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Charging ahead: 2,500+ EV chargers on the way

Source: New Zealand Government

The number of electric vehicle (EV) public chargers around New Zealand will more than double thanks to $52.7 million in zero-interest loans from the Government and co-investment from ChargeNet and Meridian, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Energy & Climate Change Minister Simon Watts say.

“Many New Zealanders have thought about getting an EV, even before the fuel challenges we’re currently facing. But research shows that the lack of public chargers is holding many back from making the switch to an EV,” Mr Bishop says.

“The private sector is reluctant to invest in charging infrastructure until there’s sufficient demand, but demand won’t grow until the lack of public chargers stops putting buyers off. Just as the previous National-led Government did with the ultrafast broadband network rollout, we’re taking action to break that deadlock.”

ChargeNet and Meridian Energy were selected through a contestable, value-for-money bid process. Both companies are co-investing a combined $60 million of their own capital alongside the Government loans, taking the total investment to over $110 million.

“Concessionary loans bring forward private investment in public EV charging infrastructure by lowering the cost of capital, while keeping the taxpayer’s contribution to a minimum,” Mr Bishop says.

“In this case, the average loan per charge point is $20,000, but once repayments are factored in, the net cost to the Crown is around $10,000 per charger, roughly a quarter of what a direct grant would cost.

“We’re also changing our planning rules to make the installation of public EV chargers a permitted activity under the RMA, meaning in most cases no consent is required – another factor that will help to speed up delivery.”

The 2,574 new charge points include 1,374 DC fast chargers and 1,200 AC chargers. DC fast chargers deliver power directly to the battery and can charge a car in 20 to 60 minutes, making them suited to highways and destinations where people stop briefly. AC chargers are slower and better suited to places where cars are parked for longer periods, like shopping centres, workplaces, and residential areas.

“About half the new chargers will be spread across Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, the Wellington region, Christchurch, and Dunedin, with the other half throughout the regions, so drivers outside the main centres will benefit too,” Mr Bishop says.

“New Zealand currently has a bit over 1,800 public charge points, which is among the lowest charger-to-EV ratios in the OECD. Another 161 charge points are also in progress. Combined with the investment being announced today, the national total will be around 4,550. The Government is working towards 10,000 charge points by 2030, roughly one for every 40 EVs.”

“Owning an EV in New Zealand already makes strong financial sense. Electricity is cheaper than petrol and almost entirely generated from renewable sources like wind, geothermal, solar, and hydro,” Mr Watts says. 

“Kiwis are already making the shift to electric vehicles as a cost-of-living choice, and we have seen uptake grow. In February 2026, EV sales were up 10.5 per cent on the same month last year – and anecdotal evidence suggests even greater interest over the past couple of weeks as conflict in the Middle East has seen fuel prices increase.

“At a time when global fuel markets are volatile, that matters. 

“A better charging network means more New Zealanders can take advantage of it, and that’s good for household budgets and our emissions profile alike. EVs produce at least 60 percent fewer lifecycle emissions than petrol vehicles.”

Notes to editor: 

  • Concessionary loans are loans at below-market interest rates (in this case, zero-interest) which incentivise charge point operators to invest in charging infrastructure ahead of demand. The repaid capital can be used for new loans if co-investment is still required or allocated to other initiatives.
  • The loans are administered by National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (NIFFCo), the successor organisation to Crown Infrastructure Partners (which delivered Ultra-Fast Broadband). EECA will provide assistance as required.
  • The Government has allocated $66.145m of capital funding for concessionary loans.
  • The concessionary loans will fund up to 50 percent of project capital costs, have a zero percent interest rate, and a maximum tenure of 13 years. The loans have been awarded through a contestable co-investment bid process.
  • Applications were assessed against value-for-money criteria to ensure loans are awarded to projects of greatest benefit and that New Zealand’s EV charging network grows at pace.
  • Consumer monitoring by EECA consistently shows that some of the main perceived disadvantages of EVs include that the driving range is not suitable for long distance travel, and that there are not enough public chargers available. Increasing the availability of public charging infrastructure gives drivers the confidence to switch to an electric vehicle. See EECA’s EV Charging research October 2025 update – EV Charging Research 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/charging-ahead-2500-ev-chargers-on-the-way/

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First Impressions of Maukahuka Auckland Island

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

12 March 2026 – Blake Hornblow

During my first night on Auckland Island, I wake to the sound of my tent fly trying to take flight, 50 knot winds battering it in relentless gusts. As the flapping subsides, I hear a loud cry somewhere in the dark outside the tent—a female sea lion calling for her pup. Still half-asleep, I reach for my headtorch—only for my hand to plunge straight into a pool of water surrounding my sleeping mat.

Naturally. It appears that some of the 40 mm of rain overnight has decided to drain directly into my tent.

In that moment I realise one thing: Auckland Island doesn’t do gentle introductions.

As I emerge from the tent and stand amongst the wind beaten rātā trees I think to our mission here for the next six weeks. I have been dreaming of working on this island for years, driven by the chance to contribute to the Maukahuka Auckland Island Restoration programme — an ambitious effort to remove feral pigs, feral cats, and mice from this wild subantarctic island, so that the multitude of endemic flora and fauna can once again thrive. Now I’m finally here.

While here, our team of four will be living some 500 km south of New Zealand’s mainland at a remote field base called Camp Cove, tucked into the bottom of Auckland Island. Camp Cove has hosted people before: first, on 7 February 1905, it was here that the castaways of the Anjou found shelter after their ship struck rocks on the western cliffs two days before.

The dramatic western cliffs of Auckland Island with nesting White-capped mollymawks on the cliffs below. Video: DOC Blake Hornblow

When we first arrived on the SV Evohe we worked not far from where the Anjou wrecked at Bristow Point on the western cliffs. The scale of these cliffs is immense. While looking at them I found it hard to imagine, not only surviving a shipwreck here but also the challenge that lies ahead to remove feral pigs, feral cats and mice that hunt for seabirds and megaherbs there. These cliffs hold some spectacular seabird species and some of the only albatross that still manage to breed on the main Auckland Island. Predation from feral pigs is a major problem so most of the remaining nests are now on steep, inaccessible ledges. White-capped mollymawk / Toroa and Light-mantled sooty albatross / Toroa pango still breed in a colony at South-west Cape.

I had the privilege of mapping the extent of the colony using a drone. Flying from nearby cliffs it was breathtaking to see the island alive with such impressive birds. Once the island is pest-free we hope to see a return of these birds to other parts of the island.

Team members descend the cliffs from SW Cape, Auckland Island. Looking down into Carnley Harbour which separates the main Auckland Island (left) from Pest-Free Adams Island (right). Photo: DOC Blake Hornblow

The team saw a few lone Gibson’s Albatross sitting on failed nests, tucked among the tall, wind-swept tussocks. Nearby, the ground was torn up by feral pig rooting. Here on Auckland Island, feral pigs and feral cats make it almost impossible for these birds to successfully breed. These albatrosses are made for the open ocean — they spend most of the year gliding over the Southern Ocean, sometimes circling the globe — but they still need a safe refuge to return to when it’s time to nest. This subantarctic island, just a speck in the South Pacific, could once again become that haven for them and so many other species.

A White-capped mollymawk chick perched on the edge the 200m cliff, safe from pigs at Southwest Cape. Photo: DOC Millie Mannering

For those of us without a three-metre wingspan, getting to the Auckland Islands isn’t quite so simple. With no airport within hundreds of kilometres, our only option was the sea — a 48-hour voyage from Bluff aboard the 25-metre sailing yacht Evohe. She and her crew know these waters better than most, having ferried conservationists south for nearly three decades. Rolling over five-metre waves for two days gives you plenty of time to appreciate just how remote this place is, and just how determined you must be to reach it.

The Evohe at anchor with Camp Cove, Auckland Island behind. Photo: DOC Blake Hornblow.

Now the boat has left us, and my flooded tent is a stark reminder of how far I am from home. I start to ferry my damp sleeping bag into the shelter of our base tent and reflect how Maukahuka is more than just a project — it’s a world-first effort by DOC and Ngāi Tahu to remove feral pigs, feral cats, and mice from Auckland Island and restore the mana of this subantarctic World Heritage site. By returning 46,000 ha of wilderness to its natural state, we’re safeguarding habitat for more than 500 native species. One of Earth’s last truly wild places. Maybe that’s worth a flooded tent or two.

What species would you love to see return to Auckland Island once it’s pest-free? To hear more from the field follow DOC’s Conservation Blog over the next six weeks. To learn more about the programme or to be part of this incredible endeavour follow the link below to donate.

Auckland Island/ Maukahuka | NZ Nature Fund

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/first-impressions-of-maukahuka-auckland-island/

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Venue access: how we manage our bookable community spaces

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council’s Director of Community Rachel Kelleher responds to concerns about the council’s approach to venue hire of our community meeting halls and shared spaces.

It is with huge gratitude that I acknowledge the messages of support our staff and the council has received over the past few days, regarding our response to the awful disruption of a family-friendly Pride event at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last weekend.

It has been uplifting to see the voices of leaders throughout New Zealand also extend their support to our brave staff and affected communities, along with the widespread public condemnation of this harmful activity.

We are also grateful for police support, to ensure that all remaining Pride events at our venues continue to be uplifting occasions to celebrate Auckland’s rainbow communities.

We are actively monitoring any health, safety or security risks at future events.

Venue hire

We have been asked questions about the use of our community venues and whether the council should apply tighter restrictions on bookings – particularly from groups like Destiny Church with strong views that not everyone shares.  

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about how Auckland Council provides access to our collection of more than 100 bookable community venues across the region on the principle that they are available for anyone to hire. We are obliged to ensure everyone throughout Auckland has fair and equal access to connect and enjoy using these spaces.

This doesn’t mean that we endorse the content of an event, or the views of participants, but rather that we must manage our venues in a neutral and non-discriminatory manner.

It is not always easy to maintain that careful balance between providing a public service (venues for hire) and expressing our council values, including ensuring our people feel supported on our position on diversity and inclusion.

This sometimes leads to tension, and pressure to do more in support of one community or group, over another.

When differences arise between the views of the various groups using our community venues, and there is potential for conflict or any risk to public safety, we work closely with the police and security experts to determine if activities should go ahead.

An example of this occurred in 2023, when the council terminated venue bookings at the Mount Eden War Memorial Hall in response to safety concerns from two groups with strong opposing views planning to gather on the same night.

Consistent with our obligations as a public authority, we will continue to operate our venues on the principle that they are available to all Aucklanders, but will not hesitate to address or terminate bookings if terms are breached or safety compromised.

With respect to the events at the events at the at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last Saturday, council is supporting the police with their investigations and has not ruled out taking further action against those individuals involved.  

Venue hire requirements:

  • All venue hire bookings agree to comply with council’s venue hire terms and conditions. These set out the circumstances in which the council may terminate a booking and include situations where the event might breach the law or the conditions themselves or where the management or control of the event is deficient.

  • It is always the responsibility of venue hire users to ensure their events are managed safely, and to meet the terms and conditions of our venue hire policy.

  • Where we have concerns that an event may raise health and safety or security concerns we work with the organisers and relevant agencies to ensure that these concerns are addressed ahead of the event. 

  • Our community venues are operated on the principle they are available for anyone to hire. If a booking is accepted, it doesn’t mean that we endorse the content of the event, but rather that we are obliged to manage our venues in a non-discriminatory manner.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/venue-access-how-we-manage-our-bookable-community-spaces-2/

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Hundreds of Countries, Thousands of Cities, Ten Thousand Events’ Cloud Taiji Global Flash Mob Held at Wudang Mountain in Shiyan, China

Source: Media Outreach

SHIYAN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 March 2026 – On March 21, the world’s first “International Taijiquan Day,” jointly organized by the Wushu Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Wushu Association, the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau, and the Shiyan Municipal People’s Government, officially opened. As one of China’s four main venues, Shiyan staged a themed performance at Wudang Mountain under the banner “Wudang of the World; Taiji for Humanity,” and simultaneously launched the “Hundreds of Countries, Thousands of Cities, Ten Thousand Events” Cloud Taiji global flash mob, inviting Taijiquan enthusiasts worldwide to perform Taiji together and witness this historic moment.

At 9:00 a.m., nearly a thousand guests, inheritors and Taiji culture enthusiasts from across China and abroad gathered at the foot of Wudang Mountain. Landmark sites around the world—Times Square in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House, the Egyptian Pyramids, and others—joined via video link to “dance the charm of Taiji” in unison. Taijiquan practitioners of all ages, genders and ethnicities synchronized to lift the creatively conceived global flash mob “Hundreds of Countries, Thousands of Cities, Ten Thousand Events.” Correspondingly, Yuzhen Palace—covering nearly 60,000 square meters—was transformed into a sea of Taiji: 1,000 practitioners dressed in white performed the nine postures of Wudang Taijiquan together, creating an unprecedented global relay of Taiji culture and a crossocean cultural resonance, vividly illustrating the profound meaning of ” civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning.”

That day also saw the global release of the “Meet Wudang; Practice Taiji” Wudang Taiji Nine Postures tutorial video, with live demonstration by Yang Qunli—Chinese wushu 9thgrade, creator of the Wudang Taiji Nine Postures, and representative inheritor of the provincial intangible cultural heritage Wudang martial arts project. The Taiji cultural performances included a grand thousandperson Taiji exhibition, the combined songandmartial performance “Taiji of the World Meets Wudang,” the martialrooted “Quest for Wudang,” a Wudang Taiji costume show and global release of design results, and the strongly traditional “Ode to Wudang Taiji,” together offering the world a splendid Taiji cultural feast.
On November 5, 2025, the UNESCO General Conference designated March 21 as “International Taijiquan Day.” This is the first UNESCO international day named for a martial art, marking Taijiquan—an invaluable part of Chinese traditional culture—as formally recognized global shared cultural heritage.

Wudang Mountain is an important birthplace of Taiji culture. Today, Wudang has established 57 martial arts promotion centers domestically and internationally, attracting over 3 million Taijiquan practitioners from more than 150 countries and regions as “foreign disciples,” and helping promote Taijiquan practice to over 500 million people worldwide. Every year tens of thousands of international visitors come to Wudang to study, practice martial arts and pursue health. Shiyan has successively hosted large events including the International Wudang Taiji Culture Festival, the Wudang Taiji International Fellowship Competition, the World Taijiquan Health Conference, and the World Traditional Wushu Festival.

In recent years, Shiyan has leveraged Wudang Taiji cultural heritage to accelerate breakthroughs in Hubei tourism and Wudang development, extend industrial chains, and vigorously develop industries such as pilgrimage tourism and ecological wellness. The city is building globally influential tourism products and internationally aligned tourism environments, forging “Wudang of the World, Taiji for Humanity” into an important emblem of Chinese traditional culture in external exchanges. At the same time, Shiyan is actively promoting public Taijiquan classes into communities, schools, government agencies and enterprises so that this thousandyearold martial art “enters ordinary households.”

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/hundreds-of-countries-thousands-of-cities-ten-thousand-events-cloud-taiji-global-flash-mob-held-at-wudang-mountain-in-shiyan-china/

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Cancer researcher celebrates double milestone at EIT Tairāwhiti graduation

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

50 seconds ago

Jordon Lima (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāpuhi) took to the stage twice at EIT Tairāwhiti’s graduation ceremony on Friday – first to address the graduates as guest speaker, then to join her fellow graduates to receive her New Zealand Diploma in Te Reo Māori.

The 28-year-old completed the Level 5 Rumaki (full-immersion) Diploma at EIT while simultaneously finishing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences through Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka (the University of Otago).

Jordon said being asked to speak at the ceremony came as a surprise but was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on her journey.

EIT graduate and guest speaker Jordon Lima with her grandparents Tangi and Pete Kelleher.

In her address, she encouraged graduates to pursue further study no matter what stage of life, drawing on the statistic that the average age for Māori students completing a doctorate is 48.

“At the time I heard that, when I was starting my doctorate, I was not even half of that age! Studying for me was about curiosity and pursuing a passion – something anyone can do at any age.”

Jordon graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours at the University of Otago in 2020. Last month, she defended her PhD in Biochemistry and Māori Studies at the Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne.

Her doctoral research examined how circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) – cancer-specific DNA detectable in the blood – could improve cancer screening and outcomes for Tairāwhiti communities.

Using a Kaupapa Māori approach to Biomedical Sciences, the project required close partnership with the communities her research was designed to benefit.

Her research is deeply personal, having lost several whānau members to cancer over the years, including her Aunty Hariata Green, who passed away in 2022 and before then, her Nanny Pōrua and Papa Joseph Green, who were all reo Māori teachers in Gisborne.

Jordon Lima addressed the crowd at EIT Tairāwhiti’s graduation ceremony on Friday.

“Aunty had been complaining of pain for ages before she was even diagnosed, and when she was, it was stage four. That was my turning point to design technologies that are actually going to be used by our people. I wanted to focus on empowerment in healthcare and do something with te reo to whakamana the people that we lost.”

Born in Tairāwhiti and raised in Christchurch, Jordon returned to her birthplace during the latter stages of her PhD to deepen her understanding of the tikanga, reo and kawa of the region.

“It felt wrong to write about it from anywhere else but here.”

Having not grown up with te reo Māori, Jordon turned to Te Whatukura at EIT, where she said the kōkā Barbie and kōkā Ange’s knowledge of her whakapapa made it feel like a place she belonged.

“As soon as I moved home and started learning our histories and mātauranga, I actually felt safe. They knew a lot about my whakapapa that I wanted to know. It was a beautiful space to be in.”

Jordon said studying at EIT alongside her PhD was one of the most rewarding parts of her academic journey. She described the rumaki environment as transformative – learning through stories, waiata and games in a way that reminded her of what it would have been like if she had gone to kōhanga reo.

She submitted her thesis midway through last year, returning for the second half of the programme able to fully immerse herself in her reo studies.

“It was hectic. I would start early in the morning, do work on my PhD, go to class from nine until three, and then stay on campus writing my thesis until I was basically kicked out when the building closed.”

Jordon said the kōkā at Te Whatukura were instrumental in her journey, not only as teachers but as connectors to her whakapapa. Kōkā Barbie, who is connected to Jordon’s whakapapa, gifted her a whakapapa booklet that contributed to an entire rewrite of her doctoral thesis.

The rumaki environment also helped her build confidence in te reo Māori, which she had never had before.

“It was super fulfilling to learn about the tikanga, reo and kawa of Tairāwhiti. When I first moved home, I didn’t understand anything that was being said on the paepae, but towards the end of my reo classes, I realised that I’ve actually learned heaps of reo just from being spoken to all day.”

She said that confidence is now central to her work. “It’s still quite rare to see scientists who can also kōrero Māori. Being able to go into the community and talk about science in reo is something I’m really excited about.”

Since completing her PhD, Jordon has been awarded the 2025 Otago Health Sciences Māori Postdoctoral Fellowship, through which she is establishing a molecular biology laboratory in Tairāwhiti capable of conducting blood-based cancer detection tests.

Jordon will formally graduate with her PhD in May this year. And she hasn’t ruled out one day completing the Bachelor of Arts (Māori) at EIT.

“I don’t know where I would find the time right now. But I’d love to do that one day.”

Tairāwhiti Campus Executive Director Tracey Tangihaere said: “I suggested Jordon as guest speaker due to her academic achievement, but also her desire to succeed in Māori health outcomes while being culturally grounded”.

“Having the life experience and stronger cultural skills, such as te reo, helps in communities like ours. Jordon has significant drive and passion. She’s a wonderful role model for us all.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/cancer-researcher-celebrates-double-milestone-at-eit-tairawhiti-graduation/

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Global flavours on display at EIT Taste of Cultures Day

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

2 days ago

Taste of Cultures Day brought students and staff together at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus this week, as food and performances highlighted the diversity of the community.

Ten cuisines were on offer, from French and Nepalese to Māori, Pacifica and Sri Lankan.

Students, staff and whānau attended a Taste of Cultures Day at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale on Wednesday.

Flags from around the world lined the campus, while cultural performances added to the atmosphere.

International Student Support Officer Song Sim said the event was a valuable way to bring people together.

“It is a really good opportunity to learn about the diversity of many cultures on campus. The best way of doing this is through food and performances.”

EIT Student Support Services Manager Sonya Aifai said the event also fostered a strong sense of connection.

“The Taste of Cultures Day is an event that brings everyone together on the Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale in a fun way to experience the different cultures that make up EIT,” she said.

Joy Capila with Jeremy Nacar and Anne Margarette Zausa Nacar.

“It has an amazing atmosphere, sharing food, dance and collegiality.”

Among those taking part was Master of Nursing Science student Anne Margarette Zausa Nacar, who moved to New Zealand from the Philippines in July last year with her husband Jeremy.

Anne said it was her first time participating in the event and described the experience as rewarding.

“It’s a good opportunity and experience. I’m really happy that we get to share our delicacies with different cultures. It’s lovely seeing people enjoying the food.”

Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine student Khageswori Budapal also took part for the first time, serving momos inspired by her Nepalese background.

Te Ūranga Waka performed kapa haka at EIT’s Taste of Cultures Day.

Having started at EIT in 2023, Khageswori said she wanted to make the most of her final year.

“This is my last year, and I want to participate in every event so I can make memories.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/global-flavours-on-display-at-eit-taste-of-cultures-day/

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Keep yourself, family, and friends safe from life-threatening listeriosis

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is sharing some simple guidance to prevent people getting a rare but life-threatening foodborne illness.

“Although listeriosis is rare in New Zealand, vulnerable people die of this preventable disease every year, so we want to share some practical steps people can take at home to avoid getting sick,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

Listeriosis is caused by eating or drinking food that has high levels of Listeria, a bacterium that is widespread in the environment. Listeria is invisible, has no odour and, unlike most bacteria, can continue to grow when food is refrigerated.

“The most recent Annual report concerning Foodborne Diseases in New Zealand shows that there was a single death from listeria in 2024, down from 6 in 2022 and 7 in 2023.

Annual report concerning Foodborne Diseases in New Zealand [PDF, 2.6 MB]

“But even one death is one too many, so that’s why we are continuing our efforts to get those most at risk – pregnant women and older people – to better understand the dangers of listeriosis and what to do to decrease them.”

Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in the newborn baby.

As you age – and particularly over 65 – your immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat.

“Some people may not be aware of this. So, we’re highlighting higher-risk foods while sharing some food-safety advice on how to make them safe to eat,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Higher-risk foods include:

  • ready-to-eat meat products (like deli meats and pâtés) 
  • smoked seafood (especially cold smoked fish)
  • soft cheeses (like brie, camembert, and paneer)
  • unpasteurised dairy products (like raw milk and cheese)
  • leafy greens and bagged salad (like mesclun and spinach).

For a fuller list see our webpage:

Listeria infection: symptoms and advice

To lower the risk of getting listeriosis, you can:

  • choose safer foods
  • heat food to piping hot (over 75°C) before eating
  • when eating raw fruit and vegetables, wash and dry thoroughly first
  • only eat food that was recently prepared
  • refrigerate leftovers quickly and avoid eating leftovers that won’t be reheated
  • wash and dry your hands thoroughly and follow good food hygiene practices.

“New Zealand Food Safety requires food businesses to manage Listeria in the processing environment and to have strict measures in place to eliminate its presence in products,” says Mr Arbuckle.

“If something goes wrong, we support food businesses with their consumer-level food recalls. In 2024, there were 4 consumer recalls due to the possible presence of Listeria.

“But there’s also something you can do to protect yourself and others. If you make or buy food for vulnerable people, or are vulnerable yourself, please sign up to our food recall alerts.

“Also look out for our current awareness campaign so you can share it with people who may not know the life-threatening risks. Let’s work together to not lose another person to listeriosis.”

Find out more

Food and pregnancy

Food safety advice for over-65s

Food safety advice for people with low immunity

Food safety in the home [PDF, 1.1 MB]

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/keep-yourself-family-and-friends-safe-from-life-threatening-listeriosis/

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Fishery officers do thousands of recreational catch inspections throughout summer – overall compliance 94%

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

Fishery officers throughout New Zealand did almost 13,000 recreational catch inspections over summer and found most people followed the rules, with compliance at about 94% across the country. 

In the Auckland region, fishery officers did 5,806 inspections between December and the end of February, finding 361 instances of non-compliance with the rules. Many fishers received warnings and more than 85 infringements were issued. Fishery officers are still making enquiries into more than 25 cases. 

Fisheries New Zealand director of fisheries compliance, Steve Ham says most problems people ran into with the rules – such as undersize or excess fish – when minor breaches were found, education was provided.  

“In saying that we will prosecute when required. For example, we recently prosecuted an Auckland man for selling recreational fish. This man was banned by the court from all fishing for 3 years.”

Mr Ham says set nets remain a focus for fishery officers.

“We are confiscating illegal set nets regularly. Recently we found 3 set nets tied together, covering 160 metres in length. 

“Some fishers are just blatantly breaking the rules and while most people will face a $250 fine, in more serious situations, the courts can issue more severe fines.”

Fishery officers also find nets without markings or buoys displaying contact details, which are also a hazard to other water users.

Some of the seizures by fishery officers included finding a car battery being used as an anchor for a set net, which is environmentally irresponsible, a decoy duck used to hide a set net, and staked set nets leaving fish dead and out of the water.

In the Wellington region, 2,435 recreational inspections were done, with 192 instances of non-compliance. Most problems occurred with people taking too much or undersize pāua and crayfish. While a number of cases are still under enquiry, fishery officers also issued about 100 infringement notices.

“While compliance was generally good, our fishery officers are still catching people breaking particularly the pāua rules. While our officers do a lot of education work with people on the rules, in some cases, where people are deliberately taking too much pāua, they can expect a fine. Or, if it’s more serious, such as selling it, we will put the matter before the court,” Mr Ham says. 

In the South Island, fishery officers did 4,488 recreational inspections during summer, recording 261 instances of non-compliance. Many of these resulted in warnings, and 93 infringements were issued. Fishery officers are still making enquiries into about 25 cases.

“Fishery officers worked extremely hard throughout summer and while they provided education to a lot of people on rules, they still found too many people with too much pāua, crayfish, and undersize blue cod or blue cod being landed in an illegal state,” Mr Ham says.

“Blue cod should always be landed whole or gutted, or in some areas headed and gutted, and it should never be used as bait, which we have found is still the case in both Southland and Otago from time to time. This behaviour threatens the sustainability of the blue cod fisheries. 

“There is plenty of information available so that everyone can easily familiarise themselves with the rules.  

“One of the best things you can do before going fishing is to download the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app because it will provide you with the latest rules for the area you intend to fish – including closures and gear restrictions. This should be as essential to your fishing kit as your physical gear,” Mr Ham says.

NZ Fishing Rules mobile app

Everything recreational fishers need to know about set netting regulations can be found here: 

Set Net – Code of Practice [PDF, 22 MB]

We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 476 224).  

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/fishery-officers-do-thousands-of-recreational-catch-inspections-throughout-summer-overall-compliance-94/

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Shellfish biotoxin warning for Canterbury

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from the northern side of Banks Peninsula due to the risk of paralytic shellfish toxins causing illness, says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle.  

The warning extends from New Brighton to the northern side of Hickory Bay. As the weather changes, this bloom could spread wider.  

“Do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick. Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, as well as pūpū (cat’s eyes) and Cook’s turban.  

“It’s important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin, so shellfish from this area should not be eaten.”  

 A visible bloom at the head of Port Levy has extremely high numbers of paralytic shellfish toxin producing algae.  

“We are monitoring this algal bloom in Port Levy and the wider area. This algae, called Alexandrium pacificum, produces a dangerous toxin and when shellfish filter-feed, these toxins can accumulate in their gut and flesh. Generally, the more algae there are in the water, the more toxic the shellfish get.”  

Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually appear within 10 minutes to 3 hours of eating and may include:  

  • numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, hands, and feet  
  • difficulty swallowing or breathing  
  • dizziness and headache  
  • nausea and vomiting  
  • diarrhoea  
  • paralysis and respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death.

Shellfish biotoxin alerts

“Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.   

“Finfish are not affected by this public health warning, but we advise gutting the fish and discarding the liver before cooking,” says Mr Arbuckle. 

New Zealand Food Safety has had no notifications of associated illness.  

Anyone who becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued should phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16, or seek medical attention immediately. Please also contact your nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.  

“New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation,” says Mr Arbuckle.   

Commercially harvested shellfish – sold in shops and supermarkets or exported – is subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by New Zealand Food Safety to ensure they are safe to eat.

Find out more  

Shellfish biotoxin alert webpage

Subscribe to shellfish biotoxins to receive email alerts

See signage in the affected area  

Podcast about shellfish contamination

Collecting Shellfish and Keeping Them Safe [PDF, 3.2 MB]

Causes and symptoms of toxic shellfish poisoning

About toxic algal blooms

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/shellfish-biotoxin-warning-for-canterbury/

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Emborg Emmentaler cheese recalled due to possible presence of Listeria

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Goodfood Group Limited in its recall of a specific batch of Emborg Emmentaler cheese (200g) due to the possible presence of Listeria. 

“The concern with this product is that it may contain Listeria, a foodborne bacterium that could make you sick,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 

“These products should not be eaten. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that’s not possible, throw it out.”

Emborg Emmentaler 200g with a best before 05.11.26 is affected by this recall. 

The affected product was imported from Germany and sold at supermarkets nationwide.  

Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product. 

Emborg Emmentaler Cheese

“Listeriosis infection can be serious among vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems,” says Mr Arbuckle. 

“Listeria differs to other harmful bacteria in that it can grow at refrigerator temperatures, so you have to be very careful about the foods you eat, or provide to others, if you or they are in a vulnerable group.  

“It is particularly dangerous during pregnancy because it can cause miscarriage, premature labour or stillbirth, and infection in the new-born baby.”

Listeriosis infection in healthy adults is unlikely to be severe, at most causing mild diarrhoea and flu-like symptoms within a few days of eating contaminated food. For those in the vulnerable groups, it usually takes 2 to 3 weeks – or even longer – before symptoms appear. 

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. 

New Zealand Food Safety has not received any notifications of associated illness.   

The products have been removed from store shelves and have not been re-exported. 

The products under recall were identified through routine testing, and New Zealand Food Safety has not received any reports of associated illness.  

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Goodfood Group Limited to understand how the contamination 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.   

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/emborg-emmentaler-cheese-recalled-due-to-possible-presence-of-listeria/

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Christchurch fish processing factory fined $30,000 for shellfish biosecurity breaches

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

A Christchurch-licenced fish receiver and fish processing factory has been fined $30,000 for biosecurity breaches of a shellfish contained zone.

Ikana New Zealand Limited was sentenced on 9 charges under the Biosecurity Act it pleaded guilty to in the Christchurch District Court, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (13 March 2026). The company exports live seafood products, including green lipped mussels.

“Ikana New Zealand Limited arranged the movement of live green lipped mussels from the Upper South Contained Zone, which regulations prohibit them from doing. This was because Ikana did not have a permit to receive this seafood for processing and the company supplying the shellfish also did not have a permit to supply it,” says MPI director of investigations and compliance support, Gary Orr.

“Our investigation found Ikana received 27 consignments of more than 239,000 kg of live green lipped mussels illegally. Ikana’s action was in breach of the Bonamia Ostreae Controlled Area Notice – implemented to prevent the spread of the unwanted organism Bonamia Ostreae,” Mr Orr says.

This controlled area notice has been in place across areas of the South Island since 2015 to prevent the spread of the disease that has seriously affected the flat oyster fishery.

“These green lipped mussel shellfish were for export, and the unlawful movement of this shellfish had potential to cause serious reputational harm to the New Zealand shellfish industry,” says Mr Orr.

In October 2024, a biosecurity inspector discovered the green lipped mussels were being moved illegally by both seafood producers and processors as they did not hold permits.

The aquaculture companies that supplied the shellfish to the Christchurch company are also facing charges under the Biosecurity Act and are still before the court, along with several other associated companies.

“The vast majority of people who work in the commercial fishing industry are responsible and do the right thing by following all rules and regulations. Ikana’s action was negligent and the unlawful shellfish had the potential to cause serious harm to the reputation of our country’s multi-million-dollar export and domestic shellfish industry. When we find evidence of offending – we take action,” Mr Orr says.

We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 476 224).

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/christchurch-fish-processing-factory-fined-30000-for-shellfish-biosecurity-breaches/

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Fatal crash, Leet Street, Invercargill

Source: New Zealand Police

Attributable to Inspector Mike Bowman, Southland Area Commander:

One person has died in a single vehicle crash early this morning.

Shortly before 3am, Police signalled for a vehicle to stop on Kelvin Street, Invercargill.

The driver failed to stop, and the vehicle fled. It was not pursued.

A short time later, the vehicle was discovered crashed at the intersection of Leet and Kelvin Streets.

Sadly, one person was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The road will remain closed as the Serious Crash Unit examines the scene and the circumstances of the crash.

Police will continue to investigate the matter and are asking for the public’s assistance.

The matter will also be referred to the IPCA, as is standard procedure in cases like this.

If you witnessed the crash, or have CCTV in the vicinity of Wellesley Avenue, Avenal Street or Kelvin Street, please get in touch with Police.

You can also make a report online on 105. Click ‘Make a report’.

Please use the reference number 260322/6911.

You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/fatal-crash-leet-street-invercargill/

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New plan approved for Auckland’s future

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council’s Policy and Planning Committee today approved new changes to the city’s planning rules to better protect people and property from floods and other hazards, while focusing more new homes in safer, well-connected places near jobs and public transport. 

The decision sees the current planning requirements – called Plan Change 78 – withdrawn and replaced with a new plan change for Aucklanders to have their say on, through public submissions. 

The new plan change – Plan Change 120 – will introduce stronger rules to steer buildings away from high-risk areas for flooding, coastal erosion, and inundation. This includes more restrictive consenting rules for new builds and, in the worst affected areas, limiting development to single houses.  

Mayor Wayne Brown says today’s decision will future-proof Auckland.

“We need a physically and financially resilient future. This will allow us to downzone flood-prone land and build up in areas that make sense—like around transport corridors, walkable catchments, and where we have invested significantly in infrastructure, in water pipes, roads, and train lines. It’s really not rocket science.

“Today’s decision allows for a rational discussion on how and where we live, based on fact. The public will get to have their say through hearings, submissions and through their local representatives. I look forward to hearing the public debate,” says Mayor Brown.

Addressing flood and natural hazard risks

Councillor Richard Hills, chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, says the decision gives Auckland a simpler path to safer, better-connected housing choices while meeting government requirements for capacity. 

“In 2023, Auckland experienced one of its most significant natural disasters. The floods devastated our communities, causing billions of dollars of damage, and most shattering of all, loss of life.  

“Aucklanders are clear that they want stronger rules to limit development in high flood risk areas. We started seeking the legal ability to do this immediately after the 2023 floods, with law changes being made in August this year.

“Today’s decision lets us better protect people and property from flooding and other natural hazards more quickly than we could under Plan Change 78, while focusing more homes where housing demand and public transport access are highest.

“I encourage all Aucklanders to give their feedback and be part of shaping this proposal,” he says.  

Better access to existing infrastructure

Plan Change 120 will see the removal of blanket rules allowing three storey housing on most residential sites across Auckland. Instead, it focuses homes near town centres with easy access to jobs, services and fast, frequent public transport. This follows the council’s compact city approach.

“This proposal gives more people better access to transport infrastructure that all Aucklanders have paid for. With $5.5 billion invested in City Rail Link, trains will be running every few minutes carrying tens of thousands of passengers from next year – people should be able to live and work nearby. It helps get the best return on public investment.

“It’s not just about the number of homes, it’s about whether they are in locations that can meet people’s needs and make it easier to reach they services and facilities they use every day. Strong evidence shows Aucklanders want to live near jobs, public transport, shops, and services. That’s where housing demand is strongest.” says Cr Hills.  

The law behind Plan Change 78 did not allow the council to introduce more restrictive zoning in high-risk hazard areas or opt out of blanket rules allowing three-storey homes across Auckland – including areas with limited transport connections, until the law changed in August 2025.    

Plan Change 120 creates capacity for approximately two million homes, as did Plan Change 78, and as is required by central government. This does not mean two million homes will be built. Instead, it provides a wide choice of locations for homes, and housing types, to meet long-term market demands.

What changes under Plan Change 120?

Plan Change 120 will: 

  • introduce stronger planning rules in high-risk flood and natural hazard areas, quickly and simply, reducing future risk to people and property. 
  • remove blanket three-storey housing rules (known as the Medium Density Residential Standards) across almost every residential area across Auckland. 
  • focus new homes around the city centre, town centres, rapid transit stops such as train stations and the Northern and Eastern Busways, and frequent bus routes. This includes the $5.5 billion investment in the City Rail Link. 
  • meet government directions for increased building heights around five key Western Line stations: 15 storeys at Maungawhau, Kingsland and Morningside; and 10 storeys at Baldwin Avenue and Mt Albert stations. 
  • give infrastructure providers a clearer picture of where growth is expected, compared to Plan Change 78. This helps them plan and prioritise future investment. 

What happens next? 

  • By 10 October 2025: The council will write to the Minister for the Environment seeking approval to notify the new replacement plan change. 
  • 30 October 2025: Public notification is expected, subject to the minister’s agreement. 
  • 3 November to 19 December 2025: Public submissions are expected to open, subject to the minister’s agreement. 
  • Following submissions, public hearings will be held by an Independent Hearings Panel. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/new-plan-approved-for-aucklands-future/

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A new approach to city-fringe living quietly unfolds amid Grey Lynn villas

Source: Auckland Council

Cohaus, a 20-unit resident-led development on Surrey Crescent, shows what happens when architecture, community, and sustainability come together.

Grey Lynn is no stranger to tension between its historic villas and demand for new housing. Yet Cohaus has proven that intensification can be beautiful, respectful, and enriching. Its’ understated street presence conceals an inner world of courtyards, communal gardens, and light-filled apartments. The original villa on the site was retained and refurbished, anchoring the development in heritage while welcoming new life.

Architect and co-founder Thom Gill says this development is exactly what Auckland needs.

“Density doesn’t need to mean compromise. With the right design, we can add homes without losing the character people cherish. Cohaus proves that medium-density housing can lift a neighbourhood.”

Cohaus community designed housing development.

Auckland Council’s Team Leader Urban Design and Landscape Strategy Nicole Miller says, despite its consenting challenges at the time, Cohaus was designed in a way that reflects many of the qualities the council wants to see in medium density development into the future.

“While this project was developed within a co-housing framework, the outcomes, spatial qualities and benefits of living closer together with shared amenities aren’t limited to this model of development – it’s an approach to living that can be applied to many scenarios.”

Inside Cohaus, there’s a richness of life that goes beyond walls and floorplans. Families with toddlers share space with retirees. A communal laundry, guest flat, bike storage, and shared cars reduce costs while lowering environmental footprints. Gardens spill across the central courtyard, where neighbours swap vegetables as easily as stories. This mixed generation living keeps people close to schools, jobs, and transport, while also easing social isolation, a quiet benefit as Auckland ages.

Georgianne Griffiths and her family are residents of the complex, and she says living at Cohaus has exceeded her expectations.

“It’s a beautiful space and there is a real sense of community.

“One of the design elements that has worked well is to restrict parking of our six shared cars to the edge of the development. Without driveways and carparks at our front doors we can maximise our garden space, which has become the centre of our community, and create a place where kids of all ages can run free.”

During the build phase, by sharing resources and cutting out developer profit margins, residents could create high-quality homes for less. Each member had a hand in shaping the design, meaning spaces feel liveable and intuitive.

As Gill puts it, “This is about the future of how we live together. Not gated suburbs, not anonymous towers, but neighbourhoods where people know each other.”

For residents anxious about change, Cohaus is reassurance made real. It demonstrates that medium-density housing can sit comfortably in a historic suburb, enhance its character, and create a community that feels both modern and timeless. This is the kind of development that makes cities greener, more liveable, and more connected – exactly what Auckland needs now.

Read more about the design of the Cohaus development on the Auckland Design Manual.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/a-new-approach-to-city-fringe-living-quietly-unfolds-amid-grey-lynn-villas/

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What Auckland’s new plan means for your neighbourhood

Source: Auckland Council

 

[embedded content]

Auckland Council is making changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan – the city’s rulebook for where and how new homes and buildings can be built.

These changes will see stronger protections against floods and other natural hazards and focus new homes in safer, well-connected places near shops, services, jobs and fast, frequent public transport.

Why are these changes happening?

The 2023 Auckland floods were a turning point for our region. As one of our most significant natural disasters, they devastated communities, caused billions in damage, and, most tragically, cost lives.  

At the time, Auckland Council was part way through Plan Change 78, which intended to introduce rules set by the previous government to boost housing supply by allowing three homes of three storeys in most residential areas across Auckland.

However, the severe weather of 2023 made it clear that some areas are not suitable for new homes and that Auckland needed even stronger rules to better protect people in the most vulnerable areas. While Plan Change 78 proposed more housing by allowing three storey housing in most residential areas across Auckland, the legislation didn’t let the council limit building in high-risk flood areas. 

What’s new

Following persistent advocacy from the council, in August 2025, the Government changed the law so the council could replace Plan Change 78 with a new version — Plan Change 120.

The proposed plan will introduce stronger rules to better protect communities from floods, coastal erosion and inundation. It will also enable more homes near rapid transit public transport stations, along frequent transport routes and around urban centres nearer to jobs, shops, and everyday services.

The changes propose to:

  • Introduce tougher consenting rules in flood risk areas to make new homes more resilient, and apply single house zoning in the most at-risk areas.
  • Focus new homes within walking distance to the city centre, urban centres, transport stops with fast and frequent services such as train stations and the Northern and Eastern Busways.
  • Remove the medium density residential standards and amend the standards for three-storey housing in the zone that allows for such housing in Auckland.
  • Meet Government requirements to provide an opportunity for the same total housing capacity as Plan Change 78.
  • Meet government directions, including increased building heights around five key Western Line stations: 15 storeys at Maungawhau, Kingsland and Morningside; and 10 storeys at Baldwin Avenue and Mt Albert stations, as well as identifying other areas where taller buildings could be enabled under this plan.
  • Allow more apartment buildings along a number of Auckland’s transport corridors with frequent bus services. Up to 6 storeys, around 200m back from the road. 

Read: What You Need to Know – Proposed Changes to Auckland’s Planning Rules

What does this mean for my local area? 

Over the next 30 years, Auckland could see more housing choices, such as apartments, terraced housing, and townhouses, near rapid and frequent transport routes, workplaces and urban centres.

This plan change allows higher density housing, but property owners and developers influence what actually happens based on market demand. Even in areas allowing apartments, there will still be a mix of housing types, due to the different choices landowners might make

This doesn’t mean local areas will change overnight. Development usually happens gradually, typically over decades. There can be limits to building heights and density where it may not be suitable and where it’s supported by good evidence, for example, to protect sites with coastal character.

Protecting against natural hazards  

In high-risk flood or coastal areas, there will be tougher rules for new development. This will give the council stronger powers to decide whether development can go ahead and how much is appropriate.

This includes some parts of Eastern Beach, East Tāmaki, Manurewa, Māngere Bridge, Mt Roskill, Blockhouse Bay, Te Atatū Peninsula, Glen Eden, Browns Bay, and other suburbs.

More homes focused near urban centres and rapid public transport  

Auckland’s largest centres could see more homes enabled within a 10-minute walk (about 800 metres) of Newmarket, Manukau, New Lynn, Sylvia Park, Botany, Papakura, Takapuna, Henderson, Albany, Westgate, and Drury. 

This walking distance will also apply around train stations and stops along the Northern and Eastern Busways. It means opportunities for terraced housing or apartment buildings of 15, 10, or 6 storeys – with the building heights reflecting the demand for homes in the area, level of services and amenities available, and how easy access is to transport, jobs and services. 

Other suburban centres could have more townhouses, apartments, and terraced housing of up to six storeys. This includes within around 400 metres of town centres like St Lukes, Northcote, and Onehunga, while a 200m distance is set for smaller local centres like Blockhouse Bay, Grey Lynn and Mairangi Bay.

This is based on how big each suburban centre is and how easy it is for people to get there by walking, cycling, or public transport, making it simpler for people to live nearby and travel to schools, parks, and workplaces.

For suburbs that are not inside walkable catchments, or town centre areas, there will be more Mixed Housing Suburban (allowing homes in a mix of 1- and 2-storey forms) and Mixed Housing Urban (allowing homes up to 3-storeys, including townhouses and terraced homes). The Single House zone will still be used where it makes sense.

Supporting transport and infrastructure

By focusing new homes near trains, busways and frequent bus routes, Plan Change 120 helps make better use of major public investments, such as the $5.5 billion City Rail Link.

It also helps infrastructure providers to plan and fund future infrastructure more efficiently by giving a clearer picture of where growth will happen.

Local area breakdown

Below you’ll find a breakdown of which areas are rezoned for Terraced Housing and Apartment Buildings across Auckland, so you can see what’s being upzoned in your local area. 

Note: Some places will be in two or more overlapping areas – for instance, the area around a town centre might also be in the walkable catchment for a transport link. When this happens, the higher density and heights will apply.

For example, if some streets are identified for both 6-storey housing around a town centre, and 10-storey housing as part of train station walkable catchment, the 10-storey height will apply.

On the other hand, where properties are close to a town centre or transport link, but are also subject to “qualifying matters” (for example, Special Character Areas, natural hazards, infrastructure constraints, or open space), the “qualifying matter” will still apply, and can limit the density and height allowed.

Central  

Waitematā 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 15 storeys): Karanga-a-Hape*, Te Waihorotiu*, Waitematā*, Grafton, Parnell train stations (about 800 metres), Newmarket Metropolitan Centre.
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Newton – Upper Symonds, Parnell, Ponsonby. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Grey Lynn, Jervois Rd. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Great North Rd (Ponsonby–MOTAT), St Marys Bay–Ponsonby routes. 

Note: the City Centre zone itself is not open for submissions, and it was addressed through an earlier plan change in May 2025.

Albert-Eden 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Maungawhau**, Kingsland**, Morningside** train stations – these heights were required in legislation passed in August 2025.
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres): Mt Albert**, Baldwin Ave** train stations – these heights were required in legislation passed in August 2025.
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Mt Albert, Pt Chevalier, Three Kings, St Lukes, Stoddard Rd. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Balmoral, Eden Valley. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Dominion Rd (Mt Eden–Mt Roskill), Sandringham Rd, Mt Eden–Sandringham (via Valley Rd), New North Rd (Morningside–Avondale).

Puketapapa 

  • Town Centres / about 400 metres: Three Kings, Stoddard Road.
  • Local Centres / about 200 metres: Mt Roskill, Lynnfield. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): overlaps on Dominion Rd & Mt Eden Rd. 

Maungakiekie-Tamaki 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Panmure, Glen Innes train stations.
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres):  Penrose, Sylvia Park Metropolitan Centre, Sylvia Park train station.
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys/ about 400 metres): Panmure, Glen Innes, Onehunga, Royal Oak 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Mt Wellington. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Panmure–Ellerslie, Panmure–Mt Wellington–Sylvia Park, Greenlane–Western Springs (via Balmoral). 
North 

Upper Harbour  

  • Walkable catchment (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Albany Bus Station
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres): Albany Metropolitan Centre, Constellation Bus Station.
  • Walkable catchment (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Rosedale Bus Station.
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Hobsonville, Albany Village.

Kaipātiki 

  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Birkenhead, Glenfield, Northcote. 
  • Local Centre (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Chatswood. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side) along Glenfield–Birkenhead, Verrans Corner–Onewa Rd routes.

Hibiscus and Bays  

  • Town Centre (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Browns Bay. 
  • Local Centre (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Mairangi Bay.

Devonport Takapuna  

  • Walkable catchment (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Takapuna Metropolitan Centre.
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres): Smales Farm, Sunnynook, Akoranga busway stops.
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Devonport, Milford, Sunnynook. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): along Smales Farm–Takapuna–Milford, Northcote–Takapuna.

Rodney

  • In line with changes across most of the urban areas of Auckland, Warkworth will see more 2- and 3-storey townhouses and terraces allowed, and less Single House zoning.
  • There are no walkable catchments for town centres or transport links in Rodney under PC120. 
West 

Henderson-Massey 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Henderson Metropolitan Centre, Henderson Train Station. 
  • Walkable catchment (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres): Westgate Metropolitan Centre. 
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Sunnyvale, Sturges Rd, Ranui train stations.
  • Town Centre (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Te Atatū North. 
  • Local Centre (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Te Atatū South. 
  • Transport corridor (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): New Lynn–Henderson (shared).

Waitākere Ranges 

  • Town Centre (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Glen Eden.

Whau 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres): New Lynn Metropolitan Centre, New Lynn Train Station, Avondale Train Station.
  • Walkable catchment (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Fruitvale Rd train station. 
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Avondale, New Lynn. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Blockhouse Bay, Kelston. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Great North Rd (Pt Chev–Avondale–New Lynn), New Lynn–Henderson (shared) routes.
East 

Ōrākei

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Remuera, Greenlane train stations.
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres):  Ellerslie, Ōrākei, Meadowbank train stations.
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Greenlane, Remuera. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Greenlane West, Kepa Rd/Eastridge, Meadowbank. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Manukau Rd (Onehunga–Newmarket, shared), Greenlane East, St Johns–Remuera–Newmarket. 

Howick 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres):  Pakuranga Bus Station, Te Taha Wai (Edgewater), Williams Ave. 
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Botany Metropolitan Centre, Koata (Gossamer Drive), Pohatu (Burswood). 
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Highland Park, Howick, Pakuranga. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Botany Junction, Meadowlands. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Howick–Botany (via Meadowlands), Botany–Manukau (via Ormiston). 
South  

Māngere-Otahuhu 

  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Māngere. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Māngere East. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Papatoetoe–Ōtāhuhu–Sylvia Park. 

Ōtara-Papatoetoe 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 15 storeys / about 800 metres): Manukau Metropolitan Centre, and the Manukau, Ōtāhuhu train stations. 
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 10 storeys / about 800 metres):  Papatoetoe, Puhinui train stations.
  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Middlemore train station.
  • Town Centres ((buildings up to 6 storeys / about 400 metres): Hunters Corner, Ōtāhuhu, Ōtara, Papatoetoe. 
  • Local Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres): Dawsons Rd, Clendon. 
  • Transport corridors (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 200 metres either side): Papatoetoe–Ōtāhuhu–Sylvia Park. 

Manurewa 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 6 storeys): Manurewa, Homai train stations
  • Town Centres (buildings up to 6 storeys): Manurewa. 

Papakura 

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Takaanini, Te Mahia, Papakura Metropolitan Centre, Papakura Train Station. 

Franklin  

  • Walkable catchments (buildings up to 6 storeys / about 800 metres): Drury Metropolitan Centre, and the Drury, Ngākōroa, Paerata, and Pukekohe train stations.

Hauraki Gulf islands  

  • Waiheke, Aotea/Great Barrier and other Hauraki Gulf islands are covered by the Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan. This plan is separate from the Auckland Unitary Plan, and as such, PC120 does not change it. 

Time to have your say

Stronger hazard rules apply from Monday 3 November 2025, when Plan Change 120 is notified. However, they are subject to change following the public submission process.

You can have your say on these measures, and all proposals under Plan Change 120.  

Visit the AKHaveYourSay website until 19 December 2025 to learn more.  

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/what-aucklands-new-plan-means-for-your-neighbourhood/

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Get the facts on Auckland’s future housing plan

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland’s Future Housing Plan – Proposed Plan Change 120 – makes important changes to Auckland’s planning rules, and there is discussion happening in communities across the city. 

The plan change strengthens the rules for building new homes in places at risk of flooding and other natural hazards while also meeting central government direction on housing capacity.   

It aims to better protect people and property, while enabling more new homes in well-connected areas near jobs, shops, services and fast, frequent public transport.

But some of the things being shared aren’t accurate, from forcing homeowners and tenants to relocate, new homes being built immediately to comparing Auckland to different situations in different cities.

Here are some quick questions and answers to help you understand what Proposed Plan Change 120 does – and what it doesn’t do.

Question: Does Plan Change 120 make people leave their homes?

Answer: No, it has nothing to do with relocating or moving people out of their homes. Plan Change 120 does not require anyone to leave their home or relocate – that is not how planning rules work. 

Instead, it strengthens rules for building in areas with known hazard risks, like flooding, so future buildings are more resilient or reduced in the most vulnerable areas, meaning people living in these areas are better protected. Existing homes remain and development will still happen but with tougher rules.

Question: Will the whole city be “blanketed” by higher-density homes indiscriminately?

Answer: No, taller buildings are only proposed in certain areas, mostly enabled near train stations, rapid busways (like the Northern Busway), frequent bus routes, and town centres where jobs, shops and services already exist.

These are locations where research shows public transport access and housing demand are strongest, and which help to support higher productivity across Auckland. 

Not every property will be developed that way. What gets built depends on what the market determines, property owner choices, and what can feasibly be built, not just planning rules. Development usually happens gradually, typically over many years and even in areas allowing taller buildings, there will still be a mix of housing types. 

Question: Has Plan Change 120 changed the floodplains? 

Answer: Auckland Council has continuously published information it has on flooding and other natural hazards – Plan Change 120 only introduces updated rules in the Auckland Unitary Plan that manage development in these areas.

Information on natural hazards change over time. This is due to changes in modelling inputs and assumptions, understanding of climate change and improved technology. In recent years new modelling has been undertaken to consistently reflect latest climate change information across the region.

The newer modelling has also been able show a greater level of detail about potential flooding risk than previously understood – for example, anticipated depths and velocities of floodwaters.

Question: Are homes being put into flood plains? 

Answer: Plan Change 120 allows residential development in flood plains in existing developed areas where the hazard is low, medium or high, as long as the risk can be maintained at or reduced to a tolerable level, for example through the provision of a safe evacuation route and a floor above the flood level.

Any new development will need to go through the resource consent process to determine its appropriateness against the relevant policy settings.

For sites that are constrained by very high flood hazard flooding, the zoning has changed to limit development to the Residential – Single House zone.

For all other sites, in some cases the zoning has changed to allow for additional intensification opportunities. However, the level of development that is suitable on those sites will be dependent on a site-specific assessment and the hazard conditions on site.

Question: Didn’t Christchurch push back on intensification, so Auckland should too?

Answer: No, Christchurch made significant changes to its planning rules to meet government’s intensification requirements.  

Christchurch only withdrew from some parts of the government’s housing intensification requirements because it could prove that its updated planning rules enabled enough housing capacity to meet what the legislation required – 30 years of capacity that has been shown to be commercially feasible to build. This is the legal test that applies to Christchurch. 

Auckland’s housing capacity requirement is completely different. The legal test for Auckland is that the new Plan Change 120 must enable at least the same amount of housing as the withdrawn Plan Change 78 (the previous plan change required by central government) would have enabled. 

Christchurch and Auckland are very different cities with different growth-related challenges, different legislation and their legal housing capacity requirements are not calculated in the same way.

Question: Isn’t housing capacity just a target and does leads to more choice?

Answer: No, housing capacity is not a building target, but it does provide more housing choices over time. Housing capacity required by Plan Change 120 is the theoretical number of homes that could be built if every suitable site across Auckland was fully developed to the maximum the rules allowed.

In reality, far fewer homes are built, even over many decades, and not every site will be developed. Plan Change 120 allows for the same housing capacity as the previous planning rules from central government called Plan Change 78. Capacity is not a construction target. Taking-up opportunities for development depends entirely on property owners and developers.

Capacity is set deliberately high, so developers and property owners have more choices in different locations and for different housing types. This flexibility helps to respond to changing market demands and helps improve affordability over the long term, which is supported by economic data and analysis. 

Question: Will I be forced to sell or develop my property?

Answer: No, nothing forces you to sell or develop. Property owners can continue to live in, sell, maintain, improve or redevelop their home as the planning rules allow, what happens with their property is entirely up to them. 

Plan Change 120 sets tougher standards for the future development of new homes or buildings, so they are more resilient, or to limit how much new housing can be built in areas most at risk from hazards like flooding to help reduce future risks to people and property.

There is no requirement to develop. It is entirely up to owners whether they want to sell, develop, or do nothing at all.

Question: Will my suburb change overnight with new buildings appearing?

Answer: No, Plan Change 120 doesn’t trigger immediate development. Planning rules only set out what’s allowed to be built, they do not require that homes get built or that development happens. Plan Change 120 simply enables where different types of housing could go in future. Not every property would be suitable for taller buildings. What actually gets built depends on property owners, what is determined by the market and other rules such as resource consents. 

Homes cannot be built at that speed anyway. When development does occur, it happens gradually, even over decades, and varies widely across neighbourhoods.

Question:  Won’t housing in expensive places still be unaffordable?

Answer: Allowing for more housing density can help make homes more affordable over time. For most homes, land is the biggest cost. Allowing more homes on one property spreads that cost, so each home can be more affordable than a single house on a full section. 

Areas near jobs, shops and transport are in high demand, which pushes up land values, so more homes in these areas provide more housing choices.

While homes won’t suddenly be “cheap,” more choices — like townhouses and apartments — give people more choice at different price points and creates competition in the market, helping ease price pressure over time.

What does Proposed Plan Change 120 do?

Here’s the simple version, plan change 120 proposes to:

  • Strengthen rules for building new homes in areas at risk from flooding and other hazards, with the worst-affected areas mainly limited to single houses.
  • Enable more homes within walking distances of the city centre, other town centres, train stations, stops on the northern and eastern busways and along some frequent bus routes.
  •  Meet central government direction for significantly more housing capacity and taller buildings around key train stations to support investment in the City Rail Link.

This could mean:

  • Better protection for people and property by strengthening the rules we already have, reducing exposure to hazards that are becoming more common with climate change.
  • More new homes where it makes more sense, in well-connected places close to jobs, shops, and fast, frequent public transport – where demand for housing and transport access is strongest.
  • More housing choices in more locations with easier access to everyday services and facilities.
  • More transport choice, less congestion, and better access to game-changing infrastructure that all Aucklanders have paid for – helping to get the best return on billons of public investment.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/get-the-facts-on-aucklands-future-housing-plan/

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Hobsonville Point – first decade of a housing masterclass

Source: Auckland Council

Hobsonville Point has evolved into a living example of smart housing in a growing city.

The harbourside suburb in west Auckland has shown how walkable, well-designed, mixed density housing can build a strong sense of community.

Like Northcote ( and many other emerging suburbs offering medium density housing options built close to transport hubs, town centres, schools and community facilities) Hobsonville Point is a housing blueprint envisioned and enabled by the Auckland Unitary Plan.

Hobsonville Point, now a flourishing residential suburb, has grown up from land once used as an airforce base. When the land became available, it was essentially a blank slate for new housing and presented an opportunity to do things smarter and more sustainably.

The Auckland Council group worked closely with the Hobsonville Land Company (a subsidiary of Housing New Zealand established to lead the development, and now part of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities) and private sector partners to deliver a new kind of neighbourhood for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Ten years later, Hobsonville Point is a model of effective master-planning and the delivery of mixed density housing at scale. It is a model for the future.

Hobsonville Point resident and business owner Mike (Buzz) Thomson was sceptical at first of the ‘moments away, worlds apart’ slogan, but after living here since 2017 he believes it delivers more than the slogans promise. 

“The planning of Hobsonville Point stands out for me. We have walkable streets, shared laneways, public art and our coastal walkway has become a community anchor. It draws people here,” he says.

The planning Buzz mentions is a recurring theme. Architect Errol Haarhoff was impressed by the area’s master-planning, clear urban design guidelines, the consistent quality of housing and the surrounding environment. 

Errol says: “We didn’t actively choose Hobsonville Point. It chose us. We came here for a visit on a whim after hearing about the farmers’ market and loved the place so much we put a deposit on a house within a week,” he says.

Like Buzz, Errol was drawn to the area’s walkability and the presence of social infrastructure. He highlights that early investment in schools, public art, markets, and the coastal walkway helped potential buyers imagine what life would be like in Hobsonville Point.

Errol participated in a National Science Challenge project, which looked at Hobsonville Point as a case study. The study involved interviews with residents. 

‘Living at Density in Hobsonville Point, Auckland: Resident Perceptions’ was authored by Errol Haarhoff, Natalie Allen, Patricia Austin, Lee Beattie and Paola Boar in April 2019.

Overwhelmingly, their research demonstrated that satisfaction among residents was high. Respondents highlighted the importance of quality public spaces at Hobsonville Point, which prioritised the wellbeing of residents.

Good development through partnership

Jenny Larking is Head of Growth and Regeneration Delivery in Auckland Council’s newly established Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO). She is also a resident of Hobsonville Point.

She says the new AUDO is council’s “front door” for partnerships like the one that made Hobsonville Point possible, working with government agencies, iwi, developers, not-for-profit organisations and other partners to deliver smarter, better urban outcomes in Auckland.

She says Hobsonville Point is a shining example for the future of new housing in Tāmaki Makaurau because of its careful master-planning and design.

“The site allowed developers and council to plan new infrastructure, housing, resilience features and amenity all at once, and then to use the area’s uniqueness to get better outcomes. It is always our ambition at Auckland Council, through the Unitary Plan, to enable good development and good design through smart, strategic partnerships.”

Jenny says people have embraced the lifestyle at Hobsonville Point.

“From what I’ve seen, people don’t try and live as they might have lived anywhere else. They enjoy and embrace what’s been created here. Generations can move through different stages in this area – from stand-alone houses to townhouses, duplexes, apartments and even retirement villages.

“And parents of young children have a level of comfort here – 60 to 70 percent of kids walk or cycle to school, a lot higher than the Auckland average. The pathways are wide, roads are safe to cross and we have good pedestrianised infrastructure, encouraging people to get out and about,” Jenny says.

She adds that in new housing development like this Auckland Council and developers build flood resilience in from the start – with rain gardens, bio swales and wetlands protecting people, property and the environment from flooding.

Transport options are also evolving to match people’s needs. The popular ferry service has been expanded to have more sailings and they carry bikes and scooters on board, allowing people to make multi-modal trips. 

Multiple bus routes run through the neighbourhood, including the recently improved number 12 service, which connects Henderson and Constellation Station on the Northern Busway via Hobsonville. This service, with double decker electric buses, is one of the most popular in Auckland.

Density done well

Orson Waldock works for Kāinga Ora (and formerly Hobsonville Land Company) as Team Leader Urban Design and is also a long-time resident of Hobsonville Point. In his role at Kāinga Ora, he helped shape the design and delivery of the neighbourhood over six years.

“Within the Kāinga Ora team, this project is colloquially known as the ‘University of Hobsonville Point’. It has enabled us to explore what density done well looks like in a contemporary Auckland context,” Orson says.

“While early housing at Hobsonville Point was more conventional (standalone homes on compact sections), over time we’ve been able to innovate, test and deliver a greater variety of housing forms including terraces, apartments and mixed-use buildings.

“The uplift in density (approximately two to three times greater than conventional suburbs) has come with unique challenges as section sizes have decreased. A large part of my role has been working alongside builder partners and designers to ensure we maintain design quality and liveability.

“My experience of living in Hobsonville Point for 10 years is that the community makes the most of this new kind of neighbourhood. I meet at the local bus stop most mornings at 6am to run with the Early Bird Run Crew. It’s an amazing group of locals who shuffle 5km around the stunning Te Onekiritea Park and Coastal Walkway. The exercise is good, but the company is better. It’s a regular reminder of why we chose to move to Hobsonville Point,” he says.

Hobsonville has some fun-tastic playgrounds for the kids to enjoy all year round.

The people of Hobsonville Point are proud of their place. It’s a proof-point for a widely-held urban planning premise that a mix of housing options will foster vibrant, inclusive, and connected communities.

Hobsonville Point’s transformation reflects what is possible. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/hobsonville-point-first-decade-of-a-housing-masterclass/

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Fitch outlook reaffirms case for fiscal discipline

Source: New Zealand Government

Global economic volatility makes the Government’s programme of fiscal consolidation more important than ever, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.

“Fitch Rating’s decision to place New Zealand’s AA+ long-term credit rating on negative outlook is a reminder of why fiscal discipline is so important. 

“Over the past two years, this Government has pursued a balanced fiscal strategy – lifting investment in frontline services like health, education, and law and order, while charting a credible path back to surplus. That has required hard decisions: $43 billion of savings across the last two Budgets, with further savings planned in Budget 2026.

“The Government remains committed to achieving its three fiscal goals – reducing spending as a proportion of GDP, returning the headline operating balance measure to surplus and bending the debt curve down. 

“Treasury’s preliminary economic forecasts — prepared before the latest volatility in the Middle East — showed New Zealand’s economic recovery gaining momentum, with growth of around 3 per cent by early 2027 and a corresponding improvement in revenue that would support a more positive fiscal outlook

“Those forecasts will now need to be revised. Energy market disruption adds real uncertainty, and that is precisely why careless spending is off the table.

“My focus remains on a balanced approach: investing in frontline services like health, education and law and order and keeping debt at prudent levels.

“Increasing borrowing, spending and debt, as some political parties have proposed, would damage New Zealand’s reputation for responsible fiscal management and lead to increased borrowing costs for all Kiwis.”

 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/fitch-outlook-reaffirms-case-for-fiscal-discipline/

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PSA – What is the Govt. hiding? MPI blocks key info on meat inspection privatisation

Source: PSA

MPI officials make flying visit to USA to reassure key export market
The PSA is calling on the Ministry for Primary Industries to lift the veil of secrecy on its controversial plans to privatise meat inspection services.
MPI has refused to release to the PSA under the Official Information Act the detailed analysis it carried out to justify its plan to allow meat companies to inspect their own export meat. This is currently an independent and effective service provided by government agency AsureQuality that has safeguarded the quality of our $12b/year meat export industry.
“The Ministry for Primary Industries took three months to respond to the OIA and then only because the Ombudsman intervened and still withheld the key analysis underpinning its controversial plan to privatise meat inspection,” said Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.
The PSA is the union for meat inspectors employed by AsureQuality. Hundreds of meat inspectors could face the axe under this plan, with many forced to transfer to the private sector with lower wages and poorer conditions.
“This is appalling behaviour by a public sector agency which has an obligation to be transparent and explain its policies – what has it got to hide? The case for change has not been made.
“Hundreds of meat workers need to know why their futures are being upended, and the public has a right to know why the Government is playing fast and loose with our hard-won reputation for quality and safe export meat.”
The PSA requested all advice MPI has prepared on the proposal. The response only landed after the consultation closed preventing the PSA from making a fully informed view of the plan.
Only one internal memo was released, and a key document, the analysis of the proposal, Ante and postmortem project analysis was withheld in full because it ‘would prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand’. Another five were withheld, four of these including even their titles, under the same grounds.
“This is extreme – surely sensitive issues around international relations could have been redacted. But this is par for the course from MPI which has consistently withheld information or limited the scope of requests from the PSA over the past year. Workers and the New Zealand public deserve better.
“We asked for this information because what MPI provided to the public as part of its consultation process was completely inadequate and provided no information about why they believe the proposal is an improvement on the status quo or what evidence that belief is based on. Throughout this entire process we’ve continued to ask for information about the analysis and advice underpinning their decisions and been provided with very little.”
This obfuscation comes as MPI officials make a flying visit to meet counterparts at the United States Department of Agriculture to convince them there are no risks to food safety. This is happening just weeks before final decisions on the plan are due to be made.
“Why the late dash to America? Surely any issues the Americans may raise should have been sorted well before the proposal was even hatched and consulted on. It just smacks of poor planning, but how do we know when MPI has shrouded this in secrecy?
“MPI must do better when the livelihoods of hundreds of AsureQuality meat inspectors and our meat export industry are at stake.
“The PSA calls on Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard to tell MPI to release all relevant information now, before final decisions are made in April.”
ENDS
Attached: Response letter from MPI re OIA document request
Previous statements
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/psa-what-is-the-govt-hiding-mpi-blocks-key-info-on-meat-inspection-privatisation/

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Government orders review of Dog Control Act

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has ordered a comprehensive review of the Dog Control Act to crack down on roaming and uncontrolled dogs, following a number of horrific attacks.

“New Zealanders are appalled by recent attacks by aggressive and out-of-control dogs. People are reporting that they are avoiding areas in their neighbourhood because they have been attacked or have reason to believe they will be,” Mr Watts says.

“Kiwis should be able to walk, run, or take their kids to the park without worrying about being harmed. 

“Dog owners must take responsibility and keep their animals under control to protect their families and visitors, as well as the wider public, wildlife and pets.”

Reviewing the Dog Control Act

“We have heard clearly from Local Government New Zealand and councils that the Dog Control Act is outdated and is preventing them from doing their jobs effectively. This is putting unnecessary strain on resources and the wider system,” Mr Watts says.

“That’s why the Government has ordered a comprehensive review of the Dog Control Act to ensure the law empowers councils to keep communities safe.” 

While the scope of the review is still being considered, it will include looking at clauses which may be imposing barriers or resource pressure on councils, as well as penalties and consequences for non-compliant dog owners, desexing obligations, and stronger powers for council officers.

“We are also updating enforcement guidelines so dog control officers have a consistent approach to their work, with clarity on how they should respond and what tools are available to them,” Mr Watts says.

“Alongside the review and updated guidelines, I have sent a letter to every council outlining my expectations around dog control and encouraging them to make full use of their powers.

“Dog control issues are best managed locally and councils already have enforcement powers under the Dog Control Act.

“As we review the Act, I want councils to be able to confidently say they are using every power available to tackle this issue.

“The letter also reinforces that the Government wants to work alongside them as we review the Act and continue to update the dog control enforcement guidelines.”

Other measures in the response 

While the review is underway, there are several measures in place to respond to dog attacks and support public safety.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the police will continue to work with local councils and to provide ongoing support to dog control officers where assistance is required.

“Police have a role to play in dog control when council staff have safety concerns while dealing with dangerous and high-risk dogs. Police will accompany council staff where Police-only powers are required or there are significant safety risks.”

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says on public conservation land, DOC will step up monitoring in high-risk areas and expand its professional hunter response so incidents involving feral or uncontrolled dogs can be dealt with quickly.

“This will focus on places where dogs pose a risk to people or vulnerable native wildlife, with DOC working closely with councils, iwi, landowners and communities to support early detection and coordinated action where problems arise,” Mr Potaka says.

Earlier this week the Government announced a targeted $468,000 grant to the SPCA for dog desexing. The SPCA will contribute a further $700,000 bringing the total investment to almost $1.2 million.

“Dog overpopulation is a significant problem and is often linked to irresponsible breeding. This grant funding supports a practical, preventative measure to help reduce the number of unwanted dogs,” Mr Watts says.

“The Government’s response is about backing councils to keep their communities safe and holding dog owners responsible for their animals.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/21/government-orders-review-of-dog-control-act/