Police put pressure on gangs

New Zealand stands with Ukraine, three years after illegal Russian invasion

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February 24, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

As the world marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced additional sanctions on Russian entities and support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

“Russia’s illegal invasion has brought three years of devastation to Ukraine’s people, environment, and infrastructure,” Mr Peters says.

“These additional sanctions target 52 individuals and entities involved in Russia’s military-industrial complex, its energy sector, North Korea’s support to Russia’s war effort, and the forced relocation or re-education of Ukrainian children.”

Mr Peters announced a further $3 million contribution to the World Bank-administered Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund.

“The Fund supports the Government of Ukraine to maintain services, conduct relief efforts, and plan and implement recovery, reconstruction and reforms,” Mr Peters says.

Since the Russia Sanctions Act entered into force in March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 1,800 individuals and entities, along with a range of trade measures.

More information about sanctions, travel bans, and export controls against Russia, as well as diplomatic, military and economic support to Ukraine, can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website here.

Public Service – Oranga Tamariki workers strike over insulting pay offer, unmanageable workloads – PSA

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February 24, 2025

Source: PSA

Strike to begin 28 February with two hour full labour withdrawal 7 March

PSA members at Oranga Tamariki are taking strike action over an insulting pay offer and a refusal to address the concerns of workers over unsafe and unmanageable workloads.

“Enough is enough – Oranga Tamariki is effectively offering a real pay cut and failing to ensure workloads are reasonably sized and well managed,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Assistant Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

The strike covers around 2,800 workers including social workers, supervisors, staff in care and protection and youth justice residences, family group conference workers and admin support staff.

“It’s insulting to workers who are doing vital work for the agency supporting at risk tamariki and rangatahi at a time of rising stress for many families.”

In bargaining for a new collective agreement Oranga Tamariki has offered small lump sum payments and no salary increases and provided no solutions to the long standing and growing workload management issues which have only been aggravated by last year’s big job cuts.

“The workers care deeply about the children they support, but they are left with no choice. The pressure on staff to keep working after hours, such as with emergency care placements for children overnight in motels or offices, is unacceptable.

“Workers are sending a strong message to the Government that it must make a fair offer, and develop a fair workload management system or more staff will face burn out.

“Decades of reviews and inquiries at Oranga Tamariki have consistently identified high staff workloads as a barrier to good outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau. Without progress, we will see more skilled people leave Oranga Tamariki – how can that be good for the children in the agency’s care?

[See attached stories from workers about the stress they are enduring]

“The latest child poverty statistics this week show no change in the number of children living in material hardship. We know poverty creates stress for families. This is the time when the Government should be investing in the services Oranga Tamariki provides, and doing all it can to support and retain workers.

“Instead it has gutted Oranga Tamariki, forced it to shed over 400 workers, increased workloads, cut contracts for many community service providers and now is turning a blind eye to the pay and conditions of so many of its own workers.

“This risks creating lasting damage to the tamariki, rangatahi and whānau of New Zealand who need Oranga Tamariki’s support.”

Details of strike action

A variety of actions will be taken by PSA members. Some actions include members working in essential services; care and protection residences, youth justice residences, residential homes, and the national contact centre (their actions begin 7 March). There will be a total withdrawal of labour across the agency for two hours from 3pm Friday 7 March.

The actions begin at 5pm on Friday 28 February and end on Friday 18 April. They include:

-A ban on all work that is not paid work, including only working standard hours of work and taking all rest and meal breaks.

-A ban on using all work-related systems and software outside of paid work, including online case recording systems.

-A ban on working paid overtime; and a ban on working overtime for TOIL.

-A ban on working double shifts.

-A ban on being on-call and working call-back (after-hours duties).

Housing Market Confidence – ASB Housing Confidence Survey: Optimism persists, but momentum slows

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February 24, 2025

Source: ASB

Number of New Zealanders expecting house prices to increase continues to rise – a net 33 percent compared to 24 percent in the previous quarter, with Aucklanders most confident.
Slight drop in proportion of Kiwi expecting interest rates to fall, from net 57 to net 51 percent, reflecting some concerns.
Nationwide, a net 23 percent of respondents think it’s a good time to buy a house, although confidence wavers in Auckland.

ASB’s latest Housing Confidence Survey out today reveals while New Zealanders on average remain optimistic about the housing market, momentum is yet to pick up.

Across all regions, Kiwi are confident house prices will continue to increase this quarter, with Aucklanders remaining the most confident, but Canterbury showing the highest rise in confidence over the quarter (net 38%, up from 25% in Q3 2024).

The survey (which predates the RBNZ’s February OCR cut) showed a slight drop in number of respondents who are expecting interest rates to lower (a decrease to net 51 percent, down from a record 57 percent in the previous quarter). Cantabrians replaced Aucklanders as most optimistic this time around.

ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley says “These results align with expectations for a slower pace of OCR cuts for the rest of 2025. Inflation is back under control, and the RBNZ has already cut the OCR considerably. There may also be some concern about the inflationary impacts of Trump’s re-election in the US.”

Buyer sentiment also inches up, with a net 23 percent of those surveyed believing it’s a good time to buy, compared to 20 percent last quarter. The North Island (excluding Auckland) and Canterbury lead the way as most confident at net 24 percent.

In contrast to the nation-wide uplift in confidence levels, the number of Aucklanders who think it’s a good time to buy slightly fell from a net 24 to 23 percent.

“For those considering buying a home, there is a bit of a sweet spot at the moment with interest rates continuing to fall, high levels of supply and subdued house prices.

Even though Kiwi are optimistic about house prices going up and are increasingly confident this is a good time to buy – we are yet to see much shift in housing market momentum, so it’s not necessarily translating into increased activity.

This is also reflected in the latest data from REINZ which shows a surge in new inventory of homes on the market, while sales continue to decline,” says Tuffley.

The ASB Housing Confidence Survey canvasses thousands of Kiwi across the country each quarter on their view of the housing market and future expectations.

Government Cuts – CPAG urges Government to reverse ‘funded to fail’ school lunch cuts

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February 23, 2025

Source: Child Poverty Action Group

The Child Poverty Action Group has today told the Government that reversing cuts to school lunches is an achievable way to address rising child poverty levels in New Zealand.

Official statistics released last week showed an extra 36,600 children are likely to be living in material hardship compared to two years ago.

Speaking to Guyon Espiner on TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, CPAG Executive Officer Sarita Divis said she was heartened to hear the Minister of Child Poverty Reduction Louise Upston mention the healthy school lunches programme as a key commitment of this government in tackling child poverty.

This year the Government scrapped the previous model of healthy school lunches, many of which created jobs in local communities. Instead, it switched to a for-profit model delivered under an $85 million annual contract with the School Lunch Collective, a partnership between Compass Group NZ, Libelle Group and Gilmours.

The new lunch programme has a budget of $3 per meal, about $5 cheaper than the previous model.

“One in four children do not have enough food. That could be that they don’t have breakfast and dinner so we need to make sure that the lunch that they receive is nutritious, healthy and delicious so that they do get those educational benefits and those health benefits.”

The new model has been beset by problems, with late deliveries, culturally insensitive food, and a largely repetitive, unappetising menu with questionable nutrition value since its implementation at the start of the school year.

“Education is one of the key ways to break the cycle of poverty.”

Ka Ora, Ka Ako only provides for about 40 percent of NZ children living in food poverty and there was a strong argument to not only reverse the cuts, but increase the number of children who receive the meals, Ms Divis said.

“When you do proactive policies like this it can make a difference,” Ms Divis said.

“Reverse those cuts. We think that is really achievable for the government.”

Ms Divis said CPAG was disappointed the Government’s Budget policy statement in December – which gives an early indication about priorities in May’s Budget – had no mention of child poverty.

Under the Child Poverty Reduction Act (2018), the Government is legally required to address child poverty rates in the Budget with specific policies.

Last year, CPAG along with Health Coalition Aotearoa and the NZEI Te Riu Roa, campaigned to stop cuts to the programme with 26,000 people signing a petition to save school lunches.

Serious crash, Ashworths Rd, Hurunui

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February 23, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash on Ashworths Rd (SH1) near Mays Road, Hurunui.

Police were called about 5.30pm.

Initial reports suggest two people have been seriously injured.

Traffic management is in place.

Motorists should avoid the area if possible.

ENDS

Fatal crash, Hadlow, Timaru District

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February 23, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

One person has died after a single-vehicle crash on Spur Road, Hadlow, in the Timaru District.

The crash was discovered about midday today and is thought to have occurred overnight.

The Serious Crash Unit is examining the scene, and diversions are in place.

Motorists should avoid the area if possible.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Going for Growth: Overseas investment changes to drive higher wages

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February 23, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced the Government’s plan to reform the Overseas Investment Act and make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages.

“New Zealand is one of the hardest countries in the developed world for overseas people to invest in businesses, and our productivity growth is woeful. Those two facts are closely linked.

“We are introducing reforms to improve New Zealand’s overseas investment laws. The package will speed up decisions and provide more confidence to investors, while protecting our national interests.

“Overseas investment can support economic growth because when workers work with better tools and technologies, they are more productive and get paid more.

“I’ve seen the difference that overseas investment can make. I once visited two businesses in the same industry on the same afternoon. Both had skilled and passionate people with good ideas. One had overseas investment, though, and benefited in two ways. They had more money for machinery, and they had more know-how for manufacturing and marketing their product by receiving knowledge from their partners offshore.

“New Zealand’s productivity growth has closely tracked the amount of capital workers have had to work with. Our capital-to-labour ratio has seen very little growth in the last 10 years, averaging approximately 0.7 per cent annually. That’s compared to growth of around 2 percent a year in the previous 10 to 15 years. Unsurprisingly, productivity growth averaged 1.4 percent a year between 1993 and 2013, but only 0.2 percent between 2013 and 2023.

“The Government has agreed on a reform package which includes:

better acknowledging the benefits investment can provide to New Zealand’s economy,
for all investments aside from residential land, farmland and fishing quota, making decisions in just 15 days, unless the application could be contrary to New Zealand’s national interest,
strengthening the Government’s ability to intervene on the rare occasion that a transaction is not in the national interest,
giving LINZ more powers to grant consent without involving Ministers.

“High-value investments, such as significant business assets, existing forestry and non-farmland, account for around $14 billion of gross investment each year. Cabinet has agreed to remove the barriers for these investments, while retaining existing protections for residential land, farmland and fishing quota.

“Nearly every other developed country has less obstructive laws than New Zealand. They benefit from the flow of money and the ideas that come with overseas investment. If we are going to raise wages, we can’t afford to ignore the simple fact that our competitors gain money and know-how from outside their borders.”

BusinessNZ Statement – Overseas investment overhaul: NZ means business

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February 23, 2025

Source: BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ says the Government’s announcement to reform the Overseas Investment Act sends a positive signal to the world that New Zealand is ready to do business.

Chief Executive Katherine Rich says existing rules make it difficult and uncertain for overseas investors to consider investing here.

“New Zealand’s settings for overseas investment have been some of the most restrictive in the OECD. These rules have held us back from achieving our potential as we say no to investment which has been accepted by other economies.

“As one example, any non-urban land parcel larger than five hectares is deemed sensitive in the current Act. For the likes of a manufacturer looking to set up shop and invest here, anything less is far too small.

“BusinessNZ has long advocated for new policy settings which could allow us to gain the benefits of overseas capital and grow businesses, assets, and the incomes of New Zealanders. We know that business will be heartened by today’s announcement.

“Changing settings will be a positive first step in showing the rest of the world that we welcome investment – but more changes are required to encourage it.

“Settings related to taxation of overseas earnings and incentives for research and development need to be more internationally competitive. Otherwise, investors will choose to put their money and talent where they see a better return.”

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.

Fatal quad bike crash – Purangi, Taranaki

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February 23, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

A person died after a quad bike crash on Tarata Road, Purangi yesterday afternoon.

Police were advised at 2.30pm that a quad bike had rolled on the road, adjacent to paddocks.

The person was critically injured and tragically passed away at the scene.

Our thoughts are with their family and loved ones.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.