$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

Opera in the Strand returns to Strand Arcade

Source: Auckland Council [embedded content] It’s New Zealand Music Month in May and people will flood into midtown’s streets, lanes and public spaces, further cementing our place in the world as a UNESCO City of Music. They will hear the diverse and unique sounds of Tāmaki Makaurau, as Auckland Council hosts a free public programme … Read more

Record whio duckling count on Taranaki Maunga

Source: Department of Conservation Date:  01 April 2025 Recent monitoring of eight rivers on Taranaki Maunga saw 106 whio ducklings counted, up from 89 in the survey completed last year. Further fledglings were sighted on rivers outside the survey area. For the last nine years surveys have been conducted along eight rivers with specially trained conservation … Read more

Māori economic growth plan aimed at boosting jobs and incomes

Source: New Zealand Government Tōia mai te waka, ki te urunga te waka, ki te moenga te waka, ki te takotoranga i takoto ai te waka!  Creating jobs and boosting incomes is at the heart of a renewed Government Māori economic growth plan, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says.  “Today, the Government is releasing the … Read more

Police investigating Roseneath deaths

Source: New Zealand Police (National News) Please attribute to Detective Inspector Haley Ryan: Police are making enquiries after two people were located deceased in a residential address in Roseneath overnight. About 10pm last night, Police received a request for a welfare check for a concerned family member who had not heard from their loved ones. … Read more

Ingdan, Inc. Announces 2024 Annual Results

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2025 – Ingdan, Inc. (“Ingdan” or the “Company,” Stock Code: 400.HK; together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), an innovative technology services platform conglomerate with core businesses in “Comtech” and “Ingdan,” announces its audited consolidated results for the year ended December 31, 2024 … Read more

NZ-AU: BloFin Becomes Title Sponsor of TOKEN2049 Dubai and Hosts the Inaugural Whale’s Rave: Arcadia Afterparty

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As one of the most anticipated gatherings in the global digital asset space, TOKEN2049 Dubai unites over 20,000 attendees from the crypto, Web3, and institutional finance sectors. In 2025, BloFin is proud to become the event’s Title Sponsor, taking place from April … Read more

Diginex Limited and Forvis Mazars Announce Strategic Alliance to Enhance Supply Chain Risk Assessment with diginexLUMEN

Source: Media Outreach LONDON, UK – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2025 – Diginex Limited (“Diginex” or the “Company”)(Nasdaq: DGNX), a leading impact technology company focused on solving pressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges, today announced a strategic alliance with Forvis Mazars Global (“Forvis Mazars”), a leading global professional services firm, to bring … Read more

Apex Lin, Pang-Soong Receives Special Jury Award from Asia Design Prize, Recognizing His Long-term Contributions to Asian Design

Source: Media Outreach TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2025 – The 2025 ADP (Asia Design Prize) has awarded the “Judge’s Choice” to Apex Lin, Pang-Soong, Chair Professor at Asia University in Taiwan, in recognition of his long-term contributions to promoting Asian design development and international visibility through design practice, design education, … Read more

From Hong Kong to Global: Laservall Drives New Industrialisation and Microelectronics Innovation with HKD 300M Investment

Source: Media Outreach HKSTP park company Laservall aims to advance high-precision laser technology with AI-driven automation, empowering advanced manufacturing through microelectronics innovation HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2025 – Laservall today announced a landmark HKD 300 million (USD 38 million) investment plan for the next five years. This strategic commitment … Read more