Author: MIL OSI Publisher

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You *wood* not believe it: Greens secure win for urban trees

Source: Green Party

The Green Party’s advocacy has secured an amendment to the Natural and Built Environment Bill at a crucial stage of the Parliamentary process to ensure  the Government provides national direction on protecting urban trees.

“This is a big Green Party win. Alongside thousands of New Zealanders, the Green Party has been pushing for better recognition and protection for urban trees for more than a decade,” says Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage.  

“Increasing urban tree cover has massive benefits for our cities and towns. Our mature trees – especially native trees – are taonga and deserve to be protected. They are crucial habitats for birds and insects, they harvest stormwater, stop erosion, provide shade, a place for children to play and enhance the livability of our cities and towns. 

“The Natural and Built Environment Bill was amended in the committee stages to allow the first national planning framework to provide direction on urban trees and green spaces. This direction will help regional planning committees prepare their plans. Territorial authorities will be responsible for tree protection and the urban tree canopy.

“This and other changes to the bill help fix a problem rooted in the last National government. Working with ACT, National  axed protections for urban trees, taking a slash and burn approach to general tree protection rules in council plans.

“National and ACT changed the Resource Management Act so councils were explicitly prohibited from having general rules covering classes of trees, such as pohutukawa. As a result, councils can only have rules requiring a resource consent to fell trees if the trees are specifically identified and listed in the plan. This same approach was carried over into the NBE. 

“It’s been expensive and virtually impossible to list all the special trees individually across a whole city. As predicted, National and ACT’s approach has seen thousands of trees felled, with no consideration of the impacts on urban amenity.

“The Environment Select Committee heard from thousands of submitters who wanted stronger protection for our urban ngahere before the bill was even introduced to Parliament. With support from the Green Party, problematic provisions in the bill as introduced have been removed and new ones included. 

“It is clear: *leaf* protecting trees to the Green Party,” says Eugenie Sage. 

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Virtual ‘Panda Paddle’ returns and empowers participants to ‘stand up’ for wildlife

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Washington, DC (August 1, 2023): World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announces the return of its highly anticipated annual Panda Paddle event from August 4 to 13. This unique fundraising initiative encourages individuals to actively engage with nature, connect with like-minded conservationists, and contribute to WWF’s global conservation efforts.

Panda Paddle is WWF’s premier athletic fundraising event aimed at raising awareness and funds for global conservation all while having fun on the water. Panda Paddle connects people to nature within their own communities. Given that the hottest day on record was just recorded this past July, WWF invites everyone to “cool off” and enjoy their favorite water activity such as standup paddling, kayaking, canoeing, and more. Panda Paddle is in its sixth year and over 3,000 paddlers have participated since 2018. The event has raised nearly $1 million for nature since its inception.

This year, for the first time, WWF will be hosting a virtual kickoff event with the founder of the Black Surfing Association East Coast branch, Lou Harris. Harris will join pro paddler and surfer Anthony Vela and Charles Sumpter, WWF’s Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for a conversation about the Black surfing experience over time and the need for greater representation in both water sports and conservation. This virtual event will take place on Wednesday, August 2 at 1:30pm ET. The event is open to the public and participants can register here.

To join Panda Paddle, interested individuals can register via WWF’s Panda Paddle website and sign-up as an individual or as part of a team. Registration requires a fee of $40, and while there is no minimum fundraising commitment, participants are encouraged to raise critical funds to support WWF’s global conservation work. Between August 4 and 13, participants choose a preferred time and location to engage in their water activity, paddling with a purpose. As a token of appreciation, individuals who achieve significant fundraising milestones will receive exclusive rewards, including a Panda Paddle race shirt, a Panda Paddle beach towel, and other thank-you gifts. Moreover, all registrants will receive a Panda Paddle medal as a symbol of their commitment to conservation. The top fundraiser will receive a custom Infinity SUP paddleboard with Panda Paddle 2023’s official artwork.

To spread inspiration and encourage others to get involved, WWF urges participants to share their photos using the hashtag #PandaPaddle on social media.

For more details and to register, please visit WWF’s website worldwildlife.org/paddle.

Panda Paddle images for media use: https://hive.panda.org/Share/yw06l206l0jteb2pv222744ea86rm8h8

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

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Fatal crash, St Arnaud

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Police can confirm that a person has died following a crash involving a single farm vehicle on a property near the Korere Tophouse Road, St Arnaud this evening.

Emergency services attended after receiving a report at around 7.20pm. Sadly, the sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.

Worksafe are investigating alongside Police Serious Crash Unit, and the matter will be referred to the Coroner.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Education News – Te Pūkenga releases 2022 Te Pūrongo ā-Tau | Annual Report

Source: Te Pukenga

Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology has released its 2022 Te Pūrongo ā-Tau | Annual Report, the first to capture all 25 entities brought together to support improved learner and employer outcomes as part of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE).
During the 2022 calendar year, 16 former Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), eight Transitional Industry Training Organisations (TITOs) and Work Based Learning (WBL) transitioned into Te Pūkenga, making it the country’s largest tertiary education and training provider.
Te Pūkenga Chief Executive Peter Winder says the report records significant achievements in addressing the skills needs of ākonga (learners) and employers.
“Ākonga remain at the centre of everything we do. By bringing together on-the-job, on campus, and online vocational education and training through a unified network available in all regions we are enabling more learners to gain the skills, training and qualifications they need, faster and with less debt,” Mr Winder says.
Key highlights for 2022 included:
  • A total of 270,993 learners (on campus, online and on-the-job)
  • 48,037 graduates
  • An ākonga satisfaction rate of 89%
  • 70.4% of Māori learners completed their courses and 77.2% of all courses were completed
  • Continuation of work to integrate programmes and delivery approaches, meaning more than 350 programmes are being replaced by 51 unified programmes across Te Pūkenga in 2023
  • Establishment of significant strategic partnerships with industry and employers, including New Zealand Defence Force and Kāinga Ora
  • Continued strengthening of partnerships with hapū, iwi and Māori to support closer alignment with need, and higher participation and course completion rates
  • Publication of a second iteration of Te Pae Tawhiti: Te Tiriti o Waitangi Excellence Framework, ensuring Te Tiriti o Waitangi excellence is embedded into all policies, processes, systems and practices, consistent with the requirements of our founding Charter
  • Development of the Equity and Ākonga Success Strategy, after extensive consultation and co-design with ākonga and kaimahi, to support a unified national network meeting current and evolving educational and training needs
  • Development of Whiria Te Ako as the framework for how programmes are designed, and to facilitate learning, teaching and rangahau research
  • Completion of phase one (of three) of organisation structural designs through the establishment of a new leadership team and business unit structure.
“The report illustrates the size and scale of our network, and the real potential we have to build on this in delivering significant gains in vocational and applied learning that better meet the needs of our communities and regions.”
The report records a deficit across the network of $80.353 million. This is higher than forecast but considerably lower than the projected $280m deficit that the ITP sector was expected to be facing in 2022 under the old model if there had been no changes.
“In common with the wider tertiary education sector, we faced falling enrolments which impacted our forecast revenue. Decline in international revenue was particularly significant given the impacts of Covid-19 and the residual impact of closed borders for some of this period. We are pleased to report strong growth in international student enrolments this year and expect this to continue to improve,” Mr Winder says.
The variance from forecast is largely due to gains on property sales not being realised within the expected timeframe (a risk which was noted as part of the reforecast), and a significant impairment booked at Whitireia-WelTec. The impairment is a one-off non-cash item reflected in the deficit.
“The creation of Te Pūkenga is a once-in-a-generation transformation allowing us to deliver new approaches and benefits at scale. It is also large and complex. Financial sustainability remains a key focus which we are addressing through increased international enrolments, property rationalisation, greater efficiencies and reducing duplication through a unified organisational structure.
“We have budgeted for a further deficit in 2023 and anticipate being on the path to profitability from 2024,” Mr Winder says.
Reflecting the scale of the new organisation, this year’s audit process involved significant complexity, with 17 subsidiaries each requiring two separate audits to account for their activity prior to and after disestablishment date, year-end audit of Te Pūkenga group (the parent of the subsidiaries), as well as challenges with the timeliness of third-party verification of revenue and revenue recognition.
This also resulted in a qualified opinion from the Office of the Auditor General on the financial statements of Te Pūkenga in relation to the parent statement of cashflows, and delayed the annual report beyond its intended release date of early May, Mr Winder says.
He says Te Pūkenga takes seriously the need for, and is acting on, embedding improved information systems and controls within the new single organisation for the coming year.
Te Pūkenga received an unmodified opinion on the Performance Information.
Te Pūkenga received a qualified opinion on the financial statements of Te Pūkenga only in relation to the parent statement of cashflows. In other respects, the financial statements of Te Pūkenga and the Group present fairly, in all material respects:
  • the financial position as at 31 December 2022; and
  • the financial performance and cash flows for the year then ended; and
  • comply with generally accepted accounting practice in New Zealand in accordance with Public Benefit Entity Reporting Standards.
This limitation arose due to the complexity of the 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics, which were disestablished and amalgamated at non-standard year ends and were then required to include their results in the parent column of the statement of cashflows after they were disestablished.
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Economy News – New Zealand Economy No Longer Resilient – Trend Analysis

Source: Trend Analysis Network

Trend Analysis indicates that the New Zealand economy is cooling more rapidly than anticipated, with longer recession and entrenched inflationary pressures expected through 2023.
The OECD projected GDP growth for New Zealand in 2023 is 1%, behind Australia’s 1.5% growth, Canada’s 1.8%, UK’s 1.6% and the United States projected GDP growth of 2.5%.
Moreover, as the New Zealand economy has contracted over the past two quarters, further government interventions with regard to Banking, increased Taxation on specific sectors, and growth for non-frontline staffing may combine to further entrench inflation and extend the recession into 2024.
The unexpected early contraction of the GDP in March 2023, combined with ongoing negative sentiment related to Interest rates, may be indicators of a more substantive economic decay than anticipated.
New Zealand may experience further economic declines in the next quarterly cycle based on trends gleaned from the OECD New Zealand Projection Data and the Reserve Bank’s Gross Domestic Product (M5) statistics.
Trend analysis indicates that for the final two quarters of 2023, further declines may be expected primarily resulting from government policies.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND INFLATION
Review of the last four quarters GDP statistics and historical inflation data, indicates an unexpected correlation between inflationary pressures and law changes related to Petrol and vehicle taxes, taxes associated with farm production and land allocation, and business operating cost increases.
Some of these legislation were passed under urgency during the November 2022 motion and are only beginning to impact the overall economy.
Trends show that government policies may be impacting economic growth drivers, as these new legislations begin to integrate into the macro-economic environment.
Government interventions may have had inflationary results within the macro-economy, including:
1.Changes to tax incentives for landlords.
2.Changes to tax laws around Petrol including the 2018, 2019, and 2020 fuel tax increases as well as regional fuel tax for regions such as Auckland. 
3.Changes to government staffing, with non-frontline staffing increases over the past six quarters across ministries.
4.Expanding costs related to the establishment of new central government authorities.
Each of these centralisation and interventional changes implemented in an inflationary cycle may have an add-on impact to the degrading economy.
HISTORICAL TRENDS
In 2004, monetary policy was focused on higher than anticipated inflation. Very similar to the current conditions, the vigorous monetary and government interventionist policies had an abrupt impact on overall economy.
By 2007, New Zealand economy saw a marked drop in all housing development across regions, while also seeing decay in the labour market and a substantive decline in overall economic growth.
The monetary and government policies had caused a more rapid cooling of the economy than originally anticipated.
Trend analysis shows a similar inflationary cycle currently developing in New Zealand.
Analogous to the 2004-2007 cycle, the economy is missing critical growth drivers including:-Increased incentives for businesses operating under inflationary pressure.-Increased funding for infrastructure development, which has a protective impact from inflation.-Increased immigration to inject capital inflow and increased skilled employees.-Reinstatement of tax deductions for critical sectors including the supply chain sector.
Without several of these drivers, trends show that the economy has limited fuel for growth or inflationary controls.
If further government interventional policies are enacted, or if the existing policies continue to expand further, New Zealand will see entrenched inflation for Q3, Q4 and Q1, primarily driven by government policy rather than OCR / monetary policy.
Moreover, trend analysis from the cycles following COVID-19 lockdown show larger than anticipated declines in discretionary expenditures, further exacerbating the recession of 2023.
Cursory trends show that ongoing and continued decline in the economic growth drivers have eroded the overall New Zealand economy, and its resilience against long term recession and major global upheaval or natural phenomenon.
Furthermore, as Bloomberg has already noted (15 March 2023 article), New Zealand credit grade may come under pressure and see an adjustment from on S&P Global Rating, having an even further impact on New Zealand monetary stability.
Other releases:Trend Analysis: Government Erroneous Interventions Into Banking Law
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Snow, wind update for Canterbury, the alpine passes and the Lindis Pass, Otago – 5.30 pm

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A fast-moving southerly front is making its way up the South Island/Te Wai Pounamu this afternoon and overnight, dropping snow and creating windy and dangerous conditions for motorcyclists and high-sided vehicle drivers, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

People should check the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Journeys/ highways map before setting out and anticipate ice in the morning in dark places and on  bridge decks. https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions(external link)

Lindis Pass, SH8 –conditions have eased

Since the 2 pm update today, conditions on the Lindis Pass between Omarama and Tarras have eased, chains are no longer required but drivers should take care.

The Central Otago network is well covered with de-icing compound and gritted, says Aspiring Highways, the Central Otago Waka Kotahi highway maintenance team. Crews are ready to clear snow or reapply grit as needed.

Potential for snow in South Canterbury tonight

Snow may still fall along SH8 Burkes Pass, Tekapo to Fairlie, SH79 Geraldine to Fairlie and the highway into Mt Cook/ Aoraki from around 8 pm Tuesday night.

Electronic highway message boards have all been updated so drivers are warned of the potential for snow overnight and into the morning.

Alpine passes

The snow could make its way into SH73 Porters Pass in the early hours of the morning so drivers should check before heading off. https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions(external link)

Crown Range Road – linking Wanaka and Queenstown, chains needed

The Crown Range Road, managed by Queenstown Lakes District Council, is open with chains required between Eastburn Road and Cardrona Village, due to snowfall.

Updates here: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions/otago/hazards/436412(external link)

Southland highway remains closed – no change from earlier today

SH94 into Milford Sound/ Piopiotahi has stayed closed today and will be closed overnight due to heavy snow. There are considerable risks from falling trees and wind as well as the rising avalanche risk, says the Milford Road Alliance team.

Reopening is likely from late Wednesday morning after helicopter avalanche control work and road snow clearing.

Winter driving tips

  • De-ice and de-mist windows before starting your journey
  • Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination
  • Leave a greater following distance between vehicles
  • On frosty days try to use main roads where possible
  • Turn your headlights on, even during the day
  • Avoid sudden movements when accelerating, turning or braking
  • Be prepared for sunstrike as the sun sets or rises
  • If cycling, make sure your lights are working and reflectors are up to standard. Wear bright or light-coloured clothing to be more visible.
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Education News – Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga footballing ākonga keeping her hand in

Source: Te Pukenga

Like many football fans, Tessa Nicol’s passion for the sport has been well-stoked in recent weeks.
Yet the Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga ākonga (learner) is no spectator. A goalkeeping coach, she’s been in the thick of the action, her experiences ranging from heading to Fiji recently to help the New Zealand Under-20 women’s team qualify for the World Cup in Columbia in 2024, to being invited to a closed training session with the Switzerland team in Dunedin.
And now she’s about to pack her bags for Festival 23, an eight-day “football-for-good” event in Sydney (August 6-14), which coincides with the quarter-final stages of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
One of 70 women from around the world to participate in the Sydney leadership workshop, Tessa describes the next chapter as “the icing on the cake” in a year that has been full of opportunities.
“Attending Festival 23 will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. We will be involved with running festivals for children and youth, learning about sustainable sporting practices, tackling gender issues and, of course, attending a FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-final match.
“For me, the big one will be making connections with other fabulous women from around the world, learning about their challenges and what they’ve done to overcome them.”
Tessa admits it’s been a challenge to manage the demands of study with all her opportunities, but the understanding and support of her Otago Polytechnic academic supervisors has helped greatly.
“It feels like I’ve only just come back from Fiji, where I was goalkeeper coach for the NZ Under-20 team, and now I’m about to head off to Sydney.”
Tessa is in the third-year of studying a Bachelor of Applied Science at Otago Polytechnic. Her final-year project has a strong goalkeeping focus, an area she is keen to develop.
“My project is centred around identifying the need for goalkeeper-specific coaching and development. The football community has regularly expressed the importance of our goalkeepers and the part they play in a team.
“I enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Science knowing that I wanted to have a role in football of some kind. The programme initially appealed to me because of the variety of classes. I wanted to understand the sport and health sector holistically so I could help people more.
“That said, I’ve learned more – and had more opportunities- than I thought I would ever have studying.
“I’ve been able to explore other areas I am interested in outside of football as well, such as PE teaching, health issues in the community and research projects for other sporting organisations.”
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Pest Control – Forests do not fall silent from 1080,10-year study shows – OSPRI

Source: OSPRI New Zealand

 A 10-year study has found no significant negative impact of 1080 poison on bird and insect populations in the Wairarapa and instead points to the biodiversity benefits of widespread pest control.
The study was conducted by Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington with results published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology and the international journal, Conservation Biology. It tracked the populations of 12 bird species in Remutaka and Aorangi before, during, and after three aerial 1080 operations were used for predator control in the area over a 10-year period. The results showed there was an overall positive response of native bird species’ populations when pest mammals were controlled by aerial 1080.
Parallel monitoring of native beetles and wētā also found no negative effects of aerial 1080, and instead showed that when rodent populations were reduced the abundance of beetles and wētā increased.
Te Herenga Waka’s Stephen Hartley, an associate professor at the University’s School of Biological Sciences, is one of the researchers and authors of the study. He says the motivation for the study was to see what the principal causes of changes in bird populations were – in the context of mammalian predators (rodents, stoats and possums), mast years and aerial operations.
“It was Dr Olivia Vergara’s PhD that examined the responses of the insects in the area, and Dr Nyree Fea who demonstrated the positive response of native bird species’ populations when pest mammals are controlled.”
“Mast years, when trees produce abundant fruit and seed, benefit many forest birds, but only if pests are simultaneously controlled. This is something that can only currently be achieved effectively and at scale with aerial 1080.”
Dr Hartley says the wider study has been a significant undertaking, involving committed teams of research assistants visiting seven sites on six occasions every year for ten years. The data collected, forming the basis of three MSc and two PhD students’ theses. OSPRI’s Research Manager, Richard Curtis, says the study proved that 1080 was an effective tool for pest control and had a positive impact on native bird populations and insects. “We found that the forests did not “fall silent” following the use of 1080, on three separate occasions. The significance of this study is its duration and the consistency of the findings over 10 years.” The research was commissioned by OSPRI with the intention of looking into the effects of 1080 on the forest ecosystem, including birds and insects.
Dr Curtis says the results of these studies are ‘reassuring’, demonstrating that 1080 can be used to control pests without harming native birds.
“While our long-term research programmes continue to look for alternatives to 1080, with technology playing an ever-greater role in pest control, these studies show that 1080 is an effective tool for pest control, with flow-on benefits for native fauna. For now, it remains the only effective pest control option at scale, helping to eradicate TB from possums across millions of hectares of remote bush around the country. Moreover, as its use becomes ever more refined, it is important to continue to monitor the impact of 1080 on all mammalian predators and native biodiversity.”
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Delays at the Rakaia bridge tonight – alternate route is via the Rakaia Gorge

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency warns drivers south of Christchurch on SH1 to expect delays at the Rakaia River bridge this evening. A truck has broken down at the southern end of the bridge, reducing traffic to a single lane. Police are on site also helping with the traffic.

It may be a couple of hours or more until the truck is removed and congestion is reduced, says Andrew Crofts, System Manager for Waka Kotahi in Canterbury.

The alternate route is via Windwhistle and the Rakaia Gorge, SH77 with a single lane bridge there. See map below, this will add around 30 minutes to the journey in or out of Christchurch.

Updates here: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions/canterbury/hazards/436428(external link)

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Delays following truck breakdown, SH1, Selwyn District

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)


District:

Canterbury

Police are responding to a truck that has broken down on State Highway 1, on the Rakaia River Bridge reported around 3:30pm. 

The road is partially blocked and motorists are advised to expect delays. 

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre