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Career bureaucrat/politician Jones should back off

Source: ACT Party

Headline: Career bureaucrat/politician Jones should back off




“Shane Jones has never spent a day of his life in the private sector and should stop telling Air New Zealand how to run its operations”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“It is simply extraordinary that a Minister who has never stepped outside a bureaucracy or quango in his life believes he can tell a publicly listed company what to do.

“Air New Zealand is a private entity and its job is to get the best financial value for its shareholders.

“If the Government feels there is a genuine public good in the regional routes that have been shut down, it could set up a government subsidy and put those routes out for tender.

“The answer isn’t for Shane Jones to try to strong-arm the Board from his bully pulpit”, says Mr Seymour.

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New Whips to help keep National moving forward

Source: National Party – Headline: New Whips to help keep National moving forward

Opposition Leader Simon Bridges has announced the election by Caucus of National’s three Whips, with Barbara Kuriger today elected Senior Whip, Matt Doocey Junior Whip and Tim van de Molen Third Whip.

“These three MPs have an important role to play in helping ensure the efforts of all 56 National MPs are focused on holding this Government to account and coming up with the plans and policies to take New Zealand forward.

“They have a big job. The National Party caucus is Parliament’s largest and it is brimming with energy and enthusiasm and a willingness to work in the best interests of New Zealand.

“It must also be disciplined and focused and represent our communities effectively.

“Ensuring that strength and talent is taking New Zealand forward is my focus as Leader and I am delighted to have these three strong MPs elected to play an important role in that.

“Our three Whips will help ensure the National Party earns the trust of New Zealanders and the right to govern in their interests in 2020.”

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Collins: Kiwi ‘build’ anything but

Source: National Party – Headline: Collins: Kiwi ‘build’ anything but

In spite of the Government’s spin and bluster its much-heralded Kiwibuild programme is yet to yield a single new house, National Party Housing and Development Spokesperson Judith Collins says.

“Like so much of what we’re seeing from this Government they’re full of big talk but they’re not getting anything done.

“Case in point – 145 days into its sleepwalk at the helm of this country its flagship Kiwibuild programme is yet to result in a single house even being started.

“These houses are nothing more than a twinkle in the eye of the man who has done nothing but talk about them – Housing Minister Phil Twyford.

“That’s in spite of the Government promising to get Kiwibuild underway as part of its 100-day plan.

“Mr Twyford also confirmed in Question Time today that they are planning to buy off private developments that were already underway prior to the change in Government.  That’s not adding anything – it’s bludging off the private sector.

“The Government just needs to be honest with the public. Much of the ‘Kiwibuild pipeline’ that the Housing Minister continues to talk about adds nothing new to the record residential building boom underway under the previous Government.

“Get on with it, Phil. People need homes, not pipelines.” 

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National urges Govt to be more ambitious with child poverty legislation

Source: National Party – Headline: National urges Govt to be more ambitious with child poverty legislation

National has today lodged three Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs) seeking to give some teeth to the proposed law to reduce child poverty, Children’s spokesperson Alfred Ngaro says.

“In its current form the Bill simply codifies the actions National was already taking to reduce child poverty. The SOPs have been designed to take the next step in that journey, and to force the Government to be more ambitious with its targets, measures, and evidence.

“We supported the Bill to select committee but have always said that our ongoing support would depend on the Government agreeing to make changes that will ensure it measurably improves deprivation.

“The first SOP asks the Minister responsible, Jacinda Ardern, to ensure there is regular reporting of outcomes around a selected number of child poverty-related indicators such as household material conditions, educational development, health and safety.

“The second SOP asks the Minister to set a target to reduce the number of children in material hardship by 100,000 in three years – just as she committed to during the election campaign. This was a target National had committed to with support from initiatives such as the Family Incomes Package last year.

“The final SOP requires all Budget initiatives or proposals with an impact on child poverty reduction to take into account the principles of the Social Investment approach. This could include subjecting any proposals to a cost benefit analysis and a Social Investment Analytical Layer (SIAL).

“This will ensure data and evidence is a cornerstone of the decision-making around investing in, and funding, initiatives to reduce child poverty, rather than just encouraging Labour’s habit of throwing money at a problem.

“In the spirit of bipartisanship, National has three times sought to discuss our concerns with the Prime Minister about the Bill, as well as our proposed solutions.

“I look forward to discussing these SOPs as they come in front of the Social Services and Community select committee and I hope the Government makes good on its commitment to remove the politics from child poverty and supports these proposals,” Mr Ngaro says. 

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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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Huntington leading School of Nursing

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Huntington leading School of Nursing

Professor Annette Huntington, acting head of the School of Nursing.

One of New Zealand’s most experienced nurse academics has been appointed as the acting head of Massey University’s School of Nursing.

Professor Annette Huntington, who led the nursing programmes from 2008 – 2016 first as director of nursing and then as head of school, has stepped into the interim role, while a search is conducted for a new head.

Recruitment of new School of Nursing staff is also proceeding well, including a professor of nursing, an associate professor of nursing, an associate professor of health sciences and two highly experienced clinical lecturers. Interviews have been conducted for new lecturer and senior lecturer positions.

Professor Huntington has conducted internationally recognised research into nursing, particularly into the nursing workforce. In 2012, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to nursing research.

She was the New Zealand director of both the Nurses and Midwives e-Cohort Study and the Graduate Nurses Study, in collaboration with institutions in Australia, Canada, Ireland and Britain. She has published and presented extensively nationally and internationally on aspects of the nursing workforce and also prepares comprehensive nursing workforce data reports for the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

She has been actively involved in the strategic development of nursing nationally and internationally, and has led policy development to implement change in nursing regulation, education and research. She is on the editorial boards of several international journals, is a fellow of the College of Nurses Aotearoa, and is a member of the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, Australia and New Zealand and was previously deputy chair.

“The School of Nursing has made a strong start this year, with an increase in undergraduate student enrolments, up from 202 last year to 210 this year. Postgraduate enrolment numbers are also projected to be up on last year following mid-year entry,” she says.

“The School will continue to revise its qualifications in order to ensure the best possible use of teaching staff resources and technologies that provide high-quality, accessible, contemporary programmes designed to provide an excellent student experience. Students, staff and external stakeholders will continue to be consulted about any proposed changes.”

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High voltage cabling works during Easter

Source: Massey University – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: High voltage cabling works during Easter

Works are planned to lay high voltage cabling at the Auckland campus’s East Precinct, which needs to be done in advance of the construction of the innovation complex.
 
These works have commenced, but the majority of construction will occur during the Easter break. From Good Friday (March 30) until Easter Tuesday (April 3), there will be a number of buildings at the East Precinct that will not have power for extended periods of time, including the library and recreation centre. In most cases buildings without power will need to shut.

The power outages will not disrupt the University’s online services, including massey.ac.nz, Stream, the student management portal and MyHR. However, staff will not be able to remotely access their office computer if it is located in a building that is without power; once power is restored to the building remote access will be possible.

The University has chosen to undertake these works during Easter in an effort to minimise disruption.

In the lead up to Easter smaller works will take place on campus and should not cause significant disruption. At times, traffic management, resulting in minor detours on the campus roads, may be implemented.

Closure of facilities and services on campus

Library

The library will remain open during Easter, except on Good Friday (March 30) when it will close for the day. More information about the library opening hours is available here.

Recreation centre    

The recreation centre will be closed on Good Friday (March 30) and Easter Monday (April 2); it will be open as normal for the remainder of Easter. More information about the recreation centre opening hours is available here.

Cafes, food providers and other retail services

All cafes, food providers and retail services (including Orbit Travel, Bennetts Bookshop and Uni-Mart) will be closed during the Easter break, except for Food for Thought café, located in Student Central. Food for Thought will be open during the following times: Good Friday, March 30 from 5-7pm; Saturday, March 31 and Easter Sunday, April 1 9am-12pm and 5.30-7pm; and Easter Monday, April 2 and Easter Tuesday, April 3 from 8.30am-7pm.

Student accommodation

Arrangements have been made to ensure disruption to student accommodation is minimised and information has been shared with those residing in on-campus accommodation. Further enquiries should be directed to campus accommodation manager Kelly Manning.

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WWF Statement on Death of Sudan, the Last Remaining Male Northern White Rhino

Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF Statement on Death of Sudan, the Last Remaining Male Northern White Rhino

The last remaining male Northern white rhino, Sudan, passed away in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on March 19, 2017.  In response to this news, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statements: 

“Sudan was moved from his namesake country in Africa to what was then Czechoslovakia in 1975 where he stayed in captivity until December 2009 when he was moved back to Africa, to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The conservancy played a critical role in providing excellent care for Sudan including 24/7 health support especially during his last days.

“I knew Sudan personally and supported efforts to rehabilitate him at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Although I am saddened by his death through euthanasia to save him from further suffering, I hope Sudan’s legacy will be a reminder of how failure to act is robbing us of culturally and ecologically important species at a rapid rate. All I can say is at least he died in Africa, where he was born.” – Martin Mulama, Rhino Program Coordinator, WWF-Kenya.

“The real fight for the survival of northern white rhinos in their natural habitat was lost over a decade ago. As conservationists, we must learn from the sad lessons of the past and ensure that we be bold and act decisively before this becomes a reality for any of the remaining five species of rhinos – or any other species. Large mammals, like rhinos, should be seen as symbols of large functioning ecosystems and we must focus our efforts and energy on their protection and ongoing survival within these vital landscapes around the globe.” – Jo Shaw, African Rhino Lead for WWF

“Sudan’s death not only marks the end of the road for the subspecies, it is also symbolic of the unacceptably high rate at which we are losing our planet’s biodiversity. It is a wake-up call for us to act now to halt staggering biodiversity loss and ensure the health and well-being of our planet its people and wildlife.” – Margaret Kinnaird, WWF Wildlife Practice Leader.

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Body found at Homunga Bay, Waihi

Source: New Zealand Police –

Headline: Body found at Homunga Bay, Waihi


Location:

Waikato

Police searching for a missing fisherman have located a body in Homunga Bay, Waihi.

On Sunday 11 March two men were believed to have been fishing in the area. Around 2:20pm that day a body was located in the water, however Police have been searching for the second man since then.

Late yesterday afternoon a body was located in the water in the northern end of Homunga Bay.

The body is believed to be that of the second fisherman, however, formal Identification is due to take place later today.

The death will be referred to the Coroner.

ENDS

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Techweek to showcase NZ’s world-leading inventions

Source: MakeLemonade.nz

Headline: Techweek to showcase NZ’s world-leading inventions

Auckland – New Zealanders will hear and learn all about the country’s most amazing world-leading innovation, projects and breakthroughs during Techweek in May, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. Techweek will include more than 400 events in over 30 towns and cities all over New Zealand from Northland to Otago, including tech and innovation ecosystem events,…

The post Techweek to showcase NZ’s world-leading inventions appeared first on Make Lemonade NZ.