For 19-year-old Emma Davis, seeing her designs come to life on the runway was the highlight of her NZ Diploma in Fashion (Level 5) at EIT.
Emma completed the diploma last year at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus, showcasing three garments as part of the end-of-year fashion show, including two looks from her final collection and one sustainable design created earlier in the year using upcycled materials.
“It felt really emotional,” Emma says. “We designed everything from the beginning to the end, and there was a lot of time and effort put into it. There were a lot of late nights and a lot of emotion involved, so finally seeing everything on the runway was really special.”
Emma Davis (front) pictured with Molly Crawford (middle) and Carman Ward who modelled the collection she made during her NZ Diploma in Fashion (Level 5) at EIT.
Her final collection drew inspiration from Greek mythology, specifically the character of Circe from The Odyssey.
“I usually work with lighter colours and more flowy designs, so I wanted to challenge myself. One outfit was inspired by Circe herself as a witch, which was more feminine, and the other was inspired by the soldiers who were turned into pigs, so it was darker and heavier than what I normally do.”
Her interest in fashion began at a young age, sparked by time spent sewing with her grandmother after moving back to New Zealand from England.
“She taught me how to sew, and I just loved it. I used to make little outfits for my Barbie dolls. Once you learn how to sew, you stop looking at clothes the same way. You see something in a shop and immediately think about what you could turn it into.”
After finishing at Havelock North High School, Emma chose to study fashion at EIT, drawn by the opportunity to focus on hands-on, creative learning close to home.
“EIT was right there, and I wasn’t quite ready to move away or financially able to yet. My fabrics teacher at high school had studied at EIT and recommended it, so I thought I’d give it a go and see if fashion was really for me. I’m really glad I did.”
Throughout the year, Emma says the programme allowed her to immerse herself fully in fashion, building practical skills across sewing, pattern making, and garment construction.
“Every single day we were learning something new. It meant I could really focus on developing my skills rather than juggling lots of different subjects.”
She says working directly with patterns and mannequins helped her gain confidence and develop a more instinctive approach to design.
“Before EIT, I struggled with knowing how to do things without overthinking them. Now, a lot of it feels more natural. I’ve learned how to just do things without having to stop and think so much. I’m really grateful for everything I learned and how much I grew over the year.”
Sustainability was a strong focus throughout the diploma, and an area Emma is particularly passionate about.
“We learned a lot about being mindful with resources and thinking about environmental impact. Sustainable fashion isn’t just about labels. It can involve upcycling, textiles, or working in different areas of the industry that support more responsible practices.”
Emma plans on continuing further study at Massey University, with aspirations to work in the sustainable fashion sector.
“There are so many different pathways within fashion. Design is the dream, but there are also opportunities in textiles, marketing, and other related areas. I’d love whatever I do to be connected to sustainability.”
Reflecting on her time at EIT, Emma says the commitment required was significant, but the experience has given her a strong foundation moving forward.
Christina Rhodes, Lecturer Fashion CALT, said the NZ Diploma in Fashion introduces the fashion industry and explores the diverse roles students can pursue to advance their careers.
“Throughout the programme, we encourage a strong focus on practical sustainability, emphasising recycling, repurposing, and reusing materials.
“Emma demonstrated creativity in developing the concept for her collection, incorporating sustainability into her garment design. We wish her every success as she continues her journey in the fashion industry.”
There are concerns sections the track may not be safe after more than 200 mm of rain lashed the region this week.
“The track has been assessed by staff, and there are visible signs of slumping caused by the saturation of the hillside the track traverses,” DOC Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly says.
“There are also parts of the track covered in deep mud and debris which will need to be cleared so further assessments can be undertaken – including geotechnical inspections.”
Geological assessments undertaken previously at Mautohe Cathedral Cove have also shown there is a residual risk of landslides and rockfalls as the soil above and around the cove dries out after rain events.
DOC has a vital responsibility to manage visitor risk at the site, and Nick says right now the focus is on gaining a full understanding of that risk following the storm and intense rain.
Nick says the message is clear – do not use the Mautohe Cathedral Cove track until further notice.
“This is not the time to go naturing at Mautohe Cathedral Cove – do not put yourself at risk,” Nick says.
Representatives from Ngāti Hei will be at track entrance points urging people to not use the track.
The cove can still be accessed from the sea but anyone planning to do this should think carefully about the risks – including the possibility of rockfall and further landslides – and whether visiting is sensible at this time.
The storm this week has also impacted track reinstatement works at nearby Waimata Gemstone Bay. Contractors have been withdrawn from the site and a section of track they had been working on is damaged.
A section of the coastal track network between Hahei and the Mautohe Cathedral Cove track start, which was permanently closed, has also subsided – reinforcing the decision to close this part of the track network.
Nick says the Coromandel Peninsula is in clean-up mode and visitors are now being actively discouraged from visiting the peninsula while the recovery continues. Coromandel’s roading network is compromised in several places.
Tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove were closed in February 2023 due to extensive damage caused by Cyclone Garbrielle. DOC repaired the tracks through the second half of 2024, and they reopened to visitors in December 2024.
Please attribute Inspector Peter Cooper, Area Commander Canterbury Rural
Police will continue to maintain a highly visible presence across the North Canterbury area this weekend, with a gathering of car enthusiasts for the Muscle Car Madness Car Show in Rangiora.
Police expect to see a large number of attendees moving around the Rangiora Showgrounds area and will have additional resources available to manage any issues that may arise from the event.
Following up driving complaints around Rangiora over the last two nights, Police and Court bailiffs have seized and impounded six vehicles, and issued a number of infringement notices.
Over 1000 breath tests were completed on Thursday night alone.
Police will continue to monitor activities over the weekend and take all complaints seriously.
We will review any video footage of driving complaints, and we plan to hold all offending drivers to account at the time of the behaviour or at a later date.
While the Police respect the right of people to gather and enjoy this event, it should not be in such a manner that causes disruption, annoyance, and frustration to the public.
We will continue to communicate our expectations to attendees of Muscle Car Madness and will take enforcement action wherever necessary.
Police always encourage safe driving behaviour: keeping a safe speed and distance and driving without impairment or distraction.
If you are witnessing dangerous driving behaviour or any illegal or disorderly behaviour, please call Police on 111.
You can also report non-emergencies or matters after the fact by calling Police on 105 and supplying as much information as you can gather, including images or video footage.
Information can also be reported anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
After four years studying the Bachelor of Creative Practice (Visual Arts and Design) at EIT, artist Taya Evans’ work reflects significant artistic growth.
Originally from Gisborne, Taya (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) moved to Hawke’s Bay to complete the degree after leaving High School in Year 12.
Taya Evans (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) has completed Bachelor of Creative Practice (Visual Arts and Design) at EIT.
“I’ve been painting and drawing since before I could walk, and I always knew I wanted to get a higher education in visual art.” She began her studies with the NZ Certificate in Arts and Design (Level 3) and NZ Certificate in Arts and Design (Level 4) before progressing into the degree.
Looking back on her journey, Taya says the most noticeable change has been in her skill level and attention to detail.
“When I first started, I thought I was really good,” she laughs. “Now I look back and can see how much my work has changed. Just small things have made such a big difference to my practice and my outcomes.”
Throughout her studies, Taya worked on a range of conceptually challenging projects. One such project explored anthropomorphism, combining human and animal characteristics through detailed visual research.
“I did an anthropomorphic project where I morphed human qualities with animalistic qualities. I researched genetic abnormalities that happen in nature, like animals born with two heads or two faces. It was about showing the connection between humans and animals. It was a crazy project, but it was really fun.”
Her final project took a more introspective direction. Taya produced a charcoal installation made up of nine exhibited self-portraits, selected from a much larger body of work.
“They were about the animalistic qualities in humans and how easy it is to forget that we’re mammals ourselves. It was about the many faces of us as people.”
She also credits the learning environment at EIT as an important part of her development, particularly the close relationships formed with tutors and peers.
“We were a really close group. It’s quite personalised, and the relationships built with your tutors is invaluable. They’re really understanding and welcoming, and they push you.”
Taya will graduate in April and is already looking ahead to the next stage of her creative career. She hopes to pursue a career as a tattoo artist, while continuing to draw and create independently.
“I’m still doing my drawing and still creating. Tattooing just seems like an exciting way to work in a more contemporary process.”
Dr Sean Coyle, Head of School IDEAschool and Toihoukura, said: “Taya’s work demonstrates a high level of technical skill and conceptual maturity, reflecting the depth of learning and refinement she has developed throughout her studies”.
“The impact of her practice lies in its confidence, thoughtfulness, and ability to engage audiences in meaningful reflections on identity and the human condition.”
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Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today officially opened Te Piringa Āhuru, South Auckland’s new Crisis Recovery Café.
“A brightly lit, busy emergency department is often not the best environment for someone in mental distress. That’s why we are rolling out eight new crisis recovery cafés across the country, so more New Zealanders have a calm, peer-led, non-clinical space to go to for support,” Mr Doocey says.
“We know that each community can be different. That’s why I have always said the solutions already exist within our grassroots organisations, they just need to be supported. Ember has been operating in South Auckland for the last six years, already making a difference, and will now be running the café and reaching even more people.
“Ember named the café Te Piringa Āhuru to signify it as a place of safety and belonging, and a space where there is hope, which I think is a fitting name for this space.
“The café will have peer support workers who can link people back into community services, lend a listening ear, and offer people experiencing mental health or addiction challenges a place to sit down in a relaxed setting.
“There is real power in knowing there is someone in the room who has walked a similar journey and come through it, it can give people real hope. I have been pleased to hear firsthand the real difference these roles are already making. One worker told me that, reflecting on her own experience, the peer support service is exactly what she wishes she had when she was struggling, someone who can say, I see you, I hear you, I know what you’re going through.
“We are better utilising peer support workers in a range of settings, including emergency departments, eating disorder services, and crisis alternatives.
“I was recently in Whanganui, where I opened the first of eight cafés, as well as New Plymouth and Whakatāne, to announce they received a boost in funding from the Government. I look forward to continuing the roll out.
“Crisis cafés form part of our mental health plan. Last month, I announced a crisis response package that includes more clinical workers in crisis assessment teams, two new 10-bed peer-led acute alternative services, and additional peer support workers in emergency departments and crisis recovery cafés.
“My focus is on delivering faster access to support, more frontline workers, and a better crisis response.”
Note to editors:
The café has been operating from a temporary site since late September last year and has now moved to the new site.
Cost of living data released by Stats NZ today shows that working people are being left behind, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Sandra Grey.
“Data released by Stats NZ today showed that the cost of living rose at its fastest rate for 18 months. 68% of workers across the economy are currently facing another year of real terms pay cuts under this government”
“80% of items measured in the CPI basket saw prices rise. Food prices rose 4.3%, electricity prices rose 12.2%, and gas prices rose 16.2%. Working people are struggling to afford the basics.”
“Minimum wage workers are now facing a third straight year of real terms cuts to their income. The lowest-paid workers in the country are paying the price for this Government’s economic mismanagement.
“National keeps promising opportunities for New Zealanders but they’re only delivering for the wealthy. When last measured, annual household inflation was running 2.7 times faster for the lowest income New Zealanders than for the highest income earners.”
“Working people need wage increases, not tax cuts. The Government may be celebrating the economy improving, but working people aren’t feeling any relief. Its time the government stopped leaving workers behind,” said Grey
Please attribute to Senior Sergeant Carl Fowlie, Waitematā North Police:
The search for a missing man is resuming at the Mahurangi River after he was swept away by water on Wednesday.
Additional resource is being deployed into the area today as water levels have continued to subside overnight.
Police Search and Rescue is deployed into the area carrying out ground-based searching around the banks of the river.
They are being supported by 17 Land Search and Rescue members as well as a water rescue crew from Fire and Emergency.
A Police drone is also carrying out aerial searches.
Police is continuing to support the man’s family through this difficult time.
We thank all other agencies who have been called upon in recent days for their assistance. Everyone involved in this operation is focused on locating the man on behalf of his family.
Crews continue to make steady progress at the Goldsmith slip site (the first from the Ōpōtiki side and potentially largest – approx. 110 metres high and up to 60 metres wide), with an additional 40 tonne digger on the way to boost clearing efforts.
Contractors have managed to get over the slip by digger and are now in a position to obtain on‑the‑ground information about conditions ahead of the main blockage.
Rob Service, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Controller SH2 Waioweka Gorge Response and Recovery says the scale and complexity of the slips in the Gorge mean progress won’t be instant, but that teams are working every hour they safely can to push through.
“Getting an additional digger on site is a big step in helping us tackle the major blockages.
“Conditions on the ground are changing day by day, especially after last night’s weather. Safety has to come first, which is why our teams are assessing the Gorge carefully before pushing ahead from the Gisborne side.”
A second container, which was in position from previous maintenance works before the weather event hit, is equipped with Starlink and cameras. This will ensure contractors have reliable communications as they move deeper into the Gorge.
Clearance work will continue in a “leap‑frog” style – crews rapidly clearing smaller slips while the larger digger tackles the major blockages.
Last night’s heavy rain caused flooding at the Gisborne entrance to the Gorge, preventing crews from accessing the site. The water has now receded, and teams are assessing conditions to confirm whether it is safe to proceed.
The landscape has changed significantly overnight, and a fresh geotechnical assessment may be required before work can resume.
Current expectations are that clearing efforts from the Gisborne side will restart early Friday, 23 January, pending safety clearance.
“We know how important this connection is for people and freight. Our crews are committed to restoring access as quickly as possible, and we’ll keep everyone updated as we make progress,” says Mr Service.
SH2 south of Gisborne is the only open route, however long detours are required. There is a significant increase in traffic on SH2 south of Gisborne, with high volumes of vehicles continuing through to Bayview. Drivers are reminded to drive to the conditions, allow extra time, and remain patient.
Travellers should delay travel where possible. People are encouraged to check the NZTA Journey Planner for up-to-date information before travelling.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has welcomed provisional Term 4 attendance data, which shows attendance rates were higher than any Term 4 since 2022.
Provisional data shows in Term 4 2025, 57.3% of students attended school regularly. This was an increase from 56.4% in Term 4 2024.
“This data shows attendance rates are rising again under this Government,” Mr Seymour says.
“In Term 4 2022 regular attendance was at 48.7%. In Term 4 2025 about 150,000 more students attended school regularly than in 2022. Kiwi students are showing up to school more, and parents are pushing them to attend. Those students and parents should be proud.
“When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do schools, parents, and students. It’s important we continue to drive the change in attitude towards attendance.”
Central and East Auckland was the region with the highest regular attendance rate at 62.5%. This was followed by Otago/Southland at 62.4%, and North and West Auckland and Canterbury/Chatham Islands, both at 61.7%.
“Attendance rates are back on a steady upward trajectory. This is a good start, but there is still work to be done. I expect attendance to continue rising as the roll out of our attendance initiatives continues,” Mr Seymour says.
“Soon every school will have developed and implemented their own attendance management plan (AMP). It means there are escalating responses for declining attendance.”
Some examples of how interventions could work are:
5 days absent: The school to get in touch with parents/guardians to determine reasons for absence and set expectations.
10 days absent: School leadership meets with parents/guardian and the student to identify barriers to attendance and develop plans to address this.
15 days absent: Escalating the response to an Attendance Service Provider. If absence escalates beyond this point (or for cases of non-enrolment) prosecution of parents becomes a possibility.
“Taking time out at the end of term does just as much damage as low attendance throughout the term. Using the Daily Attendance Dashboard, we can calculate an average daily attendance rate of 86.4% for the first ten weeks of the term, for the last week of the term it is only 68.1%. The dataset is smaller for the final week because not all schools were open, but the low average shows that across-the-board attendance was not a priority. Missing the last week of school would result in a response as part of the school’s attendance management plan,” Mr Seymour says.
“Frontline attendance services are now more accountable, better at effectively managing cases, and data-driven in their responses. They have access to a new case management system, better data monitoring, and their contracts will be more closely monitored. Budget 2025 included $140 million of additional funding to improve attendance over the next four years.
“Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities that every student deserves.”
Please attribute the following to Senior Sergeant Matt Prendergast, Taranaki Road Policing:
Following up complaints of dangerous driving on Monday 19 January, Police have arrested one driver, seized and impounded two vehicles, and issued several infringement notices.
The complaints were made to Police around late morning and early afternoon, and shortly after, a large convoy of vehicles made their way through New Plymouth to Bell Block for a tangi.
At the time, the numbers of motorists were such that Police were unable to respond and take enforcement action safely.
Police have since reviewed video footage of the driving complaints and have now held the offending drivers to account.
Enquiries are still ongoing to identify other illegal activity involved during or around the tangi.
While the Police respect the right of people to grieve, it should not be in such a manner that causes disruption, annoyance and frustration to the public.
We are disappointed that this group choose to express themselves in this way with little consideration for other people.
Police always encourage safe driving behaviour: keep a safe speed and distance, and drive without impairment or distraction.
If you are witnessing dangerous driving behaviour, please pull over and call Police on 111.
You can also report non-emergencies or matters after the fact by calling Police on 105.
Please attribute to Superintendent Shanan Gray, Counties Manukau District Commander:
A motorcyclist has died following a crash on the Southern Motorway near Ōtara on Thursday night.
At the time, a Police motorways unit was carrying out radar speed detection on southbound lanes of State Highway 1 near Mt Wellington.
At around 11.15pm, the unit has detected a motorcycle travelling south at high speed.
Police signaled it to stop, however it continued travelling at high speed.
The unit has not pursued the motorcycle and came to a stop at the side of the motorway.
A short time later, the unit moved off and continued travelling south when it has been flagged down by the driver of an attenuator truck, after the motorcycle had collided into the rear of his vehicle just north of the East Tamaki Road off-ramp.
Sadly, the male rider has sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
A full closure of southbound lanes of State Highway 1 was put in place and traffic was diverted off the motorway.
Overnight, a scene examination was carried out and the man’s body has been removed.
The lanes reopened shortly before 5am.
Support is being put in place for our officers who were working last night.
An investigation is now underway into the fatal crash, and as standard procedure the Independent Police Conduct Authority will be notified of the incident.
Formal identification procedures will need to be carried out and support will be put in place for the man’s next of kin.
Four new community based forensic step-down beds will open ahead of schedule in March thanks to the partnership between Ember Services Limited and Health NZ, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced today.
“Opening more mental health beds is a commitment made by the government in its Mental Health Plan to deliver faster access to support,” Mr Doocey says.
“Budget 2025 funded two new community based step-down forensic beds in Waikato every year for the next four years as part of a wider $51M program to improve access to specialist forensic services.
“I’ve listened to the frontline, both patients and mental health professionals, and asked for the funding of eight new beds to be brought forward over two years, not the four years originally intended.
“These new beds will be backed by community wraparound support teams and funding to attract and retain specialist staff.
“I have always said patient and public safety must be paramount. By gradually reintegrating people who are transitioning out of inpatient forensic care, we can help more people return to the community safely.
“Community based step-down beds free up inpatient beds for people who really need them and form part of a step-by-step care system, allowing patients to move gradually from higher support to less supervision. These beds also ensure continuity of care, help reduce the risk of relapse and re-hospitalisation, and enable greater participation in rehabilitation programmes.
“Today’s announcement of new community based step-down forensic beds will increase bed capacity on top of the new 10 bed acute forensic inpatient facility in Waikato.
“This package is part of our broader mental health plan to deliver faster access to support, more frontline workers, and a better crisis response.”
Note to editors:
Announcements around the four remaining step-down beds will be made in due course.
Favourite naturing destination Karangahake Gorge remains closed, with Department of Conservation (DOC) staff still working to assess the scale of damage.
DOC Tauranga Operations Manager John Sutton says much of Bay of Plenty is still in response mode, and people are just starting to assess the damage.
“I urge people to check your destinations and choose safe options this weekend; I think our emergency services have enough on their plates.”
Significant amounts of water have gone through some popular locations, and DOC staff need time to make sure it’s safe for people to return.
“Karangahake Gorge has been particularly hard hit, you might have seen videos of water rushing through the tunnel of the Windows Walk. It’ll take some time to get the tracks and facilities to a condition where people can safely visit,” says John Sutton.
“Dickey Flat Campsite at the southern end of Karangahake Gorge is closed until further notice, and this isn’t a booked site, so we’re really asking people to use common sense and check access and conditions before they head out.”
Matatā Campsite, closer to Whakatāne, is closed until 27 January, and booked visitors have been informed.
Although other DOC tracks across Bay of Plenty may not be formally closed, be alert to the possibility of landslides, washouts, or downed trees. Damage should be reported to DOC via 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
“Stay safe this weekend, and we look forward to welcoming you back into these spaces when we can,” says John Sutton.
Visit www.doc.govt.nz to see alerts on tracks, huts, and campsites.
The Privacy Commissioner, Michael Webster, spoke at the IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals) Australia New Zealand Summit on 3 December 2025. Read his full keynote speech below.
Introduction
As always, it’s a privilege to be here this morning to talk about the focus of my Office, now and in the future, in protecting individuals’ right to privacy of personal information – and in helping organisations to do privacy well.
I have had a number of opportunities recently to meet with fellow Privacy Commissioners and heads of data protection agencies, and it seems we are all facing similar challenges and opportunities … including very existential ones like the nature of privacy regulation.
Are we meant to be modern regulators, smart regulators, risk-based regulators, outcome- or performance-based regulators, customer-centric regulators … the list goes on.
I am quite happy to be a reasonable regulator … and this morning I want to talk about what that has meant for the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner this year, and for our future work and direction.
As always, though, I’d like to start with a bit of an overview of the state of privacy in New Zealand – it provides you all with useful context.
OPC Privacy Survey 2025
And let’s start with some headline results from our 2025 privacy survey – it’s available on our website privacy.org.nz:
49% are more concerned about privacy issues over the last few years.
Looking at that another way, 66% agreed that protecting personal privacy is a major concern.
67% would consider changing service providers if they heard they had poor privacy and security practices
67% concerned about the privacy of children, including when they use social media
62% concerned about government agencies or businesses using AI to make decisions about them, using their personal information
77% think the Privacy Commissioner should have the power to ask a Court to issue a large fine for a serious privacy breach that an agency had caused either intentionally or due to negligence
77% think the Privacy Commissioner should have the power to audit the privacy practices of a business or government agency
65% are willing to see an increased use of privacy intrusive technology if it reduces theft
64% are willing to see an increased use of privacy intrusive technology if it increases personal safety, and
82% agreed they want more control and choice over the collection and use of their personal information.
As with me, I am sure these results prompt a number of questions in your minds, including:
How damaging to an organisation could a personal information privacy breach be, in terms of lost trust and confidence and lost customers – and given that, what are the tools, tips and techniques for avoiding – or at least responding well – to a privacy breach?
How can we best balance public good goals around things like public safety, and privacy? and
How can agencies lift their games in terms of providing assurance to citizens and customers that their right to privacy is being taken seriously?
The challenge of lifting our games becomes all the more real if you look at the stats in our latest Annual Report for the 2024/25 year.
“Privacy complaints are up 21% from 2023/24, which was also a record year.
And the number of serious privacy breaches notified by organisations rose 43% this year.
In addition to doing our best to respond to these individual complaints, and individual agency breach notifications, over the last year we have focused on what we call our one-to-many activities, including:
Developing and then issuing a Biometric Processing Privacy Code to ensure clarity and a legal framework around the automated use of biometric technologies.
We found that the live Facial Recognition Technology model trialled by one of our major supermarket chains, Foodstuffs North Island, was compliant with the Privacy Act 2020.
Te Ranga Tautiaki, our Māori Reference Panel, was established this year. We are now fortunate to work with a group of experts who bring a te ao Māori, or Māori world view, perspective to our work.
We’ve prepared comprehensive guidance on sharing information to protect the wellbeing and safety of children and young people.
And of course, Privacy Week 2025 was a highlight for us. More than 8,500 viewers watched 21 free webinar options with topics like AI, children’s privacy, and Māori data sovereignty.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
And what about my Office? Where to next for New Zealand’s privacy regulator?
As some of you will have heard me say before, my Office’s purpose is ensuring that privacy is a core focus for organisations, in order to protect the privacy of individuals, enable agencies to achieve their own objectives, and safeguard a free and democratic society.
This year, we set ourselves three key areas of strategic focus.
First, provide guidance, and develop processes, to support the implementation of legislative and regulatory privacy initiatives.
In particular, the Privacy Amendment Bill introduced that new notification requirement for agencies, the Customer and Product Data Bill established new rights for individuals to share their data in specified sectors, and the Biometric Processing Privacy Code clarified and strengthened protections around the use of biometric technologies.
Our work, particularly through preparing and promulgating guidance, provided agencies with the confidence to meet the new requirements.
Second, engage with agencies to build their privacy capability and empower New Zealanders to assert their privacy rights.
We worked to develop the capability of agencies to do privacy well through the promulgation of our guidance (such as Poupou Matatapu – Doing Privacy Well), and working directly with selected agencies on projects that had a significant privacy impact (such as the facial recognition technology inquiry we ran alongside the FRT trial run by one of New Zealand’s biggest supermarket chains, Foodstuffs North Island).
Third, focus our activities on the technological and digital innovations being adopted by organisations and businesses.
In New Zealand the public and private sectors – to greater or lesser extents – are adopting innovative technologies to help them achieve their objectives.
Our Office as the privacy regulator has needed to understand and respond to these changes, such as the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence tools and the retail sector’s use of technology to respond to theft and safety issues.
We have also continued to advocate for a specific set of amendments to ensure that New Zealand’s Privacy Act is fit-for-purpose in the digital age.
Next year is the year we need to develop and sign-off on our updated medium-term strategy – in the jargon of the New Zealand public management system, our next Statement of Intent.
For me, the drive will be to ensure we find and maintain a good balance between compliance and expectations-setting activities.
I’m not thinking of moving away from our current purpose statement, but we have an opportunity to refresh and refocus our strategic objectives.
While this conversation is still going on, my own view is that I want a New Zealand privacy regulator that:
provides ideas, advice and guidance to government and agencies, to promote and protect individual privacy,
holds agencies accountable for protecting individuals’ right to privacy of personal information,
takes a te ao Māori perspective on privacy, incorporating tikanga – or Māori custom – where appropriate, and
advocates for a society which gives people freedom and autonomy to speak, think and act without unnecessary surveillance and monitoring.
Now, that’s what I think, but if you – as a member of the privacy ecosystem – have a burning sense that my Office should be focusing on, or working on, something else, please get in touch and share your thoughts.
Surveillance
Talking of areas of current focus, it goes without saying that we are all going about our lives at a time of increased surveillance.
And when I refer to surveillance, I mean both business surveillance and state surveillance.
As noted earlier, two major areas of focus in New Zealand have been the FSNI supermarket trial of the use of facial recognition technology, or FRT, and our parallel Inquiry into the trial, and the Biometric Processing Privacy Code issued by my Office.
It’s probably useful to note at this point that, unlike other parts of the world, New Zealand’s privacy law does not depend on consent as the primary authority for collecting, using, and disclosing personal information.
Consent certainly has a role, but the main driver is the legitimate business purpose of the holder of the information.
Our overall finding was that the live FRT operating model deployed by FSNI during the trial complied with the Privacy Act.
There are several key features of FSNI’s operational model that enabled us to come to this conclusion, and I think it’s important that I outline some of the key ones to you all today:
A clear and limited purpose: FSNI focused the use of the technology on identifying people who had committed serious harmful behaviour in the stores in the recent past.
The system was effective to address that purpose.
Fit for purpose technology: FSNI chose a technology product that had been proved to work at a high-quality level “in the wild”.
Immediate deletion of most images: Images that did not trigger a match against the store’s “watchlist” (the image database of people of interest) were deleted almost instantaneously.
“Watchlists” were generally of reasonable quality and carefully controlled: Staff were not permitted to add images of children or young people under 18, elderly people, or people with known mental health conditions.
Accuracy levels were acceptable, once adjusted in response to problems: FSNI learned from some misidentification incidents, and instructed staff not to consider intervening unless the match level was at least 92.5%.
Alerts were checked by two trained staff.
There was a reasonable degree of transparency that the FRT trial was operating: Stores had clear signage at the entrance alerting customers that the trial was operating, with more signs in store.
There was no apparent bias or discrimination in how discretion was exercised.
Processes for requests and complaints: People who considered that they had been misidentified or wrongly enrolled on a watchlist were able to make complaints, and have information corrected or removed if a mistake was found.
Security processes were in place to protect information: Only authorised people had access to the information on the system, and to the security room in which the equipment was stored.
And, stores demonstrated an awareness and regard for privacy.
While the trial model complied with the Privacy Act overall, our Inquiry identified further improvements that would need to be addressed before FSNI considered using FRT permanently or expanding it into additional supermarkets.
A few months after that Inquiry report, after what has been a long and considered process, I issued the Biometric Processing Privacy Code 2025.
The Code sets out specific privacy rules for organisations using biometrics.
The aim of the new rules is to allow for beneficial uses of biometrics, while minimising the risks for people’s privacy and society as a whole.
The Code will help make sure agencies implementing biometric technologies are doing it safely, and in a way that is proportionate.
In addition to the usual requirements from the Privacy Act, the Code strengthens and clarifies the requirements on agencies to:
assess the effectiveness and proportionality of using biometrics – is it fit for the circumstances
adopt safeguards to reduce privacy risk; and
tell people a biometric system is in use, before or when their biometric information is collected.
The Code also limits some particularly intrusive uses of biometric technologies like using them to predict people’s emotions or infer information like ethnicity or sex, or other information protected under the Human Rights Act.
My Office believes having biometric-specific guardrails will help agencies deploy these tools safely, using the right tool for the job and protecting people’s privacy rights as they do it.
Guidance has also been issued to support the Code.
The guidance is very detailed and explains how we see the Code working in practice.
It also sets out examples so agencies planning to use biometrics can better understand their obligations.
Our bottom line is that biometrics should only be used if they are necessary, effective and proportionate; the key thing to make sure of is that the benefits outweigh the privacy risks.
Issues around surveillance by public sector agencies have also been to the fore in New Zealand this year.
It’s no secret that we have been engaged in extensive dialogue with the New Zealand Police on the collection of personal information in various ways … and this is only intensifying with the recent discussions and advocacy around the use of body-worn cameras by police officers.
You might be interested to know what positions I and my Office have taken around the broader issues … in the words of the great Australian rock philosophers, the Angels, “I keep no secrets from you”.
In summary:
The act of recording people in public places, for ongoing use and retention in databases, can have a potential chilling effect on people’s civil and political rights.
While individuals can be observed in public places, they do not automatically waive all their privacy rights; the right to privacy includes the right to be left alone by state agencies unless there is a reasonable justification for the public surveillance.
The principles of proportionality and necessity, which are fundamental to the social licence of our democratic institutions, are critically important.
When Police are photographing people, they can do so when either there is a specific statutory authorisation, or there is full compliance with the information privacy principles.
When turning their minds to their reasons for collection of personal information using photography, officers must be able to connect this to a policing function or purpose.
Any risk of indiscriminate collection would be highly concerning; there must be a threshold that means collected information is of reasonable relevance to a policing function.
I remain concerned about any ability for Police to use information for an unknown possible or potential future use.
The combined effect of the Privacy Act and Bill of Rights Act ensures that there are effective safeguards to limit indiscriminate collection and retention of information, or the inappropriate surveillance of individuals or particular groups.
The applicable legislative framework must set limits for the retention, use and destruction of material captured for general Police intelligence gathering, and include appropriate checks and balances.
Now, before anyone says “that’s just the sort of stuff you’d expect a civil liberties privacy regulator to say”, I do want to make the point again that I see myself as a reasonable regulator.
For example, this year we grappled with another issue around how do we balance important uses of personal information, with strong protections for people’s privacy?
In August 2025, following some work by my Office, emergency services got access to device location information (DLI), a new way to find and help people when they cannot call our emergency number 111 (for example if they’re injured or lost).
That’s a great outcome, and it’s one enabled by the Privacy Act.
In New Zealand, what has happened up until this change is that when someone in need did call our emergency number, 111, their network provider could often send information about their location to emergency services (ambulance services, Fire and Emergency, and New Zealand Police).
This sharing of information is enabled by the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code, a legal instrument issued by the Privacy Commissioner under the Privacy Act.
Schedule 4 of that Code sets out the rules that enable emergency services to get this location information quickly, as well as privacy safeguards that keep it safe.
The Privacy Commissioner added Schedule 4 to the Code in 2017, following public consultation on the options, risks, and benefits of this sharing.
Now, the Code also enables the new device location information service, or DLI.
Sometimes there are emergencies where people need urgent help but cannot call 111, such as search and rescue situations.
Use of DLI can help in these situations, but it also involves an intrusion on privacy, particularly when the person is not calling 111 themselves.
That means it’s important there are strong safeguards around when the information is collected and how it is used.
The rules in Schedule 4 of the Code set out strict safeguards for the use of DLI by emergency responders.
These safeguards include:
Sharing is limited to specific agencies: Police, Fire and Emergency, ambulance services, and organisations involved in search and rescue operations.
The threshold to use DLI is high. An emergency service provider can only request DLI if they believe it will enable them to prevent or lessen a serious threat to the life or health of the individual concerned.
Before they use DLI, an emergency service provider needs to check it relates to the right person.
A person whose DLI is collected must be notified unless this would create a safety risk. This notification will be by a text message to the individual. This may be sent to the person at the time or later on.
All disclosures of DLI to emergency services must be logged, and the disclosure log must be reported to the Privacy Commissioner every three months.
DLI is not about collecting new information on people’s location, or about tracking individual devices.
It’s about getting information that network providers already hold to emergency services quickly, with good safeguards, where this helps to prevent or lessen a serious threat to someone’s life or health.
At my Office, we often talk about good privacy practices being “how to, not don’t do”.
We think that the story of device location information is a useful example of this, and we’ll be keeping an eye on it to make sure that the goal of upholding New Zealanders’ privacy is met, as it rolls out in practice.
Principled-based regulation
Linked with this focus on surveillance, one of the narratives we are currently dealing with is that – to avoid privacy regulation getting ‘in the way’ (God forbid we let privacy get in the way!) – there needs to be clear and unambiguous rules which, if you follow from A to B to C, you can then do whatever you want, without being pinged by the privacy regulator.
I have a few thoughts on that.
First, you cannot legislate or regulate for every situation or scenario; regulatory flexibility that allows principles to be applied to a particular fact situation seems to make a lot of sense.
And you can’t give a regulatory hall pass to everyone; some will inevitably undertake an activity that is harmful to privacy, and does not pass the test in terms of careful stewardship of personal information – whether through poor planning and implementation, or deliberately.
Far better to go through a process which tests your ideas and plans against a set of carefully specified principles.
For example, in New Zealand, the Privacy Act, Biometrics Code and associated guidance provide a flexible and pragmatic model appropriate for regulating information sharing and FRT in the retail sector.
We’ll be working with retailers, industry bodies, and business associations as they look to use biometric systems or share information, responding to their experience and requests for guidance or feedback as they arise.
This education, awareness and capability building strategy is our standard approach to supporting agencies to comply with new regulatory requirements – as evidenced by our approach to the introduction of the 2020 Act changes.
I appreciate that there will always be a call for more certainty, for rules that apply exactly to a particular organisation’s circumstances, but I think that it would be unwise to take a completely prescriptive approach, particularly because of the need for different approaches across different contexts.
Prescription risks baking in rules that are unduly restrictive for one organisation, or unjustifiably permissive for others.
In both cases, prescriptive rules, particularly in legislation, are difficult to change, requiring political will and significant time and resourcing to do so.
Getting these wrong may have other consequences – for example, for the social licence for new technology use in our countries more broadly.
Further, in a shifting technological landscape, it may be difficult to create rules for a particular kind of technology that are suitably future proofed.
On the other hand, a principles-based approach provides flexibility, allowing multiple ways to comply with the law, as long as agencies can justify their decisions.
Privacy Officers and the privacy ecosystem: telling your story
Before I wrap up, and while acknowledging the many and varied members of the privacy ecosystem here today – law firms, consultants, academics, advocates and others – I want to direct a few comments at privacy officers – those of you who are part of privacy teams, or perhaps the sole person, in government agencies, NGOs, big corporates, medium sized companies, and other regulated agencies.
In New Zealand privacy officers have, of course, a special statutory role and status in privacy legislation – but, whatever your status, you are the people who have “doing privacy stuff in my organisation” in your job descriptions.
I would like to think that, in your day to day work, you are forming alliances not just with your legal team colleagues, but also with those who – in their own way – care deeply about the value of doing privacy well, and the cost of doing it badly … the marketing people, the tech people, the public relations people.
I would also like to think that, in recent years, due to the growing importance given to privacy and the protection of personal information, your jobs and your mission has become a little easier in your agencies.
But, I suspect that, within your organisations – as I find with my role in seeking to bring about real and needed change – there is still what I call “the resistance that lurks behind the mask of willingness”.
All too often, privacy is seen on the cost or liability side of the ledger, and not the income or asset side.
Many of you will have heard me talk about privacy being just good business,
Agency senior managers and boards may feel differently about the value of privacy if they face a multi-million dollar financial penalty for not keeping personal data safe.
They may feel that any privacy-related activity designed to protect against unauthorised disclosure of personal information is worth it, if it means not having to set aside tens of millions of dollars for customer remediation following a data breach, as Latitude Financial did.
And even if they are small, business owners may agree that it’s worth investing in cyber security when they find out from you that that the average self-reported cost of a cybercrime to a small business is over $50,000.
And no one wants to lose customers after all the effort that’s gone into wooing them to your organisation.
But the 2024 Cisco global Consumer Privacy Survey found that more than 75% of consumers said they would not purchase from an organisation that they did not trust with their data.
And what about the tech-savvy generation? – well, Cisco found that almost half of consumers aged 25-34 have switched companies or providers over their data policies or data-sharing practices – they’re not just thinking about it; they’re doing it.
These are all stories to tell … and there are so many more, including case notes and reviews on privacy regulator websites.
Be ready to answer the question “what’s the gain? … what’s the gain from this organisation doing privacy well?”
So, next time you’re in the lift with the chief executive, or the company owner, and they ask you, “who are you?”
You could say “I’m Michael and I’m part of the privacy team” … that’s fine.
But you could also say “I’m Michael and my focus is building and keeping customer trust and confidence in our organisation, and ensuring we’re seen as a safe and trusted place to do business as with.”
My challenge to you, my challenge to myself, is that we all need to be the best privacy story tellers that we can be.