MIL-OSI Export

Source: New Zealand Government

Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project. 

Contact Energy lodged a substantive application for the Southland Windfarm in August 2025. The proposed wind farm will be developed across 58km² of privately owned land in eastern Southland, about 30km southeast of Gore.

“Approval has taken around 5 months following the commencement of an expert panel,” Mr Bishop says.  

“This project, with national benefits, will significantly increase the amount of power supplied to the national grid.

“The wind farm will generate up to 380 megawatts (MW) and provide power for up to 150,000 households and includes 55 wind turbines, each up to approximately 7MW in capacity.

Mr Jones said the project would inject $13.5 million into the local economy and create up to 300 jobs during construction. Once commissioned, it would employ about 10 to 14 full-time equivalent staff to operate the wind farm. 

“The real significance of this infrastructure lies in the ability to unlock further investment and attract new industry to the region. 

“The Fast Track process is about cutting through unnecessary delays to unlock the projects that matter. It gives regions the certainty and momentum they need to create jobs and drive long-term economic growth.” Mr Jones said.

Energy Minister Simon Watts says the project will make a significant contribution to New Zealand’s energy future.

“As New Zealand’s biggest windfarm to date, the Southland project will play an important part in achieving this Government’s vision of reliable, affordable and abundant energy supply for New Zealanders,” Mr Watts says.

“More generation in the system will help keep downward pressure on prices and shore up security of supply.”

“In addition to the turbines, a wind farm substation, and access roads, the project’s second major component involved grid connection work – including constructing the transmission lines needed to connect the wind farm to the Transpower National Grid,” Mr Bishop says. 

“It’s worth noting this project, in an earlier form, was previously declined resource consent after years of process, largely due to concerns about landscape and visual effects on the surrounding rural environment. 

“That is exactly the kind of outcome New Zealanders have been frustrated with, where projects of clear national benefit get tied up or turned down after long, uncertain processes. 

“Fast-track is changing that by providing a more balanced, timely, and effects-based pathway to get critical infrastructure like renewable energy projects built.”

For more information about the project: Southland Wind Farm 

Fast-track by the numbers: 
•    15 projects approved by expert panels. 
•    22 projects with expert panels appointed. 
•    43 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process. 
•    39 projects have been referred to Fast-track by the Minister for Infrastructure. 
•    149 projects are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, meaning they can apply for Fast-track approval. 
•    On average, it has taken 128 working days for decisions on substantive applications from when officials determine an application is complete and in-scope. 
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels: 
•    Arataki [Housing/Land]  
•    Bledisloe North Wharf and Fergusson North Berth Extension [Infrastructure]  
•    Drury Metropolitan Centre – Consolidated Stages 1 and 2 [Housing/Land] 
•    Drury Quarry Expansion – Sutton Block [Mining/Quarrying] 
•    Green Steel [Infrastructure] 
•    Homestead Bay [Housing/Land] 
•    Kings Quarry Expansion – Stages 2 and 3 [Mining/Quarrying] 
•    Maitahi Village [Housing/Land] 
•    Milldale – Stages 4C and 10 to 13 [Housing/Land] 
•    Rangitoopuni [Housing/Land] 
•    Southland Wind Farm [Renewable energy]
•    Sunfield [Housing/Land] 
•    Tekapo Power Scheme – Applications for Replacement Resource Consents [Renewable energy] 
•    Takitimu North Link – Stage 2 [Infrastructure] 
•    Waihi North [Mining/Quarrying] 
 
Expert panels have been appointed for: 
•    Ashbourne 
•    Ayrburn Screen Hub  
•    Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project  
•    Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project
•    Central and Southern Block Mining Project
•    Delmore
•    Haldon Solar Farm 
•    Hananui Aquaculture Project 
•    Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme 
•    Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works 
•    Mahinerangi Wind Farm 
•    North West Rapid Transit
•    Pound Road Industrial Development 
•    Ryans Road Industrial Development 
•    State Highway 1 North Canterbury – Woodend Bypass Project (Belfast to Pegasus)
•    Stella Passage Development
•    The Downtown Carpark Redevelopment – Te Pūmanawa o Tāmaki Haldon Solar Farm 
•    The Point Mission Bay 
•    The Point Solar Farm 
•    Waitaha Hydro 
•    Waitākere District Court – New Courthouse Project
•    Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal 

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government will put more than $20 million towards additional diesel storage capacity at Marsden Point.

The arrangement – funded through the Regional Infrastructure Fund – will support 90 million litres of storage at the import and storage terminal by recommissioning storage tanks that have been unused since the closure of the refinery in 2022.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said the tanks could hold around eight days’ supply, and refurbishment work was expected to begin within days.

“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,” he said.

He had been assured by Channel Infrastructure, which owned and operated Marsden Point, that it could get the tanks ready within two months.

“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,” Jones said.

“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.”

RNZ reported last week that the government had received a proposal to boost storage at Marsden Point, with Jones wanting advice back as soon as possible.

At the time, Channel Infrastructure had told him there was potential to store 350 million litres of imported oil, on top of the 300 million litres of storage already in service.

The $21.6m support has been found through projects that had been approved in principle, but were not likely to go ahead.

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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

Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds have been promoted to Cabinet, as the prime minister reshuffles his ministerial lineup.

The reshuffle also sees first-term MPs Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick made ministers outside Cabinet.

The changes were necessitated by the upcoming retirement of Judith Collins, as well as Dr Shane Reti’s decision to stand down at the election.

Collins’ defence, space, and GCSB and NZSIS portfolios have been given to Penk, Paul Goldsmith takes on responsibility for the public service and digitising government, and Chris Bishop picks up the attorney-general role.

Bishop’s position as Leader of the House has been given to Louise Upston.

Bishop, who was also National’s campaign chair, was widely tipped to lose some ministerial portfolios to ease his workload to free him up for the campaign. Instead, it is the role of campaign chair that he has had to relinquish, to Simeon Brown.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Bishop had a “massive workload” with housing, transport, infrastructure, RMA reform, and his new attorney-general role, and losing the campaign chair was a consequence of that.

Luxon said the two had a “very positive conversation” and he “absolutely” trusted Bishop.

“He’s key to our team, he’s a critical part of our senior leadership group,” he said.

Luxon denied it was anything to do with rumours Bishop was running the numbers against him last year.

“I think you’re really overthinking this,” Luxon said.

He said Brown was equally capable of chairing the campaign, as part of his “brains trust” which included Bishop, Upston, Goldsmith, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Simmonds takes up Reti’s science, innovation, and technology portfolio, and his universities role has been disestablished to make Simmonds the minister for tertiary education.

She had previously been minister for vocational education, as well as environment. The latter has been given to Nicola Grigg, who remains outside Cabinet.

Goldsmith also becomes the new minister for Pacific Peoples, with Luxon admitting National did not have Pacific representation.

“I freely admit we don’t have a Pasifika person in our National Party team and in our Cabinet. That’s something that we’re working very hard on. As I’ve said to you before, we need to make sure we continue to work as we go to 2026 on the campaign on getting great candidates from the Pasifika world.”

Brewer, who has been chairing Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee (a weighty role which often leads to a ministerial promotion) has been made minister of commerce and consumer affairs and minister for small business and manufacturing, while Butterick will become minister for land information.

Luxon said he wanted to make a “super small business minister” role by giving Brewer the two roles, while Butterick was a “natural leader” of National’s rural MPs.

Brewer would also take over supermarket reforms, as the previous Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Scott Simpson had a conflict which had led to Willis taking responsibility.

Other changes include Brown picking up the energy portfolio from Simon Watts, who in turn takes over Brown’s minister for Auckland role.

Luxon said the past few weeks had underlined how important energy security was, and so was giving the role to a “senior” minister.

He said he had not lost confidence in Watts.

Luxon acknowledged Collins and Reti’s departures.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

Matt Doocey remains in Cabinet, and has not picked up any portfolios other than his existing mental health role.

He had been the sole South Island representative in Cabinet, but that has now doubled with Simmonds’ addition.

The changes come into effect on Tuesday, 7 April.

Luxon had not reshuffled his lineup since January 2025, other than to promote Scott Simpson to a role outside Cabinet following Andrew Bayly’s resignation.

The reshuffle applies to National Party ministers only, meaning ACT’s Brooke van Velden will continue in her portfolios despite her decision to retire from Parliament at the election.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds have been promoted to Cabinet, as the prime minister reshuffles his ministerial lineup.

The reshuffle also sees first-term MPs Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick made ministers outside Cabinet.

The changes were necessitated by the upcoming retirement of Judith Collins, as well as Dr Shane Reti’s decision to stand down at the election.

Collins’ defence, space, and GCSB and NZSIS portfolios have been given to Penk, Paul Goldsmith takes on responsibility for the public service and digitising government, and Chris Bishop picks up the Attorney-General role.

Bishop’s position as Leader of the House has been given to Louise Upston.

Simmonds takes up Reti’s science, innovation, and technology portfolio, and his universities role has been disestablished to make Simmonds the minister for tertiary education.

She had previously been minister for vocational education, as well as environment. The latter has been given to Nicola Grigg, who remains outside Cabinet.

Brewer, who has been chairing Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee (a weighty role which often leads to a ministerial promotion) has been made minister of commerce and consumer affairs and minister for small business and manufacturing, while Butterick will become minister for Land Information.

Other changes include Simeon Brown picking up the energy portfolio from Simon Watts, who in turn takes over Brown’s minister for Auckland role.

Prime minister Christopher Luxon said the past few weeks had underline how important energy security was, and so was giving the role to a “senior” minister.

Luxon acknowledged Collins and Reti’s departures.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

The changes come into effect on Tuesday, 7 April.

Luxon had not reshuffled his lineup since January 2025, other than to promote Scott Simpson to a role outside Cabinet following Andrew Bayly’s resignation.

The reshuffle applies to National Party ministers only, meaning ACT’s Brooke van Velden will continue in her portfolios despite her decision to retire from Parliament at the election.

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced a refreshed ministerial lineup to continue fixing the basics and protecting New Zealand’s future.

“New Zealanders are facing economic challenges brought on by conflict in the Middle East and its effect on fuel supply across the world,” says Christopher Luxon.

“Having a strong ministerial team with real-world experience to deliver our response is crucial. Today’s reshuffle reflects that and brings in new talent.

“Having successfully delivered significant reforms from outside Cabinet, Chris Penk will now join Cabinet, picking up the Defence, GCSB and NZSIS, and Space portfolios. Chris’ time in the NZDF leaves him well placed to lead the work our Government has done in raising the status and capability of our armed forces.

“Penny Simmonds also joins Cabinet with responsibility for Tertiary Education and Science, Innovation and Technology. Penny has successfully delivered reforms to the vocational education sector, also from outside Cabinet, and will bring her extensive governance experience to her new portfolios.

“The past few weeks have underlined how important energy security is and as such I will be elevating the Energy portfolio to senior minister Simeon Brown.

“Chris Bishop becomes Attorney-General and Paul Goldsmith takes responsibility for the Public Service and Digitising Government, and Pacific Peoples portfolios.

“Louise Upston will become Leader of the House and Simon Watts will be Minister for Auckland.

“Nicola Grigg becomes Minister for the Environment and Scott Simpson becomes Minister of Statistics and Deputy Leader of the House. 

“Joining as a Minister outside Cabinet, Cameron Brewer becomes Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Small Business and Manufacturing, and Associate Minister of Immigration. Mike Butterick becomes Minister for Land Information and Associate Minister of Agriculture.

“Finally, I acknowledge the public service of Judith Collins and Shane Reti who, between them, have dedicated almost 40 years to representing their communities in Parliament.

“Judith was first elected in 2002 and since then, has held numerous different ministerial portfolios and served as Leader of the Opposition. This term, she has delivered the Defence Capability Plan, advanced New Zealand’s space industry and modernised of our public service.

“In Shane’s 12 years in Parliament, he has served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition and has delivered key reforms as a minister, including improving the commerciality of our science sector to boost incomes and create jobs. He has also played a key role in projects that will benefit New Zealanders for generations, like the third medical school and expanded cancer screening.  

“I would also like to acknowledge the staff who have supported Judith and Shane throughout their time here.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the Government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

These changes will come into effect on Tuesday 7 April.

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2026 – OceanX today announced A Shared Voyage: OceanX China 2026, a joint U.S-Chinese goodwill mission that will bring together 10 American and 10 Chinese early-career ocean scientists, students, and instructors in pursuit of their shared goal to better understand the ocean and each other. OceanX is the ocean exploration, science, and education initiative founded by Ray and Mark Dalio. This initiative will be the first voyage of OceanX’s flagship research and media vessel, OceanXplorer, to China, starting in Hong Kong on March 29 and concluding in Shanghai on April 8, 2026.

The mission is an extension of the 42-year relationship Ray Dalio has had with China and its people, and it is delivered in collaboration with the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), the Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO), and the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation (CUSEF). The mission’s goals are to promote high quality people-to-people exchanges between nations, advance ocean literacy and scientific understanding, and equip participants with the skills to communicate the importance of our shared ocean to broader audiences.

Expanding Access to Ocean Science and Education

The China 2026 program represents a milestone in OceanX’s global engagement efforts, creating new opportunities for students and researchers to access hands-on learning at sea. Participants from the United States and China will take part in a structured program designed to build practical knowledge, develop interpersonal connections, and strengthen individual capabilities in ocean science, operations, and communication.

“At this time of great conflict in the world, I believe more than ever in the power of people-to-people exchanges to create mutual understanding” said Ray Dalio, Founder of OceanX. “Understanding the ocean is a shared interest for both the U.S. and China—and for the scientists and students who are on this joint mission. It is a thrill to see them working together.”

Hands-On Learning Across Science, Operations, and Media

The program delivers a structured curriculum that combines lectures, workshops, and applied learning experiences across three focus areas:

• Marine Exploration: Ocean data collection methods, ecosystem observation, and introductions to oceanographic research tools
• Operations: Life aboard a research vessel, including equipment demonstrations such as ROV operations, water sampling, and microscopy
• Media & Communication: Science communication and media production training to support clearer public understanding of ocean issues

Participants will develop individual and small-group projects as part of the program, focused on applying knowledge gained throughout the voyage. They will also forge new connections and build mutual understanding with their peers.

“Understanding the ocean requires both scientific insight and the ability to communicate it clearly,” said Vincent Pieribone, Co-CEO and Chief Science Officer of OceanX. “This program is designed to give participants exposure to the tools, technologies, and storytelling approaches that are shaping how ocean science is conducted and shared.”

Inspiring the Next Generation of Ocean Leaders

By combining advanced marine technology, scientific research, and immersive storytelling, OceanX is working to broaden access to ocean discovery and inspire future generations to engage with ocean science.

“A Shared Voyage: OceanX China 2026 represents an important opportunity to support ocean education and public awareness,” said Ms. Lyu Tin, director of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).

“This initiative highlights the importance of continued investment in ocean science education and capacity building,” said Prof. Huang Wei, Chinese Chief Scientist for the mission and research at Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO).

A Shared Voyage: OceanX China 2026 supports OceanX’s mission to unlock the ocean’s sustainable potential through science and education, while advancing ocean literacy and long-term stewardship.

Hashtag: #OceanX

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

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

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s new Dorothy Spotswood Charity Hospital has found a home in a building on upper Cuba Street in the central city.

The Dorothy Spotswood Charity Hospital, for which the fit-out was being funded by Wellington philanthropist couple Dame Dorothy Spotswood and Sir Mark Dunajtschik, would provide surgical day services on a referral basis, mostly through GPs, for people who did not meet the criteria or faced long wait times to be seen in the public system and could not afford private treatment.

The property at 275 Cuba Street was recently purchased by local investor Mike McCombie, and the charity hospital board signed the lease just this week, with the hospital itself set to occupy its ground floor.

Hospital trust chair Dr Graham Sharpe said finding a suitable premises had been a five-year mission.

Of the three buildings they had scoped, two had turned out to be unsuitable, and the land under the third had been sold mid-process, Sharpe said, throwing their plans into disarray.

Finding a building with ample ceiling height, and which could draw the electricity required for all the medical equipment, had also been tricky.

The Cuba Street site had location on its side, near the public hospital and the main highway, which would make life easier for staff coming in from the Hutt – as would the more than 40 carparks underneath.

The fitout was set to cost $10-13 million, and running costs would be around $1.5m a year, Sharpe said.

It would be funded entirely by charitable donations, he said, and a number of philanthropic groups had already expressed an interest.

“We’ve had some very generous support from professionals, such as architects, planners and builders, many of whom have offered their services free or at a significantly reduced rate because they share our vision.”

Vito Lo Iacono, the hospital’s chief executive, explained they were leasing 900 square-metres of the 1100-square-metre floorplan, with other tenants able to lease the other floors.

The building was undergoing earthquake strengthening – set to finish in June this year – and in years to come, the hospital could consider expanding outwards and upwards within it, he said.

Right now, the space was cold and dark, the ceiling a jumble of dangling extractor tubes and wiring above a dusty concrete floor.

But Sharpe said it would soon be transformed into a reception and staff areas, two operating theatres, a recovery area catering for up to six patients, and consulting rooms.

It would only be performing day surgeries, no overnight stays, and would not be taking any patients under 18.

The concept was based on the success of the Canterbury Charity Hospital, and a similar one in Southland, with medical professionals offering their services for free around their paid schedules across the public and private sectors.

“Last time we checked, we had 42 specialist surgeons and anaesthetists willing to work for us for free,” Sharpe said.

The aim was to open next February, starting with one operating theatre for the first six months until systems were in place, Sharpe said.

At first, they would take on procedures like endoscopies and colonoscopies, before moving into eye surgery like cataracts.

The sorts of things he expected they would be doing long term were surgeries for hernias, varicose veins and cataracts.

“These sort of day-case, relatively straightforward, quick things are the very things that get dropped when there’s a problem at the hospital. Emergencies come in, or there’s illness in the staff … these sort of things just fall off the list,” Sharpe said.

“They’re not life-saving, but they are life-affirming and life-changing.”

General surgeon Dr James Tietjens, a member of the hospital’s board and among those doctors planning to volunteer their time, said he and other doctors were seeing increasing unmet need in the system.

“This is a way to try and give access to certain populations that can’t access secondary care, or even primary care at times,” he said.

“People that may meet a hospital waitlist, or meet the criteria and aren’t being seen in a timely manner, or are declined. But there’s also a large proportion of people who aren’t able to access GP care, or GPs aren’t able to get their patients into hospital.”

He expected to see a number of people with hernias and other minor surgeries through the door.

Signing the lease and locking in a location was “a big step”, he said.

“We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve had to date.”

Wellington mayor Andrew Little said signing the lease was “a fantastic step forward for the hospital and I’m delighted to see this progress”.

“Dame Dorothy and Sir Mark have been incredibly generous in their support of health in the Wellington region. Wellingtonians will be hugely grateful to Dame Dorothy and Sir Mark for backing this valuable contribution for the health of our people.

“Initiatives like this take extraordinary efforts, I commend everyone who has played a part in this great outcome.”

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

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

NEW YORK, April 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HCACU) (“HCAC”) and REEcycle Holdings, Inc. (“REEcycle”) today announced the execution of a non-binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) for a proposed de-SPAC business combination.

The proposed transaction values REEcycle at approximately US$600 million, assuming no redemptions by HCAC public shareholders, with REEcycle existing shareholders expected to roll 100% of their equity into the combined publicly listed entity. The transaction is expected to include a minimum US$50 million PIPE financing at US$10.00 per share, providing committed capital at closing and supporting the execution of REEcycle’s near-term growth strategy.

The transaction comes at a pivotal time for U.S. critical minerals policy. China currently controls an estimated 90% of rare earth separation and processing and ~93% of permanent magnet manufacturing globally.¹ In response, the U.S. Government, through Department of Defense and Department of Energy initiatives, has committed billions of dollars to strengthening domestic critical mineral supply chains, including rare earth processing.² REEcycle has been awarded and is drawing upon US$5.1 million of Defense Production Act funding, supporting the advancement of its domestic rare earth processing capabilities.

REEcycle is advancing a technology-led solution to rare earth supply constraints. Its proprietary recycling process extracts and separates rare earth elements from end-of-life electronics and industrial products, offering a faster, lower-capex and scalable alternative to traditional mining. This approach enables near-term domestic supply while reducing exposure to geopolitical disruption.

The global rare earth market was valued at approximately US$19 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach ~US$36.7 billion by 2034, with recycling expected to grow at an accelerated rate as demand for domestically sourced materials increases.³

REEcycle’s Executive Chairman and largest shareholder is Mick McMullen, a highly respected mining executive with over 30 years of leadership experience across global mining and capital markets. He is best known for his tenure as President and CEO of Detour Gold Corporation, where he grew the company’s market capitalisation from C$2.1 billion to C$4.9 billion in nine months, culminating in its acquisition by Kirkland Lake Gold.⁴ His investment in REEcycle reflects strong conviction in recycling-led onshoring.

“We are addressing a critical U.S. supply gap with a faster and more capital-efficient solution than traditional mining, scalable across the U.S. and globally. This is both a technology opportunity and a national security priority.”

— Mick McMullen, Executive Chairman, REEcycle Holdings

Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp. raised US$207 million in its Nasdaq IPO in November 2025 and is focused on transactions in critical minerals and industrial technology sectors.

“REEcycle represents a rare combination of proprietary technology, experienced leadership, and direct alignment with U.S. critical minerals strategy. We see this as a platform capable of becoming a meaningful domestic supplier, and we are excited to bring that opportunity to public investors.”

— Alex Bono, CEO, Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp.

Exclusivity

The parties have agreed to a 60-day exclusivity period to undertake due diligence and negotiate a definitive Business Combination Agreement.

Non-Binding Letter of Intent

The LOI is non-binding and subject to the execution of definitive agreements, completion of due diligence, required approvals, and customary closing conditions. There can be no assurance that a transaction will be completed.

Important Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed business combination, including expected structure, financing, timing and benefits. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the ability to execute definitive agreements, obtain approvals, satisfy closing conditions and maintain listing status. This press release does not constitute an offer or solicitation of securities. In connection with the proposed transaction, HCAC intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC. Investors are urged to review these materials when available at www.sec.gov. No obligation is undertaken to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

1 CSIS, “China Rare Earth Restrictions,” 2025.
2 U.S. State Dept., “Critical Minerals Fact Sheet,” 2026.
3 Grand Research Store, “Rare Earth Market Report,” 2025
4 Globe and Mail, “Kirkland–Detour Gold deal,” 2019; Business Wire, “Kirkland Lake Gold acquisition,” 2019.

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: Radio New Zealand

House prices might not rise this year after all, property data firm Cotality says.

It has released its latest data, which shows property values lifted 0.2 percent in March, after the same rise in February.

The median value in March was $802,599, 1.3 percent lower than a year earlier and just over 17 percent down on early 2022.

In the month, both Hamilton and Wellington were down 0.1 percent while Auckland and Tauranga were flat. Auckland’s affordability had improved in recent years as more supply had come on to the market, prices had dropped and incomes had increased.

Christchurch was up 0.6 percent and Dunedin 0.7 percent. Cotality said areas that were benefiting from a positive agricultural sector were seeing stronger growth.

Wellington remained one of the weaker parts of the country, with all of its regions down over the past 12 months and all still more than 20 percent below their peak.

Chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said two months of increases in a row could signal a change in direction for the housing market, but the Iran conflict threw a layer of uncertainty over everything.

He said he had been expecting prices to rise 5 percent this year but that was not as likely any more.

“The chances that things are even weaker get greater and greater the longer this goes on.

“At the moment you’d certainly have to be pegging that back a bit. I see some of the banks are now talking about possibly small falls in average house prices this year and that wouldn’t necessarily surprise me either … we had a relatively modest house price forecast up to 5 percent – you could easily imagine that being down at zero or even slightly negative. That’s despite the fact that mortgage rates are relatively low at the moment.”

He said the factor that was missing for house prices to turn around was confidence.

“There were signs that was starting to come through but now that’s hard to imagine. Your confidence would probably be going the other way, potentially the economy’s going the other way too and potentially mortgage rates are going up. All of those things that might have been falling into place for the housing market are now starting to go back in the other direction again.”

He said while some sellers might not be pleased, it was still good news for buyers provided they felt secure in their jobs.

“In a nutshell, both the economy and housing market still face a testing period ahead.”

Davidson said he did not expect “knee jerk” official cash rate rises but the Reserve Bank was on high alert.

“Global uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict and concerns about wider inflationary pressure have already seen interest rates rise in world money markets, and that’s flowed through to mortgage rate lifts at some NZ banks.

“Many households will be watching that very closely and recent data shows there’s recently been a strong shift by borrowers towards fixing longer.

“That will give some sense of security to individuals, but for the wider housing market the risks of higher inflation, rising interest rates, and/or a softening economy both point to headwinds,” Davidson said.

“Indeed, our modelled forecast for property sales to rise from around 90,000 last year to 100,000 this year is starting to look a stretch. In the end, though, everything is a watching brief at the moment when it comes to the economy and housing market.”

He said households might not want to list their homes for sale in an uncertain environment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Pharmac needs more staff and a bigger operational budget to speed-up decisions on drug funding, say patient advocates.

In a report released today, the agency has been criticised for a focus on cost efficiency over health outcomes, and for slow decision-making and backlogs.

The report – written by Patient Voice Aotearoa and Medicines New Zealand and titled “Valuing Life – Medicines Access Summit 2025 Report” – is based off the findings of a two-day hui at Parliament in October last year.

Hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Health responsible for Pharmac David Seymour, the event brought together 180 people, including patient groups, clinicians, government officials, academics, and pharmaceutical industry representatives for a series of panels and workshops.

The report highlighted progress and persistent gaps in the country’s medicines system, noting “while some progress has been made, delivery remains uneven” and several foundational reforms “have not been started or addressed fully”.

Key findings highlighted in the report include:

• Progress is fragile without political leadership and accountability
• New Zealand continues to lag behind OECD peers
• Pharmac continues to be greatly underfunded
• Patients’ groups and clinicians are calling for a system that values timeliness, transparency, and lived experience
• Global pressures are reshaping medicines access
• A call for partnership and long‑term reform

Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Dr Malcolm Mulholland said two thirds of those recommendations had seen progress made since the summit, but a third were yet to see action.

Mulholland is also the chair of the consumer and patient working group, which was set up last year to work alongside Pharmac’s board overseeing a 12-month reset programme currently underway, which is aimed at making Pharmac more open and responsive.

“[Pharmac] are going to need a bigger a bigger operations budget to do a lot of the work around the health technology assessment,” he said.

“If we’re looking to speed it up, ultimately they are going to need more staff in those positions, so that’s why the operations budget is so important.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis referred questions to Seymour’s office.

Seymour said while it was still a work in progress, for the first time in years Pharmac was “genuinely moving in the right direction”.

“We’ve given patients a stronger voice, appointed a consumer working group, and made Pharmac more transparent. We will continue to push Pharmac in the direction the patient community wants.

“Five years ago many of the Medicines Summit attendees would have been picketing outside Pharmac. This year, they were having genuine conversations with each other and Pharmac’s leadership about how to deliver the best service for Kiwis.”

This government had allocated a budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift.

“With that money, Pharmac has made 133 decisions to fund or widen access to medicines. This includes decisions on 46 cancer medicines. Over 200,000 patients have benefited.”

Pharmac chief executive Natalie McMurtry said Pharmac had appreciated the opportunity to attend the summit for the past two years, and it had provided an invaluable opportunity to hear first-hand from patients, advocates, suppliers and clinicians.

Since then, they had recruited more health economists to increase Pharmac’s capacity to assess funding applications, she said, and were trailing faster, more efficient assessment pathways which were showing early signs of success.

“We are also exploring how adopting a societal perspective can help us better demonstrate the value of new treatments, particularly when considering significant investments.

“Recently, we launched a review of our Exceptional Circumstances Framework, which allows Pharmac to consider funding medicines for certain individuals in special or exceptional clinical situations.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Employers might be being encouraged to let people work from home if they are struggling with fuel costs, but not everyone hopes they heed the message.

As fuel costs have risen in recent weeks, unions have called on organisations such as banks to be more flexible with staff wanting to skip the commute.

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said that should be done carefully.

“This is an economic issue, not a health issue. The work from home edict [during Covid] came about because there were concerns that ongoing engagement and connection with people could cause harm to people’s lives.

“We’re not in that situation, this is quite a different situation. The economic situation would be worse if people don’t come into towns and cities across the country. If people stop coming into town they stop buying. Eighty-five percent of sales are done in person, in store, people in town. They’re walking past shop windows, they’re seeing items they might need.”

The increased prevalence of working from home through Covid has been credited with changing the makeup of some central business districts around the country.

Young previously told RNZ that she worried that foot traffic levels might never return to where they were, for some businesses.

But Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics, said consumer confidence more generally was likely to be more of a concern for retailers than whether people were working from home.

When people were at home, their spending tended to drift more to food-related items, he said. The pattern of spending could be affected, but the total amount would not be.

“I don’t think it’s a full and complete view that people only spend when they’re working in town and don’t spend otherwise.”

But he said the wider economic environment had more potential to dent total spending. “The wider impact of having to spend more on fuel, people are more worried about the economy, that will drive overall spending down. If we see spending activity drop it won’t be because people are working from home, it will be because people are paying more for fuel and worried about their financial lives.”

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said it would make it harder for CBD retail. “But past experience suggested that there were flows of business to suburban shops and cafes when WFH was more prominent. I would expect the same dynamics again.”

‘Big hit coming through on households’ disposable income’

BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said it would add to all the other headwinds on spending at the moment.

“Chief among them is the big hit coming through on households’ disposable income from the fuel cost spike. Cuts are being made to discretionary spending already. But there’s also a potentially weaker labour market and reduced job security to contend with, broader cost of living pressures, and reduced tourism spending. It’s shaping up as a big hit and consumers are feeling it, as we saw from last week’s slump in consumer confidence.”

But Young said going back to isolating at home would not be a solution to an economic crisis.

“That creates another beast in itself and it multiplies the impact of the inflationary measures if we get to a place where people stop coming into town and they stop buying a coffee and they stop going into the stores to buy things. More businesses will close, which creates greater, you know, demise for the New Zealand economy.”

She said she had seen some positive economic data in the early months of this year and had been hoping that 2026 would be a time of recovery.

“Then of course in March we’ve been hit by this and it feels like another blow and we just can’t seem to get a break.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

• Household living costs about $55 a week higher this year – ASB research report
• About 50 pct higher than might have been because of Middle East conflict
• Higher fuel costs add $16.50 a week
• Flow through to other goods and services, dampening demand, growth, jobs
• Assumes conflict ends mid-year, easier costs by year end

Households face a $55 a week rise in living costs this year partly because of the Middle East conflict, according to ASB economists.

In a research report released Thursday they said the cost of living will be 50 percent higher than it might normally have been, with a direct hit from the rise in fuel costs and indirect increases in the price of other goods and services.

“Overall, the recovery in household consumption we had pencilled in for 2026 now looks to be a 2027 story,” ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley said.

He said there was much uncertainty because of the conflict.

“Our central assumption is that the conflict lasts for three months, and that the price impacts last another three months.”

The report said it expected the increase in fuel costs to add $16.50 a week directly to living costs, with rural communities feeling the pinch harder because of a greater reliance on diesel-fuelled private transport.

It expected not just a drop in spending but also a change in spending habits.

“Typically, during times of financial pressure, households prioritise essential purchases such as groceries, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals, while reducing spending in other areas.

“This shift in spending patterns is expected to partially offset the overall increase in household expenses.”

The report’s base assumption was that the conflict would last three months to about mid-year, with the biggest impact on spending would be over the next six months before the start of a rebound in the final three months of the year.

Bigger hit to broader economy

The weaker domestic demand was also expected to affect other parts of the economy.

“Given that the conflict in the Middle East is also likely to impact economic growth, we see downside risks to household consumption via both the wealth and labour market channels as well,” Tuffley said.

That would also mean a brake on house prices and job creation.

The temporary increase in the base rate of the in-work tax credit for working about 143,000 families was expected to have only limited impact.

The report said the lift in living costs and its effect on consumer spending was a double edged sword for the Reserve Bank.

“The resultant weakness in domestic demand should help keep a lid on inflation, but it also makes the [Reserve Bank’s] job harder, as weaker growth and rising prices are pulling in opposite directions.”

It was still holding to a forecast of a 25 basis point rise in the official cash rate in December to 2.5 percent, but was watching the risk that the RBNZ may have to raise sooner and more aggressively because of medium-term inflation pressures.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Just under 5700 people have had their KiwiSaver contribution rates reduced, meaning they will not be paying the new default rate of 3.5 percent.

For pay processed on or after April 1, the default contribution rate has lifted from 3 percent to 3.5 percent, as part of a staged process to lift both to 4 percent in 2028.

Contribution rates increased unless people were already paying a higher level, or they had applied to Inland Revenue for a temporary reduction in their contribution rate, which their employer could then match.

Inland Revenue said, as of Tuesday, 5696 people had their contribution rate reduced, and this number could still grow.

Dean Anderson, founder of Kōura, said it was less than a quarter of 1 percent of the active KiwiSaver members.

“I’m not sure how many Kiwis were actually fully aware of the changes that were coming. I think the real awareness will kick in when the next payslip arrives and people notice a slightly smaller deposit in their bank accounts.

“This may catch out those on total remuneration contracts or anyone managing a strict budget based on their usual cash in hand. I encourage everyone to pay close attention to their payslips over the next month to ensure their employer has applied these changes correctly.”

Rupert Carlyon, founder of Kōura, said he was not surprised at the number.

“I don’t think people realise what is happening or how they can get out of the change.

“We have sent out four different emails saying that this is coming – but haven’t had any feedback at all or questions on it which is really surprising.

“I wonder whether employers have been communicating with their employees, it is at this level that more probably needs to be done rather than through the KiwiSaver providers.”

The government earlier estimated a working parent, with a starting income of $60,000 at 25, two children, who took one year of parental leave and who withdrew all their savings at 30 to buy a home, would end up with just over $500,000 in their account at 65 with the new contribution rates, compared to just under $400,000 previously.

A high-income earner would get 28 percent more and a low-income earner 21 percent.

Jessica McLean, chief operating officer at PaySauce, said employers had been confused about how the change was happening.

“What we have seen is a huge influx of support volume over the last couple of days about things like ‘the new rate is applying already but it shouldn’t, it’s from the first of April’ but you’re paying it on the first of April so it applies, it doesn’t matter that you’re paying them for time in March it’s based on a payday…. Then they want to change the payday to March and we have to say no then your employees will end up with a tax bill because you’re going to ram another period into the financial year. They’re in a big flap about it.”

She said it was hard for employers who were paying total remuneration packages.

This means they set aside an amount to pay staff and both the employer and employee contribution comes from that.

“If the KiwiSaver rate goes up the money has got to come from somewhere. Either the employer’s got to cover it or it’s coming out of the employee’s net pay.”

She said some employers were willing to absorb the cost to ensure their employer did not have to cover the whole increase.

Some employers had also asked whether they could negotiate a temporary rate reduction on employee’s behalf, she said. “It’s got to be employee-led… but I think there’s this narrative that small employers are always trying to pay people the least they possible can and I don’t think that’s true. I think most of them are fine with the change.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A financial services dispute service says it has dealt with two cases recently in which large sums of money have gone missing when people tried to send them overseas.

In one case dealt with by Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL), a man aged in his 90s tried to transfer US$12,000 via an international money transfer service to his son’s overseas bank account.

When the money did not arrive, the man realised he had entered the wrong routing number for the payment and had used the number for the money transfer service’s intermediary bank rather than his son’s bank.

The account number itself was correct.

The money transfer service asked for a “recipient bank statement” which could not be provided because the son had not received the money.

It was not until 10 working days after the man reported the error that the money transfer service attempted to recall the funds, FSCL said.

The service said that gave an opportunity for money sent to incorrect account details to bounce back and be returned without a recall being needed.

The overseas bank did not respond to the recall request.

The man’s son repeatedly tried to contact it but was told it could only provide information to the money transfer service.

When the service tried again to recall the money, the bank did not respond.

At that point, the man complained to FSCL, which reviewed the complaint and found the money service’s terms and conditions stated customers must provide correct payment details.

“If incorrect details are provided, the money transfer service is not responsible for money sent to the wrong recipient, and is only required to make reasonable efforts to recover the funds.”

FSCL agreed the service should have tried to recall the money earlier.

It said it could have been more helpful but it took reasonable steps to try to recover the money.

“The lack of response from the overseas recipient bank was not within their control.”

It said the service should pay the man $1000 for non-financial loss.

FSCL ombudsman Susan Taylor said she had another case in recent days in which a person was transferring money to a travel payment card and got the last two numbers the wrong way around.

That sent the money to another customer’s account.

“The other customer was based in Australia, and unfortunately he didn’t notice for two days that the money hadn’t appeared on his card account.

“By that time, by the time his own bank tried to recall the money, the person in Australia had withdrawn all the money and neither the bank nor the money transfer service were able to get it back.

“It was $100,000, so it was a huge loss. We just try to give the message all the time, it’s tragic when you see these cases, and it often is simple human error where even if you’re in a hurry, just slow down and check, double check, triple check that you’ve got all of those numbers right before you press the send button.”

She said in the first case, the money went to an American bank. “A person from New Zealand trying to deal with a massive overseas bank … who knows whether the money is sitting in an account there – the chance of the customer being able to get any traction with a large overseas bank is extremely low.”

Taylor said if people noticed something was wrong, they should get in touch with their bank or money transfer service as soon as possible. “There is a very limited window of time that the bank or money transfer service can act to recall the money. It’s important that you act really quickly.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A return trip between Auckland and Whangārei could cost drivers $14.20 in tolls, if a proposal for the planned Northland Expressway goes ahead.

That means commuters travelling daily between Northland and the country’s biggest city would pay around $3400 a year in tolls.

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is currently consulting on tolls for the planned Warkworth to Te Hana section of the Northland Corridor, which is to be built as a public-private partnership (PPP) under the government’s Roads of National Significance programme.

The proposal is for two electronic toll gates on the 26km stretch of expressway, the southern one charging $3 and the northern one $1.50.

The Northern Gateway motorway, from the North Shore to Pūhoi, already charges a toll of $2.60.

Added to the new tolls, that would make a total of $7.10 each way or $14.20 return between Auckland and the Northland border.

Trucks would pay $6 and $3 on the new expressway and $5.20 on the Northern Gateway, adding up to $14.20 each way or $28.40 return.

For Anna Giddens – who lives in Mangawhai but works four days a week at the University of Auckland, it could mean around $2600 a year in tolls – if she had to pass through all three electronic gates.

If she could avoid the northernmost toll gate she would still pay $2100 a year.

“Obviously it’s an added cost. It just seems like everything keeps going up, it would be added on top of everything else.”

Giddens said she would have to absorb the extra cost herself, but it would not be “a deal breaker” that would force her to quit her Auckland job.

“It’s not ideal, but I could cope with it. But I can imagine it could affect some people more.”

She said it would also affect businesses using the highway, which would have to pass the extra costs onto customers.

Giddens questioned the equity of requiring Northlanders to pay tolls while other recently completed roads – such as the Waikato Expressway and Transmission Gully, both of which cost more than $2 billion – were toll-free.

“I understand that the cost of this is incredibly high. It’s probably the highest cost for a road construction project in this country ever, and I guess we don’t have the money. But it does seem disproportionate that the North is being tolled, compared to other parts of the country.”

Giddens said the answer for her would be to find work closer to home, but that was not easy in the current job market.

In any case, she did not have to worry about paying the extra tolls anytime soon – work on the first section of the expressway was due to start at the end of this year, and was expected to open around 2034.

The consultation document showed the new tolls could be levied for either 35 or 60 years.

Automobile Association senior policy analyst Sarah Geard said equity was one of the issues members raised most often about the tolling proposal – especially given Northland’s low median income.

Only two other roads were currently tolled in New Zealand, both in Tauranga.

“A point to make here is that in 2024 the government instructed NZTA that they do need to consider tolling on every new road … so we expect that will be the norm from this point.”

Geard said the AA was open to tolling if it meant new roads would be built sooner.

“And that means people who choose to use the road will benefit earlier than they otherwise would. I also note that under legislation, there must always be a feasible, untolled alternative route available to people who don’t want to use the toll roads, so that’s always an option,” she said.

“But we’re very mindful that tolls do mean extra cost to motorists, and we recognise there is already a toll road between Auckland and Whangārei.”

Geard said the AA had yet to decide its position on the Warkworth to Te Hana proposal.

The organisation was still working through information from NZTA to understand why the proposed toll was $4.50, why it was split into two tolls of differing amounts, and how the tolls would affect the number of vehicles using the new road.

New Zealand’s trucking industry also supported tolling if it sped up roading projects – but had reservations about the details of the Warkworth to Te Hana plan.

Paula Rogers, commercial transport specialist for the National Road Carriers (NRC), said about 1000 heavy trucks travelled between Auckland and Northland every day, transporting everything from food and fuel to logs and building materials.

She said the industry was pleased the new route would bypass Dome Valley, which was notorious for crashes and delays.

If tolling brought forward the project and its safety and efficiency benefits, that was a positive for all road users, Rogers said.

However, NRC had concerns about the methodology used to arrive at a toll of $9 for heavy vehicles.

Including the existing toll, that added up to $28.40 per return trip.

“Given the high frequency of freight movements along this corridor, these cumulative costs become significant for transport operators and are ultimately passed through to customers and the wider economy.”

Rogers said NRC wanted greater transparency around how NZTA had arrived at the proposed tolls, and whether the cumulative impact of multiple tolls on freight costs had been considered.

According to the NZTA’s consultation documents, the new Warkworth-Te Hana road would shave 7-10 minutes off travel times compared to the existing road.

It would also reduce the number and severity of crashes, especially in the Dome Valley, which was known for its “safety and resilience challenges”.

NZTA said tolling would allow the PPP to get started sooner, and free up money for other roading projects.

The reason for proposing separate toll points north and south of the Wayby Valley interchange was to make it fairer – motorists would pay according to how much of the new road they used – and to prevent congestion caused by large number of drivers diverting onto free local roads.

The new road would run west of and parallel to Dome Valley, before crossing the existing State Highway 1 and passing east of the notorious summer chokepoint at Wellsford.

It would rejoin the existing highway at Te Hana, just south of the Northland border and about 20km south of the Brynderwyn Hills.

The existing section of State Highway 1 would be reclassified as a local road and would be free to use.

Eventually two more sections of Northland Expressway would be built, from Te Hana over the Brynderwyns to Port Marsden Highway, and from Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei.

Each section was expected to have its own tolls.

The tolls being consulted on are based on 2025 prices, so could be adjusted for inflation.

NZTA documents show the Northern Gateway, which opened in 2009, is expected to be tolled until about 2045.

Public consultation on the Warkworth to Te Hana proposal runs until 15 April.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government will put more than $20 million towards additional diesel storage capacity at Marsden Point.

The arrangement – funded through the Regional Infrastructure Fund – will support 90 million litres of storage at the import and storage terminal by recommissioning storage tanks that have been unused since the closure of the refinery in 2022.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said the tanks could hold around eight days’ supply, and refurbishment work was expected to begin within days.

“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,” he said.

He had been assured by Channel Infrastructure, which owned and operated Marsden Point, that it could get the tanks ready within two months.

“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,” Jones said.

“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.”

RNZ reported last week that the government had received a proposal to boost storage at Marsden Point, with Jones wanting advice back as soon as possible.

At the time, Channel Infrastructure had told him there was potential to store 350 million litres of imported oil, on top of the 300 million litres of storage already in service.

The $21.6m support has been found through projects that had been approved in principle, but were not likely to go ahead.

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Source: New Zealand Government

Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project. 

Contact Energy lodged a substantive application for the Southland Windfarm in August 2025. The proposed wind farm will be developed across 58km² of privately owned land in eastern Southland, about 30km southeast of Gore.

“Approval has taken around 5 months following the commencement of an expert panel,” Mr Bishop says.  

“This project, with national benefits, will significantly increase the amount of power supplied to the national grid.

“The wind farm will generate up to 380 megawatts (MW) and provide power for up to 150,000 households and includes 55 wind turbines, each up to approximately 7MW in capacity.

Mr Jones said the project would inject $13.5 million into the local economy and create up to 300 jobs during construction. Once commissioned, it would employ about 10 to 14 full-time equivalent staff to operate the wind farm. 

“The real significance of this infrastructure lies in the ability to unlock further investment and attract new industry to the region. 

“The Fast Track process is about cutting through unnecessary delays to unlock the projects that matter. It gives regions the certainty and momentum they need to create jobs and drive long-term economic growth.” Mr Jones said.

Energy Minister Simon Watts says the project will make a significant contribution to New Zealand’s energy future.

“As New Zealand’s biggest windfarm to date, the Southland project will play an important part in achieving this Government’s vision of reliable, affordable and abundant energy supply for New Zealanders,” Mr Watts says.

“More generation in the system will help keep downward pressure on prices and shore up security of supply.”

“In addition to the turbines, a wind farm substation, and access roads, the project’s second major component involved grid connection work – including constructing the transmission lines needed to connect the wind farm to the Transpower National Grid,” Mr Bishop says. 

“It’s worth noting this project, in an earlier form, was previously declined resource consent after years of process, largely due to concerns about landscape and visual effects on the surrounding rural environment. 

“That is exactly the kind of outcome New Zealanders have been frustrated with, where projects of clear national benefit get tied up or turned down after long, uncertain processes. 

“Fast-track is changing that by providing a more balanced, timely, and effects-based pathway to get critical infrastructure like renewable energy projects built.”

For more information about the project: Southland Wind Farm 

Fast-track by the numbers: 
•    15 projects approved by expert panels. 
•    22 projects with expert panels appointed. 
•    43 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process. 
•    39 projects have been referred to Fast-track by the Minister for Infrastructure. 
•    149 projects are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, meaning they can apply for Fast-track approval. 
•    On average, it has taken 128 working days for decisions on substantive applications from when officials determine an application is complete and in-scope. 
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels: 
•    Arataki [Housing/Land]  
•    Bledisloe North Wharf and Fergusson North Berth Extension [Infrastructure]  
•    Drury Metropolitan Centre – Consolidated Stages 1 and 2 [Housing/Land] 
•    Drury Quarry Expansion – Sutton Block [Mining/Quarrying] 
•    Green Steel [Infrastructure] 
•    Homestead Bay [Housing/Land] 
•    Kings Quarry Expansion – Stages 2 and 3 [Mining/Quarrying] 
•    Maitahi Village [Housing/Land] 
•    Milldale – Stages 4C and 10 to 13 [Housing/Land] 
•    Rangitoopuni [Housing/Land] 
•    Southland Wind Farm [Renewable energy]
•    Sunfield [Housing/Land] 
•    Tekapo Power Scheme – Applications for Replacement Resource Consents [Renewable energy] 
•    Takitimu North Link – Stage 2 [Infrastructure] 
•    Waihi North [Mining/Quarrying] 
 
Expert panels have been appointed for: 
•    Ashbourne 
•    Ayrburn Screen Hub  
•    Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project  
•    Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project
•    Central and Southern Block Mining Project
•    Delmore
•    Haldon Solar Farm 
•    Hananui Aquaculture Project 
•    Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme 
•    Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works 
•    Mahinerangi Wind Farm 
•    North West Rapid Transit
•    Pound Road Industrial Development 
•    Ryans Road Industrial Development 
•    State Highway 1 North Canterbury – Woodend Bypass Project (Belfast to Pegasus)
•    Stella Passage Development
•    The Downtown Carpark Redevelopment – Te Pūmanawa o Tāmaki Haldon Solar Farm 
•    The Point Mission Bay 
•    The Point Solar Farm 
•    Waitaha Hydro 
•    Waitākere District Court – New Courthouse Project
•    Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal 

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Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a Defence & Security Declaration in Rarotonga today, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.

“New Zealand and the Cook Islands have a special constitutional relationship which has endured for six decades,” Mr Peters says. 

“Today’s Declaration is about setting a course together for the future.

“The strategic environment we face is more complex and contested today than at any other point since New Zealand and the Cook Islands formed our free association relationship in 1965. 

“In that context, it’s vital that New Zealand and the Cook Islands are clear, with one another and third parties, about the nature of our special relationship and our responsibilities to one another in the defence and security domains. 

“This Declaration outlines a set of important political commitments that the Cook Islands and New Zealand have made to one another which provide clarity on key aspects of our special constitutional relationship.

“It’s no secret that our two governments have had a series of serious disagreements since late 2024,” Mr Peters says. 

“As we debated how to get past these disagreements, it became clear that one of their root causes was the lack of a shared understanding about the requirements of our special constitutional relationship – especially as it pertained to defence and security matters and the extent of the consultation required between us.

“This Declaration resolves this former ambiguity and provides clarity to both Governments so that we can move forward focused on the future, not the past.”

The Declaration adds to the other important expressions of the New Zealand-Cook Islands relationship: the Cook Islands Constitution, the exchange of letters between Prime Ministers Norman Kirk and Albert Henry in 1973, the Letters Patent of 1983 and the Joint Centenary Declaration of 2001.

New Zealand’s paused financial support to the Cook Islands will be restored following today’s Declaration signing, Mr Peters says. 

“We earlier took a difficult decision to pause parts of New Zealand’s funding to the Cook Islands Government because there was no shared understanding of the nature of our special constitutional relationship. Now that we have come to a mutually satisfactory understanding of the underpinnings of our partnership, we are pleased to normalise all aspects of our relationship – including New Zealand’s financial support. 

“Throughout the past two years, New Zealand has never wavered from our steadfast commitment to the Cook Islands people and their strong attachment to the free association relationship between our two countries. 

“We are pleased to now have a shared certainty about the contours of that relationship, and we are grateful to Prime Minister Brown and his government for the constructive way they approached the negotiation of this Declaration.

“New Zealand and the Cook Islands people benefit from our special constitutional relationship. We look forward now to further enhancing the broad range of cooperation between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, as well as navigating together the complex strategic environment and the many shared challenges we face,” Mr Peters says.

The political commitments made in the Declaration are summarised below. The Declaration’s full text can be found here.

Declaration summary

The Cook Islands-New Zealand Defence and Security Declaration contains a series of commitments. 

The political commitments made by the Cook Islands to New Zealand in the Declaration are as follows: 

• To uphold the fundamental values upon which New Zealand citizenship is based (clause 2).
• To discharge its foreign policy and diplomatic relationships subject to the constitutional limits of free association (clause 5).
• To uphold the defence and security interests of New Zealand, the Cook Islands and the Realm as a whole (clause 6).
• To continue to permit the New Zealand Defence Force access to the Cook Islands’ territory (including EEZ) to fulfil its mandate and uphold shared security commitments (clause 9).
• To consult with New Zealand in good faith on matters of defence and security that may affect New Zealand’s interests and constitutional responsibilities (clause 10), including maintaining regular structured dialogue and providing information to New Zealand on defence or security matters upon its request and to the fullest extent possible (clause 13).
• To engage with New Zealand on any requests for defence and security before engagement with other partners (clause 14).

In return, New Zealand has committed to the Cook Islands that it will: 

• Remain the primary defence and security partner for the Cook Islands and provide defence and security capacity and capability building (clause 7).
• Uplift Defence engagement and uphold the responsibility of the New Zealand Defence Force for the Cook Islands (clause 8).
• Consult with the Cook Islands in good faith on matters of defence and security that may affect the Cook Islands’ interests (clause 10), including maintaining regular structured dialogue and providing information to the Cook Islands on defence or security matters upon its request and to the fullest extent possible. (clause 13).

Both New Zealand and the Cook Islands have committed not to enter into activities, agreements or arrangements with other partners that would undermine the commitments set out in the Declaration

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand will resume about $29.8 million in annual funding to the Cook Islands as the two countries sign a defence and security declaration.

Signed by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, the declaration comes more than a year after Brown formally signed a strategic deal with China.

New Zealand had not been informed of the details or consulted ahead of time, despite the Cook Islands as a realm country being expected to do so on constitutional matters, defence and security.

Brown has maintained that expectation did not extend to the China deal, and that the deal did not include defence matters.

However, it did include cooperation with China on ocean infrastructure and transport.

Peters’ office had warned such a lack of transparency could have significant security implications.

This new declaration aims to clear up any ambiguity, setting out a shared understanding of the nature of both countries’ relationship regarding defence and security of the Cook Islands.

While the China deal remains in place, the New Zealand side believes the declaration will prevent similar deals being conducted without the details being communicated to New Zealand in future.

“This declaration resolves this former ambiguity and provide clarity to both governments so that we can move forward focused on the future, not the past,” Peters said at the signing.

Both sides have also been discussing over the past 18 months what the Cook Islands can cooperate with China on – and what it can’t.

Peters said it was vital the Cook Islands and New Zealand be “clear with one another and third parties, about the nature of our special relationship and our responsibilities to one another in the defence and security domains”.

The declaration includes clauses about a “deepened cooperation” between the two countries, and while it sets out that the Cook Islands has control over it internal affairs and can pursue its own foreign policy and diplomatic relationships, those are subject to the constitutional limits of free association – the model the two countries have operated under for six decades.

It says New Zealand is “committed to remaining the primary defence and security partner”, and both partners acknowledge that means timely, transparent and good-faith engagement on defence and security affecting either partner – with subclauses laying out the specifics in finer detail.

New Zealand’s Defence Force will have continued access to Cook Islands territory, and will uplift defence engagement.

Peters confirmed New Zealand’s financial support – about $29.8m annually, which has been on pause for two financial years as a result of the disputes – would be restored following the signing.

He said it had been a difficult decision to pause the funding.

“Now that we have come to a mutually satisfactory understanding of the underpinnings of our partnership, we are pleased to normalise all aspects of our relationship, including New Zealand’s financial support.

“Throughout the past two years, New Zealand has never wavered from our steadfast commitment to the Cook Islands people and their strong attachment to the free association relationship.

“We are pleased to now have a shared certainty about the contours of that relationship and we are grateful to Prime Minister Brown and his government for the constructive way they approached the negotiation of this declaration.”

Peters embarked on his one-day trip to Rarotonga on Wednesday in a Defence Force 757 to attend the signing after an informal meeting with Brown at Peters’ home last month.

That meeting was Brown’s first substantive discussion with either Peters or New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon since late 2024, although diplomatic discussions have continued between officials.

After Peters’ arrival in Avarua, Rarotonga, yesterday evening he and Brown met this morning to conclude the final details of the agreement.

Cook Islands and New Zealand relations were also strained from October 2024 after Brown proposed a separate passport for Cook Islanders.

Brown confirmed the following February – and just weeks before Brown signed the China deal – the passport idea was off the table after “New Zealand bared its teeth”.

New Zealand has also been concerned about the Cook Islands’ shipping registry, brought to a sharp point after Finland seized a CI-flagged vessel carrying Russian oil.

The ship Eagle S had been suspected of causing a power cable outage and damaging or breaking four internet lines in the Baltic sea.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand has not joined in the latest international call for responsible use of AI by the military, but has been taking part in the UN talks about autonomous weapons.

AI has been used in unprecedented ways in the war in Iran, for instance in drawing up hit lists and targeting missiles, according to overseas media reports.

Forbes has called it “the first AI war”.

Australia, Canada and the UK were among this country’s Five Eyes group partners that endorsed the non-binding call issued by the third summit on “responsible artificial intelligence in the military domain”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no one was sent to the summit in Spain in February, unlike the second summit in 2024 when the NZDF had someone there.

“Although we observe when resourcing allows, New Zealand is a not a member of REAIM,” MFAT said.

The US endorsed an earlier call from the 2024 summit of REAIM, a European government initiative.

The summits have been trying to nut out a blueprint for armies using AI but there remains no international law or legally-binding treaty that bans the use of lethal autonomous weapons.

Their calls to action have been described as “modest”.

The latest call said military AI “can and should” contribute to peace and security, for instance, by reducing exposure of military personnel and civilians to danger, and helping decisions to be faster and better.

But its risks had to be corralled within frameworks of international humanitarian and human rights law, it said.

In March, NZ permanent mission staff in Geneva took part in the UN talks on lethal autonomous weapons, MFAT said.

These revolved around work by a group of government experts on the conditions where autonomous weapons could be developed and used legally.

The March talks referred to a new report by a leading Swedish thinktank that said militaries must change their AI weapons buying practices to build into them political commitments to responsible use.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in the US the Pentagon had previously stressed that its flagship Replicator initiative – to build fleets of thousands of drones focused in the Indo-Pacific – was based on policies for ethical use of AI.

But it added, “the tension between acquisition speed and thorough legal, safety and ethical review remains unresolved in public documentation.”

More recently, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has hit the accelerator on emerging tech development, while at the same time deriding “stupid rules of engagement” aimed at reducing mistakes and civilian casualties.

The Stockholm study said militaries seeking speed were turning to commercial AI solutions rather than the traditional approach of ordering what they need, custom-made. This was leading to the fielding of “minimum viable capabilities” often without a whole lot of pre-testing.

“States may even knowingly accept governance trade-offs under acute security or operational pressures,” it said.

The commercial, minimum viable approach has been gathering pace at the New Zealand Defence Force in the last year.

The study said governments should invest in evaluation mechanisms for military AI, and strengthen that by clear thinking in the military about what they want the AI they buy to do, backed up with solid ways to assure commercial suppliers’ tech was set to meet political obligations.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former Navy ship commander faced an earlier complaint of unwanted touching before she was acquitted at a court martial of inviting a junior officer to kiss her on the cheek.

Bronwyn Heslop was the commander of HMNZS Canterbury when she was alleged to have encouraged a junior officer to kiss her by tapping her own cheek in a bar, during a deployment in Fiji in March 2023.

She was found not guilty of doing an act to prejudice service discipline at a court martial in February.

The earlier complaint of touching – revealed in documents released by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to RNZ under the Official Information Act – alleged that Commander Heslop “placed her hands on a member of the NZDF’s neck and shoulders without their consent and made comments that made them feel uncomfortable”.

Military police found there was not enough evidence to lay a charge, but the complaint did result in “administrative action” taken by command.

The NZDF said a command investigation followed the two complaints against Commander Heslop in 2024, to determine whether there was a “pattern of behaviour” inconsistent with the NZDF’s core values. It concluded with administrative actions, which can range from counselling to warnings.

Commander Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said she denies any wrongdoing in relation to all the allegations.

Heslop became the first female officer to be in charge of a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel, when she took command of HMNZS Moa in 1998.

She became the ship commander of HMNZS Canterbury in April 2022, and the NZDF said she had reached the natural end of that tenure by September 2025.

She is now in a shore-based role in Military Maritime Operation Orders.

Survivor: ‘They hung her out to dry’

A survivor of sexual assault said Commander Heslop was hung out to dry while more serious sexual allegations against men in the military were dealt with behind closed doors.

Karina Andrews had her statutory name suppression lifted to speak out about the sexual abuse by her father, former Air Force Sergeant Robert Roper, which started when she was six years old.

As a child, she was interviewed by members of the Royal New Zealand Airforce in the same room as her abuser.

Andrews, who was involved in the early stages of NZDF’s Operation Respect when it was launched in 2016, said things haven’t improved as much as they should have, and that the “old boys’ club” where men in the military looked after their own was still “alive and kicking”.

Andrews said the alleged behaviour in both complaints against Commander Heslop were not fitting for a ship commander.

However, she said the alleged behaviour did not warrant a court martial, and she felts the military was prosecuting the less serious cases to show they were still doing something about the culture.

“Pretty pissed off that they would use that to say ‘hey, we’re doing something with Operation Respect’, they hung her out to dry, because they needed a win,” she said.

Andrews said if similar allegations were made against a male, it would not have resulted in a court martial.

“I know that there have been some women that have been rail-roaded into making a closed disclosure, because the military can deal with that, and nine times out of ten it is because it’s a high ranking staff member that has performed a sexual assault, that’s still the old boys looking after their own, and that hasn’t changed,” she said.

Andrews said she had spoken directly to two female NZDF staff who complained of sexual assault by male staff in the past two years, who had their complaints dealt with internally.

RNZ asked the NZDF about the allegations of its treatment of the two women, but the NZDF has not responded directly.

It said the sex of the accused person was not a factor in their decision to lay a charge in Commander Heslop’s case.

It also added that members of NZDF are free to report concerns to other independent agencies, such as the police.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s survey of more than 6000 defence personnel found that 78 people (1.3 percent of respondents) experienced unwanted sexual activity in the 12 months to March 2023.

It found junior uniformed women were particularly affected, with 7.2 percent of them among respondents reporting unwanted sexual activity, and 24.6 percent reporting some form of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Andrews said she felt that the unwanted sexual behaviour was under-reported, based on her wide contacts in the military and people who had come to her for advice on how to proceed on a complaint.

NZDF said it had made significant progress with Operation Respect, since the review in 2020.

A refreshed Operation Respect strategy with a 20-year outlook was released in June 2024, it said.

NZDF: Charge needed to be laid in alleged kissing incident

The NZDF said there was a well-founded allegation of an offence under the Armed Forces Discipline Act (AFDA) regarding the alleged kissing incident, and that they were legally required to lay a charge.

It said the charge first went to summary trial, and Commander Heslop later was given the right to elect court martial – which she chose to do.

Commander Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said her decision to select court martial was a necessary step to access her basic right to a fair legal process.

“A summary trial lacks the protections afforded to all other New Zealanders, such as the right to legal representation and a trial presided over by an independent Judge,” he said.

Following Commander Heslop’s electing court martial, a decision still needed to be made by the director of military prosecutions to proceed the case to court martial.

NZDF said allegations referred to the director of military prosecutions must satisfy both the evidential and public interest tests.

“If an accused at summary trial elects trial by court martial, this will normally weigh in favour of laying the charge or charges before the court martial, provided the evidential test is met,” it said.

“As the evidential test was deemed met in this case, the charges proceed to court martial,” said the NZDF.

Law professor: discretion needed in Armed Forces Discipline Act for lower level allegations

Retired Auckland University law professor Bill Hodge sat on court martial panels for sexual assault cases when he served in the US Army.

He said he was perplexed as to why Commander Heslop’s case ended up in front of a court martial.

“I wondered why it is at that level, that’s the most senior level, it’s a lot of valuable time of valuable experienced people, and it looked like they should not be spending their time on this type of case,” he said.

He said the allegations were at a relatively low level, and based on his knowledge of military courts, the allegation of soliciting a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t even have reached the level of a summary court.

Hodge however said he understands how a ship commander can be held to a higher standard.

Hodge said there needs to be more discretion in the Armed Forces Discipline Act, where even if a charge is well founded, there could be the option of selecting a form of punishment akin to “company level punishment” – such as training, warning and counselling.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds have been promoted to Cabinet, as the prime minister reshuffles his ministerial lineup.

The reshuffle also sees first-term MPs Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick made ministers outside Cabinet.

The changes were necessitated by the upcoming retirement of Judith Collins, as well as Dr Shane Reti’s decision to stand down at the election.

Collins’ defence, space, and GCSB and NZSIS portfolios have been given to Penk, Paul Goldsmith takes on responsibility for the public service and digitising government, and Chris Bishop picks up the attorney-general role.

Bishop’s position as Leader of the House has been given to Louise Upston.

Bishop, who was also National’s campaign chair, was widely tipped to lose some ministerial portfolios to ease his workload to free him up for the campaign. Instead, it is the role of campaign chair that he has had to relinquish, to Simeon Brown.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Bishop had a “massive workload” with housing, transport, infrastructure, RMA reform, and his new attorney-general role, and losing the campaign chair was a consequence of that.

Luxon said the two had a “very positive conversation” and he “absolutely” trusted Bishop.

“He’s key to our team, he’s a critical part of our senior leadership group,” he said.

Luxon denied it was anything to do with rumours Bishop was running the numbers against him last year.

“I think you’re really overthinking this,” Luxon said.

He said Brown was equally capable of chairing the campaign, as part of his “brains trust” which included Bishop, Upston, Goldsmith, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Simmonds takes up Reti’s science, innovation, and technology portfolio, and his universities role has been disestablished to make Simmonds the minister for tertiary education.

She had previously been minister for vocational education, as well as environment. The latter has been given to Nicola Grigg, who remains outside Cabinet.

Goldsmith also becomes the new minister for Pacific Peoples, with Luxon admitting National did not have Pacific representation.

“I freely admit we don’t have a Pasifika person in our National Party team and in our Cabinet. That’s something that we’re working very hard on. As I’ve said to you before, we need to make sure we continue to work as we go to 2026 on the campaign on getting great candidates from the Pasifika world.”

Brewer, who has been chairing Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee (a weighty role which often leads to a ministerial promotion) has been made minister of commerce and consumer affairs and minister for small business and manufacturing, while Butterick will become minister for land information.

Luxon said he wanted to make a “super small business minister” role by giving Brewer the two roles, while Butterick was a “natural leader” of National’s rural MPs.

Brewer would also take over supermarket reforms, as the previous Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Scott Simpson had a conflict which had led to Willis taking responsibility.

Other changes include Brown picking up the energy portfolio from Simon Watts, who in turn takes over Brown’s minister for Auckland role.

Luxon said the past few weeks had underlined how important energy security was, and so was giving the role to a “senior” minister.

He said he had not lost confidence in Watts.

Luxon acknowledged Collins and Reti’s departures.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

Matt Doocey remains in Cabinet, and has not picked up any portfolios other than his existing mental health role.

He had been the sole South Island representative in Cabinet, but that has now doubled with Simmonds’ addition.

The changes come into effect on Tuesday, 7 April.

Luxon had not reshuffled his lineup since January 2025, other than to promote Scott Simpson to a role outside Cabinet following Andrew Bayly’s resignation.

The reshuffle applies to National Party ministers only, meaning ACT’s Brooke van Velden will continue in her portfolios despite her decision to retire from Parliament at the election.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds have been promoted to Cabinet, as the prime minister reshuffles his ministerial lineup.

The reshuffle also sees first-term MPs Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick made ministers outside Cabinet.

The changes were necessitated by the upcoming retirement of Judith Collins, as well as Dr Shane Reti’s decision to stand down at the election.

Collins’ defence, space, and GCSB and NZSIS portfolios have been given to Penk, Paul Goldsmith takes on responsibility for the public service and digitising government, and Chris Bishop picks up the Attorney-General role.

Bishop’s position as Leader of the House has been given to Louise Upston.

Simmonds takes up Reti’s science, innovation, and technology portfolio, and his universities role has been disestablished to make Simmonds the minister for tertiary education.

She had previously been minister for vocational education, as well as environment. The latter has been given to Nicola Grigg, who remains outside Cabinet.

Brewer, who has been chairing Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee (a weighty role which often leads to a ministerial promotion) has been made minister of commerce and consumer affairs and minister for small business and manufacturing, while Butterick will become minister for Land Information.

Other changes include Simeon Brown picking up the energy portfolio from Simon Watts, who in turn takes over Brown’s minister for Auckland role.

Prime minister Christopher Luxon said the past few weeks had underline how important energy security was, and so was giving the role to a “senior” minister.

Luxon acknowledged Collins and Reti’s departures.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

The changes come into effect on Tuesday, 7 April.

Luxon had not reshuffled his lineup since January 2025, other than to promote Scott Simpson to a role outside Cabinet following Andrew Bayly’s resignation.

The reshuffle applies to National Party ministers only, meaning ACT’s Brooke van Velden will continue in her portfolios despite her decision to retire from Parliament at the election.

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Source: New Zealand Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced a refreshed ministerial lineup to continue fixing the basics and protecting New Zealand’s future.

“New Zealanders are facing economic challenges brought on by conflict in the Middle East and its effect on fuel supply across the world,” says Christopher Luxon.

“Having a strong ministerial team with real-world experience to deliver our response is crucial. Today’s reshuffle reflects that and brings in new talent.

“Having successfully delivered significant reforms from outside Cabinet, Chris Penk will now join Cabinet, picking up the Defence, GCSB and NZSIS, and Space portfolios. Chris’ time in the NZDF leaves him well placed to lead the work our Government has done in raising the status and capability of our armed forces.

“Penny Simmonds also joins Cabinet with responsibility for Tertiary Education and Science, Innovation and Technology. Penny has successfully delivered reforms to the vocational education sector, also from outside Cabinet, and will bring her extensive governance experience to her new portfolios.

“The past few weeks have underlined how important energy security is and as such I will be elevating the Energy portfolio to senior minister Simeon Brown.

“Chris Bishop becomes Attorney-General and Paul Goldsmith takes responsibility for the Public Service and Digitising Government, and Pacific Peoples portfolios.

“Louise Upston will become Leader of the House and Simon Watts will be Minister for Auckland.

“Nicola Grigg becomes Minister for the Environment and Scott Simpson becomes Minister of Statistics and Deputy Leader of the House. 

“Joining as a Minister outside Cabinet, Cameron Brewer becomes Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Small Business and Manufacturing, and Associate Minister of Immigration. Mike Butterick becomes Minister for Land Information and Associate Minister of Agriculture.

“Finally, I acknowledge the public service of Judith Collins and Shane Reti who, between them, have dedicated almost 40 years to representing their communities in Parliament.

“Judith was first elected in 2002 and since then, has held numerous different ministerial portfolios and served as Leader of the Opposition. This term, she has delivered the Defence Capability Plan, advanced New Zealand’s space industry and modernised of our public service.

“In Shane’s 12 years in Parliament, he has served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition and has delivered key reforms as a minister, including improving the commerciality of our science sector to boost incomes and create jobs. He has also played a key role in projects that will benefit New Zealanders for generations, like the third medical school and expanded cancer screening.  

“I would also like to acknowledge the staff who have supported Judith and Shane throughout their time here.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the Government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

These changes will come into effect on Tuesday 7 April.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Parts of the Far North are still cleaning up and some whānau are unable to return to their homes one week after a major storm battered the district.

The settlement of Whirinaki was worst hit in the deluge of 26 March, but many other areas around the Hokianga Harbour – including Wekaweka Valley, Waimamaku, Panguru and Pawarenga – were inundated and isolated.

Months’ worth of rain, more than 300mm, fell in 48 hours.

That was despite last week’s red heavy rain warning applying to the northeast coast, not western areas such as Hokianga.

Ruth Tautari, who is leading the recovery for the Whirinaki Trust, said the river burst its banks and flooded a roughly 2km stretch of State Highway 12 through the middle of the settlement.

The speed with which the water rose shocked even those who remembered the infamous 1999 floods.

“Within a 10 minute period, the water went from touching the road to running fully down the centre of the main highway, a metre high. It was pretty crazy.”

Tautari said 65 homes had been affected.

“Nine whānau homes were lost or damaged where the water went through. We have three whānau who are in emergency accommodation, we’ve got another three who are living with their whānau off site, and the other ones are living in the drier parts of their homes.”

Much of the clean-up was focussed on removing a deep layer of silt.

“In some parts it’s quite deep. About mid-thigh height, deeper in some places. We’ve got workers on diggers clearing access ways, clearing silt from whānau homes, and then we’ve got another couple of work crews in the river, removing some of the debris and slash that’s come down.”

Tautari said the silt had been contaminated by flooded septic tanks and was causing health problems, especially now it was drying out and turning to dust.

“There’s obviously respiratory issues and coughing, and a couple of people have gone down with sicknesses … The smell is gross.”

She said everyone had been evacuated safely before water swept through their homes.

Tautari said locals were grateful for the “huge support and awhi” they had received.

Whirinaki’s usual evacuation centre at Moria Marae was cut off by floodwaters, so Kōkōhuia Marae in Ōmāpere opened its doors to the evacuees until it was safe to go home.

Marae were also continuing to feed workers involved in the clean-up.

Green MP Hūhana Lyndon spent days visiting storm-battered settlements on either side of the Hokianga Harbour, including Whirinaki.

“All the debris, all the trees, all sorts came down. The river broke its banks in five places. It flooded right through the middle of the valley and cut off roads, services and flooded out homes. There’s massive silt damage across many homes and some are completely uninhabitable.”

If that was not bad enough, Whirinaki had also been hit by fire.

One of the flooded homes burnt down on Sunday night in a blaze thought to have been caused by water getting into the wiring.

“So the haukāinga have now commissioned an electrician to do a full assessment of the water-logged homes, because you need to start repairing or finding alternatives for these whānau. And you can’t do that if the blinkin’ house burns down.”

The soaring price of fuel was putting more pressure on flood-affected residents.

“We’re trying to keep whānau at home so services get out to them, and they don’t have to go looking for kai and access to supermarkets and driving to Kaitāia when the roads are so bad.”

Lyndon said some residents were getting the “0800-number merry-go-round” as they tried to contact the many different government agencies they needed to deal with.

After the January flood in Ōakura, the Whangārei District Council ran a series of highly successful “drop-in clinics” where people could talk to all agencies and service providers in one place.

She urged the Far North District Council to do something similar.

Areas that recorded the highest rainfall included the isolated Wekaweka Valley, just north of Waipoua Forest.

Max Osborne said he had seen many storms since he moved to the valley since 1974, but none as damaging as last week’s deluge.

He said the force of the water piled up rocks three metres deep against a bridge, diverting the river and flooding homes further downstream.

After being cut off for days, Osborne and a neighbour walked around the buried bridge and a major slip, then hitchhiked to the nearest town for supplies.

Power and communications were out for days and the road reopened on Tuesday night, five days after the storm.

Osborne said he was fortunate because his home was undamaged.

Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board member Jessie McVeagh said she had been door-to-door with Civil Defence crews to check on residents in places like Wekaweka Valley.

Further downstream, in Waimamaku, the whole valley had filled up a like a lake.

Some people still lacked basic necessities, she said.

“There’s places now that still don’t have water and we’re calling in for drinking water and tankers now. And containers to collect it, because some people have lost everything.”

Ruth Tautari said the past week had been tough, but the storm had brought out the best in her community.

“Everyone’s been helping each other, and we’ve been really resilient, but you can see the toll and the trauma and the heartbreak in our whānau and it’s heartbreaking to see. The positive side of it, it’s really good to see the strength of the community working together.”

The Far North District Council said it was now clear the west of the district had suffered the worst effects of the storm.

Rapid Response Teams and the Defence Force had so far distributed food and water to nine towns and settlements, from Kaitāia in the north to Waimamaku in the south.

As of Wednesday, 377 homes had been assessed, and portable toilets, skips and septic tank assessments had been provided.

All 99 roads affected by flooding or slips had reopened, but 11 still had restrictions in place such as being reduced to one lane.

The council was due to decide on Thursday whether to extend the state of emergency in place across the district since the 26th of March.

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Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

NEW YORK, April 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HCACU) (“HCAC”) and REEcycle Holdings, Inc. (“REEcycle”) today announced the execution of a non-binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) for a proposed de-SPAC business combination.

The proposed transaction values REEcycle at approximately US$600 million, assuming no redemptions by HCAC public shareholders, with REEcycle existing shareholders expected to roll 100% of their equity into the combined publicly listed entity. The transaction is expected to include a minimum US$50 million PIPE financing at US$10.00 per share, providing committed capital at closing and supporting the execution of REEcycle’s near-term growth strategy.

The transaction comes at a pivotal time for U.S. critical minerals policy. China currently controls an estimated 90% of rare earth separation and processing and ~93% of permanent magnet manufacturing globally.¹ In response, the U.S. Government, through Department of Defense and Department of Energy initiatives, has committed billions of dollars to strengthening domestic critical mineral supply chains, including rare earth processing.² REEcycle has been awarded and is drawing upon US$5.1 million of Defense Production Act funding, supporting the advancement of its domestic rare earth processing capabilities.

REEcycle is advancing a technology-led solution to rare earth supply constraints. Its proprietary recycling process extracts and separates rare earth elements from end-of-life electronics and industrial products, offering a faster, lower-capex and scalable alternative to traditional mining. This approach enables near-term domestic supply while reducing exposure to geopolitical disruption.

The global rare earth market was valued at approximately US$19 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach ~US$36.7 billion by 2034, with recycling expected to grow at an accelerated rate as demand for domestically sourced materials increases.³

REEcycle’s Executive Chairman and largest shareholder is Mick McMullen, a highly respected mining executive with over 30 years of leadership experience across global mining and capital markets. He is best known for his tenure as President and CEO of Detour Gold Corporation, where he grew the company’s market capitalisation from C$2.1 billion to C$4.9 billion in nine months, culminating in its acquisition by Kirkland Lake Gold.⁴ His investment in REEcycle reflects strong conviction in recycling-led onshoring.

“We are addressing a critical U.S. supply gap with a faster and more capital-efficient solution than traditional mining, scalable across the U.S. and globally. This is both a technology opportunity and a national security priority.”

— Mick McMullen, Executive Chairman, REEcycle Holdings

Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp. raised US$207 million in its Nasdaq IPO in November 2025 and is focused on transactions in critical minerals and industrial technology sectors.

“REEcycle represents a rare combination of proprietary technology, experienced leadership, and direct alignment with U.S. critical minerals strategy. We see this as a platform capable of becoming a meaningful domestic supplier, and we are excited to bring that opportunity to public investors.”

— Alex Bono, CEO, Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp.

Exclusivity

The parties have agreed to a 60-day exclusivity period to undertake due diligence and negotiate a definitive Business Combination Agreement.

Non-Binding Letter of Intent

The LOI is non-binding and subject to the execution of definitive agreements, completion of due diligence, required approvals, and customary closing conditions. There can be no assurance that a transaction will be completed.

Important Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed business combination, including expected structure, financing, timing and benefits. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the ability to execute definitive agreements, obtain approvals, satisfy closing conditions and maintain listing status. This press release does not constitute an offer or solicitation of securities. In connection with the proposed transaction, HCAC intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC. Investors are urged to review these materials when available at www.sec.gov. No obligation is undertaken to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

1 CSIS, “China Rare Earth Restrictions,” 2025.
2 U.S. State Dept., “Critical Minerals Fact Sheet,” 2026.
3 Grand Research Store, “Rare Earth Market Report,” 2025
4 Globe and Mail, “Kirkland–Detour Gold deal,” 2019; Business Wire, “Kirkland Lake Gold acquisition,” 2019.

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former Navy ship commander faced an earlier complaint of unwanted touching before she was acquitted at a court martial of inviting a junior officer to kiss her on the cheek.

Bronwyn Heslop was the commander of HMNZS Canterbury when she was alleged to have encouraged a junior officer to kiss her by tapping her own cheek in a bar, during a deployment in Fiji in March 2023.

She was found not guilty of doing an act to prejudice service discipline at a court martial in February.

The earlier complaint of touching – revealed in documents released by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to RNZ under the Official Information Act – alleged that Commander Heslop “placed her hands on a member of the NZDF’s neck and shoulders without their consent and made comments that made them feel uncomfortable”.

Military police found there was not enough evidence to lay a charge, but the complaint did result in “administrative action” taken by command.

The NZDF said a command investigation followed the two complaints against Commander Heslop in 2024, to determine whether there was a “pattern of behaviour” inconsistent with the NZDF’s core values. It concluded with administrative actions, which can range from counselling to warnings.

Commander Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said she denies any wrongdoing in relation to all the allegations.

Heslop became the first female officer to be in charge of a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel, when she took command of HMNZS Moa in 1998.

She became the ship commander of HMNZS Canterbury in April 2022, and the NZDF said she had reached the natural end of that tenure by September 2025.

She is now in a shore-based role in Military Maritime Operation Orders.

Survivor: ‘They hung her out to dry’

A survivor of sexual assault said Commander Heslop was hung out to dry while more serious sexual allegations against men in the military were dealt with behind closed doors.

Karina Andrews had her statutory name suppression lifted to speak out about the sexual abuse by her father, former Air Force Sergeant Robert Roper, which started when she was six years old.

As a child, she was interviewed by members of the Royal New Zealand Airforce in the same room as her abuser.

Andrews, who was involved in the early stages of NZDF’s Operation Respect when it was launched in 2016, said things haven’t improved as much as they should have, and that the “old boys’ club” where men in the military looked after their own was still “alive and kicking”.

Andrews said the alleged behaviour in both complaints against Commander Heslop were not fitting for a ship commander.

However, she said the alleged behaviour did not warrant a court martial, and she felts the military was prosecuting the less serious cases to show they were still doing something about the culture.

“Pretty pissed off that they would use that to say ‘hey, we’re doing something with Operation Respect’, they hung her out to dry, because they needed a win,” she said.

Andrews said if similar allegations were made against a male, it would not have resulted in a court martial.

“I know that there have been some women that have been rail-roaded into making a closed disclosure, because the military can deal with that, and nine times out of ten it is because it’s a high ranking staff member that has performed a sexual assault, that’s still the old boys looking after their own, and that hasn’t changed,” she said.

Andrews said she had spoken directly to two female NZDF staff who complained of sexual assault by male staff in the past two years, who had their complaints dealt with internally.

RNZ asked the NZDF about the allegations of its treatment of the two women, but the NZDF has not responded directly.

It said the sex of the accused person was not a factor in their decision to lay a charge in Commander Heslop’s case.

It also added that members of NZDF are free to report concerns to other independent agencies, such as the police.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s survey of more than 6000 defence personnel found that 78 people (1.3 percent of respondents) experienced unwanted sexual activity in the 12 months to March 2023.

It found junior uniformed women were particularly affected, with 7.2 percent of them among respondents reporting unwanted sexual activity, and 24.6 percent reporting some form of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Andrews said she felt that the unwanted sexual behaviour was under-reported, based on her wide contacts in the military and people who had come to her for advice on how to proceed on a complaint.

NZDF said it had made significant progress with Operation Respect, since the review in 2020.

A refreshed Operation Respect strategy with a 20-year outlook was released in June 2024, it said.

NZDF: Charge needed to be laid in alleged kissing incident

The NZDF said there was a well-founded allegation of an offence under the Armed Forces Discipline Act (AFDA) regarding the alleged kissing incident, and that they were legally required to lay a charge.

It said the charge first went to summary trial, and Commander Heslop later was given the right to elect court martial – which she chose to do.

Commander Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said her decision to select court martial was a necessary step to access her basic right to a fair legal process.

“A summary trial lacks the protections afforded to all other New Zealanders, such as the right to legal representation and a trial presided over by an independent Judge,” he said.

Following Commander Heslop’s electing court martial, a decision still needed to be made by the director of military prosecutions to proceed the case to court martial.

NZDF said allegations referred to the director of military prosecutions must satisfy both the evidential and public interest tests.

“If an accused at summary trial elects trial by court martial, this will normally weigh in favour of laying the charge or charges before the court martial, provided the evidential test is met,” it said.

“As the evidential test was deemed met in this case, the charges proceed to court martial,” said the NZDF.

Law professor: discretion needed in Armed Forces Discipline Act for lower level allegations

Retired Auckland University law professor Bill Hodge sat on court martial panels for sexual assault cases when he served in the US Army.

He said he was perplexed as to why Commander Heslop’s case ended up in front of a court martial.

“I wondered why it is at that level, that’s the most senior level, it’s a lot of valuable time of valuable experienced people, and it looked like they should not be spending their time on this type of case,” he said.

He said the allegations were at a relatively low level, and based on his knowledge of military courts, the allegation of soliciting a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t even have reached the level of a summary court.

Hodge however said he understands how a ship commander can be held to a higher standard.

Hodge said there needs to be more discretion in the Armed Forces Discipline Act, where even if a charge is well founded, there could be the option of selecting a form of punishment akin to “company level punishment” – such as training, warning and counselling.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

David Tamihere’s murder convictions have been quashed, after nearly four decades, re-opening wounds and calling into question whether justice has actually been served

It took a jailhouse lawyer and a justice campaigner to break open a 36-year-old case and push for another day in court for David Tamihere, exposing a system that doesn’t like to think it’s made a mistake.

That’s investigative journalist Mike White’s take on the news this week that David Tamihere’s convictions for murdering Swedish tourists Heidi Paakkonen and Sven Urban Höglin have been quashed in a “remarkable decision” by the Supreme Court.

“It’s not too often that you get one of the most controversial cases in New Zealand’s history turned on its head,” says White, a senior writer for The Post and Sunday Star-Times who has written extensively about the case.

The five Supreme Court judges in a “very strong”, unanimous decision directed a retrial should be heard. The Crown prosecutor now has to decide whether to proceed with a retrial.

“It’s basically saying the Court of Appeal, our second most powerful and second most senior court in New Zealand got it really wrong,” says White.

In 2024, the Court of Appeal found there had been a miscarriage of justice but declined to quash his convictions.

White says the Supreme Court has made it clear that it is not saying that Tamihere is innocent, it is simply saying that his trial was fundamentally unfair and that the new case that has been brought by the Crown with a new scenario about the location of the Swedish couple has not been tested by a jury.

“That’s a fundamental right that David Tamihere has.

“So they [the Supreme Court Judges] are saying that Tamihere might be found guilty but to do that you need a new trial.”

White says this week’s decision is the right one in the interests of justice because so much of the evidence has been knocked out or refigured. But it also means the families of the victims have to relive the terrible events.

In today’s podcast, White sets out what happened in 1989 when Paakkonen and Höglin were reported missing on the Coromandel Peninsula, the arrest of Tamihere, his conviction and sentence.

Over the years, White has interviewed Tamihere – who has always insisted he is innocent – and spoken to people in Sweden closely connected to the case. This week it is once again front page news in Sweden and White’s story on Saturday will give that perspective.

“We think this is a New Zealand case, but this is still a very important case in Sweden which a lot of people remember and the country over there is still fascinated with.”

White details how in 2023 he broke the story about the involvement of the late property developer, Sir Bob Jones. Tamihere was in prison for less than a year when the lead investigator in Operation Stockholm, Detective Inspector John Hughes, met Sir Bob at a function. The two knew each other through their mutual interest in boxing.

“John Hughes came up to him allegedly. John Hughes had had a bit to drink and Bob Jones said that he started poking him in the chest and said, ‘I got Tamihere. We stitched him up, but he was guilty.”

Sir Bob was “absolutely adamant” that it had happened and wrote an affidavit for Tamihere’s lawyers explaining it, says White.

He says the case attracted a lot of attention, partly because it reflected badly on New Zealand.

“Here were two innocent travellers who’d come to New Zealand to enjoy what it offers and had disappeared and been murdered. All of a sudden it has sullied New Zealand’s reputation somewhat,” he says.

But there was much more to it.

“The police case against Tamihere had a lot of questions about it from the start and many more arose after Urban Höglin’s body was found, and they’ve continued.

“Everyone is trying to get to the bottom of it. It’s a whodunit in its most basic form. Like a lot of these cases, [the question is] have we got the right person and has justice been served?

“I think therefore it’s natural that journalists have continued to look at this and there have been some remarkably fine pieces of journalism written about the David Tamihere case including by Donna Chisholm, the legendary journalist, in North and South magazine.”

White says it’s not the first time a conviction has been overturned by journalists or others outside the system, like the jailhouse lawyer Arthur Taylor, private investigator Tim McKinnel and lawyer Nick Chisnall.

“What does it say? It says it’s a system that doesn’t like to contemplate that it’s made a mistake and it’s left to other people, not the authorities, not the police, not the Crown to push for the right questions to be asked and for another day in court for these people, leading to wrongful convictions being exposed,” White tells The Detail.

“This week’s decision is another example of how slowly and painfully the system works when it sometimes might have got it wrong.”

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

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

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

A former Auckland executive who was convicted of receiving “commercial sexual services” from a person aged under 18 can now be named.

Greg Hornblow’s name suppression has now lapsed.

Hornblow, who is former OneRoof chief at NZME, admitted to the charge in November 2025.

He was sentenced at the Auckland District Court in early March to 10-month home detention and ordered to pay $3000 in emotional harm reparations.

The man’s lawyer, Graeme Newell sought a discharge without conviction, saying his client believed the girl involved to be 17-years-old.

But in reality she was 14.

He cited the hardship Hornblow would have in finding work, as well as the impact it would have on his family.

Newell said the consequences of his actions had already been significant and that a conviction would make them extended and amplified.

He said Hornblow was deeply ashamed of what he had done.

Details of the relationship between the two were outlined by Judge Kathryn Maxwell in the Auckland District Court during the case.

The executive met the girl over Snapchat in September of 2025.

He reported himself as a sugar daddy, according to the summary of the offending.

The victim asked for UberEats, which the executive provided in exchange for intimate photos and videos of the girl, Judge Maxwell said.

Over the course of three weeks, she sent 12 photos and 19 videos of a sexual nature, including a short video of her in her school uniform.

He paid $1000 to the teen to come to his house, where the two engaged in unspecified sexual activity in his bedroom, Judge Maxwell said.

The man told the girl he couldn’t pay her for sex, and instructed her to say she wanted to have sex and he had just given her the money.

Judge Maxwell said the victim felt disgusted by her interaction with the man.

She said he had effectively enticed her to prostitute herself, and coached her to avoid the application of the law.

“I do not accept the offending was less serious because the victim consented,” she said.

Under the Prostitution Reform Act, no one under the age of 18 may be contracted for commercial sexual services. The legal age of consent is 16.

Maxwell said the victim was underage for what he intended, and he knew it.

Judge Maxwell refused Hornblow’s application for a discharge without conviction, as well as his permanent name suppression.

A law change last year meant the victim had to agree to the man’s identity remaining suppressed, which Judge Maxwell said she did not.

She gave discounts for his guilty plea, remorse, and reported good character.

He was convicted , and sentenced to 10-months of home detention as well as the $3000 in emotional harm reparations.

At the time, Judge Maxwell granted interim suppression for Hornblow which has now lapsed.

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

Source: New Zealand Police

Police is still taking a firm approach to unsafe driving behaviour from travellers going anywhere on our roads this Easter holiday weekend.

Over Easter weekend in 2025, four lives were lost on roads – down from seven deaths recorded for the same period the year before.

Superintendent Steve Greally, Director of Road Policing, says we can all do much better. We still need drivers and road users to make smart decisions to keep themselves and others safe or they can expect to be ticketed, he says.

“Our staff will be out patrolling roads at any time and any where over Easter weekend and we will use the appropriate enforcement action if motorists are thought to be risking the safety of themselves and others on the roads.

“We are taking a serious stance to ensure we don’t see more lives lost on our roads.”

Police will maintain a high level of visibility on our roads in order to prevent unsafe behaviours and enforce the law with a clear focus on reducing road trauma.

Superintendent Greally urges drivers to consider the safety of others and their own when getting behind the wheel and consider how your actions, can change the lives of people in an instant.

“Decisions when driving can put a life in the balance that’s why it’s important not to overlook them whenever or wherever you’re travelling.

“Make good choices. Put that seatbelt on – both your own and your kids. You don’t need to drink and drive – get a taxi or a ride-share like Uber or Didi or have a sober driver get you home. Never use your phone while driving, that distraction could cost a life, and slow down, plan your holiday journey so you don’t have to hurry anywhere.

“Any of these will improve the chances of you arriving at your destination safely.”

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Team

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand has joined Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom in expressing “deep concern” about an Israeli bill expanding the death penalty for Palestinians.

Winston Peters posted on social media on Wednesday night, indicating New Zealand had joined the other nations, and emphasising the country’s opposition “for decades” to the death penalty “in all circumstances”.

It comes as the Green Party tried on Wednesday to move a motion in Parliament on the issue, but failed to get the support of all parties.

The ACT party told RNZ it did not support the motion being put without notice, and noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs was responsible for expressing New Zealand’s position on international issues.

Earlier this week, the Israeli parliament finalised a controversial bill that would effectively expand the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism and nationalistic murders.

The bill stipulated that residents in the West Bank who killed an Israeli “with the intent to negate the existence of the State of Israel” would be sentenced to death.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom released a joint statementexpressing their “deep concern” about the bill, saying it would “significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel”.

“We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles.

“The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading form of punishment without any deterring effect. This is why we oppose the death penalty, whatever the circumstances around the world. The rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental value that unites us.”

The statement also urged the Israeli decision makers to “abandon these plans”.

The Green party wanted to highlight the issue in parliament, and sought support from across the House to move a motion without notice.

Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick told reporters on Wednesday afternoon convention stipulated motions without notice needed prior agreement from all parties.

“This stops spurious motions going up and clogging the time of our parliament.”

The motion read that the “New Zealand House of Representatives expresses deep concern about Israel’s new legislation which extends the use of the death penalty against Palestinians living under unlawful occupation; shares the concerns of Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy about the “de facto discriminatory character’ of the legislation; and calls on the Israeli Government to reverse this legislation”.

Labour and Te Pāti Māori both told RNZ they supported the motion.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said his party would firmly support a motion in the House to condemn Israel’s use of the death penalty against Palestianians.

“It clearly discriminates against Palestinians – a point underscored by the fact that the law does not apply to Israeli extremists who commit similar crimes. There are major issues with the process including that it removes the right to an appeal. By condemning Israel, we would stand alongside the United Nations, EU and the UK.”

Te Pāti Māori told RNZ it supported the motion, and queried why other parties had not.

“This law further embeds discrimination into Israel’s justice system by allowing Palestinians to be sentenced to death while others are not subject to the same punishment for similar acts,” a spokesperson for the party said.

“It sits within the context of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, and the backdrop of Israel and the United States’ illegal invasion of Iran and Lebanon.”

National and New Zealand First did not respond to queries but the ACT party told RNZ it did not support the motion being put without notice.

A spokesperson for the party said it noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs was responsible for expressing New Zealand’s position on international issues, and “ACT supports that approach over symbolic motions in the House”.

“If the House passed a motion every time a country passed a law of concern, we would spend more time talking about other countries’ legislation than our own.

“All MPs have the right to put a motion on notice under Standing Orders.”

In response, Swarbrick said it was “deeply disappointing” and acknowledged the point was “symbolism”.

“I can point to many different examples when the ACT Party, for example, has put forward very similar motions, evidently for the very purpose of that same symbolism, which in turn means something on the international stage.

“It felt particularly pertinent for our country to take a stand against the perpetuation of abuse of human rights with the Israeli parliament passing the ability to effectively murder, to slaughter Palestinian hostages and prisoners.”

She said a motion on notice did not have the status of being read out in Parliament and having the backing of every single parliamentary party.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand has not joined in the latest international call for responsible use of AI by the military, but has been taking part in the UN talks about autonomous weapons.

AI has been used in unprecedented ways in the war in Iran, for instance in drawing up hit lists and targeting missiles, according to overseas media reports.

Forbes has called it “the first AI war”.

Australia, Canada and the UK were among this country’s Five Eyes group partners that endorsed the non-binding call issued by the third summit on “responsible artificial intelligence in the military domain”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no one was sent to the summit in Spain in February, unlike the second summit in 2024 when the NZDF had someone there.

“Although we observe when resourcing allows, New Zealand is a not a member of REAIM,” MFAT said.

The US endorsed an earlier call from the 2024 summit of REAIM, a European government initiative.

The summits have been trying to nut out a blueprint for armies using AI but there remains no international law or legally-binding treaty that bans the use of lethal autonomous weapons.

Their calls to action have been described as “modest”.

The latest call said military AI “can and should” contribute to peace and security, for instance, by reducing exposure of military personnel and civilians to danger, and helping decisions to be faster and better.

But its risks had to be corralled within frameworks of international humanitarian and human rights law, it said.

In March, NZ permanent mission staff in Geneva took part in the UN talks on lethal autonomous weapons, MFAT said.

These revolved around work by a group of government experts on the conditions where autonomous weapons could be developed and used legally.

The March talks referred to a new report by a leading Swedish thinktank that said militaries must change their AI weapons buying practices to build into them political commitments to responsible use.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in the US the Pentagon had previously stressed that its flagship Replicator initiative – to build fleets of thousands of drones focused in the Indo-Pacific – was based on policies for ethical use of AI.

But it added, “the tension between acquisition speed and thorough legal, safety and ethical review remains unresolved in public documentation.”

More recently, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has hit the accelerator on emerging tech development, while at the same time deriding “stupid rules of engagement” aimed at reducing mistakes and civilian casualties.

The Stockholm study said militaries seeking speed were turning to commercial AI solutions rather than the traditional approach of ordering what they need, custom-made. This was leading to the fielding of “minimum viable capabilities” often without a whole lot of pre-testing.

“States may even knowingly accept governance trade-offs under acute security or operational pressures,” it said.

The commercial, minimum viable approach has been gathering pace at the New Zealand Defence Force in the last year.

The study said governments should invest in evaluation mechanisms for military AI, and strengthen that by clear thinking in the military about what they want the AI they buy to do, backed up with solid ways to assure commercial suppliers’ tech was set to meet political obligations.

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

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: 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.”

He said he 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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MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

House prices might not rise this year after all, property data firm Cotality says.

It has released its latest data, which shows property values lifted 0.2 percent in March, after the same rise in February.

The median value in March was $802,599, 1.3 percent lower than a year earlier and just over 17 percent down on early 2022.

In the month, both Hamilton and Wellington were down 0.1 percent while Auckland and Tauranga were flat. Auckland’s affordability had improved in recent years as more supply had come on to the market, prices had dropped and incomes had increased.

Christchurch was up 0.6 percent and Dunedin 0.7 percent. Cotality said areas that were benefiting from a positive agricultural sector were seeing stronger growth.

Wellington remained one of the weaker parts of the country, with all of its regions down over the past 12 months and all still more than 20 percent below their peak.

Chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said two months of increases in a row could signal a change in direction for the housing market, but the Iran conflict threw a layer of uncertainty over everything.

He said he had been expecting prices to rise 5 percent this year but that was not as likely any more.

“The chances that things are even weaker get greater and greater the longer this goes on.

“At the moment you’d certainly have to be pegging that back a bit. I see some of the banks are now talking about possibly small falls in average house prices this year and that wouldn’t necessarily surprise me either … we had a relatively modest house price forecast up to 5 percent – you could easily imagine that being down at zero or even slightly negative. That’s despite the fact that mortgage rates are relatively low at the moment.”

He said the factor that was missing for house prices to turn around was confidence.

“There were signs that was starting to come through but now that’s hard to imagine. Your confidence would probably be going the other way, potentially the economy’s going the other way too and potentially mortgage rates are going up. All of those things that might have been falling into place for the housing market are now starting to go back in the other direction again.”

He said while some sellers might not be pleased, it was still good news for buyers provided they felt secure in their jobs.

“In a nutshell, both the economy and housing market still face a testing period ahead.”

Davidson said he did not expect “knee jerk” official cash rate rises but the Reserve Bank was on high alert.

“Global uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict and concerns about wider inflationary pressure have already seen interest rates rise in world money markets, and that’s flowed through to mortgage rate lifts at some NZ banks.

“Many households will be watching that very closely and recent data shows there’s recently been a strong shift by borrowers towards fixing longer.

“That will give some sense of security to individuals, but for the wider housing market the risks of higher inflation, rising interest rates, and/or a softening economy both point to headwinds,” Davidson said.

“Indeed, our modelled forecast for property sales to rise from around 90,000 last year to 100,000 this year is starting to look a stretch. In the end, though, everything is a watching brief at the moment when it comes to the economy and housing market.”

He said households might not want to list their homes for sale in an uncertain environment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

• Household living costs about $55 a week higher this year – ASB research report
• About 50 pct higher than might have been because of Middle East conflict
• Higher fuel costs add $16.50 a week
• Flow through to other goods and services, dampening demand, growth, jobs
• Assumes conflict ends mid-year, easier costs by year end

Households face a $55 a week rise in living costs this year partly because of the Middle East conflict, according to ASB economists.

In a research report released Thursday they said the cost of living will be 50 percent higher than it might normally have been, with a direct hit from the rise in fuel costs and indirect increases in the price of other goods and services.

“Overall, the recovery in household consumption we had pencilled in for 2026 now looks to be a 2027 story,” ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley said.

He said there was much uncertainty because of the conflict.

“Our central assumption is that the conflict lasts for three months, and that the price impacts last another three months.”

The report said it expected the increase in fuel costs to add $16.50 a week directly to living costs, with rural communities feeling the pinch harder because of a greater reliance on diesel-fuelled private transport.

It expected not just a drop in spending but also a change in spending habits.

“Typically, during times of financial pressure, households prioritise essential purchases such as groceries, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals, while reducing spending in other areas.

“This shift in spending patterns is expected to partially offset the overall increase in household expenses.”

The report’s base assumption was that the conflict would last three months to about mid-year, with the biggest impact on spending would be over the next six months before the start of a rebound in the final three months of the year.

Bigger hit to broader economy

The weaker domestic demand was also expected to affect other parts of the economy.

“Given that the conflict in the Middle East is also likely to impact economic growth, we see downside risks to household consumption via both the wealth and labour market channels as well,” Tuffley said.

That would also mean a brake on house prices and job creation.

The temporary increase in the base rate of the in-work tax credit for working about 143,000 families was expected to have only limited impact.

The report said the lift in living costs and its effect on consumer spending was a double edged sword for the Reserve Bank.

“The resultant weakness in domestic demand should help keep a lid on inflation, but it also makes the [Reserve Bank’s] job harder, as weaker growth and rising prices are pulling in opposite directions.”

It was still holding to a forecast of a 25 basis point rise in the official cash rate in December to 2.5 percent, but was watching the risk that the RBNZ may have to raise sooner and more aggressively because of medium-term inflation pressures.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Employers might be being encouraged to let people work from home if they are struggling with fuel costs, but not everyone hopes they heed the message.

As fuel costs have risen in recent weeks, unions have called on organisations such as banks to be more flexible with staff wanting to skip the commute.

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said that should be done carefully.

“This is an economic issue, not a health issue. The work from home edict [during Covid] came about because there were concerns that ongoing engagement and connection with people could cause harm to people’s lives.

“We’re not in that situation, this is quite a different situation. The economic situation would be worse if people don’t come into towns and cities across the country. If people stop coming into town they stop buying. Eighty-five percent of sales are done in person, in store, people in town. They’re walking past shop windows, they’re seeing items they might need.”

The increased prevalence of working from home through Covid has been credited with changing the makeup of some central business districts around the country.

Young previously told RNZ that she worried that foot traffic levels might never return to where they were, for some businesses.

But Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics, said consumer confidence more generally was likely to be more of a concern for retailers than whether people were working from home.

When people were at home, their spending tended to drift more to food-related items, he said. The pattern of spending could be affected, but the total amount would not be.

“I don’t think it’s a full and complete view that people only spend when they’re working in town and don’t spend otherwise.”

But he said the wider economic environment had more potential to dent total spending. “The wider impact of having to spend more on fuel, people are more worried about the economy, that will drive overall spending down. If we see spending activity drop it won’t be because people are working from home, it will be because people are paying more for fuel and worried about their financial lives.”

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said it would make it harder for CBD retail. “But past experience suggested that there were flows of business to suburban shops and cafes when WFH was more prominent. I would expect the same dynamics again.”

‘Big hit coming through on households’ disposable income’

BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said it would add to all the other headwinds on spending at the moment.

“Chief among them is the big hit coming through on households’ disposable income from the fuel cost spike. Cuts are being made to discretionary spending already. But there’s also a potentially weaker labour market and reduced job security to contend with, broader cost of living pressures, and reduced tourism spending. It’s shaping up as a big hit and consumers are feeling it, as we saw from last week’s slump in consumer confidence.”

But Young said going back to isolating at home would not be a solution to an economic crisis.

“That creates another beast in itself and it multiplies the impact of the inflationary measures if we get to a place where people stop coming into town and they stop buying a coffee and they stop going into the stores to buy things. More businesses will close, which creates greater, you know, demise for the New Zealand economy.”

She said she had seen some positive economic data in the early months of this year and had been hoping that 2026 would be a time of recovery.

“Then of course in March we’ve been hit by this and it feels like another blow and we just can’t seem to get a break.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government will put more than $20 million towards additional diesel storage capacity at Marsden Point.

The arrangement – funded through the Regional Infrastructure Fund – will support 90 million litres of storage at the import and storage terminal by recommissioning storage tanks that have been unused since the closure of the refinery in 2022.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said the tanks could hold around eight days’ supply, and refurbishment work was expected to begin within days.

“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,” he said.

He had been assured by Channel Infrastructure, which owned and operated Marsden Point, that it could get the tanks ready within two months.

“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,” Jones said.

“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.”

RNZ reported last week that the government had received a proposal to boost storage at Marsden Point, with Jones wanting advice back as soon as possible.

At the time, Channel Infrastructure had told him there was potential to store 350 million litres of imported oil, on top of the 300 million litres of storage already in service.

The $21.6m support has been found through projects that had been approved in principle, but were not likely to go ahead.

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Source: New Zealand Government

Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project. 

Contact Energy lodged a substantive application for the Southland Windfarm in August 2025. The proposed wind farm will be developed across 58km² of privately owned land in eastern Southland, about 30km southeast of Gore.

“Approval has taken around 5 months following the commencement of an expert panel,” Mr Bishop says.  

“This project, with national benefits, will significantly increase the amount of power supplied to the national grid.

“The wind farm will generate up to 380 megawatts (MW) and provide power for up to 150,000 households and includes 55 wind turbines, each up to approximately 7MW in capacity.

Mr Jones said the project would inject $13.5 million into the local economy and create up to 300 jobs during construction. Once commissioned, it would employ about 10 to 14 full-time equivalent staff to operate the wind farm. 

“The real significance of this infrastructure lies in the ability to unlock further investment and attract new industry to the region. 

“The Fast Track process is about cutting through unnecessary delays to unlock the projects that matter. It gives regions the certainty and momentum they need to create jobs and drive long-term economic growth.” Mr Jones said.

Energy Minister Simon Watts says the project will make a significant contribution to New Zealand’s energy future.

“As New Zealand’s biggest windfarm to date, the Southland project will play an important part in achieving this Government’s vision of reliable, affordable and abundant energy supply for New Zealanders,” Mr Watts says.

“More generation in the system will help keep downward pressure on prices and shore up security of supply.”

“In addition to the turbines, a wind farm substation, and access roads, the project’s second major component involved grid connection work – including constructing the transmission lines needed to connect the wind farm to the Transpower National Grid,” Mr Bishop says. 

“It’s worth noting this project, in an earlier form, was previously declined resource consent after years of process, largely due to concerns about landscape and visual effects on the surrounding rural environment. 

“That is exactly the kind of outcome New Zealanders have been frustrated with, where projects of clear national benefit get tied up or turned down after long, uncertain processes. 

“Fast-track is changing that by providing a more balanced, timely, and effects-based pathway to get critical infrastructure like renewable energy projects built.”

For more information about the project: Southland Wind Farm 

Fast-track by the numbers: 
•    15 projects approved by expert panels. 
•    22 projects with expert panels appointed. 
•    43 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process. 
•    39 projects have been referred to Fast-track by the Minister for Infrastructure. 
•    149 projects are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, meaning they can apply for Fast-track approval. 
•    On average, it has taken 128 working days for decisions on substantive applications from when officials determine an application is complete and in-scope. 
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels: 
•    Arataki [Housing/Land]  
•    Bledisloe North Wharf and Fergusson North Berth Extension [Infrastructure]  
•    Drury Metropolitan Centre – Consolidated Stages 1 and 2 [Housing/Land] 
•    Drury Quarry Expansion – Sutton Block [Mining/Quarrying] 
•    Green Steel [Infrastructure] 
•    Homestead Bay [Housing/Land] 
•    Kings Quarry Expansion – Stages 2 and 3 [Mining/Quarrying] 
•    Maitahi Village [Housing/Land] 
•    Milldale – Stages 4C and 10 to 13 [Housing/Land] 
•    Rangitoopuni [Housing/Land] 
•    Southland Wind Farm [Renewable energy]
•    Sunfield [Housing/Land] 
•    Tekapo Power Scheme – Applications for Replacement Resource Consents [Renewable energy] 
•    Takitimu North Link – Stage 2 [Infrastructure] 
•    Waihi North [Mining/Quarrying] 
 
Expert panels have been appointed for: 
•    Ashbourne 
•    Ayrburn Screen Hub  
•    Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project  
•    Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project
•    Central and Southern Block Mining Project
•    Delmore
•    Haldon Solar Farm 
•    Hananui Aquaculture Project 
•    Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme 
•    Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works 
•    Mahinerangi Wind Farm 
•    North West Rapid Transit
•    Pound Road Industrial Development 
•    Ryans Road Industrial Development 
•    State Highway 1 North Canterbury – Woodend Bypass Project (Belfast to Pegasus)
•    Stella Passage Development
•    The Downtown Carpark Redevelopment – Te Pūmanawa o Tāmaki Haldon Solar Farm 
•    The Point Mission Bay 
•    The Point Solar Farm 
•    Waitaha Hydro 
•    Waitākere District Court – New Courthouse Project
•    Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal 

MIL OSI

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

A return trip between Auckland and Whangārei could cost drivers $14.20 in tolls, if a proposal for the planned Northland Expressway goes ahead.

That means commuters travelling daily between Northland and the country’s biggest city would pay around $3400 a year in tolls.

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is currently consulting on tolls for the planned Warkworth to Te Hana section of the Northland Corridor, which is to be built as a public-private partnership (PPP) under the government’s Roads of National Significance programme.

The proposal is for two electronic toll gates on the 26km stretch of expressway, the southern one charging $3 and the northern one $1.50.

The Northern Gateway motorway, from the North Shore to Pūhoi, already charges a toll of $2.60.

Added to the new tolls, that would make a total of $7.10 each way or $14.20 return between Auckland and the Northland border.

Trucks would pay $6 and $3 on the new expressway and $5.20 on the Northern Gateway, adding up to $14.20 each way or $28.40 return.

For Anna Giddens – who lives in Mangawhai but works four days a week at the University of Auckland, it could mean around $2600 a year in tolls – if she had to pass through all three electronic gates.

If she could avoid the northernmost toll gate she would still pay $2100 a year.

“Obviously it’s an added cost. It just seems like everything keeps going up, it would be added on top of everything else.”

Giddens said she would have to absorb the extra cost herself, but it would not be “a deal breaker” that would force her to quit her Auckland job.

“It’s not ideal, but I could cope with it. But I can imagine it could affect some people more.”

She said it would also affect businesses using the highway, which would have to pass the extra costs onto customers.

Giddens questioned the equity of requiring Northlanders to pay tolls while other recently completed roads – such as the Waikato Expressway and Transmission Gully, both of which cost more than $2 billion – were toll-free.

“I understand that the cost of this is incredibly high. It’s probably the highest cost for a road construction project in this country ever, and I guess we don’t have the money. But it does seem disproportionate that the North is being tolled, compared to other parts of the country.”

Giddens said the answer for her would be to find work closer to home, but that was not easy in the current job market.

In any case, she did not have to worry about paying the extra tolls anytime soon – work on the first section of the expressway was due to start at the end of this year, and was expected to open around 2034.

The consultation document showed the new tolls could be levied for either 35 or 60 years.

Automobile Association senior policy analyst Sarah Geard said equity was one of the issues members raised most often about the tolling proposal – especially given Northland’s low median income.

Only two other roads were currently tolled in New Zealand, both in Tauranga.

“A point to make here is that in 2024 the government instructed NZTA that they do need to consider tolling on every new road … so we expect that will be the norm from this point.”

Geard said the AA was open to tolling if it meant new roads would be built sooner.

“And that means people who choose to use the road will benefit earlier than they otherwise would. I also note that under legislation, there must always be a feasible, untolled alternative route available to people who don’t want to use the toll roads, so that’s always an option,” she said.

“But we’re very mindful that tolls do mean extra cost to motorists, and we recognise there is already a toll road between Auckland and Whangārei.”

Geard said the AA had yet to decide its position on the Warkworth to Te Hana proposal.

The organisation was still working through information from NZTA to understand why the proposed toll was $4.50, why it was split into two tolls of differing amounts, and how the tolls would affect the number of vehicles using the new road.

New Zealand’s trucking industry also supported tolling if it sped up roading projects – but had reservations about the details of the Warkworth to Te Hana plan.

Paula Rogers, commercial transport specialist for the National Road Carriers (NRC), said about 1000 heavy trucks travelled between Auckland and Northland every day, transporting everything from food and fuel to logs and building materials.

She said the industry was pleased the new route would bypass Dome Valley, which was notorious for crashes and delays.

If tolling brought forward the project and its safety and efficiency benefits, that was a positive for all road users, Rogers said.

However, NRC had concerns about the methodology used to arrive at a toll of $9 for heavy vehicles.

Including the existing toll, that added up to $28.40 per return trip.

“Given the high frequency of freight movements along this corridor, these cumulative costs become significant for transport operators and are ultimately passed through to customers and the wider economy.”

Rogers said NRC wanted greater transparency around how NZTA had arrived at the proposed tolls, and whether the cumulative impact of multiple tolls on freight costs had been considered.

According to the NZTA’s consultation documents, the new Warkworth-Te Hana road would shave 7-10 minutes off travel times compared to the existing road.

It would also reduce the number and severity of crashes, especially in the Dome Valley, which was known for its “safety and resilience challenges”.

NZTA said tolling would allow the PPP to get started sooner, and free up money for other roading projects.

The reason for proposing separate toll points north and south of the Wayby Valley interchange was to make it fairer – motorists would pay according to how much of the new road they used – and to prevent congestion caused by large number of drivers diverting onto free local roads.

The new road would run west of and parallel to Dome Valley, before crossing the existing State Highway 1 and passing east of the notorious summer chokepoint at Wellsford.

It would rejoin the existing highway at Te Hana, just south of the Northland border and about 20km south of the Brynderwyn Hills.

The existing section of State Highway 1 would be reclassified as a local road and would be free to use.

Eventually two more sections of Northland Expressway would be built, from Te Hana over the Brynderwyns to Port Marsden Highway, and from Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei.

Each section was expected to have its own tolls.

The tolls being consulted on are based on 2025 prices, so could be adjusted for inflation.

NZTA documents show the Northern Gateway, which opened in 2009, is expected to be tolled until about 2045.

Public consultation on the Warkworth to Te Hana proposal runs until 15 April.

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

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2026 -Tim Ho Wan, the dim sum brand hailing from Hong Kong under the Jollibee Group, continues to be recognized in the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau, with its Sham Shui Po store receiving the Bib Gourmand distinction in the 2026 edition. The Bib Gourmand distinction is awarded to restaurants that offer high-quality food at excellent value for money, reinforcing Tim Ho Wan’s long-standing positioning.

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds have been promoted to Cabinet, as the prime minister reshuffles his ministerial lineup.

The reshuffle also sees first-term MPs Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick made ministers outside Cabinet.

The changes were necessitated by the upcoming retirement of Judith Collins, as well as Dr Shane Reti’s decision to stand down at the election.

Collins’ defence, space, and GCSB and NZSIS portfolios have been given to Penk, Paul Goldsmith takes on responsibility for the public service and digitising government, and Chris Bishop picks up the attorney-general role.

Bishop’s position as Leader of the House has been given to Louise Upston.

Bishop, who was also National’s campaign chair, was widely tipped to lose some ministerial portfolios to ease his workload to free him up for the campaign. Instead, it is the role of campaign chair that he has had to relinquish, to Simeon Brown.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Bishop had a “massive workload” with housing, transport, infrastructure, RMA reform, and his new attorney-general role, and losing the campaign chair was a consequence of that.

Luxon said the two had a “very positive conversation” and he “absolutely” trusted Bishop.

“He’s key to our team, he’s a critical part of our senior leadership group,” he said.

Luxon denied it was anything to do with rumours Bishop was running the numbers against him last year.

“I think you’re really overthinking this,” Luxon said.

He said Brown was equally capable of chairing the campaign, as part of his “brains trust” which included Bishop, Upston, Goldsmith, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Simmonds takes up Reti’s science, innovation, and technology portfolio, and his universities role has been disestablished to make Simmonds the minister for tertiary education.

She had previously been minister for vocational education, as well as environment. The latter has been given to Nicola Grigg, who remains outside Cabinet.

Goldsmith also becomes the new minister for Pacific Peoples, with Luxon admitting National did not have Pacific representation.

“I freely admit we don’t have a Pasifika person in our National Party team and in our Cabinet. That’s something that we’re working very hard on. As I’ve said to you before, we need to make sure we continue to work as we go to 2026 on the campaign on getting great candidates from the Pasifika world.”

Brewer, who has been chairing Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee (a weighty role which often leads to a ministerial promotion) has been made minister of commerce and consumer affairs and minister for small business and manufacturing, while Butterick will become minister for land information.

Luxon said he wanted to make a “super small business minister” role by giving Brewer the two roles, while Butterick was a “natural leader” of National’s rural MPs.

Brewer would also take over supermarket reforms, as the previous Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Scott Simpson had a conflict which had led to Willis taking responsibility.

Other changes include Brown picking up the energy portfolio from Simon Watts, who in turn takes over Brown’s minister for Auckland role.

Luxon said the past few weeks had underlined how important energy security was, and so was giving the role to a “senior” minister.

He said he had not lost confidence in Watts.

Luxon acknowledged Collins and Reti’s departures.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

Matt Doocey remains in Cabinet, and has not picked up any portfolios other than his existing mental health role.

He had been the sole South Island representative in Cabinet, but that has now doubled with Simmonds’ addition.

The changes come into effect on Tuesday, 7 April.

Luxon had not reshuffled his lineup since January 2025, other than to promote Scott Simpson to a role outside Cabinet following Andrew Bayly’s resignation.

The reshuffle applies to National Party ministers only, meaning ACT’s Brooke van Velden will continue in her portfolios despite her decision to retire from Parliament at the election.

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

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

NEW YORK, April 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HCACU) (“HCAC”) and REEcycle Holdings, Inc. (“REEcycle”) today announced the execution of a non-binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) for a proposed de-SPAC business combination.

The proposed transaction values REEcycle at approximately US$600 million, assuming no redemptions by HCAC public shareholders, with REEcycle existing shareholders expected to roll 100% of their equity into the combined publicly listed entity. The transaction is expected to include a minimum US$50 million PIPE financing at US$10.00 per share, providing committed capital at closing and supporting the execution of REEcycle’s near-term growth strategy.

The transaction comes at a pivotal time for U.S. critical minerals policy. China currently controls an estimated 90% of rare earth separation and processing and ~93% of permanent magnet manufacturing globally.¹ In response, the U.S. Government, through Department of Defense and Department of Energy initiatives, has committed billions of dollars to strengthening domestic critical mineral supply chains, including rare earth processing.² REEcycle has been awarded and is drawing upon US$5.1 million of Defense Production Act funding, supporting the advancement of its domestic rare earth processing capabilities.

REEcycle is advancing a technology-led solution to rare earth supply constraints. Its proprietary recycling process extracts and separates rare earth elements from end-of-life electronics and industrial products, offering a faster, lower-capex and scalable alternative to traditional mining. This approach enables near-term domestic supply while reducing exposure to geopolitical disruption.

The global rare earth market was valued at approximately US$19 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach ~US$36.7 billion by 2034, with recycling expected to grow at an accelerated rate as demand for domestically sourced materials increases.³

REEcycle’s Executive Chairman and largest shareholder is Mick McMullen, a highly respected mining executive with over 30 years of leadership experience across global mining and capital markets. He is best known for his tenure as President and CEO of Detour Gold Corporation, where he grew the company’s market capitalisation from C$2.1 billion to C$4.9 billion in nine months, culminating in its acquisition by Kirkland Lake Gold.⁴ His investment in REEcycle reflects strong conviction in recycling-led onshoring.

“We are addressing a critical U.S. supply gap with a faster and more capital-efficient solution than traditional mining, scalable across the U.S. and globally. This is both a technology opportunity and a national security priority.”

— Mick McMullen, Executive Chairman, REEcycle Holdings

Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp. raised US$207 million in its Nasdaq IPO in November 2025 and is focused on transactions in critical minerals and industrial technology sectors.

“REEcycle represents a rare combination of proprietary technology, experienced leadership, and direct alignment with U.S. critical minerals strategy. We see this as a platform capable of becoming a meaningful domestic supplier, and we are excited to bring that opportunity to public investors.”

— Alex Bono, CEO, Hall Chadwick Acquisition Corp.

Exclusivity

The parties have agreed to a 60-day exclusivity period to undertake due diligence and negotiate a definitive Business Combination Agreement.

Non-Binding Letter of Intent

The LOI is non-binding and subject to the execution of definitive agreements, completion of due diligence, required approvals, and customary closing conditions. There can be no assurance that a transaction will be completed.

Important Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed business combination, including expected structure, financing, timing and benefits. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the ability to execute definitive agreements, obtain approvals, satisfy closing conditions and maintain listing status. This press release does not constitute an offer or solicitation of securities. In connection with the proposed transaction, HCAC intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC. Investors are urged to review these materials when available at www.sec.gov. No obligation is undertaken to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

1 CSIS, “China Rare Earth Restrictions,” 2025.
2 U.S. State Dept., “Critical Minerals Fact Sheet,” 2026.
3 Grand Research Store, “Rare Earth Market Report,” 2025
4 Globe and Mail, “Kirkland–Detour Gold deal,” 2019; Business Wire, “Kirkland Lake Gold acquisition,” 2019.

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s that time of year again – but before you unwrap the chocolate bunnies, be sure you’re aware of what Easter weekend holiday closures and shop hours will be.

What will be open?

Good Friday is a public holiday, and so is Easter Monday.

However, the trading restrictions that mean many stories will close are only in effect on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

The government requires retail stores to close for three-and-a-half days a year – Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day morning until 1pm.

Dairies, service stations and cafes are allowed to open under certain conditions.

However, to complicate things, local councils can also make some exceptions.

There are three types of exemption to the shop shutdowns:

• tourist resorts such as Taupō and Queenstown on Easter Sunday only
• places where the local council has said shops can open on Easter Sunday only
• certain kinds of shops (limited to “small grocery shops”, service stations, takeaways, bars, cafes, duty-free stores, “shops providing services” (and not selling things), real estate agencies, pharmacies, garden centres (only on Easter Sunday), public transport terminals, souvenir shops and exhibitions “devoted entirely or primarily to agriculture, art, industry and science”).

Everyone else has to keep the doors shut on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, including department stores and supermarkets.

Which means that if you’re going shopping on Thursday, you might face a horde of shoppers desperately stocking up for the prospect of a day or two without the shops open. Be prepared.

So the shops are open on Easter Monday?

Yes – although they can choose to close if they want, so check first. Supermarkets and such should generally be open though, if you need to stock up on your chocolate.

Wait, so why isn’t Easter Saturday a holiday? How come Monday is the public holiday and not Easter Sunday?

We don’t make the rules.

Will there be surcharges?

Shop owners typically cite increased wage costs for employees who work on public holidays.

Some places may add a surcharge over Easter weekend, but there are strict guidelines from the Commerce Commission about how much and when.

They’ve got to clearly disclose the surcharge in advance, not hidden behind the counter or on a note put back in the employee toilets.

Businesses can’t mislead about why they’re doing a surcharge – the Commerce Commission notes that “For example, a business must not claim it is applying a surcharge on Easter Sunday because it is a public holiday. This would be inaccurate because the only public holidays over the Easter weekend are Good Friday and Easter Monday.”

If a surcharge feels misleading, you can report it to the Commerce Commission.

What if you have to work?

You usually can only be required to work public holidays if it is stated in your employment agreement and the public holiday is on a day you will normally work.

If you’re working on a public hoilday, you generally must be paid time and a half and given a day in lieu.

Okay, so can I get a drink?

There have been restrictions about buying alcohol over Easter, but that is likely to change a little this year.

A member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty that passed its third reading Wednesday would amend 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.

It is possible it may receive royal assent on Thursday, in time for Good Friday. However, the bill would not change rules around bottle shops or supermarket alcohol sales.

What else should I know?

While you’re at it, don’t forget that Daylight Saving time ends on Sunday, too. It’s all go this four-day weekend.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Employers might be being encouraged to let people work from home if they are struggling with fuel costs, but not everyone hopes they heed the message.

As fuel costs have risen in recent weeks, unions have called on organisations such as banks to be more flexible with staff wanting to skip the commute.

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said that should be done carefully.

“This is an economic issue, not a health issue. The work from home edict [during Covid] came about because there were concerns that ongoing engagement and connection with people could cause harm to people’s lives.

“We’re not in that situation, this is quite a different situation. The economic situation would be worse if people don’t come into towns and cities across the country. If people stop coming into town they stop buying. Eighty-five percent of sales are done in person, in store, people in town. They’re walking past shop windows, they’re seeing items they might need.”

The increased prevalence of working from home through Covid has been credited with changing the makeup of some central business districts around the country.

Young previously told RNZ that she worried that foot traffic levels might never return to where they were, for some businesses.

But Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics, said consumer confidence more generally was likely to be more of a concern for retailers than whether people were working from home.

When people were at home, their spending tended to drift more to food-related items, he said. The pattern of spending could be affected, but the total amount would not be.

“I don’t think it’s a full and complete view that people only spend when they’re working in town and don’t spend otherwise.”

But he said the wider economic environment had more potential to dent total spending. “The wider impact of having to spend more on fuel, people are more worried about the economy, that will drive overall spending down. If we see spending activity drop it won’t be because people are working from home, it will be because people are paying more for fuel and worried about their financial lives.”

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said it would make it harder for CBD retail. “But past experience suggested that there were flows of business to suburban shops and cafes when WFH was more prominent. I would expect the same dynamics again.”

‘Big hit coming through on households’ disposable income’

BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said it would add to all the other headwinds on spending at the moment.

“Chief among them is the big hit coming through on households’ disposable income from the fuel cost spike. Cuts are being made to discretionary spending already. But there’s also a potentially weaker labour market and reduced job security to contend with, broader cost of living pressures, and reduced tourism spending. It’s shaping up as a big hit and consumers are feeling it, as we saw from last week’s slump in consumer confidence.”

But Young said going back to isolating at home would not be a solution to an economic crisis.

“That creates another beast in itself and it multiplies the impact of the inflationary measures if we get to a place where people stop coming into town and they stop buying a coffee and they stop going into the stores to buy things. More businesses will close, which creates greater, you know, demise for the New Zealand economy.”

She said she had seen some positive economic data in the early months of this year and had been hoping that 2026 would be a time of recovery.

“Then of course in March we’ve been hit by this and it feels like another blow and we just can’t seem to get a break.”

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

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

Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds have been promoted to Cabinet, as the prime minister reshuffles his ministerial lineup.

The reshuffle also sees first-term MPs Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick made ministers outside Cabinet.

The changes were necessitated by the upcoming retirement of Judith Collins, as well as Dr Shane Reti’s decision to stand down at the election.

Collins’ defence, space, and GCSB and NZSIS portfolios have been given to Penk, Paul Goldsmith takes on responsibility for the public service and digitising government, and Chris Bishop picks up the Attorney-General role.

Bishop’s position as Leader of the House has been given to Louise Upston.

Simmonds takes up Reti’s science, innovation, and technology portfolio, and his universities role has been disestablished to make Simmonds the minister for tertiary education.

She had previously been minister for vocational education, as well as environment. The latter has been given to Nicola Grigg, who remains outside Cabinet.

Brewer, who has been chairing Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee (a weighty role which often leads to a ministerial promotion) has been made minister of commerce and consumer affairs and minister for small business and manufacturing, while Butterick will become minister for Land Information.

Other changes include Simeon Brown picking up the energy portfolio from Simon Watts, who in turn takes over Brown’s minister for Auckland role.

Prime minister Christopher Luxon said the past few weeks had underline how important energy security was, and so was giving the role to a “senior” minister.

Luxon acknowledged Collins and Reti’s departures.

“New Zealand is better for Judith and Shane deciding to enter public service and I am grateful to count them both as friends. On behalf of the government and the National Party, I wish them all the best for their futures outside Parliament.”

The changes come into effect on Tuesday, 7 April.

Luxon had not reshuffled his lineup since January 2025, other than to promote Scott Simpson to a role outside Cabinet following Andrew Bayly’s resignation.

The reshuffle applies to National Party ministers only, meaning ACT’s Brooke van Velden will continue in her portfolios despite her decision to retire from Parliament at the election.

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

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

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2026 – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) celebrated the launch of ‘Global Connect – Global Innovation Exchange (GIE),’ a platform that creates a pull for innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystems from the World to Hong Kong, to pour collective efforts into maximising exposure and impact of emerging startups and solutions.

The GIE was designed to bridge for China-HK-International with I&T developments, where year-long international engagement activities are in the works, including a curated series of country-and market-focused networking events, with UK, France, and Germany lined up from April to June, as well as success story sharing sessions, opportunity overviews, and potential partnership projects examinations, building as a two-way gateway enabling overseas innovators leverage the city as a springboard into the vast opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) opportunities, while supporting companies moving from the Chinese Mainland to Hong Kong and onward to international markets.

Representatives of 17 countries were in presence, apart from local bodies, in supporting the cause that tech ventures are to be introduced to markets overseas, and vice versa. Maurits ter Kuile, Consul General of the Netherlands in Hong Kong and Macao, stated: “Hong Kong is an interesting spot for Dutch companies that are looking to explore the Chinese market. Language, regulations, taxes and an international orientation, are part of the attraction. As a Dutch government body that is looking to support them, we would say that the GIE looks like an appealing concept to give them a leg up.”

Panel discussions on Hong Kong’s unique position on the world stage as a multicultural anchor for the flow of capital in and out of Asia, echoed the notion. Johannes Hack, Chairman of European Chamber of Commerce, said “One of the challenges when setting up a partnership is understanding the other side’s value drivers. Only when you truly match what each side expects can the joint business flourish. Hong Kong is an excellent place to establish common ground and HKSTP is a great partner to support finding a shared vision.”

Terry Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said “We introduced ‘Global Connect – Global Innovation Exchange’ with heart full of confidence that it will bring convergence of all efforts under one platform, so that international networks, delegations, and I&T communities are able to connect better with more seamless access to even broader resources.”

The Network represented not an event, but an enunciation of commitment to contribute in driving an influx of cross-border business matching and investment opportunities, further strengthening the city’s appeal as an international I&T hub, and continuing the momentum of technological advancement in the GBA and beyond.

Hashtag: #HKSTP

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

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

Source: Media Outreach

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2026 – Tenchijin Inc., a space-tech innovator transforming sustainable water infrastructure management, is pleased to announce its participation in ASIAWATER 2026, the region’s leading platform for the water and wastewater industry in developing Asia.

The event will take place from 7–9 April 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in the heart of Malaysia’s vibrant capital city. Now in its 14th edition, ASIAWATER is expected to welcome over 20,000 industry professionals and more than 1,000 exhibiting brands and companies from across the region and around the world.

As a key gathering for water industry stakeholders, ASIAWATER 2026 provides a valuable opportunity to explore the latest technologies, solutions, and innovations shaping the future of water and wastewater management. The event will also host a series of flagship conferences and seminars, where global thought leaders and experts will discuss pressing industry challenges and drive forward transformative policies. The 14th ASIAWATER Conference tackles this head-on with the theme “Building Nations: Leveraging Technology-Driven Water Services for Inclusive Growth.”

This marks Tenchijin’s second participation in the event, following its successful presence last year. Tenchijin will showcase “KnoWaterleak,” our water leakage assessment and management platform, at the exhibition booth. Additionally, Yohei Nishiyama, VP of Business Development, will deliver a presentation at the conference on sustainable water management solutions.

This marks Tenchijin’s second consecutive year of participation, following its successful presence last time. At the exhibition, Tenchijin will showcase “KnoWaterleak,” our water leakage assessment and management platform. In addition, Yohei Nishiyama, VP of Business Development, will deliver a presentation on “Space to Ground: AI-Powered NRW Reduction in Asia” during the technology seminar.

Event Overview

■ Event: ASIAWATER Expo & Forum 2026
■ Organizer: Informa Markets Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
■ Date: April 7 to 9, 2026
■ Venue: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
■ Event URL: https://www.asiawater.org/

Tenchijin’s Exhibition

■ Exhibition Date: April 7 to 9, 2026
■ Tenchijin’s Booth Location: C802 (Level 4, Exhibition Hall 8)
■ URL: https://exhibitors.informamarkets-info.com/event/2026WTA/en-US/exhibitor/476730/knowaterleak—tenchijin-inc-

Tenchijin’s Presentation

■ Date: April 9, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
■ Venue: KIOSK 2 (HALL 2)
■ Speaker: Yohei Nishiyama, VP of Business Development
■ Theme: Space to Ground: AI-Powered NRW Reduction in Asia

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MIL OSI