Animal Welfare – Warmer weather brings increased risks to dogs – NZVA

January 29, 2025

Source: NZ Veterinary Association

Dog owners are being warned to keep their pets away from highly toxic karaka berries and algal blooms this summer, and to contact their veterinarian immediately if they think their dog has swallowed them.

The New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) encourages owners to walk dogs on a leash if toxic algae or karaka berries could be in the vicinity as both can make dogs incredibly ill.

NZVA Head of Veterinary Services Companion Animal Sally Cory says at this time of year pets are spending more time outdoors and have more access to things that can harm them. “Unfortunately, dogs are attracted to karaka berries and toxic algae because of the strong smell,” she says. “Even small amounts can be dangerous, so if you think your dog has eaten karaka berries or toxic algae, call your veterinarian immediately and they will advise you what to do next.”

The karaka tree fruits annually between January and April, dropping orange berries containing the alkaloid, karakin, which may be poisonous to dogs. Consumption of the berries by canines – who love their sweet taste – can lead to impaired neurological function, respiratory failure, and even death. Clinical signs can be delayed from between 24 hours and a week or more following ingestion.

Toxic algae, also known as cyanobacteria, appears in rivers and lakes as black, green, or brown slime on rocks, and as brown or black ‘mats’. Symptoms can develop within 30 minutes and include panting, lethargy, muscle tremors, twitching, and convulsions.

“When walking your dog near fresh water at this time of year, be mindful if it’s been dry and the water is potentially stagnant, or if it has rained heavily after a dry period as this can cause algae mats to dislodge,” Sally says. “Toxic algae has a strong, musty odour which dogs are attracted to and the toxic reaction can be fast. Remember if humans are advised not to swim somewhere, dogs shouldn’t swim there either.”

Sally advises dog owners to keep an eye on information provided by local councils as signage may not always be installed at parks, rivers, and lakes. You can look up the potential risks of a destination by visiting Land Air Water Aotearoa.

Sally also urges puppy and dog owners to make sure their pets are fully vaccinated against parvovirus as cases tend to rise when dogs spend more time in public spaces when the weather is warmer. Dogs can become infected by ingesting the virus through direct contact with contaminated faeces, surfaces, or objects, such as food bowls. The virus can even be transmitted on footwear. Signs of illness usually occur within three to seven days of exposure and may include severe, often bloody diarrhoea; vomiting; lethargy; decreased appetite; fever or low body temperature; rapid dehydration; and in severe cases, death.

“We have started to see an increase in parvovirus cases already this season,” Sally says. “It is a highly contagious, viral disease, but it is preventable with appropriate vaccination.” Those most at risk are young (six weeks to six months), unvaccinated, or incompletely vaccinated puppies.

Similarly, vaccinations need to be kept up-to-date for canine cough (kennel cough), an infectious respiratory disease that spreads when dogs are in close contact, such as at the beach, in parks, on walks, and in boarding kennels or daycare facilities. Talk to your veterinarian to ensure your dog is protected against parvovirus and canine cough.

The summer months also bring the risk of bee sting reactions, incidents of dogs swallowing too much salt water, and grass seeds becoming lodged in ears and between toes, so keep an eye out for these too while out and about enjoying the warmer weather.

Signs of karaka poisoning include:

– Vomiting or diarrhoea

– Abdominal pain

– Reduced appetite

– Paralysis of back legs

– Loss of balance

– Convulsions

– Breathing slower than usual (which can lead to paralysis of breathing muscles).

– If you think your dog has eaten any karaka berries, contact your vet immediately.

Signs of toxic algae poisoning include:

– Panting

– Lethargy

– Muscle tremors

– Twitching

– Convulsions

– If your dog is showing any of these symptoms after being in contact with a waterway, contact your veterinarian immediately.

More information on these topics can be found on the NZVA website:

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Health – Proper funding of primary care nurses key to Kiwis getting into GPs – NZNO

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Primary care nurses must be paid the same as hospital nurses to fix the chronic staff shortages causing New Zealanders to be turned away from GP clinics, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.

A Victoria University of Wellington study has found 36% of New Zealand’s general practices didn’t take new enrolments in 2024, with workforce shortages cited as the major reason people were being turned away.

NZNO’s New Zealand College of Primary Health Care Nurses chair Tracey Morgan says the Coalition Government’s focus on the health sector is misdirected.

“While the Government is focused on the five health targets, they are ignoring the most pressing issue – chronic staff shortages in primary care.

“When people can’t get into their GP, they can end up at hospital even sicker. This puts more pressure on our already stretched hospitals and the Government’s own targets will be harder to meet,” Tracey Morgan says.

Primary care nurses are leaving GP clinics to work in hospitals because they get paid 18% more despite having the same skills and qualifications, she says.

“It is time for the Government to pay primary care nurses the same as their hospital counterparts and introduce a sustainable funding model for the primary care sector.

“Until this is done, it is everyday New Zealanders who are trying to see a doctor when they are sick who will pay the price.

“New Health Minister Simeon Brown has said he is ‘an advocate for everyday Kiwis who simply want timely, quality healthcare when they need it’. Here is his solution,” Tracey Morgan says.

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Health – ProCare reflects on progress made towards equitable health outcomes by committing to Te Tiriti o Waitangi Principles

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: ProCare

Over the last four years, primary healthcare provider, ProCare, has made significant progress on embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi across all aspects of the business, but acknowledges there is still more to do.

In 2021, ProCare made a commitment to align to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and deliver key actions to help improve equity in healthcare in its ‘ProEquity’ strategy. This strategy came after extensive engagement with staff and wider stakeholders on steps ProCare could take towards achieving more equitable health outcomes.

Some of the key achievements during the last few years were:

Significant improvements in the employee survey in relation to understanding Te Tiriti, cultural responsiveness, and inclusivity
Appointing Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Tangata Whenua Directors
Establishing formal partnerships with Māori-led community organisations like Smear Your Mea and Taumata Koorero
Launching outreach services to improve access to healthcare services for Māori and Pacific communities
Developing cultural training programmes and mobile apps to support cultural competency.

Bindi Norwell, ProCare Group CEO, says: “Embedding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi adopted from the Ministry of Health – Whakamaua Māori Health Action Plan, enabled us to have a core focus on equity across our business over the last four years, and we are proud of what we have achieved so far. Feedback from our staff on the importance of Te Tiriti has consistently trended upwards, so it’s great to see the hard work by the team being recognised.

“We’ve recently conducted an audit of the strategy, reflecting on where we were at in 2021, what we have achieved so far, and areas of opportunity going forward. This has been great as we enter 2025, ensuring we bring all teams back to alignment and focus on a core direction,” says Norwell.

Mihi Blair, Kaiwhakahaere Hauora Māori, Mana Taurite (GM of Māori Health and Equity), says: “Our achievements as a business have been a result of shared commitment and collective effort across ProCare, as well as building authentic and collaborative relationships with not only Māori, but Pacific, and the diverse population groups that make up Tāmaki Makaurau.

“Utilising Te Tiriti principles, we have continued to build on our achievements, through actions like appointing Marama Royal, Chair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust, to the ProCare Co-operative Board, welcoming Dr Minnie Strickland as a Pacific Representative on our Clinical Quality Committee, developing resources such cultural apps Ihi and Tala Moana, and giving our staff and practices access to our Te Pūheke training programme, endorsed by the Royal College of General Practice, to support them with cultural responsiveness,” says Blair.

“Our actions are a great step forward for ProCare, but we recognise there is still work to. This includes looking into how we can embed equity into all facets of the business. This could be advocating for funding and developing frameworks that align with Te Tiriti, co-designing services with the community, exploring more partnerships, embedding Te Tiriti as a key part of any policy and performance, and more,” concludes Blair.

To find out more about ProCare’s Equity Journey – Te Amorangi, read this infographic: https://www.procare.co.nz/media/3894/te-amorangi-procares-equity-journey.pdf

About ProCare
ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi. As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau.

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Raising speed limits on undivided highways invites trouble

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: Green Party

The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm.

“The Government’s pro-growth spin cannot obscure the fact that raising speed limits significantly increases the risk of serious harm,” says the Green Party’s Transport spokesperson, Julie Anne Genter.

“The laws of physics aren’t a matter of popular opinion. The faster the speed, the bigger the mess. The evidence is overwhelming: safe speeds save lives.

“And yet this Government is substantially hiking up the speed limit on a swathe of often undivided roads in regions such as Northland which has had historically higher rates of deaths on their roads compared to the rest of the country.

“When safe speed limits were established in Northland it reduced deaths and serious injuries by 50-60 per cent with increases in travel times less than one minute per 10 kilometres.

“People won’t notice a minute added to their travel – they will notice when a loved one doesn’t return home from work or school.

“Countries with the lowest deaths and serious injuries have 70 or 80 kph speed limits maximum on rural undivided highways. That’s the International Transport Forum’s recommendation – and the difference it makes is quite stark.

“Local councils, health professionals and road safety experts from here and around the world have spoken out opposing this senseless policy, outlining the serious harm it will cause.

“The Government is playing politics with people’s lives here. Failing to follow the evidence and ignoring basic physics will have real-world consequences,” says Julie Anne Genter.

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Speed limit reduction reversals begin

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop.

“The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads.

“National campaigned on reversing the blanket speed limit reductions at the last election, and over 65 per cent of submitters during consultation on the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 agreed.

“Reversing the speed limit reductions where safe to do so is also part of the National-ACT coalition agreement.

“Where Labour was about slowing New Zealand down, the coalition Government is all about making it easier for people and freight to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible, which will help drive economic growth and improved productivity.”

The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 requires NZTA and local councils to reverse all speed limits lowered since January 2020 on several categories of roads back to their previous limits by 1 July 2025.

“Labour’s Kieran McAnulty said recently that as Associate Transport Minister under the previous government he’d asked NZTA to review the SH2 Wairarapa speed limit, and that they told him no. It seems he just shrugged and accepted that,” Mr Bishop says.

“Today provides a classic example of our Government’s determination to stop letting government agencies put things in the too-hard basket, and instead to push forward for actual results.

“The first state highway to reverse will be the section of SH2 between Featherston and Masterton, where the speed limit reduction in early 2023 under the previous government met with huge community hostility – the exact road that Kieran McAnulty failed to get any action on. This change which will take effect overnight tonight.

“To ensure this process happens efficiently, over the next few months NZTA will incorporate the automatic speed reversal work alongside planned maintenance and project works.

“I have also released a further list of 49 sections of state highway for further public consultation so local communities can have their say on keeping their current lower speed limit or returning to the previous higher speed. Public consultation on those sections begins tomorrow and will run for six weeks.

“In terms of local road changes, councils have until 1 May 2025 to advise NZTA of the specified roads subject to reversal under the new Rule.”

The new rule requires reduced variable speed limits outside schools during pick up and drop off times.

“We are prioritising the safety of Kiwi kids by introducing reduced speed limits outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times. We want to see these changes brought about quickly,” Mr Bishop says.

“By 1 July 2026, local streets outside a school will be required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit. Rural roads that are outside schools will be required to have variable speed limits of 60km/h or less.

“Throughout the world, 50km/h is used as the right speed limit to keep urban roads flowing smoothly and safely. The evidence on this is clear – comparable countries with the lowest rates of road deaths and serious injuries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Japan, have speed limits of 50km/h on their urban roads, with exceptions for lower speed limits.

“These countries have strong road safety records, targeting alcohol, drugs, and speeding. Our Government has a clear focus on improving road safety outcomes with clear targets to ensure Police are focussed on the most high-risk times, behaviours, and locations.”

Notes to editor:

Attached fact sheets:

38 sections of state highway for speed limit auto reversal
49 sections of state highway for community consultation

Under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule signed by previous Transport Minister Simeon Brown in September 2024, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and councils are required to reverse all speed limits lowered since January 2020 on several categories of specified roads back to their previous limits by 1 July 2025.

To give effect to the new Rule, NZTA will automatically reverse speed limits on 38 sections of the state highway network back to their previous higher speed limit, and publicly consult on a further 49 sections before final decisions are made whether to reverse them or not.

Public consultation on 49 sections of state highway will begin on 30 January 2025 and run for six weeks.

Further note:

The reference to Mr McAnulty’s comments regarding SH2 in the Wairarapa is taken from Kate Judson’s article in The Wairarapa Times-Age, Jan 25 2025: Slow road back to 100kph for Wairarapa motorists:

Labour list MP Kieran McAnulty said he was not convinced SH2 speeds south of Greytown would change by July because the decision rested with NZTA.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they said they’ll put it up to 100kph if the road gets improved,” he said.

“I know how resolute NZTA were on it. I was associate transport minister and looked them in the eye and said, ‘I want you to review the speed limit,’ and they said no.”

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Transport Sector – Transporting New Zealand backs speed limit changes

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

National road freight association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand has welcomed today’s Government announcement reversing speed limit reductions on 38 sections of the state highway network, saying the changes will reduce journey times and help avoid dangerous behaviour by frustrated drivers.

Speed limits on 49 further sections of state highway will be put out for public consultation to allows local communities to have their say on whether to revert to previous speed limits.

Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the changes reflect the Government’s more balanced approach to speed management, taking a cost-benefit approach to speed limit setting.

“Our members have been frustrated by blanket speed reductions around the country over the past four years that did not adequately consider the impact of increased journey times, dangerous overtaking and tailgating by frustrated drivers, and increased freight costs for businesses and consumers and we’ve made these points consistently to road controlling authorities across the country.

“We’re pleased to see the programme of speed limit reversals getting underway, as directed by the Government’s Setting of Speed Limits 2024 Land Transport Rule.”

Kalasih says that while appropriate speed limits play a vital role in road safety, they need to be considered alongside good roading design and effective enforcement.

“It is crucial that Government continues to invest in adequate maintenance, roading improvements, and effective enforcement of RIDS (restraints, impairment, distraction and speed).

“Speed limit setting is only one key element of supporting road safety and reducing our road toll.”

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.

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Economy – Reserve Bank NZ speech: Beyond the cycle – Growth and interest rates in the long run

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

29 January 2025 – In a speech delivered today, Reserve Bank Chief Economist Paul Conway discussed New Zealand’s longer-term ‘potential output’ and its significance for monetary policy.

“Understanding potential output is crucial for assessing whether the economy is running too hot or too cold from an inflation control perspective and for gauging medium-term growth prospects,” Mr Conway says.

Mr Conway also outlined the Reserve Bank’s assessment of the ‘neutral interest rate’, which shapes expectations for where the OCR will tend to move over time, in the absence of economic shocks.

The speech goes beyond the business cycle to explore New Zealand’s long-term economic challenges and key factors influencing future growth – including productivity growth. It also explores drivers behind changes in New Zealand’s neutral interest rate.

Key insights from the speech include:

In the absence of future shocks, economic activity in New Zealand will tend towards the level of potential output, as pandemic-related disruptions fade. Likewise, without future shocks, the OCR will tend towards the neutral interest rate.
Over the next few years, with declining inward migration and weak productivity growth, potential output growth is likely to be modest. This will set a modest ‘speed limit’ on how fast the economy can grow without generating excess inflation pressure.
Unlocking higher investment and productivity growth is key to raising potential output growth and improving per capita incomes. This would also reduce the likelihood of negative recessionary economic growth during future periods of restrictive monetary policy.
Reserve Bank estimates suggest that the neutral interest rate has fallen over recent decades, given weak productivity growth and aging populations. Our research suggests that this decline may be reversing and that the long-term nominal neutral interest rate currently lies between 2.5% and 3.5%.

Background notes

What is potential output?
Potential output is the level of goods and services the economy can sustainably supply without generating excess inflation or disinflation. It depends on the supply of inputs – capital and labour – and how productively they are combined to produce output. For example, if there are more people available to work, more capital to use, or better ways of doing things, then potential output increases.

What is the neutral interest rate?
The nominal neutral interest rate is the level of the Official Cash Rate (OCR) consistent with inflation being sustainably at target and the economy running at its potential output. Without future shocks, the neutral interest rate indicates where the OCR is likely to settle to keep inflation at the 2% target midpoint.

More information

Read the speech: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=2920e70068&e=f3c68946f8
Watch the speech: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=e1dd2a8aa0&e=f3c68946f8

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Saving threatened seabird from rising sea levels

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 29 January 2025

Johannes Fischer, Department of Conservation Senior Science Advisor, says climate change impacts have the potential to wipe out the Whenua Hou diving petrel – a small seabird with cobalt blue feet that’s “like a flying penguin”.

“Their entire population breeds in the fragile sand dunes of Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, up to 20 m from the high tide line. Rising seas levels and increasingly frequent storms will eventually destroy their habitat on Whenua Hou. Over the last 10 years, 20% of the dune front has already gone,” Johannes says.

On 31 December 2024, 15 Whenua Hou diving petrel chicks were transferred from Whenua Hou to their new home. This is the first of five transfers over the next five years to move a total of 75 chicks – the number considered sufficient to build a new colony without causing any long-term impact to the Whenua Hou colony.

“Before humans arrived in New Zealand, Whenua Hou diving petrels bred all over the southern South Island and there were millions on Stewart Island/Rakiura. But until the recent transfer, they had reduced to a single population on Whenua Hou of just 210 individuals,” Johannes says.

Two years ago, mana whenua, DOC, fishers, the fishing industry, and Environment Southland developed an action plan to restore the petrels, which advised a second population at a new site was needed.

The group worked through a range of possible sites and identified an undisclosed, predator-free location within Whenua Hou diving petrel’s historic range as the best possible option.

All work is done in partnership with the Whenua Hou Committee (the advisory committee to the Minister of Conservation on the management of Whenua Hou), Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, and Ngāi Tahu whānui.

Johannes says timing was crucial and the transfer had to take place roughly a week before the chicks fledged, before their homing instinct for Whenua Hou was developed.

“We hand-reared the chicks at their new home, and the last chicks fledged on 12 January 2025. Next season, we will translocate another 15 birds.”

“We expect the first group of translocated chicks to return to their new home as adults in October 2026. We’ll keep an eye out in anticipation.”

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Health and Tech – Essential medical imaging services now more accessible in the Bay of Plenty

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: RHCNZ

RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group is excited to announce that Bay Radiology’s new flagship clinic on 17th Avenue in Tauranga is now fully open. Phase One of the clinic, which includes Bay Radiology’s first PET-CT scanner, opened in September 2024. Phase Two opened last week, completing this state-of-the-art facility. The new purpose-built clinic is designed to future-proof medical imaging services for Bay of Plenty residents.

Spanning over 3,000 square metres, this extensive clinic is the largest medical imaging clinic in New Zealand. It is equipped with the latest technology including a high-tech Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scanner as well as state-of-the-art MRI, CT, x-ray and ultrasound equipment. The clinic offers a comprehensive range of medical imaging services to meet the community’s needs, including interventional radiology, mammography and fluoroscopy.

Managing Radiologist for Bay Radiology, Dr Kunaal Rajpal, emphasises that removing barriers to patients accessing healthcare has become a key focus for Bay Radiology.

“Equity of access to healthcare for people living in regional New Zealand is an issue that concerns all healthcare providers, so we are proud to be able to provide better access to high quality imaging locally.”

Dr Rajpal adds

“Our radiologists have a wide range of sub-specialities including Musculoskeletal, Interventional, Breast, Body Imaging, Oncology, Neuroradiology, Abdominal, and Head and Neck Imaging. Patients can feel confident knowing that if the need arises, highly specialised expertise is right on their doorstep.”

A phased design enabled some parts of the building to be safely used while other parts were still under construction. Consequently, Bay Radiology commenced their PET-CT scanning last September. This advanced technology plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Nicola Daisley, Regional Manager, notes

“Since opening in September our PET-CT team have delivered diagnostic results for over 100 patients, enabling their lead care specialists to provide the best possible health-care treatment plans. We are delighted to now be offering a full suite of modalities from one central and easily accessible location, streamlining the diagnostic process for our community.”

RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group CEO Terry McLaughlin says that this new clinic, strategically located in Tauranga, is a significant step in supporting the healthcare needs of the Bay of Plenty community.

“Our 17 th Ave clinic is the heart of our Bay Radiology operations, providing patients access to the full suite of medical imaging services in one convenient location. Bay Radiology has been supporting the local community with their healthcare needs for over 30 years. We look forward to at least another 30 years of better health outcomes for Bay and Eastern Bay of Plenty residents,” said Mr. McLaughlin.

A traditional blessing ceremony for 17 th Ave was held on Friday, 20 December 2024. The ceremony was led by local Iwi leader Tamati Tata of Ngati Ranginui and attended by staff members and the building’s architects.

Conveniently located in central Tauranga, the clinic is adjacent to Tauranga Hospital, easily accessible from medical centres and specialist consulting rooms and is on main public transport routes.

BAY RADIOLOGY is the Bay of Plenty’s leading radiology provider with 9 clinics in Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Papamoa, Katikati, Matamata and Whakatane. Bay Radiology offers MRI, CT, PET CT, interventional radiology, ultrasound, pregnancy ultrasound, x-ray, mammography, fluoroscopy and PRP services.

RHCNZ MEDICAL IMAGING GROUP is New Zealand’s leading private radiology provider with over 140 specialist radiologists working in 74+ clinics nationwide. This New Zealand owned company operates 3 longstanding brands – Auckland Radiology Group, Bay Radiology and Pacific Radiology Group. RHCNZ stands for Radiology Holding Company New Zealand.

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Ombudsman – Scheme to publish quarterly figures on bank complaints

LiveNews Publisher

January 29, 2025

Source: Banking Ombudsman Scheme

29 January 2025 – Consumers will now have a better picture of banking problems following the Banking Ombudsman Scheme’s decision to begin publishing quarterly reports on the cases it receives.

The reports, the first of which was published last week, share insights about cases received by the scheme. They provide a breakdown of cases by bank, the proportion of complaints and disputes received by banks relative to their market share, top problem areas and products, the time taken to resolve disputes, compensation paid, and other insights gleaned from the data.

Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said the reports would shine a spotlight on the scheme’s performance, but also introduce more transparency and accountability into the banking sector.

“Information is power, and the more information customers have, the more they can make informed choices about whether to make a complaint, and what to expect if they do.”

Ms Sladden said the reports would provide more timely and detailed data than that contained in summarised form in the scheme’s annual reports. They would also help inform and educate consumers, as well as supplement information found on the scheme’s complaints dashboard, which compiles data from banks about the number and types of complaints received by banks.

The quarterly report, for the period of October to December 2024, shows the scheme received 1,429 cases, including 938 complaints and 50 disputes. Complaints were down 11 per cent and disputes down 24 per cent on the previous quarter, although mainly for seasonal reasons.

Scam-related complaints continued to feature prominently, making up a fifth of all complaints. Phishing and information harvesting scams were the biggest contributors. Complaints about unsuccessful hardship applications fell, but complaints about internet banking more than doubled, largely as a result of technical malfunctions and outages.

Almost 6 per cent of complaints escalated to disputes, which was down on the previous quarter’s figure of 16 per cent. Scam-related disputes fell 36 per cent compared with the previous quarter, and 63 per cent of such complaints for the financial year to date have been resolved partly or fully in favour of the customer – compared with 52 per cent for all types of disputes.

During the quarter, banks reimbursed or paid compensation of $339,961 to customers who sought the scheme’s help to resolve their complaint, down from $591,703 for the previous quarter.

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