Updated – Wellington Water Committee Statement

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March 4, 2025

Source: Porirua City Council

Please note meeting time, now 3pm

[Statement issued on behalf of Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City and Greater Wellington Regional Councils.]

Today representatives of the shareholding councils of Wellington Water Limited (WWL), along with iwi leaders, met to discuss the implications of WWL efficiency and value for money reports for water reform.

All members of the Wellington Water Committee agree that it is utterly unacceptable that the operations and maintenance costs incurred by Wellington Water do not represent good value for ratepayer money. Members unreservedly apologise to the people of the Wellington region for the high costs identified and the failure to provide oversight on appropriate practices and organisational culture to ensure competitively priced services.

“The impact on our communities is simply intolerable and it cannot continue,” said Councillor Ros Connelly, Acting Chair of the Wellington Water Committee. “We will be urgently convening a meeting of the WWL Committee where the reports, implications and response can be confirmed, and we will ensure clear accountability going forward.”

All those in attendance reconfirmed a commitment to the need for water reform and for Wellington Water Limited to develop a robust transition plan so that a new entity can start off on the right footing.

“As part of the transition planning, further work will be done to test the cost assumptions being used to inform planning for the new water organisation. These assumptions must be robust and reliable in preparation for our water services delivery plan being submitted by 3 September 2025,” Connelly said.

The Extraordinary Wellington Water Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 3pm.

MIL OSI

J-pop Boyband timelesz Announce New Group Members – The Last Episode of Docuseries “timelesz project -AUDITION-“

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MIL OSI

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March 4, 2025

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Source: Media Outreach

Revealing New Faces Now Available on Netflix, New Song “Rock this Party” Drop Worldwide February 28

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 March 2025 – Tokyo-based J-Pop group timelesz have officially announced their new members at the press conference taken place at the Universal Music Japan office on February 15, after the last episode of docuseries “timelesz project -AUDITION-“ was released on Netflix.

J-pop Boyband timelesz Announce New Group Members

Previously known as Sexy Zone, consisting of Fuma Kikuchi, So Matsushima and Shori Sato, the group changed their name to timelesz (pronounced “timeless”) on April 1, 2024, and at the same time announced their audition process for recruiting new members released as the Netflix docuseries titled “timelesz project -AUDITION-“. The series premiered worldwide in September 2024 and concluded on February 15, 2025, with the last (18^th) episode revealing new members.

The announced new members are Takuto Teranishi, Yoshitaka Hara, Masaki Hashimoto, Shuto Inomata, and Taiki Shinozuka rebranding timelesz as an 8-member group. Sho Sakurai of Arashi joined the final round of audition as a special host, which came as a big surprise for timelesz fans who witnessed the candidates’ last challenge.

At the press conference titled “timelesz name succession ceremony”, with excitement Fuma Kikuchi of timelesz noted “From now we call ourselves ‘family’, and our family name is timelesz.” During the conference he also emphasized the importance of having fun for the group to keep thriving for many years to come, sharing his dream of holding a dome tour at the soonest time possible.

A total of 18,922 applications entered to join the first round of audition and of those, about 350 were selected for the second round. Thirty-six contestants moved on to the third round where twenty-one members were eliminated for the 4^th round. The 4^th round was joined by three new contestants from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT Juniors, and twelve members proceeded to the 5^th round. The final round with the last eight candidates took place on February 5,^, 2025.

Their brand-new song as the renewed group, “Rock this Party”, known as the song for the last round where three original members and eight contestants performed together, is confirmed for global release on February 28, 2025. Along with the new single, the compilation “Hello! We’re timelesz” including 12 previous tracks including “Anthem”, the theme song for the “timelesz project -AUDITION-“, and the group’s iconic smash-hit song “RUN”, will be available on all streaming platforms.

timelesz also revealed their plans for the first studio album as the renewed group.

Stay tuned for more exciting news from timelesz who just started a new chapter of their journey.

Hashtag: #timelesz

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Te Aka Raataa: Regenerating Te Puhinui for a Greener Future

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March 4, 2025

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Source: Auckland Council

A major transformation is underway for Te Puhinui / Puhinui Stream, with Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 leading the charge to regenerate the mauri of this vital waterway and its surrounding communities.

A Healthier Future for Manukau

After years of declining water quality and environmental degradation, Te Aka Raataa is breathing new life into the stream and surrounding areas. This initiative reconnects people with nature, ensuring a healthier future for Manukau.

As part of the Eke Panuku Transform Manukau regeneration programme, this project will revitalise Rata Vine Stream Reserve, creating green spaces that connect communities and link to the town centre, Hayman Park, and beyond.

Councillor Daniel Newman is a strong advocate for seeing this investment in the south.

“At its heart this project is about the health of urban streams and waterways, and how they relate to the neighbours and the surrounding community.”

“I am proud to have been able to help secure the budgets necessary to deliver these projects, and I know we can make a meaningful difference to the Puhinui Stream.

My thanks to all of the staff and the contractors who are working on the front line to deliver a successful project, “says Councillor Daniel Newman.

Also representing the Manurewa-Papakura ward, Councillor Angela Dalton sees the project as positive place-shaping for Auckland’s south.

“I’m wholeheartedly behind Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 because it’s about shaping a sustainable future for our communities. By regenerating the awa, we’re making meaningful strides for the future – improving water quality, creating green spaces for people to reconnect with nature and each other, and strengthening links to the Manukau area. This is a wonderful opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient community, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui: A Bold Regeneration Plan

Te Puhinui, a cherished ecological and cultural taonga, has long been disconnected from its surrounding communities. The launch of Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 marks a significant milestone—an ambitious collaboration aimed at regenerating this natural treasure while transforming Manukau into a greener, more connected city.

Grounded in mātauranga Māori, the initiative places iwi leadership at its heart, ensuring that the regeneration of Te Puhinui benefits future generations. Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui sets out a long-term vision for intergenerational well-being, emphasising the profound connections between people, place, and nature. This initiative is a key part of the broader Transform Manukau programme.

Eke Panuku Priority Location Director, Richard Davison, says “This marks an exciting milestone in a project that has been years in the making as part of the Transform Manukau programme. Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 is about more than just regenerating a stream—it’s about reconnecting people with nature and strengthening community ties.

“This first stage moves us closer to the vision of a continuous link from the Botanic Gardens to Hayman Park and Manukau city centre, creating a vibrant accessible pathway through a revitalised green space that everyone can enjoy, while also supporting new housing development in the area.”

A Collaborative Effort for Lasting Change

Bringing together Eke Panuku, Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience, Ngaati Tamaoho, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, and the Manurewa Local Board, this project is a shared commitment to restoring the health of the Puhinui catchment and its people. By restoring the stream to a more natural state, Eke Panuku and Auckland Council aim to improve water quality, support biodiversity, and create a healthier, more attractive and resilient environment for both people and wildlife.

Local Board Chair Matt Winiata acknowledges the collaboration with iwi and wider community groups that have progressed this important kaupapa.

“Undertaking a project like this would not be possible without the time, skill and mātauranga knowledge of our community.

“Stage 1 is an exciting time for residents who live near the awa, the long-term benefits of a revitalised Puhinui Stream will be felt for generations to come.”

Project Benefits

Awa-First approach: We’re helping the stream flow more like it used to by bringing back its natural state to improve its flow. By adding planting and wetlands, we’ll help protect the banks from washing away and improve the water quality.

Revitalising green spaces: providing quality open spaces for people to relax, gather, learn and play.

Connecting people to nature: Providing better community access to the stream with new boardwalks and improving connections with wider pathways for walking and cycling

Supporting native wildlife: Creating healthy habitats for birds, insects, and aquatic life.

This is just the beginning – Te Aka Raataa is laying the foundation for a greener, healthier Manukau, where both people and nature thrive together. Works are scheduled to be completed by December 2025.

MIL OSI

More locally trained doctors in primary care

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March 4, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Government

Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced further initiatives as part of a package to tackle shortages in general practice and improve access to primary care and health outcomes.

“I am focused on ensuring Kiwis have better access to primary care services, and strengthening our health workforce is a key part of that,” Mr Brown says.

“Today I am announcing:

An increase in the number of training placements for doctors at medical schools by a further 25 each year.
Up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors a year to train in primary care settings.

“We can’t just rely on sourcing our doctors from overseas – we must ensure a sustainable pipeline of New Zealand-trained doctors.

“As part of our plan, we will fund more Kiwis to train as doctors by boosting the number of placements at medical schools by a further 25 each year.

“During the term of this Government, medical school placements have already increased by 75 places each year. This additional funding will bring the total of extra places to 100, seeing the cap on first-year medical school enrolments increased to 639 annually from 2026.

“We need to make investments now to grow this important workforce, so that New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare – now, and in the future.

“This boost delivers on our commitment to train more talented, local students.”

The additional places will be allocated across the University of Auckland and the University of Otago, beginning in 2026.

“We are also ramping up the number of trainee GPs to give Kiwis better access to healthcare in their communities,” Mr Brown says.

“New Zealand has a shortage of family doctors, who play an important role in helping Kiwis to stay well and out of emergency departments.

“Providing opportunities for graduate doctors to receive clinical supervision and gain registration in a primary care environment is part of our plan to increase GP numbers.

“This initiative will allocate $23.3 million over four years to introduce a funded primary care pathway to registration for New Zealand-trained graduate doctors. The majority of time will be spent in primary care providers, instead of hospitals.

“Talented graduate doctors who have an interest in primary care will be given an early opportunity to pursue that interest, working in communities right across the country.

“Funding will support up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors into these primary care settings each year from 2026.

“A stronger health workforce that we can retain is critical to achieving our goal of ensuring all New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare.

“These initiatives are the latest in a series to improve access to primary care and ensure New Zealanders can see their doctor, faster.”

MIL OSI

Christchurch Police crack down on antisocial road user behaviour

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March 4, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Canterbury Police issued 179 infringements over the weekend as we responded to antisocial road user behaviour in the district.

As predicted, the car enthusiast event was incredibly well-run with limited complaints or issues, the event organisers maintained a good line of communication with Police over the course of the weekend.

The issues arose following the event, with a small number of attendees, and many who just came for the activity post-event, deciding to engage in dangerous driving behaviour on our roads.

Police made it clear over the three nights, this activity would not be tolerated as we responded to unofficial ‘meets’ and antisocial road user activity as it arose.

Over the course of the weekend, a total of 179 infringements were issued, 6 vehicles were impounded, and 44 vehicles – deemed not to be road worthy – were ordered off the road.

Alongside this, one person was arrested for a warrant to arrest, 10 drivers were served licence suspension notices, six drivers were forbidden to drive for their offending on the night, and three drivers were processed for excess breath alcohol.

Police also collected information over the course of the weekend which will be used for future enforcement action.

Canterbury Police would like to thank the members of the public that reported unlawful driving behaviour throughout the weekend.

Anyone who witnesses any antisocial driving behaviour is urged to contact Police on 111 with as much information as they can safely gather.

Information can also be provided for non-emergencies online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking “Make a Report” or by calling 105.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

Police seek witnesses to fatal Woodville crash

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March 4, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Attribute to Detective Sergeant Joe Salisbury:

Police investigating a fatal crash near Woodville yesterday are seeking dashcam footage from the public.

The crash happened on Saddle Road about 11am on Monday 3 March, when a green-coloured truck overturned and hit a white Ford Transit van travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the van sadly died at the scene, while a passenger in the van was physically unharmed. The truck driver also received injuries and had to be cut from the vehicle. Police are providing support to those involved, and the family of the deceased.

The investigation into the cause of the crash will likely take some time, but we hope motorists or members of the public may have information that can help. We would like to hear from any motorists who have dashcam footage from that section of road around the time of the crash, or anyone who witnessed it.

If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

Please use the reference number 250303/5741.

While the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

Local News – Wellington Water Committee statement

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March 4, 2025

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Source: Porirua City Council

[Statement issued on behalf of Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City and Greater Wellington Regional Councils.]

Today representatives of the shareholding councils of Wellington Water Limited (WWL), along with iwi leaders, met to discuss the implications of WWL efficiency and value for money reports for water reform.

All members of the Wellington Water Committee agree that it is utterly unacceptable that the operations and maintenance costs incurred by Wellington Water do not represent good value for ratepayer money. Members unreservedly apologise to the people of the Wellington region for the high costs identified and the failure to provide oversight on appropriate practices and organisational culture to ensure competitively priced services.

“The impact on our communities is simply intolerable and it cannot continue,” said Councillor Ros Connelly, Acting Chair of the Wellington Water Committee. “We will be urgently convening a meeting of the WWL Committee where the reports, implications and response can be confirmed, and we will ensure clear accountability going forward.”

All those in attendance reconfirmed a commitment to the need for water reform and for Wellington Water Limited to develop a robust transition plan so that a new entity can start off on the right footing.

“As part of the transition planning, further work will be done to test the cost assumptions being used to inform planning for the new water organisation. These assumptions must be robust and reliable in preparation for our water services delivery plan being submitted by 3 September 2025,” Connelly said.

The Extraordinary Wellington Water Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 3.30pm.

MIL OSI

UPDATED: Primary care funding a positive step in the right direction, says College of GPs

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March 4, 2025

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Source: Royal NZ College of General Practitioners

This statement has been updated to reflect the Minister’s latest announcement made at 1pm today. The updated text is bolded–

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has welcomed the Health Minister’s funding announcement saying it is a big step in the right direction towards building a well-resourced and sustainable primary care workforce.

Increased investment in primary care has long been at the forefront of our members’ concerns and the College’s advocacy work, particularly improving access to GP, rural hospital and primary care services and growing, and retaining, the workforce.

College President Dr Samantha Murton says, “Any additional funding for primary care will ultimately benefit our patients and improve health outcomes, and as specialist GPs and rural hospital doctors who work in the community, this is our priority.

“As we know there are many areas in primary care that need permanent solutions and further investment, and the Minister has shown that he is willing to invest broadly. I hope that by incentivising primary care to nursing graduates they will see the value in what our workforce does and choose to stay in it for the long-term. This will help alleviate nursing workforce challenges especially in rural communities. Pay parity between primary and secondary nursing is what we still need to aim for.

“Providing timely and accessible care for all New Zealanders and the increased availability of telehealth will be beneficial, but it needs to be offered alongside improved support for face-to-face primary care services to ensure continued patient safety. Telehealth fills a niche, not a void,” says Dr Murton.

College Chief Executive Toby Beaglehole says, “Enabling more overseas doctors to gain general registration in primary care in New Zealand and gain valuable first-hand experience will boost the workforce pipeline. That said, we cannot take our focus off supporting our homegrown workforce. New Zealand needs to attract and retain 300 general practice registrars per year just to maintain GP numbers and investment in the training programme is critical to this.

“The Minister’s latest announcement to increase our homegrown workforce is welcomed by the College. These medical graduates who choose to train in primary care will see firsthand just how important and impactful continuity of care can be at a community level and, we hope they follow the rewarding pathway of becoming a specialist GP.

“Additional support will also be needed for our current specialist GPs who will be supervising these graduates on top of their already busy workloads.

“Investment in strong, future focused and sustainable primary care will reduce the pressure on secondary care. We look forward to further engagement with Minister Brown on lasting solutions that increase access to specialist general practitioners for New Zealanders and thank him sincerely for the steps he has announced.

“The College is pleased to see our ongoing advocacy has been reflected in the Minister’s decisions and we look forward to learning the specifics of this additional funding.”

MIL OSI

Transport – EMA backs congestion charging as Auckland’s traffic woes worsen

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March 4, 2025

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Source: EMA

The release today of a study on congestion in Auckland adds to the urgency around the introduction of time of use charging, says the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA).

Auckland’s Cost of Congestion white paper, released by Mayor Wayne Brown, found congestion will cost Auckland $2.6 billion a year by 2026 – factoring in the cost of lost time, as well as impacts like reduced business investment and consumer spending.

EMA Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald says there finally seems to be the political will to implement time of use charging in New Zealand’s largest city.

The government’s Time of Use Charging Bill will be read in Parliament this month, and Auckland’s Mayor has come out strongly in support.

“The EMA has long advocated for time of use charging as it will help maximise the use of existing motorway and arterial corridors around the slowly choking greater city area,” says McDonald.

“The EMA commissioned NZIER to conduct a similar survey in 2019, which put the cost of congestion to Auckland’s economy at up to $1.3 billion annually.

“Things have clearly gotten worse.

“The local traffic modelling in the new report shows Aucklanders now sit in traffic for 29 million hours a year.

“Congestion charging is intended to reduce this traffic and introduce more certainty into travel times on our roading network, but it will also improve air quality and help to fund public transport.

“This means that allowing businesses and tradespeople who need their vehicles to effectively deliver goods and services around the city will have flow-on effects.

“There are also social benefits for residents who need their vehicles to make doctor’s appointments or drop kids at sport practices.

“Moves to charge commuters who travel at peak times will encourage many to use public transport and help the city derive maximum benefit from the City Rail Link when it comes online in early 2026.”

In central London, congestion charging was introduced in 2003 and has helped cut traffic by around 15%.

In Stockholm, where congestion charging was introduced in 2007, it has reduced traffic within the city centre by about 20%.

“Congestion charging has been shown to work around the world and the case for implementing it in Auckland grows by the day,” says McDonald.

“It’s time to put a solid case to residents that time of use charging has social as well as business benefits.

“It needs to be done right, but it also needs to be done with some urgency if we are going to unlock productivity in New Zealand.”

MIL OSI

The Week the World Changed

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March 4, 2025

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Source: ACT Party

The Haps

Parliament didn’t sit last week, so your property was safe. ACT’s MPs were out, including at the Northland Field Days, Auckland’s Round the Bays, and holding public meetings as far south as Invercargill. This Thursday David Seymour and Todd Stephenson are holding a public meeting in Queenstown, details here, and on Friday Simon Court is in Hokitika, details here.

The Week the World Changed

Lots changed last week, or at least long-telegraphed changes were spelled out more in neon lights than dots and dashes. New Zealand’s insularity is famous, if there was a nuclear war in Europe the Herald would still lead with Auckland property prices, or whether the All Blacks will be free-to-air.

Insularity is all fine, most of the world is a hellhole most of the time anyway. But insularity can’t protect us from all hells, and some of them have got closer in the last week.

The protection we’ve had from the seas and friendly navies is ebbing away, even though we’ve relied on it since humans arrived here.

Part I: Nobody else could get here.

Part II: Only the British could get here.

Part III: Only the Americans could get here.

Depending on your perspective, the British part might be a mixed blessing, but on the whole we’ve built one of the most successful societies in history with little care for our security.

If that changes, we’re going to have very different things to think and worry about. We’ll have to think about confronting others who want to dominate and perhaps kill us for the first time in generations. Even the Herald will need to sharpen up.

The Trump-Zelensky-Vance conflagration was extraordinary. Trump is elected and the U.S. is a sovereign nation. They can act however they like, so we’re not passing judgement. We’re just trying to think through what it means for our sovereign nation. We don’t think there’s enough public debate about this to be ready for the world we’re entering.

After World War I the U.S. went isolationist, when World War II began the German Army was ten times larger than theirs. By the time they had U-Boats off the Eastern seaboard and planes bombing Hawaii, they were arming up again.

After World War II they decided to keep policing the world. It led to an extraordinary period of peace and prosperity (maybe it will be known as the second Elizabethan era, after QEII). Now the Americans are out of that game again. The Oval Office conflagration was perhaps just the neon-lit spelling out of something that’s been coming a long time.

Add that together with the Chinese ‘taskforce’ of three ships (and one sub?). It was not extraordinary, it just hasn’t happened here for a couple of generations. Ships that could easily rain down munitions on New Zealand cities, with there being little we can do about it, is a new thing to living New Zealanders. Perhaps nuclear-powered American ships weren’t that bad after all?

The Cook Islands appear to be shifting their allegiance or at least trying to eat their cake and have it, too. Their comprehensive strategic partnership with the Chinese Government appears to open the Cooks up to Chinese investment and development, as well as resource extraction. It might allow a workforce of Chinese nationals in the Cooks that would give the Chinese Government reason to ‘protect’ them. That would be a crisis.

From a defence and security point of view, the Cook’s gambit is a stationary version of the ships. The Chinese Government is asserting that the South Pacific is in their sphere of influence, and that’s a different proposition from the democratic British or Americans doing it.

It all adds up to our country needing to change footing. Muldoon once said ‘New Zealanders will never vote on foreign affairs.’ We’ve been shielded, but as our shields ebb away, we will need to change our stance.

A lot of questions become much clearer.

Could we afford to ban oil and gas exploration?

Could we afford to shut the country down for an extravagantly long time over COVID?

Could we afford to create a binary state based on a false interpretation of the Treaty?

The answer was always no, but now there is another reason why.

The New Zealand project needs to sort its internal problems with a lot more maturity, so we can face up to external ones. Another reason why we cannot afford a Labour-Green-Te Pāti Māori fiasco, and why ACT must keep the alternative Government bold.

MIL OSI