Greenpeace – Govt announces critical mineral ‘slush fund’ as TTR flees the fast track

Source: Greenpeace Today, as seabed miners Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) withdrew from their failing Fast Track bid, the NZ government has announced a $80 million dollar ‘critical minerals slush fund.’ Greenpeace is questioning if this signals an invitation for TTR to have another bite at the cherry. It comes just weeks after it was revealed the NZ government has … Read more

Defence News – NZDF air and maritime assets combine for successful search and rescue operation south of Tonga

Source: New Zealand Defence Force The New Zealand Defence Force has combined its maritime and air assets to conduct a search and rescue operation for two men drifting in a wooden boat 105 nautical miles south of Tonga. The two men were located by a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon yesterday morning … Read more

Environment – Seabed mining company TTR gives up on the Fast Track process – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) have today issued their formal response to the Fast Track Expert Panel’s draft decision, in it, they say they will not propose any changes to conditions. There is now nothing stopping the panel from making a final decision to decline consent. TTR go on to say they reject the “assumptions and conclusions” … Read more

Law and Health – Momentum for change on HIV criminalisation

Source: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa A study of people living with HIV has revealed that despite advances in HIV treatment, criminalisation continues to create uncertainty and distress, with 60% of people living with HIV fearing legal consequences and many avoiding relationships altogether. The full study and its findings will be released at a public event on 27 February … Read more

Appointments – eG Innovations Launches New Zealand Operations, Appoints Joanne Bowey as Country Manager

Source: eG Innovations Auckland, New Zealand – 19th Feb, 2026 eG Innovations, a global provider of digital experience monitoring and full-stack observability solutions, today announced the launch of its operations in New Zealand and the appointment of Joanne Bowey as Country Manager, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting New Zealand enterprises with reliable, high-performance digital services. With a … Read more

Local News – Have your say on the future of Spicer Landfill – Porirua

Source: Porirua City Council Consents to operate Spicer Landfill are set to expire in 2030 so the way we dispose of rubbish in Porirua has to change. Consultation on four options for the future of Spicer Landfill begins on Tuesday 24 February. Previous plans to extend the landfill are on hold as a range environmental challenges … Read more

Fonterra farmers approve divestment capital return scheme

Source: Fonterra Following today’s virtual Special Meeting, Fonterra can confirm that its farmer shareholders have approved the scheme of arrangement for the capital return that’s expected from the sale of its global Consumer and associated businesses. 98.85% of the total shareholder votes cast were in support of the capital return proposal, which was set out in the … Read more

Government ‘listened to Aucklanders’ by weakening housing intensification rules, Character Coalition says

Source: Radio New Zealand The government agreeing to lower the maximum number of houses in Auckland shows they have been listening to Aucklanders, a heritage group says. Cabinet agreed to lower the maximum number of houses in Auckland from 2 million to at least 1.6 million, it was announced on Thursday. Auckland Council had been … Read more

Firefighters at scene of reported chemical leak at Levin industrial site

Source: Radio New Zealand Firefighters are at the scene. (File photo) RNZ / Nate McKinnon Firefighters are at the scene of a reported chemical leak at an industrial site in Levin. Firefighters from Otaki and Levin and a specialist crew from Palmerston North were at the scene on Thursday evening. An ambulance was also at … Read more

Overseas experts flown in to assess damage at Moa Point wastewater treatment plant

Source: Radio New Zealand Untreated water was leaking onto the capital’s south coast beaches. (File photo) RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Experts are being flown in from Australia to help assess damage at the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant. Wellington Water said over the past 24 hours, the short 5-metre pipe close to the shoreline had … Read more

Confidential Wellington council documents found in sold desk should have been destroyed, review finds

Source: Radio New Zealand In September last year a stash of more than 200 papers were found in a locked cupboard within a mayoral desk that was bought from Wellington’s Tip Shop. 123RF Confidential documents discovered in a former Wellington mayoral desk sold to a member of the public should have been destroyed, a review … Read more

A tragedy avoided

Source: New Zealand Police Being prepared almost certainly saved a rock fisherman’s life at Piha. Police were contacted at 7.43am on Wednesday by a fisherman advising one of his companions had fallen into water at The Gap. Acting Senior Sergeant Mark Jamieson says the Police Maritime Unit took over incident control of the water rescue. … Read more

Calls for tougher penalties to stop roaming, aggressive dogs

Source: Radio New Zealand A pack of roaming dogs in bush near Paihia in the Bay of Islands. RNZ / Peter de Graaf Further calls have been made for more to be done about dangerous dogs, in the wake of Tuesday’s fatal dog attack in Northland. Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by a pack … Read more

How a tiny fish could lead to treatment for a painful, chronic condition

Source: Radio New Zealand In this living zebrafish larva, the lymphatic vessels are fluorescently labelled red, while blood vessels are green, allowing scientists to visualise vessel growth. SUPPLIED The larva of a stripey fish could be the key to preventing a chronic and painful swelling condition that’s a common side effect of some breast cancer … Read more

Boxing NZ appoints new leadership as investigation into head coach drags on

Source: Radio New Zealand Boxing gloves supplied Former Gisborne deputy mayor Josh Wharehinga has been appointed as the new president of Boxing New Zealand as the sport grapples with complaints about its head coach. The Sport Integrity Commission has been investigating Boxing NZ and its head coach Billy Meehan. Cathy Meehan, who is the wife … Read more

Gloriavale leader Howard Temple appeals ‘excessive’ jail sentence

Source: Radio New Zealand Former Gloriavale overseeing shepherd Howard Temple. The Press/Kai Schwoerer The lawyer for convicted sex offender and former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple claims jailing the 85-year-old was excessive. Temple was sentenced to 26 months’ jail in December for indecencies on multiple girls and young women. He immediately appealed and has been on … Read more

Bill paves way for MCERT

Source: New Zealand Government The Government has introduced legislation to Parliament to establish the new Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), a key step in delivering its ambitious reform agenda across housing, transport, urban development and the environment. The Environment (Disestablishment of the Ministry for the Environment) Amendment Bill paves the way for … Read more

Economy – OCR decision dates and Financial Stability Report dates to February 2028 – Reserve Bank of NZ

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand 19 February 2026 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will increase the number of scheduled monetary policy decisions from 7 to 8 per year, starting in 2027. The Monetary Policy Committee has discussed the upcoming increase in the frequency of Consumers Price Index (CPI) data releases. From next year, … Read more

Wastewater may be flowing to a Coromandel beach after sinkhole forms

Source: Radio New Zealand Thames Coromandel District Council is urgently asking people not to swim, fish or collect shellfish in the area around where the stream discharges until further notice. Supplied / Thames Coromandel District Council Thames Coromandel District Council says a sinkhole has formed near the Onemana Wastewater Treatment Plant. In a post online … Read more

Te Huia service extension welcomed

Source: New Zealand Government The New Zealand Transport Agency’s decision to extend the Waikato-Auckland passenger rail service Te Huia is welcomed, Rail Minister Winston Peters says. “Te Huia came into existence because we funded KiwiRail to refurbish the carriages and build a dedicated mechanical depot in Hamilton,” Mr Peters says. “The five-year trial service was … Read more

GLM-5 Launch Signals a New Era in AI: When Models Become Engineers

Source: Media Outreach SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2026 – GLM-5, newly released as open source, signals a broader shift in artificial intelligence. Large language models are moving beyond generating code snippets or interface prototypes toward building complete systems and carrying out complex, end-to-end tasks. The change marks a transition from so-called … Read more

Labour MP Kieran McAnulty ordered to leave the House after challenging Speaker

Source: Radio New Zealand Labour MP Kieran McAnulty. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Labour MP Kieran McAnulty was ordered to leave the House during a tense session that included many challenges on the Speaker’s rulings. Question Time began with Gerry Brownlee indirectly rebuking New Zealand First leader Winston Peters for his remarks towards Green MP Teanau … Read more

Hamilton-to-Auckland train Te Huia trial extended to June 2027

Source: Radio New Zealand Te Huia was launched in April 2021 for a five-year trial which was due to end in June 2026, but has now been extended by a year. RNZ / Gill Bonnett The Hamilton-to-Auckland train, Te Huia, has been given an extra year to prove itself. The train provides an interregional passenger … Read more

Public engagement on civil and political rights

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Justice Headline: Public engagement on civil and political rights The Government wants to hear from the public and civil society organisations before 19 March 2026 on its draft report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant). General Manager, Civil and Constitutional at the Ministry of Justice, … Read more

Environment comes last as Government abolishes dedicated ministry

Source: Green Party The Green Party is condemning the Government’s decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment. “This is failure by a Minister who has turned her back on the very portfolio she was entrusted to protect. Abolishing her own ministry is as monumental as it is shameful,” said Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham.  … Read more

Tourists through new pathway triple in two months

Source: New Zealand Government A new travel option that enables eligible Chinese and Pacific visitors to cross the ditch to New Zealand visa free is bringing in a considerable boost in tourism and revenue, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston say. “In December, we announced that 13,000 Chinese and Pacific … Read more

AI and deep fakes becoming problematic for courts

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Diego Opatowski Courts will have to grapple more and more with AI fakes and it might take law changes to keep them out of trials, the government’s chief legal advisers say. Crown Law’s long-term insights briefing to a parliamentary select committee on Thursday morning turned quickly to questions around … Read more