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Truck rolls in Napier, blocking highway

Source: Radio New Zealand

The intersection of SH51 and Awatoto Road in Napier. Google Maps

A major road in southern Napier is partially blocked after a truck hit the central wire barrier and rolled.

The accident happened on State Highway 51 near the intersection with Awatoto Road just before 11.20am, police said.

The driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The northbound lane towards the city was blocked, and police said the entire road might need to be closed to remove the truck and make repairs.

“Motorists are advised to take alternative routes where possible, or expect delays.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/31/truck-rolls-in-napier-blocking-highway/

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War on Iran a ‘bazooka’ through government’s LNG plan – gentailer CEO

Source: Radio New Zealand

Energy Minister Simon Watts. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The Energy Minister is expressing confidence in the government’s plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, even as the Prime Minister says it will not go ahead if the business case does not stack up.

Two of the country’s gentailers have expressed their own doubts on the future of the terminal, while Labour has asked the auditor-general to look at the decision-making process.

The government intends to build a billion-dollar LNG import facility in Taranaki as a back-up to address dry-year risk.

Confirmation the government would proceed with the terminal was announced in February, shortly before the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

The ensuing energy crisis has led to LNG prices rises of 143 percent in Asia since 28 February, leading to criticism from Labour the government was signing New Zealand up to more volatile price spikes in the future.

A decision on procurement is due to be made by the middle of the year, with the aim of having the facility operational and receiving gas in 2028.

The prime minister indicated its future would rely on the business case.

“If it doesn’t stack up, we won’t be doing it. Until we see the commercials on it, we’ll make the decision then,” Christopher Luxon said on Tuesday.

Energy bosses express mixed views

Appearing at the energy sector conference Downstream in Wellington on Tuesday morning, gentailer chief executives were asked what the crisis meant for the LNG terminal.

“It depends which day you read the news, doesn’t it? I think LNG stands for ‘likely no gas’ to be honest,” Genesis chief executive Malcolm Johns said.

“The reality is that only 30 percent of New Zealand’s energy comes from electricity, 70 percent comes from other forms. Fifty percent of our overall footprint is imported, so we have a highly exposed energy system to the rest of the world. Whether you add LNG to that or not is not going to make one iota of difference to New Zealand’s exposure to the imported fuel regime to the world.”

Meridian chief executive Mike Roan agreed.

Meridian chief executive Mike Roan. Meridian Energy

“It feels like the Americans might have put a bazooka, literally, through that proposal,” he said.

“I think it’s the challenge that we have as an industry, which is, how do we take charge of the resources that are at our fingertips and actually build out a resilient, secure, and affordable electricity system for not only today, but for the generations that follow? Because that’s what people were able to do before us.”

Others on the panel were more optimistic.

David Prentice, chief executive of the Gas Industry Company, said “first and foremost” the LNG terminal was about providing insurance for a dry year.

“We all have insurance in our homes and our cars, and we grumble and moan about it, but at the end of the day, I would bet that most people would still have insurance.”

Transpower executive general manager of operations Chantelle Bramley said LNG would bring new energy into a constrained system, and would buy New Zealand time to “build out” renewables.

“It gives us optionality. And in times of uncertainty, creating more options is actually a really good thing.

“We’re a tiny country at the bottom of the South Pacific. We are not an interconnected power system. There are things that will happen in our domestic market that at some point we’ll also want to be looking at that international fuel mix. The war in Iran won’t be going on forever, so I think that that optionality is also really important.”

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following a projectile impact on a refinery in Israel’s northern city of Haifa on 3 March, 2026. JACK GUEZ / AFP

Energy minister wants ‘a good deal’

Energy Minister Simon Watts said there were “two conversations” at play, involving the procurement of the import terminal and then the procurement of the LNG itself.

Watts said the government was proceeding with the procurement process “as planned”, but like any procurement process the government wanted to get “a good deal”.

Officials had advised him the procurement process was on track.

“First and foremost, we’re doing a procurement process to build a strategic LNG importation terminal. The second conversation is around procurement of that gas.

“Obviously, the procurement of the gas will be for winter ’28, which is obviously not on Tuesday, and that long-term contracting process will follow once the terminal is built. So we’ve got to separate out. There’s two conversations here. We’re talking about the procurement to build the ability to import.”

Watts said the underlying problem of a lack of gas to make electricity in a dry year remained, and a PwC report two weeks ago had outlined that not having gas in the economy would be “catastrophic” for regional jobs and GDP growth.

The PwC report said introducing LNG would help “stabilise total gas supply and prices,” as well as reduce structural scarcity pressures and restore confidence in the market to support an “orderly” gas transition.

“We need the capability to import, and then we need to do long-term contracting to get that gas when we need it, acknowledging we don’t know exactly when we are going to have a dry year, but having that insurance policy gives us more options,” Watts said.

‘A dangerous idea’ – Labour

Cabinet has delegated the authority for the contract to be signed off by the ministers of finance, energy and infrastructure.

Labour energy spokesperson Megan Woods said she was concerned it was not the “usual” way for a billion-dollar project to be decided on.

“There’s power to ministers to decide, rather than the usual kind of officials process that you’d have in a case like this,” Woods said.

“I’ve actually written to the auditor-general, and I’ve asked the auditor-general to look at that, because I think it is highly atypical that you’d be having political decisions around a billion-dollar project, when the government’s already shown that it doesn’t have the ability to think things through.”

Megan Woods. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Woods’ letter questioned whether the decision-making criteria at each stage was sufficiently clear, documented, and robust.

It asked the auditor-general to consider whether it was consistent with the Government Procurement Rules, as well as the Cabinet Manual and the auditor-general’s own guidance on procurement.

Of particular concern for Woods was whether the level of ministerial involvement in shortlisting and choosing suppliers was “appropriate for a procurement of this size and risk”, and whether that created a real or perceived risk to the independence and integrity of the process.

“The Cabinet material describes a process where the minister for energy approves the shortlist and a small group of ministers selects the preferred supplier. That appears to be a high degree of direct ministerial involvement in what is, at heart, a commercial evaluation and selection exercise for a very large contract,” her letter said.

Woods said LNG was “always” going to be a more volatile and insecure way for New Zealand to secure its energy system, and accused the government of brushing aside other ways in which it could be done.

“It was a dangerous idea when the government announced it. I think the last three or four weeks have just shown how precarious it is. New Zealand should not be banking its energy security on a volatile fuel like LNG.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/31/war-on-iran-a-bazooka-through-governments-lng-plan-gentailer-ceo/

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Good Samaritans sought following Massey assault

Source: New Zealand Police

Waitematā Police are seeking a family of good Samaritans who went to the aid of a high school student when she was allegedly assaulted by two women at a bus stop on the weekend.

On Saturday at about 10.10pm, two teenage girls were sitting at a bus stop on Don Buck Road opposite Manuku Drive when a white Suzuki swift pulled up.

Three people have exited the vehicle before one of them assaulted one of the teenagers.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting, Waitematā West Area Investigations Manager, says an unknown family has then pulled over and told the group to leave.

“Police would like to speak to these good Samaritans in the regards to the assistance they provided.

“We would really like to identify these people and speak with them about the circumstances of what happened, and also to thank them for their efforts.”

If this was you, or you know who this family is, Police would like to hear from you.

Anyone who witnessed this incident, or who has information regarding this incident, is also urged to contact Police.

You can get in touch by calling 105 and quoting file number 260329/1337.

If you wish to give information anonymously, please call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/31/good-samaritans-sought-following-massey-assault/

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Israel passes extreme death penalty law targeting only Palestinians

By Minnah Arshad of Zeteo

Israel’s Parliament has approved a one-sided death penalty measure to execute Palestinians.

It is one of the most extreme laws in the nation’s history, and will exacerbate the far-right government’s illegal system of apartheid.

Some members of the Knesset, including ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, were seen wearing noose pins in the Knesset yesterday, and celebrating with champagne on live TV after the bill passed.

Ben-Gvir said hanging is “one of the options,” as is execution by the electric chair or euthanasia.

The law was passed with 62 votes to 48 in its final reading.

The bill drew international condemnation ahead of its passage, including from the European Union, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and Amnesty International. Human rights groups have vowed to challenge the bill in Israel’s Supreme Court.

The legislation, which has garnered broad public support in Israel, authorises executions for “terrorists” who kill “with the intent to deny the existence of the State of Israel,” according to Haaretz — effectively ensuring it won’t apply to any of the settlers who routinely murder Palestinians.

‘Confessions’ by torture
In military courts in the occupied West Bank, execution by hanging will now be the default punishment for terrorism. Only Palestinians are tried in these courts, and 96 percent of people are convicted, though cases are largely built on “confessions” extracted through torture.

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians condemned the bill yesterday ahead of the vote as an “extreme escalation in Israel’s genocidal policies against Palestinians”.

“The progression of the legislation marks not just a profoundly unjust and illegal act of discrimination under international law, but a far more sinister escalation of Israel’s apartheid legal systems,” the center wrote.

[embedded content]
Israeli Knesset death penalty for Palestinians.       Video: Al Jazeera

Israel is currently imprisoning about 9500 Palestinians, according to the human rights group B’Tselem, and about half of them are held under administrative detention.

According to the group, the Israel Prison Service has already started to prepare designated execution facilities.

B’Tselem on Sunday called the bill “another official killing mechanism” that will further normalise the slaughter of Palestinians, as Israel continues its genocide in Gaza and intensifies attacks in the occupied West Bank.

Human rights violation
 “The death penalty is a total violation of the most basic human rights, primarily, the right to life,” B’Tselem wrote.

“Israel enforces a comprehensive policy of killing and oppression against the Palestinian people in all the territories it controls. The Death Penalty Law gives Israel’s apartheid regime yet another tool for advancing that policy.”

On top of Monday’s bill, the Knesset is also considering another death penalty measure to impose on alleged October 7, 2023, attackers.

According to Amnesty International, that bill would effectively expand the unilateral powers of military judges and eliminate judicial safeguards.

A Palestinian Forum of New Zealand meme protesting against the new Israeli law. Image: Maher Nazzal

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/31/israel-passes-extreme-death-penalty-law-targeting-only-palestinians/

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‘My head feels clearer’: how citizen science can improve people’s health

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Fuller, Professor in Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of Queensland

The two of us can often be found in a patch of scrubby bushland, phone in hand, slowly scanning for plants. Or crouched behind a tree trunk with binoculars, pausing mid-breath to find the source of a bird call. It often feels like a treasure hunt. What will turn up today? And how can we share those observations with the world?

Activities such as these are part of citizen science, where volunteers record observations of the natural world and share them with others.

Science lives far beyond the lab, and it’s not just done by scientists.

In this series, we spotlight the world of citizen science – its benefits, discoveries and how you can participate.

We are both professional ecologists, but our most joyful moments with nature often begin with a simple act: stepping outside and paying attention to it. And our research suggests these experiences may do more than support science. They may also benefit our mental health.

Some days it’s a common species we’ve seen a hundred times before. Other days it’s something unexpected that brings a surge of excitement.

Being outside like this can feel freeing. You focus on the present, move your body and think about where to place your feet, without worrying about your email inbox or endless other demands on your attention. You begin noticing small details you might usually rush past.

That sense of curiosity, connection and shared purpose is something many people recognise when they take part in citizen science.

Supporting mental wellbeing

Citizen science projects invite people to collect data about the natural world.

Platforms such as eBird, iNaturalist, FrogID and Redmap allow anyone armed with curiosity and a smartphone to record wildlife observations and contribute to scientific research. Millions of people around the world now take part in these kinds of projects.

In a recent study of citizen science participants, we examined how taking part in wildlife monitoring projects affects people’s mental wellbeing.

Participants consistently described feeling better after taking part. One volunteer told us:

I come home tired, but it’s a good tired. My head feels clearer, like I’ve pressed reset.

Another explained that learning to identify species changed how they experienced everyday walks:

I don’t just see “green” anymore. Now I notice the differences between plants, their ecological value and the pressures they face.

Part of the explanation is simple: spending time in nature is already known to reduce stress, improve mood and support mental wellbeing.

But citizen science goes a step further.

Rather than simply visiting a park, people actively engage with the environment. They observe closely, record what they see and contribute to something larger than themselves. This sense of purpose can deepen the benefits of being outside.

Citizen science is also inherently social. Many projects bring people together to collect data, share observations or learn from others. These interactions can help reduce social isolation, which is a major risk factor for poor mental health.

For some participants, particularly older adults, citizen science can also be empowering. It provides opportunities to use existing skills, learn new ones and feel that their contributions matter.

Taken together, elements of nature exposure, physical activity, learning and social connection create a powerful mix that supports wellbeing.

How you participate matters

Not all citizen science experiences are the same, and this may influence their health benefits.

In a 2025 study we explored this using a concept borrowed from public health called dose-response – how much participation is needed to produce benefits?

Three ingredients appear particularly important: frequency (how often someone takes part), duration (how long activities last) and intensity, which can include the richness of the environment, the diversity of species encountered or the depth of interaction between participants.

Short, one-off activities can still boost mood and encourage movement. But regular participation is more likely to produce longer-lasting benefits. Like exercise, small amounts done often may be better than one big effort followed by long gaps.

Citizen science can also bring physical health benefits. Many projects involve walking, bending, standing or light hiking. These activities support mobility and cardiovascular health.

For communities at risk of social isolation or physical inactivity, these benefits may be profoundly valuable.

How can citizen science do even more?

Despite this potential, most citizen science projects are not designed with health outcomes in mind. That means opportunities are being missed.

A 2025 study suggests even short nature-based citizen science activities can quickly improve mood and reduce stress.

Longer-term mental health conditions are influenced by many factors and usually require sustained support. Citizen science will not replace medical care. But it can help strengthen the foundations of wellbeing: positive emotions, physical activity, social connection and a sense of purpose.

At a population level, these building blocks matter. They build our ability to cope with challenges and recover from stress.

To maximise these benefits, citizen science projects must be inclusive. People who already feel connected to nature are more likely to take part.

But this is also the group that tends to report better mental and physical health, meaning participation can unintentionally reinforce existing health inequalities.

Field-based projects may unintentionally exclude people with mobility challenges, limited time or poor access to green space. Yet many of these individuals could contribute meaningfully if projects were designed with accessibility in mind.

Recognising citizen science not only as a research tool, but also as a way to support public health opens new opportunities.

When designed thoughtfully, citizen science can benefit both biodiversity and people. And for participants, it offers something simple but powerful: a reason to step outside, pay attention, and reconnect with the living world around them.

– ref. ‘My head feels clearer’: how citizen science can improve people’s health – https://theconversation.com/my-head-feels-clearer-how-citizen-science-can-improve-peoples-health-275426

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/31/my-head-feels-clearer-how-citizen-science-can-improve-peoples-health-275426/

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Proposed import requirements for fresh blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) for human consumption

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

Have your say

From 31 March to 15 May 2026, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invites comment on proposed import requirements for fresh blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) for human consumption.

This page outlines:

  • our assessment of market access requests from Chile, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and the USA
  • our approach to preventing the introduction of harmful pests and diseases through fresh blueberry imports.

We want your feedback, technical information, industry knowledge, and suggestions on:

  • pests requiring additional measures that we may have missed
  • the measures we’re proposing
  • the feasibility of importing under the proposed requirements
  • our consultation process.

Reasons for developing an import health standard for blueberries

Five countries (Chile, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and the USA) have requested to export blueberries to New Zealand. To protect our environment, economy, and health, we need to ensure that pests, which may harm them, are managed to an acceptable level on imported blueberries. At the same time, we seek to enable safe and fair trade with our international partners.

Our goal is to strike the right balance, keeping New Zealand safe and enabling trade that benefits our economy and our trading partners. It is important that our biosecurity measures align with international standards and are evidence-based.

Consultation document and information

Draft Import Health Standard: Fresh Blueberries for Human Consumption [PDF, 562 KB]

Risk assessment

Proposals for allowing the import of fresh blueberries

Answers to questions you might have about allowing the import of fresh blueberries

Related documents

WTO notification [PDF, 118 KB]

Making your submission

We welcome your feedback about the proposals and the draft import health standard. We’re accepting submissions until 5pm on 15 May 2026.

If you’re happy with what we’re proposing, you don’t need to do anything else, but we’d appreciate an email from you letting us know.

You can send us your feedback by email or post.

Email

blueberryproject@mpi.govt.nz

Post

Plant Products Team
Biosecurity Import and Export Standards Directorate
Biosecurity New Zealand
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.

If you need more information from us before making your submission, email blueberryproject@mpi.govt.nz

Note that submissions received after the closing date will be kept on file and considered during future reviews.

We value all feedback on our work, whether complimentary or critical. If we’ve done something well, let us know so we can keep going in the right direction.

Risk assessment for importing blueberries

We developed the draft import health standard (IHS) after assessing and reviewing all the potential risks.

What we are proposing

The draft IHS contains all requirements that we propose must be met for the importation of fresh blueberries for human consumption into New Zealand.

Answers to questions you might have

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/proposed-import-requirements-for-fresh-blueberries-vaccinium-spp-for-human-consumption/

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Opinion: “Cheaper care at home” is a myth – and the real cost is being hidden

Source: Aged Care Association

The recent report by RNZ on unions taking Health New Zealand to court over travel costs should be a wake-up call for policymakers.
For years, the Government has promoted care in the home as the more cost-effective option for supporting older New Zealanders. Keeping people out of residential care has been framed as both compassionate and fiscally responsible.
But there is a growing problem with that narrative: it has never been properly proven.
And now, the fuel crisis is exposing why.
Home-based care is only “cheaper” because key costs are being shifted out of the system and onto workers. Travel – an essential part of delivering care – is not being treated as a core cost of healthcare. Instead, it is increasingly being absorbed by support workers themselves.
This is not efficiency. It is cost displacement.
If we were to take an honest, system-wide view, the picture would look very different. Time spent driving between clients, workforce turnover, missed early interventions, and avoidable hospital admissions all carry real costs. They are simply not being counted in the comparison.
At the same time, the policy settings that prioritise keeping people out of residential care have created a false divide between two parts of the same system.
Both in-home care and residential care are essential. But one is being actively constrained, while the other is being stretched beyond what it was designed to do. And the difference in what they can provide is significant.
Residential care offers 24/7 clinical oversight, immediate response when something changes, and a stable workforce that knows the individual. By contrast, home-based care is often delivered in short visits across the day, with gaps in between where there is no support on site.
For someone with increasing frailty or complex needs, there is simply no comparison.
That is not to argue against care at home. For many people, it is the right choice at the right time. But it should be just that – a choice, based on need – not a default driven by an untested assumption that it is cheaper.
Because the current model is not just shifting costs onto workers. It is also creating inefficiencies that undermine care.
When workers are expected to subsidise the system through unpaid or underpaid travel, the result is predictable: high turnover, difficulty recruiting, and a loss of continuity. Older people see a revolving door of carers, rather than the consistency that allows subtle changes in health or behaviour to be recognised early.
Continuity is not a luxury. It is how deterioration is detected before it becomes a crisis.
Layer on top of that the inefficiency of travel, particularly in rural and regional New Zealand, and the idea of “cheaper care” becomes even harder to sustain. Yet we already have infrastructure that could help solve this.
Aged residential care providers are embedded in communities across the country, often alongside retirement villages or independent living units. They have trained staff, established systems, and a deep understanding of older people’s needs. But current settings largely prevent them from extending care into the surrounding community.
If that changed, we could reduce travel time, stabilise the workforce, and deliver more consistent, relationship-based care – while making far better use of what already exists.
The fuel price spike has not created a problem. It has revealed one.
We cannot continue to claim that care at home is cheaper when the true costs are hidden, shifted, or ignored. Nor can we continue to treat both home care and residential care as the “ugly cousins” of the health system – relied on heavily but undervalued in policy and funding decisions.
If we are serious about getting this right, we need to stop designing the system around what looks cheapest on paper, and start designing it around what actually works for the workforce, for the system, and most importantly, for older New Zealanders.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/30/opinion-cheaper-care-at-home-is-a-myth-and-the-real-cost-is-being-hidden/

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NGOs – MSF and 18 other NGOs, challenge Israel’s ban on operating in Palestine

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

31 March, 2026: Following an initial hearing at Israel’s High Court on 23 March, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and 18 other leading humanitarian organisations reaffirm our decision to proceed with the petition we filed in February 2026 before the High Court, challenging Israel’s ban on 37 humanitarian organisations from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). We have taken the unprecedented step of petitioning to the High Court with a coalition of humanitarian organisations, after Israeli authorities ordered us to cease operations in the OPT by the end of February under revised registration rules imposed by Israel, threatening to cut Palestinians off from essential humanitarian aid.

We have repeatedly raised serious concerns about Israel’s requests to provide personal information as part of the new registration process. In the OPT, medical and humanitarian workers have been intimidated, arbitrarily detained, attacked and killed by Israel. Therefore, without the necessary assurances that safeguard our staff, MSF will not share a list of its Palestinian staff with Israeli authorities. Since October 2023, following Hamas’ massacre on 7 October 2023, Israel has killed over 1,700 health workers in attacks on Gaza, as well as 15 of our own colleagues. The new registration requirements imposed by the Israeli authorities are a pretext to obstruct humanitarian assistance and violate humanitarian principles. They also violate our duty of care towards our staff, as well as international data protection standards.

Israel is forcing humanitarian organisations into an impossible position, designed to obstruct humanitarian assistance by banning principled, independent and experienced organisations, ergo cutting off life-saving care, with devastating consequences for people in the OPT.

What is needed now is a massive scale-up of unhindered humanitarian assistance which Israeli authorities, as the occupying power, are obliged to ensure. Since 1 January, Israel has entirely blocked MSF from bringing any supplies or international staff into Gaza. On 26 February, all international staff had to leave Gaza and the West Bank. MSF’s medical programmes are already facing shortages in Gaza. In the West Bank, we have had to significantly reduce some activities due to administrative and security barriers, while Palestinians face intensifying violence and movement restrictions. In the longer term, our activities may be impossible to maintain under such restrictive conditions.

While the High Court deliberates, MSF calls on governments of the international community to use all diplomatic, political, and legal leverage to demand that the Israeli government suspend these restrictions on life-saving aid and prevent further suffering for people in Gaza and the West Bank. We are committed to remaining in the OPT and providing assistance for as long as possible, as we have for nearly four decades.

Note to Editors

MSF is committed to remaining in Palestine and delivering life-saving medical care in Gaza and the West Bank. Our Palestinian colleagues, more than 1,400 in all, continue this vital work. Many of the services provided by MSF are largely unavailable elsewhere in Gaza due to the destruction of the health system. For 2026, MSF had planned to expand our programmes with a budget of 130 million euros.

 

MSF provides surgical care, wound management, maternity and paediatric services, mental health support, and water distribution across Gaza and the West Bank, supporting hospitals, field hospitals, and primary healthcare facilities.

 

MSF teams are continuing to provide medical care in 20 healthcare facilitates and medical points in Gaza. MSF plays a vital role in Gaza, supporting one in five hospital beds and assisting one in three mothers during childbirth, operating clinics for people with traumatic injuries and chronic illnesses, treating malnourished children and other patients, and distributed 700 million litres of water last year.

 

MSF is fully registered to work in Palestine, under our registration with the Palestinian Authority. We are working to preserve our humanitarian response in Gaza and the West Bank in an increasingly constrained environment. As an occupying power, the Israeli authorities are obliged to ensure humanitarian assistance is provided.

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation.  MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières  working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/ngos-msf-and-18-other-ngos-challenge-israels-ban-on-operating-in-palestine/

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Defence News – NZ Army and Pacific soldiers dig deep in core soldiering skills competition

Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

New Zealand Army soldiers and their Pacific counterparts have been pushed to their limits in a fiercely contested 1st (NZ) Brigade Skill at Arms competition at Waiouru in the central North Island.

Ten teams from across the brigade (including three Reserve Force teams) were last week joined by Australians, Fijians and, for the first time, a team from Tonga’s His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

The three-day competition is designed to push soldiers to their limits, testing core fighting skills, endurance, teamwork, and leadership in challenging conditions under pressure.

Jubilant soldiers from 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment eventually scooped all three trophies; the Falling Plate trophy (a shooting competition testing both shooting accuracy and speed) and the Top Reserve Force trophy – winning bragging rights for one of the NZ Army’s most demanding and respected competitions.

The competition simulates a range of all-arms scenarios including close combat and open combat across a variety of environments and is set at a level that makes it accessible to all trades within the brigade whilst ensuring high standards and a combat focus.

The trades include mechanics, drivers, engineers and artillery competing against infantry soldiers and gunners.

Training Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Paul Buckley, says Skill at Arms is more than just a competition, it’s a snapshot of where the soldiers are excelling and what areas need more work.

“All soldiers – combat and combat support services – must display core soldering skills of weapon handling, fitness and combat shooting techniques,” he said.

The soldiers are challenged when they’re cold, tired, wet and under time pressure. They covered around 20km carrying packs weighing 30kg while tired and on minimal food and sleep.

“These tests identify their physical and mental strength, painting a picture as to how soldiers will perform in arduous and austere conditions in potential combat situations,” WO1 Buckley said.

“Specific challenges like the pond swim in cold conditions and driving rain test their resilience and teamwork. We want to see teams digging deep and encouraging each other when the going gets tough.

“That’s what soldiering is all about – world class combat skills, integrity, courage, commitment and comradeship.”

The competition also provides a vital opportunity to forge deeper relationships in the region.

Fiji’s Lance Corporal Timothy MacPherson says the weather was challenging but his team embraced the cold and rain.

“We chose not to wear wet weather gear so we could make the experience as hard as possible. This is what we may encounter overseas so we need to be able to perform.

“Everyone expected the pond swim to be our weakest point and when we got in, we couldn’t feel our legs. But our spirit got us through and we scored 1000 marks out of a 1000.

“When we heard that, we were shouting like it was the end of the competition.”

1st (NZ) Brigade Commander, Colonel Mike van Welie, says forging deeper relationships in the region is vital.

“The threats to our nations are too much to weather alone, but together we can harness our individual strengths and secure our region.

“There are a range of pressures that affect our region from climate change to strategic competition. Each of these things impacts our security as a nation and people’s feelings of security and safety.

“Our military is the nation’s insurance policy, and we must be ready at short notice for whatever might happen.

“Skill at Arms and other exercises where we work closely with our ally Australia and our Pacific friends builds mutual trust and collective capability.

“We know that we can respond together to challenges in our region. In short, we have each other’s backs.”

Observers from Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea observed the competition with a view to sending teams next year.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/defence-news-nz-army-and-pacific-soldiers-dig-deep-in-core-soldiering-skills-competition/

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April Fuels Day: Home support workers to rally across the country over fuel crisis

Source: PSA

Home support workers who are being slammed by rising fuel costs are taking to the streets across the country on 1 April to call on the Government to urgently increase the mileage allowance.
Workers will bring scooters, wheelbarrows, and toy cars to show the ridiculous lengths they’ll need to go to now they can no longer afford petrol to travel between clients.
“Home support workers use their own vehicles to travel to their clients. They fund their own vehicle cost and are paid an already inadequate mileage rate, and the rocketing cost of fuel means they are even worse off”, says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“These workers are providing an essential public service. They are among the lowest-paid workers in the country and already had their pay equity claim cancelled.
“The fuel crisis is hitting these workers hard, the Health Minister has the power to get the rate increased immediately and he should,” Fitzsimons says.
Home support workers across the country who say they are having to choose between buying food for their whānau and putting fuel in the car for work, will be taking part in similar ‘April Fuels Day’ events at the same time.
The PSA and E tū have filed legal action in the Employment Relations Authority alleging Health NZ is unlawfully requiring home support workers to provide their own cars and pay associated costs when travelling to and between clients’ homes all over New Zealand.
“These workers have been let down at every turn. This legal action is about making clear that what is being asked of them is unlawful, not just unfair,” Fitzsimons says
Confirmed events (additional locations may be added to web page): https://www.psa.org.nz/campaigns/april-fuels-day):
Wellington: 12.30pm meet at Mobil 4 Johnsonville Road and race to Nicola Willis Office.
Christchurch: 1.30pm meet outside NPD Petrol Station, 392 Moorhouse Avenue.
Auckland: 1.30pm meet outside the Auckland War Memorial Museum for ‘The Ridiculous Race’.
Hamilton: 1:30pm meet at PSA offices 489 Angelsea Street – walk to Tama Potaka’s office, 109 Rostrevor Street.
Cambridge: 1.30pm meet at Victoria Green (by the toilets), Cnr Victoria and Queen Street. 1:45pm walk down to Louise Upston office, 3 Anzac Street.
Nelson: 1.30pm meet outside the BP on Haven Road.
Timaru: 12pm meet cnr North St and Craigie Avenue, Timaru.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/april-fuels-day-home-support-workers-to-rally-across-the-country-over-fuel-crisis/

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Opinion: “Cheaper care at home” is a myth – and the real cost is being hidden

Source: Aged Care Association

The recent report by RNZ on unions taking Health New Zealand to court over travel costs should be a wake-up call for policymakers.
For years, the Government has promoted care in the home as the more cost-effective option for supporting older New Zealanders. Keeping people out of residential care has been framed as both compassionate and fiscally responsible.
But there is a growing problem with that narrative: it has never been properly proven.
And now, the fuel crisis is exposing why.
Home-based care is only “cheaper” because key costs are being shifted out of the system and onto workers. Travel – an essential part of delivering care – is not being treated as a core cost of healthcare. Instead, it is increasingly being absorbed by support workers themselves.
This is not efficiency. It is cost displacement.
If we were to take an honest, system-wide view, the picture would look very different. Time spent driving between clients, workforce turnover, missed early interventions, and avoidable hospital admissions all carry real costs. They are simply not being counted in the comparison.
At the same time, the policy settings that prioritise keeping people out of residential care have created a false divide between two parts of the same system.
Both in-home care and residential care are essential. But one is being actively constrained, while the other is being stretched beyond what it was designed to do. And the difference in what they can provide is significant.
Residential care offers 24/7 clinical oversight, immediate response when something changes, and a stable workforce that knows the individual. By contrast, home-based care is often delivered in short visits across the day, with gaps in between where there is no support on site.
For someone with increasing frailty or complex needs, there is simply no comparison.
That is not to argue against care at home. For many people, it is the right choice at the right time. But it should be just that – a choice, based on need – not a default driven by an untested assumption that it is cheaper.
Because the current model is not just shifting costs onto workers. It is also creating inefficiencies that undermine care.
When workers are expected to subsidise the system through unpaid or underpaid travel, the result is predictable: high turnover, difficulty recruiting, and a loss of continuity. Older people see a revolving door of carers, rather than the consistency that allows subtle changes in health or behaviour to be recognised early.
Continuity is not a luxury. It is how deterioration is detected before it becomes a crisis.
Layer on top of that the inefficiency of travel, particularly in rural and regional New Zealand, and the idea of “cheaper care” becomes even harder to sustain. Yet we already have infrastructure that could help solve this.
Aged residential care providers are embedded in communities across the country, often alongside retirement villages or independent living units. They have trained staff, established systems, and a deep understanding of older people’s needs. But current settings largely prevent them from extending care into the surrounding community.
If that changed, we could reduce travel time, stabilise the workforce, and deliver more consistent, relationship-based care – while making far better use of what already exists.
The fuel price spike has not created a problem. It has revealed one.
We cannot continue to claim that care at home is cheaper when the true costs are hidden, shifted, or ignored. Nor can we continue to treat both home care and residential care as the “ugly cousins” of the health system – relied on heavily but undervalued in policy and funding decisions.
If we are serious about getting this right, we need to stop designing the system around what looks cheapest on paper, and start designing it around what actually works for the workforce, for the system, and most importantly, for older New Zealanders.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/opinion-cheaper-care-at-home-is-a-myth-and-the-real-cost-is-being-hidden/

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Climate Studies – Fifty years of observations, no reversal of glacier climate damage

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

Fifty years on from the first aerial survey of our Southern Alps glaciers, late snow and variable summer weather delivered a temporary reprieve from rapid ice loss, says Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Researchers carrying out this year’s end-of-summer snowline and glacier survey saw retained snow on some glaciers, but no reversal in the overall trend of ice loss.
“This year’s survey showed some glaciers with snow and ice footprints that weren’t quite as small as what we’ve seen in the past two years. But it’s only a stay of execution and not a reversal in the long-term decline of ice coverage here,” says Earth Sciences NZ Principal Climate Scientist, Dr Andrew Lorrey.
The annual survey began 1977 and is undertaken each March after the end of summer. Earth Sciences NZ researchers team up with scientists from Victoria University of Wellington and the Department of Conservation to take thousands of photos from a light aircraft.
These aerial photos reveal changes in the terminus and snowline position for each glacier compared with previous years. Some of the photos are used to build 3D models that track ice volume changes. Together the results reveal how much of the previous winter’s snow remains to contribute to long-term glacial ice retention.
In Aotearoa, 2025 was the fourth warmest year on record. While this ranked lower than some recent years, every year in the past decade was among the warmest. Globally, the World Meteorological Organization said that 2025 was 1.43 °C above the pre-industrial baseline. A warmer planet means less ice – and our glaciers are one of the more visible signs of a warming climate.
“Glaciers are an important part of New Zealand’s environment, economy and identity – they underpin tourism, deliver meltwater carrying nutrients into rivers and lakes, and feed the hydroelectric lakes that power much of our renewable electricity,” says Dr Lorrey.
“Years like this are few and far between, and when they happen it isn’t enough to reverse the damage that’s been done in the years prior. To limit the continued trend of glacier decline, climate warming needs to be halted quickly.”

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/30/climate-studies-fifty-years-of-observations-no-reversal-of-glacier-climate-damage/

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Universities – Almost half of university students experiencing food insecurity – UoA

Source: University of Auckland – UoA

New research finds high levels of student food insecurity with living away from home the main driver.

Almost half of university students are experiencing food insecurity, with those living away from the family home and struggling financially at greatest risk, according to new research.
 
The study, led by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland researchers, is the first to quantify food insecurity among university students in New Zealand. It found that 45 percent of surveyed students were food insecure – meaning they lacked reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious and appropriate food. See Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. (ref. https://rsnz.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/snz2.70031 )

“The study is timely, because we are seeing in the media that students are having a tough time with the cost-of-living crisis,” says lead researcher Dr Berit Follong, a research fellow in population health in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

The findings from the University of Auckland student population are in line with similar recent studies in the United States and Australia.

Food insecurity was significantly more common among students living away from home, compared with those living at home with parents or family.  
 
Students who described their finances as ‘borderline’ or ‘not secure at all’ were also far more likely to struggle to meet their basic food needs.

“Many students are juggling high living costs, limited income and study demands. For some , food is where they make compromises,” says Dr Follong.

Cost and time are major barriers
The research surveyed 347 University of Auckland students using an internationally validated food security questionnaire.  
 
Most food-insecure students (80 percent) said the cost of food was a frequent barrier to eating well, while lack of time to shop for and prepare food was also a major challenge.

To cope, students commonly reported buying the cheapest available food, saving food for later or reducing meal size. Use of food banks and other food relief services was relatively low.

Previous international research has linked food insecurity among students to lower grades and poorer mental health and well-being.

Students living away from home were around three times more likely than students living at home to be struggling to get enough nutritious and safe food.

Of students who reported they were eating well, three-quarters (76 percent) were living at home.

“Living in the parental environment acts as a kind of safety net, likely for financial reasons but also because food is simply more available compared with living away from home,” says Dr Follong.

While many students expressed interest in practical support – such as advice on cooking low-cost healthy meals and budgeting living expenses – awareness of existing university food relief and support initiatives was low.

Only around one in four students said they were aware of food-related support available through the University, and just half of those had used it.

“This suggests there is an opportunity to improve how support is communicated and to design solutions that better reflect students’ realities,” says co-researcher Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, Professor of Population Nutrition in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

The researchers call for nonstigmatising approaches that address both financial pressures and the practical barriers students face.

“There is a critical need for support to address student food insecurity, in particular for those who move away from home to attend university,” Professor Ni Mhurchu says.

“Our findings highlight the need for multi-level solutions – from better information and education, through to financial policies that recognise students’ cost-of-living pressures,” she says.

The study was conducted in 2024 and involved students across all faculties and years of study.

The authors note that further research across other New Zealand universities is needed to
understand the national picture.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/30/universities-almost-half-of-university-students-experiencing-food-insecurity-uoa/

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Fonterra completes sale of Mainland Group to Lactalis

Source: Fonterra
 
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today completed the sale of its global consumer and associated businesses, Mainland Group, to Lactalis.
 
Chairman Peter McBride says the completion of the sale is a significant milestone which sets the Co-op up for the future.  
 
“With the divestment complete, Fonterra can return capital to its owners and focus on growing further through its core business as a New Zealand farmer-owned global B2B dairy provider,” says Mr McBride.
 
CEO Miles Hurrell says “through our high performing Ingredients and Foodservice businesses, we sell innovative dairy products to customers globally under our NZMP and Anchor Food Professionals brands.
 
“We can now focus our resources, R&D spend, and farmers’ capital on continuing to grow these businesses, which generate the greatest return for farmers’ milk.
 
“The completion of the sale also signals the start of our long-term partnership with Lactalis. Lactalis becomes one of our most significant Ingredients customers, as we continue to supply milk and other products to the divested businesses,” says Mr Hurrell.
 
Capital return payment
 
As previously advised, Fonterra will return $3.2 billion of divestment proceeds to farmer shareholders and unit holders via a $2.00 per share capital return.
 
Fonterra can now confirm the record date for being eligible for the capital return is 5.00 pm on 9 April 2026 and the payment date is 14 April 2026.
 
As is standard practice, the NZX has approved a three-day administrative trading halt in respect of Fonterra’s shares and Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund units listed on the NZX Main Board.
 
The trading halt will apply from market open on 8 April 2026 through until the close of trading on 10 April 2026. This is to ensure all trades have settled before the record date and to allow time to update Fonterra’s share register.
 
Financial outlook
 
Fonterra’s FY26 earnings guidance for continuing operations remains unchanged at 50-65 cents per share.
 
Fonterra continues to target earnings to return to FY25 levels by FY28, offsetting the Mainland Group divestment, through focused execution of its strategy.
 
Notes:

The sale comprises:

Fonterra’s global Consumer business and Consumer brands, excluding the consumer business in Greater China where Fonterra will continue to own the Anchor brand;
The integrated Foodservice and Ingredients business in Oceania;
The integrated Foodservice business in Sri Lanka;
The Middle East and Africa Foodservice business.

The product supply agreements between Fonterra and Lactalis are:

Raw Milk Supply Agreement – Fonterra to supply raw milk to Lactalis for a minimum term of 10 years, with automatic renewal until terminated.
Global Supply Agreement – Fonterra to supply ingredients and other products (e.g. bulk cheese) to Lactalis for a minimum period of 6 years, with automatic renewal until terminated.

 
About Fonterra  

Fonterra is a dairy co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. As a global B2B dairy provider, we go to market through our global Ingredients brand NZMP and global Foodservice brand Anchor Food Professionals, sharing our high-quality products valued for our dairy innovation and science expertise and New Zealand provenance with customers in more than 100 countries around the world. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to taking great care with every drop of milk, from farm through to customer. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together.  

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/30/fonterra-completes-sale-of-mainland-group-to-lactalis/

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Health – Drug checking service continues to grow

Source: NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri

The NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri says it is crucial drug checking services continue to reach new people as drug use grows and diversifies.

The charity, one of three licenced public drug checking providers, released its annual drug checking report today showing 12% growth in samples tested at its public clinics, with 42% of clients saying it was their first time visiting a drug checking clinic.

The Foundation’s Executive Director Sarah Helm says that drug checking is a vital harm reduction initiative and is especially important in light of surging consumption.

“With a growing and more volatile drug market, drug checking is one of the key tools we have to prevent harm,” she says. “Drug checking is still relatively young as a service, and the fact that more than 40% of clients are new to the service shows that there is still a lot of demand and room for growth.”

“Drug checking saves lives. Clients who visit the service get valuable information about what is in their drugs and how they can stay safer, and through New Zealand’s early warning system High Alert we’re able to tell the wider community when we find anything concerning.”

“12% of the samples we checked were not what people expected – that’s hundreds of people who were able to avoid harmful effects, hospitalisation or even overdose because they visited our service.”

The service saw a significant increase in cocaine, steroids and other performance and image enhancing substances (PIEDS), medicines, and etomidate brought in for testing in 2025, which Helm says is in line with trends in the drug market.

“One great thing about having a free, legal and confidential service like this is we can pick up and respond to changes in the market. The increase in the likes of PIEDS and etomidate has led to us developing a lot more harm reduction information for those substances.”

Notes:

View and download a copy of the report on the NZ Drug Foundation website: https://drugfoundation.org.nz/news-and-reports/report-what-we-saw-at-drug-checking-in-2025
The NZ Drug Foundation is one of three licenced drug checking providers running public clinics, alongside DISC Trust and KnowYourStuffNZ. The report only covers samples tested by the Foundation
NZ Drug Foundation runs drug checking 11am-3pm weekdays out of its Auckland office at 272A Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn, alongside other regular pop-up clinics and festivals.
People can find their nearest drug checking clinic on The Level: https://thelevel.org.nz/drug-checking-clinics

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/30/health-drug-checking-service-continues-to-grow/

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Have you seen Jeremy Moore?

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are seeking the public’s assistance to locate Jeremy,  61, who was reported missing in Oneroa, Waiheke Island on Saturday 28 March.

He is described as about 180cms tall with grey hair and blue eyes.

Jeremy’s family and Police have concerns for his wellbeing and would like to see him return safely.

If you have seen Jeremy, or have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact Police on 105, either over the phone or online, referencing file number 260330/5679.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/31/have-you-seen-jeremy-moore/

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Statistical area 2 and 3 population projections: 2023(base)–2053 – third instalment – Stats NZ information release

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Statistical area 2 and 3 population projections: 2023(base)–2053 – third instalment – information release

31 March 2026

Statistical area 2 (SA2) and statistical area 3 (SA3) population projections released in Aotearoa Data Explorer (ADE) provide an indication of future changes in the size and age-sex structure of the population usually living in each area.

About this release
This is the third instalment of the statistical area 2 (SA2) and statistical area 3 (SA3) population projections. This release includes SA2 and SA3 areas for the following territorial authority areas:

  • Hauraki district
  • Central Hawke’s Bay district
  • Carterton district
  • Nelson city
  • Kaikōura district
  • Westland district
  • Gore district.

Visit our website to read the full information release:

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/statistical-area-2-and-3-population-projections-2023base-2053-third-instalment-stats-nz-information-release/

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Northbound lane of State Highway 51, Awatoto blocked by crash

Source: New Zealand Police

The northbound lane of State Highway 51 near Awatoto is blocked after a crash this morning.

Police were notified at 11.20am that a truck had collided with the central wire barrier before rolling, near the roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 51 and Awatoto Road. 

The driver has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. 

The truck remains at the scene and a full road closure may be required to remove the truck and repair the barrier.

Motorists are advised to take alternative routes where possible, or expect delays. 

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/northbound-lane-of-state-highway-51-awatoto-blocked-by-crash/

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Office of the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services: Regulatory Report 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

Publication date:

The Office of the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services Regulatory Report 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 provides information and statistics relating to the use of compulsory assessment and treatment legislation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

For more mental health and addiction data, please see Mental health and addiction data.

The legislation covered includes the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003, and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. It includes subjects such as the use of seclusion, compulsory treatment orders, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/office-of-the-director-of-mental-health-and-addiction-services-regulatory-report-1-july-2023-to-30-june-2024/

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Five ways the Waiheke Local Board protects our environment

Source: Auckland Council

Across Waiheke, locals are taking action – trapping pests, restoring wetlands, reducing waste and protecting marine life.  

Backed by the Waiheke Local Board, these community-led efforts are helping safeguard the island’s environment and the wider Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana.  

1. Restoring wetlands and native habitats 

Wetlands across Waiheke are being restored through large-scale native planting and volunteer effort. These ecosystems play a vital role in filtering water, improving biodiversity and creating habitats for native birds, insects and freshwater life. 

With support from the Waiheke Local Board, Love Our Wetlands Waiheke, led by the Waiheke Resources Trust, has planted tens of thousands of eco-sourced native plants while bringing together hundreds of volunteers to restore key wetland areas across Waiheke Island. 

2. Keeping waterways and the marine environment healthy 

Protecting the waters surrounding Waiheke Island is another key focus for local environmental work. 

The Waiheke Marine Project brings the community together to restore marine habitats and monitor ecosystem health. Activities such as snorkel surveys, pipi monitoring and beach clean-ups help locals learn more about marine life while contributing to the restoration of Waiheke’s coastal ecosystems and the wider Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. 

3. Supporting pest control and wildlife monitoring 

Community pest-control programmes are helping protect Waiheke’s native birds and wildlife. 

Through grants from the Waiheke Local Board, groups such as Te Korowai o Waiheke Trust carry out stoat detection and predator monitoring programmes to protect vulnerable species and support the island’s long-term ecological restoration goals. 

Volunteers also play an important role through networks coordinated by the Waiheke Collective, including initiatives such as Ratbusters Waiheke and other predator monitoring groups. 

Many of these initiatives are supported through the board’s environmental grants programme, helping community groups carry out restoration and biodiversity projects across the island. 

4. Reducing waste and building sustainable habits 

Workshops and community initiatives are helping Waiheke residents reduce waste and live more sustainably. 

Organisations such as the Waiheke Resources Trust and Sustainability Centre run regular workshops on composting, food growing, reuse and waste-wise living, making it easier for the island community to adopt greener habits. 

Many of these programmes are supported through the board’s community and environmental grants programme. 

5. Planning for climate resilience and sustainable transport

Encouraging active transport and reducing emissions is another way the island community is working toward a more sustainable future. 

The Waiheke Local Board supports initiatives like Bikehub Waiheke, a community bike repair and education space run by Cycle Action Waiheke. The hub helps keep bikes on the road, diverts gear from the waste stream and encourages more people to cycle instead of driving around Waiheke Island. 

Many of these projects are powered by volunteers and community groups. If you’d like to help restore wetlands, protect wildlife or support environmental initiatives, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved across Waiheke. 

 

Stay up to date 

Want to stay up to date with all the latest news from your area? 

Sign up for your Local Board E-news and get the latest direct to your inbox each month. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/five-ways-the-waiheke-local-board-protects-our-environment/