Initial analysis of the recently introduced member’s bill: ‘Social Media (Age-Restricted User) Bill’ appears to indicate the legislation does not meet its own criteria with regard to its purpose or scope.
Firstly, the bill as written is a piece of universal legislation not targeted, as it purports to “regulate access for individuals under the age of 16.”
To implement the terms in the clauses requires age and identity verification of all adults in New Zealand, who wish to use their social media accounts. It will require all adult users to verify they are NOT children.
Secondly, the intent of this bill to “protect children from the harms of social media” will be circumvented by the very audience it is attempting to protect.
Children are reliant on social media for communication between peers. Attempting a blanket ban of all under 16s from all social media resources will not reduce their intent or desire to message, post or share information with peers. Instead, it is likely to encourage children to rely on integrated message and chat services in games, underground or on darkweb resources. It takes a few minutes to setup access to unofficial or darkweb resources and then continue messaging and sharing with no age controls.
Thirdly, the bill places its reliance and success entirely on social media corporations, some of which have recently had data breaches.
Based on news headlines, Facebook apparently had a mass data breach in May 2025, Instagram had potentially hackers obtain credentials and share them on the web also in May 2025, and apparently WhatsApp had a data leak possibly as recently as February 2025.
To introduce legislation that requires third parties to obtain personal data from New Zealanders, while not offering any data protection or data privacy measures, appears to be a substantial omission.
This legislation has been written with a limited understanding of scope or technological context, and could result in the opposite of its intent. Perhaps a more prudent measure is to delay such legislation, and await the outcomes from similar legislation in Australia.
Trend Analysis Network is a research think tank based in New Zealand created to identify and publish analytical results of future trends in politics, society, and economics.
NewPower Energy is celebrating a major milestone with electricity being generated at the 33 MW Taiohi Solar Farm in Rangiriri, just north of Hamilton. Comprising more than 47,000 solar panels, Taiohi marks another significant step in the WEL Networks Group’s transition toward a more sustainable, resilient energy future.
Once fully commissioned, Taiohi will provide renewable generation capacity to strengthen supply resilience across the Waikato and beyond. It complements NewPower’s 35 MWh Rotohiko Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Huntly, creating a more flexible and responsive energy network for Aotearoa.
The name Taiohi, meaning youthful, was gifted by mana whenua, recognising the shared commitment to a future built on clean energy and partnership. NewPower has developed a close relationship with Maurea Marae and will continue to work alongside local communities to advance renewable energy solutions that reflect both environmental and cultural values.
Construction of Taiohi was led by Infratec New Zealand Limited, and supported by Feisst Electrical, Trilect Solar and PGS Profab Limited. Over the past four years, Infratec has delivered, or is currently building, nine solar farms and one BESS nationwide, adding more than 202 MW of generation capacity to New Zealand’s renewable landscape.
Among these is NewPower’s 12 MW Rangimārie Solar Farm, located in North Waikato and currently under construction, with first generation expected in Q2 2026.
Quote – “Taiohi represents the next stage in WEL’s commitment to accelerating New Zealand’s renewable-energy generation. Through NewPower and Infratec, we’re investing in local capability, creating partnerships with iwi, and building infrastructure that strengthens energy security for our communities.” David Barnett, Acting CEO, NewPower & Infratec.
Rangimārie Solar Farm – Kopuku, North Waikato – 12 MWdc – Under construction – Q2 2026 generation
Developer / Owner: NewPower Energy Ltd
Principal Contractor: Infratec New Zealand Ltd
Parent Company: WEL Networks Ltd
About NewPower Energy
NewPower Energy, a subsidiary of WEL Networks, develops, owns, and operates renewable-energy generation assets that strengthen New Zealand’s local-energy resilience. Its portfolio includes solar, battery, and emerging-technology projects across the North Island.
About Infratec New Zealand Ltd
Infratec is a renewable-energy specialist delivering design, engineering, and construction services across solar, wind, and battery projects. A wholly owned subsidiary of WEL Networks, Infratec builds infrastructure that accelerates the transition to a low-carbon future.
Principals across the country are horrified by the latest version of the national curriculum, for years 0 – 10, which has been drip-fed to them over the past two days.
“This third version of curriculum in two years, is a philosophical shift from the original design presented in 2023,” said Leanne Otene, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF)
“Inclusion and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi have long been foundational principles in our uniquely New Zealand curriculum. Now they are not even core expectations, making this feel like a foreign document,” said Otene.
“The 2023 draft was a curriculum grounded in partnership, belonging, and the mana of every learner. This latest version is grounded in standardisation, prescription and measurement. It is a reframing of the purpose of the curriculum and the purpose of education,” she said.
Otene and the NZPF membership are also critical of the process for curriculum change saying it lacks credibility and took no notice of representatives’ feedback and prevented them from seeking feedback from wider principal groups.
“Despite sector representatives providing detailed feedback on the English and Mathematics and Statistics curriculum, there is no evidence that substantive concerns were addressed in the final documents,” she said, “and non-disclosure agreements effectively shut the door on constructive dialogue with the wider community of principals.”
“We have paused all discussions with the Ministry of Education regarding the curriculum and will be meeting with all of our Regional and Local Principals’ Associations on Friday to further discuss the latest curriculum and provide feedback by the required date of April 2026,” she said.
“When a curriculum loses its focus on inclusion, wellbeing, and culturally sustaining practice, it’s our students who suffer,” said Otene.
“We owe it to our students, our communities, and our profession to get this right. That requires genuine consultation, adequate time for implementation, and a curriculum that is truly fit for purpose for Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Cycling or walking to work lowers your risk of several cancers, new research finds.
Cycling or walking to work will reduce your risk of several types of cancer, according to new research out of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
While earlier studies had established exercise reduced the risk of a number of cancers, they hadn’t specifically looked at how people travel to work, with active transport a sure way to meet health guidelines for exercise.
“It is one thing to say that people should be encouraged to be more physically active but simply telling them to ‘exercise more’ often doesn’t stick,” says Professor Alistair Woodward, an author of both studies and a public health researcher at the University of Auckland.
“Life is busy, and advice given in isolation rarely leads to lasting change. Using regular commuting as the vehicle for getting physical activity into people’s lives, is far more likely to lead to sustained change.”
In the first of two recent studies, lead author Dr Win Thu and colleagues examined 27 recent studies to establish that walking and/or cycling to work reduces the risk of breast cancer by 12 percent, endometrial cancer by 30 percent and colorectal (bowel or colon) cancer by 11 percent. See Environmental Health.
The latest study, using more than 250,000 health and life-event records from the UK Biobank and correlated with similar anonymised records for the population of Aotearoa, New Zealand, found dramatic reductions for a number of other cancers with active transport, walking or cycling, to work.
Published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the study found cycling to work was linked to a lower risk of colon cancer (28 percent), kidney cancer (40 percent) and stomach cancer (73 percent).
Walking to work was also associated with reduced risks of kidney cancer (33 percent) and liver cancer (45 percent).
There were signs cycling to work may help prevent other cancers too, but the evidence wasn’t strong enough to be conclusive, probably because fewer than 8 percent of participants were regular cyclists.
Dr Sandar Tin Tin, a public health researcher at the University of Auckland, says, “In light of these findings, active commuting should be promoted as an effective lifestyle intervention to prevent cancer and support better health and a cleaner environment.”
Woodward, who leads the University of Auckland’s health and transport research team, says: “Most research on active commuting has focused on heart disease, not cancer. Dr Win Thu’s work helps fill that gap by looking at common cancers that may be less likely in people who are more active.”
Earlier research out of the same team found that cyclists are the happiest commuters, and that cycling is safer than many people think.
“This new study is part of a bigger picture – our transport system is harming health, but it doesn’t have to be this way,” Woodward says.
“According to the NZ Household Travel Survey, two thirds of car trips are five kilometres or less. There’s no good reason we couldn’t match cities overseas where walking and cycling are ten times more common.”
Woodward says research supports the idea that our physical environment shapes our activity, including how we get to work, more than individual advice.
This research shows environments that encourage people to walk or cycle to work will reduce their risk of many types of cancer.
The Government has formally confirmed the Streamlined Planning Process that will be used for Auckland Council’s new housing plan, known as Plan Change 120 (PC120), RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.
“In August, as requested by Auckland Council, Parliament passed a law allowing Auckland Council to withdraw its controversial Plan Change 78 (PC78). The Council asked for the ability to not apply the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) and “downzone” areas of the city vulnerable to natural hazards like floods.
“The Government agreed to this request and the law now provides that the new plan change must deliver at least the same overall housing capacity as PC78 would have, while also enabling greater building heights and housing density around key stations that will benefit from the City Rail Link investment when it opens next year.
“By giving Auckland Council the option to withdraw PC78, we’ve returned decision-making to locals – Aucklanders will once again decide how and where housing growth happens in this important city for New Zealand’s future.
“Auckland Council has now formally withdrawn Plan PC78 and upon the Council’s request, responsible Ministers have now issued formal direction to the Council to enter the Streamlined Planning Process for PC120.
“As requested by Auckland Council, PC120 will proceed through a 20-month process (an increase from the 18 months initially signalled).
“Public submissions will be open from 3 November to 19 December 2025, followed by hearings in 2026 overseen by a panel with a minimum of eight and maximum of nine members. Four members will be appointed by Ministers, with the remaining members to be appointed by the Council. Ministers are working with the Council on who the Council will appoint as Chair.
“As I have said many times, it is important that Aucklanders have robust opportunities to participate in this important process. The Council itself has asked for a transparent process, and that’s exactly what we’re committed to delivering.
“Ministers have also issued a formal statement of expectations for PC120, which asks the hearings panel and Council to consider whether PC120 provisions unduly frustrate development, to test the appropriate distribution of housing capacity (including greenfield development), and to look at whether all planned rapid transit stops have been identified (including the Northwest Busway).
“We’ve consulted with Auckland Council on the draft direction and statement of expectations and refined these in response to some of the feedback. The Government has declined the request of the Council to remove the reference to greenfield development in the statement of expectations.
“As part of the process, a ‘friend of submitter’ service will be available to help Aucklanders engage with the plan change.
“I am confident the PC120 process will ensure local voices are at the centre of decisions on Auckland’s growth, while creating more housing options, making the most of the City Rail Link, and setting the city up for the future.
The direction takes effect from the date it is published in the New Zealand Gazette.
Note to editors:
On 24 September Auckland Council voted to withdraw Plan Change 78 and replace it with Plan Change 120.
Under the Resource Management Act, PC 120 must amend the Auckland Unitary Plan to provide at least as much housing capacity as PC78, enable greater density around key stations benefitting from CRL investment, and give effect to the intensification policies of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD).
A direction is required because the Council is using the Streamlined Planning Process for an Auckland Housing Planning Instrument. A direction is secondary legislation and takes effect from the date of Gazettal.
Ministers consulted with Auckland Council on the draft direction before issuing it.
The direction, including the statement of expectations, is available [The Resource Management (Direction to Auckland Council to use the Streamlined Planning Process to Prepare Proposed Plan Change 120: Housing Intensification and Resilience) Notice 2025 – 2025-sl6084- New Zealand Gazette]. Further information on PC120 is available on Auckland Council’s website.
Revenue Minister Simon Watts has today announced a refreshed Tax and Social Policy Work Programme which sharpens the focus on growing the economy by making New Zealand a more attractive place for capital, talent, and small business investment.
“The initial work programme we released last year focused on boosting productivity, bringing in much-needed capital and skills, and streamlining international tax settings. Our refreshed work programme builds on this momentum,” Mr Watts says.
“The refreshed work programme is about removing regulatory barriers and delivering a stable, predictable tax environment that directly supports growth and opportunity.”
The refreshed work programme has four pillars:
Attracting and retaining capital and talent
Supporting small businesses
Simplifying the tax system and improving integrity
Improvements to social policy
To encourage critical investment in infrastructure, targeted consultation begins today on refined thin-capitalisation proposals.
“We are removing barriers that currently discourage large-scale infrastructure investment. We are also progressing reforms to the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) regime and financial arrangement rules to both retain and attract talent here. These changes will help ensure our settings are modern, competitive, and do not inadvertently discourage productive investment,” Mr Watts says.
“The Government is also committed to making life easier for small businesses. This will include continuing work on simplification of the Fringe Benefit Tax subject to fiscal considerations. We will also be consulting on improvements to the GST regime.
“We are also working with intermediaries to reduce compliance costs and make tax treatment simpler and fairer. Inland Revenue is currently exploring a more flexible approach to income‑tax payments for sole traders and small businesses, and plans to consult on this in the first part of next year.
“We continue to focus on simplifying the tax system and improving integrity. This includes our ongoing policy work looking at the taxation of charities and not-for-profits, Inland Revenue’s compliance programme and the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that tax legislation remains up to date and fit for purpose.
“We’re getting on with targeted, practical reforms. This means listening to stakeholders, removing barriers, and delivering a stable, predictable tax environment that supports growth and opportunity for every New Zealander.
LISHUI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 October 2025 – At the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva earlier this year, a rural healthcare project from eastern China drew global attention.
The mountain county of Jingning She Autonomous County in Zhejiang’s Lishui City introduced its “Smart Mobile Hospital + AI” model — an innovation that shows how digital transformation can bring quality medical services to remote regions.
Delegates said the project offers a glimpse into how technology can bridge healthcare gaps for mountain communities, where access to doctors has long been limited by geography.
For 81‑year‑old Liu Yuyu, those gaps used to mean several hours on steep mountain roads just to see a specialist in Hangzhou, the provincial capital. Now she simply visits her township clinic and meets doctors through a high‑definition screen. Her entire medical history, stored in Zhejiang’s cloud‑based health system, allows specialists hundreds of kilometers away to review her data and adjust treatment in real time.
Such changes are reshaping healthcare in Jingning She Autonomous County in Lishui City, Liu’s mountainous hometown in eastern Zhejiang. Powered by Zhejiang Mobile’s 5G network, artificial intelligence and big‑data tools, the “Smart Mobile Hospital + AI” program is bringing advanced care to even the most remote villages.
In Jingning, known as a land of “nine parts mountain, half part water and half part field,” visiting a doctor has long been a challenge. Some residents still spend an hour to reach a township clinic and more than two hours to the county hospital. With the new system, consultations and diagnostics once requiring a trip to the city can now happen almost instantly.
To overcome the region’s rugged geography, Zhejiang Mobile has transformed its service vehicles into 5G‑enabled mobile clinics. Each van maintains a stable signal on winding roads, transmitting high‑resolution images and test results to upper‑level hospitals. Inside, AI‑based software analyzes symptoms and supports local doctors in diagnosing patients and recommending treatments.
Each vehicle works as a mini hospital, equipped with more than 20 types of medical devices — from portable ultrasounds and ECG monitors to lung‑function analyzers. Township physicians can perform examinations, prescribe medication, and even provide emergency care on site. For complicated cases, they connect instantly with specialists in city or provincial hospitals through the same 5G network.
Inside the Zhejiang Mobile 5G‑enabled mobile clinic, a doctor is using connected diagnostic devices to examine patients and transmit real‑time data to upper‑level hospitals.
Local health authorities say Zhejiang Mobile’s platform helps automate the screening of chronic illnesses such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and cataracts, recommending drugs or further tests. This has significantly improved early detection and reduced serious cases among elderly residents.
To make the “Smart Mobile Hospital” serve not only daily clinical needs but also emergency response, Zhejiang Mobile worked with local authorities to connect data systems across public security, civil affairs and social‑insurance departments. The company helped build an integrated workflow that unites pre‑hospital emergency services with in‑hospital treatment.
When an emergency occurs in a remote mountain area, the system can automatically match and dispatch both a mobile hospital and an ambulance, ensuring rapid, coordinated rescue.
“When patients board the vehicle, facial‑recognition technology immediately confirms their identity and retrieves family and insurance information,” said Chen Lifeng, the director of the Dajun Township Health Center in Jingning County. “All registration and admission procedures are completed in advance, so the patient is effectively admitted upon boarding.”
Through a real‑time 5G link between the vehicle and the hospital, vital‑sign data is transmitted to emergency rooms as doctors provide remote guidance. This enables continuous treatment across the chain — from rescue site to vehicle to hospital.
Seven Zhejiang Mobile medical units now serve Jingning County, covering 67 villages and 78 regular stops. They have traveled more than 250,000 kilometers and delivered care to over 100,000 residents. For families once separated from modern healthcare by mountains, access is finally within reach.
Local doctors say 5G and AI are changing not only how patients are treated but how they think about medicine. Regular screenings catch illnesses earlier, and growing trust in remote consultations encourages people to seek help sooner.
As China continues modernizing its vast primary‑healthcare network, Jingning’s experiment is being closely watched. Zhejiang Mobile’s Smart Mobile Hospital may become a model for other remote regions seeking affordable, technology‑driven medical solutions.
Liu, who once dreaded the long trip to the city, now jokes that her doctors travel farther than she does. “They come here through the screen,” she says with a laugh. “And I don’t miss the bus anymore.”
Hashtag: #ChinaMobileCommunicationsGroupZhejiang
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Police investigating the murder of Bill Maangi in Gisborne are seeking the movements of a vehicle of interest.
Mr Maangi died after being shot in the early hours of Monday 29 September, and while Police make good progress in the investigation, we are needing the public’s assistance.
A Hyundai Sonata [pictured], registration AFN215, was stolen from Forrest House, Ormond Road sometime between 7:30pm and midnight on Sunday 28 September.
The vehicle was seen heading into Riperata Street, turning left onto Lytton Road, before finally turning right into the Elgin area.
It was seen again around 9am on Monday 29 September in the Stout Street/Aberdeen Road area.
Police recovered the vehicle on Monday 20 October, from Churchill Street.
We are urging anyone who may have information, or saw the pictured Hyundai Sonata at any time between Sunday 28 September and Monday 20 October, to please come forward immediately.
The vehicle is currently undergoing forensic examinations.
Information can be provided by going online or calling 105 and quoting file number: 250929/9035.
Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting the same file number.
Port Chalmers Police investigating wilful damage to a home on Kaira Street, Sawyers Bay are appealing to the community for information.
On Tuesday 28 October Police received a report from someone who found their window damaged on Friday 24 October, after being awoken by sounds coming from outside their home.
Upon investigation, Police have found that the window has been damaged from someone discharging some sort of air rifle into the property.
Thankfully, no one was injured, however the victim is understandably shaken by the incident.
Police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed anything unusual around the Kaira Street area between 1am and 3am on Friday 24 October, to please contact Police.
We are also urging anyone with CCTV footage, for the same time, around Kaira Street, Fairview Terrace, and the stretch of Hall Road between Hugh Street and Tewsley Street, to please contact us so that we can review the footage.
Information can be provided by calling 105 and quoting file number: 251028/9304.
Alternatively, if you can provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting the same file number.
Pharmac’s Reset Programme is on track, with the completion of first 90-day action plan, Associate Health Minister David Seymour says.
90-day plans promote transparency and accountability. They are part of the first 12-month phase of Pharmac’s five-year Reset Programme, developed in response to a series of external reviews.
“For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.
“My expectation is that Pharmac should have strong processes so patients, their families, and clinicians, can have a say in decisions. This is part of the ACT-National Coalition Agreement.
“In November last year Pharmac hosted the Consumer Engagement Workshops. Patients and advocates voiced their hopes at resetting the patient – Pharmac relationship. Pharmac listened and developed a plan to achieve this.
“Following the report Pharmac invited workshop participants, in association with the wider consumer-patient representative community, to select a working group. Dr Malcolm Mulholland was selected as the chair. The Consumer and Patient Working Group has been set up for the initial 12-month phase of the Reset Programme.
“The Working Group provides insight, lived experience, and practical advice to ensure the Pharmac Reset Programme is designed in a way that reflects the needs, values, and perspectives of consumers. This first phase will lay the foundation for a more transparent, outward focused, and collaborative organisation and support the wider culture reset of Pharmac.”
The first 90-day plan, which ran from 1 July to 30 September 2025, saw key actions completed including:
Appointing a 10-member Consumer and Patient Working Group chaired by patient advocate Dr Malcolm Mulholland.
Developing a consumer advocate database has been developed and populated with support from the Working Group, representing a diverse range of health conditions and communities with high health needs. This will support ongoing engagement with consumers and patients.
Finding ways to better reflect patient impact in Pharmac’s data to strengthen future Budget bids, including by releasing Budget 2025/26 information proactively to support informed consumer input and advice.
Published an update on its progress in responding to the 2022 Pharmac Review recommendations, providing greater clarity for patients.
“The Working Group has played a key role in supporting the delivery of these actions by providing advice and contributing to implementation. Their work complements the strategic advice provided by Pharmac’s Consumer Advisory Committee,” Mr Seymour says.
“We’ve already got some runs on the board in this first quarter, and next we’ll be diving into the processes that matter most to consumers and patients. Pharmac’s work is vitally important, and our focus is on helping the organisation to work as well as it can,” says Dr Mulholland.
One additional action is currently in progress:
Pharmac is expanding its engagement function to include dedicated relationship managers who will build and maintain relationships with key consumer and patient groups.
Work is already underway on the next 90-day action plan, which includes:
Developing guidelines on when and how to consult with patients regarding funding decisions, brand changes, supply issues, or strategic initiatives.
Agreeing on the best approach and developing resources to support this to incorporate patient voices and lived experiences in clinical meetings.
Creating a joined-up communications planning approach with patient groups and agreeing on a framework for patient storytelling.
Partnering with consumers to identify short-term and long-term improvements to the medicine application funding process.
Continuing work to create a new future-focused and inclusive vision and strategy that reflects the needs and aspirations of staff, consumers, and other stakeholders.
“The Government is doing its part. Last year we allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders,” Mr Seymour says.
