Simplicity chief economist on KiwiSaver changes
economy politics about 1 hour ago
As part of the 2025 budget, the government will halve its yearly contributions, while minimum contributions for employers will lift to four percent in 2028. Simplicity Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
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Annually, picking up litter in Heretaunga-Hastings cost well over $100,000, council staff had told her - "and that was only in hot-spot areas, so that wasn't even across the whole district," she said. Wendy Schollum Photo: Supplied via LDR "We estimated that if we were to try and clear every space of litter, it would cost in excess of over $1 million." The types of rubbish being dumped in the area varied from everday litter, to households worth of rubbish, including whiteware and mattresses. "It's actually quite outrageous some of the stuff that gets left," Schollum said. Hastings District Council was not alone in the problem, but critics say it is difficult to hold offenders to account under laws written in the 70s, with offenders basically needing to be caught in the act. "When I first was elected onto council back in 2017, right from then until now, littering and dumping has been the number one issue with ratepayers in our area," Schollum said. 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Schollum said the current loophole leaves ratepayers footing the bill for fly-tippers. "In an area like Heretaunga, where they've been hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and we're reeling from recovery costs, our ratepayers don't need to be paying for what is frankly laziness." She believes the problem was caused by bad attitudes, rather than issues affording dump fees. "Often people contact me and say, 'well, if you reduce the dump fees, people wouldn't litter'. The reality is that if that were the case, we would see in areas where it's cheaper or free to dispose of rubbish that there would be no illegal dumping at all and that's just not the case. "The evidence overwhelmingly points to the fact it's about attitudes." Under the proposed changes, evidence like addressed mail left in dumped rubbish could be used to identify dumpers and fine them. (file photo) Photo: Supplied/Gisborne District Council The consultation document also suggests a new tiered compliance system, with different penalties for different levels of offence. This could range from small infringements where a warning might be suitable, for example for "illegal plastic bag use" or minor littering, through to mid-range offences where the most severe consequences were not suitable, up to the most severe consequences, for behaviour like "high-harm illegal dumping". Schollum said tiered enforcement options would be helpful to the council: "If someone threw their takeaway container out their car window, they're not going to be met with the same sort of penalty as someone who dumps a whole house ... worth of rubbish [in] the community area. "This is about councils finally being able to pursue repeat offenders and stop communities having to pay for the cost of laziness, but only with reasonable evidence." 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Other changes in the proposal include adjusting how local councils are allocated funds to dispose of waste, widening what councils can use the funds for and clarifying who is responsible for what. Consultation for the potential law changes closed on 1 June, the Ministry for the Environment website said. Next, the submissions will be considered, and from there Cabinet could decide to create an amendment bill, which could be introduced to Parliament to pursue changing the existing law. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
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Hong Kong appoints New Zealand judge to top court
Sir William Young. Photo: NZ Government A New Zealand judge has been appointed as a justice of Hong Kong's top court, after a years-long exodus of overseas jurists following Beijing's imposition of a sweeping security law on the finance hub. Hong Kong's lawmakers on Wednesday approved the appointment of Sir William Young, 73, to join five other overseas non-permanent justices from the UK and Australia. Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction separate from mainland China and invites overseas judges to hear cases at its Court of Final Appeal. Their presence has been seen as a bellwether for the rule of law since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. Beijing passed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in the Chinese city the year before. Since then, several overseas judges have quit the Court of Final Appeal without finishing their terms, while others have not renewed their appointments. The lineup of overseas judges has gone from 15 at its peak down to five, not including Young. The newly appointed justice, who retired from his role as a New Zealand Supreme Court judge in April 2022, is expected to start in Hong Kong this month. Hong Kong leader John Lee accepted a recommendation to appoint Young in May and praised him as "a judge of eminent standing and reputation". Cases at the top court in Hong Kong are typically heard by a panel of four local judges and a fifth ad hoc member, who may be a foreign judge. In January, Hong Kong's chief justice said recruiting suitable overseas judges "may be less straightforward than it once was", given geopolitical headwinds. The government has defended the security law as necessary to restore order after the 2019 protests and said the city remains a well-respected legal hub. -AFP
RNZ News
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Wide Reserve Bank restructure to follow executive and funding changes
The Reserve Bank has already been restructuring its executive team, with a number of its higher ups departing, and the latest news of a wider restructure comes after a major funding cut. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A broad restructuring is on the cards at the Reserve Bank, less than two months after the government announced it would cut its budget . RBNZ said it would consult with staff about potential "broader organisational changes" later this month, but refused to provide additional details. RNZ understands certain backroom functions were being reviewed, as the central bank faced a 25 percent cut to its budget in the new financial year. It comes amid a restructure of its executive leadership team, with the departure of another assistant governor. It said Sarah Owen had left the RBNZ, following the earlier departures of Kate Kolich, Greg Smith, Nigel Prince and Simone Robbers. In May, the RBNZ said it would halve its executive leadership (excluding the governor) to four. After slimming down the executive, it said the leadership team below the executive also faced changes. The new leadership structure would come into place from 16 June, and would be made up of 20 director roles under four groups - financial stability, money, enterprise services and operations. "This is a critical time for Te Pūtea Matua (RBNZ), and the changes we're making are more than just structural," governor Christian Hawkesby said. "We want to ensure that we're match-fit for the changing environment and context we're operating in," he said. However, the RBNZ was tight-lipped about the broader organisational restructure. "We will soon be going into consultation with our staff as part of this next phase," a spokesperson said. "Out of care for our people, we have no further details to share externally at this time." The RBNZ has faced a period of uncertainty in recent months, with the reduction in government funding arriving after the abrupt departure of former governor Adrian Orr. It has previously faced criticism over a sharp increase in staff numbers, with the number of full-time equivalent employees increasing from 255 in 2018 to 641 in September 2024. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
