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Release: Paper mill closure adds to growing job losses

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Source: New Zealand Labour Party

The Government has no plan to support workers as 230 more jobs are lost today with the closure of the Kinleith paper mill.

“This is devastating news for the whole of the community and the many families who rely on the paper mill for income,” Labour employment spokesperson Willie Jackson said.

“This is on top of the 33,000 people who have lost their jobs across Aotearoa in the last 12 months under National. That’s more than the entire population of Blenheim, without the dignity of meaningful mahi.

“This is not good enough. Winston Peters promised that he would be an ‘advocate on your behalf’ and that ‘Kinleith Mill is the lifeblood of the Waikato’, yet here we are with another large employer closing its doors.

“The community and workers of Tokoroa deserve more than false promises.

“It’s a disgrace that the Government can sit idly by and let thousands of people lose their jobs, after promising they would help, and then let this happen,” Willie Jackson said.

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SH1 Greenlane Interchange closed to southbound traffic

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

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NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises all southbound lanes on State Highway 1 at the Greenlane Interchange are closed due to a serious crash.

Motorists are asked to delay their journeys, where possible, consider alternate routes and expect delays and diversions. Traffic is heavy around the Greenlane Interchange and NZ Police expect the closure to be in place for at least two hours, while the Serious Crash Unit investigates.

Auckland through-traffic should use the Western Ring Route to travel south, from SH1 to State Highway 18 at Albany, left to State Highway 16 through Westgate and right to the State Highway 20 Southbound Waterview Tunnel to continue south from the SH1/SH20 link in Manukau.

The Greenlane southbound on-ramp remains open, as do all northbound lanes.

People are encouraged to visit the Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) for up to date information on the closure and detour route before they travel.

NZTA thanks everyone for their patience.

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Rob Hewett appointed new AgriZeroNZ board Chair

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Source: New Zealand Government

A new Government appointment of agricultural industry leader Rob Hewett to chair AgriZeroNZ will help boost the public-private joint venture’s efforts to get new tools, technology, and practices to lower on-farm emissions to farmers faster.

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today announced Mr Hewett’s appointment to the Chair position for a three-year term until 3 February 2028.

“We’re delighted to have appointed Mr Hewett to the board, following the recommendation of the joint venture’s private sector partners,” Ms Willis says.

“As an experienced chair of several energy and agri-related entities, as well as a farmer, Mr Hewett’s strategic insights will make a significant contribution to driving forward AgriZeroNZ’s work to help farmers reduce emissions while maintaining their competitive edge.”

“Kiwi farmers are some of the most innovative in the world and AgriZeroNZ is accelerating the development and deployment of practical tools and solutions to support our farmers increase productivity without closing down farms or sending jobs overseas,” Mr McClay says.

“There’s currently $46.2 million committed across AgriZero’s investment portfolio, with 13 investments to date and a further 81 on the radar.”

Projects include:

  • research into methane vaccines and methane inhibitors 
  • innovative probiotics 
  • pasture treatments.

Ms Willis says the new tools and technologies developed through AgriZeroNZ investment will contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth. 

“Our agricultural sector makes a substantial contribution to our economy and it’s essential that New Zealand remains productive while continuing to meet market expectations. The outcomes from these investments will help maintain New Zealand’s excellent reputation as a premium low-emissions producer of food and fibre.”

Rob Hewett commenced his role as Chair on 3 February 2025. The previous AgriZeroNZ Chair, Sir Brian Roche, finished his term on 31 October to take up the role of Public Services Commissioner, with Fraser Whineray taking on the role as interim Chair.

“Ms Willis and I would like to thank Sir Brian and Mr Whineray for their contributions, and we look forward to working with Mr Hewett as his term begins,” says Mr McClay.

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Key transport link will boost regional economy

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Source: New Zealand Government

A key piece of transport infrastructure linking a new industrial park in Bay of Plenty to the wider region will help grow the economy, creating jobs and opportunities, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.
Mr Jones today opened a motorway interchange linking Rangiuru Business Park near Te Puke with State Highway 2.
“The thriving Bay of Penty has long needed new development to meet demand for sites for manufacturing, agricultural and logistics industries. Rangiuru Business Park provides the extra capacity the region has been looking for.”
The Provincial Growth Fund provided $18 million towards the motorway interchange linking the park to SH2, a vital connection to the rest of the region including Tauranga where the port is located.
“The motorway interchange will support the business park by providing access to major North Island and global markets. Rangiuru is around 25 minutes from the Port of Tauranga, with access to a skilled labour force from the surrounding areas.
“The Bay of Plenty is one of the fastest growing regions and the business park will unlock economic growth and an estimated 4000 jobs in the region,” Mr Jones says.
The construction of the interchange brought about 200 workers to the site each day. The $60m project was co-funded by Quayside Holdings Ltd, the investment arm of Bay of Plenty Regional Council. 
The 148ha business park is the largest consented green field industrial zone in Bay of Plenty. Work on infrastructure began in 2022. The business park recently opened its first 14ha of land for sale.
Mr Jones will also today officially open Te Mahi ā Nuku at Te Reti in Judea.
The Ngāi Tamarāwaho hapū-based nursery and training facility received a $726,000 grant from the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund in 2022.
The facility was developed on unused Māori land and consists of a purpose-built nursery to train and employ local people in nursery operations and management, sourcing and growing local native seedlings, and tendering for planting, restoration and maintenance works in the region.

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Consumer NZ Valentine’s Day alert: Beware the red flags

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Source: Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ is warning New Zealanders to be on high alert this Valentine’s Day as romance scammers flip the typical scam protection advice on its head.

Ruairi O’Shea, Consumer NZ investigative writer, says romance scams are particularly insidious because they don’t follow the typical patterns associated with scams.

“Romance scams work because they bypass the red flags we’re trained to look out for. Instead of demanding urgent action or sending texts with links out of the blue, romance scammers build trust over months,” says O’Shea.

“And unlike an unsolicited text with a dodgy link, you may have even initiated first contact by swiping left on a dating app. It’s a slow burn, with scammers building trust before recommending investment opportunities or asking for intimate pictures that they could use to blackmail a person.

“Victims genuinely believe they’re in a relationship: they trust the other person implicitly and believe that person will act in their best interests.”

Between 2023 and 2024, a French woman was targeted by a scammer using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to successfully convince her she was speaking to the American actor Brad Pitt. She was scammed out of almost NZ$1.5 million.

“Romance scams can be utterly devastating because of the financial and emotional toll they take.  

“Love is a strong incentive, and sadly, scammers know this and exploit it.”

Recognising these three ‘red flags’ can protect you from romance scams

The long game

Unlike traditional scams that rely on urgency, romance scammers play the long game. O’Shea says this slow-building trust makes victims more likely to overlook the more common or “typical” signs of a scam.  

The investment  

Once the scammer is confident they’ve established trust, they will begin exploiting.

“It might start with the scammer revealing a seemingly minor financial stress, and because they feel committed to this relationship, the victim may even proactively offer to help resolve the problem.

“Later, the scammer might casually recommend an investment opportunity, which, unfortunately, turns out to be fake.”

Strictly online

“It’s not new to hear of someone who is in a happy, committed relationship, with kids, a dog and a house, after having initially met their partner on a dating app.

“What is new, however, is the sophisticated way in which scammers are using AI to basically turbocharge their authenticity,” O’Shea says.

“Be suspicious if the person you meet online is reluctant to get together in the flesh. Their reasons for keeping a relationship secret or online can be incredibly convincing – health, travel, work, family – but if you can’t meet them in person, you shouldn’t trust them.”

4 don’ts to protect yourself and those you love (in real life) from romance scams

Don’t keep it on the down-low – talk to friends and family about online relationships: a fresh pair of eyes could help spot the signs of a scam.

Don’t give someone anything you wouldn’t post publicly on social media – this isn’t just intimate photographs but also your address or other potentially sensitive personal information.

Don’t send money to anyone you’ve only communicated with online – if you haven’t met someone in person, don’t give them anything of monetary value.

Don’t move to another messaging service – if you meet someone on a dating platform and they suggest moving to an encrypted messaging service like WhatsApp, be suspicious.

What to do if you’re the victim of a romance scam

If you’re the victim of a romance scam, contact the Police, Manaaki Tāngata Victim Support, your bank and Netsafe (the nation’s non-profit online safety organisation) immediately: a scam doesn’t necessarily end when a victim realises they’ve been scammed.  

It’s also important to report online scams to CERT NZ, part of the National Cyber Security Centre. The National Cuber Security Centre runs Own Your Online and the service has helpful advice on how to spot a scam and what to do if you get caught out.

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Transport Sector – Road freight survey to fill key knowledge gaps

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Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Registrations for the National Road Freight Survey have opened today (February 14) with company owners, managers, drivers and other essential staff encouraged to have their say in the largest sector snap-shot in more than a decade.
The survey is being run by independent research firm Research NZ on behalf of Transporting New Zealand, and is available to all road freight industry participants.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the survey is a fantastic opportunity to better understand industry attitudes on key issues including workforce shortages, operating conditions, revenue issues such as tolling and congestion charging, the Cook Strait ferries and road policing.
“There are over 30,000 people working in the road freight sector across more than 4,000 business entities, carrying 93 percent of the national freight task,” Kalasih says.
“We want to get a clearer picture of what their leading concerns are, what opportunities they see for improvement, and what might be lesser priorities.”
He says he is particularly interested in sharing the results with policy makers and industry partners about the retirement intentions of drivers and the employment of migrant workers.
“We know the average age of truck drivers is rapidly approaching 60, and that migrant truck drivers have played an important supplementary role in filling shortages. However, the survey will give us a clearer picture of what proportion of the workforce intends to retire within five years, what the main barriers are to employing new drivers, and what policy changes we need to prioritise to improve the situation.”
Kalasih says that Research NZ has kept the survey short, multi-choice and accessible, with the option to provide more in-depth answers.
“The survey will ask operators to rank leading industry issues in order of importance, and then get more detailed responses on topical issues relating to each of those. This will be followed by some key questions on workforce challenges, the public perception of truck drivers, and what (if any) skill gaps people are noticing with new drivers.”
“Because of the importance of the road freight industry, and its fragmented nature, people get a lot of survey requests from government, suppliers and supply chain partners. That’s why we’ve ensured this survey is concise, while still being comprehensive. We got feedback from our members on the content and it’s been designed to ensure we’ve got it right.”
“People who register for the survey before 3 March (the survey launch date) will also enter the draw for an iPad, and there will be more prizes to follow. So get registered and share it with your team today. It’s open to all industry participants.”
Road freight business owners, managers, drivers and staff can pre-register for the survey at:

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Economy – Speech by Secretary to the Treasury Iain Rennie, ‘Bending two curves: New Zealand’s intertwined economic and fiscal challenges’

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Source: The Treasury

“I want to talk today about what it means to integrate fiscal and economic advice, with an eye to the long-term horizon. I will lay out the productivity and fiscal sustainability challenges that New Zealand faces. But I will also give you a sense of the broad solutions and policy toolkits that governments will have to contemplate over time to address those issues successfully, in the Treasury’s judgement.
The crux of my message today is that New Zealand needs to bend two curves. One is the long-term economic growth trajectory, which needs to bend upwards to expand our productive capacity and national real incomes. The second is our net public debt trajectory, which needs to bend downwards to rebuild the fiscal buffers that have been a major source of New Zealand’s resilience and ability to respond to shocks over recent decades. These are medium- and long-term challenges, but we need to address them soon.”

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Insurance Sector – Insurance industry report into the North Island weather events released

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Source: Insurance Council of NZ

A report into the insurance industry’s response into New Zealand’s largest ever weather events has set out a number of actions to improve responses to future events.
The North Island Weather Events: The Insurance Industry response by the Insurance Council of New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) examined insurers performance of claims related to the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023.
“The loss and devastation on families and communities was severe and the insurance industry has worked hard to settle claims and get people back on their feet as quickly as possible,” ICNZ Chief Executive Kris Faafoi said.
The North Island weather events resulted in more than 118,000 claims at an estimated value of $3.8 billion.
Despite the scale and complexity of the weather events, 91% of claims were resolved in 12 months, a rate of progress that surpassed previous major disasters. Within 16 months, 96% were settled.
“The industry response reflects the many people who worked hard every day to help assess and resolve claims and provide certainty for customers, including the additional 1,000 plus staff brought in to help deal with the surge in claims.
“We recognise that some of those affected are still dealing with the impact of these events. The industry is continually looking to improve its response and help customers recover.
“Some of the issues identified are being addressed by insurers. These include refining event response plans, investing in digital tools to manage the claims process more effectively, and improving communications with customers and support for vulnerable customers.
“The lessons learnt from previous major events were a significant factor in the industry’s preparedness and response to the North Island weather events. However, each event is unique, and it takes time for insurers to fully scale up in response to a surge in claims while also supporting their everyday operations.
“The report identifies a number of external factors that had an impact on claims, such as the need for better data sharing among Emergency Management agencies and councils, timely assessments for stickered properties, and access to skilled labour to assess land claims.
“The industry is working closely with the Natural Hazards Commission to identify new approaches to make land claims processes more effective for customers.
“We are also fostering closer relationships with Emergency Management authorities so our sector can get access to information about the scale and impact of events as early as possible to ensure a faster and effective response and recovery.
“More broadly, the insurance sector has called for a cross-sector recovery framework to enhance coordination and improve the response and recovery to natural disasters.
“Insurers have also consistently emphasised the importance of a collective approach to address climate change risks. By supporting climate adaptation – such as avoiding building in dumb places and investing in public infrastructure – we can better prepare New Zealand for future natural disasters,” Kris Faafoi said.

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Fire Safety – Restricted fire season for parts of Hawke’s Bay

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand will be moving parts of Hawke’s Bay into a restricted fire season from 9am, Friday 14 February, until further notice.
These areas are: Tararua West, Tararua South, Pahiatua and Eketāhuna.
Please see the attached map for an overview of these areas.
A restricted fire season means anyone planning on lighting an open-air fire will need to apply for and obtain a permit. You can apply for one at www.checkitsalright.nz.
If anyone is unclear, they can enter their address at www.checkitsalright.nz after 9am on Friday to find out what fire season they are in.
Fire and Emergency Hawke’s Bay District Manager Glen Varcoe says the decision to move these zones into a restricted season is due to prolonged warmer temperatures, drying winds, and lack of rainfall.
Glen Varcoe says the public needs to be conscious of the surrounding fire risk conditions and consider if they need to light a fire.
“Everyone must visit www.checkitsalright.nz to check the daily fire risk and see if they require a permit in their location.
“Even if you are not in the restricted zone, it may still be too dangerous to light a fire. If in doubt, don’t light,” he says.
“If people have checked the conditions and it is safe to complete a burn, please make sure you monitor the burn and have a water source nearby to fully extinguish it.
“Once the fire is out, please re-check the burn area for the next few days afterwards to make sure no re-ignition is possible.”

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Northland News – $600,000 of Climate Resilient Communities Funding allocated

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Source: Northland Regional Council

Twenty-two projects around Te Taitokerau are to share $600,000 of Northland Regional Council funding designed to help build climate resilience.
Council Deputy Chair Tui Shortland says during the council’s Long-Term Plan 2024-2034 consultation, the region’s communities had emphasised the importance they placed on council taking a leading role in helping to build that resilience.
That had resulted in the council establishing a $600,000 fund to support communities to prepare for the growing effects of climate change and the natural hazard risks our region faces.
Councillor Shortland says the council had received a huge level of interest from communities across Northland, expressing their ideas and aspirations for a climate resilient future for Te Taitokerau.
“In this first round we had an overwhelming response, with 96 applications requesting $3.2 million.”
Councillor Shortland says deciding how to allocate the $600,000 available had been extremely difficult, but 22 projects that met the fund criteria and aimed to build community capacity and strengthen connections to build community resilience would receive a portion of this pūtea.
“Six of the projects directly focus on building kai resilience for the region.”
“These include on the ground community-led mahi that aims to educate and empower communities to grow their own kai and projects that identify and strengthen food support networks and develop a strategy for how the region can become self-sufficient in food production and distribution.”
Four projects supported water supply investigations to future proof water resilience and water tanks in vulnerable communities. “This extends the water resilience mahi NRC previously supported through the Water Resilience Fund which has now been replaced with this Climate Resilient Communities Fund.”
Three rural marae will receive funding to support the installation of solar panels, improving energy resilience and benefiting the wider community in times of need. Investing in energy security not only keeps the power on when energy infrastructure goes down, but reduces energy costs for our people and importantly helps reduce Te Taitokerau’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Funding will support four projects that look to nature-based solutions to build resilience to the changing climate, recognising how restoring wetlands, river margins and coastal dune systems can enhance protection from weather events, increase carbon sequestration and support our indigenous biodiversity.
Three other projects aim to build resilience across multiple impact areas looking holistically at how our resilience could be improved as the climate changes.
Two planning projects have been funded that will help the respective communities understand how climate change could impact them and to formulate specific plans to reduce these impacts.
Successful applicants and their projects are:
  • Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust – Bream Bay Coastal Restoration Project ($23,000)
  • Climate Change Taitokerau Northland Trust – Kai Sovereignty Strategy ($20,000)
  • Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand- Te Taitokerau branch – Te Taitokerau How to restore dunes video ($30,708)
  • Community Business Environment Centre – Hokinganui a Kai ($40,000)
  • Hokianga Community Educational Trust – He Kete Kai o Hokianga -Future Proofing our Hokianga Food Systems ($36,786.39)
  • Matatina Marae Trust – Matatina Kai Whenua – community garden at marae for self sufficiency ($22,476)
  • Maungarongo Whenua Trust on behalf of Ricco Tito -Taiao Kaitiaki Oranga ō te Waīma ($30,000)
  • Morehu Marae Committee – Water tank replacement at marae ($7127.66)
  • Ngaitupoto Trustees Marae – Solar system ($35,000)
  • Opuawhanga Community Hall Trust – Resilience Network ($10,500)
  • Oromahoe 18R2B2B2 Trust – Te Wai Ora, Te Whenua Ora: Oromahoe Water Feasibility Study ($25,000)
  • Pakanae 5A Trust – Cultural and Nature-Based Resilience Programme ($30,000)
  • Puketawa Marae – Solar Energy for marae resilience ($26,037.49)
  • Roma Marae – Te Ngao ki te Marae o Roma (Energy Resilience at Roma Marae) ($25,000)
  • Rural Support Trust Northland – Rural Support Climate Resilience ($40,000)
  • Te Hapua Sports and Recreation Club – Water Resilience ($6956.52)
  • Te Kōhanga Reo O Manaakitia – Kia manawaroa Te Kōhanga Reo o Manaakitia ($7200)
  • Te Maire Whanau Trust – Whānau-Led Fruit Orchard Development ($30,000)
  • Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board – Kāmehameha ($40,000)
  • Te Pokapu Tiaki Taiao O Te Tai Tokerau Trust -Tuituia Te Kahunuku & Food Resiliency ($32,325)
  • Te Runanga o Ngati Hine Trust – Tanks a lot ($40,000)
  • Whakapara Marae Trust – Te Taiao o nga Waipukehia” The environment of the flooded waters ($30,000) .

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