Missed opportunity to stop the stealing of Māori land

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March 13, 2025

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act.

“Today represents a missed opportunity to end a legacy of injustice that has seen Māori land stolen across generations,” says Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon.

“My Bill aimed to address a critical flaw in the Public Works Act, whereby Māori land can be acquired by a Minister or local authority for public works, without the consent of affected Māori communities.

“For generations, te iwi Māori have watched as land has been taken, piece by piece, acre by acre and never returned.

“We have already lost so much, Māori should be empowered to say yes or no when it comes to the possession of their land. It is this choice, this tino rangatiratanga that lies at the core of my Bill, something the Government chose to shoot down.

“Our Prime Minister has the audacity to tell Māori that Te Tiriti is our past, present and future, yet also undermine the very foundation of our founding agreement by allowing the confiscation of Māori land to continue. As a result, this tool of the Crown will continue to be used today, tomorrow, and into our future.

“However, today was just a speed bump on the road to Te Tiriti justice. We know the movement we are building, that we are seeing flood streets across the motu, will not allow this injustice to continue for much longer,” says Hūhana Lyndon.

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Our Waitarakao Strategy adoption accelerates action

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March 13, 2025

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Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Our Waitarakao: Waitarakao Washdyke Lagoon Catchment Strategy includes measures to increase natural hazard resilience, address poor water quality and improve biodiversity. As well as planning the long-term future for lagoon and surrounding areas, including adjoining creeks and nearby wetlands.

A small gathering of about 40 people took place on Sunday 9 March overlooking the lagoon, to witness the project partners signing the strategy and to celebrate its adoption.

It marked the culmination of 18 months’ work by the community and four partner agencies – Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, Timaru District Council, the Department of Conservation and us.

Working together for the mauri of Waitarakao

Chair Craig Pauling said the adoption of the strategy signifies a shared commitment to working towards the long-term health and sustainability of Waitarakao.

“Waitarakao is quite a rare coastal environment in this region, with unique ecosystems and important habitat for wildlife. The community and our partners are taking this restoration seriously – it’s a great example of collective action for the environment.”

That collaboration across the community was also highlighted by the other partners.

According to Timaru Mayor Nigel Bowen, “This strategy is an example of what can be achieved when multiple agencies come together and work as one.

“As a coastal town, it is important that we look after our environments, for our future generations. The success of the strategy can be credited to the high level of community engagement.”

Department of Conservation Geraldine Operations Manager Tony Preston is looking forward to getting stuck in.

“The genuine collaboration between partners and the community while developing the strategy has been fantastic, we look forward to working with the community and local businesses as we get stuck in to the planned work.”

Fiona Pimm, Chair of Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua reiterated the significance of the area.

“Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua are pleased to see the efforts and passion of many different interests come together in the signing of this strategy to protect Waitarakao.

“This is a special place with historic significance to our Arowhenua whānau and more recently a place of significance to Timaru settlers. It is a place where we share common values for protection of our environment.”

Next steps

Our Waitarakao is a collaboration between the community and the four partner organisations to deal with problems faced now in this unique coastal catchment, as well as planning ahead for a time when erosion may reduce the lagoon to a much smaller size.

The strategy includes actions to improve water quality, biodiversity and natural hazard resilience, as well as an ambitious long-term approach to create pockets of new wildlife habitat.

The strategy will be implemented through first steps and ongoing actions, which will be carried out with the help and involvement of the community.

Businesses, landowners and the community are invited to share resources and combine in positive actions in the catchment. Things like riparian plantings and pest control, sponsoring projects and donating resources and volunteer time.

Find our more about Our Waitarakao and how you can get involved.

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Minister Weeds Wokeness Out Of MFAT

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March 13, 2025

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Source: Family First

Media Release – 12 March 2025

Family First NZ is welcoming moves by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters to ‘weed out the wokeness’ from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a result of an exposé by Family First on some of the content on the MFAT website and also its actions around the Pacific Islands.

In a Substack by CEO Bob McCoskrie by CEO Bob McCoskrie, the government body that should represent New Zealand to other governments, ensure security in the region, and negotiate trade agreements has become fully captive to DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) & wokeness.

Their website zeroes in on sexual orientation and gender identity, intersectionality, “inclusion of our rainbow communities”, and they have even produced a glossary of reo Māori terminology for people of diverse SOGIESC – compliments of the taxpayer.

MFAT says: “In this way, we celebrate the place of rainbow communities in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of the diversity of the peoples of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.”

The MFAT website says:

“Indigenous Takatapui LGBTQIA+ terminology are crucial for people-centred development in the Pacific as they honour and recognise the diverse cultural expressions and experiences of Indigenous peoples of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa…. It fosters cultural pride, self-determination, and social cohesion, promoting inclusive and sustainable development in the region.”

The then-Labour government also appointed an “Ambassador for Gender Equality (Pacific) / Tuia Tangata” in 2022 who travelled around Pacific countries pushing wokeness.

According to a report on the Newsroom website in 2022;

“Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced Louisa Wall’s appointment as a new ambassador for gender equality in the Pacific – less than a fortnight after Wall announced the end of her 14-year career in Parliament. The timing of Wall’s appointment, coupled with the well-established tensions between the outspoken MP and some within Labour, led to speculation that the role – to which she was appointed directly, without advertisement – had been created to move her on from Parliament.”

In response to the expose, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters released a statement this morning, saying:

“Since returning to the Foreign Affairs portfolio in November 2023, the Minister has been concerned about the impact that the woke agenda of his predecessor and the Ardern/Hipkins Government had on New Zealand’s diplomacy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Over the past 16 months, the Minister has made clear to successive Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Trade that he expects MFAT and New Zealand’s diplomats to reflect the agenda of the current New Zealand Government. This has included a determination to remove references to the previous government’s policy priorities from the Ministry’s online publications.

While the Minister continues to hold New Zealand’s diplomats in the highest esteem, he is disappointed that there continue to be outdated references to discretionary legacy initiatives of the previous Labour Government on the MFAT website. He has instructed Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Bede Corry to review the Ministry’s website and ensure its alignment with the Coalition Government’s agenda.

He looks forward to that review being conducted with a sense of urgency.”

It’s time that MFAT got back to their core activity – foreign affairs and trade, security in the region (including especially the Cook Islands), free trade deals – rather than ramming down DEI and Wokeism 101 down the throat of every other country.

This appears to be the target of the NZ First bill released last week, and should be supported by the coalition partners National and ACT.

MIL OSI

Road rebuild works to kick off on SH1 Kawakawa

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) contractors will be rebuilding a section of State Highway 1 through Kawakawa from Sunday (16 March).

The project will reconstruct the highway on both sides of the railway tracks, as well as where the highway crosses the tracks. However, the pavement lane for the railway itself will not be rebuilt. The road will then be resurfaced with asphalt either side of the tracks, with enhanced surfacing treatments at the points where the highway crosses the tracks for improved safety.

Work will take place overnight between the SH1/State Highway 11 roundabout and approximately 35m north of Rayner Street overnight from 8pm – 5am, Sunday to Thursday nights, to minimise disruption.

Stop/go traffic management will be in place during the works, and a 30km/h temporary speed limit will remain in place 24 hours for the duration.

View larger map [PDF, 154 KB]

There will be no parking along this section of SH1 (the main street of Kawakawa) Sunday to Thursday nights, from 6pm to 6am. At different stages of the works, access to SH1 will be closed from Vogel St, Commercial St, Wynyard St, Albert St and Gillies St, with detours in place via Gillies St, Church St and Commercial St.

There will be increased noise for residents and businesses in the area. Travel delays are expected to be less than 5minutes. We encourage road users to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.

Work is expected to be completed on Thursday 17 April.

Access for residents and emergency services will be maintained throughout the works.

Please be patient and treat our crews with kindness and respect. Reduce your speed, adhere to the temporary speed limits and follow the directions of traffic management staff and signs.

Rebuilding the road, which often involves replacing all or most of the structural road layers, improves the longevity of the network, the resilience and ultimately the safety and efficiency for all road users.

This summer maintenance period (September 2024 to May 2025), we’re investing in the largest road rebuild programme ever for the region, with Northland one of three regions across Aotearoa with the most significant road rebuild programmes over the next three years. 

This work is weather dependent and there may be changes to the planned works in the case of unsuitable weather. Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website for up-to-date information on these works, including any changes due to weather.

Journey Planner(external link)

For more information about the overall maintenance programme and planned works, visit the Northland state highway maintenance programme website:

Northland state highway maintenance programme(external link)

Receive email updates on upcoming road maintenance by signing up to:

NZTA thanks everyone for their understanding and support while we carry out this essential maintenance to improve the safety and efficiency of Northland’s state highway network.

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State Highway 1 Desert Road to re-open after 2-month closure

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

New Zealand’s largest and most ambitious road maintenance project, the Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance programme, reaches a major milestone this week with the reopening of State Highway 1 (SH1) at the Desert Road on Friday 14 March.

SH1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru, including the Desert Road, has been closed to traffic since 13 January. It’s been a major undertaking, with a large amount of work achieved in a short time, says Roger Brady, Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

“In just over 8 weeks NZ Transport Agency contractors have rebuilt and repaired 28 lane kilometres of road, which is 12 lane kms more than planned, and completely rebuilt the deck of the Mangatoetoenui Bridge, 23 kilometres south of Rangipō,” Mr Brady says.

This maintenance work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.

“By doing the work under full road closures, more invasive construction methods can be used which would not be possible under stop/go traffic management. It means SH1 is being brought up to a higher standard quickly, and New Zealanders can get back on a quality road surface sooner,” Mr Brady says.

The team is putting in a huge effort to get the road reopened on schedule, laying an average of 500 tonnes a day of asphalt over the last week.

The Desert Road will re-open to traffic from 1pm on Friday 14 March.

Some parts of the Desert Road will reopen under traffic management, including temporary speed limits, while the chipseal is embedded further by the vehicles using the road. This is expected to only be for 3-4 days as the team has spent some time getting this done with the machinery on site.

Road users should be mindful of loose chip and drive to the signposted speed limit, leaving a good following distance from the car in front, ideally 3 car lengths or more is suggested.

While SH1 was closed the detour (from north to south) was via SH41, SH47, SH4, SH49 and back to SH1 in Waiouru. This added around 35-40 minutes to journeys but proved a welcome boon for many businesses along the detour route.

There will be further works required to finish the final surface on the Desert Road later in the year. This work will, wherever possible, be done at night. The scheduling is still being worked through for when this final surfacing will be done.

Here’s what’s been achieved on SH1 in central and southern Waikato since September 2024:

Lane kms completed: 86.78 lane kms (480,926m2)
Road rebuild using foam bitumen stabilising completed: 51 lane kms (270,102m2)
Road rebuild using structural asphalt concrete completed: 4.78 lane kms (26,837m2)
Re-seals completed: 31 lane kms (162,514m2) – includes chip seal and asphalt concrete surfacing
Tonnes of aggregate used: Approximately 162,609
Truckloads of metal: Up to 145 loads per site per day
Number of workforce hours to date (road crews): approx. 85,000
Number of lost-time injuries: Zero
Number of contracting firms utilised: Up to 32 working at once

Short video of the team working on the Mangatoetoenui bridge here:

[embedded content]

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Boosting rural connectivity and economic growth

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is progressing a suite of regulatory changes aimed at improving telecommunication services for rural communities and promote economic growth, says Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith.
“World-class connectivity services are vital to Kiwis’ everyday lives. This Government is ensuring we have the right regulatory settings in place for this important market, to support competition, foster innovation and help stimulate economic growth.
“Better connectivity, especially for rural areas means improved reliability for everyone- businesses, people accessing digital healthcare, and remote learning for kids. More services also improves competition driving down the monthly cost of telecommunications for households and businesses.
“One of the key changes I am making is removing regulatory barriers for the smaller local fibre companies, enabling them to deliver other wholesale telecommunication services, so they can offer different types of connectivity to people in hard to reach areas.
The suite of changes includes:

Permanently reinstate the rights that allow fibre providers to access shared property to install fibre in certain circumstances and make minor adjustments to the rights to improve their effectiveness.
Mandate membership in an industry dispute resolution scheme for retail telecommunications providers with revenue over $10 million.
Expand applicability of the telecommunications regulatory regime to offshore providers, where relevant to the services they offer.
Amendments to the company constitutions of Enable Networks, Tuatahi First Fibre and Northpower Fibre to expand permitted activities, to align with Chorus.

“Reliable and high-quality digital connectivity networks improve productivity and are essential to growing our economy and easing the cost of living,” Mr Goldsmith says.
More information on the changes is available on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s website here: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/it-communications-and-broadband/our-role-in-the-ict-sector

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INVESTMENT SUMMIT – Easing red tape to encourage investment

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Government

Regulation Minister and Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has set out the Government’s work making it easier to do business by improving our regulatory settings in a speech to the New Zealand Infrastructure Investment Summit.
“This Government is committed to getting regulation right. Good regulatory settings attract more investment and achieve higher productivity and wages for New Zealanders,” Mr Seymour says.
“We must be better regulators, provide more certainty, and less red tape. That’s why we set up the Ministry for Regulation with the task of making sure that the Government’s number one regulatory consideration is the impact on regulated parties. In November last year we launched a new Red Tape Tipline to hear from regulated parties so that we could help them get on and do their jobs.
“Better regulation is better for all investors, both inside and outside New Zealand. The Government is also making it easier, quicker, and more transparent for foreign investors to invest in New Zealand businesses.
“When businesses can invest in better machinery and tools, workers are more productive. And when productivity increases, wages rise. Overseas investment also means businesses have access to valuable knowledge, expertise, and global networks that help them market their products more effectively.”

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Have you seen Keylin?

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police are seeking the public’s help to locate Keylin, who has been reported missing from Papakura.

Keylin, 15, was last seen in the Papakura area on 3 March

He is described as about 165cms tall with black wavy hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing black jeans, black shoes and had a Nike bag.

Police and Keylin’s family have concerns for his wellbeing and would like to see him return home safely.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact Police online at http://www.police.nz/use-105/update-report, or call 105 and quote file number 250311/6977.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

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Police seeking Perry Collins

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police are seeking information on the whereabouts of Perry Collins.

The 28-year-old has a parole recall warrant and Police are seeking to locate him.

We believe Collins may be in the wider west Auckland area, but he also is known to have connections in the Northland region.

If you have information on Collins’ whereabouts, contact Police.

You can update Police online now or call 105 using the reference number 250128/8581.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

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Gangs Act: First dispersal notice issued following Auckland firearms incident

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March 13, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police have issued the first dispersal notice, three months after new laws bolstered enforcement of offending involving gang members.

It comes as more than 400 charges have been laid for insignia breaches since 21 November 2024.

On Friday afternoon, Waitematā Police responded to a firearms event in Torbay on Auckland’s North Shore.

A report was made about a firearm being presented at an address on Toroa Street, before offenders left in three vehicles.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham says frontline staff and the Waitematā Offender Prevention Team deployed to the area.

“Two vehicles of interest were located entering the Northern Motorway at Oteha Valley Road.

“Our staff carried out an armed traffic stop on the on-ramp and extracted occupants of both vehicles.”

All six were extracted without incident and detained. A further search of one of the vehicles unearthed a loaded handgun and cannabis.

Police have charged a 28-year-old man with firearms offences, and he has been remanded in custody to reappear in the North Shore District Court.

An 18-year-old man was summonsed to the North Shore District Court on possessing cannabis.

Assistant Commissioner Basham says a dispersal notice was issued to occupants of both vehicles stopped on the on-ramp.

Three of those were patched members of the HeadHunters motorcycle gang, and others were gang associates.

“It goes to show that the new tools available to all of our Police staff is assisting in holding gangs to account when members, or associates, are committing violent offending,” Assistant Commissioner Basham says.

“While two were charged over the firearms and drug offences, there were four others present when this reckless offending took place.

“The dispersal notice stipulates that they must leave the area immediately and not associate with each other for seven days.”

Under the Gangs Act, it is an offence if either of the group are found to be associating with each other in this period.

That’s not the only milestone for the Gangs Act.

As of 11 March 2024, 403 charges had been laid for insignia breaches under the new law. Over the same period, more than 4,000 charges have been laid against gang members.

Assistant Commissioner Basham says: “It’s still early days but anecdotally we are seeing that new powers are meaning gangs have been forced to re-think their behaviour in public.

“We continue to encourage this high level of compliance and good judgment as we move forward.”

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

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