People in New Zealand living with a type of blood cancer, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL), will benefit from wider access to the medicine brentuximab vedotin, from 1 April 2026.
This change comes after Pharmac consulted on a proposal for brentuximab vedotin to be used as a first-line treatment option in people newly diagnosed with sALCL.
“This will mean people could receive brentuximab vedotin as a first treatment option, instead of waiting until other options have been tried,” says Pharmac’s Manager of Pharmaceutical Funding, Claire Pouwels. “Around 12 people are expected to benefit in the first year, with around 60 people benefitting over the next 5 years.”
Brentuximab vedotin is currently funded only for people whose lymphoma has returned or has not responded to earlier treatment. Using brentuximab vedotin earlier is expected to support better outcomes for people with sALCL, who often face poor survival rates and significant health needs.
“Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare form of cancer that is often diagnosed in people under 55,” says Pouwels. “Making this treatment available earlier has the potential to improve both survival and quality of life.”
Pharmac is improving access to brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) so that it can be publicly funded as a first‑line treatment for people with previously untreated systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). The funding is available from 1 April 2026.
Before this funding decision was made, brentuximab vedotin was only funded for people after first‑line treatment had not worked. This funding change will allow eligible patients to receive it upfront, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (replacing vincristine).
Brentuximab vedotin is a targeted cancer medicine used to treat systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). It works by recognising and attaching to a protein called CD30, which is present on the surface of sALCL cancer cells.
Once the medicine binds to these CD30‑positive cells, it is absorbed into them and releases a chemotherapy agent that kills the cancer cell from the inside. This approach allows the treatment to specifically attack cancerous cells while limiting exposure to healthy cells.
When used as a first‑line treatment, brentuximab vedotin is given alongside cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone, taking the place of vincristine in the traditional CHOP chemotherapy regimen. This means it becomes part of a combination therapy designed to treat the disease at an early stage, with the aim of improving patient outcomes by introducing a more targeted option upfront.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford have announced further changes to visitor visa settings for Pacific people, making it more affordable for Pacific visitors to travel to New Zealand.
“From 1 June this year, the total cost of applying for a visitor visa for Pacific nationals will drop from $216 to $161, for a 12-month period, as part of New Zealand’s ongoing work to deepen Pacific connections,” Mr Peters says.
“This is a practical update to visitor visa settings that reduces cost, supports easier travel and helps strengthen the relationships that matter most.”
“These updates build on earlier improvements, such as longer visa durations – from one year to two years with multiple entries – along with reduced processing times, new escalation processes to support urgent travel, and the current visa‑free trial for Pacific travellers coming from Australia,” Ms Stanford says.
“Together, these changes make it easier and cheaper for Pacific visitors to come to New Zealand, while ensuring the system remains clear, predictable and secure. The Government will review the impacts in a year’s time, before deciding what happens next.”
Further details on eligibility and timing will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit Immigration New Zealand’s website: www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/visitor-visa-fees-temporarily-reduced-for-pacific-nationals/
Media contacts:
Mr Peters: John Tulloch +64 21 868 943
Ms Stanford: Michael van der Kwast +64 21 875 347
Notes to editor:
This change applies to people visiting from American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
As part of the Realm of New Zealand, people from the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau do not need visas to travel to New Zealand. Neither do citizens and permanent residents from Australia, given the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement.
People from New Caledonia and French Polynesia are French citizens and already eligible for visa-free travel. While people from Pitcairn Islands may be eligible for the reduced fee, as British citizens they are also already eligible for visa-free travel.
Visitor visas for Pacific Islands Forum nationals moved to a 24‑month multi‑entry default from 6 July 2025.
A 12‑month trial, from 3 November 2025, allows Pacific passport holders travelling from Australia on a valid Australian visa to enter New Zealand visa‑free with an NZeTA for visits of up to three months.
These changes follow two earlier updates announced in April 2025:
The Government has appointed the Crown Review Team which will give Wellingtonians clarity about what went wrong at Moa Point wastewater treatment plant, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says.
Former Watercare chief executive and current chair of the Water Services Authority Raveen Jaduram will lead the team. He will be joined by experienced lawyers Helen Atkins and Michael Weatherall, and senior infrastructure engineer Garry Macdonald.
“Wellingtonians deserve clear answers about what led to the catastrophic failure at Moa Point and the assurance that it will not happen again,” Mr Watts says.
“The review team’s work will provide that certainty by investigating what led to the failure and what must change to prevent it from happening again.
“It has been appointed to both Wellington City Council and to Wellington Water Ltd in a parallel process to ensure we have a comprehensive and coordinated investigation. While they are required to operate under two terms of references, they will function as a unified team to avoid duplication and deliver clear answers about what happened.”
The Crown Review Team’s term runs until 31 August 2026, and it will produce a final report before then.
“We expect to receive an interim report before Wellington’s water assets – including the Moa Point plant – are due to transfer to the new council water organisation Tiaki Wai Limited on 1 July,” Mr Watts says.
Following consideration of the final report, Mr Watts will report back to Cabinet on any recommendations from the investigations.
“I am mindful that the Review Team’s work is likely to coincide with the Greater Wellington Regional Council’s (GWRC) own investigation as the environmental regulator under the Resource Management Act,” Mr Watts says.
“It is my expectation that the Crown Review Team’s activity will not constrain the local authority’s regulatory activity.
“My intention is to publicly release the findings as soon as possible while managing any risk of prejudicing the investigation or any enforcement action by Greater Wellington Regional Council or any commercial or legal action or claims.”
Links to the Terms of Reference:
Wellington City Council Terms of Reference: https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2026-go1237
Wellington Water Terms of Reference: https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2026-go1238/
The Roma Marae, Ahipara Marae, hapū, and community members have requested a 2-year pāua closure of this area under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.
Consultation opened on 10 March and submissions close at 5pm on Friday 24 April 2026.
The proposed closure area
The proposed closure area starts near Te Huahua/Iron Gate on Tauroa Peninsula, west of Ahipara, and follows the coastline to near the Hunahuna Stream. It extends from the mean high-water mark to about 2 km offshore and covers approximately 32.4 square kilometres.
The proposed area excludes approximately 1.8 square kilometres of fishery waters at the sandy beach near Hukatere Stream.
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Spatial Allocations Fisheries New Zealand PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
Public notice
A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the Northland Age and Northern Advocate on 10 March 2026.
Related information
Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in respect of an area, if satisfied that the closure, restriction, or prohibition will recognise and provide for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
Fisheries New Zealand is consulting on options for closures to commercial fishing for orange roughy in the spawning areas of the East and South Chatham Rise part of ORH 3B under section 11 of the Fisheries Act 1996.
We welcome your feedback on the proposed options and any alternatives. Your feedback will be incorporated into our final advice to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries and will help to inform their decisions on any changes.
This consultation opened on 11 March and we are accepting submissions until 5pm on 10 April 2026.
This review follows engagement in 2025 on setting the Total Allowable Catch (TAC), the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC), and non-regulated sub-area catch limits for ORH 3B for the 2025–26 fishing year.
The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries agreed to decrease the ORH 3B TACC from 4,752 to 2,321 tonnes for the 2025–26 fishing year. As part of of this, the non-regulatory sub-area catch limit for the East and South Chatham Rise was reduced to 324 tonnes to allow the stock to rebuild.
To support the rebuild, the minister agreed that the reduced TACC would be supported by the closure of orange roughy spawning areas. This is based on recent research that indicates fishing activity may disrupt spawning aggregations and influence spawning success.
While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:
Orange roughy spawning area closure submission Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140 New Zealand.
What to include
Make sure you tell us in your submission:
the title of the consultation document
your name and title
your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
This is the third and final consultation in this round
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has begun work to develop notice content to supplement both the Organic Products and Production Regulations, and the Organic Standards Regulations.
We are consulting about the content of the organic supplementary notices in 3 stages (tranches). The first 2 consultations have closed.
Tranche 1: technical content to supplement the Organic Standards Regulations.
Tranche 2: requirements for recognised entities, including recognition, accreditation, verification, quality management systems, competencies and record keeping, to supplement both sets of regulations.
Tranche 3 (this consultation): requirements for organic management plans and requirements for application for export certification.
The following notices are expected to be consulted on in the coming months:
inputs and trade-name products
organic management plans
export requirements.
Have your say
We are seeking your input on the proposed notice for technical information for operators and recognised entities.
The Tranche 3 notice sets out the notice content for procedures that are required in the Organic Management Plan. These requirements are in addition to the regulations, which also cover procedures to be set in the Organic Management Plan. Subclause 10 in Schedule 3 of the Organic Products and Production Regulations states what processes and procedures are expected, so in the Tranche 3 Notice are specific procedures which aren’t already covered in the regulations.
Note: MPI is developing an Organic Management Plan template which can be adopted by operators. This will be consulted on later in the year (2026) to prepare operators for transitioning into the Organic Products and Production (OPP) Act system. This template will cover all of the detail that needs to be included in an Organic Management Plan.
Topics covered in this third tranche of notice content include:
Organic Management Plan requirements:
key tasks [OPP Sched 3 cl 3(b)]
defining boundaries and layouts [OPP Sched 3 cl 5]
details of operator activities: producers and processors [OPP Sched 3 cl 4]
details of operator activities: service providers [OPP Sched 3 cl 4]
general procedures [OPP Sched 3 cls 10 and 11]
ingredients of processed products [OS Reg 143]
assessment of imported products [OPP 121 and 122]
corrective actions when breach of relevant export requirements [OPP Sched 3 cl 10(2)(b) and (c)].
We welcome submissions on the proposals contained in the consultation document. Your feedback helps to ensure that the requirements set out in this third tranche of notice content are accurate and reflective of how organic operations operate. MPI will consider all feedback provided and review how your feedback can be integrated into the final notice.
Submissions sent by email or post will be accepted until 5pm on 31 March 2026.
New Zealand Food Safety Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
Make sure you also include in your submission:
the title of the consultation document
your name and title
your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
Te Rūnanga o Moeraki has requested a temporary closure of fisheries waters near Moeraki, Otago. The requested closure would prohibit the taking of all shellfish, including crustaceans, for 2 years, under section 186B of the Fisheries Act 1996.
The request is intended to temporarily stop fishing pressure on the shellfish fisheries, and in particular on tuaki (cockles), to give populations an opportunity to rebuild.
Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from anyone who has an interest in the fish stock concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.
This consultation opened on 4 March and we are accepting submissions until 5pm on 20 April 2026.
The area of the proposed Moeraki temporary closure covers about 1.3 square kilometres and includes the fisheries waters out to 500 m offshore, starting near the northern end of the Moeraki Boulders/Kaihinaki Walk and extending southwards along Moeraki Beach to the headland at the eastern edge of Onekakara Bay.
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Spatial Allocations Fisheries Management Fisheries New Zealand PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
Public notice
A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the Otago Daily Times on Wednesday 4 March 2026.
Related information
Section 186B of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Director-General of the Ministry for Primary Industries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in respect of an area, if satisfied that the closure, restriction, or prohibition is likely to assist in recognising and providing for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
Ngāti Kuia has applied for a mātaitai reserve covering the waters of Guards Bay in the outer Marlborough Sounds. The proposed area includes all South Island fisheries waters lying between Forsyth Island (Te Paruparu) and Alligator Head with an offshore boundary north of Titi Island and including Anakoha Bay and Titirangi Bay.
Ngāti Kuia and Fisheries New Zealand invite submissions on the proposal and will hold a local community meeting to discuss the application.
This is the first of 2 consultations to be held about the application.
What area is being proposed?
The proposed area includes approximately 56.6 square kilometres of South Island fisheries waters within the following lines:
starting at a point on the mean high-water mark at Culdaff Point at 40°56.387’S and 174°04.834’E; then
proceeding in a straight line in an easterly direction for approximately 4km to a point offshore at 40°56.189’S and 174°07.696’E; then
proceeding in a straight line in a south-easterly direction for approximately 2.4km to a point offshore at 40°56.824’S and 174°09.202’E; then
proceeding in a straight line in a southerly direction for approximately 2.4km to a point on the mean high-water mark located approximately 250m east of Alligator Head at 40°58.096’S and 174°09.573’E; then
following the mean high-water mark in a generally south-westerly direction to a point on the south side of Allen Strait/Guard Pass at 40°59.780’S and 174°03.923’E; then
proceeding in straight line in a north-westerly direction for 284m to a point on the mean high-water mark on the north side of Allen Strait/Guard Pass at 40°59.682’S and 174°03.767’E; then
proceeding in a generally northerly direction along the mean high-water mark to the starting point.
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Fisheries management – Spatial Allocations Fisheries New Zealand PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
Public notices about this consultation
Public notices calling for submissions are scheduled to appear in Nelson Mail and Marlborough Express on Monday 2 March 2026 and Wednesday 11 March 2026.
Public meeting planned
A meeting with the local community will be held to discuss the application. A further notice will be published in both the Nelson Mail and Marlborough Express, and on this website, advertising the time, date and venue for this meeting.
A second consultation is planned
After the local community consultation period has closed, Fisheries New Zealand will hold a second consultation. This will invite written submissions from people who take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or own quota, and whose ability to take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or whose ownership interest in quota may be affected by the proposed mātaitai reserve.
The second consultation will be advertised in the same newspapers and on this website.
About mātaitai reserves
A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground where tangata whenua have a special relationship. Mātaitai reserves are limited to fisheries waters and do not include any land area. Mātaitai reserves do not change any existing arrangements for access to private land.
Mātaitai reserves do not affect private landowners’ land titles or their ability to exercise resource consents for such things as taking water or extracting gravel or sand. Resource consents are managed under the Resource Management Act 1991.
Mātaitai reserves do not change the recreational fishing rules. However, the tangata tiaki/kaitiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date. These are called mātaitai reserve bylaws. Any proposed bylaws will be consulted on separately with the public and relevant stakeholders. They need to be approved by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is generally prohibited in a mātaitai reserve, and the applicants have not sought any conditions to enable specified commercial fishing activities to continue in the area if it becomes a mātaitai reserve.
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Granarolo New Zealand Limited in its recall of Ghiotti brand Chorizo Velita (150g) due to the product being labelled with the incorrect date mark.
“The concern is that this chorizo has been mislabelled with the incorrect date mark. The affected product is labelled Best Before 21/05/2026. The correct date mark should be Use By 21/02/2026. This is important because use-by dates indicate when the product is no longer safe to eat,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle.
“This product should not be eaten. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that’s not possible, throw them out.”
The affected batch of Ghiotti brand Chorizo Velita (150g) is sold at retailers throughout New Zealand.
Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product.
If you have eaten any of these products and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.
The products were imported from Spain and labelled in New Zealand. The products have not been re-exported. They have been removed from stores.
“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Granarolo New Zealand Limited to understand how the how the date mark labelling error occurred and prevent its recurrence,” says Mr Arbuckle.
The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.
A Kaikōura dairy farmer has been fined $35,000 for failing his National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) responsibilities involving hundreds of cattle, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
Trevor Ronald Bolton (59) was sentenced in the Kaikōura District Court (6 March 2026) on 3 representative charges under the NAIT Act. Mr Bolton earlier pleaded guilty to the charges.
Under the NAIT Act, the movement of all cattle or deer must be declared to the NAIT organisation, Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (OSPRI), within 48 hours. Additionally, all animals must be fitted with a NAIT tag and registered in the NAIT system by the time the animal is 180 days old, or before the animal is moved off farm.
Mr Bolton runs 2 large dairy farms and is the person in charge of the animals. MPI’s investigation found significant failures including not registering 269 NAIT animals, failing to declare 571 NAIT animals that were being moved off farm, and failing to declare movements of 83 NAIT animals onto his farms. For each of these failures, he was fined $11,666.
“The system is critical to New Zealand’s ability to trace potentially affected animals to manage disease or biosecurity incursions. This farmer’s failures under the NAIT Act related to almost 1,000 animals. As we have learned from our experience with Mycoplasma bovis it only takes one animal to cause a problem,” says MPI district manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance upper south, Paul Soper.
“MPI takes non-compliance with NAIT seriously. Put simply, when people in charge of animals disregard or fail to live up to their NAIT obligations they put the whole agricultural sector at risk,” says Paul Soper.
Biosecurity New Zealand is deploying a new tool in the fight against the yellow-legged hornet in Auckland.
Mike Inglis, commissioner north, says the agency will soon be using a locally developed protein-based insecticide bait that has proven extremely successful on wasps and is expected to be effective against the hornet.
“Targeting hornets with this product, called Vespex®, is a world-first, as unlike in other countries, New Zealand has no native wasps that are attracted to this bait, so native species won’t be harmed.
“Research has also shown that the product does not affect honeybees.
“Vespex® has low toxicity to mammals and birds, and they would need to consume a large amount of bait to show any symptoms of poisoning. The active ingredient, fipronil, is used in pet flea and tick products in higher concentrations than what we’ll be using.”
Mr Inglis says the bait will be placed in special stations and visiting hornets then roll it into small balls and take it back to the nest where it poisons others.
Starting in mid-March, when hornets are looking for protein feed, bait stations will be set in the response ‘B’ and ‘C’ Zones, which are the surveillance areas furthest from where hornets are being detected on Auckland’s North Shore.
“We’re targeting these outer areas first to destroy any hornets that have so far evaded traps or sightings by the public. This gives us an extra layer of insurance.
“We will ultimately use the Vespex® in the central ‘A’ Zone where the hornets are concentrated, but we are holding off for now because we’re having great success tracking hornets to nests using visual inspections and radio trackers.
“In addition, we’ve had a new breakthrough using drone-based thermal imaging. Using this technology over an area where a suspected nest was present, we were able to locate a new secondary nest, adding another tool to our toolbox.
All of the activities being undertaken to get rid of this hornet are based on science and guided by the advice of a group of technical experts, many with experience managing yellow-legged hornets overseas.
“The yellow-legged hornet response is progressing well, and the end goal remains eradication, which is considered feasible.”
New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Lion NZ (LION) Limited in recalling a specific batch of its Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer due to individual bottles in some 24-packs being incorrectly labelled as alcohol-free.
“The concern with these beers is that although the box says the beers contain 4.2% alcohol, some of the bottles in the box have been incorrectly labelled as alcohol-free,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
“I am very mindful that this recall will be concerning for a range of consumers who have medical, cultural, or lifestyle reasons why they select non-alcoholic beverages.
“People avoiding alcohol should not consume this product. Customers can get a full refund by contacting Lion NZ on freephone 0800 835 554.”
Steinlager’s Ultra Low Carb 24 Pack (24 x 330ml) with a best before date of 21/10/26 is affected by this recall.
The affected products are sold at retailers and hospitality businesses nationwide. They have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported.
Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product.
If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.
“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Lion NZ (LION) Limited to understand how this happened and prevent it recurring,” says Mr Arbuckle.
The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.
Biosecurity New Zealand’s Oriental fruit fly response continues in Papatoetoe, Auckland, with no further fruit flies found today.
Four male Oriental fruit flies have so far been found in traps within our surveillance zone.
“Our team hit the ground running over the past several days, installing signs, setting additional traps, distributing fruit disposal bins, and sharing information with the community,” says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north.
“Staff are continuing to visit businesses, schools, and households to provide information and support and today they’ll be focused on those in the newly extended Zone A and B areas.”
There are now 3 areas under Zone A restrictions, 200 metres around each fly detection, with their combined area including approximately 1,400 properties. Zone B has also been extended to account for the location of the new detections and now covers approximately 14,500 properties.
Residents in the 2 new areas subject to Zone A restrictions will receive a bin to securely dispose of their fruit and vegetable waste.
“There is one bin for each household in Zone A and bins are publicly available right across Zone B,” Mr Inglis says.
“An interactive map will be available on our website today showing the location of those Zone B bins, where you can search for your nearest bins based on your address.”
A map of the controlled area and a full description of the new boundaries and movement controls is available at:
A biosecurity operation has been under way in the area since last Wednesday, with legal controls in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables to help prevent any fruit flies spreading beyond the controlled area.
“We have a specialist team working in a mobile laboratory, collecting and inspecting fallen fruit for evidence of Oriental fruit fly,” Mr Inglis says.
“Since the response began, they have sliced and examined a significant amount of this windfall fruit.”
The Government will move ahead with a digital labelling trial, another step towards removing barriers to consumer choice and competition.
It follows consultation at the end of last year on the trial, a requirement under the Food Act.
“Food retailers have told us labelling products can be a costly barrier to entry or expansion into the New Zealand market.
This trial provides an opportunity to test innovative digital labelling technologies and allows more flexibility to potential new entrants,” Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says.
“For smaller players and new entrants in particular, these costs would often need to be passed on to customers, resulting in higher prices that make it harder for them to compete.
“The end goal is a better deal for Kiwi consumers. It’s with that front of mind that the Government has decided to proceed with the trial.”
An Expression-of-Interest process is now open, seeking participants for a 12-month digital labelling trial for approved retailers.
Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard says the trial will ensure robust food safety protections remain in place.
“A small number of approved retailers will temporarily be exempt from existing physical labelling requirements under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. It will only apply to lower-risk, pre-packaged imported foods.
“Products in the trial will have physical labels that comply with rules in countries with strong food regulatory systems, similar to New Zealand’s, and all the information that Kiwis are used to seeing on labels will be available digitally.”
All other retailers will continue to display the normal physical labels during the trial.
“Food safety and suitability remain non-negotiable during the trial, so all products must comply with the Food Act 2014, the compositional requirements of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and all other relevant legislation.”
To ensure regulatory oversight, New Zealand Food Safety will assess potential participants, run the trial, provide guidance and monitor performance.
“The world is moving toward using this sort of innovative technology. New Zealand’s trial of digital labelling will inform broader consideration of the role of digital labelling for food, by Food Standards Australia New Zealand” says Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard.
“The trial will help us understand how the system could work to ensure safety while providing business and consumers with more choice, without compromising the standards New Zealanders rightly expect.”
Locations of retail trial participants will be provided once they have been selected.
More information on the trial, including information for prospective trial participants, can be found here.
Submissions to the Expression of Interest process close on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Police acknowledge and accept an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report that found officers were justified in using force when taking a man into custody in Tairāwhiti.
On 14 December 2024, Police received reports of a man (referred to in the IPCA report as Mr Z) in a stolen ute in Tiniroto. He was believed to be in possession of a firearm.
Police saw the vehicle earlier in the day and the vehicle was signalled to stop, however, Mr Z fled driving in a dangerous manner and a pursuit was abandoned.
Mr Z was later located in the ute parked on the side of the road in Tiniroto.
While being told he was under arrest, Mr Z resisted and was seen to reach over the centre console and into the passenger footwell while kicking out towards the officers.
Officers believed Mr Z was reaching for a firearm, resulting in officers to act and use tasers, the deployment of a Police dog, and strikes and punches to apprehend Mr Z.
After a search of the vehicle, no firearm was located.
An IPCA investigation found the officers were justified in the use of force to take Mr Z into custody, and that overall Police’s actions were considered reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.
Eastern District Commander Superintendent Joel Lamb acknowledges the report’s findings released today.
“I am proud of our Police Officers for their actions that day, they believed the man posed an imminent threat to them, their fellow officers, and members of the public.
“They took the appropriate steps to control the rapidly evolving situation and made split-second decisions that ensured the safety of everyone within the community.”
Mr Z made a full recovery from the injuries sustained during his arrest.
A group fleeing the scene of an attempted robbery at a central Auckland superette have also failed to give Police the slip.
Just before 9pm, two males covering their faces with balaclavas entered the store on Karangahape Road.
“These offenders entered the store, verbally abusing the shopkeeper,” Auckland Central Area Commander, Inspector Grae Anderson says.
“One of these males has jumped onto the counter, resulting in both offenders being chased out of the store by the shopkeeper.”
Both males ran to a waiting stolen vehicle which fled from the area.
Police units were dispatched to the incident.
“This vehicle was later detected in the Western Springs area, with a Police camera operator tracking its movements until the Police Eagle helicopter got overhead,” Inspector Anderson says.
The vehicle was seen stopping near St Lukes, with two males exiting before it drove off again.
“The two 17-year-olds were soon located by Police units and arrested, one of which was carrying a machete,” Inspector Anderson says.
Meanwhile, Eagle continued to track the stolen vehicle heading west on the northwestern motorway (SH16).
Inspector Anderson says the vehicle was stopped by Police on Te Atatū Road a short time later and two males, aged 12 and 13, were taken into custody without further incident.
Following further enquiries by Police, the two males have been referred to Youth Aid.
The two 17-year-olds arrested in St Lukes have been jointly charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.
One of the pair has been charged with possessing an offensive weapon. They will appear in the Auckland Youth Court today.
“I would like to acknowledge all the Police staff involved in responding to last night’s incident, resulting in these apprehensions,” Inspector Anderson says.
A new purpose-built facility at Wairarapa Hospital will house a new MRI scanner as part of a wider investment to strengthen diagnostic services, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“Wairarapa is currently the only district in the lower North Island without its own MRI scanner. Once operational, this $3.7 million scanner will significantly improve access to diagnostic services for the Wairarapa community,” Mr Brown says.
“Improving access to timely radiology services across the lower North Island is a priority, and this scanner will help ease pressure on existing MRI services in surrounding areas.”
There are an estimated 1700 MRI scans undertaken each year for public patients who reside in the Wairarapa and southern Midcentral districts, with demand expected to grow by 6 to 7.5 per cent annually. Currently, however, those patients must travel to Hutt Valley, Wellington, Palmerston North, or private providers to receive those scans, and face waits of around 72 days.
“Having an MRI scanner on-site means patients will be able to access scans closer to home, while helping reduce wait times toward the 42-day target. Faster access to imaging will mean earlier diagnosis, quicker specialist decision making, and earlier access to treatment.”
Mr Brown says the Government is focused on delivering modern infrastructure that keeps patients at the centre of care.
“By expanding local diagnostic capacity, we’re supporting our targets for faster cancer treatment, shorter wait times for first specialist assessment, and shorter waits for elective procedures.
“Establishing MRI services in Wairarapa will make it easier for patients to get the scans they need, reduce unnecessary travel, and strengthen the resilience of health services across the region.”
A milestone worth celebrating for Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity
The New Zealand Threat Classification Series has officially reached its 50th issue! That’s 50 deep dives into the state of our unique species, 50 scientifically robust contributions to conservation knowledge, and 50 reasons to feel proud of the mahi behind this nationally important series.
Lepidium rekohuense | Credit: CC-Y Peter de Lange
What is the Threat Classification Series?
Since 2013, the New Zealand Threat Classification Series (NZTCS) has served as a cornerstone of conservation science in Aotearoa. It’s a scientific series, but not the gathering dust on a shelf kind. These publications are all open access, living online on DOC’s Science Publications webpages, and widely used by researchers, conservationists, NGOs, and agencies here and overseas.
Each issue shares the most up-to-date conservation status of New Zealand’s wild species, from algae and spiders to birds, fungi, and everything in between. On average, three publications roll out every year, covering 23 different species groups. More than 16,000 species have been assessed to date.
Atrichopsis tenuirostris | Credit: Marley Ford
Flashback to issue #1
The very first issue, published in June 2013, was a whopper, compiling results from 21 peer-reviewed studies covering 12,223 species. It marked a major shift, moving NZTCS data from membership only journals to an open, freely available platform.
The second issue, also released June 2013, helped shape the series’ now-recognisable structure, though the look has evolved over the years (including the addition of the official NZTCS colour scheme in 2021).
We’ve actually come full circle – the series launched with a reptile assessment in 2013 and now issue #50 celebrates reptiles again.
Enjoy the photos in this blog. They’ve all featured on the cover of a report.
Awakopaka skink/Oligosoma awakopaka gravid female Homer Fiordland | Credit: James Reardon
It started with spreadsheets
In the early days, each issue came with an accompanying Excel spreadsheet packed with data. In 2018, this transformed with the creation of the NZTCS database, and supportive data is now accessed directly through digital links inside each publication.
A global audience
The NZTCS isn’t just for New Zealand audiences. In 2025, it had more than 2,500 reads, including readers in 68 countries. Outside Aotearoa, the biggest readership comes from the United States, Australia and China.
The most popular publication so far?
Issue 36 – Conservation Status of Birds in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021. The issue was a real milestone, announcing that North Island Brown Kiwi, while remaining conservation dependent, was no longer threatened or at risk of becoming threatened thanks to 30 years of community conservation.
A massive collaborative effort
Behind each issue lies a considerable cross-sector effort. More than 200 authors – from DOC, Crown Research Institutes, universities, museums, and consultancies – have contributed their expertise.
Why the NZTCS matters
The NZTCS provides evidence-based assessments of extinction risk for species across Aotearoa, including marine species. It complements the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but tailors its criteria to New Zealand’s unique natural environment such as island ecosystems, naturally small populations, and species with restricted ranges found nowhere else in the world.
Sperm whale in Kaikoura | Credit: Will Rayment/NZ Whale Dolphin Trust
Panels of experts reassess each species group roughly every five years, weighing abundance, distribution, and population trends. The result is a clear, nationally relevant picture of how our species are doing and where conservation energy is most needed.
Here’s to 50 issues, and many more to come
The NZTCS is more than a set of publications. It’s a living record of the state of Aotearoa’s biodiversity. It informs policy, recovery planning, advocacy, science and even national reporting.
Reaching 50 issues is a huge achievement. And as long as our taonga species need champions, the series will keep growing, evolving, and supporting the mahi to protect our natural heritage.
Education Minister Erica Stanford welcomes the decision by Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche to enable school boards to offer primary teachers new pay agreements. The move benefits around 10,000 primary teachers who are not bound by the NZEI Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement.
“From today, school boards will be able to offer primary teachers, who are not part of the union and employed on individual employment agreements (IEAs), new agreements, which will allow them to receive pay increases of up to 4.7 percent within 12 months. These increases are comparable to those accepted by their secondary counterparts last year,” Ms Stanford says.
“Teachers have right to a contract and is fair and reasonable that nearly a third of primary school teachers, who are not part of the NZEI, should be offered a contract so they can receive the pay increases that the Government has already offered.
“This would equate to approximately $50 to $76 each week and is pay that non-union teachers could already be receiving if not impacted by the NZEI’s ongoing approach to bargaining.
“I know the Commissioner did not come by this decision lightly. However, he has made his concerns on the delays in primary teacher bargaining very clear.
“New IEAs will be available today through school boards for the primary teachers who are not a member of the NZEI Te Riu Roa union or bound by the NZEI Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement.
“Sir Brian will continue to negotiate with the NZEI in good faith, and everyone is hopeful the bargaining process will result in a new collective agreement being ratified for teachers who are bound by the NZEI Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement. In the interim, the priority is to ensure that at least 30 percent of primary teachers can lock in pay increases without further delay.”
Media contact: Michael van der Kwast +64 21 875 347
Notes to editors: New Individual Employment Agreement for Primary Teachers
Pay increase of 4.5% – 4.7% within 12 months:
Teachers on the top two steps of the scale receive a cumulative pay increase of 4.7% by January 2027. This is comprised of a 2.5% increase on 20 March 2026 and a further 2.1% increase on 28 January 2027.
Teachers moving up the scale (on steps 1-8) will continue to receive annual step increases along with a 4.5-4.6% pay increase by 28 January 2027. This is comprised of a 2.5% increase on 20 March 2026, and a further 2% increase on 28 January 2027.
Management Units Increase to $5,250: All unit holders will receive an increase to the value of salary units from $4,500 to $5,250 (16.7% increase to the rates that units are paid).
All primary teachers who accept the new IEA will receive a cumulative pay increase of at least 4.5% on printed rates in the Base Salary Scale from the start of the 2027 school year.
This means teachers who are at the top of the pay scale will see their base salary increase to $107,886 per annum from the beginning of next school year, and this is before units and allowances are included. For the many teachers who hold one or more than units, this increase will be even higher.
Primary teachers who hold at least one unit will receive an overall 5.1% to 5.4% salary increase within 11 months of settlement.
Budget 2025 has already provided for teaching council certification costs to be met until 2028, saving teachers up to $550 per renewal.
