Category: New Zealand

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Young women urged to make their voices heard

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Young women urged to make their voices heard

Make your voice heard because no country can truly prosper without you, is the message Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given to female school students on International Women’s Day at the opening of new buildings at Tereora College in the Cook Islands.
“Across the Pacific we still have some way to go towards achieving gender equality. This is as true in New Zealand as it is for our Pacific neighbours,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“This lack of equality is holding everyone back. The sooner we release that these are not just issues that impact on women the better. No country can truly prosper if half its population is not celebrated and fully empowered.
“To the young women out there I would like to say – make your voice heard. Women need to be heard and recognised across the economy and community but especially in governance and decision-making across the Pacific and that starts with you.
“Sitting before me in the audience today are the scientists, and teachers and doctors and business people of the future. Who knows? Maybe there is even a future Prime Minister out there who will go on to lead her country?
“My hope for the future is that, across the world and our region, we continue to make progress, so that all women and young girls can learn, prosper and grow, and live with dignity, equality and basic human rights,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Due to time zones it is March 8 – International Women’s Day – in the Cook Islands.

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Saddle Road closed until early afternoon – Manawatu

Source: New Zealand Police –

Headline: Saddle Road closed until early afternoon – Manawatu


Location:

Central

A truck has rolled on Saddle Road, Woodville in the Tararua District. The crash occurred at 7.30 this morning and there were no injuries.

The truck will need to be removed and the road will be closed from 9am while this is undertaken.

The road will be closed for at least six hours.

Please use the alternate route – Paihiatua Track.

Police thank motorists for their patience.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

 

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Island getaway for a couple of kiwi chicks, some eco warrior sailors and a passionate group of Aucklanders A couple of kiwi chicks have left a lasting impression on a group of sailors on a mission to Turn the Tide on Plastics, as they sail around the world competing in the Volvo Ocean Race. Turn the Tide on Plastics crew members Bianca Cook (a New Zealander), and her crew mates Bernardo Freitas and Luca… Published 09 MAR 2018

Source: Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED)

Headline: Island getaway for a couple of kiwi chicks, some eco warrior sailors and a passionate group of Aucklanders

A couple of kiwi chicks have left a lasting impression on a group of sailors on a mission to Turn the Tide on Plastics, as they sail around the world competing in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Turn the Tide on Plastics crew members Bianca Cook (a New Zealander), and her crew mates Bernardo Freitas and Luca…

Published
09 MAR 2018

A couple of kiwi chicks have left a lasting impression on a group of sailors on a mission to Turn the Tide on Plastics, as they sail around the world competing in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Turn the Tide on Plastics crew members Bianca Cook (a New Zealander), and her crew mates Bernardo Freitas and Lucas Chapman, spent a day on Motuora Island, a kiwi sanctuary crèche in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, assisting with the release of two, three-week old kiwis.

The team were also given the chance to name one of the kiwi chicks, which weighed in at 447 grams on its release day.

“It was an amazing experence, something that was very special to me and my team,” says Cook. 

“As most New Zealanders know we don’t often get the chance to even see a kiwi in the wild so having the opportunity to actually release one was incredible and very humbling. 

“We called the kiwi mōhio, the Maori word for wisdom, which is very close to us because the mascot for the Volvo Ocean Race is an albatros called wisdom.” 
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) General Manager Destination, Steve Armitage, says as New Zealand’s largest marine park, Hauraki Gulf is an important part of Auckland’s appeal as a place to visit.

We know we have a shared responsibility to protect and preserve Auckland as a destination, as a community, and as an economy for future generations. 

“ATEED puts kaitiakitanga or guardianship, at the core of what we do. That’s why working in partnerships with DOC, Kiwis for Kiwi, mana whenua, and organisations like Seacleaners and Sustainable Coastlines is so important for us. It helps to spread the word to our visitors and locals about how important preserving our natural environment is,” he says.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to give a team like Turn the Tide on Plastics, which is focused on the environment, an update on some of the great work on sustainability that’s going on in Auckland, as well as showing them the natural wonders that our region offers to visitors.”

The kiwis were released as part of Operation Nest Egg, a progamme managed by charity organisation Kiwis for kiwi, in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC). 

The programme involves collecting eggs from the wild, incubating and hatching them at facilities like Auckland Zoo, then transferring them to crèches like at Motuora Island, where they stay for a year or so until they are around 1 kg in weight and able to fend off most predators. 

They are then transferred back to where they were found as eggs, or are used to start new kiwi populations on pest free islands in the Gulf.

Motuora Island is managed by the Department of Conservation(DOC) in partnership with Motuora Restoration Society. There are no rats, stoats, possums or other introduced predators on the island, making it safe for kiwi and other threatened native birds. 

It is one of 44 pest-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. DOC and Auckland Council are working to keep these native wildlife sanctuaries free of introduced predators and weeds.    

“Everyone travelling to these island sanctuaries needs to make sure they’re not transporting any predators, pests or weed seeds on their boat, kayak, yacht or any other vessel. And we remind them that cats and dogs are not allowed on pest-free islands,” says DOC Auckland Inner Islands Operations Manager Keith Gell.
 

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Island getaway for a couple of kiwi chicks Some eco warrior sailors and a passionate group of Aucklanders Release summary Volvo Ocean Race team ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ gets up close and personal with kiwi chicks.  Some of the team visited the picturesque Motuora Island, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.  Motuora Island which when translated… Published 09 MAR 2018

Source: Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED)

Headline: Island getaway for a couple of kiwi chicks

Some eco warrior sailors and a passionate group of Aucklanders

Release summary

Volvo Ocean Race team ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ gets up close and personal with kiwi chicks. 
Some of the team visited the picturesque Motuora Island, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. 
Motuora Island which when translated…

Published
09 MAR 2018

Some eco warrior sailors and a passionate group of Aucklanders

Release summary

  • Volvo Ocean Race team ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ gets up close and personal with kiwi chicks. 
  • Some of the team visited the picturesque Motuora Island, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. 
  • Motuora Island which when translated means the island of life is one of two kiwi crèches in the Hauraki Gulf
  • Motuora Island public conservation land is managed in partnership with iwi 
     

A couple of kiwi chicks have left a lasting impression on a group of sailors on a mission to Turn the Tide on Plastics, as they sail around the world competing in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Turn the Tide on Plastics crew members Bianca Cook (a New Zealander), and her crew mates Bernardo Freitas and Lucas Chapman, spent a day on Motuora Island, a kiwi sanctuary crèche in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, assisting with the release of two, three-week old kiwis.

The team were also given the chance to name one of the kiwi chicks, which weighed in at 447 grams on its release day.

“It was an amazing experence, something that was very special to me and my team,” says Cook. 

“As most New Zealanders know we don’t often get the chance to even see a kiwi in the wild so having the opportunity to actually release one was incredible and very humbling.” 

“We called the kiwi mōhio, the Maori word for wisdom, which is very close to us because the mascot for the Volvo Ocean Race is an albatros called wisdom.” 
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) General Manager Destination, Steve Armitage, says as New Zealand’s largest marine park, Hauraki Gulf is an important part of Auckland’s appeal as a place to visit.

We know we have a shared responsibility to protect and preserve Auckland as a destination, as a community, and as an economy for future generations. 

“ATEED puts kaitiakitanga or guardianship, at the core of what we do. That’s why working in partnerships with DOC, Kiwis for Kiwi, mana whenua, and organisations like Seacleaners and Sustainable Coastlines is so important for us. It helps to spread the word to our visitors and locals about how important preserving our natural environment is,” he says.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to give a team like Turn the Tide on Plastics, which is focused on the environment, an update on some of the great work on sustainability that’s going on in Auckland, as well as showing them the natural wonders that our region offers to visitors.”

The kiwis were released as part of Operation Nest Egg, a progamme managed by charity organisation Kiwis for kiwi, in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC). 

The programme involves collecting eggs from the wild, incubating and hatching them at facilities like Auckland Zoo, then transferring them to crèches like at Motuora Island, where they stay for a year or so until they are around 1 kg in weight and able to fend off most predators. 

They are then transferred back to where they were found as eggs, or are used to start new kiwi populations on pest free islands in the Gulf.

Motuora Island is managed by the Department of Conservation(DOC) in partnership with Motuora Restoration Society. There are no rats, stoats, possums or other introduced predators on the island, making it safe for kiwi and other threatened native birds. 

It is one of 44 pest-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. DOC and Auckland Council are working to keep these native wildlife sanctuaries free of introduced predators and weeds.    

“Everyone travelling to these island sanctuaries needs to make sure they’re not transporting any predators, pests or weed seeds on their boat, kayak, yacht or any other vessel. And we remind them that cats and dogs are not allowed on pest-free islands,” says DOC Auckland Inner Islands Operations Manager Keith Gell.
 

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New Zealand signs side letters curbing investor-state dispute settlement

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New Zealand signs side letters curbing investor-state dispute settlement

New Zealand has signed agreements to exclude compulsory investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) between them with five countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker said the agreements are “side letters” with the same treaty-level status as the Agreement.
They were released alongside it this morning (NZ time) at a signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile.
New Zealand has signed additional side letters with Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Peru and Viet Nam. New Zealand has also signed a side letter to exclude ISDS with Australia, the source of 80% of investment from the CPTPP nations into New Zealand.
“I’m pleased we have been able to make so much progress in just a few months. We haven’t been able to get every country on board, but signing letters with this many CPTPP partners is a real achievement,” says Mr Parker.
A further two countries, Canada and Chile, have joined New Zealand in a declaration that they will use investor-state dispute settlement responsibly.
“This Joint Declaration is an acknowledgement of public concerns about ISDS. Along with Canada and Chile, we have pledged to work together to promote transparency.”
The side letters and declaration add to work that had already narrowed the scope for investors to make ISDS claims under the CPTPP. For example, private companies cannot make ISDS claims under the CPTPP relating to investment contracts they have entered into with governments.
“The investor-state dispute settlement mechanism had been one of our main concerns about the agreement,” says Mr Parker.
“We have tackled it from several different directions. We have also made it clear that we will oppose including ISDS in any future free trade agreements involving New Zealand.”
The terms of the side letters vary. Some exclude the use of ISDS between New Zealand and other countries entirely, while other side letters allow for arbitration to proceed only if the relevant Government agrees.
The side letters and joint declaration will be available on the MFAT website at: www.mfat.govt.nz/cptpp

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New Zealand sets out progressive and inclusive trade approach at CPTPP signing

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New Zealand sets out progressive and inclusive trade approach at CPTPP signing

Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker has signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Santiago, Chile.
The Agreement brings together 11 countries whose combined economies make up 13.5 percent of world GDP – worth a combined US$10 trillion.
“This is a fair deal for New Zealand,” says Mr Parker. “It gives our exporters new opportunities in key markets like Japan, it preserves the unique status of the Treaty of Waitangi, and it protects the Government’s right to regulate in the public interest.”  
Alongside the Agreement, New Zealand has also joined Canada and Chile in issuing a Joint Declaration on fostering progressive and inclusive trade.
“It’s great to see growing international acknowledgement and understanding that we need trade that works for everyone,” Mr Parker says.
“Our countries are committed to making sure the benefits of trade and investment are broadly shared and we will be working together to achieve this.”
The declaration affirms the right of each country to regulate to achieve legitimate public policy objectives, in such areas as health, safety and the environment.
It also includes commitments to work together through trade policies on sustainable development, climate action, gender equality, indigenous rights and minimum work standards.
“We recognise that trade can be a force for good around the world, for example by raising environmental and labour standards, or enforcing commitments to reform fisheries subsidies.
“We expect CPTPP to make a meaningful contribution to progressive and inclusive trade in the future. And together with Canada and Chile we intend to ensure the promise of CPTPP is delivered on for workers, families, farmers, businesses and consumers.”
The signing of the CPTPP is another important step for the agreement, which will enter into force after it has been ratified by six countries.
 
The 11 countries involved in the CPTPP are New Zealand, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Viet Nam.
More information on the CPTPP, including the full legal text and a National Interest Analysis, is available at www.mfat.govt.nz/cptpp
Attached: CPTPP Ministerial Statement

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IPE Students gather at Rongopai Marae

Source: Tairawhiti District Health – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: IPE Students gather at Rongopai Marae

Students studying multiple health disciplines gathered at Rongopai Marae early in the week for an IPE Noho Marae programme that focuses on Maori and rural health. The group was made up of students from three inter-professional education programmes (IPE) in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa and Whakatane.

The idea of the IPE was to attract students back to the regions and the focus is on rural health, Māori health and interprofessional practices, said Wairoa’s clinical nurse manager Sonya Smith.

Five students make up the Wairoa contingent — a medical student, a student of occupational therapy, two pharmacy students and a student studying for a degree in oral health. In Wairoa, the students live in a former nurses’ hostel, the Gisborne students live in accommodation at Gisborne Hospital and in Whakatane the students stay in houses in the community.

Sharing reflections and opinions

Living together is an integral part of the programmes, as it means the students could share their reflections and opinions, she said.

“We also want them to have fun together and get to know each other,” said IPE administrator Rose Schwass. The group visited Rere Falls and enjoyed leisure time before the programme began.

The programme can include up to nine disciplines (medicine, nursing, dental, occupational therapy, oral health, physio, dietetics, pharmacy and social work) and this year in Whakatane there are some students of paramedicine as well as midwifery.

It has been running for six years and so far 36 students have come back to the area to take up jobs in their chosen fields. Community projects are an important part of the IPE, allowing students to give something back to the community. One project done by students last year was the creation of Tu Mahi, a workplace wellness feedback tool. Another project was the production of a sexual health resource targeted at sexually active people from 12-25 years of age.

The group was welcomed on to the marae with a waiata and a kapa haka performance. It is a special cultural experience with a large part of the programme focused on Māori health strategies and Māori concepts relating to health and wellbeing.

Taina Ngarimu was acting as cultural adviser to the group and they also had Māori spiritual healer Wiremu Niania address them yesterday, said programme leader Dr Patrick McHugh.

The Tairāwhiti IPE is affiliated with the University of Otago. A lot of students have not had much contact with Māori, so it was especially meaningful for them, he said.

Visiting Norwegian professor Bente Norbye addressed the group and talked about the similarities between Norway and New Zealand. Ms Norbye works in the faculty of health sciences at The Arctic University of Norway UiT. Her visit is mainly for research and observation of how IPE is delivered here. She is here for five months working out of Wellington as a visiting academic and healthcare educator.

The skills she teaches there are transferable, such as learning to work together with other medical professions and being creative in finding the right solutions. “In the rural sector it is about building relationships and being trustworthy.”

 

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Arrest made in historic Palmerston North bank robbery case

Source: New Zealand Police –

Headline: Arrest made in historic Palmerston North bank robbery case


Location:

Central

A 41 year old man has been arrested and charged in relation to the 2007 robbery of the Rangitikei Street branch of BNZ, Palmerston North.

The bank was robbed on the 24th of May 2007 by a man who presented what appeared to be a pistol at three tellers and demanded money.

He left the bank with around $1400 shortly after.

The three women tellers were shaken by the incident but not injured.

The pistol was an imitation.

The investigation was reopened a few months ago and a search warrant was carried out in Palmerston North today, March 8.

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Fees-Free’s Fatal Flaw

Source: ACT Party

Headline: Fees-Free’s Fatal Flaw




“Chris Hipkins has confirmed the Government will this year waste about $38 million of taxpayer money on its flagship fees-free policy”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“In response to a select committee question, Hipkins said the dropout rate for first year students studying a bachelor’s degree was 14 per cent.

“‘Fees-free’ will cost $275 million this year, so New Zealanders can except about $38 million of their taxes to deliver exactly nothing.

“This is a colossal waste, even by Labour’s standards.

“‘Fees-free’ is a subsidy for well-off kids who would have gone to university anyway and who will earn much more over their lives than non-graduates.

”Hipkins should admit failure and scrap it now”, says Mr Seymour.

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State Highway 3 near Awakino Tunnel closed following serious crash

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: State Highway 3 near Awakino Tunnel closed following serious crash

State Highway 43 between Taumarunui and Whangamomona is also closed due to slips. The road is expected to be open tomorrow afternoon.

The NZ Transport Agency says State Highway 3 can be used as a detour if people have to travel.

It says people should expect delays in the area and should check the NZ Transport Agency website before travelling.

Check the Transport Agency’s website: www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic for the latest highway information.

Freephone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS for national and regional travel updates.

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