Source: New Zealand Police
State Highway 5 in Tahorakuri Forest is closed following a two-vehicle crash.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident around 7.07am.
Injuries are reported.
The Serious Crash Unit have been advised.
Road closures are in place from Ohaaki Road to Te Toke Road.
Motorists should choose alternative routes to travel in the area as emergency services work at the scene.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/04/02/serious-crash-sh-5/
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niusha Shafiabady, Professor in Computational Intelligence, Australian Catholic University
If you’ve spent much time on TikTok recently, you may have noticed a strange new type of AI brain rot taking over: fruit dramas.
These AI-generated short dramas feature odd-looking anthropomorphic fruit characters engaging in a range of ethically problematic behaviours. Many storylines, for instance, are based around affairs, racist attitudes, and the sexual assault of women characters.
At face value, the videos come across as so bizarre and grotesque they can be hard to take seriously. That is until you realise they’re amassing hundreds of millions of views. One account called ai.cinema021, which has launched a parody series called Fruit Love Island, has more than 3 million followers.
This content is, at best, a water-guzzling affront to the art of animation and, at worst, actively helping to normalise racism and misogyny. So why does it have so many fans?
These videos exploit core features of human psychology. Combined with addictive platform features (such as infinite scroll), the result is an endless stream of content that keeps us engaged – even if the message is immoral, or simply ridiculous.
Short-form video feeds such as TikTok and Instagram reels operate on similar principles to those used in gambling systems. The human brain is highly sensitive to novelty and unpredictability, both of which are linked to dopamine signalling in reward learning.
When rewards are delivered unpredictably, behaviour becomes more persistent. This pattern, known as “variable reinforcement”, has long been shown to sustain repeated actions, even when rewards are inconsistent.
AI slop videos offer rapid visual novelty and unexpected emotional turns. You don’t know whether the next one will be absurd, funny, tragic, or strangely compelling.
The videos also compress big emotional experiences. A single clip may move from betrayal, to sadness, to revenge, to humour in seconds. This creates emotional volatility, which increases arousal and sustains attention.
Research shows emotionally charged content, especially when it is negative or surprising, is more likely than neutral material to get our attention.
Many viewers describe a sense that these videos feel “off”. The characters are expressive, but often not fully coherent. The narratives resemble human drama, but lack internal logic.
This relates to the idea of the uncanny valley, where near-human representations produce discomfort. Importantly, these videos rarely become disturbing enough to trigger avoidance. Instead they sit in a middle zone. They are strange enough to provoke curiosity, but not uncomfortable enough to make you stop watching.
This creates cognitive tension. According to cognitive dissonance theory, people are motivated to resolve such inconsistencies. And the way to resolve tension in this case is to keep watching, in search of closure. The mind keeps asking: what is this and where is it going?
We’re also more likely to ignore the unethical messaging because of the format. The characters are highly synthetic. This makes the scenarios feel fictional – even when they reflect real social behaviours.
Research on moral disengagement shows people are more likely to relax ethical judgement when the harm appears abstract or indirect. Fruit videos with themes of betrayal, humiliation or assault can be consumed without the discomfort that would arise if real people were involved.
Much like AI slop, social media algorithms don’t prioritise meaning or quality. They prioritise content that captures our attention.
Recommendation systems are driven by metrics such as “watch time”, “completion rate” and “interaction”. High engagement leads to greater visibility, which encourages the production of more similar content, creating a feedback loop.
From an AI governance perspective, these videos highlight an often overlooked risk. That is: generative systems don’t just produce content; they can gradually shape our behaviours – often without us realising. This aligns with broader concerns in AI ethics about behavioural influence and manipulative design working on a large scale.
Avoiding social media entirely is not realistic for many people. But small changes can reduce the pull of AI-generated brain rot.
One approach is to introduce a pause before scrolling to the next video. Even a brief interruption will weaken the reward loop in your brain, and make it easier to put your phone down. When you notice yourself thinking “this feels pointless” or “this is strange”, that’s the best time to stop. In some cases a digital detox might be helpful.
You can also retrain your algorithm. Quickly skip or select “not interested” on videos you don’t want to see – and replace passive scrolling with intentional viewing by seeking out specific content.
Finally, create friction. This might involve disabling automatic playback, or limiting your access to a feed, by disabling the app notification, or removing the app from your home screen.
AI fruit videos may seem trivial and absurd, but they reveal something important about the digital environment. As generative systems scale up, they will only get better at capturing and directing our attention. Understanding the psychology behind this is the first step to resisting it.
– ref. Unethical brain rot: why are millions watching AI fruits have affairs on TikTok? – https://theconversation.com/unethical-brain-rot-why-are-millions-watching-ai-fruits-have-affairs-on-tiktok-279569
Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/02/unethical-brain-rot-why-are-millions-watching-ai-fruits-have-affairs-on-tiktok-279569/
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca McKetin, Associate Professor, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
Methamphetamine – more commonly known as meth, crystal or ice – is a highly addictive, stimulant drug.
An estimated 7.4 million people in the world are dependent on it or “addicted” to it. They face multiple health risks including paranoia, feeling suicidal, heart problems, strokes, injuries from accidents, and a higher risk of early death.
But there are no medications approved anywhere in the world to treat meth dependence.
Now, a cheap, safe and readily available medicine that has been used to treat depression for years is showing promise. Our trial of mirtazapine, just published in JAMA Psychiatry, shows people who take it cut back their meth use.
Australia has one of the highest number of people dependent on meth per capita worldwide.
As there are no medications approved for meth dependence anywhere in the world, we have few treatment options.
Currently available treatment options include counselling, detox or withdrawal and long-stay residential rehabilitation. However, access can be difficult and treatment dropout rates are high. Most people who go to rehab relapse.
More sophisticated treatments offered within the community such as contingency management, which involves setting targets and rewards for meeting them, are more effective but aren’t widely available.
Even though there are no approved medications for methamphetamine use, doctors sometimes prescribe existing medications that have shown promise in clinical trials.
Medications that are prescribed off label include prescription stimulants (methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, modafinil), the anti-smoking treatment bupropion, the opioid-blocking drug naltrexone (including in combination with bupropion) and antidepressants.
However, these drugs may not work and may cause unnecessary side effects or safety risks.
Studies in recent years suggest the antidepressant mirtazapine may provide some hope.
Two studies were conducted in the United States in an outpatient research clinic in San Francisco, California. Both trials found mirtazapine reduced meth use.
These initial trials were conducted a research clinic with a small group of patients (60 and 120 respectively) who were monitored closely. Patients were at risk of HIV: men and transgender women who had sex with men. Women and people with people with depression were excluded.
So our Australian team wanted to know if mirtazapine would have the same benefit if it was used by doctors in community clinics to treat a larger and more diverse group of patients.
The Tina Trial recruited a larger and more diverse sample of 339 people dependent on meth from six outpatient clinics in Australia.
At the start of the trial, participants had used meth an average of 22 days out of the previous 28.
Half were randomly assigned to either take home mirtazapine (a 30 milligram tablet daily), or a placebo, for 12 weeks. The researchers then tracked days when participants used meth across the 12-week period.
People who received mirtazapine reduced their meth use by more than people who received the placebo (an average reduction of seven out of 28 days compared with 4.8).
So the comparative advantage of mirtazapine was modest: 2.2 days in use out of 28 days.
This benefit was apparent regardless of whether people had depression at the start of the study.
Although this reduction is small, in the absence of any alternative medication this is an important step forward.
Our research team believes mirtazapine has a direct effect on meth dependence, distinct from its ability to reduce depression.
This implies mirtazapine is acting directly on brain systems involved in drug reward, and might restore function to pathways that long-term meth use can disrupt.
Our study found no unexpected safety issues when using mirtazapine to treat meth dependence. The most common side effects were drowsiness and weight gain.
Mirtazapine is not an instant “cure” for meth dependence. But in the absence of any approved medications for methamphetamine use worldwide, it is a critical first step in providing a medications to reduce harms from methamphetamine.
Mirtazapine is cheap, safe and readily available. Many doctors are familiar with its use to treat depression.
It is a take-home medication, making it convenient for people to use. So there is no need for daily clinic visits or close medical monitoring.
It is also “off patent”, meaning there are inexpensive generic versions.
In order for mirtazapine to be routinely prescribed for meth dependence outside a clinical trial, regulators would need to approve it for this purpose. This requires research evidence, like that provided by the Tina Trial.
In the meantime, doctors can prescribe mirtazapine off label. Guidelines on the off label prescribing of medications are available from the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
Further information on the Tina Trial is available here.
If you have concerns about your own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use, call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015. This 24/7 hotline provides free and confidential information and support.
– ref. This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study – https://theconversation.com/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study-272994
Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/02/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study-272994/
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Hartland, Adjunct Associate Professor in Freshwater Biogeochemistry, Lincoln University, New Zealand
The Waikato is New Zealand’s longest river, central to the identity and practices of Waikato River iwi and a source of drinking water for nearly half of the country’s population.
It is also becoming a case study in what happens when very different environmental pressures hit the same system faster than authorities can respond.
A recent RNZ investigation documented worsening toxic algal blooms in hydro lakes in the upper Waikato. Communities around Lake Ohakuri describe water so green it resembles the “Incredible Hulk”, dogs becoming violently ill and mats of toxic slime covering the surface.
These conditions are a long way from Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato, the legislated vision for a river safe for swimming and gathering food.
The reporting captured genuine community frustration and institutional fragmentation. But to turn concern into effective action, we need to understand why blooms keep forming where they do.
Otherwise, interventions risk missing the mark. The Waikato cannot afford misdirected effort.
The location of the worst blooms is a clue. Lake Ohakuri sits right next to the Ohaaki-Broadlands geothermal field, where decades of extracting hot fluids for power generation have caused the ground to sink by nearly seven metres.
That geothermal activity releases heat, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and mineral-rich fluids into the water, all of which promote the growth of cyanobacteria. This includes iron, a nutrient toxic algae need to thrive.
Whether decades of fluid extraction have altered the rate of influx of CO₂ and iron remains untested, but the proximity to geothermal fields is striking.
Until now, no one has measured how much of the geothermal CO₂ actually dissolves in the river or how far downstream it travels.
During our recent field campaign, we deployed a mobile sensor along the upper Waikato and a technique known as stable isotope analysis to fingerprint the carbon and start filling this gap.
The results are stark.
Carbon dioxide concentrations in the geothermal zone reach ten times the background level and the isotopic signature confirms the source as volcanic, not biological.
Huge quantities of dissolved CO₂ escape into the atmosphere as the river passes through the hydro lake chain. The water does not return to background levels even by the time it reaches Lake Karāpiro more than a hundred kilometres away.
That lingering excess CO₂ could be feeding algal growth well beyond the volcanic zone.
The geothermal zone is not the only pressure point. The invasive gold clam (Corbicula fluminea) has rapidly colonised the Waikato since its detection in 2023.
The clams have now been confirmed as far upstream as Lake Maraetai, directly downstream of Ohakuri.
Our research, currently under review, shows the clams are stripping roughly 14 tonnes of calcium carbonate from the river every day, disrupting the water chemistry treatment plants rely on and releasing arsenic in forms that could slip through conventional treatment processes.
As the clams breathe, they pump carbon dioxide into the water and consume oxygen, tipping the river’s balance away from a system driven by plant-like photosynthesis (which produces oxygen) and toward one dominated by respiration (which releases CO₂).
In January 2026, our monitoring buoy in Lake Karāpiro recorded oxygen near the lake bed dropping rapidly toward levels that would suffocate aquatic life.
What prevented a crisis was not management action but weather. Severe storms physically overturned the water column and mixed oxygen back in.
This near miss, averted by luck, is a warning, not a reassurance.
Two very different stressors are now converging on the same river. Geothermal CO₂ enriches the water from below, sustaining conditions that help toxic algae grow far downstream.
The clams, spreading upstream into the geothermal reaches, add a second source of CO₂ through their breathing, while depleting oxygen and stripping calcium.
What this double pressure will mean for algal blooms – when they form, how long they last and how severe they become – as clam populations continue to expand, is an open and urgent question.
Current monitoring cannot answer it. Toxic algae are sampled monthly at four hydro lakes, with results taking days to return. This is not a criticism of any single agency; national monitoring protocols now predate the compound pressures the river faces.
The local community called for ultrasonic algae-killing buoys, webcams and flushing the lakes. This reflects an understandable desire for visible action, but without understanding the underlying drivers of blooms at these specific locations, we risk treating symptoms rather than causes.
Two million people drink water from the Waikato. Thousands swim in it, fish from it and gather mahinga kai (traditional food gathering) along its length. Iwi have obligations to it that stretch across generations.
The science is telling us, in real-time sensor data, that the system is moving toward thresholds we do not want to cross. The monitoring and governance architecture we have inherited was not designed for the compound pressures now acting on the river.
The question is whether we can build the governance and data-led operational protocols to match the pace of change, before the next bloom or near miss becomes the event we failed to prevent.
– ref. Toxic blooms and invasive clams are forcing a rethink on the Waikato River – https://theconversation.com/toxic-blooms-and-invasive-clams-are-forcing-a-rethink-on-the-waikato-river-279560
Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/02/toxic-blooms-and-invasive-clams-are-forcing-a-rethink-on-the-waikato-river-279560/
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania
In 1967, catastrophic bushfires in Tasmania killed dozens of people – and very nearly destroyed Hobart.
A year later, W.D. Jackson, Professor of Botany at the University of Tasmania, published a short but very influential article on why the fires were so bad. He suggested that after Tasmania’s wet eucalypt forests were burned by severe bushfires, there would be a high-risk period during their regrowth when they are at risk of severely burning again.
This, Jackson theorised, was because regrowing saplings form a very dense canopy, with little distance between living leaves and the leaf litter and understorey plants able to ignite canopy fires. If a second fire sweeps through, he predicted the forests could be replaced with more fire-tolerant scrub.
Was Jackson correct? Is regrowth truly more flammable? It’s very difficult to prove regrowth burns more intensely and accelerates bushfire spread, as it’s not practical to undertake neat, perfectly controlled experiments involving severe bushfires.
But sometimes, scientists get lucky. We took advantage of a natural experiment in 2019, when a severe bushfire burned through a research site spanning old growth wet Tasmanian forests and logged areas of regrowth, giving us access to data before and after the fires.
In our new research, we show Jackson was right. Regrowth does indeed burn more intensely than mature forests.
Jackson’s theory has resonated with generations of fire ecologists and fire managers in Australia and internationally, due to how it focuses on the interplay between the age of forests and the risk of bushfires.
Worldwide, vast areas of regrowth forest are recovering from clear-fell forestry and wildfires. In Tasmania alone, remote sensing data suggests a fifth of all tall wet forests are in a regrowth stage younger than 40 years old.
After an old forest is clear-felled, it is regenerated using fire to remove logging debris and then sown with seeds native to the area. This puts it in Jackson’s 30-year danger zone, which begins about 20 years after a fire, when eucalypts begin bearing gumnuts. It ends about 50 years after the fire, when trees are tall enough and moist dense understoreys have developed to lower the risk of devastating fires able to kill mature trees.
If regrowing forests make it through centuries without more fires, they could potentially become temperate rainforests, whose deeply shaded, moist understoreys put them at very low risk of fire.
If another severe fire starts before forests reach this safer period, experts have suggested the flammable regrowth could threaten entire landscapes by making fires more intense.
Some experts suggested forests regrowing from logging were a key factor in the huge area burned during the notorious 2019–20 fire season, though others have disputed this.
This is why Jackson’s theory still matters, almost 60 years after he proposed it.
Testing this theory has long proved difficult.
Forest ecologists have instead typically relied on indirect approaches, such as analysing how severe the fire was using satellite data, or estimating likely fire behaviour based on field measurements of the amount of fuel and how much moisture was present.
These inferential approaches can be scientifically fraught, as they are vulnerable to many assumptions that are hard to test or control for.
A previous attempt to resolve this question by experts, including the renowned Tasmanian ecologist J.B. Kirkpatrick had to be withdrawn due to technical issues. In retracting the paper, the authors noted their results had proven “highly sensitive” to variation in a small number of sites.
In 2019, a lightning strike ignited a fire in Tasmania’s southwest forests. Known as the Riveaux Road fire, it burned through an area of regrowing forest used for research.
This offered a rare chance of a natural experiment. We had pre-fire data on fuel loads, canopy structure and microclimates (areas where local conditions make climate different from surrounding areas) in both mature forests and adjacent areas logged around 40 years earlier.
After the fire passed, we collected more data so we could compare the fire damage (measured by damage to tree canopy) and the effects on the microclimates in both regrowth and mature, unlogged forests.
This natural experiment was conclusive. The areas of post-logging regrowth burned more severely, due to their hotter, drier microclimates and the fact their canopies were closer to the ground.
Interestingly, we found fires in the regrowth didn’t cause the fires to spread further. This was because the damp understorey of the surrounding mature forests could contain the fires.
That’s not to say this would always be the case. The 2019 fire took place in moderate fire weather conditions, meaning it wasn’t especially hot, dry or windy. If severe fire weather was present, this dampening effect would likely have been overwhelmed.
Proving Jackson’s theory isn’t good news for forests.
Climate change means fire weather will arrive more often and be more extreme. Combined with the large areas of forest regrowth, this means we will have to be ready for more fires.
In North American conifer forests, thinning out regrowth and burning off leaf litter and other fuel have proven effective in reducing the risks of fire-prone regrowth. Eucalypts have fundamentally different fire ecologies, so we can’t directly apply that research to Australia. Local research is limited, meaning we don’t know yet if this will work here.
Recent research has shown commercial thinning of regrowth in Tasmania doesn’t reduce the risk of fire, because bark, limbs and smashed trunks left after logging act as fuel.
This means we urgently need to find an effective way to reduce the risk of fires in regrowth in wet eucalypt forests in Tasmania and elsewhere in Australia.
Since the lethal fires of 1967, many Tasmanian communities – including large areas of Hobart – are now surrounded by forests still in the dangerous period of regrowth after logging or fires.
– ref. We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable – https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103
Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/02/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103/
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guy Curtis, Associate professor, The University of Western Australia
People using other peoples’ ideas, words and creations without acknowledgement is a widespread problem. Plagiarism occurs everywhere from restaurant menus to political speeches and music.
Within academia, plagiarism is seen as a serious breach of integrity for scholars and students.
It’s easy to find media articles claiming plagiarism is increasing among university students. These claims have intensified with the rise of generative AI – which can quickly produce large amounts of text that students can copy and paste into their assignments.
But while AI certainly poses a range of challenges for academic integrity, is plagiarism increasing as much as we think it is?
My team’s new research, which has tracked students at one university over 20 years, suggests it may even be falling.
Precise rates of plagiarism can be difficult to determine. Pre-AI, many claims about increasing plagiarism among students came from cherry picking results of different surveys from different student groups. So they were not comparing apples with apples.
Since AI, we have have a lot of anecdotal reporting of cheating. But we do not have a lot of robust evidence of whether cheating has increased over time.
In a new journal article, my colleagues and I have used a rare longitudinal study of plagiarism to overcome this problem.
Every five years since 2004, our study carried out the same survey on plagiarism with students at Western Sydney University (WSU). This means we have been able to track the same phenomena in the same environment over time.
In our survey students are presented with scenarios representing different forms of plagiarism. For example, a student copying text from a book without citing the book. Students were asked whether the behaviour is plagiarism, to test their understanding of it, and how often, if ever, they have done a similar thing. In 2024, we also also asked students if they used text generated by AI in their university work, without acknowledging it.
We conducted an anonymous survey of mostly undergraduate students, studying in a range of disciplines. The survey started in 2004 on paper and has been fully online since 2014.
The survey was done in the second half of the academic year to ensure students had the opportunity to both learn about and engage in plagiarism.
In 2024, as well as WSU, we included students from five other Australian universities for additional comparison. This gave us sample of more than 2,100 students in total for the latest round.
Over 20 years, the survey has found the percentage of students who engage in any form of plagiarism at least once has fallen every five years, from more than 80% in 2004 to 57% in 2024.
This decline corresponds with various measures, such as the use of text-matching software, which can help detect plagiarism. There has also been more training in referencing and citation rules – this reduces unintentional plagiarism.
Although 14% of students in 2024 indicated they had copied from AI without acknowledgement, most of them also engaged in at least one other form of plagiarism. For example, copying from another student’s assignment.
Copying from AI was the sole form of plagiarism for only 2% of students.
Combining students’ answers to whether they understand plagiarism and whether they engaged in it showed most did so knowingly. For example when it came to verbatim copying from AI, 88% of WSU students who engaged in this knew it was plagiarism.
Interestingly, most plagiarism was accidental 20 years ago when education about academic integrity was less thorough. However, the recent results show students have a better understanding of plagiarism and still do it anyway.
In the survey, two universities used AI detectors (which aim to assess whether a piece of written work has used AI, with mixed results and four did not.
Rates of plagiarism from AI were similar between the universities with and without detectors.
Our survey largely looked at only one Australian university. But despite this limitation, we can interpret the results in optimistic and pessimistic ways.
Optimistically, plagiarism has fallen over 20 years. This suggests measures to detect plagiarism and teach students about proper referencing can help.
On top of this, AI has not turned all students into plagiarists – at least not yet. What our study suggests is students who have plagiarised in some other way may now plagiarise from AI as well.
Pessimistically, over half of all students still plagiarise at some time in their university studies. And, because these surveys rely on self-reports, it is likely these figures represent the minimum number of students who plagiarise. Even when surveys, like ours, are anonymous and online, students may still be hesitant to admit to breaking rules.
This means educating students and policing academic conduct remains an ongoing battle.
– ref. Does AI mean more uni students are plagiarising their work? – https://theconversation.com/does-ai-mean-more-uni-students-are-plagiarising-their-work-279565
Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/02/does-ai-mean-more-uni-students-are-plagiarising-their-work-279565/
Source: Radio New Zealand
The livestream is due to start around 8.15am NZT
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is attending a signing ceremony with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown.
Peters’ one-day trip to Rarotonga is expected to mark friendlier relations between the two countries after an informal meeting in Auckland last month.
Brown has been at odds with New Zealand after a series of disagreements including failing to consult on a strategic deal with China, and proposing a separate passport for Cook Islanders.
The Cook Islands is a realm country, sharing currency and passport rights with New Zealand, and is expected to consult New Zealand on constitutional matters.
New Zealand has paused about $29.8 million in annual funding to the Cook Islands for two financial years, saying resumption was contingent on trust being rebuilt.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands PM Mark Brown pictured together on 1 April. Supplied / John Tulloch
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/04/02/watch-live-peters-attends-signing-ceremony-with-cook-islands-pm/
Source: Radio New Zealand
A teenager vaping an e-cigarette. 123RF
While vapes may cause cancer – as a recent Australian review of evidence concluded – they remain a far less dangerous vice than traditional cigarettes, a local anti-smoking lobby group says.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) looked at eight years of prior research between 2017 and 2025 – including human and animal studies, case reports and chemical analyses.
Lead author Bernard Stewart said it provided “by far the strongest evidence” vapes – like cigarettes – could cause lung and oral cancer. He said it could no longer be considered “safer than smoking”, urging a wider crackdown on black market products and more public awareness of the dangers.
But Ben Youdan, director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), worries the findings will promote the view that vaping is just as bad for you as smoking.
“There’s no question it does carry risk, and I think it doesn’t change the message that it’s much, much less harmful than smoking, but not completely risk-free, and that if you smoke, vaping is a very effective way to stop smoking and will substantially reduce your risk. None of that changes at all,” he told Morning Report on Thursday.
“But I think what the issue with this particular review is that it sort of makes a sweeping statement that ‘we found these things in vaping that may cause cancer’, but it doesn’t tell us anything about the levels that they are, whether they’re actually cancer-causing levels or what the dose exposure might be.”
For example, he said, the review noted some vapes will expose users to nicotine – but only about 2 percent of what a smoker would get, a “massive risk reduction” and not a cancer risk on its own.
The fear was studies like this – and the way they have been reported – will deter smokers from using vapes as a gateway to quitting altogether.
“We have really, really high quality evidence, much of which comes from New Zealand studies that vapes are very effective in helping people stop smoking. But we also have an increasing body of evidence that people believe vaping is as, if not more harmful than smoking, which is far from the truth.
“So there’s a real concern that when we have some quite alarmist studies that don’t face scrutiny like this coming out, that we might either encourage people to switch back to smoking or even to put them off using vaping as a stop-smoking act.”
Ben Youdan of ASH said there was no evidence that vapes were leading Kiwi youth towards smoking. 123rf
The researchers noted there was still no epidemiological link between using vapes and cancer, but proving cigarettes caused cancer took a century, and vapes had only been around for two decades.
Youdan said there was no evidence that vapes were leading Kiwi youth towards smoking, though a study last year suggested it could be slowing the move towards the country’s smokefree goal for Māori and Pasifika.
The latest Ministry of Health data showed smoking rates for both youth and adults had dropped markedly in the past 15 years.
Just 6.8 percent of adults and 3.2 percent of people aged 15-24 were daily users in the 2024/5 survey.
There was evidence however vaping amongst teenagers is now more popular than smoking was in 2011/2.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/04/02/concern-vaping-study-will-drive-people-back-to-cigarettes/
Source: Radio New Zealand
The KiwiSaver contribution rate lifted to 3.5 percent this week. RNZ / Quin Tauetau
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.
Rupert Carlyon is the founder of Kōura. (File photo) Supplied
“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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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/04/02/thousands-of-kiwisaver-members-choose-to-cut-contribution-rates/
PM Edition: Here are the top 10 business articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 2, 2026 – Full Text
April 1, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Open Banking will be extended to business banking channels, opening the door to a broad range of tools and services for businesses, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson and Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk say.
It means businesses can share their banking data with trusted providers, unlocking faster loan comparisons, automated accounting, and smarter cashflow tools to boost competition and productivity.
“This is about making life easier for businesses. It means fintechs can develop new tools for businesses which can mean less time on paperwork and admin, and more time focusing on customers and growth,” Mr Simpson says.
“Simple things like automated accounting tools and streamlined payment systems can save businesses hours every day.”
In the United Kingdom, businesses using Open Banking tools saved around 150 hours a year on basic tasks.
“That’s nearly a month of time gained, and that’s time that can be spent growing the business, supporting staff, or serving customers.”
“Since regulated open banking launched in December 2025, major banks have rolled out services to customer banking channels, with fintechs already delivering innovative new tools to New Zealanders.”
Cabinet has confirmed that banks will not be required to enable regulated Open Banking for large corporates and institutions. International examples show limited demand, and use case for Open Banking among larger entities.
Minister Penk says Open Banking is particularly valuable for small businesses because it tackles several of their biggest constraints at once.
“Small businesses can struggle to secure loans because they lack long credit histories or substantial collateral, but Open Banking products allow lenders a clearer picture of how a business is actually performing.
“Cash flow is also one of the biggest pain points, which fintechs can use Open Banking to address by bringing accounts from different banks into one place, helping owners track money in and out in real time so they can avoid shortfalls and make better spending decisions.
“For smaller operators with fewer staff, manual reconciliation, invoicing, and financial tracking take up valuable time. Services harnessing Open Banking can automate these tasks, reduce paperwork and errors, and free up capacity to focus on running the business,” Mr Penk says.
“Open Banking will boost competition, improve productivity, and give businesses better choices. This next step means more businesses will start to see those benefits in their day-to-day operations.”
“Easy access to Open Banking tools and their wide range of benefits is all about boosting productivity and reducing the burden on small businesses. It’s a key priority for this Government,” Mr Simpson says.
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April 2, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Some stores will be forced to close on certain days over Easter weekend. RNZ/Nick Monro
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.
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:
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.
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.
We don’t make the rules.
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.
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.
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.
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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April 1, 2026
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.
Representatives of consulates and chambers of commerce from 17 countries were in attendance in supporting the cause of the ‘Global Innovation Exchange’ network.
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.
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April 1, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 April 2026 – Ingdan, Inc. (“Ingdan” or the “Company,” Stock Code: 400.HK; together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), an innovative technology services platform group, today announced its audited consolidated results for the year ended December 31, 2025 (“2025” or “the Year”). The results reflect a landmark year of performance, further cementing the Company’s position at the core of the AI industry value chain. The Group serves as an ecosystem services platform anchored in AI chips, with a strategic focus on AI computing power centers and AI smart terminals. The Company is dedicated to building an AI industry connector with broad industrial linkages. Its core positioning is to bridge upstream AI chip technology with the needs of downstream innovation enterprises. The Group has established deep partnerships with world-leading chip manufacturers including NVIDIA, Xilinx, Intel, AMD, and SanDisk. Leveraging chip distribution as its gateway, the Group provides customers with an integrated, full-chain service covering technology solutions, supply chain services, technical training, and after-sales operation and maintenance — connecting the ecosystem service chain from chip supply to end-application deployment, and empowering the industrialization of AI technology.
2025 Full Year Financial Highlights
Benefiting from continued robust AI computing power demand and a significant uptick in chip requirements across AI technology-related industries, the Group’s revenue for the year reached approximately RMB15,206.7 million, comprising 62.6% from technology solutions, 37.0% from distribution business, and 0.4% from proprietary products — representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 50.1% from RMB10,129.1 million in 2024. The Group’s gross profit was approximately RMB1,104.2 million, up 24.1% year-on-year. Operating profit was approximately RMB532.4 million, up 24.4% year-on-year. Net profit after tax was approximately RMB310.2 million, up 13.4% year-on-year. Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company was approximately RMB214.8 million, up 13.1% year-on-year.
As at December 31, 2025, the Group’s cash and bank balances (including pledged deposits) amounted to RMB1,264.3 million, bank loans stood at RMB2,628.0 million. The total number of issued ordinary shares was 1,644,262,732 shares, with basic weighted average shares of 1,582,928,000 shares.
Deepening AI Computing Power Supply Chain: Comtech Continuously Empowering Industry Innovation
In the current strategic growth phase of the global semiconductor industry, the synergistic evolution of AI, cloud computing, and IoT technologies — combined with breakthroughs in humanoid robotics — is driving exponential growth in global computing power demand. This trend is not only spurring iterative demand for high-performance computing chips such as GPUs and ASICs, but also accelerating technological upgrades across the entire industry chain, including high-speed storage chips and intelligent networking equipment.
Against this backdrop, the Group’s core business unit, Comtech (“Comtech”) — a technology services platform for the chip industry — serves as a core supplier in the AI computing power supply chain, and is deeply engaged in the development of global computing power networks, with its service coverage spanning data centers, AI servers, AI switches, optical modules, and a wide range of AI application sectors. Comtech collaborates closely with leading global chip manufacturers, acting as an authorized distributor for over 80 core suppliers, including NVIDIA, Xilinx, Intel, AMD, and SanDisk, and many leading domestic chipmakers.
Leveraging years of deep market expertise, Comtech has accumulated extensive technical experience and industrial resources, enabling it to provide chip application solutions and supply chain management services to tens of thousands of downstream clients. Utilizing proprietary AI technologies, large language models (LLMs), and specialized knowledge bases, Comtech delivers intelligent and automated solutions in chip selection, hardware design, software development, and system integration, significantly enhancing product performance and reliability.
Comtech’s proprietary product line is entering a new era of AI acceleration. The Company holds multiple proprietary intellectual property rights in AI chip applications and intelligent supply chain, including an intelligent algorithm library, industry-specific large language models, an intelligent hardware design platform, an adaptive system architecture, and a broad portfolio of innovative technology patents. Its subsidiary, Kepler Lab, has successfully developed SOM-level proprietary products based on core chips including NVIDIA Jetson and Xilinx FPGA. Benchmarked against international advanced standards, these domestically developed AI edge computing products have achieved mass shipments to customers including customs authorities and banks, and are being actively expanded into emerging sectors such as robotics, medical devices, and autonomous driving. With high gross margins and a customer base that naturally overlaps with the Company’s traditional distribution business, this proprietary product line is poised to establish a second growth curve — marking the Company’s strategic transformation from a supply chain service provider to a technology value-added service provider, and opening compelling new possibilities for the Group’s long-term value creation.
As at December 31, 2025, Comtech’s adjusted distribution cost (“ADC”) inventory amounted to approximately RMB772.0 million. For the year ended December 31, 2025, ADC inventory turnover for Comtech was approximately 21 days.
Ingdan Technology Accelerates Strategic Positioning: AI Servers and Talent Development Advancing in Tandem
AI Computing Center Business: Precisely Capturing Domestic Computing Power Demand
In view of accelerating global AI technological advancement and sustained growth in domestic computing power demand, universities, medical schools, and research institutions have an increasingly urgent need for self-controllable, high-performance AI computing power. The Group’s intelligent computing power technology and services platform Ingdan Technology (“Ingdan Technology”), is capitalizing on the import-substitution opportunity by strategically deploying its AI server business and making large-scale investments in AIDC (AI Data Center) computing power center operations and proprietary product development.
Through deep collaboration with Huawei and leveraging the Ascend 910 chip, Ingdan Technology has launched the DeepSeek all-in-one workstation to precisely address the core computing power needs of scientific researchers. The DeepSeek all-in-one workstation features stable computing performance, robust data security, and full technological autonomy — achieving a distinctive competitive advantage through the combination of leading manufacturer endorsement and customized services.
Ingdan Academy: Talent Development Surges More Than Fourfold, Supporting National Semiconductor Strategy
Leveraging the Group’s extensive resources and technological expertise in the chip industry, Ingdan Academy introduces world-leading chip application technologies and is dedicated to developing talent in chip application and AI. To date, Ingdan Academy has cumulatively trained over 9,000 chip application engineers — surpassing the previous milestone of 2,000 by more than fourfold — serving over 1,200 enterprises and supplying a large number of high-quality professionals to the chip and AI industries. Through continuous talent training and technical support, Ingdan Academy is working to help Shenzhen become a global center for chip application and AI, contributing to the development of the nation’s semiconductor industry.
Chief Executive Officer’s Outlook
Mr. Jeffrey Kang, Chairmanand CEO of Ingdan, Inc., commented: “2025 has been a year of profound milestone significance in the Company’s development journey. Building on the substantial investments made in large-scale AI computing power and proprietary products throughout 2025, we are confident that our revenue growth trajectory will accelerate in 2026.The astonishing growth in AI computing power demand has fully validated the Group’s forward-looking strategic positioning across the AI chip application value chain.Looking ahead, we anticipate significant performance improvement driven by robust and sustained growth in demand for AI chips, GPUs, and storage networking chips. Supported by a robust bank financing framework, we expect sales to major customers to grow substantially — injecting powerful momentum into the Group’s exceptional performance growth in 2026 and laying a solid foundation.
We are full of confidence in the Group’s future development, and we extend our sincere gratitude to every shareholder, customer, and business partner for their continued trust and support.”
Cautionary Statement
The information contained herein has not been independently verified. No representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information or the opinions contained herein by the Company or any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives. The information contained herein should be considered in the context of the circumstances prevailing at the time and is subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake to update the information contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof.
This document is not intended to provide, and you should not rely upon it for, a complete or comprehensive analysis of the Company’s financial or operating condition or prospects. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives shall have any liability whatsoever (in negligence or otherwise) for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this document or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.
This document may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events as of the dates indicated herein. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company and its affiliates, advisers and representatives undertake no obligation and make no commitment to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the relevant date.
https://ingdangroup.com/
Hashtag: #Comtech #Ingdan #AI #IC #Chips #humanoid #Intel #AMD #Sandisk #NVIDIA #Tech #RevenueGrowth #TechGrowth #AIInvestment #ProprietaryProducts #KeplerLab #Comtech #IngdanTechnology #IngdanAcademy #AIAcceleration #TechTransformation
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Insurer Vero’s annual SME Insurance Index indicates more than one in five (21 percent) businesses were not confident in their own business. 123RF
Business confidence is under pressure, with nearly two-thirds of small- and medium-sized businesses experiencing a drop in revenue over the past year – with income down a quarter for a further 17 percent.
Insurer Vero’s annual SME Insurance Index indicates more than one in five (21 percent) businesses were not confident in their own business, with just 36 percent feeling confident.
Vero executive general manager Sacha Cowlrick said businesses were under pressure to cut costs, but warned against dropping insurance.
“Having adequate [insurance] cover could be the difference between folding under pressure and finding a way through.”
The survey of 550 SME business owners found most were experiencing pressures outside of their direct control, including increasing costs (88 percent) and the economic downturn (83 percent).
Political upheaval was also a concern for many. Changes to tax policy (69 percent), regulatory changes (61 percent) and political instability (61 percent) were top of the list.
“This is compounded by the current volatile global landscape, adding another layer of unpredictability to an already complex operating environment for SMEs,” Cowlrick said.
“There is no doubt that there are very real macro-pressures concerning SMEs, but it’s critical that business owners focus on the things they can control in order to give them the best chance of weathering the storm.”
Nearly half (47 percent) of businesses said they never or rarely conducted formal risk analyses, with more than half (53 percent) operating without any structured risk management framework, though six in 10 businesses expected to face at least one major operational risk this year.
The survey found about a quarter (24 percent) believed their business was very resilient.
“Business resilience isn’t just about bouncing back after an event. It’s about understanding your exposures and making informed decisions before something happens,” she said, adding that an insurance broker could help businesses develop a resilience strategy.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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April 1, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
It’s a pleasure to be here at the Sprout Summit, surrounded by people who are quite literally designing the future of agrifood, ag‑tech and deep‑tech innovation in New Zealand.
The theme of this year’s summit “The Catalyst: Connecting Industry, Innovation, and Investment”, is timely.
It speaks to the kind of system New Zealand needs to build: one where science, ideas, and capital connect seamlessly, and where innovation can move quickly from concept to commercial reality.
New Zealand is at an important economic turning point.
After several difficult years, marked by high inflation, weak productivity and declining business confidence, the economy is slowly turning a corner, notwithstanding external shocks.
Strengthening that recovery, and our ability to rebound after shocks, and lifting New Zealand’s long-term economic performance is a priority for the Government.
That is why two of this Government’s major agendas – Going for Growth and the Science, Innovation and Technology System Reforms – are deeply intertwined; the latter being one of the five key mechanisms in the Going for Growth agenda.
Nowhere is that more obvious than in the sectors represented here today: agritech, agrifoodtech, deep tech, and biotechnology, sectors where New Zealand has natural advantages, deep expertise and global potential.
We need smarter, more resilient technologies in energy, transport, and food production. Agritech and agrifood innovation are important components to resilience.
Opportunities in advanced technologies
Advanced technologies are already reshaping the agrifood economy — from AI enabled automation, to climate resilient crop systems and precision fermentation.
We also see it through companies like Halter, which is demonstrating how locally developed technology can scale globally while delivering tangible productivity gains on farm.
As you know, Halter has pioneered virtual fencing and precision livestock management through its solar-powered smart collars and software platform, enabling farmers to herd, monitor and manage cattle remotely without physical fences.
Adoption across New Zealand’s dairy and beef sectors has been rapid, driven by clear benefits including reduced labour pressure, improved animal welfare, better pasture utilisation and increased farm system flexibility.
Backed by significant venture capital – just last week the business attracted funding valuing it at more than $2 billion – and led by a strong, farmer-focused product vision, it has become a flagship example of agritech commercialisation. It shows how advanced technology, when deeply grounded in real farm needs, can achieve strong market traction and global growth potential.
I am pleased to have Halter founder and chief executive Craig Piggott on the PIMSITAC board, which I will speak more of shortly.
A further example of agritech success is last year’s Prime Minister’s Science Prize awards that went to AgResearch for developing an endophyte microorganism which enhances the health and productivity of the ryegrass common on New Zealand farms.
We need more of these stories across the economy.
Innovation is critical to resilience
Our ability to turn research into innovation, and innovation into growth is going to be critical to economic resilience and building our future success.
In Denmark – a country like New Zealand of around five million people – recent pharmaceutical breakthroughs have delivered a modern economic miracle – creating a tidal wave of growth, employment, and opportunity.
When I came into this role, one thing was immediately clear: New Zealand produces excellent science, but our system does not consistently turn those ideas into commercial success.
The Science Advisory Group report identified this as one of many problems to fix, including too much competition, too little competition, underutilisation, poor collaboration, poor connection with industry, poor alignment with government priorities, complex disconnected funding panels, and poor commercialisation. Apart from that, everything was fine!
Too many promising ventures stall at the research and proof of concept stages and cannot develop to a stage in which they can access venture capital.
They can also lack the capability support and capital they need to scale.
Too much intellectual property is left on the shelf, including IP disclosures that become effectively dormant.
Comparing public science funding with Australia suggests we do well at the discovery phase but do not push on into spinouts and start-ups, as well as they do.
Changes to science system
Part of this is in our hands, where capital flows in our economy have been misaligned for years. Not enough investment has been targeted at the creation of new technologies, new products, and new companies.
That is why the Government is undertaking the most significant modernisation of the science, innovation and technology system in more than three decades.
Our goal is simple: A science system that produces world‑class research and turns it into world‑class companies.
Key reforms in the past year alone show the huge amount of work that’s been done in just one year holding the portfolio, including:
Our science reforms must be matched with strong support for businesses at every stage of the commercialisation pipeline.
At the early stage, our revamped science system will ensure public R&D investment is maximised.
At the scaling stage, tools like Elevate, the R&D Tax Incentive, InvestNZ and NZTE are helping firms grow globally.
In the middle, the critical point between proof of concept and investability, we see great opportunity for improvement.
This is where capability support such as incubators, accelerators, commercialisation coaches; and early capital such as PreSeed‑ Accelerator Fund, Technology Incubators, Aspire; must be aligned.
We are now working to ensure a joined‑up, coherent pathway so founders can get the right support at the right time.
Role of PMSITAC
Last year in his state of the nation speech, the Prime Minister also announced the establishment of the Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council (PMSITAC) to set research priorities and ensure funding is targeted for maximum impact. I chair that council and acknowledge deputy chair and chief science advisor John Roche from MPI who is also in the room.
Earlier this year, the Prime Minister asked the Council to be bold; to tell the Government how to build a system that is focused, effective and equipped for the future.
He said that the prize – if we can get it right – could be game-changing for New Zealand.
The council’s role was not simply to diagnose long-standing issues, but to chart a path forward.
The Council has done just that and delivered recommendations which the Government is backing.
Today, I am pleased to announce the release of the Prime Minister’s Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council (PMSITAC) Report on Prioritisation in New Zealand’s Science, Innovation and Technology System.
It sets out how we will refocus science investment into areas that will make the biggest difference for New Zealand.
This report focuses on science funding in the portfolio and not the almost equal amount of science funding in other portfolios including MPI, DoC, TEC, Centres of Research Excellence, and TREF – previously PBRF. Those funds are outside this report.
This report focuses on science funding in the SIT portfolio, and not the almost equal amount of science funding elsewhere, including MPI, DoC, Callaghan, TEC and MoE funded centres of research excellence, and TREF previously known as PBRF, the $315 million a year which funds university research. Those funds are outside this report.
The key elements of the report are:
1 – Priority pillars
The Council’s report signals four areas, or pillars, where Government’s science investment can make the biggest difference for New Zealand.
These are:
These four pillars reflect where New Zealand has existing strengths and capability, but also where there is opportunity for us to do more. The SAG report consistently focused on science prioritisation that we are or should be good at.
For investors, the PMSITAC report is a strong signal of long-term‑ policy alignment.
The Council’s advice is clear:
New Zealand under invests in advanced technology research, and is overweighted in agricultural and environmental research, compared to similar economies, including taking into account the primacy of our agricultural sector.
Some of this reflects how our system and economy has evolved.
However, if we want science and innovation to more strongly drive economic performance, wellbeing and national resilience, we need a different balance of investment.
At the heart of the report is a new Technology for Prosperity pillar, which will crosscut across all science endeavours.
It is not designed to grow a single sector, but to build national capability.
Investments in areas such as quantum technologies, AI modelling, next generation sensing and engineered biological systems, will enable innovation across all four pillars, including agrifood and agritech.
2 – Investigator/mission-led reweighting
The Council recommends adjusting the funding balance within these pillars to be 60 per cent mission-led (aligned to national priorities and outcomes) and 40 per cent investigator-led (competitively funded, curiosity-driven research).
This replaces the current approximate 45 per cent mission-led and 55 per cent investigator-led balance, and positions New Zealand alongside other leading small, advanced economies who are similarly positioning towards more mission-led science.
3 – Rebalancing agriculture and environmental investment with advanced technology
The Council recommends that we increase investment in advanced technology through a gradual reallocation of some of the agriculture and environmental research funding.
Cross cutting will clearly position some of this funding back into those areas, just from a different pillar and with an emerging technology lens. For example, through something like AI-driven robotic harvesting technology.
This does not mean starting again or discarding what we do well. Rather, it is to build on our existing strengths and direct more investment toward areas where New Zealand has a genuine comparative advantage, where we need research that addresses the unique needs and challenges of New Zealanders, and where emerging technologies are shaping future opportunities.
In short, redirect resources for an outsized impact.
Will humanities and social sciences still be supported?
Yes. It is a whole pillar in itself; one of the four.
Is matauranga still supported?
Yes. The $42 million biodiversity platform is evidence of that.
Will investigator-led, foundational research still be supported?
Yes. Up to 40 per cent of research funding would still fit into this category.
4 – Simplified science funding with less bureaucracy
The fourth key to the report is simplified science funding with less bureaucracy. The PMSITAC Priorities Report provides a clear path forward. It will inform the development of the Science Investment Plan or SIP, which will set New Zealand’s long‑term research priorities and align public investment with national missions. This plan will be released later this year.
The upcoming Science Investment Plan is the response to this report and will direct Research Funding New Zealand – RFNZ – as the one-stop-shop that operationalises the the PMSATIC strategy. This will be done through Pillar Investment Plans – PIPS.
The simplified system then has:
I know that is a few new acronyms, but this aligns with simplified science funding structures in other small, advanced economies. That is less bureaucracy and more funding for researchers.
This more aligned approach will help ensure New Zealand’s deep‑tech, agrifood and advanced‑technology sectors are positioned to take full advantage of future opportunities, here and globally.
Shifting investment priorities
This transition must be supported by the foundations of the system — our workforce, our research infrastructure, our commercialisation pathways, and our global partnerships.
It strengthens the fundamentals of New Zealand’s agrifoodtech opportunity by shifting investment toward the data, biology, engineering and automation layers that form the foundation of globally scalable agritech companies.
This moves public investment toward platform technologies, for example AI, genomics, sensors, synthetic biology and digital twins, that can generate intellectual property and global revenue.
For the investment community, this alignment reduces policy risk and increases confidence that New Zealand will continue to produce agri-tech companies at scale capable of competing in large international markets.
The changes also aim to improve the efficiency of the innovation-to-commercialisation pipeline. A more mission-led system, clearer national priorities and simplified funding architecture mean fewer fragmented projects and more concentrated effort behind technologies with real market pull.
These proposals improve the risk–return profile of agri-tech investment. Stronger upstream public investment lowers technical and regulatory risk, clearer priorities support better capital allocation, and a growing advanced-technology talent base strengthens the founder pipeline.
This aims to translate into higher-quality deal flow, faster time to scale, and increased potential for international partnerships, follow-on capital and exits.
Shifting our funding in this way will mean we see more of the benefits that investments in advanced technology is already delivering – boosting farm productivity, reducing environmental impacts, and enabling smarter, data-driven decisions that improve health, resilience and sustainability across New Zealand.
In a tight fiscal environment, public investment must be targeted, efficient and evidence-based‑. Every dollar must do real work.
Funding needs confidence
This report describes reprioritisation and not a reduction in science funding.
We all agree that more funding is important if we are to retain research capability and deliver on the potential New Zealand has. That funding needs to come from both private and public sources.
As you all know, funding for any venture requires a business case.
In a sense, the science and research reforms we are undertaking is part of a developing “business case” that the Government needs, to give it the confidence to consider putting more funding into the sector.
It’s a highly competitive process getting the attention and time of politicians that is needed for consideration of any new money. The case has to be strong.
We all need to prove that we are fixing the basics – by establishing these new entities, having them running smoothly, making sensible and informed decisions that support the national interest and the priorities laid out.
The Government is committed to building a prosperous future.
We can make policy and create interventions, but it will also require evidence, to build confidence that the sector is contributing and worth investing more in.
Evidence that is easy to digest, links to national benefit and demonstrates that it is delivering real results and returns.
Close
In closing, I want to thank the Council for their expertise and contribution. Their advice is helping ensure New Zealand’s science and innovation investments deliver enduring value for the country.
To everyone here today, founders, CEOs, researchers, farmers, investors — thank you for the ambition, creativity and drive you bring to this sector. You are building the future of New Zealand’s bioeconomy and delivering solutions the world needs.
Alongside you, I have built the second largest biotechnology Institute in the world and a focused, simplified funding mechanism to advance those goals.
With a modernised, prioritised science and innovation system, aligned investment signals, and a growing advanced technology capability base, I am confident that New Zealand can remain a global leader in agrifood and agritech-‑innovation.
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April 2, 2026
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
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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The trucking and tourism sectors are struggling with rising fuel costs. RNZ / Unsplash
A trucking sector veteran says the soaring price of diesel is the worst he’s seen in his 35 years in the industry.
The US and Israel’s ongoing war on Iran has caused a global fuel crisis which is now in its fifth week as Iran continues to block most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz which is used to transit about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas.
It has hugely disrupted key supply chains and pushed Brent crude oil over $115 a barrel, pushing up prices at the pump.
The price of diesel has nearly doubled in the space of a month since the conflict in the Middle East.
In New Zealand on Wednesday morning, the Gaspy website showed the price of diesel was $3.51 on average – more expensive than the price of unleaded 91 priced at $3.43.
David Hill, general manager of Hawke’s Bay’s Emmerson Transport, said their fuel bill had gone up 110 percent, and they had no choice but to pass that on to their customers.
“In the 35 years I’ve been involved in the road transport industry, we’ve never seen increases of this magnitude,” he said.
“Most operators obviously are having issues with funding that,” he added.
The huge increase in the price of diesel is hitting the trucking sector. 123RF
Hill said prudent operators would take into account the “Fuel Adjustment Factor” (FAF), and set their rates at the end of the month for the following month.
However, he said some operators were on fixed price arrangements – such as quarterly pricing – and would not be able to adjust their prices.
Hill said his company had taken a hardline approach to FAF, and their customers had been understanding.
“Most responsible corporates these days accept what the situation is and work with their providers… because we’re gonna do nobody any favours the stakeholders or our staff – if we go outta business due to the fact that we’ve not recovered the fuel FAF.”
Hill said the current situation was comparable to the diesel spike during the Global Financial Crisis – but he added that even then, the New Zealand currency had a stronger exchange rate to the US dollar than now.
Meanwhile, a tour bus operator has had to implement a fuel surcharge to accommodate for the growing diesel prices.
Ready 2 Roll offers tours and airport transfers in the central North Island.
Director Carleen Dahya told Morning Report they had seen nearly a $100 increase at the pump in just over a week.
“Already a vehicle that was costing us $140 to fill up a week and a half ago is now $250.”
Dahya said they were currently charging a 12 percent surcharge, but the effects would take time to flow through.
“We’re not going to start to recover that until sort of a month’s time because we’ve honoured bookings that we’ve already got because it’s not their fault – it’s not our fault, but we’re the ones who have to wear it.”
She said even with adding the 12 percent on, with the cost of diesel, the numbers were tight.
“It’s going to be an interesting process moving forward, how many times we have to increase our surcharge to keep up with the fuel increases.”
Dahya said the current situation was a nightmare.
“With the diesel prices as well as road user [charges], it’s going to kill us.”
She said they were also seeing a trend of people cancelling due to disruption the fuel crisis was having their travel plans.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has rejected any tax relief for the transport industry saying it would not work.
Nicola Willis faces questions on the fuel crisis last month. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
She acknowledged the diesel price was very high saying it reflected the fact that diesel was one of the fuel’s that had been most disrupted by the crisis in the Middle East.
“It’s cost to get into New Zealand has gone up considerably and that’s where you’ve seen the biggest price rises.”
Diesel users pay their road tax through the road user charge, where as petrol users just pay it at the pump as the tax is added to the price of their fuel, she said.
“The challenge we face is that if we were to take away that tax that would put a half billion dollar hole in our road funding which would only multiply every time you extended that reduction … and then we would simply not have enough funding available to maintain our roads.”
She said officials have also been clear that there may come a time when road users would be asked to conserve fuel.
“Our officials have been very clear that sending a price signal that you’re taking away a tax at the same time as you’re asking for restraint doesn’t make sense, it’s very contradictory.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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March 31, 2026
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March 31, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – Apical, through its business unit PT Sari Dumai Oleo (PT SDO), recently inaugurated the Rumah FABA Kreasi Muda in Lubuk Gaung, Sungai Sembilan, Dumai, Riau. The initiative forms part of the company’s efforts to support community empowerment through productive economic activities.
Rumah FABA Kreasi Muda serves as a production facility for concrete blocks and paving stones using Fly Ash and Bottom Ash (FABA) – non-hazardous by-products generated from Apical’s power plant – as alternative raw materials. These materials are processed into construction products that can support infrastructure development in the surrounding community.
In his remarks, PT SDO Head of General Affairs, M. Jaya Budi Arsa, said the initiative was introduced to strengthen economic independence in communities around the company’s operational areas. “We established Rumah FABA Kreasi Muda to create new business opportunities and support the economic independence of nearby communities. We hope this facility will help enhance residents’ skills and capacity to run sustainable businesses,” he said.
To support the programme’s implementation, Apical, a member of the RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, has provided assistance through the construction of the production facility, the supply of equipment and the provision of a steady supply of FABA as an alternative raw material. This support is intended to enable the community to carry out production in a structured manner while gradually developing independently managed businesses.
Lubuk Gaung Subdistrict Head Syafrianto, S.Sos., M.IP., noted that the Rumah FABA initiative has had a direct impact on youth engagement and local economic development. He also emphasised the importance of continued guidance to ensure the business can grow sustainably.
“Rumah FABA provides space for young people in Lubuk Gaung to take part in productive activities and access new job opportunities. Moving forward, ongoing support will be key to ensuring the business continues to grow and deliver long-term benefits,” he said.
Rumah FABA Kreasi Muda is expected not only to create employment opportunities but also to strengthen the community’s capacity to manage businesses independently. By repurposing available materials, the programme generates added value while promoting resource efficiency.
In line with Apical’s 5Cs business philosophy – doing what is good for Community, Country, Climate and Customer, and only then will it be good for the Company – the company aims to ensure that its operations deliver balanced benefits for society, the environment and long-term business sustainability.
Hashtag: #RGE #Apical #Palm #CommunityEmpowerment #Indonesia
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/02/pm-edition-top-10-business-articles-on-livenews-co-nz-for-april-2-2026-full-text/
AM Edition: Here are the top 10 politics articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 2, 2026 – Full Text
April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Alcohol sale restrictions could be gone by long weekend. RNZ
Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions on public holidays has passed in its third and final reading at Parliament – and could be passed into law in time for this Easter weekend.
It is possible it may receive royal assent on Thursday, meaning some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.
The member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.
Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.
McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.
“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.
The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.
“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”
Kieran McAnulty RNZ / Angus Dreaver
McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive royal assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.
“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the governor-general and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”
Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.
McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.
But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.
“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.
“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”
An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.
ACT MP Cameron Luxton. VNP / Phil Smith
Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays.
The ACT MP was hopeful it would be in place in time for the Super Round at Christchurch’s new stadium, which will see 10 Super Rugby teams play over the weekend of 24 to 26 April.
Luxton said it would mean punters coming to enjoy the new stadium were not kicked out at midnight for Anzac Day.
“It’s a huge opening that Christchurch is going to be able to make a great deal out of.”
He said it would change the “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here” regime currently in place.
“Who knows what’s happening on the streets after that? This bill will enable licensed premises with safety procedures and alcohol policies in place to continue giving people the entertainment, the nightlife that they would like in a responsible and safe way.”
McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.
“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”
McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.
“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”
This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.
The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.
Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024. That bill would have repealed Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days altogether.
Luxton said McAnulty’s bill was “dealing with an element” of what his bill had set out to do.
Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.
Mike Egan. RNZ / Max Towle
Mike Egan, president of the Restaurant Association and co-owner of restaurant Monsoon Poon, said the present law was a “relic from the 1800s” and a “fly in the ointment” for businesses like his.
“The rule is you’re meant to partake in a substantial meal in a pub over Easter on the Friday, and tourists are sort of like, ‘Oh, we’ve eaten, we just all come here for a nightcap,’ or, ‘We just want to have a snack, and you know, we’re wandering around town trying different restaurants and cafes’, and it’s like, ‘No, I’m really sorry, you need to have another meal…’
“People will order a whole meal and not even eat it because the law doesn’t say they actually have to eat it, they just have to have it sitting there in front of them. It’s just a little bit old-fashioned.”
He said the law change would not result in “all this debauchery on Good Friday”.
“[Customers] just want to have a beer in the afternoon after they’ve had a bike ride down the vineyards, you know? So it’s very sort of frustrating trying to police this legislation.”
He said staff would no longer have to act as police officers, checking how much food each customer had ordered if the bill was passed.
“It’ll just make it sort of easier and it’ll just flow like a regular weekend. It will boost business [and] take away a lot of confusion.”
Senior health promotion adviser at Alcohol HealthWatch, Sarah Sneyd, told Checkpoint, she understood people may see it as a small change but it was one that would ever so slightly make access to alcohol easier.
“We have some data from police and emergency departments that show there are fewer alcohol related assaults and ED presentations over the Easter break and that could very well be because it’s harder to access alcohol.”
Sneyd believed there would be real repercussions from changing the restrictions.
“I think it really speaks to a symptom of a deeper problem in our culture we can’t even go a couple of days without access to alcohol. Once again we make it easier to access alcohol on the couple of days where there are some restrictions around it.
“This is not what we hear communities want.”
Sneyd said New Zealand was “saturated” with alcohol and it was a problem with very few protections.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Alcohol sale restrictions could be gone by long weekend. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.
A member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty would amend the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.
Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.
McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.
“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.
The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.
“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”
The bill is up for its third reading on Wednesday. Exactly when depends on other legislation scheduled to be debated first.
If the bill passes, it is possible it may receive Royal Assent on Thursday, in time for Good Friday.
Kieran McAnulty RNZ / Angus Dreaver
McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive Royal Assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.
“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the Governor-General and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”
Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.
It means some of McAnulty’s own Labour colleagues may choose to oppose his bill, but the MP was optimistic he had the numbers across the House to pass.
McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.
But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.
“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.
“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”
An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.
ACT MP Cameron Luxton. VNP / Phil Smith
Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays. McAnulty said that was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.
“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”
McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.
“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”
This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.
The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.
Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024.
Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The new report highlights progress and persistent gaps in the country’s medicines system. File photo. CC BY-NC 2.0 Gatis Gribusts
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:
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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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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April 2, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
An armed man sent a manifesto to schools, the police and the government promising to “kill everyone” (file photo). RNZ
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.
The closed front office at Waiuku College following the threat. RNZ / Calvin Samuel
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.”
The manifesto said explosives had been sent in various packages to Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and the Beehive. RNZ / Calvin Samuel
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.
Rutherford College restricted access to the property and had armed police posted at the school for the duration of the day. Rutherford College
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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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Winston Peters says the BSA’s decision that it has jurisdiction over an online media service is one of “breathtaking audacity”. File photo. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Winston Peters has accused the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) of “bordering on fascist” after it concluded it has jurisdiction over the online media service The Platform.
The New Zealand First leader made the comments in an interview with The Platform broadcaster Sean Plunket on Wednesday morning.
The BSA had just published a decision it could consider a complaint made against The Platform, because the programme “meets the Act’s definition of ‘broadcasting’”.
The complaint was regarding comments made by Plunket about karakia and tikanga Māori being “mumbo jumbo”.
Peters told Plunket the move was one of “breathtaking audacity”.
“Frankly, they should go. They should be abolished. They’re out of time. They’ve got no use anymore.”
Plunket – who disagrees with the BSA decision – told his audience he was frustrated by the lack of action from the government.
“I had a personal assurance from the prime minister last year, who said to me, and I’ll quote, ‘Don’t worry mate, we’ve got your back on this’.”
Speaking to reporters on his way into the House on Wednesday afternoon, the prime minister said he did not recall those comments.
“I don’t recall every conversation I have with everybody, but I can’t imagine that’s something I’ve said,” Christopher Luxon said.
Plunket said there was no rationale for the BSA to broaden its remit to include The Platform, and he had assurances from the government they would intervene.
Luxon denied the government had got involved in the matter.
“We have not interfered in this process at all, the BSA is independent, but there is a range of options available to the minister.”
The ACT Party has a private member’s bill to abolish the BSA, which Peters hinted his party would support.
ACT leader David Seymour told reporters at Parliament on Wednesday afternoon that it was time for the BSA to go.
“It’s a creature of 1989 – before the internet existed – we live in a different world today and it’s clearly overstepping its mandate,” he said.
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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The bill was put forward by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions over Easter, Anzac Day, and Christmas has passed its third and final reading at Parliament.
The bill amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.
Bottle shops will still have to stay closed, and supermarket alcohol restrictions remain.
The bill passed 66 votes to 56.
It was put forward by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty.
Speaking at the third reading, McAnulty told the House the bill would clear up the guesswork for hospitality staff in deciding what was a “substantial” meal to serve before someone could purchase alcohol, by removing the requirement entirely.
“What is even more ridiculous is that actually they’re not required to eat the meal. They’re only required to purchase it, and it can sit there while they drink, and it could also be argued that they can go and buy another substantial meal in order to keep drinking. That doesn’t make sense. This bill clears that up,” he said.
McAnulty said it was clear there was not a majority in Parliament to amend the Easter Trading laws themselves, something he himself was opposed to amending, and so he was not seeking to change them.
“All we’re talking about here is businesses that can already open. This is not expanding access to alcohol. When we’re only talking about those workers that are working anyway, this is not taking anything away from those workers that otherwise enjoy a guaranteed day off,” he said.
At the Committee of the Whole House stage, and amendment from ACT’s Cameron Luxton was adopted to ensure those venues could continue to serve drinks past midnight the day before the holiday.
Cameron Luxton’s amendment was adopted and one Kieran McAnulty supported. VNP / Phil Smith
Luxton said the provision would allow a business to stay open for its usual licencing hours, and not necessarily that they must remain open or stay open past the 11:59 deadline the day before.
“The amendment says that the premises for which an on-licence is held may remain open during the permitted trading hours that apply to the premises,” he said.
McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment cleared up an anomaly, and he was happy to support it.
Rather than the usual eleven speeches in response to McAnulty’s first call, Assistant Speaker Barbara Kuriger allowed the debate to be split into 22 shorter calls, acknowledging the vote was a conscience matter.
Parliament treats votes on legislation involving alcohol as a conscience matter, meaning MPs are free to vote according to their personal feelings, or those of their constituents, rather than whipped as a party bloc.
It means McAnulty’s Labour colleagues were free to vote against his bill, as Taieri MP Ingrid Leary did.
“I can’t in good conscience continue to see bills come before the House that incrementally change small, nuanced parts of a wider architecture that urgently needs reform,” she said.
ACT voted as a bloc in support, while all New Zealand First and Green MPs opposed the bill.
MP Kahurangi Carter said the Greens had a long history of fighting for alcohol harm reduction laws, and believed the entire Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act needed to be overhauled.
“The Green Party is united in our position that we cannot support this bill,” she said.
New Zealand First MP David Wilson said he valued using those holidays for remembrance and reflection.
“It’s not much to ask to take some time to reflect, to revere, and to respect, and then celebrate with friends and family,” he said.
“A small degree of restriction for a few days to reinforce shared traditions and values is a very small price to pay.”
His New Zealand First colleague Mark Patterson took it a step further, saying the House would be “crossing a Rubicon” with its vote.
“Will they vote to uphold their traditional New Zealand values, history, and traditions? Will they respect our Christian heritage, sacred Christian celebrations of Christmas, Easter Sunday, and Good Friday? Will they acknowledge the solemn commemoration of Anzac Day morning? Or will they sacrifice that heritage at the altar of consumerism and consumption?”
McAnulty’s Labour colleague Lemauga Lydia Sosene said communities in her Māngere electorate wanted to keep those days sacred, and so she opposed it on their behalf.
However, in support of the bill, National’s Greg Fleming said he did not believe the legislation affected the sanctity of those days.
Fleming, who co-founded conservative policy think-tank the Maxim Institute, said many years ago he would have opposed the bill, but he said it was a “considered, incremental, and mature step forward” for a healthy relationship for alcohol, and a healthy respect for differences, rather than being “fearful” of what it meant for sacred days.
ACT’s Laura McClure said people’s behaviour would not change just because trading hours did.
“Our licenced premises have to adhere to really strict rules when it comes to intoxication. One of the safest places you could probably have a few beverages in is a licenced premises.”
National’s Carl Bates, opposing the legislation, said Parliament could have instead clarfied the definition of a “substantial” meal in regulation.
“The idea that the only way to solve this problem is to remove the law, to take a step on that slop towards removing the importance of these days in New Zealand’s history, and in its culture, is in itself absurd.”
Speaking to RNZ before the third reading, McAnulty was hopeful it could get Royal Assent on Thursday, so it could be law before the long weekend.
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March 31, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Legislation preventing future governments from concealing the extent of fiscal risks in government accounts passed through its final stages in Parliament today.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Public Finance Amendment Act requires economic and fiscal updates prepared by the Treasury to include a statement of specific fiscal risks.
“When I became Finance Minister, I discovered several risks were not clear in those statements. An example was the time-limited funding for Pharmac medicines on which thousands of New Zealanders rely.
“While the Treasury has now categorised and described those fiscal risks – which includes identifying time-limited funding and capital cost escalations – this law change makes that categorisation a requirement.
“The Act also removes the need for Treasury to report on ‘wellbeing’.
“Building a strong economy and delivering better public services advances the country’s wellbeing. Therefore, the Treasury needs to focus on its core purpose – economic and fiscal advice – not hazy feel-good ideas that sound nice, but don’t deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders.”
The Act also brings the date for the delivery of the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) forward by five working days.
“The PREFU helps to ensure voters can make informed choices at the election. Bringing the date forward gives them more time to weigh up the choices available to them,” Nicola Willis says.
The PREFU forecasts the economic outlook for New Zealand, and the government’s fiscal outlook.
The Act will be in force by July 1 2026.
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April 1, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Enhanced data management will be “essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence”, say official police documents. File photo. RNZ / Richard Tindiller
A rush to deliver police new powers has not been matched by promised government funding for the technology needed to carry out those powers.
Police need two new or improved tech systems – one to handle the photos of people and other data generated by enhanced intelligence gathering; and one to issue new infringements under a Bill before parliament.
Official papers say enhanced data management will be “essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence” and to “establish appropriate constraints” around what data police collected and how they used it.
RNZ inquiries show police are paying for the new infringements system out of an “underspend” last year, and there is no funding for a new data management system.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell was told by police last year that “an important complement to the immediate statutory reform we are progressing, will be the need to consider opportunities to enhance police information management and data protection and security measures”.
Another official paper, written six months ago, said: “This work is likely to be significant and will likely require a business case to be developed, for consideration in a future Budget cycle.”
But Mitchell’s office told RNZ this week: “To clarify, the aim is for police to find solutions through enhancing existing technologies. No additional funding has been sought at this stage.”
Mitchell said he could not comment on any work underway on the development of a newly funded Digital Evidence Management System “as clearly an investment of this kind would require additional funding, likely through a Budget process”.
Official papers mentioned the significance and complexity of the proposed law changes, and how building better data systems to implement them was a matter of trust.
“Police will progress enhancements to data management controls and assurance processes in parallel with the development and progression of the bill and will continue
following commencement of the legislation,” said one.
“These enhancements will be essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence in police’s information management practices and treatment of personal information and helping ensure compliance with relevant Privacy Act obligations and principles.”
Police told Mitchell in a proactively-released briefing in May: “It is important that, as we establish lawful authority to record visual and other information, we have information systems that enable us to ensure effective storage, retention, searching and destruction of these images.”
This was partly because it was poor data and evidence handling by police that led to a 2022 inquiry and a Supreme Court ruling last year that constrained their powers.
Police were criticised in 2022 for the haphazard storage and handling of tens of thousands of casually-taken photos of Māori youth and others. Attempts by police to put better technology in place missed a deadline set by the Privacy Commissioner.
Police told RNZ last week they were not looking at any data tech options.
“As this bill has only just begun going through the parliamentary process police has not yet commenced work to investigating supporting technologies that may be required in preparation for implementation,” they said.
But this week they said they were “continuing” to work on the most effective means of managing data. “We are looking at our existing technology and at additional opportunities presented via things such as our Digital Notebook app.”
The papers showed that police had been pushing since last May for “urgent” law change – the earliest date put forward to enact it was by December 2025.
Mitchell responded enthusiastically, but police had to ease up when early engagement with the Justice Ministry and Privacy Commissioner “highlighted the level of challenge likely to be encountered” while noting that “Police has not been well positioned to respond to those concerns to date.”
One driver of the Bill – and of the need to upgrade to a digital evidence management system – was so that new technologies such as body-worn cameras could be introduced more easily.
“The methods and channels by which police collects personal information have changed as a result of technological developments,” said the regulatory impact statement.
“New technology capabilities are supporting policing practices here and internationally, and are creating new opportunities for more effective policing.”
The papers listed other intelligence-gathering tech police might want to harness more: “Mobile phones, high-resolution cameras, drones, Police Eagle helicopter footage, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera networks in urban and rural locations, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), retail camera convergence platforms (for example, Auror and SaferCities), online open-source search tools, waste-water testing, and geospatial and geolocation tools.”
They also noted how “some of this personal information may have an unknown specific intelligence use at the time of collection” – so the Bill sought to give police the freedom to use it in future.
Critics have voiced concerns that this opens the gate too far, without setting up strong safeguards.
Enhanced information systems were seen as a safeguard. “Further information management investment will assist with strengthening these safeguard [sic], ensuring police is meeting its current requirements, and maintaining public trust and confidence,” said the impact statement.
“Whether any investment required will be met through existing baseline, or through a Budget bid, would be addressed through any necessary assessment.”
Lack of funding has also delayed replacement of the Police Infringement Processing System (PIPS) for at least eight years, despite it being overloaded and unable to process anything other than traffic offences.
It had to be replaced for the amendment Bill to be implemented this year.
The Bill would give police new powers to detain and fine people in areas they have declared temporarily off-limits, and the old PIPS could not handle this.
Mitchell told RNZ its replacement would be completed this year, but gave no firm date.
The government aims to enact the policing amendment Bill after the select committee reports back in July.
“Police is developing a phased programme of work to transition to the new system which will support enforcement of the new infringement offences as well as existing infringements,” Mitchell said.
“No new funding has been allocated to this development. The system has been funded from Vote Police underspend from the 2024/5 financial year.”
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March 31, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Housing Minister Chris Bishop. RNZ/Marika Khabazi
The government has made yet another change to legislation setting out the plan to accommodate new homes in Auckland in the coming decades.
Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the government will reduce the minimum housing capacity required for Auckland Council’s Plan Change 120 to 1.4 million, after already revising the figure in February.
Auckland Council had been progressing a new plan to accommodate up to 2 million homes in the coming decades.
The council opted out of medium-density rules that apply to most major cities on the proviso it set up zoning for 30 years of growth.
The council’s Plan Change 120 set out the process for doing this, but the government had come under pressure from proponents of heritage homes who raised concerns about further intensification in character areas that were already seeing major development.
On Tuesday, it was announced the government agreed to revise the minimum housing capacity required by Plan Change 120, with Bishop saying Aucklanders had been clear they want housing growth, “so long as it happens in the right places and where infrastructure can support it.”
“Our expectation is that this revised capacity number finally brings consensus on this important issue. Aucklanders deserve certainty on this city-shaping plan change,” said Bishop.
He said advice from officials estimate the capacity enabled by PC120 was “still likely to be around 1.6 million homes” once mandatory requirements under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and upzoning around the City Rail Link were taken into account.
Auckland Council will still need to provide for significant housing growth, Bishop said.
The latest change also addressed a “transitional issue” affecting developers and property owners after the withdrawal of an earlier plan change – those who had started projects under the Medium Density Residential Standards and were “left in limbo” when those rules were withdrawn, Bishop said.
Projects can continue if approvals were already in place or they were partway through the consent process.
Bishop also planned to investigate planning provisions that “may be holding back Auckland’s city centre”.
Guiding principles set by Auckland Council for how it will change PC120 in response to the new minimum housing capacity include:
Bishop indicated the legislation would be progressed quickly to minimise disruption to the existing PC120 process.
Once the new capacity requirement was in place, the council would decide which parts of the plan to withdraw or amend. Where parts of the plan are withdrawn, the existing Auckland Unitary Plan zoning will remain in place.
There will also be further opportunities to provide feedback.
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March 31, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Health Minister Simeon Brown. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Ministers have sought “urgent advice” about how best to ease the pain of rising fuel prices for in-home care workers and other public servants who might be in a similar plight.
Support workers, who often earn little more than minimum wage, were not fully reimbursed for their transport costs despite having to visit injured, disabled or elderly people in their homes.
Soaring fuel prices have exacerbated the problem, prompting the Public Service Association and E tū to file an Employment Relations Authority claim against Health NZ.
Speaking at Parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Simeon Brown said the government was “acutely aware” of the challenge and was exploring solutions “as quickly as possible”.
“These are incredibly valuable New Zealanders who play an important role caring for many thousands of New Zealanders, elderly, disabled, those on ACC.
“We greatly value the work that our home and care support workers do, and we hope to resolve this very soon.”
Brown indicated relief could be offered by boosting the existing mileage allowance which workers received. That rate had not been increased in four years.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said ministers had received some preliminary advice on long-standing issues in the sector and were now awaiting further advice on more specific support options.
“We’re not going to have time to solve all of the underlying issues that are there – the claims which are made on both sides of the debate, both the contractor and the workers – but we can do something temporary, targeted and timely.”
Willis said officials were also investigating whether other public servants might be under similar pressure due to travel requirements.
“We need to be aware of the impact that fuel costs are having on those workforces where they have to travel between clients for their job,” she said.
“We have sought advice on where else that might be an issue in government. And in the first instance, we will be asking agencies to ensure those costs are met from within their own baselines. But we are looking to understand what those pressures could look like now and in the weeks and months ahead.”
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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/02/am-edition-top-10-politics-articles-on-livenews-co-nz-for-april-2-2026-full-text/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Foreign Minister Winston Peters. RNZ / Mark Papalii
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.”
Green’s co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. RNZ / Reece Baker
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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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/04/02/nz-allies-express-deep-concern-about-israeli-bill-expanding-death-penalty-for-palestinians/
Source: Radio New Zealand
An armed man sent a manifesto to schools, the police and the government promising to “kill everyone” (file photo). RNZ
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.
The closed front office at Waiuku College following the threat. RNZ / Calvin Samuel
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.”
The manifesto said explosives had been sent in various packages to Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and the Beehive. RNZ / Calvin Samuel
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.
Rutherford College restricted access to the property and had armed police posted at the school for the duration of the day. Rutherford College
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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PM Edition: Here are the top 10 business articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 2, 2026 – Full Text
April 2, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds. RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The government has committed millions of dollars in extra spending to support polytechnic courses in Northland and on the South Island’s West Coast for the next five years.
Figures provided by Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds showed how the government would address concerns about the financial viability of polytechnic provision in both regions.
Simmonds announced earlier this week that the West Coast’s Tai Poutini would leave super-institute Te Pūkenga at the start of next year to become a campus of the Open Polytechnic, while NorthTec would become a stand-alone institute but within a federation model aimed at saving costs.
She said the Open Polytechnic would receive $2 million next year for its take-over of Tai Poutini, and a further $1m a year from 2028-31 to support its operations on the coast.
“This funding is intended to offset the high costs of delivery in a region with low learner demand and to ensure that essential workforce training remains available on the West Coast,” Simmonds said.
“As a condition of this funding, the Open Polytechnic must retain physical operations in the region.”
Simmonds said the polytechnic would also receive $3.1m this year and at least $2m next year from the Strategically Important Provision Fund for maintaining courses in areas where they were needed but might not be viable.
NorthTec would also receive money from the same fund – $3.6m this year, $2.75m in 2027 and a further $1.3 million per year from 2028-2031.
“While NorthTec has faced viability challenges in the past, significant progress has been made over the last year to strengthen its financial position and establish a pathway to sustainability,” Simmonds said.
She said the institute would receive $4.7m in ring-fenced reserves it had when it became part of Te Pūkenga, a further $4.5m for property consolidation, and “in-principle investment” of $34.7m for a new tertiary hub in central Whangārei, subject to a business case.
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Source: Radio New Zealand
Bronwyn Heslop RNZ / Lucy Xia
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.
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.
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.
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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Source: Radio New Zealand
Wellington’s new Dorothy Spotswood Charity Hospital has found a home in a building on upper Cuba Street. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
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.
Hospital trust chair Dr Graham Sharpe. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
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.
Vito Lo Iacono, the hospital’s chief executive. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
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.
Right now, the space was cold and dark, the ceiling a jumble of dangling extractor tubes and wiring above a dusty concrete floor. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
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.”
Dame Dorothy Spotswood (L) and Sir Mark Dunajtschik. Supplied
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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Source: Radio New Zealand
(File photo) RNZ
The government has corrected a figure after being called out for overstating improvements in school attendance.
A member of the public complained to RNZ that two National Party advertisements claimed 150,000 more children attended school regularly in term four last year than at the same time in 2022.
They said Education Ministry roll figures indicated that was an over-statement.
When RNZ examined the figures it found the change between 2022 and 2025 was about 135,000 students – 15,000 short of the number claimed by the government.
But there were also a lot more children at school in the final term of 2025 than in the same term in 2022, and even if the rate of regular attendance had remained unchanged the number of regular attenders would have increased by about 65,000 students.
That meant only about 70,000 students could be attributed to improvements in attendance.
The National Party told RNZ it sourced its figures from an announcement by Associate Education Minister David Seymour in January.
That announcement said the number of regular attenders improved by “about 150,000” children between term four 2022 and term four 2025.
RNZ asked the National Party if it would correct the ad and received a response from Seymour’s office saying the figure “was based on an error” and had been corrected.
There was keen interest in attendance figures.
Regular attendance, measured as children attending more than 90 percent of the time, reached all-time lows in 2022 with schools blaming the effect of covid lockdowns in previous years and on a particularly bad run of winter illnesses.
The government had overhauled the attendance system and set a goal of 80 percent of pupils being regular attenders by 2030.
For the record, here’s our working:
In term four of 2022 there were 329,499 regular attenders and in term four 2025 there were 464,498, an increase of 134,999.
But there were more students overall in 2025 than in 2022 – just 676,384 in the final term of 2022 and 810,652 in the same term of 2025.
If the rate of regular attendance in term four last year was the same as in 2022 (48.7 percent), there would have been 394,788 regular attenders, an increase of 65,288 due solely to the overall increase in the number of students.
That meant only 69,710 of the increase in the number of regular attenders could be attributed to the rate of regular attendance improving to 57.3 percent.
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Source: Radio New Zealand
House prices might not rise this year after all, property data firm Cotality says. RNZ / Quin Tauetau
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.”
Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson. SUPPLIED
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
RNZ
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.”
Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young. Supplied
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.”
Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
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.”
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
Salespeople were finding they had to “slow people down” in some cases, a dealer says. (File photo)
Electric vehicle “fomo” (fear of missing out) has helped drive sales to their highest level in more than two years as the fuel crisis bites, an EV dealer says.
Waka Kotahi data shows monthly registrations of full battery EVs last month jumped nearly four-fold from recent levels, from an average of 800 a month in the last two years, to 3100.
Registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles almost tripled, from a monthly average of 540 to nearly 1600 in March.
Tesla, Nissan, BYD and Dongfeng dominated the full EV category, accounting for 60 percent of new registrations.
The last time sales in either category were that high was just before the Clean Car Discount was axed at the start of 2024.
EV specialist dealership GVI had experienced a “frantic month”.
“Fomo is probably what we’ve seen,” owner Hayden Johnston said.
“It’s gone from, ‘I’ve been researching these models and I’d like to drive them, and what do you think of them?’ … to, ‘What EVs have you got? Ok, we’ll buy it.’”
The last week was especially busy, he said.
“Stock on the ground is just so limited. We’ve sold everything we had on the ground, we sold the boat [load] that arrived end of last week, and now we’re selling into stock that’s on its way, hasn’t even got to New Zealand yet.”
The complexities of shipping used EVs, which were considered a hazardous good, meant those cars would not even arrive in New Zealand until May or later, Johnston said.
“We’re limited to the carriers who will take used EVs, and at the moment there’s only one shipping company that will take them.”
Even then, it came down to the individual boat owner as to whether or not they would load used EVs.
“So, for example, our April sailing is a non-EV sailing.”
GVI had been specialising in electric vehicles for 12 years and had good sources of used EVs from Japan, but the sudden surge of interest meant other dealers were now also trying to source them, he said.
“Everyone else is playing in our sandpit, I guess, so that’s created a little bit of a problem.”
Salespeople were finding they had to “slow people down” in some cases, Johnston said.
“We don’t just let people drive out the gate in an EV, because we know from experience that an EV doesn’t work for everybody.”
However, he said many of the negative preconceptions about EVs were false.
“The biggest anti-EV propaganda lie out there is that the batteries will just die, or only last eight years.”
He had just traded in a 2013 Nissan Leaf that still had good range and would last another six or seven years, and newer cars had significantly better battery technology.
“Ten-year-old Teslas have still got a late-80s, 90 percent battery health.”
Even the replacement cost of a battery was similar to replacing the transmission of an internal combustion engine, he said.
“These vehicles will be part of our fleet for as long as any petrol and diesel vehicle.”
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