Police seek information on whereabouts of Michael Tautari

Writing Action Plan to raise student achievement

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August 19, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is delivering a Writing Action Plan to supercharge writing achievement and better set Kiwi kids up for success.

New baseline data collected in 2024, prior to this year’s introduction of the new English curriculum and structured literacy supports, shows writing achievement declines as a child progresses through school.

41 per cent of Year 3 students are at the expected curriculum benchmark, 33 per cent are in Year 6 and just 24 per cent of Year 8 students are where they should be. 61 per cent of Year 8’s are more than a year behind.

“This data confirms what many parents, teachers and the Government already know: we’re not where we need to be. We are highly ambitious for Kiwi kids, which is why we have taken a whole system approach to lifting achievement,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“Writing is a critical skill for learning, thinking, and communicating. We’ve already mandated the teaching of at least an hour a day of the basics, we’ve mandated structured literacy and introduced a world-leading English curriculum. Today the Government is launching ‘Make It Write’, a targeted action plan to further strengthen the teaching of writing.

“From Term 1 next year, a new Writing Acceleration Tool will be available to support 120,000 Years 6–8 students who are below expected writing levels and won’t have the benefit of structured literacy from Year 1. Teachers will be supported to deliver explicit teaching and will be able to monitor student progress in real time, adjusting how their teaching based on individual needs and responses to intervention.

“Every Intermediate and Secondary School will be funded to train their own structured literacy intervention teacher. This training will be tailored for older students and extends what is already available for those teaching in Years 0-6. As requested by the sector, teachers will gain the skills needed to work with small groups of students who need targeted support, using structured, evidence-based approaches.

“New Handwriting Teacher Guidance will support explicit teaching from Years 0–8, aligned with the refreshed English curriculum. This guidance will support cognitive development and memory retention at an early age, so students are fluent and confident when they write.

“Every student deserves the chance to succeed at school and beyond. Our education reforms are helping make sure that every student has that chance” Ms Stanford says.

Road closed, The Coastal Highway/SH60, Mapua

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August 19, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police

The Coastal Highway/SH60 near Mapua Drive is closed following a crash at 11:48am today.

Emergency services are currently responding to the two-vehicle crash.

Initial indicators are that people have sustained moderate injuries.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible and expect delays.

ENDS

Medsafe consents improve year on year, again

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August 19, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Annual performance statistics released today show Medsafe following my direction and approving new medicines faster than last year, which was faster than the year before, and there is more to come with the Rule of Two and AI, Associate Health Minister David Seymour says.

“New Zealanders need a smarter, more efficient government which gets things done, enabling them to live better lives,” Mr Seymour says.

“Faster access to medicines matters to patients. For many New Zealanders, pharmaceuticals are life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely.”

Medsafe completed its evaluation for innovative medicines 59 working days faster than last year. This is on top of the 55 days reduction in 2023/24.

Generic medicines decisions were 64 days faster than last year, on top of the 45 days reduction in 2023/24. 

Medsafe has again met 100% timeframes for over-the-counter medicines, providing certainty for pharmaceutical companies.

“Assessment timeframes for most categories of medicine are now similar to the timeframes required in Australia. We often use compare ourselves to Australia, and in this area we have caught up,” says Mr Seymour.

“The abbreviated pathway is also reducing timeframes. It requires Medsafe to work smarter by leveraging work already done by other overseas regulators. About 50 percent of medicines are assessed like this, and in half the time of the full pathway.

“Medsafe will speed up approval processes further. The Medicines Amendment Bill includes the Rule of Two, which will be in operation by early 2026. The Rule of Two requires Medsafe to approve new pharmaceuticals within 30 days of them being approved by at least two overseas regulatory agencies recognised by New Zealand.

“Last year I wanted Medsafe to find more innovative ways to expedite their approval pathways. One way they have done this is by prioritising new innovative medicines and assessing them under urgency because people need them now.

“Some of these included the Bleriplex medicine for people with blood clotting disorders, the blood cancer medicine Omjjaro, Tyruko for multiple sclerosis, and the Wyost injection for weakened bones due to cancer. For Omjjaro, this meant it was able to be approved 131 days faster than the average time last year for new innovative medicines.

“Earlier this year I wrote to Medsafe asking them to find ways that AI could help the process new medicines faster. This is something that they have welcomed and recognise could reduce assessment times. I look forward to working with Medsafe as they explore this.

“We’re committed to ensuring that the regulatory system for pharmaceuticals is not unreasonably holding back access. We want it to lead to more Kiwis being able to access the medicines they need to live a fulfilling life, not less.”

Dumped puppies prompt DOC investigation

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August 19, 2025

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date: 19 August 2025

The puppies, estimated to be about six weeks old at the time, were discovered by a member of the public on Monday 10 August.

Aside from the disregard for the puppies’ welfare, releasing pets or other animals on to conservation land is an offence under the Conservation Act and the National Parks Act. DOC can issue an infringement notice or prosecute anyone found responsible for bringing a domestic pet into national park or conservation land.

DOC Ranger Cameron Hunt says the man who found the puppies was heading up Manaia Rd to the maunga to enjoy a recent snowfall when he spotted something black and white moving in the roadside vegetation.

“At first glance, he thought it was a puppy but carried on driving. He then turned around and headed back to confirm his suspicions – and discovered the litter of seven puppies,” Cameron says.

The puppies – thought to be a collie-working dog cross breed – were handed over to the SPCA, where they were vet checked, vaccinated and treated for worms. SPCA staff say the puppies were in extremely good body condition and had been well fed prior to being found. Thankfully they were found as they would not have survived the night in the freezing snowy conditions of the national park. The puppies will eventually be made available for rehoming.

“Someone made a deliberate decision and effort to abandon these puppies in the national park, and to do so would’ve required some sort of vehicle making a brief stop on the roadside”, Cameron says.

“We’re hopeful anyone who saw what happened will contact us and share any information such as the make, model and colour of a vehicle – and better still a registration plate – or possibly descriptions of people they saw.”

Cameron is urging anyone who knows about the dumping of the puppies to contact 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE-Works number CLE-9642. Any information passed on will be treated confidentially.

Earlier this month, DOC publicised the case of a Northland woman who flagrantly breached the “no pets” rules and photographed herself with her six dogs in Tongariro National Park. One of the photographs showed the woman and one of her dogs in front of a “no dogs” sign.

In August 2022, DOC visitor centre staff encountered visitors carrying jacket-wearing cats in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, and in December 2023 a man was pictured with a domestic pet cat in the national park.

Keeping pets like cats, rabbits, ferrets, and others out of protected spaces, is essential to protect our endangered species and our pets are safe. Domestic pets can spread diseases our wildlife has not been exposed to and cannot be protected from. These can devastate our taonga and the ecosystems they depend on. Dogs, in particular, pose a serious threat to kiwi and whio, both of which are found in Te Papakura-o-Taranaki.

New Zealand’s native species are unique and special. On average, 70% of our nature is unique to the rest of the world (72% of our birds, 84% of our plants, 88% of our fishes and 100% of our reptiles are only found here).

More than 4,000 native species are threatened or at risk of extinction – that is more than any other country.

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

Appointments strengthen local conservation

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August 19, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

The latest New Zealand Conservation Authority and Conservation Board appointments will help to strengthen environmental efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Minister for Conservation Tama Potaka has today announced the 2025 appointments to the country’s 15 Conservation Boards. There are 21 reappointments, 37 new appointments, and 87 continuing members.

“These appointments seek to achieve a balance on each conservation board in terms of experience, geographic spread, gender, age, recreation interests, and representativeness of community interests in the functions of the Department of Conservation at a regional level,” Mr Potaka says.

“Conservation boards play a vital role as liaisons between DOC with their regions, making their community’s voice heard on conservation issues,” says Minister Potaka. “As such, the board memberships should be representative of the communities they serve. I’m thrilled to appoint such a diverse group to these positions.

“Nau mai haere mai to those members stepping up for the first time, nau mai hoki mai to those returning for 2025, and ngā mihi to all the outgoing representatives for their important contributions to conservation mahi in their regions.”

Mr Potaka also confirmed two reappointments and four new appointments to the New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA), the national statutory body that provides strategic policy advice to DOC and the Minister.

“Conservation work on Aotearoa New Zealand relies on a wider variety of people coming together for a common goal. The variety of skills and qualities the appointees bring fills me with hope that together we can make a real difference for our native species and ecosystems.”

Conservation board appointments took effect from 6 August.

More information about the Conservation Board appointments are here on the Department of Conservation website.
More information about the New Zealand Conservation Authority appointments are here on the Department of Conservation website.

New data emphasises focus on teaching basics

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August 19, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

New literacy and numeracy achievement data reinforces why the Government must continue to have a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“The latest Curriculum Insights & Progress Study (CIPS) data was collected in Term 4 2024 and provides a snapshot of achievement prior to the introduction of our education reform programme this year. The data reconfirms why it was mission critical to have a laser focus on reading, writing and maths in classrooms this year.”

The results show the Government has stemmed the decline of maths achievement starting with the introduction of an hour a day of reading, writing and maths in 2024. The results also show for the first time, the national level of writing achievement against the new curriculum.

23 per cent of Year 8 students are at the curriculum benchmark for mathematics, up from 22 per cent in 2023.
24 per cent of Year 8 students are at curriculum for writing.

“We are highly ambitious for Kiwi kids. We want them to have the strong foundations they need to do the best they can at school and beyond. Parents can have confidence this Government has and will take decisive and deliberate actions to make this happen by prioritising student achievement,” Ms Stanford says.

“Our Government’s major education reforms are now well underway. After learning last year that just 22 per cent of Year 8s were at curriculum in maths in 2023, we swiftly launched our Make It Count maths action plan to transform maths education.

“We delivered quickly on our promise to mandate structured literacy in all primary schools to respond to the decades of decline in reading.

“We’ve introduced a world-leading Maths and English curriculum, equipped teachers and students with high-quality resources, surged in targeted interventions for students who need extra help and made seismic investments into learning support.

“Early signs show our reforms are making a difference. As they bed in, we expect students are more likely to reach their full potential.” 

Business Tech – Ingram Micro Adds AlgoSec to its Vendor Lineup to Strengthen the Ability of its Partners to Secure Hybrid Networks in Australia and New Zealand

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August 19, 2025

Source: SBM

Ingram Micro’s ecosystem will broaden market reach for AlgoSec and simplify deployment for partners through the Xvantage™ digital platform

Sydney, Australia – 19 August 2025 – Ingram Micro, a global leader in technology solutions, is pleased to announce a new relationship with AlgoSec, an industry leading cybersecurity company.

This new relationship will enable AlgoSec to deliver unparalleled IT Security Management solutions to its partners and their clients across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).

Through this collaboration, Ingram Micro partners will gain access to AlgoSec’s advanced application-centric cybersecurity solutions. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) will be able to offer enhanced network security management, automate security policy changes, and ensure compliance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

“AlgoSec’s automated security solutions enrich our cyber security portfolio and further strengthen our partners’ ability to secure hybrid networks,” says Amanda O’Brien, Ingram Micro’s General Manager of HBA and Cyber Vendor Management in Australia. “This collaboration enables partners to drive efficiency and compliance in the market.”

AlgoSec specialises in application-centric security management and automation for hybrid networks, covering public clouds, private clouds, containers and on-premises environments. Through network security automation, this collaboration allows Ingram Micro to complement its existing vendor offerings, enhancing firewalls and network solutions with automated policy management and risk remediation.

“We hear from our vast network of MSP partners that they are being consistently asked to do more with less. They are looking for solutions that give them improvements in the services they deliver, while at the same time lowering costs. With AlgoSec, they can automate security policies and troubleshoot faster, which will provide a better customer experience and avoid unnecessary work,” says O’Brien.

AlgoSec appointed Ingram Micro to take advantage of Ingram Micro’s broad ecosystem reach across markets and local expertise in hybrid-cloud infrastructure architecture best practices, as well as deep cloud capabilities.

“We continue to see a significant shift towards hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, and our customers are seeking to balance considerations around data sovereignty, compliance and operational complexity. AlgoSec’s solutions address the requirement to manage on-prem firewalls, hypervisor cloud security controls and software-defined infrastructure in a consistent, compliant and automated way to help ensure the highest protection available. This is a gamechanger for MSPs that are looking to scale and embed security into their broader service offerings,” says O’Brien.

To deliver application-centric security solutions to enterprises in the ANZ markets, AlgoSec will also use Ingram Micro’s Xvantage™ AI-driven digital platform to simplify solution deployment and enhance partner efficiency. Leveraging a single platform to manage cloud subscriptions and tap into cybersecurity services, AlgoSec and Ingram Micro possess a unique ability to aid MSPs in building out services faster and supporting customer conversations more effectively.

“We’re so excited to launch our new relationship with Ingram Micro,” says Reinhard Eichborn, Director of Strategic Alliances, AlgoSec. “We’re ready for this relationship to take off and help even more partners to benefit from the very competitive AlgoSec offerings.”

About Ingram Micro

Ingram Micro is a leading technology company for the global information technology ecosystem. With the ability to reach nearly 90 per cent of the global population, we play a vital role in the worldwide IT sales channel, bringing products and services from technology manufacturers and cloud providers to a highly diversified base of business-to-business technology experts. Through Ingram Micro Xvantage™, our AI-powered digital platform, we offer what we believe to be the industry’s first comprehensive business-to-consumer-like experience, integrating hardware and cloud subscriptions, personalised recommendations, instant pricing, order tracking, and billing automation. We also provide a broad range of technology services, including financing, specialised marketing, and lifecycle management, as well as technical pre- and post-sales professional support. Learn more at www.ingrammicro.com.

About AlgoSec

AlgoSec, a global cybersecurity leader, empowers organisations to secure application connectivity and cloud-native applications throughout their multi-cloud and hybrid network.

Trusted by more than 1,800 of the world’s leading organisations, AlgoSec’s application-centric approach enables to securely accelerate business application deployment by centrally managing application connectivity and security policies across the public clouds, private clouds, containers, and on-premises networks.

Utilising advanced AI capabilities, AlgoSec enables users to automatically discover and identify the business applications and remediate risks more effectively. Additionally, organisations can leverage intelligent change automation to streamline security change processes, thus improving security and agility.

AlgoSec’s policy management and cloud security platforms provide a single source for visibility into security and compliance issues within cloud-native applications as well as across the hybrid network environment, to ensure ongoing adherence to internet security standards, industry, and internal regulations.

Learn how AlgoSec enables application owners, information security experts, DevSecOps and cloud security teams to deploy business applications up to 10 times faster while maintaining security at www.algosec.com.

Consumer NZ – 25,000-strong petition for supermarkets to price it right adds weight to Minister Willis’ warning

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August 19, 2025

Source: Consumer NZ

Today, Consumer NZ will present its Price It Right petition to Minister for Economic Growth, Nicola Willis, who said she was considering stronger penalties for supermarkets who get their pricing wrong.

Consumer NZ chief executive, Jon Duffy, says handing over this petition is a significant milestone in the advocacy organisation’s fight for accurate supermarket pricing.

“Supermarkets have had plenty of opportunity to sort this out themselves. It’s time for the government to step in and make supermarkets price it right, and tens of thousands of New Zealanders agree. People want clear pricing rules, automatic compensation and stronger penalties when supermarkets get it wrong,” said Duffy.

In 2024, the Commerce Commission estimated pricing errors were likely to be costing shoppers tens of millions of dollars every year. Recent research by Consumer (April 2025) found 62% of New Zealanders noticed a pricing inaccuracy at the supermarket.

“If supermarkets can’t get their pricing right, they – rather than shoppers – should face the consequences,” said Duffy.

The petition will be presented on the steps of Parliament at 9am, Tuesday 19 August.

About the Price It Right petition

Consumer’s petition asks the government to introduce a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code with:

clear pricing rules requirements for supermarkets to automatically compensate consumers when pricing errors occur (for example, by requiring products to be provided free of charge if the shelf price is cheaper than the scanned price, there is a special that doesn’t offer a genuine saving or there is incorrect unit pricing)
the requirement for shoppers’ rights to be clearly disclosed both in store and online
infringement notice powers and much higher penalties (similar to those in Australia) for misleading pricing and promotions.

“We know that all the problems in the supermarket sector won’t be fixed overnight, but new rules like those in our proposed code will help put money back in the pockets of New Zealanders.

“This petition, which has the support of more than 25,000 New Zealanders, s

Business – Entries are open for Bill Toft Award

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August 19, 2025

Source: Bill Toft Awards

The Bill Toft Award is open to broadcasters working in online or broadcasting media in New Zealand.

The Bill Toft Memorial Fund in 2025 will consider applications for a grant of $5,000 for broadcasters working in online or broadcasting media in New Zealand.

The Award is to be used for advancing the skills, experience, or other contribution to professional development as a broadcaster.

Bill Toft was an eminent broadcaster who epitomised clear and consistent broadcast communication and set high standards of professionalism within the industry.

The Bill Toft Memorial Fund was set up to encourage excellence in content and delivery in broadcast and online communication.

Closing date: 31 October 2025

Winner notified: 30 November 2025.