Greenpeace Aotearoa is condemning the Government’s suggestion that further military spending is an appropriate response to the threat of the climate crisis after Minister Andrew Little today released a high-level document naming climate change as one of the key security threats the nation faces.
Greenpeace spokesperson Christine Rose says “While it is clear that the climate crisis poses a significant threat to everyone’s security and wellbeing, and even more so in the Pacific, the best response is to rapidly cut climate pollution, not to increase funding to the military.”
“The military is a significant emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in its own right, and there are far better uses of public funds.
“That funding could better be used to support farmers to transition away from the intensive dairy industry – New Zealand’s biggest polluter – to low-emissions, ecological farming that works with nature.”
“This is yet another example of the Labour Government failing to take the climate crisis seriously. This must be a climate election where all political parties prioritise investment in real climate solutions.
“Unless we cut climate pollution now, the climate crisis will only get worse, and so will the threat it poses to national security. Investment in measures to cut climate pollution will do much more to keep us safe than an increase in military spending.”
The New Zealand School Trustees Association has announced the results of its Board and President Elections.
Incumbent President Lorraine Kerr MNZM has been returned for a seventh term, while three new members have been elected to the organisation’s national board.
“It’s an honour to have been returned as President by our members and thank them for once again placing their trust and confidence in me to lead the Association,” Ms Kerr says.
“I am so pleased to be able to continue this work on behalf of our members, build on what we have already achieved and continue to advocate for and support Aotearoa’s school boards, to continue provide a better educational future for our ākonga.
“I would also like to congratulate our new and returning board members. We are pleased to be welcoming back to the board Joycelyn TM Tauevihi, Meredith Kennett and Chris Haines.
“We have three new members joining the board as well, all with significant experience serving on school boards, as well as decades of professional experience.
“Incoming member Wayne McGillivray has spent most of his professional life in the compulsory education sector, including in specialist and deaf education, and is currently Manahautū for a kaupapa Māori PTE. He is the Presiding Member of William Colenso College in Napier.
“The next new board member joining us is Dr Moses Ma’alo Faleolo, who has decades of involvement in youth justice, youth health and youth social development. He is the Presiding Member at Kelston Boys’ High School and is also on the board at Massey High School and the combined board of Halswell Residential College and Westbridge Residential.
“Last but not least we welcome Max Guptill, a carpenter, social worker and pastor, who has volunteered for the past 26 years in schools, including as a sports coach, mentor and chaplain. He is the Presiding Member at One Tree Hill College and is also on the board of Bailey Road Primary and Intermediate School.
“Together, this represents a diverse board in terms of skillset, background and range of experience to lead NZSTA into the future.
“We look forward to working together to ensure NZSTA is governed in a way that all boards receive the support they need to ensure every child, through the decisions made, receives the quality education they deserve.
“Finally, I would like to acknowledge outgoing board members Rebecca Keating and Jocelyn Merwood and thank them for their service on the board over the past three years,” Ms Kerr says.
Attributable to Detective Sergeant, Simon Evans, Huntly CIB:
A man has been arrested today following the suspicious fire of Huntly Railway Station which caused significant damage.
Late at night on Wednesday 31 May, Police responded to the address on Glasgow Street, where the railway station was on fire. There was no one inside or injured.
A number of enquiries have led Police to identify and arrest a 45-year-old man.
He is due to appear in Hamilton District Court this afternoon, Friday 4 August, on charges of Arson.
Police would like to thank members of the public that provided information which assisted Police in our investigation.
Police take all reports of crime seriously, especially those that have the potential to cause harm.
Housing Minister Hon Dr Megan Woods opened the homes today, alongside Te Arawa and Ngāti Whakaue, delivering on the Government’s housing plan and commitments in the Rotorua Housing Accord to build a better housing future for whānau in the city.
Also at the event were representatives of Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue and Rotorua Lakes Council.
The single storey two, three and four-bedrooom homes have been built offsite and completed at pace, in around 18 months from when the build ready subdivision was bought.
Most of those who will move in are expected to be families and come from emergency and transitional housing.
Darren Toy, Bay of Plenty Regional Director, says it is rewarding to see the new homes looking great and ready for people to move into.
“These are much needed new homes for Rotorua, and whānau who will be moving into them are excited to start their new lives in these warm, dry and safe whare.
“These homes have been delivered more quickly through the innovative use of offsite manufacturing, and been built by our build partner BuiltSmart and had onsite work completed by Maxion.
“I look forward to whānau settling in, their tamariki going to school, and the wider community welcoming their new neighbours as they start a new chapter of their lives.”
The homes are high quality low maintenance fully insulated 6 Homestar homes, with carpets, curtains, double glazing, off-street parking and fenced private section.
The built homes were transported to the site overnight from the BuiltSmart factory in Huntly, and then connected to services and had porches, decks, parking pads, fencing and landscaping completed.
The development also has a shared green space, and Kāinga Ora will work with the new residents and the wider community around how they would like this to be used, for example seating and children’s play equipment.
More information
Since November 2017 over 270 public and supported homes have been delivered in Rotorua by Kāinga Ora, including 25 earlier this year at the Ranolf Street and Malfroy Road development. Currently Kāinga Ora has around 500 homes in planning or under construction for the city.
The Rotorua Housing Accord(external link) was established in December 2022 between the Government, Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Arawa Iwi to work together, with a focus on care, wellbeing and management of emergency housing, and increasing housing supply.
See more public housing developments in the Bay of Plenty
Rau rangatira mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi nui ki a koutou.Nau mai haere mai ki Te Whare Kawana o Te Whanganui-a-Tara.Kia ora tātou katoa.
It is a great pleasure to welcome Defence Force Chiefs, distinguished representatives of the nations that competed for the King’s Cup – and members of the New Zealand team who are here today.
The race for the King’s Cup honoured the occasion of the Royal Henley Peace Regatta in 1919, and the memory of the teams that took part in it.
A member of the New Zealand team, Darcy Hadfield won the sculls event. A year later, he became New Zealand’s first Olympic Medallist, winning a bronze medal at the Olympics in Antwerp.
Last year, Richard and I went to the Waitemata Rowing Club when Darcy’s whanau gifted his medals and sporting memorabilia to the club.
In 1919, Darcy and the hundreds of thousands of war-weary troops in the UK and Europe wanted to return home to their families. Some waited years before a ship was available. The delays must have seemed interminable.
Sporting fixtures were one way to refocus, celebrate the return to peace-time life, and rehabilitate men who bore the psychological and physical scars of war.
The 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta was one such event, and included teams from Australia, Canada, the United States, France, New Zealand and the UK.
A hundred years later, teams from Germany and the Netherlands joined them for the centennial race.
It was a fitting way to honour the huge sacrifices of their forebears, and to celebrate the strong bonds of friendship enjoyed by those nations today.
Congratulations to members of New Zealand’s 2019 team who have joined us today.
As your Commander-in-Chief, I thank you for representing Aotearoa New Zealand at Henley.
No doubt it was a great experience to participate with people from all three services in such a unique event – and something you will long remember.
A pattern of symptoms in veterans has emerged in a University of Otago study that researchers say should be taken seriously by health professionals.
The study, led by Professor David McBride and published in this week’s New Zealand Medical Journal, investigated the relationship between exposure to traumatic events and multiple symptom illness (MSI) – more than one medically unexplained symptom not fitting within a specific medical diagnosis.
MSI was first described in veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War and occurs in both military personnel and civilians.
“The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of reporting of MSI among New Zealand veterans and investigate the relationship with PTSD as a risk factor,” he says.
The symptoms fall into three groups labelled arthro-neuro-muscular (joint/nerve/muscle pains) cognitive (sleeping problems, dreams, loss of concentration) and psycho/physiological (sore throat/nausea/glands).
The study looked at a sample of 1,672 New Zealand veterans – 59 per cent of whom had served in a war zone and 29 per cent who had at least some signs of PTSD. On average those with signs of PTSD reported 20 symptoms, while those without reported having nine symptoms. The number of symptoms also tended to increase with age.
“In summary, multiple symptom illness, rather than being an inexplicable pattern of health effects, remains stable across time and is linked to both chronic illness and poorer quality of life. Because of the pattern of symptom reporting and the veteran group reporting it, there is a plausible association between MSI and PTSD.
“This research tends to confirm that PTSD is associated with MSI, as did the finding that those veterans with PTSD had more severe symptoms,” he says.
If such a pattern of symptoms is found in a veteran, it should be further investigated.
“In Australian veterans, those with MSI developed more health conditions over time, the symptoms became more severe, and they had higher health service use, suggesting that it is important to catch these conditions early, and treat the underlying condition,” Professor McBride says.
“Health practitioners might find that a patient presenting with multiple symptoms including muscle and joint aches and pains, cognitive problems, disorders or sleep and avoidance is worthy of further investigation, including whether or not they have military service and enquiry about PTSD symptoms.”
For more information, please contact:
Professor David McBrideDepartment of Preventive and Social MedicineUniversity of OtagoEmail david.mcbride@otago.ac.nz
Lea JonesCommunications Adviser, Media EngagementUniversity of OtagoMob +64 21 279 4969Email lea.jones@otago.ac.nz
Te Maunga interchange, at the State Highway 2 and 29A intersection at Baypark, will fully open to traffic soon.
The interchange has been operating without its fourth ramp since its partial opening in 2022. The remaining ramp is scheduled to open in mid-August and will temporarily take all traffic from SH2/TEL/Pāpāmoa over the newly signalised interchange. This change will enable SH2 at ground level, underneath the interchange, to be completed.
The traffic switch, including opening the ramp, the commissioning of new traffic lights on Te Maunga interchange and the closure of SH2 northbound underneath the interchange, is scheduled to take place from Sunday 13 August to Wednesday 16 August and will mean changes for people travelling on SH2 from Pāpāmoa and SH29A from Maungatapu.
Jo Wilton, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery Waikato/Bay of Plenty, is looking forward to completing another piece of the project’s puzzle.
“We’re in the last stages of the Bay Link project and this piece takes us a huge step closer to overall project completion,” Ms Wilton says.
“Opening the remaining ramp to traffic means changes for people travelling on SH2 from Pāpāmoa and SH29A from Maungatapu, and will require all drivers to use the newly signalised interchange with the current lane under the interchange temporarily closing.
“This will streamline traffic, removing the merge from two northbound lanes to one on Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) and simplifying lane selection for those travelling to the Bayfair roundabout or Bayfair flyover.
The new ramp is expected to open to the public under temporary traffic management from early morning on Tuesday 15 August and remain open during daytime hours (from approximately 6am to 7pm) until the traffic switch is completed, after which it will be open 24/7.
“For people travelling from SH2/Pāpāmoa we’re expecting traffic to be slower, due to the signalised interchange, but better managed which will improve flow at the Bayfair roundabout. Overall travel times may increase slightly following the initial period of adjustment for road users.
“While there’s further work required that needs to take place from now until opening date, we want people travelling from SH2/Pāpāmoa and SH29A/Maungatapu to be aware of the upcoming switch.
“Once open, the interchange will remain under temporary traffic management and people are asked to take extra care when travelling through the area while everyone gets used to the new layout and the additional traffic lights, especially during morning and evening peak times.
“The opening of the remaining ramp means the final phase of construction work under the interchange can be completed, including the installation of fascia panels, construction of surface drainage, landscaping and finishing works.”
Changes for road users
The remaining off-ramp approaching the interchange from Pāpāmoa will open to traffic.
All motorists travelling on SH2 from Pāpāmoa/TEL towards Mount Maunganui/city centre and towards SH29A/Maungatapu will temporarily use the new ramp up to the signalised interchange.
The current SH2 northbound lane under the interchange will close. Southbound SH2 road users will continue using SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange to connect with TEL or SH29A.
The existing detour for traffic from Pāpāmoa/TEL towards SH29A/Maungatapu (via Sandhurst Drive, Mangatawa Link Road and Truman Lane) will be removed.
For traffic from SH29A/Maungatapu towards the Bayfair roundabout or Bayfair flyover, the left-turning slip lane from the top of the interchange will be replaced by a signalised intersection.
The interchange will operate under temporary traffic management with a 50km/h speed limit in place.
Three new traffic lights at Te Maunga interchange
The opening of the ramp will introduce the remaining permanent traffic lights on the interchange at the intersection of SH2 and SH29A. These will apply to road users travelling in all directions including SH2 northbound towards Bayfair roundabout or the Bayfair flyover, and SH29A left onto SH2. For those travelling from SH2/TEL/Pāpāmoa to SH29A, the signals will provide for a left turn from SH2/TEL onto SH29A.
People travelling between SH2/Pāpāmoa and SH29A, Mount Maunganui or city centre
People travelling to Mount Maunganui, the port or the city centre will use the new ramp onto the signalised interchange and proceed straight onto SH2. When descending the interchange to travel north, the left lane will connect to the Bayfair roundabout and the right lane to the Bayfair flyover (removing the existing weave of northbound traffic on SH2 after the interchange). There will be traffic lights at the top of the interchange.
Traffic from SH2/Pāpāmoa/TEL travelling towards SH29A/Maungatapu will also use the new ramp onto the signalised interchange, turning left onto SH29A. The detour along Truman Lane will be removed.
People travelling between SH29A/Maungatapu and SH2/Mount Maunganui or city centre
The slip lane at the top of the interchange will be controlled by traffic lights for people travelling from SH29A to Mount Maunganui, the port or the city centre. When descending the interchange to travel north, the left lane will connect to the Bayfair roundabout and the right lane to the Bayfair flyover (removing the existing weave of northbound traffic on SH2 after the interchange).
Changes for people walking and cycling
The new traffic lights will also apply to people walking and cycling to/from the interchange and Truman Lane. The shared path between the interchange and Bayfair roundabout on the western side of SH2/Maunganui Road will remain closed until completion of the new signalised Bayfair roundabout and the Matapihi Road/Owens Place signalised intersection.
Road and lane closures for traffic switch
The opening of the off-ramp will be staged, with the work required for this traffic switch to take place over four consecutive night shifts. To enable the traffic switch, overnight road closures northbound between Sandhurst interchange and SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange are required.
The work is currently scheduled to take place from Sunday 13 August to Wednesday 16 August (from approximately 7pm to 6am each night).
During these hours, SH2/TEL northbound will be fully closed between Sandhurst interchange and SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange. For road users travelling from Pāpāmoa/TEL towards Bayfair roundabout or the Bayfair flyover, a signposted detour via Mangatawa Link Road, Truman Lane, SH29A roundabout and SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange will apply. This is the same detour that currently applies for road users travelling from Pāpāmoa/TEL to SH29A.
The new ramp is expected to open to the public under temporary traffic management from early morning on Tuesday 15 August until approximately 7pm and remain open during daytime hours only (from approximately 6am to 7pm) until the traffic switch is completed, after which it will be open 24/7.
Nightworks 8 and 9 August
In addition, from Tuesday 8 August to Wednesday 9 August 2023 (from approximately 7pm to 6am each night) lane closures will be in place on SH29A in both directions at SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange.
If this work is delayed because of weather or other unforeseen issues, it will be carried out on the next suitable night/s.
Until late spring, SH2 under Te Maunga interchange will be closed to allow for the installation of fascia panels, construction of surface drainage, landscaping and finishing works.
People are asked to take extra care when travelling through the interchange as they get used to the new lane layout and the introduction of traffic lights. Delays are to be expected.
At completion of the Bay Link project, the interchange will carry all SH29A traffic to and from SH2 while road users travelling to/from SH2/TEL/Pāpāmoa and the Bayfair flyover will be able to travel underneath Te Maunga interchange.
Waka Kotahi thanks drivers, local residents and business for their patience.
Attributable to Area Commander Kāpiti Mana, Inspector Renee Perkins
Two youths have been charged in relation to recent violent offending targeting young people in and around Wellington regional railway stations.
Investigations are ongoing to identify any further offending, seek witnesses or others involved.
Police are working with our partners to ensure people can be safe and feel safe while using public transport.
Anyone who has concerns about criminal activity is urged to contact Police on 111 if it is happening now, or 105 if it is after the fact.
If you have been a victim of a robbery or assault on the Wellington, Hutt Valley or Kapiti Train lines recently, please contact Police quoting file reference 230803/0809; Operation Corridor.
The following is attributable to Inspector Will Loughrin, Waikato Police:
The bronze Toyota Hilux ute being sought in relation to missing man Tom Phillips has been located.
Police would like to thank the public for their ongoing support and information provided.
Police deployed following information received around 11am today from a member of the public, who saw the Toyota Hilux just off Marokopa Road in Te Anga.
The Police Eagle helicopter was also utilised.
At this time neither Tom nor the children have been located.
Police continue to ask anyone with information to please come forward to Police on 111, referencing file number 211218/5611.