marine scientist at DOC, says the surveys provide an environmental snapshot of 2026.

“We need to know what the marine habitats and species look like now, so that we can track trends and changes in the future.

“The 12 new high protection areas are different from marine reserves, because they are legally set up to encourage restoration, such as reseeding shellfish beds or reducing sea urchin numbers.

“This monitoring will help us understand the impacts of the protection as well as the outcomes of marine restoration work.”

Data will be collated and reported on in 2026/2027 – the new legislation requires DOC to report on changes in the marine environment publicly every five years.

The surveys focus on various species including deep and shallow reef fish, spiny and packhorse lobster, scallops and key seafloor species such as horse mussel, rhodoliths, and dog cockle.

A range of methods are used from diving and potting for lobster, to underwater cameras mounted on frames that sit on the seafloor and observe the fish communities.

Emma says the process of marine science takes place both in and out of the water.

“One day I’m out measuring lobster with marine rangers in the Coromandel. Another day I’m behind the computer screen reviewing video footage to see what species are showing up around reefs, and what sizes they are.”

“Many fish and underwater species use the reefs and shellfish beds of Tīkapa Moana to breed and shelter. New areas of protection are crucial as they support these highly productive marine ecosystems.

“In recent months, fishers have been great at respecting the rules when out on the water. Removing fishing pressure helps sea life to grow larger and reproduce. It’s an easy way for people to contribute to the health of Tīkapa Moana,” adds Emma.

Anyone heading out naturing in the Gulf can learn more about these marine protections on the DOC website.

Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana marine protected areas

Contact

MIL OSI

The Government has updated national rules for marine aquaculture to make it easier for operators to improve how they farm, adopt new technology and carry out research or trials while maintaining environmental safeguards, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones say.

“Changes to the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture will remove unnecessary complexity and cost for aquaculture operators,” Mr Bishop says.

“These changes support marine farmers to refine their operations within existing footprints, trial new approaches and adopt better practices, without lowering the bar for environmental protection.

“The amendments also provide councils with clearer national direction about how certain activities should be assessed, reducing unnecessary variation and uncertainty across the country.”

The aquaculture sector employs more than 3000 people, provides food for Kiwis, and generates $650 million in exports annually. 

Mr Jones said the changes were an important step towards reaching the ambitious goal of $3 billion in annual revenue set out in the Aquaculture Development Plan last year.  

“I am a strong and vocal supporter of aquaculture growth because of its enormous potential to further benefit New Zealand’s export economy, bringing much needed jobs and export earnings into the regions.

“Prior to these changes, marine farmers were required to undergo a complex and difficult consenting process to make even minor changes to their operations. These changes reduce the administrative and financial burden of consenting and reconsenting, and introduce rules that ensure sustainability while allowing for the kind of flexibility and innovation that our economy and communities need.” 

When the updated National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture come into effect on 4 June, councils will need to apply the amended rules to new permitted activities and when making decisions on marine aquaculture consents.

“These updates are another step in making the resource management system
more workable and proportionate, while still protecting our marine environment,”
Mr Bishop says.

“The changes form part of the Government’s wider programme to improve how
national direction operates under the current Resource Management Act and will
continue to have effect during the transitional period under the proposed Planning
and Natural Environment Acts. This broader programme will be the biggest suite of changes to RMA national direction in New Zealand’s history.

“The suite of changes includes, among other things, removing barriers to infrastructure, making it easier to build granny flats and support housing growth, removing unworkable rules for the primary sector, and streamlining consenting for renewable energy.”

Key changes to the marine aquaculture regulations include:

• making reconsenting and changes to consent conditions easier and more nationally consistent.
• making it easier to undertake aquaculture-related research or trials.
• making it easier to change or cancel consent monitoring conditions, to keep pace with new science and technology.
• fixing a range of technical issues to improve clarity, consistency and usability of the regulations.

More information about the changes can be found here:  

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture/aquaculture-fish-and-shellfish-farming/national-environmental-standards-for-marine-aquaculture

MIL OSI