Milestone for SH35 communities with Hikuwai Bridge No.1 replacement

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency Work has started this week on enabling (early) works at the site of a permanent replacement for Hikuwai Bridge No.1, north of Tolaga Bay. A temporary Bailey bridge has been in place since 2023 after the bridge was damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle and the connection across Hikuwai River initially severed. … Read more

Ascott Expands Pet-Friendly Offerings With lyf one-north Singapore

Source: Media Outreach lyf one-north Singapore joins Citadines Balestier Singapore, Citadines Raffles Place Singapore, and Oakwood Studios Singapore as the latest pet-friendly accommodation, offering exciting pet-related activities for guests. SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2025 – The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI) is expanding … Read more

Back to basics for public service

Source: New Zealand Government The Government is overhauling the Public Service Act 2020 as part of its ongoing push to get back to basics and deliver value for money to taxpayers, Public Service Minister Judith Collins announced today.The New Zealand National Party-ACT New Zealand Coalition Agreement requires the Act be amended to “clarify the role … Read more

2025 China corporate payment survey: Longer payment terms helped mitigate increases in payment delays

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2025 – Coface’s survey on Chinese corporate payment behavior shows growing caution among suppliers to offer credit sales and extended collection period in 2024. Companies generally extended their payment terms, aided in part by third-party risk mitigation tools that may provide some … Read more

Police catch up with wanted man

Source: New Zealand Police (District News) A wanted man with more than 20 warrants for his arrest has been taken into custody following a fleeing driver incident across Auckland this morning. Just before 8am, Auckland Airport Police spotted a vehicle of interest and approached it to speak with the occupants. Acting Waitematā East Area Prevention … Read more

Public Works Act overhaul complete to drive infrastructure growth

Source: New Zealand Government The final stage of reforms to the Public Works Act will introduce bigger and broader land payments, improved landowner engagement and new measures to support disaster recovery, Land Information Minister Chris Penk has announced.  “The Government has been working through an overhaul of the Public Works Act (PWA) to bring it into … Read more

Government Statement – Freeing the great outdoors from health and safety scope creep – van Velden

Source: Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden is announcing further changes to health and safety, as part of the ACT-National Coalition commitment to reform health and safety law and regulations.   “This reform refocuses the work health and safety system by getting rid of over … Read more

24 day isolation rule non-announcement unprofessional and unworkable

Source: ACT Party “New COVID isolation rules for Omicron are unworkable, and the way they were dumped on the Ministry of Health website on a Friday afternoon is unprofessional,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Late on Friday, rules appeared on the Ministry of Health website to the effect that a person who tests positive must … Read more

1500 empty rooms in MIQ shows Government’s poor planning

Source: ACT Party “ACT welcomes the news that migrant families who have been cruelly separated for far too long will be reunited, but 1500 empty MIQ rooms shows there’s no reason both them and desperately needed workers can’t be here now,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “As of today in MIQ there are 1,500 empty … Read more

$10m a month wasted on redundant contact tracing

Source: ACT Party “ACT can reveal that taxpayers are footing the bill for pointless contact tracing that should have been scrapped when Omicron made it redundant,” says ACT’s Leader David Seymour. “Written parliamentary questions show the Government is still spending $10.2 million a month on contact tracing, despite contact tracers being unable to reach enough … Read more

100 million milestone leaves NZ increasingly isolated

Source: ACT Party “Data collected by Bloomberg shows the milestone of 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered worldwide has been passed, leaving big questions for the Government about where New Zealand will stand relative to other countries as the worldwide programme continues,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “If the medical regulator gives the all-clear … Read more

Fatal crash, Sheffield

Source: New Zealand Police (District News) One person has died after the earlier crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on SH73, Sheffield. Diversions remain in place while the Serious Crash Unit examines the scene. Motorists should please continue to avoid the area. ENDS Issued by Police Media Centre MIL OSI

Night closures next week for State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency Night closures, 6-10 April: One week of night closures begin this Sunday on State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill. The route is set to be closed to traffic for the nights of Sunday 6 April to Thursday 10 April, from 9 pm to 4 am. Road crews will be clearing slip … Read more

Freeing the great outdoors from health and safety scope creep

Source: New Zealand Government Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden is announcing further changes to health and safety, as part of the ACT-National Coalition commitment to reform health and safety law and regulations.   “This reform refocuses the work health and safety system by getting rid of over compliance, making sure there’s less paperwork … Read more

Local News – Pātaka opens vibrant new season – Porirua

Source: Porirua City Council The autumn season of exhibitions opened at Pātaka over the weekend with three new exhibitions that will run through to 6 July. Lovers & Castaways takes the 1980 book “Contemporary New Zealand Painters” by Jim and Mary Barr as its starting point and focuses on that decade as an important time for … Read more

Energy efficiency will help homes, businesses temper electricity bill shocks starting today

Source: Ecobulb Homes and businesses must relook at energy efficiency as a way to minimise electricity bill shocks from April 1, an energy efficiency expert says. “Power prices are headed in one direction – up – as Transpower and lines companies from today  start increasing their network charges to fund improved capacity and resilience of … Read more

Business groups call for publication of council voting records – BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ As councils consider their spending and rates decisions for the coming year, and as October’s local authority elections draw closer, business groups are calling for greater transparency on how councillors vote. “It is time for councils to make it easier to show how their elected members vote at each meeting so the public can … Read more

MYANMAR CHILD ACCOUNT: ‘It was terrifying’ – Children prepare to spend Myanmar New Year festival in shelters following earthquake – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children YANGON/BANGKOK, 31 March 2025 – On the morning that Myanmar’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck, 16-year-old student Yoon May- was having lunch at home in Mandalay and contemplating having a nap when she suddenly felt dizzy.  “I couldn’t process what was happening. I just ran. I barely escaped. The moment I stepped outside, bricks … Read more

Local News – Bothamley Park wastewater pipes upgrade completed – Porirua City Council

Source: Porirua City Council  More than 3km of ageing wastewater pipes in Bothamley Park have been replaced with larger, more resilient pipes in a project that started in December 2022. These pipes will help to prevent around 40,000 cubic metres of raw sewage – enough to fill 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools – from entering the Kenepuru … Read more

Health and Energy – Rising power costs puts health at risk

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation With a hike in power prices and cooler nights on the way, energy poverty is about to become more widespread in New Zealand. Energy poverty – where a household is not able to afford power to provide a healthy home – it can pose serious health risks, especially for those living with … Read more

Health – Hāpai Te Hauora Launches “That’s Us” Campaign for World Smokefree May

Source: Hapai Te Hauora Today, Hāpai Te Hauora launched the “That’s Us” campaign, calling on all New Zealanders who smoke to sign up and take the first step toward quitting this World Smokefree May. The “That’s Us” campaign encourages whānau, hāpori, and individuals to unite and commit to a smokefree future. With a focus on persistence, … Read more

Serious crash, SH73, Sheffield

Source: New Zealand Police (District News) Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash in Sheffield that has closed State Highway 73, West Coast Road. The crash involves a truck and pedestrian; it was reported to Police about 6.40am and happened between Malvern Hills Road and Duke Street. Diversions will be in place … Read more

If it Pleases the Gods

Source: ACT Party The Haps Last week Free Press extolled the Government’s RMA reforms. We thanked ACT and Simon Court for resource management law based on property rights. We think we understated it, Free Press has campaigned for this for a decade (yes, we are ten). RMA reforms are the best policy change so far this century. If New … Read more

Privacy News – March 2025

Source: Privacy Commissioner This issue includes a note that the Biometric Code consultation has now closed, and that the final version of the Code will likely be published mid-2025. It also includes policy advice for government agencies, Kordia research and what OPC said about that, the Global Privacy Assembly’s new comparison tables, and the delay … Read more

Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will … Read more

Next steps to improve flood resilience for the Wairau community

Source: Auckland Council Auckland Council is looking to progress a comprehensive flood resilience (blue-green) network to significantly reduce flood risks across the Wairau catchment in Auckland’s North Shore. A proposed business case for design, consenting and early enabling works for improved flood resilience in Wairau will be presented to the Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee … Read more

Home removal goes sky-high

Source: Auckland Council Removing a couple of storm-damaged homes sounds like a bread and butter task for an experienced home relocation company, but two homes in Blockhouse Bay had more than their share of challenges. Firstly there were two sets of major transmission power lines overhead – one directly above the Margate Road houses and … Read more