Category: New Zealand Government

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Cyclone Winston: New Zealand helps Fiji

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Cyclone Winston: New Zealand helps Fiji

New Zealand is continuing to help Fiji in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston with skilled staff, transportation and essential relief supplies.

Dozens of people died in the Category 5 cyclone which hit on 21 February, and at least 55,000 people are still in evacuation centres.

As well as extensive damage to buildings, water and electricity supplies have been badly affected by the most damaging cyclone in Fiji’s history.

With crops also suffering significant damage, food supply is a key concern alongside shelter and sanitation.

Progress has been made in the 10 days since the cyclone, with repairs to more than 1000 schools allowing them to be reopened. About another 180 schools are still closed because of damage.

Fiji National University campuses will be operational from 2 March. Most jetties have also been repaired.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Murray McCully, visited Fiji on 29 February to discuss the response with the Fiji Government and look at how New Zealand can support recovery efforts.

He announced an increase of $1.5 million in aid from New Zealand, bringing New Zealand’s post-cyclone aid to $4.7 million.

The aid funding so far covers: 

  • relief supplies and technical teams, with nearly 500 New Zealanders working on the aid effort in Fiji by the end of this week 
  • support to the Fiji National Disaster Management Office to support Fiji Government operations
  • support to New Zealand NGOs with local partners providing relief and recovery assistance on the ground. 

In total, 163 tonnes of priority emergency goods have or are being transported to Fiji, including:

  • 7,400 tarpaulins and 698 tents/shelter kits
  • 4855 ten-litre and 20-litre water bottles
  • 35 generators
  • 36 water tanks
  • 625 chainsaw and tool kits
  • 1000 water and sanitation (WASH) kits
  • 24 tonnes of food
  • 60 tonnes of construction supplies.

The support staff include 37 New Zealand Defence Force engineers, and six Fire Service engineers, who are assessing and repairing schools and roads on Viti Levu.

HMNZS Wellington arrived in Fiji on Sunday carrying relief supplies and crew to check which beaches will be suitable for vessels from HMNZS Canterbury to use once it arrives on Wednesday night. 

How you can help

New Zealanders respond generously to support Pacific neighbours in times of emergency.

If you wish to support people affected by Cyclone Winston, the best thing to donate is money, but not clothing, food or other goods, to an emergency appeal.

Aid organisations working in Fiji are assessing what else is needed. Where possible they will source supplies from close to the affected area, which is the most efficient and cost-effective way of getting help to those who need it.

The National Disaster Relief Forum has details about appeals by NGOs. The New Zealand Red Cross  also has an appeal.

The Fiji Government has set up bank accounts for international and local donations.

It says the funds will be used directly to benefit Fijians who have been left homeless, without adequate food, water and essential services.

Donated goods can often be difficult to handle for a country recovering from a disaster.

They can be time-consuming and difficult to store, transport and distribute. Sometimes the cost of transporting goods can be more expensive than the value of the goods.

It’s best to only donate goods that have been asked for by an aid agency.

Before organising a collection of donated goods:

• find out whether the goods are needed on the ground and if they are appropriate for the country

• make sure you have a good understanding of all costs involved, including freight to the country, transport within the country, and any wharf, handling and customs charges

• make sure you have a clear plan for the goods once they arrive in the affected country, including people who will take responsibility for the logistics and costs of collecting, storing, sorting and distributing the goods.

If you want some more advice about planned fundraising activities and donations, please email publicoffers@mfat.govt.nz.

Read more

Foreign Minister visits Fiji

Cyclone Winston: How you can help Fiji

Photo gallery: New Zealand responds after Cyclone Winston

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Tokelau ferry handover celebrated

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Tokelau ferry handover celebrated

 

MV Mataliki in Apia Harbour.

The New Zealand Government officially handed over the MV Mataliki to the Tokelau Government in Apia, Samoa today.

The MV Mataliki is a new purpose-built passenger and cargo vessel designed to meet the essential shipping needs of Tokelau’s three atolls – Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo.

The ship was funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme. New Zealand invested $12.5 million in its design and build.

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully, at the handover event, said: “New Zealand is committed to the special constitutional relationship we share with Tokelau and the handover of the Mataliki today is a milestone in improving Tokelau’s connectivity with the Pacific region and the wider world.”

The Mataliki is capable of transporting up to 60 passengers on the international voyage between Samoa and Tokelau, and up to 120 passengers between the atolls.

The new ship is larger and more efficient than previous vessels owned by the Government of Tokelau.  It has been specifically designed for Tokelau, with input from Tokelauans on their priority requirements. 

Read more:

Photo gallery: Mataliki 

Factsheet: Mataliki

Foreign Minister’s statement

New Zealand and Tokelau

 

 

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Tropical Cyclone Winston: How you can help Fiji

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Tropical Cyclone Winston: How you can help Fiji

 

An image from a surveillance plane flown by New Zealand Defence Force revealed the destruction. (Credit: NZDF)

Fiji is starting to assess the damage to its islands after Tropical Cyclone Winston struck during the weekend.

The cyclone tore through entire villages and towns, wrecking homes, buildings and crops, and causing loss of life. Roads and bridges have been damaged, and flooding continues. Communications infrastructure has also been damaged, although the cellphone network in major centres (Suva, Nadi and Labasa) is functioning.

The New Zealand Government has contributed more than $2 million to help Fiji recover from Cyclone Winston.

A New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules arrived in Fiji early on Tuesday morning to deliver 12 tonnes of relief supplies including food, water and tarpaulins for communities. The emergency supplies included tool kits, generators, water and water containers, ration packs and chainsaws for families affected by the cyclone.

The HMNZS Canterbury will depart Auckland this weekend loaded with essential supplies such as building materials, water storage tanks, and medical supplies. As well as relief supplies, it will carry helicopters and medical and engineering personnel.

How you can help

New Zealanders respond generously to support Pacific neighbours in times of emergency. If you wish to support people affected by Cyclone Winston, the best thing to donate is money, but not clothing, food or other goods, to an emergency appeal.

Aid organisations working in Fiji will be assessing what’s needed. Where possible they will source supplies from close to the affected area, which is the most efficient and cost-effective way of getting help to those who need it.

The New Zealand Red Cross has launched an appeal. The New Zealand Disaster Relief Forum has details on appeals by New Zealand NGOs.

The Fiji Government has set up bank accounts  for international and local donations. It says the funds will be used directly to benefit Fijians who have been left homeless, without adequate food, water and essential services.

 

Aid delivered by the New Zealand Defence Force is unloaded in Suva by Fijian soldiers (Credit: NZDF). For more images, click here.

While commercial flights have resumed into Fiji, transport to areas outside of main centres is limited as damage to roads and wharves is still being assessed.

It is important that transport links can focus on getting essential supplies to affected communities.

Donated goods can often be difficult to handle for a country recovering from a disaster. They can be time-consuming and difficult to store, transport and distribute. Sometimes the cost of transporting goods can be more expensive than the value of the goods.

It’s best to only donate goods that have been asked for by an aid agency.

Before organising a collection of donated goods:

  • find out whether the goods are needed on the ground and if they are appropriate for the country
  • make sure you have a good understanding of all costs involved, including freight to the country, transport within the country, and any wharf, handling and customs charges
  • make sure you have a clear plan for the goods once they arrive in the affected country, including people who will take responsibility for the logistics and costs of collecting, storing, sorting and distributing the goods.

Volunteers

We are not seeking any volunteers.

It’s important that people who help in a disaster response are working for a humanitarian organisation and are trained in working in disaster situations.

This is both for their own safety and so as not to put additional strain on limited resources.

The Ministry of Health works with New Zealand health workers who wish to volunteer for deployments during a disaster response.

Find information on the application and training process for health workers here.

Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) sends New Zealand volunteers to share their skills and assist with longer term development in non-emergency situations. Read about current VSA volunteering vacancies here.

Read more

Images from Cyclone Winston

Our relationship with Fiji

 

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OECD DAC 2015 Peer Review of New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: OECD DAC 2015 Peer Review of New Zealand

OECD DAC 2015 Peer Review of New Zealand The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) 2015 Peer Review of New Zealand’s development assistance has been released.

The review is a positive endorsement of New Zealand’s approach to development cooperation. It notes the clear vision for the New Zealand Aid Programme and that aid funding is being used strategically and consistently in line with the core focus on the Pacific and on sustainable economic development. 

New Zealand’s record as a good global citizen, including as a strong advocate for small island developing states, is endorsed. Wider New Zealand policies such as Pacific employment schemes also impact positively on development, particularly in the Pacific. New Zealand’s effective approach to reducing and responding to disaster risks in the Pacific is commended to other donors.  

The review also makes recommendations. These recommendations will be considered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as part of our ongoing strengthening of the New Zealand Aid Programme.

Read the full DAC Peer Review report

Each DAC member is reviewed every 4-5 years to monitor its performance and identify opportunities for improvement. The reviews involve input from officials in the country being reviewed and the developing country that is visited, as well as from civil society, the private sector and other donors.

The peer review was conducted by Norway and Ireland, with support from the DAC Secretariat. It included a field visit to Kiribati.

Read more about DAC Peer Reviews

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New wharves providing opportunities for Solomon Islanders

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: New wharves providing opportunities for Solomon Islanders

Five new wharves financed by New Zealand, Australia, Solomon Islands and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are set to improve shipping services and reduce barriers to business for Solomon Islanders.  The wharves will allow better access to jobs and opportunities for private sector investment, as well as improving access to copra and cocoa markets.  The new robust wharves are safe and more resistant to the effects of climate change.

Ringgi wharf on Kolombangara Island, Keru wharf on Keru Island, Ngasini wharf on Vangunu Island, and Tatamba and Susabona wharves in Santa Isabel have all been successfully upgraded ahead of schedule.

With the cumulative savings made from constructing the five wharves, a sixth wharf will shortly be constructed in Lambulambu on Vella la Vella Island in Western Province.

The Domestic Maritime Support Project has already rebuilt nine wharves and two landing ramps in five Solomon Islands provinces. It has also supported a franchise shipping scheme to remote communities, allowing private sector operators to deliver to destinations that would otherwise not be commercially viable.

The Domestic Maritime Support Project is financed by the Asian Development Bank, the New Zealand Aid Programme, and the Australian Aid Program. New Zealand has contributed approximately $6.2 million of the total $9 million of the project to the Domestic Maritime Support Project – including additional financing for Susabona wharf and Lambulambu wharf.

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The Partnerships Fund – the story so far

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: The Partnerships Fund – the story so far

The New Zealand Partnerships for International Development Fund seeks to harness the potential of New Zealand organisations to work with local partners to create ongoing benefits for developing countries. The Partnerships Fund is contestable, and open to organisations across sectors to support a wide range of activities and themes.

The first round of the Partnerships Fund took place in late 2012. Since then:

69 activities have been approved by the Chief Executive of MFAT, and 66 activities are underway (either being designed or being implemented). One activity has already completed.

Of the 67 activities in design, being implemented or completed:

  • 34 in the Pacific
  • 15 in Southeast Asia
  • 18 in the Rest of the world
  • 28 countries are benefitting.
  • 37 organisations have had activities approved
  • 25 charitable organisations
  • 11 State Sector organisations
  • 1 Private Sector organisation

 Activities by theme:

  • 28 support investing in economic development
  • 27 support promoting human development
  • 6 support building safe and secure communities
  • 6 support improving resilience and responding to disasters

Examples of what is being achieved

Supporting business opportunities in Tonga

Partnership with Oxfam

Oxfam is working with its local partner Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) to build an economically sustainable social enterprise in Tonga. This five-year activity has value chain coverage for the production and supply of organic certified virgin coconut oil to the global market. TNYC has developed a supply agreement with New Zealand company Heilala and its virgin coconut oil has been stocked in Countdown supermarkets across New Zealand since late 2014. In the month of April 2015 TNYC significantly exceeded its previous production records and supplied 3,300 litres of virgin coconut oil to Heilala, bringing TOP$34,385 of foreign exchange earnings into the local economy. This business venture is providing Tongan people with employment, skills and a cash income that would not otherwise be available to people in rural areas.

Using technology to address Gender Based Violence in Papua New Guinea

Partnership with ChildFund

ChildFund is working in PNG to establish a tele-counselling hotline for victims of gender-based violence. The service is linked to a network of service providers that callers can be referred to. The hotline will be the first integrated service in PNG that offers immediate advice and support to survivors. It will provide a national mechanism to build greater government intervention in gender-based violence. ChildFund is working with a range of other organisations on the tele-counselling hotline, including the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee. A New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad volunteer is also providing support to hotline staff. ChildFund has also partnered with telecommunications company Digicel to enable a free-to-call hotline number for mobiles.

High Tech Skills for education and employment in Fiji

Partnership with High Tech Youth

The New Zealand based High Tech Youth Network is increasing the connectivity and learning opportunities of youth in Lami, Fiji. Youth and their community learn high tech skills and gain access to the potential of the broadband economy, via a community facility and formal and informal learning programmes. The facility is in place and has been in operation for a few months. A number of programmes have been completed, with training empowering local youth and local partners to lead the programme within Lami town delivered. The intention is for youth and community of Lami town to use high tech skills to further their education and employment opportunities within Fiji and also within the global market.

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Million Dollar Mouse successfully eradicates mice from Antipodes Island

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Million Dollar Mouse successfully eradicates mice from Antipodes Island

In a world-leading conservation effort, mice have been successfully eradicated from Antipodes Island in the New Zealand Subantarctic, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.
Million Dollar Mouse, a joint initiative between the Department of Conservation (DOC) and funding partners the Morgan Foundation, WWF-New Zealand, Island Conservation and public supporters, has successfully delivered one of the most complex island eradication projects ever undertaken. 
“This is huge news for conservation both in New Zealand and internationally,” Ms Sage said.
“Special plants and wildlife, including 21 species of breeding seabirds, more than 150 species of insects – 17 per cent of them only found on the Antipodes; 21 uncommon plant species and four unique land birds are found on the Antipodes Island.  They can now thrive with mice no longer preying on the insects or competing with the land birds.”
The Minister visited Antipodes Island aboard the HMNZS Wellington in February when the outcome monitoring team were dropped off to review whether the winter 2016 baiting operation was successful.
During her visit, she saw first-hand the challenges the project faced, including remoteness, scale, and difficult terrain.
“The successful Antipodes Island mouse eradication is another landmark conservation achievement which underlines DOC’s technical expertise in pest control and threatened species protection.
“Seeing so many Antipodean and Reischek’s parakeets, pipits and insects flourishing on what is now a predator-free island is a tribute to the ambition, planning, dedication and skills of everyone involved from the helicopter pilots and bait crews in 2016 to the monitoring team this year.”
Led by DOC’s Finlay Cox, the monitoring team searched the island for almost a month and found no sign of mice. They were assisted by three rodent detecting dogs from the Conservation Dogs programme, supported by Kiwibank and Auckland City Council. They returned to Dunedin yesterday.
DOC’s Island Eradication Advisory Group (IEAG) has declared the Antipodes Island officially mouse free.
DOC Project Manager Stephen Horn said work started on the project in 2014, but planning started much earlier.
“The success of this project was built on the lessons and experience from many other island eradications in New Zealand and abroad. The Subantarctic islands are remote, but the role they play in global conservation as the home for so many unique species can’t be overstated,” he said.
“This success is not down to any single organisation or country and thanks must go to everyone involved, particularly the New Zealand public. Their donations and belief in the outcome got this project off the ground.”
Background information 
The Antipodes Island group is located about 760 km south east of New Zealand. The 2,100 hectare islands are protected as a Nature Reserve and are recognised internationally as a World Heritage site for their outstanding natural values.
Antipodes Island had a large mouse population of about 200,000. House mice eat invertebrates, prey on bird chicks and eggs and also eat plant material including seeds. This competition for resources and predation had altered the biodiversity of the Antipodes islands. Mice had already wiped out two taxa of insects from Antipodes Island (an unnamed weta and a large beetle Loxomerus n. sp.) Additionally Black-bellied storm petrels (fregetta tropica) and Subantarctic little shearwaters (Puffinus elegans) only breed on the mouse free offshore islands. 
Mice on Gough Island and Marion Island in the South Atlantic have been recorded killing large seabird chicks by literally eating them alive on the nest. It was not known whether this was happening on the Antipodes but this is a behavioural shift that would be a risk for all twenty-five bird species breeding on Antipodes and which successful eradication has now protected against.
DOC successfully eradicated cats and rats from Great Mercury Island in the Hauraki Gulf (2014) and eight different mammalian pests were eradicated from Rangitoto Motutapu Islands (2009) including rats, mice, cats and stoats.
In the Subantarctic DOC has previously eradicated rats from 11,800 ha Campbell Island in 2001. In the Auckland Island group rabbits and mice were eradicated from Enderby and Rose Islands in 1993 and a small population of goats were eradicated from the main Auckland Island by 1992.

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Anzac Day 2018 in Japan

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Anzac Day 2018 in Japan

25 April marks the day in 1915 when Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed at Gallipoli in Turkey, the site of New Zealand’s first major battle of World War One with the loss of over 2,700 New Zealand soldiers.

Every year, thousands of Kiwis and Australians – young and old – attend services in their local communities. Some even travel to Gallipoli. Since the first commemorative services in 1916, Anzac Day has evolved into the observance we know today, with Kiwis and Australians of all ages attending services and events across the world, from dawn until dusk. In the afternoon we relax, spend time with our loved ones and reflect. We honor the Anzac values of courage, compassion, camaraderie, and commitment and a time we depended on each other as brothers.

2018 recognises the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, ending the First World War.

On 25 April 2018 at 9.00am there will be an Anzac Service at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Hodogaya, Yokohama.

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Minister launches new study on the Value of Sport to New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Minister launches new study on the Value of Sport to New Zealand

Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson today launched a new study by Sport NZ which explores the value of sport to New Zealanders, their communities and our country.
“There’s no question sport is at the heart of our national identity, but what this study tells us is that being physically active also creates happier, healthier people, and better connected communities,” Grant Robertson says.
“The Value of Sport surveyed around 2,000 New Zealanders and reviewed previous studies from here and around the world. This study shows that Kiwis believe sport and physical activity bring people together and create a sense of belonging.” 
Other key findings from the Value of Sport include:
88% of people believe that sport and other physical activities provide them with opportunities to achieve and help build confidence
Three-quarters of Kiwis say sport and physical activity help build vibrant and stimulating communities
The sport and active recreation sector employs more than 53,000 New Zealanders.
The report was launched at Wellington’s ASB Centre as part of a visit to local club netball trials and a secondary school volleyball tournament.
“It’s fantastic to see athletes of all ages and skill levels, and the volunteers and whānau who support them, coming together under one roof,” Grant Robertson says.
“It just goes to show the power of sport to bring people together and create a sense of belonging.”
Note to editors:
The Value of Sport presents the key findings of research commissioned by Sport NZ and compiled in The Value of Sport and Active Recreation to New Zealanders in 2017.
See sportnz.org.nz/valueofsport for more information.

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A wellbeing approach to assessing the Government’s balance sheet

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: A wellbeing approach to assessing the Government’s balance sheet

The 2018 Investment Statement He Puna Hao Pātiki, shows how the Treasury is moving towards a more holistic way of assessing the Government’s balance sheet, by incorporating principles from the Living Standards Framework alongside financial considerations, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says.
Under the Public Finance Act, the Treasury is required to report every four years on the past, present and forecast future value of the Government’s assets and liabilities. The 2018 Investment Statement shows that the Government’s balance sheet is healthy and resilient, meaning it is well-placed to handle adverse shocks. A net worth of $117 billion as at 30 June 2017 is forecast to rise to $160 billion by 2022.
“It is important that we continue to monitor this progress, as the Investment Statement allows New Zealanders to assess how the Government is managing assets and liabilities on their behalf,” Grant Robertson says.
“But it is also important for us to start taking a more holistic view of how we assess what the Government owns. In the past this document has looked at the Government’s balance sheet from a purely financial perspective. The Treasury is now starting to also look at the link between the Government’s investments and peoples’ wellbeing.
“I welcome the fact that the Treasury has taken this opportunity to paint a more comprehensive picture of the Government’s balance sheet by incorporating the Living Stands Framework principles into a section of the Investment Statement, including natural capital considerations.
“While this work is still in its early stages, I’m excited that the Treasury is continuing to lead the world when it comes to putting wellbeing and living standards at the centre of how the Government functions,” Grant Robertson says.