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Fire Safety – Fireworks ban at Northland’s Ahipara, Karikari Peninsula and Ripiro Beach

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fireworks are banned in the Ahipara township and surrounds, on the Karikari Peninsula, and at Ripiro Beach from Friday 1 December, until further notice.
Northland District Manager, Wipari Henwood, says lighting fireworks in the hot, dry, and windy conditions expected this summer would create a very high risk of fire.
“Wind can easily carry sparks and embers from fireworks large distances into dry vegetation,” he says.
He says Northland has had a number of serious wildfires caused by fireworks in the past and banning all fireworks in these areas under Section 52 of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017 will lessen the risk.
The ban on fireworks encompasses the Ahipara township and surrounds; the Karikari Peninsula between Tahanga Road, State Highway 10, Te Aurere Road, and the coastline between Te Aurere Road and Tahanga Road; and Aranga Beach, Omamari, Baylys Beach, and Glinks Gully – the Ripiro Beach area.
It will also extend along the coast from Maunganui Bluff in the north, around the southern tip of Pouto Peninsula to Pouto Point, then inland two kilometres from the water’s edge.
“I also encourage people to go to www.checkitsalright.nz before lighting any type of fire anywhere over summer, to check they are allowed to in the current fire season, and for any other risk reduction advice,” Wipari Henwood says.
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Business Announcements – Independent Director Scott St John to retire from Fonterra Board

Source: Fonterra

Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today announced that after seven years as an Independent Director, Scott St John will step down from the Fonterra Board on 31 March 2024.

Fonterra Chairman Peter McBride says Mr St John has made the decision in consideration of his workload and increase in governance commitments.

“I’d like to thank Scott for the time and energy he’s given Fonterra and its farmers. Scott has brought to the Board his vast knowledge of financial markets and passion for innovation,” says Mr McBride.

Mr St John was appointed to the Fonterra Board in 2016 and is currently a member of Fonterra’s Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, Sustainability and Innovation Committee, and Disclosure Committee. He was also previously Chair of the Milk Price Panel for over six years.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Fonterra, including working with the Board and Management team through its strategic reset. The Co-op has seen a real turnaround in its performance and has a bright future. I look forward to seeing Fonterra’s continued success as it works to grow long-term value for farmers,” says Mr St John.

Mr St John is the Chair of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and serves on the boards of ANZ Bank New Zealand, Mercury NZ Limited and NEXT Foundation. He will step into the role of Chair of Mercury NZ Limited from 1 January 2024.

The Fonterra Board will shortly commence a search process to replace Mr St John and farmer shareholders will have an opportunity to ratify that appointment at the 2024 Annual Meeting.

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Save the Children – At least 101 children killed in the West Bank this year

Source: Save the Children

An eight-year-old boy shot dead in the street is one of the most recent casualties of violence in the occupied West Bank, with at least 101 Palestinian children reported killed in the West Bank this year, said Save the Children.
Since the attacks in Israel on 7 October, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 63 children in the West Bank, according to the UN, averaging more than one child a day-significantly more fatalities than in the first nine months of the already deadliest year. During this same period, the UN has reported that some 143 families, including 388 children, have been displaced from their homes in the West Bank due to settler violence and access restrictions.
The number of Palestinian children killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers this year is now three times the number killed in 2022 – itself previously the deadliest year on record since 2005 – when 36 children were killed. At least 39 Israeli children have been reportedly killed this year.
Without a permanent end to the violence, Save the Children is gravely concerned that child and wider civilian casualties will continue to rise across the occupied Palestinian territory. The escalation of violence in Gaza has been mirrored by increased control measures and violence in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, with ongoing unrest keeping children out of school, and restricting their access to vital services, including healthcare.
Children trying to cross checkpoints across the West Bank have also reported having their phones seized and being detained in the military detention system based on their social-media activity, raising serious human rights concerns including around freedom of expression, privacy, and deprivation of liberty.
Jason Lee, occupied Palestinian territory Country Director for Save the Children, said:
“While all eyes have been on the conflict in Gaza, there has been no pause in the killing of children in the West Bank, where the situation continues to deteriorate.
“The longer the killing of civilians in Gaza continues, the higher the likelihood that this will continue to spread into the West Bank where children are already seeing their rights eviscerated.
“Children must always be protected. Save the Children is calling for an immediate end to the excessive use of force against children by Israeli forces. At the same time, we are calling for an immediate, independent investigation into – and accountability for – the killing of all children. As long as a culture of impunity persists, cycles of violence are likely to continue .
” It is long past time to stop violations against children’s rights , and to provide long-lasting safety to children in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. Anything else will fail to provide them with the future they deserve.”
Save the Children has been working with Palestinian children since the 1950s, with a permanent presence in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 1973. Our team works across the oPt, with over 30 partners, to ensure children survive, have a chance to learn, are protected from all types of abuse, and that all actors remain committed to fulfilling the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
[1] According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 36 Palestinian children were killed in the West Bank in 2022. As of 29 November, OCHA’s public oPt casualties database reports 101 children killed in the West Bank in 2023, including 63 killed between 7 October and 29 November.
[2] Since 7 October, at least 143 Palestinian households comprising 1,014 people, including 388 children, have been displaced amid settler violence and access restrictions.
[3] In the first nine months of 2023, the UN reported 6 Israeli children killed. Since 7 October, 33 Israeli children have been killed according to Israeli media.
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Health News – GPMRI team expands to include nurse practitioners

Source: ProCare

ProCare is pleased to support the ACC GPMRI Service expanding to include nurse practitioners. From today, 1 December 2023, nurse practitioners working in primary care will be able to refer eligible ACC patients or clients for MRI scans for knee, back and neck injuries, removing the need for patients to visit a specialist before accessing an MRI.

Bindi Norwell, ProCare Group CEO says: “This is something ProCare has been advocating for over the past three years, so we are thrilled to see this is enabled for our nurse practitioners.

“This will help further reduce wait times for patients to access diagnostics, and will contribute to less unnecessary surgery, save money and ultimately, the rehabilitation process can begin faster,” concludes Norwell.

Dr Allan Moffit, ProCare’s Clinical Director says, “We have seen fantastic results from this programme so far with GPs, so expanding to include nurse practitioners is a logical step forward.

“Streamlining MRI services but maintaining tight quality control has proven to benefit patients. We’ve seen wait times almost halve as a result of the programme speeding people’s recovery,” concludes Moffitt.

Nurse Practitioners will need to be trained before using the service. The sessions include learning about the programme and patient eligibility, and how to perform musculoskeletal assessments. Additionally, they will learn the mechanism for making a referral to ACC MRI providers, providing clinical governance and support, as well as collection of patient outcomes.

The GPMRI programme follows a successful pilot with ProCare and Mercy Radiology which begun in Auckland in 2017. The GPMRI service was successfully trialed between 2018 and 2020, cutting the wait time from referral to MRI from an average of 23 days to 12.4 days.

Notes:

If you are interested in completing the training, please contact mrienquiries@procare.co.nz for upcoming training dates.

About ProCare

ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi. As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to more than 830,000 people across Auckland and Northland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz

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Politics and Health – Physicians extremely disappointed in plans to repeal smokefree legislation

Source: Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) urges the new coalition Government to abandon its plans to repeal the amendments and regulations of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990.

The regulations in the Act, including de-nicotisation of cigarettes, a reduction in retailers and banning cigarettes for the next generation, were put in place to protect Aotearoa New Zealanders from chronic illness caused by tobacco and smoking.

As stated in its submission to Parliament’s Health Committee, the College supports full implementation of these laws, with Māori leadership.

RACP Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) President Dr Stephen Inns says “the decision to repeal this legislation is extremely disappointing and a backwards step.”

“We call on the Government to realise the value of population-level policies and reconsider plans to repeal this world-leading and transformative legislation.

“These laws would have created a smokefree generation protected from tobacco-caused cancers and other serious illnesses.

“Repealing them will worsen the health of many in our community and could even cost lives.

“These laws also offered potentially profound health benefits for people of all ages and future generations, especially Māori who continue to face health inequities.

“Evidence supports the benefits of smokefree laws, and the Coalition’s plan to repeal them is not based on the health and wellbeing of our people.

“It is profoundly disappointing that the progress made to improve lives and create healthy, smokefree generations will be swiftly undone.

“While we are looking to reverse our own flagship policy, countries like the UK and Canada are moving ahead with plans to implement smokefree policies. Repealing our laws positions Aotearoa New Zealand as a lost opportunity to lead the world in this reform,” says Dr Inns.

About the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP):

The RACP trains, educates and advocates on behalf of over 20,000 physicians and 9,000 trainee physicians, across Australia and New Zealand. The College represents a broad range of medical specialties including general medicine, paediatrics and child health, cardiology, respiratory medicine, infectious diseases, neurology, oncology, public health medicine, occupational and environmental medicine, palliative medicine, sexual health medicine, rehabilitation medicine, geriatric medicine, and addiction medicine. Beyond the drive for medical excellence, the RACP is committed to developing health and social policies which bring vital improvements to the wellbeing of patient. The College offers 61 training pathways. These lead to the award of one of seven qualifications that align with 45 specialist titles recognised by the Medical Board of Australia or allow for registration in nine vocational scopes with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

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Global Economy News – KOF Economic Barometer: Steady development expected

Source: KOF Economic Institute

In November, the KOF Economic Barometer rises moderately and now stands at 96.7 points. It is thus continuing to approach its long-term average. Since the mid of 2023, it has thus remained at a stable, albeit below-average level. Therefore, the outlook for the Swiss economy remains moderate.

The KOF Economic Barometer stands at 96.7 points in November, 1.6 points higher than in October (revised from 95.8 to 95.1 points). The increase is primarily attributable to indicator bundles of the manufacturing sector and to indicators capturing the other services sector. Indicators for the hospitality industry and the finance and insurance sector are sending out slightly negative signals.

In the goods producing sector (manufacturing and construction), indicators relating to the situation for intermediate goods developed positively in November, followed by the assessment of employment prospects and the competitive situation. Indicator bundles covering production capacities and the business situation remain at an almost constant level.

Within the manufacturing sector, indicators for the textile industry, the metal industry and the mechanical engineering industry are mainly responsible for its positive development. By contrast, indicators for the paper and printing industry and the wood, glass, stone and soil sector are sending a negative signal.
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Health News – Physicians extremely disappointed in NZ Gov plans to repeal smokefree legislation

Source: Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) urges the new coalition Government to abandon its plans to repeal the amendments and regulations of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990.

The regulations in the Act, including de-nicotisation of cigarettes, a reduction in retailers and banning cigarettes for the next generation, were put in place to protect Aotearoa New Zealanders from chronic illness caused by tobacco and smoking.

As stated in its submission to Parliament’s Health Committee, the College supports full implementation of these laws, with Māori leadership.

RACP Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) President Dr Stephen Inns says “the decision to repeal this legislation is extremely disappointing and a backwards step”.

“We call on the Government to realise the value of population-level policies and reconsider plans to repeal this world-leading and transformative legislation.

“These laws would have created a smokefree generation protected from tobacco-caused cancers and other serious illnesses.

“Repealing them will worsen the health of many in our community and could even cost lives.

“These laws also offered potentially profound health benefits for people of all ages and future generations, especially Māori who continue to face health inequities.

“Evidence supports the benefits of smokefree laws, and the Coalition’s plan to repeal them is not based on the health and wellbeing of our people.

“It is profoundly disappointing that the progress made to improve lives and create healthy, smokefree generations will be swiftly undone.

“While we are looking to reverse our own flagship policy, countries like the UK and Canada are moving ahead with plans to implement smokefree policies. Repealing our laws positions Aotearoa New Zealand as a lost opportunity to lead the world in this reform,” says Dr Inns.

About the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP):

The RACP trains, educates and advocates on behalf of over 20,000 physicians and 9,000 trainee physicians, across Australia and New Zealand. The College represents a broad range of medical specialties including general medicine, paediatrics and child health, cardiology, respiratory medicine, infectious diseases, neurology, oncology, public health medicine, occupational and environmental medicine, palliative medicine, sexual health medicine, rehabilitation medicine, geriatric medicine, and addiction medicine. Beyond the drive for medical excellence, the RACP is committed to developing health and social policies which bring vital improvements to the wellbeing of patient. The College offers 61 training pathways. These lead to the award of one of seven qualifications that align with 45 specialist titles recognised by the Medical Board of Australia or allow for registration in nine vocational scopes with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

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Australia News – Report recommends Commonwealth Employment Services system – CPSU

Source: Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU)

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has today welcomed the release of the Rebuilding Employment Services Report, which exposes the undeniable failure of the privatised employment services system.

The report backs the CPSU’s calls for the public service to be put back at the heart of the employment services system, recommending that the government develop and publish a plan to transition across to a Commonwealth Employment Services system.

The union has been campaigning to end the privatisation of employment services, rebuild a public sector employment agency and reform the punitive mutual obligations system.  

The recommendations include:

  • Establish a large Commonwealth public sector provider – Employment Services Australia  
  • Creation of a watchdog – an Employment Services Quality Commission
  • Reform to the punitive mutual obligations system, with individual tailoring of plans and returning breach powers to the public service in Services Australia. This would include ending automated payment suspensions, and ensuring people have access to a human decision maker before their payments are suspended.
  • Increasing regional services, with the public service working alongside localised specialist services  
  • For the Australian Government to develop and publish a transition plan for the rebuilt Commonwealth Employment Services System by the end of 2024.

The CPSU calls on the government to ensure that any changes are accompanied by appropriate staffing and resourcing of the APS, including Services Australia, who would be taking on additional responsibilities for an already understaffed and stretched agency.

Quotes attributable to Melissa Donnelly, CPSU National Secretary:

“This report is an important milestone in our union’s ongoing campaign to end the privatisation of employment services and build a modern day CES.

“This report has confirmed what we already knew. Privatisation has failed, and the Commonwealth public sector must be put back at the heart of employment services.

“It is not fit-for-purpose, and is failing employers, jobseekers and tax payers.

“Disappointingly the report falls short in failing to recommend the abolition of mutual obligations, which is the ineffective and punitive compliance framework that underpins the current model. The recommended reforms in the report are positive, but a true departure from the current punitive system will require further significant work from the government.

“From the outset, the CPSU has argued that the current system is not one we can tinker with or tweak. It is a broken system that we need to replace.

“That is why the CPSU is campaigning to renationalise employment services through the creation of a modern, fit for purpose CES.

“This would rebuild capacity and capability within the APS, it would allow the Commonwealth to play a direct role in shaping labour market changes and responding to immediate and future policy challenges and economic priorities, and it would rewrite the relationship between government and job seekers, which is hugely overdue.

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Aviation and Travel – Lufthansa Group tests Green Fares from Asia Pacific to Europe

Source: Lufthansa Group

– Fares available on selected long-haul flights from November 30, 2023

– Lufthansa Group continues to expand its offering for more sustainable travel with new offers from APAC

– Growing demand for Green Fares with 500,000+ guests having already booked this fare  

The Lufthansa Group is extending its Green Fares to long-haul flights and a first step, the fare will initially be tested on twelve selected routes for flights from November 30, including from Bangkok to Vienna as well as Singapore and Hong Kong to London. The selection of routes includes connections between the Lufthansa Group hubs and various destinations around the world. The Lufthansa Group also offers Green Fares for routes with connecting flights. This broad selection addresses different target groups. From the Lufthansa Group hubs, for example, Frankfurt – Bengaluru, Brussels – Kinshasa, or Zurich – Los Angeles are offered and anyone booking flights with the Lufthansa Group airlines, for example from London to Hong Kong or Paris to Bangkok via the airlines’ hubs, will also automatically be shown the Green Fares tariff.

Simple, easy-to-book and individual offers for more sustainable flying  

“People want to fly and be mobile, they want to explore the world, visit fri