Witnesses sought after serious assault, Taradale

February 27, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Please attribute to Detective Sergeant Glenn Restieaux of Hastings Police:

Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after an assault that left a young person critically injured.

About 12.40pm yesterday, in the vicinity of Bellevue Dairy Gloucester Street, Taradale, a group of young people was approached by a male who had just exited a car with others.

The male then allegedly assaulted a 14-year-old in the group, and a fight broke out between the two groups.

The 14-year-old was transported to hospital with critical injuries. He remains there in a serious but stable condition.

The second group fled in the vehicle, which was later located and seized.

Police are now working to establish the full circumstances of what occurred, and identify those responsible for the assault.

We know there were several other members of the public who were in the area at the time, and we are hoping they have valuable information to share.

If you can help, please use our 105 service and quote reference number 250227/9346.

You can also share information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Greenpeace obtains coordinates of coral destruction NZ Government refused to reveal

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: Greenpeace

The New Zealand government is refusing to release details of the location a New Zealand bottom trawler hauled up deep sea coral late last year, despite Greenpeace offering to go and survey the damage at the site with deep sea cameras.

But following requests from the scientist in charge of designing the impending deep sea survey, Australia has released these coordinates so that documentation of the impact can go ahead.

Under SPRFMO, the best available information is meant to be provided on the nature of an encounter such as this, and Greenpeace has offered to go and document the site as part of their Seamounts Expedition, due to commence in March 2025.

But requests from Greenpeace for the coordinates of the area were declined by the New Zealand Government due to ‘commercial sensitivity’. The Australian SPRFMO Commissioner has now released these coordinates in response to requests from the expedition’s Lead Researcher.

Greenpeace’s Ellie Hooper is calling the New Zealand government’s refusal to share the coordinates “ludicrous” and “a blatant example of the Luxon led government running interference for the fishing industry.”

Hooper says: “In collaboration with scientists, we’re heading out to the deep ocean to survey vital habitats so we can see what lives there and how that life is being impacted by bottom trawling, including hopefully surveying this impacted site.

“We want to add to our collective understanding of these deep sea ecosystems, about which so little is known, and to shine a light in the dark.”These coordinates have already been shared with all fishing companies and SPRFMO countries, so why is the information being hidden?

“Australia clearly has a more progressive and transparent approach when it comes to deep-sea management, and has provided us with the opportunity to go to this area and attempt to survey it.”

Seamounts and other underwater hills and knolls are ocean lifelines, often home to diverse coral and sponges, and are key breeding grounds for fish and feeding spots for migrating whales.

“The main threat to these ecosystems is bottom trawling,” says Hooper.

It’s estimated that coral brought to the surface by trawlers is only a small fraction of what’s destroyed on the seafloor.1

Next week, Greenpeace Aotearoa will embark on its Seamounts Expedition, where deep sea cameras will be used to collect images and data of these ecosystems, and identify the species living on them.

“To make the most informed decisions on the ocean, we need more observation and science, something that appears to be being blocked by NZ,” says Hooper. “Less than 1% of the world’s seamounts have been surveyed, and most of what we do know about these places is from what’s dragged up dead in bottom trawl nets. That’s a pretty sad reality. “We’re setting out to try and uncover some of the secrets of the deep, it’s challenging work and we don’t know exactly what we ‘ll find – but we’re committed to trying.”

In November 2024 last year it was reported that an NZ bottom trawler, Westfleet’s Tasman Viking pulled up 37kg of deep sea coral from the Lord Howe Rise area, in the international waters of the South Pacific.
This triggered a suspension of all fishing in the area.
Greenpeace is offering to survey the impact site using deep sea cameras as part of a seamounts survey we’re carrying out in March 2025
But the NZ government has turned down Greenpeace’s request for the information quoting commercial sensitivities, despite all fishing operators, and SPRFMO states already being notified of the location.
The Australian SPRFMO Commissioner [ lead of their delegation to the RFMO] responded to requests from the Lead Researcher on the seamounts expedition, providing the coordinates of the closed area..
Greenpeace says NZ failing to release the data is clearly the government protecting the commercial fishing industry above gathering scientific information about the impact of the encounter.
After a VME encounter such as this in the SPRFMO zone [high seas], states are meant to use the best available scientific information to assess the impact. Documenting the site would inarguably be the best available information, and Greenpeace is offering to provide this with the survey.
The Greenpeace seamounts expedition will commence in March 2025 and is designed to gather deep sea imagery of deep sea habitats both in the waters of Aotearoa and the international waters of the South Pacific.
Greenpeace plans to make the findings available so they can be used to improve our collective knowledge of the deep sea.

Notes: Coral in nets to destroyed on seafloor ratios:1. Geange, S. et al 2017, SC7-DW14, and Stephenson, F. et al 2022, SC10-DW04

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1 in 6 New Zealanders are disabled – Stats NZ media and information release: Disability statistics: 2023

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: Statistics New Zealand

1 in 6 New Zealanders are disabled – 27 February 2025 – An estimated 17 percent of people living in New Zealand households were disabled in 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

New data from the 2023 Household Disability Survey (HDS) found 10 percent of children (98,000) and 18 percent of adults (753,000) were disabled. In total, 851,000 people (17 percent) were disabled.

The 2023 HDS used questions based on those developed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG). The WG’s work is supported by the United Nations Statistical Commission to improve statistics about disabled people. Shorter versions of the WG question sets are used in other social surveys in New Zealand. This is the first time the HDS has used questions based on those developed by the WG to identify disabled people, which means that results can’t be compared with those from previous disability surveys. For more information, see Household Disability Survey 2023 – findings, definitions, and design summary.

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Disabled people need more care and support – Stats NZ media and information release: Disability statistics: 2023

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Disabled people need more care and support – 27 February 2025 – Half a million disabled people living in New Zealand households need more care or support in at least one important area of daily life, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

The 2023 Household Disability Survey (HDS) found that 62 percent of disabled people (506,000) had at least one unmet need.

“Unmet need refers to situations where a person doesn’t have something they need in the way of support, reasonable accommodations, medical care, home modifications, or equipment,” social and community spokesperson Nicolette Edgar said.

‘Reasonable accommodations’ are changes needed for disabled people to participate on an equal basis and to exercise their human rights.

Files:

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BusinessNZ – Business backs a four year term

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ says there is support from the private sector for a longer political term in New Zealand, as the Government looks to introduce legislation extending it to four years.

Chief Executive Katherine Rich says extending the term is an important step towards improving the New Zealand’s governance and encouraging longer-term plans to fix major economic problems.

“A four-year term is not a new idea, it’s been discussed each decade by both National and Labour since at least the 1960s and put to the public twice by referendum.

“Most countries operate with four or five-year electoral terms. New Zealand’s three-year electoral term is one reason for the policy pendulum swings which contribute to a failure by successive governments to execute long term solutions.

“The reality is three years is too short to govern successfully – particularly when we are facing complex economic problems or long-term trends like the costs and impacts of our aging population, which may require tough political decisions to solve.

“BusinessNZ has long been a supporter of a longer term because business leaders value policy stability and a predictable environment where they can pursue productivity, innovation and growth, and feel confident about investing. Our current campaign Future Vision has been gauging support from businesses, who are largely in favour of a longer term.

“Business investment horizons surpass political terms, and successive flip-flops do nothing to enhance New Zealand’s reputation as a safe place to invest and do business.

“Political leaders hoping for change this time around will have to present a compelling narrative to explain the benefits in a way that rebuts fear, cynicism and tendency towards the status quo.”

The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

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Farmers welcome Taranaki adverse event declaration

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is pleased the Government has recognised the desperate situation of some Taranaki farmers with the declaration of a medium-scale adverse event across the province.

“The lack of any decent rain for several months, compounding a year and a half of much lower than usual rainfall, is causing huge stress for farmers,” Federated Farmers Taranaki president Leedom Gibbs says.

“That’s especially in the Manaia, Hāwera and Kakaramea hotspots.

“They’ve never seen it so extremely dry, so early.”

Water tables are very low, meaning wells and bores have dried up and farmers have had to truck in water as well as feed.

“On top of bank interest rates and other costs, this is just another big layer of worry for those farmers.”

Gibbs says most New Zealanders are isolated from drought impacts but for farmers the situation is “desperate and very real.

“Getting enough water and feed for the animals they feel a huge duty of care for, weighs on their mind.

“Finances are under pressure too, and whether or not you’re in business, you can understand the stress that adds.”

The adverse event declaration means extra funding for Rural Support’s counselling and advisory services, with flexibility around tax for affected farmers, and the potential for Rural Assistance Payments from the Ministry of Social Development.

“As much as those things, it’s also the official recognition of the seriousness of what’s happening to them,” Gibbs says.

She chairs the Rural Coordinating Group (RCG) that has been running a series of farmer support events in the district.

“Where it’s needed, dairy herds are being dried off early and all stock that’s not needed for next year has already gone to the works.

“Drought impacts can be like a slow-moving landslide, and the earlier you respond to it as a farmer and get plans in place, the better off you are,” Gibbs says.

“For any farmer that might still need a prompt to start necessary actions, the adverse event declaration will help.”

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First Responders – Waipoua River fire update #2

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Eight helicopters, five heavy machinery and around 50 firefighters are back fighting the Waipoua River fire today.

Incident Controller Corey Matchitt says the aim today is to keep on top of the fire from the air while establishing containment lines on the ground.

“We did not lose any structures overnight, and we will continue to protect structures today,” he says.

“As we work with heavy machinery to establish the containment lines, we will have iwi alongside us to identify sites of significance and ensure they are not disturbed.”

Around 20 homes were evacuated on Wednesday night as the fire took hold. A community meeting was held with evacuees this morning.

Corey Matchitt says crews were working as quickly as possible to get people back into their homes, but this would only be done when it was safe to do so.

“The safety of residents and our people is at the forefront of everything we do.

“I would like to thank those who have been evacuated for their patience and understanding.

“It can be a very hard thing to do to leave your home when a fire is near, but doing so has meant everyone is safe. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect their homes.

“I would also like to thank the public for staying away from the area. We need to keep these roads clear so our ground crews can get to where they need to go.”

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Corey Matchitt says the incident is a reminder of how quickly a fire can move in these dry conditions.

“I would like to remind everyone across Northland that we are in a restricted fire season, so you need a permit to light an open-air fire.

“It is important if you do have a permit to adhere to the conditions of the permit and to check it’s alright before you light at www.checkitsalright.nz.

“This fire is an example of how things can turn really quickly if a fire does get out of control.”

There’ll be another update later today.

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Universities – Team behind University’s first Pacific Strategy spans the Moana

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

Finance Opposition spokesperson, the Hon Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds visited her alma mater, the University of Auckland to talk with Business academics and learn more about the Pacific Strategy and Pacific Academy initiatives launching this year.

Edmonds (Fale’ula, Faleatiu, Safotu, Fasito’o/Sāmoa) is the MP for Mana and visited the University on 24 February. She met with leaders from the School of Business, Schools and Community Engagement, and the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific.

“It’s nice to be back home, it does feel like home, this is my alma mater where I did my Law and Arts degree that set me up for my career.”

Edmonds says it was good to be amongst Pacific students and to have in-depth discussions focused on economic policies.

“We had good discussions with the School of Business, around macro and micro economic policies that we will be testing as part of our policies that we will be forming,” she says.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific Professor Jemaima Sipaea Tiatia-Siau says drafting the University’s first Pacific Strategy in 142 years has been a huge task over the last year; having someone with the expertise and calibre of the Finance Opposition Spokesperson view the work undertaken highlights the strategy’s significance.

“We’re grateful to have had the Hon Barbara Edmonds come onto campus, to be able to share with her the work we have undertaken.

“She’s a great example of why drawing up a road map for Pacific success here at the University is important, so that our young people can flourish at the University and leave ready to take on the world.”

Professor Tiatia-Siau says the Mana MP relished learning about initiatives to prepare school leavers for the university environment such as Auckland Maths Challenge and the Pacific Academy, ensuring Pacific youth were able to thrive.

Edmonds says it was also important to encourage the Pacific community into the Business space. She pivoted during her career path starting out in Health Sciences before graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in 2008, going on to become a specialist tax lawyer.

A mother of eight, her path to becoming a Cabinet Minister began eight years ago while working as a private secretary for the National Party’s Ministers of Revenue, Michael Woodhouse and Judith Collins. The following year in 2017 she was appointed as a political adviser for the Labour Government’s Revenue and Police Minister Stuart Nash. She entered Parliament in 2020 as the MP for Mana and became a Cabinet Minister in 2023, holding the Internal Affairs and Pacific Peoples portfolios.

“I came into the business space through the Arts and through Law, it was a very different pathway, says the 44-year-old.

“I got into the area of tax through law, it’s a good indicator of broadening [your scope]. The Humanities and the Arts are important, it means you have a good grounding for a diverse career.

“I’ve been really fortunate that I had a good grounding here, with the Law School and with the Faculty of Arts, and that means decades later you become a Finance Opposition spokesperson for a major political party – don’t knock the Arts!”

Professor Tiatia-Siau says Edmonds’ visit to give guidance and moral support to developing the Pacific Strategy was timely.

“We are this week welcoming our first-year students and we are also on the eve of a great milestone. The presence of Pesetatamalelagi the Hon. Barbara Edmonds is a show of support for the work we are doing, and she is a wonderful role model of what can be accomplished once you have secured a university education.”

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Environment – Agricultural and horticultural review presents opportunities for EPA

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: Environmental Protection Authority

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) welcomes the recommendations in the Ministry for Regulation’s Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review, which was released today.

Working with the Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry for the Environment, and the EPA, the review aimed to identify system-wide opportunities to improve timely access to agricultural and horticultural products.

“The EPA recognises the importance that timely assessments and decisions on agrichemicals have for industry.

“We welcome the opportunity for further improvements to the legislation, and how we operate,” says EPA Chief Executive Dr Allan Freeth.

“We already have work underway that relates to some of the recommendations in the review.”

We are making a raft of changes to improve our timeframes for hazardous substance applications, including:

– bolstering our frontline by recruiting up to 11 new staff to assess applications

– developing new group standards for low-risk hazardous substances

– working with other agencies on amendments to the HSNO Act

– improving communication and transparency with applicants and stakeholders.

“We will continue to work closely with the other relevant agencies, and our stakeholders, to implement the report’s recommendations. This includes providing advice on technical and operational matters – including resourcing implications – so we are best placed to progress these improvements,” Dr Freeth says.

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Employment – NZDF and PSA dispute settled

LiveNews Publisher

February 27, 2025

Source: PSA

PSA members at the New Zealand Defence Force have settled their dispute after nearly 8 months of bargaining and strike action. NZDF had previously refused to budge from an offer that included no pay rises.

This week PSA members, who are civilian workers, voted to ratify a new collective agreement which includes pay increases for every union member covered by the Collective Agreement.

“Collective action gets results, even in the face of Government austerity and hostility towards public service workers,” said PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. “Our members refused to be disrespected and took action. They forced NZDF and the Government to take notice and table a new offer.”

PSA members escalated industrial action last year after NZDF offered no pay rises during negotiations for a new collective agreement.

This triggered a rare use of powers by the Minister of Defence, approving the military undertaking the work of striking civilian workers. A settlement was agreed after two days of facilitation by the Employment Relations Authority in January and has now been ratified by union members.

“Such a drawn-out dispute is tough for members, but the alternative was accepting no pay increase while the cost of living is still high,” said Fitzsimons. “Through their determination and resolve they’ve won recognition and respect they deserve.”

“There is still the outstanding issue of increased funding to restore the cuts made to NZDF and to stop further civilian job losses. We call on Government to reverse cuts already made and urgently invest in our Defence Force.”

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