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Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – As the war between Iran and the United States and Israel enters its second month, New Zealand is feeling the pinch at the petrol pump. But what other everyday items could face possible shortages if the conflict escalates?

We all know about the rising cost of fuel and the immense impact diesel prices will have on the entire country’s infrastructure, but there are several other everyday necessities that could be hit by a prolonged war.

Only 0.6 percent, or $642 million, of New Zealand’s total imports are sourced from Middle Eastern countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade notes in its most recent report on supply chains and the Iran conflict.

But because of the intricate network of supply chains that make up the global economy, there’s no easy way for New Zealand to avoid the impacts being felt worldwide.

Dr Sarah Marshall is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland business school and director of the university’s Centre for Supply Chain Management.

“I think the Iran conflict has highlighted vulnerability in our supply chains, but in many ways Covid-19 already did that,” she said.

“Since 2020 there’s been a much stronger awareness in New Zealand of what a supply chain actually is and how exposed we are to global disruptions.”

“If fuel prices continue to rise or supply is disrupted, that feeds through into almost every stage of the supply chain. Each stage faces higher costs, and those are eventually passed on to consumers.”

University of Auckland economics professor Robert MacCulloch said if the war carries on, it could potentially be an oil shock on the scale of the 1970s.

“I don’t think it’s overblown to say that potentially the effects are going to be enormous,” he said. “In this country it inspired in the ’70s the government of Rob Muldoon to change the whole national strategy.”

“We can see you can be held to ransom maybe by someone who’s very critical in that supply chain.”

Here are some of the everyday staples that could face more supply and cost issues because of war in the Middle East.

Food

One of the biggest impacts we’re already starting to see is how much we pay at the grocery store.

Eat New Zealand chief executive Angela Clifford recently told RNZ’s Nine to Noon that she would like to see more investment in keep locally produced food on the shelves, rather than imported food.

The recently announced closure of plants by food processors Wattie’s and McCain’s was also troubling, she said.

“We have continued to see the lack of ownership of our food system increase over recent years. You know, we have no security plan, no vision to feed our own people.

“In food systems we talk about the need for redundancy – that is so we don’t find ourselves in a situation with just a few manufacturers, because if anything goes wrong, say like a global fuel crisis, it means that you run out of options.”

A food security plan should include a point that “we value feeding our own people first, and we would work hard to make sure that we would continue to have food for New Zealanders.”

And we should all be careful to avoid the kind of frantic panic-buying that left toilet paper shelves empty during the pandemic, Marshall said.

“We saw during Covid that if demand spikes unexpectedly, it can turn a manageable situation into a real shortage. This often gets amplified as that surge in demand moves through the supply chain, so panic buying can make things worse.”

Shortages could most likely come from foods that are imported or require imported products for production.

Which brings us to …

Fertilisers

Fertilisers are essential for food production and New Zealand gets nearly 22 percent of its overall supply from the Middle East, according to MFAT.

Around half of the world’s urea – the most widely used fertiliser – and large amounts of other fertilisers are exported through the Strait of Hormuz.

“There have been shortages before and farmers can use different products, they normally are more expensive but we have never got to the point where we’ve run out of fertiliser,” Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett told RNZ recently.

“Farmers should start planning ahead – talk with their fertiliser companies to give them an idea of what demand will be like come spring time.”

Medicines and medical supplies

Pharmac said this week it was closely monitoring potential medicine supply risks due to the war.

The Iran war has affected the global supply of a range of raw ingredients, and there were warnings recently that the UK is “weeks away” from possible shortages of everything from painkillers to cancer treatments.

Pharmac said a small number of supply issues had been identified so far and there were currently no problems stemming from those for New Zealanders. It said it was working with suppliers, Health New Zealand, Medsafe, and the logistics sector to identify risks early and secure alternative products if necessary.

Substances few people would think about may be caught up in the war – for instance, the Middle East is a key producer of helium gas, and supplies for it are used in MRI machines and the semiconductor sector.

“The best example of where it gets delicate is in medicine,” MacCulloch said.

“There was concern that there could be great shortages in helium and MRI scans… We’re reliant on these sorts of gases which we may have to import. We’re not able to achieve total self sufficiency in that sense.”

Aluminium

Good old lightweight aluminium is a key component in transport, construction, electronics and packaging, just to name a few.

New Zealand gets about 9 percent of its aluminium from the Middle East, MFAT says.

And prices for the prized metal have hit four-year highs this week after Iran launched airstrikes at major production facilities in Bahrain and the UAE.

Plastics

The famous quote from Dustin Hoffman’s movie The Graduate is “There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it.”

Unfortunately for the immediate future, oil is basically how plastic is made, with 99 percent of plastics and polymers made using fossil fuels.

Prices of plastics used in everything from machine parts to toys have risen to their highest price in years.

Anything that’s made from polyethylene, a petroleum-based material which is the most widely used plastic in the world, is likely to be hit if the war drags on.

“The last 20 or 30 years so many products, components of them, are made in so many different countries,” MacCulloch said.

“And you know, this was lauded as a wonderful success of international trade and free trade. And we’re beginning, maybe, to see the limitations of that.”

Disposable cutlery, bottled drinks and garbage bags could be among the first to rise in the coming weeks, Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University, told CNN recently.

Reuters reported that between US$20 to $25 billion (NZ$35 to $43 billion) of petrochemical products pass through the strait annually.

…And so many other oil-based products

Paint, road bitumen, clothing, cleaning products, electronics – it’s all part of the great supply chain that makes the world go round and while alternative energy sources are out there, oil is still the primary grease that keeps that chain turning.

The Warehouse Group chief executive Mark Stirton told The Post this week that the retailers were monitoring the crisis closely. “We haven’t been notified of any major delays, but there’s no stock shortages,” he said.

In truth, the list of things that could end being affected by a prolonged war and supply chain constrictions is close to endless.

For instance, 7.2 percent of New Zealand’s jewellery supply is imported from the Middle East, MFAT says.

So what should we as consumers do next?

“I think expectations are already starting to shift,” Marshall said.

“For a long time we’ve been used to goods being relatively cheap and consistently available, but that has relied on a fairly stable global environment. What we’re seeing now is not a breakdown of global trade, but more volatility in how it operates.”

MacCulloch said successive New Zealand governments of both National and Labour have failed to build supply chain resilience.

“They’ve had 50 years to prepare for this shock, you know, half a century.”

He noted that Labour and the Greens when in power shut down oil and gas exploration and closed Marsden Point, while National and its partners have pulled back on electric vehicles and incentives for alternative energies.

“For government, the focus should be on resilience,” Marshall said.

“That means making sure supply chains are as diverse as possible, thinking about strategic reserves for critical goods, and supporting domestic capability where it makes sense.

“Clear communication is also important. Uncertainty can drive overreaction, so giving people a realistic sense of risk helps avoid unnecessary pressure on the system.”

As a potential inspiration going forward in an uncertain time, MacCulloch cited the work of the late American economist Richard Easterlin, who explored the intersections of wellbeing and economics.

“He was a great believer in the idea that people had gone too far with materialism, buying a lot of consumer stuff they didn’t really need.

“Anything you don’t really need, any consumables that are not really necessary to your quality of life, I think drop. It’s not the time to spend on things that you maybe don’t really, really need.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

As Northland recovers from another storm, officials in Wellington are trying to fix the disaster warning and communications systems that have failed repeatedly for two decades.

The systems came up short in Cyclone Gabrielle when people did not get alerts in time and rescuers often had to guess what was going on.

They have got further than ever before on what they are calling “a once in a generation opportunity to significantly uplift the supporting systems”.

Several business cases are ready to build the technology – such as a national warning system – and a review found the phased approach was sound.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told RNZ it was “moving to the delivery phase” of the five-year programme.

But warning signs have also been flashing.

The latest review released under the Official Information Act (OIA), from six months ago, said the project was “feasible, but significant issues already exist” that demanded “constant and high-level attention” so that risks did not “materialise into major issues threatening delivery”.

At that stage, last September, the business cases appeared to have “substantially underestimated” how much technical, operational and cultural capability had to be built.

“The review team heard that critical questions remain unanswered regarding the fundamental information architecture: what data will be stored, how it will be gathered systematically, and crucially, how it will be transformed into actionable intelligence rather than merely aggregated information.”

Having rated the project amber – on a red-amber-green scale – the ‘Gateway’ review listed six “do now” urgent tasks to resolve them, including a risk assessment.

That assessment, released under the OIA, showed a “high” and ongoing risk of major impact if a national disaster hit while the new systems were still being built over the next five years.

The system ‘will not cope’

The system gaps have proven fatal before when people have not been warned in time, or rescued from their roofs in time, by emergency responders flying partly blind by lack of proper real-time shared data systems, epitomised in Cyclone Gabrielle and the failed response in the Esk Valley.

It goes way back. In 2004, a review said the existing national crisis management centre information system “will not cope with a national emergency of a magnitude, scale or duration greater than the recent February 2004 floods”.

Two decades on, last July NEMA told companies at a ‘town hall’ to learn what the tech options were: “Over the past 20 years, there’s been numerous reports highlighting the need for improved technology. Our technology is not fit for the fit for purpose for the sector.

“NEMA does not have a suitable modern platform for delivering its core functions before, during, and after a response.

“NEMA currently relies on a mix of disparate basic collaboration tools which are highly manual, prone to error, and can create risk during an emergency.”

Basically, it faced disasters with little situational awareness, it told MPs in 2024, a year after Gabrielle.

‘Anchor’ programme

RNZ asked for the most substantive and up-to-date documents. The agency withheld four business cases on confidentiality and commercial grounds. Asked for advice and briefings to ministers since last October, NEMA advised there were none within the specified timeframe.

It told the companies: “There is real enthusiasm within the sector to finally be able to go and improve our information and management systems, to support the sector, to keep New Zealanders safe and improve community resilience before, during and after an event.”

It was “very interested” in the cost and told the businesses to provide rough figures that nevertheless would not need much tweaking.

The Emergency Management Sector Operational Systems Programme runs from 2026 for five years. Described as the “anchor” project of the government’s work to strengthen emergency management, it is still subject to policy work, legislation and funding.

It includes setting up:

• a foundational data platform that is a a consolidated “single source of the truth” across local, regional and national emergency management agencies;
• a standardised national visualisation tool called a common operating picture, or COP;
• a national warning system;
• operational systems for NEMA to nationally coordinate response and recovery.

In September, the agency found a preferred solution for all this but details were scarce as the business cases were withheld.

‘More intractable’

However, as big as the tech build appeared – and that work demonstrated “considerable sophistication” – the even more crucial work was “more intractable” and in fact beyond NEMA as things stood, the review last September said.

“The organisational foundations necessary for successful delivery remain underdeveloped,” it said.

“The contrast between technical readiness and institutional capacity presents the programme’s most significant strategic challenge.”

The long patchy history of disaster response had led to the 16 Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups nationwide sometimes doing their own thing and implementing “part solutions” that did not fit with others.

For instance, in 2011 when central Civil Defence introduced new disaster tech, it struggled to “convince the nationwide CDEM (Civil Defence Emergency Management) sector to fully uptake the tool”. By 2013 the groups were failing to turn up at meetings, official reports showed.

Fifteen years on, and “fundamental cultural transformation across the entire emergency management system” was essential, the September review said.

“The proposed shift from fragmented, agency-centric operational models toward integrated, sector-wide coordination represents not merely a technical upgrade but a comprehensive reimagining of institutional relationships and working practices that have evolved over decades.

“This cultural transformation challenge may prove more intractable than the technical implementation aspects.”

It warned Wellington not to lose support of the groups that had begun to buy in on the current overhaul.

“The phrase ‘don’t go dark on us and then expect us to reheat the meal’ resonated with the Review Team.”

Timeline

• 2004, 2017, 2020 – Inquiries into flood responses find big disaster system gaps. Various patchy tech systems are set up over the years.
• 2023 – Gabrielle and the North Island storms spark 26 separate inquiries.
• 2024 – NEMA develops a business case for implementing recommendations of those inquiries.
• 2025 – NEMA asks tech companies for advice, develops business cases – and a Gateway review delivers warnings.
• 2026 – The five-year Emergency Management Sector Operational Systems Programme official begins.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Media Outreach

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 April 2026 – Green SM Indonesia and Bank Central Asia (BCA) today announced the signing of a five-year investment loan agreement with a total value of IDR 600 billion, marking the formalization of a long-term financial partnership between the two parties.

The agreement marks the next phase of cooperation between Green SM Indonesia and BCA, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting sustainable, well-governed business development in Indonesia’s urban mobility sector.

The investment loan facility is intended to support Green SM Indonesia’s operational readiness and service continuity. The facility provides a stable financial structure to underpin the company’s disciplined growth approach and support consistent service delivery across its existing urban operations.

The signing builds on earlier cooperation between the two parties, which began with Green SM’s market launch in Jakarta in December 2024. Since then, BCA and Green SM Indonesia have collaborated on customer-focused programs and initiatives to improve service accessibility and raise awareness of environmentally responsible transportation solutions. The transition from cooperation activities to a formal financing arrangement reflects the maturation of this partnership and BCA’s support in Green SM Indonesia’s operational model and governance standards.

The cooperation also reflects BCA’s broader role in supporting business sectors that are adapting to evolving urban development needs, including shifts toward more efficient and forward-looking mobility solutions.

Representing BCA, Mr. Denny Haryanto, SVP Corporate Banking BCA said: “This agreement reflects our approach to supporting businesses with a long-term outlook. Sustainable transportation is increasingly important to Indonesia’s urban development. Through this cooperation, we support initiatives that align with long-term economic resilience and environmental responsibility.”

Mr. Deny Tjia, Managing Director of Green SM Indonesia, said the agreement reflects trust built through consistent cooperation and shared values. “The investment loan agreement reflects recognition of the disciplined operating model and long-term development orientation that Green SM Indonesia has pursued since its early stages. The facility further strengthens the company’s financial foundation, supporting stable and consistent service delivery across the cities where it operates.”

Since commencing operations, Green SM Indonesia has established a presence in several major urban centers, including Jakarta, Makassar, Bekasi, Surabaya, and Bali. These cities face increasingly complex urban mobility requirements alongside rising expectations for cleaner, more responsible transport solutions. In the Indonesian market, Green SM provides all-electric taxi services that support routine urban travel while reducing emissions and noise. The company’s operating approach emphasizes reliability, professional service standards, and scalability aligned with city-level transport planning.

Through this agreement, Green SM Indonesia and BCA reaffirm their shared view that the transition to sustainable urban mobility requires not only electric vehicle technology but also sound financial structures, responsible governance, and long-term commitment. The investment loan agreement is a practical step to support that transition in Indonesia’s evolving mobility landscape.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

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

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

Source: New Zealand Government

A member’s bill reforming alcohol laws comes into force at midnight tonight, providing much-needed regulatory relief and clarity for the hospitality sector just in time for the Easter long weekend, says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill, put forward by Hon. Kieran McAnulty, received Royal Assent today.

“As the Minister responsible for the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, I want to provide clear guidance to hospitality businesses about what this change means in practice,” says Mrs McKee.

The Ministry of Justice has published guidance on their website for the benefit of those involved in the alcohol regulatory system. 

“Thanks to this law, and a common-sense amendment from ACT MP Cameron Luxton, bars and pubs will no longer be forced to close at midnight tonight, or wait until 12.01am on Saturday morning to open.

“This is a practical fix that removes confusion and inconsistency between alcohol laws and shop trading restrictions.

“It also removes outdated requirements at restaurants and cafes for customers to order a ‘substantial meal’, and restrictions preventing alcohol from being served more than an hour before or after eating.

“Businesses that hold an on-licence can now operate under their normal licence conditions across Good Friday and Easter Sunday, as well as Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day.

“We are aware of some businesses that have been planning to open or host events this weekend, but have had concerns raised about whether doing so would be lawful, or whether they can even promote events that are conditional on the law being passed.

“This change makes it clear: those businesses can now proceed with confidence that they can operate under their normal licence conditions, without fear of falling foul of the law.

“Regulatory agencies are aware of the changes and will apply the new law from midnight tonight.

“Any business experiencing difficulties or being advised otherwise is encouraged to contact my office directly via my email N.McKee@ministers.govt.nz which will be monitored over the weekend.”

Mrs McKee says the change provides long-overdue certainty for the sector.

“This is huge for hospitality, especially after a rough few years, and something I’ve been keen to see fixed for some time.

“In practical terms, it means treating Kiwis like adults. These days are important to many New Zealanders, but people should be free to recognise them in their own way.

“No business will be forced to open, and no one will be required to drink. This is about restoring choice.”

ACT MP Cameron Luxton was responsible for the amendment ensuring bars and pubs can continue trading past midnight.

“I put forward this amendment after realising that the opening night of Christchurch’s new Te Kaha Stadium would have been cut short by outdated alcohol laws on Anzac weekend,” says Mr Luxton.

“This change will also benefit hospitality businesses on other restricted trading days, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday this weekend.

“Taxpayers and Christchurch ratepayers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this stadium, in part to drive economic activity and showcase the city.

“It would have made no sense to undermine that opportunity during the opening weekend, when 10 Super Rugby teams and tens of thousands of supporters will be in town, simply because the day after opening falls on Anzac Day.”

Mrs McKee says the change will also improve public safety.

“The last thing we want is large numbers of people being pushed out onto the streets all at once at midnight. That creates unnecessary risk, particularly with large crowds and international visitors who may not understand what’s going on.

“Allowing venues to operate under their normal trading hours means people can leave gradually and safely, rather than all at once.

“This is a good example of MPs across Parliament working together to fix what matters and solve practical problems for New Zealanders. I hope to see more of this.”

Notes to editors:

• The Ministry of Justice has published the attached fact sheet here: https://www.justice.govt.nz/about/news-and-media/news/changes-to-alcohol-sales-on-restricted-trading-days/
• As originally drafted, Kieran McAnulty’s member’s bill would allow businesses to sell alcohol under their normal licence conditions every day of the year – but only if their principal business is selling food (i.e. restaurants and cafes). Many bars and pubs don’t fit this requirement and therefore would be forced to remain closed under separate Shop Trading Hours Act restrictions relating to alcohol. Cameron Luxton’s amendment overrides the Shop Trading Hours Act restrictions in this narrow situation.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government’s mega-ministry is backing down from work from home policy a day before the matter was scheduled for court, the Public Service Association (PSA) says.

The union filed legal action last year after a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) policy restricting flexible work arrangements was introduced.

The flexible work policy was intended to align with the government’s directive to restrict flexible work arrangements for public service workers, including reducing days working from home.

The PSA claimed the rules ignored existing provisions under the collective agreement.

MBIE lodged a memorandum on Tuesday with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) which accepted the PSA’s position.

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimmons said an ERA hearing set down for Wednesday and Thursday had been abandoned.

“This is great news for workers who argued all along that MBIE had no right to restrict their right to flexible work arrangements under the collective agreement,” she said.

The ERA would issue a consent determination of a resolution the PSA sought, which accepted MBIE’s flexible work policy and procedures were inconsistent with the collective agreement, Fitzsimmons said.

“This is a victory for MBIE workers and shows the power of a union to challenge an employer who threatens worker rights. ACC backed down too last year when it too backed from limiting working from home in the face of the concerns of workers and the PSA,” she said.

“This capitulation is a damning indictment of MBIE which had enforced the policy with some staff since last year. MBIE denied it was in breach, delaying the hearing at the Authority on numerous occasions. It refused to withdraw the policy. It refused to engage constructively. It went through three rounds of failed mediation. And then, on the eve of the hearing, it folded. Workers deserve an apology.”

The PSA said it would raise personal grievances for any worker disadvantaged by the policy.

Fitzsimmons did not rule out further legal action against other MBIE guidelines that breached the collective agreement., including a revised version of its flexible working policy.

“This is just ridiculous. MBIE still fails to understand that the collective agreement enshrines the ‘flexible by default’ approach common across the public sector. ‘Flexible by default’ is an important right, it means employees have a right to flexible work arrangements which suit their individual circumstances unless there is a good business reason not to,” she said.

MBIE has been approached for comment.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation preventing future governments from concealing the extent of fiscal risks in government accounts passed through its final stages in Parliament today.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Public Finance Amendment Act requires economic and fiscal updates prepared by the Treasury to include a statement of specific fiscal risks. 

“When I became Finance Minister, I discovered several risks were not clear in those statements. An example was the time-limited funding for Pharmac medicines on which thousands of New Zealanders rely.

“While the Treasury has now categorised and described those fiscal risks – which includes identifying time-limited funding and capital cost escalations – this law change makes that categorisation a requirement.

“The Act also removes the need for Treasury to report on ‘wellbeing’.

“Building a strong economy and delivering better public services advances the country’s wellbeing. Therefore, the Treasury needs to focus on its core purpose – economic and fiscal advice – not hazy feel-good ideas that sound nice, but don’t deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders.”

The Act also brings the date for the delivery of the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) forward by five working days.

“The PREFU helps to ensure voters can make informed choices at the election. Bringing the date forward gives them more time to weigh up the choices available to them,” Nicola Willis says.

The PREFU forecasts the economic outlook for New Zealand, and the government’s fiscal outlook.

The Act will be in force by July 1 2026.

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has wrapped up negotiations as Vice Chair at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

“Disappointingly, proposals to reform the WTO and to extend the WTO-wide prohibition on the imposition of tariffs on digital trade flows could not be agreed in time,” Mr McClay says.

“However, all Members agreed the WTO needs to be modernised.

“An agreement on the final package is in reach and securing these decisions through further work in Geneva will now be the priority for New Zealand.”

Mr McClay also met with counterparts from 17 countries during the conference, including the United States, India, China, European Union, United Arab Emirates
and Saudi Arabia.

“While fuel supplies remain healthy for New Zealand, I took the opportunity to meet with Ministers from Singapore, and Korea, as well as Heads of Delegation from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, to discuss critical fuel supply chains,” Mr McClay says.

Progressing the implementation of a new Electronic Commerce Agreement, underpinning approximately US$159 billion in trade, was agreed to by 66 WTO Members – who between them account for 70 per cent of global trade.

“This significant outcome will provide more predictability to our small businesses and exporters including through a permanent ban on tariffs on digital trade flows between the parties,” Mr McClay says.

“New Zealand also continues to pursue progress on negotiations to limit fisheries and agricultural subsidies, which are a significant issue in reducing our exporters’ returns.”

Labour Party Trade and Export Growth spokesperson Damien O’Connor joined the New Zealand delegation.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions on public holidays has passed in its third and final reading at Parliament – and could be passed into law in time for this Easter weekend.

It is possible it may receive royal assent on Thursday, meaning some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.

The member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.

McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.

“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.

The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.

“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”

McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive royal assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.

“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the governor-general and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”

Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.

McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.

But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.

“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.

“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”

An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.

Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays.

The ACT MP was hopeful it would be in place in time for the Super Round at Christchurch’s new stadium, which will see 10 Super Rugby teams play over the weekend of 24 to 26 April.

Luxton said it would mean punters coming to enjoy the new stadium were not kicked out at midnight for Anzac Day.

“It’s a huge opening that Christchurch is going to be able to make a great deal out of.”

He said it would change the “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here” regime currently in place.

“Who knows what’s happening on the streets after that? This bill will enable licensed premises with safety procedures and alcohol policies in place to continue giving people the entertainment, the nightlife that they would like in a responsible and safe way.”

McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.

“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”

McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.

“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”

This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.

The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.

Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024. That bill would have repealed Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days altogether.

Luxton said McAnulty’s bill was “dealing with an element” of what his bill had set out to do.

Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.

Law a ‘fly in the ointment’

Mike Egan, president of the Restaurant Association and co-owner of restaurant Monsoon Poon, said the present law was a “relic from the 1800s” and a “fly in the ointment” for businesses like his.

“The rule is you’re meant to partake in a substantial meal in a pub over Easter on the Friday, and tourists are sort of like, ‘Oh, we’ve eaten, we just all come here for a nightcap,’ or, ‘We just want to have a snack, and you know, we’re wandering around town trying different restaurants and cafes’, and it’s like, ‘No, I’m really sorry, you need to have another meal…’

“People will order a whole meal and not even eat it because the law doesn’t say they actually have to eat it, they just have to have it sitting there in front of them. It’s just a little bit old-fashioned.”

He said the law change would not result in “all this debauchery on Good Friday”.

“[Customers] just want to have a beer in the afternoon after they’ve had a bike ride down the vineyards, you know? So it’s very sort of frustrating trying to police this legislation.”

He said staff would no longer have to act as police officers, checking how much food each customer had ordered if the bill was passed.

“It’ll just make it sort of easier and it’ll just flow like a regular weekend. It will boost business [and] take away a lot of confusion.”

Families struggling with alcohol harm would be worse off – public health adviser

Senior health promotion adviser at Alcohol HealthWatch, Sarah Sneyd, told Checkpoint, she understood people may see it as a small change but it was one that would ever so slightly make access to alcohol easier.

“We have some data from police and emergency departments that show there are fewer alcohol related assaults and ED presentations over the Easter break and that could very well be because it’s harder to access alcohol.”

Sneyd believed there would be real repercussions from changing the restrictions.

“I think it really speaks to a symptom of a deeper problem in our culture we can’t even go a couple of days without access to alcohol. Once again we make it easier to access alcohol on the couple of days where there are some restrictions around it.

“This is not what we hear communities want.”

Sneyd said New Zealand was “saturated” with alcohol and it was a problem with very few protections.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rural GPs are already facing challenges because of [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/591089/fuel-cost-jumps-40-in-a-week-who-s-feeling-it-most rising fuel prices and some are stocking up on extra medical supplies.

Ōpōtiki-based GP and clinical director of Pinnacle Midlands Health Network, Dr Jo Scott-Jones, has spoken to rural GPs about how fuel increases are affecting them.

He said doctors going out on prime calls – when GPs escort the ambulance service during emergency callouts – were already facing added costs.

“They’re already seeing the impact of the fuel prices on filling up the prime car, and they’re reflecting that there have been no increasing prime payments to help them with additional cost.

And Scott-Jones said GPs were preparing in other ways as well.

“People are looking ahead at potential stock issues and starting to order stock and medical supplies over and above what they would normally carry this time of year.

“They’re worried about suppliers and potentially cost of deliveries into the rural communities into the future as well.”

Scott-Jones said he knew of patients reluctant to drive to Waikato Hospital, and at his own practice more people were asking to speak to a doctor through their digital services.

He added that some practices were starting to ramp up their telehealth services, similar to what happened during the Covid pandemic, to minimise travel costs for patients.

“It would be great to see the hospital services thinking about this as well, for those patients who are coming in for a follow-up for outpatients as well.

“The Midlands region where I do most of my work, it can be several hours of driv[ing] to get to the hospital and then several hours to get back. Those additional costs are really significant.”

He supported the government’s $50 payment to help families with additional fuel costs.

However, he also wanted an urgent review of the current transport arrangements and support for patients who need to go into hospital.

“If we can help target really necessary medically important travel through a transport scheme, that would be really useful.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s 9am on a Thursday as the rain hammers rooftops and a strong wind shakes down leaves.

Inside, Tasha Langi is busily preparing an order and chatting away with an audience of 64 on her phone screen.

“Do you still work with BBM? We don’t work with them, but we always see them,” she answered a question from one viewer.

“Nice and easy this morning. My baby wanted me to just sit with him last night, so I had to start the bulk orders a little bit later than usual,” she said as she gave the viewers a glimpse into her life.

Tasha is among a growing group of Kiwis who are turning to TikTok livestreams to promote their businesses.

According to TikTok, two million people watch livestreams across Australia and New Zealand, but exactly how many Kiwis are broadcasting their lives live remains unclear.

Tasha and her husband, James run a protein dessert company, Fit Prepp, from Manurewa.

James said they were social media savvy, but livestreaming was a new territory.

“We’ve only done live streaming for two weeks now and we’re still learning, but we enjoy it. When you’re putting your face and who you are behind (the business) it builds another relationship. It builds something better.”

They started going live after customers suggested it, and it’s already paying off with new orders and memorable interactions.

Tasha said recently, a customer and her father visited them after watching their content.

“She came down with her dad and got our tubs and that was really nice. She said her and her dad had been watching us for months and months. He’s been cheering us on from afar. And then she sent me a heartfelt email because she just felt like we were a part of her family in the way we just brought her into our home and expressed our gratitude.”

Palmerston North-based artist Emilie Geant who livestreams her art making process has a theory why livestreaming is different from other social media promotions.

“The issue with social media is everyone is only showing the shiny part of being an artist. I like that on TikTok that’s a little bit less shiny. People are a bit more real and genuine. I think people need to understand that running an art business, it looks really cool, but it’s actually a lot of work, a lot of admin work.”

She said showing the “less shiny” part of her work broke down the barrier between an artist and the customer.

“It’s not just a painting, it’s a person behind the painting. (In my livestreams) I’m explaining why I’m doing what I’m doing, why I’m making the choice visually. So people get attached more emotionally and I had more followers thanks to the livestreams, and also more sales online.”

And livestreaming itself has become an important revenue stream for some creators.

Lower Hutt musician Charles Humphreys has been livestreaming since 2022, showcasing his work up to five times a week.

“It’s multi-level rewarding. I will get paid from the TikTok stream. I will get rewarded by people listening to my original music, which is out there. I will get rewarded by the fan base growing. I’m also making great connections with other artists around the world.”

While most days he has an audience in the hundreds, one Tuesday he hosted a crowd of 9000 for 12 minutes.

His livestreams are so popular that they attracted the attention of TikTok, who asked him to be the opening act for this year’s TikTok Live Fest in Las Vegas.

Humphreys said some times, he can make close to $10,000 a month, while he made very little on others.

But he prepares for each streaming session equally with a full suit, professional sound equipment, and a studio filled with neon lights.

“I’m not there playing a game. I’m absolutely there 100 percent to perform. One day you got an audience of 100 and you make $6000. And another day you might find that you’re talking to some place in the world where money’s not so good. But you still perform anyway because they deserve it as well.”

Livestreaming has helped him reach audiences from all over the world, all walks of life. “Some of them can’t go anywhere. Some of them just feel like, you know what, I’m never going to make it to a concert hall. I can’t afford $200 to go and see whoever the artist is, but I can afford to give a little bit of time on TikTok to Charles. And he makes me feel like there’s a little bit of hope in the world and there is a place where I can be happy and we can have a laugh.”

And if you are aching to showcase your talent, Humphreys has a piece of advice.

“So if you’re one of those people who feels like they’d like to share something about themselves, just do it. Forget the intimidation, forget the feeling of not being able to or not being capable. Just do it.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

Racing Minister, Winston Peters has welcomed the passing of legislation to end greyhound racing saying it is a decisive step reflecting the clear will of New Zealanders and delivers certainty for animal welfare, industry participants, and the public. 

“The Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment has passed its third and final reading with overwhelming cross-party support, (112 votes to 11)” says Mr Peters.

“This action wasn’t taken lightly, but independent reviews in 2013, 2017 and 2021 provided clear evidence of serious animal welfare concerns. 

“While improvements were made, those gains plateaued and injury/death rates remained unacceptably high to the point the sport had lost its social licence. Action had to be taken,” Mr Peters says.

This decision reflects a wider global shift away from greyhound racing, with sport now surviving in only a small number of countries. Since New Zealand announced its intention to end greyhound racing, further jurisdictions, including Scotland, Wales and Tasmania have signaled they will also end the sport.

Mr Peters said the end of racing is only one part of the Government’s responsibility, with equal focus being placed on ensuring a safe, orderly, and compassionate transition.

“The passing of this Bill enables the establishment of a transition agency to oversee the wind‑down of racing and the rehoming of dogs, and we are now moving into the formal setup phase.”

The transition agency will be headed by the current members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on greyhound racing, Heather Simpson (chairperson), Murray Johnson and Dr Lindsay Burton, with a fourth member to be appointed later. 

Key elements of the transition agency’s work include:

• Assistance for greyhound owners, to ensure dogs receive a high standard of care while awaiting rehoming, including housing, training and behavioural support for the dogs.
• Partnerships with existing rehoming agencies, with practical support in place to expand their rehoming capacity and the number of dogs adopted.
• Retraining and redeployment support for industry workers, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, to help affected workers move into new jobs.
• Mental health and wellbeing support services for people whose daily lives have been closely tied to greyhound racing.

Mr Peters rejected claims that those affected by the closure will be left without support, saying “There has been a great deal of misinformation suggesting that people and dogs are being abandoned. That is simply wrong. 

“This Bill underpins a structured transition, with funding, agencies, and support mechanisms in place. We are not walking away from our responsibilities; we are meeting them head on.”

The ban on greyhound racing will take effect from 1 August 2026, allowing time for a responsible and carefully managed transition. 

“This is a good day for greyhounds,” says Mr Peters. 

“It’s a rare moment when Parliament speaks with such a strong majority, principled voice. Those moments matter, and this is one of them.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

An armed man sent a manifesto to schools, the police and the government promising to “kill everyone” and become the country’s “most deadly mass shooter”, police allege.

The man – who has never had a firearms licence – is accused of possessing a pump action shotgun with more than 350 shotgun cartridges, “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” and Nazi literature, it can now be revealed.

The 20-year-old faces an array of charges including two representative charges of threatening to kill, three charges of threatening to destroy property and four representative charges of unlawful possession of firearm/explosive.

He had also been charged with three representative charges of possessing an objectionable publication – including the Christchurch terrorist’s manifesto and video – and two charges of failing to carry out obligations to computer search.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The man, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has name suppression, is set to go on trial in July. RNZ has been granted access to a court document that details the police allegations against him.

The document accused him of sending a manifesto to various addresses at 1.40am on 12 March last year.

The recipients included Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and Parliament.

Police said the email was titled “This is my manifesto” and stated that another person was the author. It made several claims, including that the author had been “subject to constant bullying and harassment”.

“I have finished making weapons, body armour and suicide vest that will be needed for what I will do to get revenge on bullies.”

The author said they had finished 3D printing and assembling a Rogue 9 submachine gun and had about 200-300 armour piercing bullets, some 3D printed Glock magazines, a pistol and about 100 bullets.

Police alleged the email said the submachine gun and pistol had been tested and the author knew “they will work for ‘what I am going to do tomorrow morning’”.

“I have body armour so that I will not die in a shootout with police,” the manifesto was alleged to say.

According to the police the email author claimed to also be in possession of Molotov cocktails and ingredients for explosives. The manifesto also said explosives had been sent in various packages to Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and the Beehive.

“The rest of the … explosive was in the suicide vest that I will detonate even if defeated in a gun fight and kill everyone around me.

“I will go to Rutherford College or Waiuku College early and … become New Zealand’s most deadly mass shooter.”

It also promised “a big tragedy” if there were not enough police at the school, and threatened to set schools on fire and take hostages.

“The only way out of this is for a plane to be provided to me and safe passage out of New Zealand.”

Later that morning, police said they received an online form submission to a Police Service Improvement webform link, detailing the manifesto that had been sent.

When the schools became aware of the threat students and staff had already started to arrive for school.

As a result, Waiuku College put the school into lockdown for several hours, before staff and students were sent home.

Rutherford College restricted access to the property and had armed police posted at the school for the duration of the day.

Police said they spoke with a person who had been named as the author of the manifesto. They denied being the author and instead identified the defendant as a possible suspect.

On 13 March, police raided two properties associated with the defendant.

At one of the properties, police said they found a 12-gauge pump action shotgun under his bed, as well as 359 shotgun cartridges.

They said they also found a 3D printer, a machete in sheath, blueprints showing the assembly components of an AR15 rifle and Nazi literature.

The court document said “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” were also seized from the property. This included electrical chipboards, timers and household chemicals.

While searching the other property, police said they seized a phone, an iPad, two laptops, a USB drive, a desktop computer, 134 spent shotgun shells and a large knife.

When asked for the passcodes for the iPad and one of the phones, the defendant allegedly provided incorrect passcodes.

“When suggested that he was providing the wrong passcodes, the defendant claimed not to remember the passcodes,” the court document said.

Police analysed the defendant’s devices and said they found several objectionable materials, including a copy of Brenton Tarrant’s manifesto, a video of the Christchurch mosque attacks and a copy of a manifesto written by Ryan Palmeter, who killed three people in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2023.

There were also two copies of “an instructional book on how to make explosives, weapons, drugs and other dangerous or illegal activity” and videos of the Russian Moscow ISIS concert hall terror attack and the Buffalo, New York, mass shooting.

When spoken to by police, the defendant denied being involved in any of the alleged offending.

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Source: New Zealand Government

The Government will today introduce legislation to amend the Resource Management Act and reduce the minimum housing capacity required for Auckland Council’s Plan Change 120, Housing and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.

“Housing growth in Auckland is critical to fixing our housing crisis, driving growth and raising living standards for New Zealanders,” Mr Bishop says.

“Aucklanders have been clear that they want housing growth, so long as it happens in the right places and where infrastructure can support it.

“Cabinet has agreed to revise the minimum housing capacity required by Plan Change 120 down from 2 million to 1.4 million homes.

“Our expectation is that this revised capacity number finally brings consensus on this important issue. Aucklanders deserve certainty on this city-shaping plan change.

“Advice from officials estimates that capacity enabled by PC120 is still likely to be around 1.6 million homes once mandatory requirements under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and upzoning around the City Rail Link are taken into account.

“This means Auckland Council will still need to provide for significant housing growth, including upzoning around key transit corridors and town centres.

“The legislation also addresses a transitional issue affecting approximately 400 developers and property owners following the withdrawal of an earlier plan change in 2025.

“Some people had already started projects under the Medium Density Residential Standards and were left in limbo when those rules were withdrawn.

“This legislation provides certainty. Where approvals were already in place or projects were partway through the building consent process, those projects can continue.

“Alongside PC120, I intend to investigate planning provisions that may be holding back Auckland’s city centre, with a view to making regulations under the RMA if the statutory criteria are met. If further opportunities for housing development are enabled through this work, they will count toward PC120’s revised capacity requirement.”

Auckland Council’s Guiding Principles

“Auckland Council has set guiding principles for how it will change the plan in response the new minimum housing capacity,” Mr Bishop says. 

“The guiding principles include: downzoning in areas where homes are more susceptible to natural hazards such as flooding; enabling intensification in mandatory areas including around stations benefiting from investment in the City Rail Link; reducing housing capacity in areas more than ten kilometres from the city centre as a starting point; and reassessing requirements in places that are less well-served by public transport.”

Next steps 

The legislation will be progressed quickly to minimise disruption to the existing Plan Change 120 process.

“Plan Change 120 has already received more than 10,000 submissions. Those submissions remain valid,” Mr Bishop says.

“Once the new capacity requirement is in place, Auckland Council will decide which parts of the plan change to withdraw or amend.

“If parts are withdrawn, the existing Auckland Unitary Plan zoning will remain in place.

“For parts that continue, updated provisions and maps will be made publicly available, and Aucklanders will have further opportunities to provide feedback.”

“This process will be transparent, and Aucklanders will be able to have their say.

The independent hearings panel will then consider submissions and make recommendations before Auckland Council makes final decisions on Plan Change 120.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour’s Chris Hipkins has thrown his support behind the government’s moves to explore ‘tickets’ and temporary offshore fuel storage as the Iran conflict deepens.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones and Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Monday said there had been an “unsolicited proposal” from a commercial operator to “do a swap” which would give New Zealand access to more refined fuel.

But there was concern that fuel – though voluminous – would not be suitable for New Zealand’s needs, and could take a long time to get here, possibly 45 days.

“We consume 24 million litres a day – about 50 percent is diesel, about 30 percent is petrol, and the remainder is aviation fuel,” Jones told Morning Report on Tuesday.

“And we believe – subject to the right deal – the tickets, as you put it, the virtual fuel, the put options we have, would equate to about 960 million litres of fuel. So if you do the mathematics, it’s quite a long period of time.”

Jones would not name the operator that made the suggestion.

“The challenge is we hold the options in America, Japan, and I think the UK, and that feedstock has to be compatible with how the refineries in Southeast Asia work because that’s the closest site in terms of bringing fuel here.

“So it would be a transfer, it would be a trade, it would be refined, and obviously the successful party or perhaps one of the existing fuel companies would continue to bring the fuel into New Zealand.”

Jones said the government had also received an unsolicited proposal to set up a “floating terminal off Marsden Point”.

“A large vessel, we’re told, is capable of 120 million litres, and then they call the other vessels slightly smaller milk-run vessels, and they’re up for 40, 50, 60 million, and those vessels are capable of going into some of our smaller ports, and they could pull up there as well.”

The Labour leader said prioritising supply over demand was the right thing to do “at the moment”.

“Doing everything that they can to avoid there being a supply shock is the right focus for them. So that should include looking at tickets and whether we should be exchanging tickets that we currently hold for crude oil, for refined oil, for example – that’s the right thing for them to focus on.”

That included a potential temporary storage facility.

“Anything they can do to smooth supply – that includes storing more fuel here. It means securing more fuel from further afield. Bearing in mind that cashing in those tickets will often involve buying fuel that comes from further afield than we normally buy our fuel from, so it’ll take longer to get to New Zealand.

“So those are all difficult balances for the government to make in terms of when the right time is to pull those particular levers. But they’ll have much better information than we publicly can see. And so, you know, we have to, I guess, place our trust in them to make the right calls.”

But they should also be planning “for the worst” too, Hipkins added.

“Aim for the best and certainly do everything we can to achieve the best outcome, which is not having a supply shock, but plan for the worst in the event that it happens anyway.”

Rationing difficulties

Hipkins questioned how easily a rationing regime could be put in place, as the higher levels of the government’s national fuel plan prescribe.

“If we get to a point where we are having to actively ration the fuel that we have available, we need to know now what that’s going to look like. So who’s going to have access? Who’s not going to have access? And the sooner people know that, the sooner they can make their own contingency plans.”

He said the Covid-19 experience showed the importance of detail when it came to defining who was in what group, for example essential workers.

“This is a different scenario, very different to Covid, but how will people access the fuel? So do they just show up to any petrol station? Is it the forecourt attendant who’s going to determine whether they’re eligible or not? How is that actually going to work in practice?”

Aside from supply, Hipkins said both the government and private sector could reduce demand by encouraging working from home where possible.

“I acknowledge there’s a downside to that, particularly for hospitality businesses and the CBDs, some upside for hospitality businesses out in the suburbs. But there will be an impact on that. But being flexible now and allowing people to make pragmatic choices now will make a difference.”

He accused the government of raising public transport prices. A subsidy allowing half-price public transport subsidy was put in place by Labour in response to price spikes following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and falling use following Covid-19, to expire.

The subsidy for people 25 and over was allowed to expire in 2023, while Labour was still in power, and for everyone else in 2024, following the coalition taking over.

“Anything we can do to encourage people onto public transport is welcome,” Hipkins said.

“The government cut the reductions in public transport that we had put in place. So we made it much cheaper to use public transport and they increased the fares again.

“I’d like to see a focus on making public transport more widely available and cheaper for people, because, regardless of just this crisis, generally speaking, public transport is a good cost of living option.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

It’s a pleasure to be here at the Sprout Summit, surrounded by people who are quite literally designing the future of agrifood, ag‑tech and deep‑tech innovation in New Zealand.

The theme of this year’s summit “The Catalyst: Connecting Industry, Innovation, and Investment”, is timely. 

It speaks to the kind of system New Zealand needs to build: one where science, ideas, and capital connect seamlessly, and where innovation can move quickly from concept to commercial reality.

New Zealand is at an important economic turning point.

After several difficult years, marked by high inflation, weak productivity and declining business confidence, the economy is slowly turning a corner, notwithstanding external shocks.

Strengthening that recovery, and our ability to rebound after shocks, and lifting New Zealand’s long-term economic performance is a priority for the Government. 

That is why two of this Government’s major agendas – Going for Growth and the Science, Innovation and Technology System Reforms – are deeply intertwined; the latter being one of the five key mechanisms in the Going for Growth agenda.

Nowhere is that more obvious than in the sectors represented here today: agritech, agrifoodtech, deep tech, and biotechnology, sectors where New Zealand has natural advantages, deep expertise and global potential. 

We need smarter, more resilient technologies in energy, transport, and food production. Agritech and agrifood innovation are important components to resilience.

Opportunities in advanced technologies 

Advanced technologies are already reshaping the agrifood economy — from AI enabled automation, to climate resilient crop systems and precision fermentation.

We also see it through companies like Halter, which is demonstrating how locally developed technology can scale globally while delivering tangible productivity gains on farm. 

As you know, Halter has pioneered virtual fencing and precision livestock management through its solar-powered smart collars and software platform, enabling farmers to herd, monitor and manage cattle remotely without physical fences. 

Adoption across New Zealand’s dairy and beef sectors has been rapid, driven by clear benefits including reduced labour pressure, improved animal welfare, better pasture utilisation and increased farm system flexibility. 

Backed by significant venture capital – just last week the business attracted funding valuing it at more than $2 billion – and led by a strong, farmer-focused product vision, it has become a flagship example of agritech commercialisation. It shows how advanced technology, when deeply grounded in real farm needs, can achieve strong market traction and global growth potential.

I am pleased to have Halter founder and chief executive Craig Piggott on the PIMSITAC board, which I will speak more of shortly. 

A further example of agritech success is last year’s Prime Minister’s Science Prize awards that went to AgResearch for developing an endophyte microorganism which enhances the health and productivity of the ryegrass common on New Zealand farms.

We need more of these stories across the economy. 

Innovation is critical to resilience

Our ability to turn research into innovation, and innovation into growth is going to be critical to economic resilience and building our future success.

In Denmark – a country like New Zealand of around five million people – recent pharmaceutical breakthroughs have delivered a modern economic miracle – creating a tidal wave of growth, employment, and opportunity.

When I came into this role, one thing was immediately clear: New Zealand produces excellent science, but our system does not consistently turn those ideas into commercial success.

The Science Advisory Group report identified this as one of many problems to fix, including too much competition, too little competition, underutilisation, poor collaboration, poor connection with industry, poor alignment with government priorities, complex disconnected funding panels, and poor commercialisation. Apart from that, everything was fine! 

Too many promising ventures stall at the research and proof of concept stages and cannot develop to a stage in which they can access venture capital. 

They can also lack the capability support and capital they need to scale.

Too much intellectual property is left on the shelf, including IP disclosures that become effectively dormant.

Comparing public science funding with Australia suggests we do well at the discovery phase but do not push on into spinouts and start-ups, as well as they do. 

Changes to science system

Part of this is in our hands, where capital flows in our economy have been misaligned for years. Not enough investment has been targeted at the creation of new technologies, new products, and new companies.

That is why the Government is undertaking the most significant modernisation of the science, innovation and technology system in more than three decades.

Our goal is simple: A science system that produces world‑class research and turns it into world‑class companies.

Key reforms in the past year alone show the huge amount of work that’s been done in just one year holding the portfolio, including:

• A shift to a strategy‑driven funding system that aligns public investment with national research priorities
• A new national intellectual property framework to strengthen incentives and pathways for researchers to commercialise breakthrough ideas.
• Consolidation of the seven CRIs into three Public Research Organisations, including the Bioeconomy PRO, which will be pivotal for agrifood and agritech innovation.
• Creation of PMSITAC as the national strategic science council.
• Creation of Research Funding New Zealand, aligning investment with national priorities and economic opportunity.
• Establishment of the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology, backed by $231 million, with a statutory mandate to commercialise frontier technologies such as quantum, AI and synthetic biology.

Our science reforms must be matched with strong support for businesses at every stage of the commercialisation pipeline.

At the early stage, our revamped science system will ensure public R&D investment is maximised.

At the scaling stage, tools like Elevate, the R&D Tax Incentive, InvestNZ and NZTE are helping firms grow globally.

In the middle, the critical point between proof of concept and investability, we see great opportunity for improvement.

This is where capability support such as incubators, accelerators, commercialisation coaches; and early capital such as PreSeed‑ Accelerator Fund, Technology Incubators, Aspire; must be aligned. 

We are now working to ensure a joined‑up, coherent pathway so founders can get the right support at the right time.

Role of PMSITAC 

Last year in his state of the nation speech, the Prime Minister also announced the establishment of the Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council (PMSITAC) to set research priorities and ensure funding is targeted for maximum impact. I chair that council and acknowledge deputy chair and chief science advisor John Roche from MPI who is also in the room.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister asked the Council to be bold; to tell the Government how to build a system that is focused, effective and equipped for the future. 

He said that the prize – if we can get it right – could be game-changing for New Zealand.

The council’s role was not simply to diagnose long-standing issues, but to chart a path forward. 

The Council has done just that and delivered recommendations which the Government is backing.

Today, I am pleased to announce the release of the Prime Minister’s Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council (PMSITAC) Report on Prioritisation in New Zealand’s Science, Innovation and Technology System.

It sets out how we will refocus science investment into areas that will make the biggest difference for New Zealand. 

This report focuses on science funding in the portfolio and not the almost equal amount of science funding in other portfolios including MPI, DoC, TEC, Centres of Research Excellence, and TREF – previously PBRF. Those funds are outside this report.

This report focuses on science funding in the SIT portfolio, and not the almost equal amount of science funding elsewhere, including MPI, DoC, Callaghan, TEC and MoE funded centres of research excellence, and TREF previously known as PBRF, the $315 million a year which funds university research. Those funds are outside this report. 

The key elements of the report are:

1. Four priority pillars
2. Investigator-mission led reweighting
3. Rebalancing agriculture and environmental investment with advanced technology
4. A simplified strategic and funding pathway with reduced bureaucracy.

1 – Priority pillars 

The Council’s report signals four areas, or pillars, where Government’s science investment can make the biggest difference for New Zealand. 

These are:

• Primary Industries and Bioeconomy
• Technology for Prosperity
• Environmental Sustainability and Resilience
• Healthy People and a Thriving Society

These four pillars reflect where New Zealand has existing strengths and capability, but also where there is opportunity for us to do more. The SAG report consistently focused on science prioritisation that we are or should be good at.

For investors, the PMSITAC report is a strong signal of long-term‑ policy alignment.

The Council’s advice is clear:

New Zealand under invests in advanced technology research, and is overweighted in agricultural and environmental research, compared to similar economies, including taking into account the primacy of our agricultural sector.

Some of this reflects how our system and economy has evolved. 

However, if we want science and innovation to more strongly drive economic performance, wellbeing and national resilience, we need a different balance of investment.

At the heart of the report is a new Technology for Prosperity pillar, which will crosscut across all science endeavours.

It is not designed to grow a single sector, but to build national capability. 

Investments in areas such as quantum technologies, AI modelling, next generation sensing and engineered biological systems, will enable innovation across all four pillars, including agrifood and agritech.

2 – Investigator/mission-led reweighting 

The Council recommends adjusting the funding balance within these pillars to be 60 per cent mission-led (aligned to national priorities and outcomes) and 40 per cent investigator-led (competitively funded, curiosity-driven research).

This replaces the current approximate 45 per cent mission-led and 55 per cent investigator-led balance, and positions New Zealand alongside other leading small, advanced economies who are similarly positioning towards more mission-led science.

3 – Rebalancing agriculture and environmental investment with advanced technology

The Council recommends that we increase investment in advanced technology through a gradual reallocation of some of the agriculture and environmental research funding. 

Cross cutting will clearly position some of this funding back into those areas, just from a different pillar and with an emerging technology lens. For example, through something like AI-driven robotic harvesting technology. 

This does not mean starting again or discarding what we do well.  Rather, it is to build on our existing strengths and direct more investment toward areas where New Zealand has a genuine comparative advantage, where we need research that addresses the unique needs and challenges of New Zealanders, and where emerging technologies are shaping future opportunities.

In short, redirect resources for an outsized impact.

Will humanities and social sciences still be supported? 

Yes. It is a whole pillar in itself; one of the four.

Is matauranga still supported?

Yes. The $42 million biodiversity platform is evidence of that. 

Will investigator-led, foundational research still be supported?

Yes. Up to 40 per cent of research funding would still fit into this category. 

4 – Simplified science funding with less bureaucracy

The fourth key to the report is simplified science funding with less bureaucracy. The PMSITAC Priorities Report provides a clear path forward. It will inform the development of the Science Investment Plan or SIP, which will set New Zealand’s long‑term research priorities and align public investment with national missions. This plan will be released later this year.

The upcoming Science Investment Plan is the response to this report and will direct Research Funding New Zealand – RFNZ – as the one-stop-shop that operationalises the the PMSATIC strategy. This will be done through Pillar Investment Plans – PIPS.

The simplified system then has:

• PMSITAC, sets out national priorities
• SIP, to detail the strategy
• RFNZ, to operationalise the national strategy
• PIP, to operationalise pillar strategies.

I know that is a few new acronyms, but this aligns with simplified science funding structures in other small, advanced economies. That is less bureaucracy and more funding for researchers. 

This more aligned approach will help ensure New Zealand’s deep‑tech, agrifood and advanced‑technology sectors are positioned to take full advantage of future opportunities, here and globally.

Shifting investment priorities

This transition must be supported by the foundations of the system — our workforce, our research infrastructure, our commercialisation pathways, and our global partnerships.

It strengthens the fundamentals of New Zealand’s agrifoodtech opportunity by shifting investment toward the data, biology, engineering and automation layers that form the foundation of globally scalable agritech companies.

This moves public investment toward platform technologies, for example AI, genomics, sensors, synthetic biology and digital twins, that can generate intellectual property and global revenue. 

For the investment community, this alignment reduces policy risk and increases confidence that New Zealand will continue to produce agri-tech companies at scale capable of competing in large international markets.

The changes also aim to improve the efficiency of the innovation-to-commercialisation pipeline. A more mission-led system, clearer national priorities and simplified funding architecture mean fewer fragmented projects and more concentrated effort behind technologies with real market pull. 

These proposals improve the risk–return profile of agri-tech investment. Stronger upstream public investment lowers technical and regulatory risk, clearer priorities support better capital allocation, and a growing advanced-technology talent base strengthens the founder pipeline. 

This aims to translate into higher-quality deal flow, faster time to scale, and increased potential for international partnerships, follow-on capital and exits. 

Shifting our funding in this way will mean we see more of the benefits that investments in advanced technology is already delivering – boosting farm productivity, reducing environmental impacts, and enabling smarter, data-driven decisions that improve health, resilience and sustainability across New Zealand.

In a tight fiscal environment, public investment must be targeted, efficient and evidence-based‑. Every dollar must do real work.

Funding needs confidence

This report describes reprioritisation and not a reduction in science funding. 

We all agree that more funding is important if we are to retain research capability and deliver on the potential New Zealand has. That funding needs to come from both private and public sources.

As you all know, funding for any venture requires a business case. 

In a sense, the science and research reforms we are undertaking is part of a developing “business case” that the Government needs, to give it the confidence to consider putting more funding into the sector. 

It’s a highly competitive process getting the attention and time of politicians that is needed for consideration of any new money. The case has to be strong.

We all need to prove that we are fixing the basics – by establishing these new entities, having them running smoothly, making sensible and informed decisions that support the national interest and the priorities laid out. 

The Government is committed to building a prosperous future.

We can make policy and create interventions, but it will also require evidence, to build confidence that the sector is contributing and worth investing more in.

Evidence that is easy to digest, links to national benefit and demonstrates that it is delivering real results and returns.

Close 

In closing, I want to thank the Council for their expertise and contribution. Their advice is helping ensure New Zealand’s science and innovation investments deliver enduring value for the country.

To everyone here today, founders, CEOs, researchers, farmers, investors — thank you for the ambition, creativity and drive you bring to this sector. You are building the future of New Zealand’s bioeconomy and delivering solutions the world needs.

Alongside you, I have built the second largest biotechnology Institute in the world and a focused, simplified funding mechanism to advance those goals. 

With a modernised, prioritised science and innovation system, aligned investment signals, and a growing advanced technology capability base, I am confident that New Zealand can remain a global leader in agrifood and agritech-‑innovation.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The housing minister says nothing has fundamentally changed as the government scales back Auckland’s minimum housing target even further.

Auckland Council had been progressing a plan to accommodate up to 2 million homes in the next 30 years. But in February that was reduced to 1.6 million, and on Tuesday that dropped again to 1.4 million homes.

The council opted out of medium-density rules that apply to most major cities on the proviso it set up zoning for 30 years of growth, instead adopting its own process called Plan Change 120. RNZ previously reported this approach was made under pressure from proponents of heritage homes, who raised concerns about further intensification in character areas that were already seeing major development.

Chris Bishop told Morning Report on Wednesday 1.4m was the new legal minimum, but with upzoning around the City Rail Link (CRL) stations and other areas, officials were expecting to settle closer to 1.6m.

“We’re just making sure we can get some certainty into the Parliament and into the community. And I think hopefully – he says, crossing his fingers behind his back – that this will settle the issue once and for all… Nothing’s actually fundamentally changed. It’s still the same process. And actually, what Auckland Council’s doing right now, they can just charge on with because there’s no actual change to any of that.”

In response to a suggestion it was a “bit confusing”, Bishop responded: “Yeah, well, tell me about it.”

“On the margins, the 1.4m will allow the council a bit more flexibility, but I’m told that with all of the legal requirements around the national policy statement, urban development, rapid transit stations, for example, and the CRL, that the practical effect will be the council ends up at about 1.6m, which is a big improvement on the status quo and will make a significant difference to housing and development opportunities in Auckland, which is ultimately what I’m trying to achieve here.”

He said much of the debate around PC120 last year was “not exactly that helpful”, and the original target of 2m homes “became a bit of a lightning rod”.

“Everyone wants Auckland to grow, but we want to make sure it grows in the right places. We want to make sure that there’s a social license and community consensus around density. There’s no point having endless debates without making a lot of progress. And so that’s what I’ve been focused on, actually making progress.”

As for which suburbs might see less or more development under the latest plan, Bishop said that was up to Auckland Council.

“Having made this decision, we are now kicking the issue into Auckland Council’s hands and saying, ‘It’s now over to you. You wanted more flexibility over the medium density standards, we’ve given you that. You wanted to take the number down, we’ve given you that. It is now over to you and Auckland communities and constituents and councillors to work out exactly where density in Auckland happens.’ So it’s now over to the council…

“And 1.6m is a big advance on the current Auckland plan, the Auckland Unitary Plan, which is about 1.2m. So we are making progress in Auckland.”

Mayor Wayne Brown said in a statement on Tuesday the change would give Auckland more flexibility to grow into the city it wants to be, “a global city, not embarrassingly the world’s biggest suburb”.

“This has been going on for years, over successive governments. If we waited for everyone to agree, we’d never get anywhere. It’s time to stop the talk, for Wellington to get out of the way, and let Auckland get on with building Auckland.”

He also noted it would give greater ability to downzone for natural hazards and retain intensification where it makes the most sense, such as along major transport routes and the CRL.

National’s coalition partner ACT wanted fewer homes built if they were not going to be greenfields developments.

“The council has said they don’t want to do that. I think that’s really disappointing. They’ve said that they want most development to be within 10km of Queen Street,” leader David Seymour said.

“That’s their right and their choice as a council, but it’s also caused a change in the target number that the government has set.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Green Party

The Green Party has released data showing 9000 students across more than 70 schools and pre-schools faced unsafe drinking water in 2025, with water breaching safe Drinking Water Standards at some point during the year. 

“No child should face a health risk from the water coming out of a drinking fountain at their school. The data paints a troubling picture of the state of drinking water in Aotearoa,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson. 

“While many of these schools had treatment systems in place, for whatever reason the treatment has failed.” 

“Drinking water standards set safe limits for things like bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants in drinking water, which must be met at all points in a water system after treatment.” 

“When a school’s water is found to be unsafe, drinking fountains are shut down, children are told to bring water bottles from home, and in serious cases schools may have to close. Children should be focused on learning not worrying about whether their water is safe.” 

According to the Minister of Education, no additional treatment barriers were installed at any of the schools in 2025 and there is no estimate of the cost to bring drinking water treatment facilities at those schools where ‘do not drink’ notices were issued in 2025 up to a standard where water is safe and reliable. 

“Schools should have all the resources they need to provide safe drinking water. Instead, the Government installed no new treatment systems at any of these schools in 2025 and cannot even tell us what it would cost to fix the problem.” 

The data follows an earlier 2024 report by Taumata Arowai which found a “stubbornly high” 71 schools reported at least one incidence of E. coli in their drinking water that year, meaning faecal contamination was present. 

“The data reinforces why the protection of drinking water at its source, in rivers, lakes, and groundwater, must be a priority.” 

“Almost all New Zealanders get their drinking water from a river, lake, or underground aquifer. If we protect those sources from pollution, we can be far more confident that what comes out of the tap is safe, even when something goes wrong at a treatment plant.” 

“Keeping source water clean also avoids the enormous cost of removing contaminants like nitrate and sediment, which are extremely difficult and expensive to treat, particularly for smaller towns and communities.” 

Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham has called for the Government to learn the lessons of the Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry. 

“The Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry was clear that source protection should be treated as a matter of national importance in resource management law,” said Pham. 

“The Inquiry found that protecting the source of drinking water provides the first and most significant barrier against contamination and illness.” 

“Despite those recommendations, the Government’s resource management overhaul only requires decision-makers to ‘have regard to’ effects on drinking water quality. That falls well short of what the Inquiry called for.” 

“If this Government were serious about keeping our water safe, they would be enshrining source protection in law.” 

In answers to written questions, the Minister of Education confirmed she was not aware of ‘Do Not Drink’ notices that had been issued at schools in 2025, had received no advice on water quality at the affected schools, had no estimate of the cost to fix the issue, and had not corresponded with the Ministers for Local Government or Health about the matter. 

“The Minister is treating this as someone else’s problem. Parents sending their kids to school have a right to expect that the water is safe. They deserve a Government that takes that seriously,” says Davidson.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Tourism and Hospitality Minister intends to have “a chat” with ACT’s tourism spokesperson after he criticised the government’s funding of a football game between two “billionaire-owned” clubs.

English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur is set to play Auckland FC in a friendly at Eden Park in July.

The match, part of the International Football Festival, will be supported through the government’s $70 million major events and tourism package, although the government will not disclose the specific funding amount for the event for commercial reasons.

ACT’s tourism spokesperson Todd Stephenson took to social media to criticise the funding.

“Why are taxpayers subsidising an event featuring billionaire owned football clubs?” he posted.

“Tottenham and Auckland FC aren’t charities. They’re backed by owners worth billions. Good luck to them, but they don’t need help from Kiwi taxpayers.”

Why are taxpayers subsidising an event featuring billionaire owned football clubs?

Tottenham and Auckland FC aren’t charities. They’re backed by owners worth billions. Good luck to them, but they don’t need help from Kiwi taxpayers.

This funding is coming from the Government’s… pic.twitter.com/GDbpwuRS4D

— Todd Stephenson MP (@toddmstephenson) March 30, 2026

Stephenson said the package was “just a slush fund”, accusing politicians of “picking winners and spraying public money around in the hope of a headline”.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said New Zealanders were “wildly excited” about Tottenham coming to New Zealand, and she would speak to Stephenson.

“People are entitled to their views. Normally, I would have thought in coalitions that we talk to each other about it, so I’ll be making sure I have a chat to that MP,” she said.

“I’m the sort of person who has conversations to someone’s face. If you’ve got something to say, bring it on.”

The match would be the first time a top-flight English club has played in New Zealand since 2014, when Newcastle United and West Ham United both toured.

Upston was not concerned that the marketing of Spurs as “Premier League icons” was in jeopardy if the club was relegated to the Championship, English football’s second tier.

Tottenham currently sits in 17th place on the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone with seven games still to go.

“Oh look, I think AFC, for them to be playing a team of that calibre will be exciting, will be great for the fans,” Upston said.

“And I think playing it on a Sunday afternoon is a really good move, because we know that football is a really big family sport. So I think it’ll be really positive.”

Stephenson’s post also said that previous visits from the likes of West Ham, Wrexham, Boca Juniors, and LA Galaxy did not need a “government hand out.”

But Upston said the point of the fund, which was also being used to support Robbie Williams’ upcoming tour and State of Origin, was to help New Zealand compete harder to attract big events.

Asked why the government could fund $70m for major events, but only $15m for food banks in the last Budget, Upston said the package was about increasing economic activity and economic growth, which would boost incomes.

“When you provide more customers, and support business activity and economic activity, then actually you further down the track stop having to fund things like food banks.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government will enter into an agreement to support an additional 90 million litres of storage for diesel at Marsden Point in Northland to boost New Zealand’s fuel resilience as the Middle East conflict continues to impact global fuel supplies, Regional Development and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.

Senior Ministers yesterday signed off on up to $21.6 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to Channel Infrastructure NZ Ltd.

“This financial arrangement will allow Channel Infrastructure, which owns and operates the former refinery site at Marsden Point, to increase its diesel storage by recommissioning storage tanks with a combined 90 million-litre capacity,” Mr Jones says.

“Channel Infrastructure has assured the Government it can do this within two months. This is an ambitious but do-able project which will help ensure New Zealand is well-placed to weather the fuel supply issues New Zealand faces.

“While we are acutely aware of the importance of petrol and jet fuel, it is diesel that is the lifeblood of our economy. We know we have a secure supply until the end of May. If the opportunities arise for New Zealand to secure diesel supplies over and above what we are expecting, we need to be able to store it.

“Storage of fuel supplies on a large scale is an issue, given much of what we had has been sitting idle at Marsden Point for a number of years,” Mr Jones says.

Work is expected to begin on the refurbishment of the tanks, which can hold about eight days’ supply, within days. The Government will be keeping a very close eye on progress to ensure it is ready to take diesel as quickly as possible.

The RIF financial support has been secured through funds tagged for projects that have been approved in principle but not likely to go ahead.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Health New Zealand (HNZ) is struggling to build new hospital projects, partly because staffing cuts have slowed down procurement activities, according to a newly-released report.

HNZ is headed into another Budget with long-standing infrastructure delivery challenges caused partly by job cuts, according to the Treasury report released under the Official Information Act.

The report showed that when the finance and infrastructure ministers met Health Minister Simeon Brown in December for a “please explain” meeting, “health capital underspends” were a focus.

“Health NZ is significantly underspending its capital expenditure compared to forecasted intentions,” was a key message.

A second was that “individual projects are also frequently running over time and over budget”.

The Infrastructure and Investment Ministers Group has been pushing chief executives and ministers of capital-intensive agencies with “the highest levels of Crown capital underspend” like HNZ to make their forecasts much more accurate.

Health NZ had a $315m discrepancy – including $190m on buildings and plant – between forecast and actual capital spending for the first quarter of 2025-26.

The Treasury papers tracking this are only released publicly months after they were given to ministers.

RNZ requested additional documents from Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and was provided one from December 2025, written just ahead of Brown’s meeting with Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Bishop.

That three-page report said that fixing the underspend and under-delivery of hospitals faced big hurdles.

“Health NZ has long-standing infrastructure delivery challenges stemming from two key factors: Health NZ’s organisational capability and market capacity,” Treasury told Bishop and Willis.

The construction sector has 2.1 percent fewer jobs now, compared to a year ago.

“These challenges are further exacerbated by difficulties in recruiting and retaining experienced project directors for major projects, reductions in staff numbers which have slowed procurement activities [and a third factor that was blanked out],” Treasury said.

“Efforts to address these challenges are ongoing (via improving project sequencing and bundling, and staff capacity building) but progress is slow.”

It did not help that health’s project teams tended to be optimistic in forecasting capital expenditure and “often do not accurately update forecasts to reflect experience and trends in expenditure”.

Despite myriad costly efforts to improve this since HNZ was set up in 2022 – in part to fix the fragmented hospital building-and-management regime under 20 health boards – the weaknesses have persisted between governments.

HNZ was promising in 2023 to “make health infrastructure delivery quicker and more efficient by standardising Te Whatu Ora infrastructure planning, design, decision making and construction”.

That year Health NZ set up a new national infrastructure team, but the whole agency has since undergone financial upheaval and a reset, and had now embarked on decentralisation which Brown this month said was the government’s most significant structural move on health.

In April 2025, the government put out a multi-billion-dollar, 10-year plan for rebuilding hospitals and promised building would become more efficient, partly by doing things in phases. At the time health projects with ministerial approval worth $7.44 billion were underway.

One of the first projects to go the bite-size route has been Nelson Hospital, which HNZ recently said was on track but that Treasury last year said faced an 18-month delay on its inpatient block.

At the time the government launched the 10-year plan, HNZ papers show it foresaw significant risk it would not invest in the right place or “meet government expectations around providing a prioritised pipeline of capital investments”.

Early this year, a study to assess the agency as the rapid decentralisation ordered by Brown got underway found it had workforce gaps in its infrastructure and investment group particularly in the northern and central North Island regions.

The January 2026 internal report said the delays in delivering projects had a favourable short-term effect on HNZ’s cash balance.

But it added that “delays are likely to lead to increased project costs such as increased labour, equipment and material costs in the long term”.

Related extra depreciation costs had taken $85m off the bottom line in 2025-26 – when HNZ aims to report a $200m deficit – and that would jump by another $160m next financial year, even as it tried to get to break-even.

One of the causes of the delays was lack of capacity – Treasury in December had said: “Common issues across infrastructure investments include challenges with HNZ capability, sector capacity and internal prioritisation”, – but a second one carried a ring of hope: That more effort was being put in to get better decisions round investments, the January report said.

In December, ahead of the ‘please explain’ meeting for Willis and Bishop, Treasury listed some questions “you may wish to ask Minister Brown…” but Bishop’s office blanked them out.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand