MIL-OSI Export

Source: Radio New Zealand

BusinessNZ has made its case to ministers as to why the food and grocery sector should be put in the highest priority level of any fuel rationing framework.

Top chief executives – from the organisation’s Major Companies Group – took part in an hour-long call on Thursday morning, featuring Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones.

BusinessNZ chief executive Katherine Rich told RNZ that attendees sought “greater clarity” from the government on how fuel rationing would be implemented if it activated the more extreme phases of its National Fuel Plan.

She said Willis encouraged business leaders to take part in the current consultation process and to keep sending through their on-the-ground insights.

Rich, who previously led the Food and Grocery Council for more than a decade, said she lobbied for the food industry to be given highest priority alongside other “life-supporting services” in Band A, like hospitals, courts and lifeline utilities.

“Feeding people is about supporting life and maintaining calm,” she said.

Under the draft framework published in March, food supply and distribution were categorised as “economically important services” and placed in the second highest priority level, Band B.

Rich said ministers did not signal where decisions might land, but business leaders felt their views were valued: “We do feel heard.”

The session brought together representatives from some of the country’s largest employers, spanning sectors including banking, infrastructure, tourism and logistics.

As well as the ministers, it included senior officials from Treasury, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Officials also invited ongoing input from industry, Rich said, particularly around red-tape or practical challenges businesses might face if fuel supplies tightened.

She said that level of engagement marked an improvement on the Covid-19 response, with businesses now being given more opportunity to contribute to decision-making.

“We’re facing a very fast-moving situation, and the information flow is very important,” Rich said.

“There’s a lot here that business can do on its own to try and work around some of the international disruption, but we need to make sure we keep the government informed.”

Rich said attendees found it “valuable” to ask questions and share their views, and they left the meeting with confidence that ministers and officials were doing everything they could to ensure New Zealand was in a strong position to deal with any disruption.

Speaking from Nelson on Thursday, Luxon told reporters the government was “working really closely” with industry players, including daily contact with the fuel companies.

“We have worked well in partnership, incredibly well. And we’ve also put New Zealand’s Commerce Commission on watch from day one to make sure that fuel companies are not gouging New Zealanders, and we haven’t seen evidence of that.”

Asked about the latest developments in the Middle East, Luxon said the potential for a ceasefire was promising but very fragile.

“We’ve got a long way to go. There’s a lot of trust that needs to be built back between the US and Iran, and we… encourage everybody to put best efforts forward to get to that long, lasting peace that we desperately need.”

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Source: Media Outreach

New initiative equips finance, audit and accounting professionals with immediately applicable AI skill from Excel automation to AI agents as demand for practical AI capability accelerates across the region

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Madleine CarrWhite, Massey Journalism Student

Northland communities are again bracing for the arrival of wild weather, only a couple of weeks after heavy rain and wind devastated parts of the region.

Cyclone Vaianu is set to touchdown in Northland this weekend, with authorities across the North Island preparing to withstand the potentially life-threatening storm.

Residents, businesses and growers across parts of Northland are now preparing for the Cyclone and what it might mean for their homes and livelihoods.

The organising efforts of Northland’s west coast

The Hokianga area – located on Northland’s west coast – was hit particularly hard by heavy rain and wind that struck the region in late March.

Whirinaki Trust chair Ruth Tautari has been organising the recovery effort for her community, told RNZ a number of evacuation centres were being stood up around Hokianga.

“We’ve just been going around Whirinaki, just giving everyone an update on the storm itself… just making sure that they are prepared, whether they have water in their tanks, making sure they’ve got the essentials they need to keep them going in the event that we get cut off for a couple of days with no power and no roading.” she said.

Tautari said many whānau were still dealing with the affects of recent flooding leaving them feeling “anxious”.

“We had six homes that were completely lost… the water went through and those whānau had to evacuate. We’ve got three whanau that are currently in temporary accommodation and the other three whānau are living with their whānau all outside of Whirinaki at the moment.” she said.

“The rest of the whānau in Whirinaki, they’ve just been going through re-establishing their access ways like roading, their sanitation, their septic tanks and removing all of the rubbish that got pushed down into their whare and just trying to get back to some sense of normal reality.”

As the cyclone bears down, a series of service hubs – called Rai ki te Rai – have been set up across the North. Tautari said welfare agencies and hauora organisations would be present.

“We’ve also got some of the teams from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to at their temporary accommodation services that they provide, but also a lot of mahi from the civil defence teams from Northland Regional Council and the whānau Far North District Council are coming up.”

“It’s quite heartbreaking to watch whānau go through it over again and just watch the stress come when the rain gets heavier, knowing that they could have to move from their whare but also that they could have to go through the whole situation again, removing silt, waters going through our marae and just the toll it takes, not just physically, but a lot of mental and emotional tolls.” she said.

‘It’s not an easy time’

Former Ngāti Hine Forestry Trustchief executive and Green MP Hūhana Lyndon has been up North helping with the recovery effort. She told RNZ that the region now had to quickly switch it’s focus from recovery to readiness.

“The weather is comparable to Cyclone Gabrielle and touch down as early as lunchtime Saturday, whānau are now gearing up to brace and prepare for impact.” she said.

“We already have a stressed rohe or district from the last storm, it’s not an easy time”

Lyndon said she was in regular touch with local and central government, as well as marae and community members.

“There’s been a lot more response and pace by which people are moving now that we know that it’s coming, and the size and scale of what it could be.” she said.

“We’ve gone through Cyclone Gabriel, we’ve seen it, we’ve recovered from it. But it’s coming again, and it’s coming with significant impacts to Northland.”

Lyndon said marae were key parts of the region’s resilience infrastructure and should be resourced properly.

“We don’t have solar, we’ve got gaps in generators, we’ve got whānau who are cut off. They cannot get across to their home, and culverts are out. We need, sparkies, we need to be checking that are waterlocked… we are getting there, but unfortunately we’ve got a storm coming so it’s a bit of recovery as well as preparedness that’s going on right now.” Lyndon said.

Storms frieghtening for growers during prime harvest

The owner of a Wairoa business says everyone in the town is just hoping for the best.

Dianne Downey’s lime growing business was devastated after a nearby river burst it’s banks in 2024.

She is part of a class action lawsuit lodged against Hawke’s Bay Regional Council after many homes and businesses were flooded, with questions being asked about whether the river bar crest should have been lowered ahead of the weather event.

Downey said this latest storm was frightening for growers across the region.

“I’ve got pickers out there flat out picking at the moment because I just don’t want to lose all our fruit, we’re in prime harvest and all these growers around here are, so it’ll be the worst thing in the world if it all went pear shaped for us right now.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said work was underway to maintain the lowered crest of the Wairoa bar to mitigate flooding.

Metservice has forecasted heavy rain and gale winds for Wairoa and surrounding rural areas on Sunday.

East Cape businesses getting geared up

Businesses in Hicks Bay say their community is resilient in the face of weather events.

RNZ spoke to businesses in Hicks Bay, where storms had badly hit the community at the start of the year.

One business told RNZ that there is no panic ahead of Cyclone Vaianu’s anticipated landfall this weekend.

A supermarket says people are getting extra supplies to prepare but aren’t getting more than what they need.

The store clerk says they want to stay open as long as it is safe so that they can be available to the community.

Retailers say the community is preparing to be self-sufficient, having learnt from the storms at the beginning of the year which caused roads to close and cut locals off from the rest of the motu.

A business owner says locals are getting used to living with severe weather events.

Cyclone Vaianu is expected to reach Northland late on Saturday night.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

NZME says its workplace review has identified “two specific issues” still to be addressed in the coming weeks.

The NZME board of directors commissioned the review in February, after three senior managers were terminated last year.

One of them was former OneRoof chief executive Greg J Hornblow, who admitted paying a 14-year-old for sex.

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs told RNZ in April Hornblow was under an employment investigation over other complaints at the time and was sacked when the company learned of his arrest.

He said Hornblow faced disciplinary action, and was alleged to have “demonstrated inappropriate behaviour” at a work function and received a final written warning.

A formal complaint was then made against Hornblow that included accusations he had made “inappropriate comments” at meetings and in the office.

During this process in November, NZME learned of his charge.

“When we learned of the charge, we immediately terminated his employment,” Boggs said.

Separately, ZM content director Ross Flahive was dismissed and Nicholas Hammond left NZME in December.

In an email to staff, NZME board chair Steven Joyce said the review looked at the events leading up to those departures, with a focus on how concerns were raised and responded to, and whether staff felt safe and supported, if they witnessed or experienced inappropriate behaviour.

“Firstly, the review concluded that the departure of the three senior managers from OneRoof and ZM addressed the specific safety and welfare issues, which were identified at the time in those two businesses.

“The review identified two other specific issues elsewhere in the company for referral to Michael [Boggs] and the senior leadership team. These will be addressed in the coming weeks.

“For reasons of natural justice and fairness to all parties, we are not currently able to provide any additional information on them.”

He said the review also found NZME had work to do to “promote and maintain a supportive work environment in which employees and other persons are treated with respect and dignity”.

“The reviewer found that NZME has adequate systems in place to enable reporting of inappropriate conduct, but for a number of reasons, including matters specific to the circumstances in each case, these were not accessed for some time at either OneRoof or ZM.”

To encourage people to report inappropriate conduct in future, the businesses needed to be clear that safety and welfare of staff was an “absolute priority”.

“We will not sacrifice staff safety to meet any other objective in the business. If you sense that is happening at any time, please communicate your concerns directly to Michael as CEO of the company, Steven as chair or to Sussan Turner as chair of the people, remuneration and nominations committee of the board.”

Joyce said Boggs and the management team would ensure all available reporting channels for any concerns and allegations were clearly visible and accessible, so every matter raised was promptly and thoroughly investigated.

“In addition, the roles of wellbeing advocates will be strengthened across the business, ensuring you know who they are and what they can help with – whether that’s advice, a listening ear or acting as a support person, if you need one.

“Members of the company’s people and culture team will be more visibly embedded within the business, being present, approachable and focused first and foremost on the welfare of our people. This will mean more regular and proactive check-ins with business units, providing regular updates and information on reporting processes, and ensuring people have the confidence to report concerns, because they know the information will be treated confidentially.”

Manager training would be refreshed at all levels, he said.

“You have the company’s commitment that any complaint (formal or informal) about inappropriate behaviour, either directed at you or witnessed by you, will always be taken seriously and assessed promptly. Where an investigation is required, it will be carried out fairly and thoroughly, with appropriate action taken based on the findings.

“The company will also check in regularly with complainants and provide appropriate support to them.

“Where it is deemed necessary to ensure your health and safety in the workplace, the executive team will suspend employees who are being investigated for serious misconduct.

“Once an investigation is complete, the leadership team will share outcomes as far as they are legally able to and they will provide feedback directly to the person who raised the concern.”

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Source: Media Outreach

The new investment was committed by existing shareholders, backed by leading global investors, reinforcing conviction in ESR’s strategy, platform, and growth momentum.

The capital will be deployed to fund growth initiatives across ESR’s logistics real estate and data centres platforms. This builds on the significant progress achieved following ESR’s privatisation in July 2025, as the Group advances its strategic transformation into a more focused business positioned for long-term growth.

In line with this strategy, since January 2025, ESR has realised more than US$2 billion in net proceeds through the divestment of non-core holdings and recapitalisation of balance sheet assets, simplifying the portfolio and recycling capital into core growth sectors.

Together, these developments have strengthened ESR’s ability to scale its fund management and development platforms, while capitalising on long‑term structural tailwinds including e-commerce growth, supply chain reconfiguration, and accelerating digitalisation.

Phil Pearce, President of ESR, said, “ESR has entered its next phase of growth with a stronger capital base and a more focused platform. As global capital continues to shift toward APAC, investors are increasingly seeking managers with local depth, strategic clarity, and a proven ability to execute in an evolving market environment.

We are pleased to be deepening our partnership with leading global investors, who are not only shareholders, but also long-term capital partners across our platform. With a sharpened focus on logistics real estate and data centres, we are accelerating development and fundraising while driving sustained growth in leasing and capital deployment. Looking ahead, we remain focused on scaling our core business with discipline and delivering long-term value for our capital partners and customers.”

ESR’s growth strategy is centred on priority markets in Australia, Japan, and South Korea, while expanding opportunities across Greater China, India, and Southeast Asia. Reflecting the strength of its institutional relationships, ESR partners with 12 of the world’s top 20 real estate Limited Partners and has raised an average of US$3.8 billion annually across its key sector mandates over the past five years.

In logistics real estate, demand continues to concentrate on modern, large‑scale, and well‑located logistics assets near consumption hubs and major population centres. Serving over 1,500 customers, ESR is advancing an approximately US$9 billion development pipeline to meet evolving customer needs while creating investment opportunities for capital partners.

Leveraging the scale and depth of its APAC platform, ESR’s data centres business is differentiated by its ability to secure land and power early in the development cycle, supporting a pipeline of over 3 GW of capacity for phased development in key growth markets.

https://www.esr.com/

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A long-promised project to shift Stewart Island to solar power could be underway within months and operational by Christmas, officials say.

Rakiura’s 480 residents currently rely entirely on diesel for power generation, and are bracing for a steep rise in prices due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Southland Mayor Rob Scott said officials were looking at ways to speed up progress on the planned solar farm, which secured a $15 million government loan last year.

The council was about to apply for consent and, under the Resource Management Act (RMA), was seeking to classify the project as emergency works to be carried out in exceptional circumstances, he said.

“This is certainly an exceptional circumstance … so we’re currently exploring Section 330 of the RMA, which would enable us to get started while going through the consenting process,” he said.

The aim was to begin construction in June, and it could not happen soon enough, as far as Scott was concerned.

The solar farm would reduce diesel consumption for electricity by about 75 percent, he said.

“I guess the project’s kind of proven its value now. One of the reasons why we’ve done it is not just to address the high power prices that residents on the island were already paying, but to take out some of this vulnerability, the susceptibility to high diesel prices which we’re experiencing right now,” he said.

Long time resident Sharon Ross said she was setting aside cash in preparation for this winter’s power price hikes – and she dreaded finding out just how much of an impact global fuel price surges would have.

In a normal year, her household spent between $500 – $800 per month on electricity, she said.

Ross, who is also the co-owner of the island’s only petrol station, said fuel at the pump had gone well over the $4-a-litre mark.

“We are expecting this winter is going to be a lot harder than other winters have been for us,” she said.

Southland District councillor Jon Spraggon, from the Rakiura ward, said the council-owned power station had issued a warning to residents to conserve electricity where they could.

“It’s worth noting the price of diesel for the council for the power supply went up 45 percent in the last week, so that’s going to have to be passed on somehow,” he said.

There were limitations on how quickly the council could raise the price, but residents could expect a few “short steps” up in their power bills, he said.

“There’s no way we can hold the power price down, and people are going to have to look at the amount of power that they actually use.”

Spraggon said he was optimistic the solar farm could be running by Christmas.

“The community board chair and I are spending a lot of time trying to get this through as fast as we can,” he said.

Residents seeking their own solar power

Local business owner Helen Cave said the power bills for her hotel and fish processing business were already more than $10,000 a month each.

The potential for further price hikes this winter had prompted her to explore alternatives, she said.

“I’d rather pay more than not have it, but I have ordered some solar panels,” she said.

Resident Morgan Bellworthy Hamilton said he, too, was looking at ways to reduce his own reliance on the grid, even with the promise of an island-wide transition.

“We’ve been talking about solar, and I think it probably is the best option for us, as a house, to get solar,” he said.

Snuggery Café co-owner Simon Moir, who used solar to offset his power bill by about 30 percent, said he was excited for the whole-island upgrade but wary it would not be a silver bullet.

Rakiura’s climate made it a difficult place to rely on the sun for electricity, he said.

“I’m pretty excited for it, but I don’t know how much it’s actually going to fully cover and what sort of price reduction that will truly create … we don’t have a lot of sunshine here just because of where we’re positioned in the world, and we get a lot of cloudy days,” he said.

“But I’m really grateful that our Southland mayor has finally taken the true steps to get it across the line and get the money from the government to pursue this.”

A project long in the making

Stewart Island’s solar project follows a mooted hydro scheme and a failed wind farm.

Ross said when it came to switching the island off diesel, there had been years of false starts.

“When we moved here 14 years ago, we seemed to be in the exact same conversation. And they kept on doing studies, and they would revisit these studies, and nothing happened. And we’re thinking, if this is the third, well, probably fourth time that it’s been reviewed, and nothing is going to come of it again, it would be so incredibly frustrating,” she said.

Scott said while there were still hurdles to work through, residents could be assured that this time was different.

“I don’t accept failure and I’ve given the island my word that this project’s going to go ahead,” he said.

The volatility of global oil markets was another reason to make the project happen as soon as possible, he said.

The solar farm would not bring prices down to mainland levels, but would help lower bills and make them more predictable, he said.

“We do need to factor in the maintenance and the replacement of the solar farm. So the prices are still going to be relatively high, but they are going to be certain and stable,” he said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The fuel industry says people should start seeing some relief at the pump over the next week, despite motorists using diesel fearing prices could reach more than $4 a litre.

Following news of the US and Iran ceasefire, oil prices have fallen, which Waitomo Group chief executive Simon Parham, said was positive news for prices of fuel.

Parham told Morning Report, there would be some relief at the pump in the next couple of weeks and that relief would start to be seen on some gasoline products over the weekend.

Diesel would be a different story however, Parham said, and he expected it would take some time for prices to unwind – but he believed it would not get to $4 a litre.

“I think we’ll skim just under that.”

RNZ went out to speak to drivers at petrol stations on Wednesday, about diesel becoming the most expensive fuel at the pump as it overtakes 98.

According to fuel finding app Gaspy, 260 stations in the motu were charging diesel at $3.99 a litre, with some truck stops in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato hitting $4.20 a litre.

Motorists said that commuters and individuals could switch to petrol cars, public transport or working from home.

But commercial trucking fleets do not have that flexibility.

One contractor told RNZ business owners had no choice but to absorb higher diesel costs in contracts agreed months ago before the fuel crisis.

Another business owner said companies would have to decide whether to pass on the higher cost of diesel to their customers in any new contracts.

A civil construction company owner said: “We’re definitely feeling the pinch. We’re trying to wear the cost as much as possible. But we are looking at price increases”

They said that could cause ripple effects across all industries from construction to agriculture.

One builder told RNZ: “All our suppliers are charging extra on deliveries now.”

Parham said purchases of fuel had softened as prices rose, after a couple of weeks of panic buying.

He said demand was down about 10 percent.

“There’s definitely been a change in behaviours. We’re more keen than anybody to get these prices back down.”

Gaspy spokesperson Mike Newton said dependence on overseas refineries and the lack of alternatives to diesel would likely keep prices high for a while.

Fuel prices in general rose following the outbreak of war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route.

US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday which led to crude oil prices dropping.

However, Newton said diesel prices were unlikely to drop because New Zealand had no refining capacity and would have to wait for supplies from overseas.

Newton said diesel prices had risen sharply and it was not clear why.

“It’s been creeping up five cents a day sort of thing, but we’ve seen jumps of 30, 40, 50 cents. At some stations just out of nowhere, and it’s not clear to us exactly what is causing such a big jump so suddenly.”

He said the fuel crisis was worse than the price spike that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which drove up diesel prices by about 50 percent.

“Currently, we have already doubled the price of diesel, so it’s over 100 percent increase,” Newton said.

“So although we’re seeing similar patterns, the numbers are just so much bigger than what we saw during the Ukraine conflict.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Motorists using diesel say they have little choice but to wear higher costs as prices reach more than $4 a litre in parts of the country.

RNZ went out to speak to drivers at petrol stations about diesel becoming the most expensive fuel at the pump as it overtakes 98.

According to fuel finding app Gaspy, 260 stations in the motu were charging diesel at $3.99 a litre, with some truck stops in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato hitting $4.20 a litre.

Motorists said that commuters and individuals could switch to petrol cars, public transport or working from home.

But commercial trucking fleets do not have that flexibility.

One contractor told RNZ business owners had no choice but to absorb higher diesel costs in contracts agreed months ago before the fuel crisis.

Another business owner said companies would have to decide whether to pass on the higher cost of diesel to their customers in any new contracts.

A civil construction company owner said: “We’re definitely feeling the pinch. We’re trying to wear the cost as much as possible. But we are looking at price increases”

They said that could cause ripple effects across all industries from construction to agriculture.

One builder told RNZ: “All our suppliers are charging extra on deliveries now.”

Gaspy spokesperson Mike Newton said dependence on overseas refineries and the lack of alternatives to diesel would likely keep prices high for a while.

Fuel prices in general rose following the outbreak of war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route.

US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday which led to crude oil prices dropping.

However, Newton said diesel prices were unlikely to drop because New Zealand had no refining capacity and would have to wait for supplies from overseas.

Newton said diesel prices had risen sharply and it was not clear why.

“It’s been creeping up five cents a day sort of thing, but we’ve seen jumps of 30, 40, 50 cents. At some stations just out of nowhere, and it’s not clear to us exactly what is causing such a big jump so suddenly.”

He said the fuel crisis was worse than the price spike that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which drove up diesel prices by about 50 percent.

“Currently, we have already doubled the price of diesel, so it’s over 100 percent increase,” Newton said.

“So although we’re seeing similar patterns, the numbers are just so much bigger than what we saw during the Ukraine conflict.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Solar advocates, electricians and consumer campaigners are among those calling on the government to ditch its plans for an LNG import terminal and consider other options.

The Sustainable Energy Association and six other organisations, including the Green Building Council, Master Electricians, and Consumer NZ, have joined together to present an alternative proposal to deal with the country’s winter energy problem.

The new Smart Energy Alliance says that includes rapidly rolling out rooftop solar, moving domestic users off gas, and better managing the country’s hydro lakes.

The government announced in February it would proceed with plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in Taranaki, with whole-of-life costs spread across all electricity users through a levy.

The proposal, widely criticised at the time, has attracted renewed opposition after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted the price of fossil fuels – including LNG – to spike.

Gentailer chief executives were the latest to express doubts at the energy sector’s conference last week.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said in a statement last month that the LNG terminal was selected from a shortlist of five options that it considered “timely, feasible and of sufficient scale to meet dry year needs”.

It would also be beneficial to major industrial gas users, who had been forced to limit production or shut up shop altogether in recent years as domestic gas supply dwindled, the ministry said.

It said rooftop solar would support energy resilience in the longer term, but ruled it out as an immediate solution to the dry-year risk.

A Cabinet paper said distributed solar would not supply enough additional energy during winter, when the country was most likely to experience an energy shortage.

The options the ministry seriously considered – including more diesel and coal generation – were all capable of generating 1.5 terawatt hours of generation, no matter the weather, and could be deployed with a few years.

Smart Energy Alliance spokesperson Gareth Williams said the organisation did not accept the argument that solar was incapable of supporting the dry-year risk.

“It’s correct that solar isn’t the greatest resource in winter, but the modelling that we’ve done… shows that solar is really useful in terms of dry-year because it enables the [hydro] lakes to go into autumn and winter much fuller than they do currently,” he said.

“It was a very bold statement that it’s not relevant.”

What the country really needed was for politicians to agree on a cross-party energy strategy that properly weighed up all the options, Williams said.

“This constant change as to what we’re looking to do through every election cycle is just not going to lead to a good outcome.”

However, distributed rooftop solar was among the obvious solutions that should be rolled out straight away, he said.

Countries as diverse as Australia, Hungary and Pakistan have achieved massive uptake of rooftop solar and battery installations within a few years of rolling out government incentives.

A truly meaningful roll-out here would also need financial incentives.

“[Low-cost] financing by itself has some impact but the real acceleration comes when there’s some kind of rebate,” he said.

“Once it’s moving it has its own momentum and you don’t need [incentives] anymore.”

While solar capacity was built up, coal – which was already in the country – was capable of filling the gap that LNG would otherwise close.

“There is sufficient back-up from the Huntly power station using coal,” Williams said.

“Clearly we don’t want that to be the long-term solution… but as a temporary stop-gap for the next three or four years until those other projects can be accelerated, then we’re perfectly covered.”

Incentives could be particularly targeted at domestic gas users – which would have the additional benefit of saving limited gas supply for major industrial users who had limited alternatives, he said.

“The modelling we did looked for that 2TWh of additional generation, and we modelled it by reducing the amount of gas that was being used for electricity generation down to 45 percent of what it has been over the last three years.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A briefing shows former Defence Minister Judith Collins met US defence technology powerhouse Palantir in February on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to talk about an ongoing “partnership”.

Palantir had become the go-to tech company for the Pentagon and its AI technology had been key for targeting missiles in the war in Iran.

But the government here on Wednesday said the NZ Defence Force had “no existing plans” to use the company’s emerging technologies.

Collins’ meeting was revealed in a one-page briefing released under the Official Information Act to AUT law lecturer Dr Marco de Jong.

Collins met Palantir’s international president Laurence Lee, a former senior official in the UK’s defence and intelligence agencies.

The meeting on 13 February was an “informal discussion”, her office told RNZ on Wednesday.

The briefing to her ahead of the meeting suggested two “key messages” from Collins – who is also space and spy agency minister – to Lee.

The first was blanked out while the second said: “I acknowledge the importance of an ongoing effective partnership.

“Do you see any upcoming opportunities of interest for New Zealand in new technologies and emerging capabilities in this sector.” [sic]

Several paragraphs of ‘background’ were blanked out.

Collins’ office passed questions about the partnership with Palantir on to Chris Penk who was taking over her portfolios soon. She did not address what if any “opportunities” she discussed with Lee.

Penk on Wednesday told RNZ, “The New Zealand Defence Force has no existing plans to use Palantir in the emerging technologies space.

“The NZDF uses Palantir as an analytics platform to aid with planning. The Government’s ongoing partnership with Palantir is led by the GCSB.”

Emerging technologies featured in the Defence Capability Plan to spend $12 billion by 2029.

The Palantir meeting did not appear in Collins’ ministerial diary because individual meetings overseas often changed so were not recorded, her office said.

Palantir’s Maven draws up strike lists

The US and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran on 28 February.

Many of the thousands of targets hit were selected from a list produced by Palantir’s technology called Maven “after it analyzed information from drones, satellite imagery and other sources”, the New York Times reported.

On 21 March, Reuters reported that Maven was being adopted by the Pentagon as a “core US military system”.

Another report a few days ago by Defense Scoop said Maven would become the “cornerstone” of a fused network of battlefield sensors and weapons cross air, land, sea and space.

The network was called Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control or CJADC2, where “Combined” stands for US partners and allies. The NZ Defence Force had been helping build the network.

For instance, the NZDF had been helping plan the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, RIMPAC 2026, where tech would be tested under Project Overmatch, the US navy’s core contribution to CJADC2, a navy report said.

Collins meets Amazon

At Munich, Collins also met with cloud computing giants Amazon Web Services (AWS) and with German multinational SAP, a separate 80-page briefing showed.

It said SAP’s latest “suite” of defence and security products “represents a timely and essential upgrade for the NZDF that will improve our organisational readiness and interoperability”.

It also said public agencies were increasingly using Amazon – they spent $16 million with it last year – and though the NZDF’s partner was Microsoft, “this does not preclude the use of other suppliers, including AWS”.

Collins met with another Pentagon favourite, drone-and-software-maker Anduril, last July as Defence began work on its new capability plan. Drones were key to it, however defence leaders told MPs recently that most vital in future would be the data-synthesising software behind defensive and offensive weaponry.

Last month the Pentagon consolidated its AI projects with Anduril into a 10-year contract worth up to $34b.

Palantir’s partnership with the US government has been widely reported for years, especially since the firm co-founded in 2004 by NZ citizen Peter Thiel – who helped bring vice president JD Vance to power – in 2017 turned its powerful surveillance technologies to data crunching for the Pentagon.

Much less information was publicly available about the NZ-Palantir partnership. It was reported in 2018 the US firm got a contract in 2012 with the Defence Force covering software, hardware and training 100 staff. Its hardware was still in use by NZDF in 2024, an annual review showed. During Covid, Palantir pitched its pandemic-tracking software to the Ministry of Health.

The defence ministry last month told de Jong its strategic leadership team had not had any meetings in the last year with Palantir, or with Anduril, or with other major defence contractors L3 Harris and Hirtenberger, or with NZ drone maker Syos.

Maven and the network for US partners including NZ

Maven was central to Palantir’s fortunes and the firm and the Pentagon liked to show off online what it could do, outmatching the work of thousands of military analysts.

With NATO last year also acquiring the platform, critics have voiced fears the speed and scale of its target analysis would take the place of critical thinking.

Palantir said in 2024 that Maven provided the cloud infrastructure, software capabilities and AI that powered some CJADC2 initiatives.

The NZDF takes part in experiments and testing run in parallel by the US navy, army and air force’s CJADC2 projects.

New Zealand and its Five Eyes intelligence partners signed up 18 months ago to the US navy’s Project Overmatch.

Overmatch had been setting up a new US-based Cooperative Project Office that NZ personnel were expected to help man, alongside a “coalition lab” for testing shared tech, the navy reported.

“The coalition network enables resilient communication and network connectivity amongst the ‘Five Eyes’ (FVEY) in a distributed environment to close kill-chains and enable long-range fires,” it said.

The US Marines recently set up their own CJADC2 project, Project Dynamis.

The NZDF was embracing emerging tech underwritten by a much expanded budget at the same time its core partners Australia, the UK and the US had streamlined sharing military tech between themselves, and as US President Donald Trump had been issuing directives to speed up arms transfers and trade under ‘America First’ policies.

Many militaries were stressing the need for speed like never before.

Defence’s annual review to Parliament last month said, “There was a need to move to a different ‘risk appetite’ to keep up with quickly evolving technology, placing a higher value on speed of delivery” even if this involved a “fast fail, rather than be slow to act and left behind”.

The NZDF had $26m set aside to boost this including adding to its badly depleted workforce.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

BusinessNZ has made its case to ministers as to why the food and grocery sector should be put in the highest priority level of any fuel rationing framework.

Top chief executives – from the organisation’s Major Companies Group – took part in an hour-long call on Thursday morning, featuring Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones.

BusinessNZ chief executive Katherine Rich told RNZ that attendees sought “greater clarity” from the government on how fuel rationing would be implemented if it activated the more extreme phases of its National Fuel Plan.

She said Willis encouraged business leaders to take part in the current consultation process and to keep sending through their on-the-ground insights.

Rich, who previously led the Food and Grocery Council for more than a decade, said she lobbied for the food industry to be given highest priority alongside other “life-supporting services” in Band A, like hospitals, courts and lifeline utilities.

“Feeding people is about supporting life and maintaining calm,” she said.

Under the draft framework published in March, food supply and distribution were categorised as “economically important services” and placed in the second highest priority level, Band B.

Rich said ministers did not signal where decisions might land, but business leaders felt their views were valued: “We do feel heard.”

The session brought together representatives from some of the country’s largest employers, spanning sectors including banking, infrastructure, tourism and logistics.

As well as the ministers, it included senior officials from Treasury, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Officials also invited ongoing input from industry, Rich said, particularly around red-tape or practical challenges businesses might face if fuel supplies tightened.

She said that level of engagement marked an improvement on the Covid-19 response, with businesses now being given more opportunity to contribute to decision-making.

“We’re facing a very fast-moving situation, and the information flow is very important,” Rich said.

“There’s a lot here that business can do on its own to try and work around some of the international disruption, but we need to make sure we keep the government informed.”

Rich said attendees found it “valuable” to ask questions and share their views, and they left the meeting with confidence that ministers and officials were doing everything they could to ensure New Zealand was in a strong position to deal with any disruption.

Speaking from Nelson on Thursday, Luxon told reporters the government was “working really closely” with industry players, including daily contact with the fuel companies.

“We have worked well in partnership, incredibly well. And we’ve also put New Zealand’s Commerce Commission on watch from day one to make sure that fuel companies are not gouging New Zealanders, and we haven’t seen evidence of that.”

Asked about the latest developments in the Middle East, Luxon said the potential for a ceasefire was promising but very fragile.

“We’ve got a long way to go. There’s a lot of trust that needs to be built back between the US and Iran, and we… encourage everybody to put best efforts forward to get to that long, lasting peace that we desperately need.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Improving Alcohol Regulation) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament last week and is now open for submissions at the Justice Select Committee, says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.

“The Bill will cut red tape to support economic growth across the hospitality and events sector, restore fairness to the licensing regime, and create more choice and flexibility for local clubs.

“This is being done while retaining the core protections for public safety and reducing alcohol-related harm.

“It seems nearly every week I am hearing about a red tape issue in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act that holds New Zealanders back without having a clear harm-reduction justification.

“I’ve addressed many of these issues in my Bill, but I’ve heard more since introducing it – and I know there will be others I haven’t yet been made aware of.

“A recent example was a tourism company that was prevented from providing a complimentary glass of bubbles to a bride and groom after flying them up to a scenic lookout to get married.

“That’s the kind of low-risk situation where the law seems to miss the mark and where we should be open to sensible improvements.

“So I’m putting out a ‘last call’ on red tape that can be safely removed from the Act.

“I encourage New Zealanders to get involved in the submission process, especially those who have had to deal with the many complex, outdated, and often unnecessary rules in the current law.”

Key changes in the Bill include:

• Limiting objections to licence applications or renewals to only those living or working in the same council area, or within 1 kilometre of the proposed licensed premises.
• Giving licence applicants a right of reply to licensing objections to ensure a fairer process.
• Preventing licence renewals from being declined solely because a local alcohol policy has changed.
• Allowing clubs to apply for on-licences if they wish to serve the wider public.
• Allowing certain restaurants with on-site retail areas to sell alcohol for customers to take home.
• Streamlining special licence requirements to make it easier to host events.
• Creating a permanent mechanism allowing licensed premises to open and serve alcohol outside licensed hours to televise major events such as the Rugby World Cup.
• Exempting hairdressers and barbers from needing an on-licence to supply their customers a limited amount of alcohol such as a beer, glass of wine, or gin and tonic.
• Extending cellar door tasting provisions beyond wineries so other producers such as breweries and distilleries can charge for tastings without needing an on-licence.
• Allowing licensed premises to meet their legal obligations by stocking either low-alcohol or zero-alcohol drinks.
• Clarifying responsibilities for rapid alcohol delivery services to ensure alcohol is not delivered to underage or intoxicated persons.

Submissions can be made to the Justice Committee on Parliament’s website and close on 14 May 2026.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s public transport authority is warning passengers could face service cuts or costlier fares due to soaring diesel prices, and is calling for government intervention.

And Local Government New Zealand says diesel prices are a huge concern for councils around the country operating large public transport networks.

Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Daran Ponter said he had written to the Finance, Transport and Associate Energy Ministers about steps the government could take to encourage public transport use.

Ponter said escalating diesel prices had been costing Wellington’s public transport provider, Metlink, an extra $130,000 per week.

Waitomo’s chief executive told Morning Report people should start seeing relief at the pump due to a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, but motorists have been concerned prices could reach more than $4 a litre.

Ponter said prices were uncertain, and could stay high for some time despite the ceasefire.

“We’re asking the government to think about fare discounts, and maybe targeted fare discounts.”

He said he had also asked the government to encourage public servants to travel to and from work outside of peak hours.

Ponter said the council would do everything it could to avoid higher bus fares, including borrowing money in order to spread costs over a longer period.

He hadn’t asked for projections on how much transport fares could increase if diesel prices remained high.

“I don’t want us to have to apply further increases to fares because of the fuel costs that we are facing.

“So the answer has to lie somewhere between us and government rather than us and the people that we carry on our buses and trains every day. I don’t want them paying any more money than they currently are.”

Lower-patronage routes in the Wellington region would have to be scrutinised for potential service cuts if the situation didn’t improve, he said.

Bus and train fares are already set to increase from May 15 by 3.1 percent, and some services are already looking at being cut from July 1, Ponter said, due to changes over the private share – the share of how much users and the government pays for public transport.

But Ponter said that context would only get worse without government intervention.

He said about 75 percent of the region’s buses used diesel, and the costs had put pressure on the council.

Local Government New Zealand President Rehette Stoltz said diesel costs were a “huge concern” for councils throughout the country.

“It is definitely a concern for councils who operate huge public transport networks – let’s think of Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington. I think Christchurch alone uses 70,000 litres of diesel a week, because they have an extensive public transport network.

“So yes, it is a huge concern to councils because their operating costs have increased significantly.”

Gisborne’s bus operator had not raised concerns about fuel costs so far, but Stoltz said she would not be surprised if the issue came up soon.

Discussions around government support were something councils would be putting towards ministers and would be a case-by-case decision, Stoltz said.

The government has been approached for comment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Associate Transport Minister James Meager hasn’t ruled out tweaking the current regional infrastructure package to help struggling airlines through the current fuel crisis.

Later this month, Air Chathams will reduce flights into Whakatāne by 45 percent, Whanganui by 22 percent and Kāpiti by 10 percent, as the price of jet fuel doubles, with chief excutive Duane Emeny telling RNZ’s Checkpoint that the aim was to cut costs without doing long-term damaged to the market.

“There’s no real point in operating the services, if we can’t even cover the direct cost,” he said.

The government is already working with regional airlines struggling to make ends meet, offering up to $30 million in loans, and Emeny claimed that assistance was needed more than ever.

Meager has heard the cries and seems prepared to explore how the funding criteria can be changed during crisis.

“I take Duane’s point about maybe modifying the fund,” he told Checkpoint. “It’s not something we’ve looked at yet, but given the ongoing fuel crisis, it’s certainly worth considering what flexibility there is under the existing fund conditions.

“We’ve got to be careful stewards of taxpayers’ money, but at the same time, our airlines are under significant pressure through no real fault of their own. There’s a set of circumstances outside of most people’s control, so I think officials will look at what flexibility we have under the current criteria.”

The government has already allocated funding to Golden Bay Air and Meager confirmed most of the other regional airlines had also lodged applications, which were being processed by a group of regional development ministers.

Meager anticipated the applications would drain the current funding pool.

“We’ve been pushing quite hard, given the ongoing fuel price volatility, to get some support out the door,” he said. “There are a handful of applications still to be decided on… I would be hoping within the next couple of weeks.”

So far, Air Chathams has not proposed cuts to its service to the Chatham Islands, where it is the sole provider.

“We know Air Chathams has a particularly unique set of circumstances,” Meager said. “They’re the only airline that serves the Chatham Islands and from I’ve seen in the information they’ve provided, they make a strong case for support.

“I take on board some of the issues they’re dealing with, which mean they have to make some decisions around routes, and I’ve made sure we’re looping in local MPs and local councils to make sure we’re providing any support we can.”

Meager conceded suspending interest on the loans was a consideration.

“I know, under some of the loans distributed under other pots of the regional infrastructure fund, there have been periods where no interest has incurred or deferred payments,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing we can look at the flexibility in the existing concessionary loans.

“I’d have to leave that over to the officials and treasury to keep an eye on what’s good financial practice, but beyond that, there are other things we can look at. What are the other cost pressures they’re facing?

“Can we do something within our own regulatory systems to make it easier for them to operate and what are the other avenues of support we can provide?”

Air New Zealand has also had to reduce schedules during the fuel crisis, but Meager confirmed it was not eligible for the regional airline support.

He insisted none of the smaller airlines were currently at risk of going under, despite their hardships.

“I have been talking to them about how they are going and I am concerned that the longer this crisis goes on, the harder it is going to be,” he said.

“We will need to look at what other steps and interventions that we might take should it come to that point – I don’t think we’re at that point.

“Supply of jet fuel is pretty good, price is a concern, but we’ve seen some signals over the past couple of days that prices may start to ease.

“We’ve got to keep a close eye on it and respond accordingly, as situations change.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has removed unnecessary consenting barriers to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, making it faster and easier to build chargers where New Zealanders need them, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. 

Amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Electricity Transmission Activities (NES-ETA) introduce new nationally consistent permitted activity standards for EV charging infrastructure, replacing fragmented and inconsistent district plan rules. The amendments will come into force on 7 May 2026.

“Under the current system, anyone wanting to install EV charging infrastructure has had to navigate a confusing patchwork of local rules, creating uncertainty, delays and unnecessary costs for infrastructure that is typically small-scale,” Mr Bishop says.

“These changes cut through that red tape. By setting clear national rules, we’re making it much quicker and easier to get chargers in the ground, while still managing effects appropriately.

“For the first time, the NES-ETA explicitly includes EV charging infrastructure, with permitted activity rules covering the full lifecycle from construction through to operation, upgrade and replacement.”

The amendments apply to four types of EV charging infrastructure:

• private EV chargers
• EV chargers in a transport corridor
• EV chargers associated with other infrastructure or buildings, such as service stations or supermarkets
• standalone EV charging facilities, including charging hubs

“Many New Zealanders have thought about getting an EV, even before the fuel challenges we’re currently facing. But a lack of public chargers is still holding people back,” Mr Bishop says.

“This Government is tackling that from both sides, by removing planning barriers and backing new investment to grow the network.”

The move complements the Government’s recent announcement of $52.7 million in zero-interest loans, alongside co-investment from ChargeNet and Meridian, which will see more than 2,500 additional public EV charging stations.

“At present, New Zealand has just over 1,800 public EV charging points nationwide. That puts us among the lower-ranked countries in the OECD for chargers relative to the number of EVs on the road.

“With chargers already in progress and the latest investment, the network is expected to more than double to around 4,550 charge points. Our goal is 10,000 by 2030, roughly one charger for every 40 EVs.

“Making it simpler to consent new chargers will help us get there faster.

“Many New Zealanders are already looking to switch to an EV when it’s time to upgrade their vehicle. Even before the current fuel pressures, running an EV was typically cheaper than petrol, and New Zealand’s electricity system is largely renewable.

“We’re also seeing that shift in the data, with EV registrations so far in 2026 up 96.4 per cent on the same period last year. Recent global events have likely accelerated that trend, as higher fuel prices drive more interest in EVs.

“In a world where international fuel markets are uncertain, that matters.

“We’re striking the right balance by enabling the charging infrastructure New Zealand needs, while keeping sensible safeguards in place.

“The new permitted activity standards include conditions to manage effects such as noise, earthworks, size and setbacks near residential areas, and traffic impacts for larger standalone facilities. Where those standards are not met, a restricted discretionary consent will still be required.”

The amendments apply directly once they come into effect on 7 May (28 days after Gazettal). Councils are not required to amend district plans, and more lenient plan rules will continue to apply where relevant.

“This is another example of how targeted national direction can make the resource management system work better in practice, while we transition to a more enabling, common-sense planning system,” Mr Bishop says.

The policy intent of the changes will be carried through into the new planning system established by the Planning and Natural Environment Bills.

Notes to editors: 

• The amendments to the NES-ETA are part of a suite of changes the Government has made to national direction under the Resource Management Act.
• These changes aim to boost infrastructure and urban development by making it easier to consent, enhance the primary sector by removing unworkable rules and replacing national direction, and deliver housing growth.
• The amendment to the NES-ETA follows the gazettal of 10 new or amended national direction instruments on 18 December 2025 which came into force on 15 January 2026, with amendments to several other national direction instruments expected in coming months. 

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sandbags are being made available across Coromandel as officials brace for what they say could be a significant wave event from Cyclone Vaianu.

Strong wind watches for Saturday to Monday and heavy rain watches for Saturday and Sunday are in force for the North Island.

MetService said it is still highly likely it will issue severe weather warnings as forecasts become more clear.

Earth Sciences NZ said more than 200mm of rain could fall in 18-24 hours in some places.

Thames Coromandel District Council started dispensing sandbags and sand from several locations across the peninsula on Thursday.

They will be available until Saturday and locations can be found on the council’s website.

It said Vaianu will be the year’s third big storm, and it was still recovering from the one in January.

“We are expecting a significant wave event for eastern Coromandel beaches during Saturday and Sunday with a peak on Sunday morning,” Thames Coromandel Civil Defence and Emergency manager Brian Carter said.

“It is important people prepare as best they can and stay away from beaches during the storm,” he added.

“We may see some coastal inundation from waves and potential slips throughout the district.”

The council said much of Coromandel was still prone to slips and it was working with the Waikato Regional Council on modelling impacts from waves.

Campground owners have been asked to make sure campers are away from areas that are prone to flooding.

Standard pre-storm preparations are also being made to crucial infrastructure to make sure there is back-up power.

Thames Coromandel mayor Peter Revell told RNZ the worst of the weather was expected from midnight Saturday to Sunday evening.

“So we wanted people to be prepared well ahead of time for that,” he said.

“Probably the difference this time is we’re also expecting a bit of wave motion, some quite heavy swells coming in.”

Revell said meteorologists have told the council the storm has very low pressure at its centre, and with strong winds there could be swells of 3 metres or more.

“Probably we’ll begin to see that on Friday evening,” he said.

He urged people to stay clear of eastern Coromandel beaches from Friday night if that eventuates.

Surf Life Saving training suspended

North of Auckland, the Ōrewa Surf Life Saving Club was putting suspensions in place from Friday evening.

“Based on advice from Surf Life Saving New Zealand, all training activities and the use of club equipment will be suspended from 8pm Friday until 6am Monday,” it posted on Facebook.

“This suspension applies to all aspects of Ōrewa SLSC. To be clear the club does not endorse the use of any SLS equipment during the above time period or members entering the water during the impending conditions.”

The club said its search and rescue squad would remain on call throughout the storm.

“We strongly advise all members to stay clear of the water during this period, including in a personal capacity. The forecasted conditions across the North Island pose significant risk, even for highly experienced lifeguards,” it added.

In Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City Council said it acknowledged it had “been a challenging start” to 2026.

“It’s understandable that people may be feeling unsettled,” it said.

The council said a dedicated incident management team was constantly assessing conditions and was ready to activate if needed.

Vector issues advice in Auckland

Lines company Vector said extra crews and support teams are standing by and closely monitoring conditions.

It said ahead of the storm, people could charge mobile phones, torches and power banks and check on any medical backup plans.

“Most importantly, if you see any fallen or low-hanging power lines at any time, stay well away. Treat them all as live and dangerous and call 111 immediately,” it said.

Massey University meanwhile said if Red warnings were issued for any of its locations of Auckland, Palmerston North of Wellington, then the affected campus would close.

“This includes the Recreation Centres and libraries,” it said.

‘Potential to be significant and damaging’

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell said Cyclone Vaianu was potentially a significant and damaging storm.

“I know that many communities are still recovering from earlier flooding and weather warnings are currently in place for parts of the country due to a separate weather system,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Rain falling on ground that is already saturated means fallen trees, landslides, flooding and dangerous river conditions are more likely.

“The government, MetService, NEMA and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups are all keeping a very close eye on Cyclone Vaianu. The government stands ready to assist as required,” he said.

“Put safety first. Don’t take any chances,” the minister said.

Police urged people to “as always” take care on roads.

“High winds could damage trees, powerlines and insecure roofs and make driving hazardous for all drivers and especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomes Pharmac’s decision to fund two new combination therapies for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a type of blood cancer. 

“Improving access to cancer medication in New Zealand is important to cancer patients, and their families. That’s why it has been a focus of this Government,” Mr Seymour says.

Pharmac has decided to fund two combination treatments and widen access to ibrutinib for people with CLL from 1 May 2026. Under this decision:

People with CLL will be able to receive venetoclax with ibrutinib or venetoclax with obinutuzumab as first‑line treatments, meaning they can be used as an initial treatment option rather than after other treatments have been tried.
Access to ibrutinib will be widened so it can be used on its own as a second line treatment for people whose CLL has not responded to a previous treatment, has come back, or where earlier treatment has caused intolerable side effects. 

“It’s important to the patient community that their voice is heard. That’s why Pharmac consult the community on funding proposals before a final decision is made,” Mr Seymour says. 

“Earlier this year Pharmac consulted the blood cancer community on a proposal to fund two new combination therapies for people with CLL. Pharmac heard from the community and from their clinical advisors that venetoclax with ibrutinib or obinutuzumab will make a big difference for people with CLL, especially when used at the beginning of treatment. 

“Venetoclax with ibrutinib or obinutuzumab will help patients achieve longer lasting remission and avoid the need for traditional chemotherapy. Two of these medicines will be available in pill form, which don’t require an IV drip and could mean fewer hospital visits. The use of these combination treatments is expected to save an estimated 3,700 infusion hours saved each year.

“Pharmac also received feedback highlighting the need for ibrutinib on its own as an option for people who can’t use other available medicines. So, Pharmac will fund ibrutinib on its own as a second-line treatment for people whose CLL has not responded to a previous treatment, has come back, or where earlier treatment has caused side effects.

“When Pharmac fund a new cancer treatment, people already paying for that treatment privately are forced to make a very difficult choice: spend their savings to continue private treatment undisrupted, or transfer to a public hospital. Patients told Pharmac the latter was hugely disruptive and caused significant stress during an immensely difficult period. Obinutuzumab will be another cancer medicine available in private clinics. 

“People currently paying privately for the combination treatments could receive funded treatment in a private hospital, provided they met the funding criteria at the time they began treatment.

“This funding decision is another example of the new culture at Pharmac. The patient community used to picket outside Pharmac. Now, they’re in the room with Pharmac making decisions.  

“Patients are reaping the benefits. Since this Government took over we’ve allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift Pharmac. 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.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is set to face questions about Iran, fuel prices and National’s poll numbers after a meeting of the government’s top ministers.

Luxon is expected to speak about 3pm. You can watch the livestream at the top of this page.

It follows an eventful week in politics, including the latest Taxpayers’ Union/Curia poll put National slightly up but still below 30 percent.

Fuel prices have continued to surge, with no sign yet the US, Israel and Iran will stop fighting – US President Donald Trump instead threatening to take out civilian infrastructure and send the country to “hell”.

Luxon earlier on Tuesday called Trump’s comments “unhelpful”.

Also up for discussion perhaps will be Luxon’s Cabinet reshuffle, which saw an apparent demotion for a senior minister who was rumoured to have considered a leadership challenge late last year; the lifting of Easter alcohol restrictions; diplomacy with the US; and the banning of greyhound racing.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Solar advocates, electricians and consumer campaigners are among those calling on the government to ditch its plans for an LNG import terminal and consider other options.

The Sustainable Energy Association and six other organisations, including the Green Building Council, Master Electricians, and Consumer NZ, have joined together to present an alternative proposal to deal with the country’s winter energy problem.

The new Smart Energy Alliance says that includes rapidly rolling out rooftop solar, moving domestic users off gas, and better managing the country’s hydro lakes.

The government announced in February it would proceed with plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in Taranaki, with whole-of-life costs spread across all electricity users through a levy.

The proposal, widely criticised at the time, has attracted renewed opposition after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted the price of fossil fuels – including LNG – to spike.

Gentailer chief executives were the latest to express doubts at the energy sector’s conference last week.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said in a statement last month that the LNG terminal was selected from a shortlist of five options that it considered “timely, feasible and of sufficient scale to meet dry year needs”.

It would also be beneficial to major industrial gas users, who had been forced to limit production or shut up shop altogether in recent years as domestic gas supply dwindled, the ministry said.

It said rooftop solar would support energy resilience in the longer term, but ruled it out as an immediate solution to the dry-year risk.

A Cabinet paper said distributed solar would not supply enough additional energy during winter, when the country was most likely to experience an energy shortage.

The options the ministry seriously considered – including more diesel and coal generation – were all capable of generating 1.5 terawatt hours of generation, no matter the weather, and could be deployed with a few years.

Smart Energy Alliance spokesperson Gareth Williams said the organisation did not accept the argument that solar was incapable of supporting the dry-year risk.

“It’s correct that solar isn’t the greatest resource in winter, but the modelling that we’ve done… shows that solar is really useful in terms of dry-year because it enables the [hydro] lakes to go into autumn and winter much fuller than they do currently,” he said.

“It was a very bold statement that it’s not relevant.”

What the country really needed was for politicians to agree on a cross-party energy strategy that properly weighed up all the options, Williams said.

“This constant change as to what we’re looking to do through every election cycle is just not going to lead to a good outcome.”

However, distributed rooftop solar was among the obvious solutions that should be rolled out straight away, he said.

Countries as diverse as Australia, Hungary and Pakistan have achieved massive uptake of rooftop solar and battery installations within a few years of rolling out government incentives.

A truly meaningful roll-out here would also need financial incentives.

“[Low-cost] financing by itself has some impact but the real acceleration comes when there’s some kind of rebate,” he said.

“Once it’s moving it has its own momentum and you don’t need [incentives] anymore.”

While solar capacity was built up, coal – which was already in the country – was capable of filling the gap that LNG would otherwise close.

“There is sufficient back-up from the Huntly power station using coal,” Williams said.

“Clearly we don’t want that to be the long-term solution… but as a temporary stop-gap for the next three or four years until those other projects can be accelerated, then we’re perfectly covered.”

Incentives could be particularly targeted at domestic gas users – which would have the additional benefit of saving limited gas supply for major industrial users who had limited alternatives, he said.

“The modelling we did looked for that 2TWh of additional generation, and we modelled it by reducing the amount of gas that was being used for electricity generation down to 45 percent of what it has been over the last three years.”

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