Latest news with #NewZealands
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
King's Birthday Honours Recognise Services To Education
Press Release – New Zealand Government New Zealands education system is world-leading. Dr Hood, Professor Spoonley and the other honourees have played an important part in achieving this. I thank them all for their incredible contribution and service to New Zealand, Education … Minister of Education Education Minister Erica Stanford has congratulated the recipients of the King's Birthday 2025 Honours List who have been recognised for their services to education. 'I'd like to congratulate the people honoured today, who have all made a significant contribution to education in New Zealand and around the world,' Ms Stanford says. The list includes three appointments as Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit, four Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit, eight Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit, three Companions of the King's Service Order, and three recipients of The King's Service Medal. Dr Nina Hood becomes a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education. 'Dr Hood has been instrumental in improving training and support for educators throughout New Zealand. She founded not-for-profit organisation The Education Hub, dedicated to closing the gap between educational research and classroom teaching. Through her leadership, critical issues have been addressed including literacy curriculum design, neurodivergent learning support, and online learning. She's now contributing to curriculum at an international level, establishing a global conversation on education reform, effective pedagogy and rigorous curriculum design. Through 2023 and 2024 Dr Hood helped establish The Teachers' Institute, a charitable trust which offers school-led teacher education and professional development.' Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley is appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. 'Professor Spoonley served 42 years as a teacher and researcher in sociology with Massey University, retiring in 2021. During that time, he served in various roles including Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Co-Director of the National Centre of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and was appointed as a member of the Independent Panel of New Zealand Police's Understanding Policing Delivery. He has been a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity Germany since 2013 and is a Fellow and Board member of Auckland Museum. He has published 29 books and has more than 300 peer-reviewed academic journal articles. 'New Zealand's education system is world-leading. Dr Hood, Professor Spoonley and the other honourees have played an important part in achieving this. I thank them all for their incredible contribution and service to New Zealand,' Ms Stanford says.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
McClay To Champion NZ's Trade Interests At OECD And In Brussels
Press Release – New Zealand Government Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay will travel to Europe to advance New Zealands trade interests. McClay will attend meetings in Switzerland, Paris, and Brussels with various trade ministers and commissioners. Minister for Trade and Investment Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Europe this weekend to advance New Zealand's trade and investment interests Minister McClay will visit Switzerland, Paris and Brussels for high level ministerial and business meetings. In Switzerland he will attend the first in person meeting of a new pro-trade group with ministers from UAE, Singapore and Switzerland where he will focus on removing trade barriers and the promotion of paperless trade. In Paris he will attend the annual OECD Trade Ministers, a CPTPP ministers discussion, ACCTs Ministers meeting, and a WTO Mini Ministerial meeting. He will also hold discussions with ministers from Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, USA. He will also undertake a bilateral French programme and meet the French Minister responsible for Trade. In Brussels Mr McClay will hold talks with EU Commissioner for Trade, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, and EU Vice President responsible for sustainability. He will also speak at an event to mark the first year of the NZ EU FTA. 'One in four Kiwi jobs depend on Trade, and strong trade relationships mean more opportunities for New Zealander. The Government's is committed to the ambitious goal of doubling exports by value in the next ten years to deliver higher paying jobs for all New Zealanders,' Mr McClay says.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
‘Proposal To Allow Commercial Vegetable Growing Without Consent Means The Industry Has A Future'
Press Release – Vegetables New Zealand 'This proposal is a major step forward for New Zealands food security and the health of kiwis,' says Vegetables NZ Chair, John Murphy. Vegetables NZ is applauding the Government for supporting industry standards that protect the environment by proposing to allow commercial vegetable growers to grow food without having to strive for unworkable resource consents. 'This proposal is a major step forward for New Zealand's food security and the health of kiwis,' says Vegetables NZ Chair, John Murphy. 'Without it, the heart of New Zealand's vegetable growing community was under threat. 'Taking a national approach to vegetable production and ensuring vegetable growing is a permitted activity is essential for vegetable growing to be viable and for us to feed New Zealand. 'It is great that this Government has listened and is taking steps to ensure kiwis have access to fresh, healthy food like vegetables, now and in the future. The country will be better off in terms of health as well as economic outcomes. 'Today's announcement gives the commercial vegetable industry the hope it sorely needs.' John says Vegetables NZ supports the Government's move to explore a more targeted approach to Highly Productive Land. 'Highly Productive Land is a synergy of soil quality, flat contour, amenable climate, access to water, proximity to markets, workforce availability, and practical attainable consent to farm. Losing any of these factors critically inhibits the land's productivity. 'The current National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land protects first class soils. However, in practice – where parcels of land connect to urban areas – the land can become unproductive, due to poor planning and cross boundary effects. 'We want to see the Government protecting food supply by taking an integrated approach that safeguards the factors that go to ensure the land is highly productive. However, if a factor or combination of factors means the land is not highly productive, the owner's property rights must be protected.'
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Electrifying Growth: Infrastructure And Energy RMA National Direction Open For Consultation
Press Release – New Zealand Government The RMA is a direct contributor to New Zealands infrastructure deficit. It drives up costs, slows projects down, and has become a complicated nightmare for councils and applicants alike, says Mr Bishop. Minister for RMA Reform Hon Simon Watts Minister for Energy The Government is taking action to address the country's infrastructure deficit and energy shortage through a series of important changes to national direction under the RMA, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Energy Minister Simon Watts. National direction refers to rules and policies sitting under the Resource Management Act (RMA) that inform how councils develop and implement local plans and rules. The Government is today releasing three discussion documents proposing amendments to twelve different instruments and the introduction of four new instruments, centred on three packages: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. 'The RMA is a direct contributor to New Zealand's infrastructure deficit. It drives up costs, slows projects down, and has become a complicated nightmare for councils and applicants alike', says Mr Bishop. 'Sorting out our planning rules is critical to boosting economic growth and improving living standards. 'In our first year in office, we repealed Labour's botched RMA reforms and made a series of quick and targeted amendments to remove unnecessary regulations for primary industries as well as barriers to investment in development and infrastructure. 'We also passed the Fast-track Approvals Act to make it much easier to deliver infrastructure and other development projects with significant regional or national benefits. The first projects are already going through the fast-track process. 'Next year we'll replace the RMA with new legislation premised on property rights. Our new system will provide a framework that makes it easier to plan and deliver infrastructure and energy projects, as well as protecting the environment. 'In the meantime, we're making targeted, quick changes through our second RMA Amendment Bill which is expected back from the Environment Committee next month, and these changes to national direction. 'We're proposing a new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure to send a clear message that infrastructure is critical to our prosperity, and to prioritise existing and new infrastructure in resource consent processes. 'We're also proposing a strengthened National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation. The current NPS was drafted in 2011 and is far too vague and woolly. Decision-makers need clear guidance that renewable energy is vital to our prosperity. We need billions of dollars of investment in the coming years in renewable energy supply but it's too hard to consent renewable energy projects'. 'This Government is committed to unleashing transmission and distribution infrastructure on our mission to electrify the New Zealand economy,' Mr Watts says. 'We know the energy system is facing complex challenges right now. The security and reliability of our electricity supply depend on bringing new generation online and strengthening our network infrastructure. 'Right now, New Zealand's energy infrastructure is vulnerable to severe weather events and seasonal shortages. By changing the electricity generation and transmission national direction, we can improve both energy security and affordability, while helping us achieve our goal of doubling renewable energy by 2050. The changes will also support the country's existing renewable energy assets, including lines networks.' 'The current environmental standards around telecommunication facilities were drafted in 2016 and are now very out of date. Changes to the standards will update rules around poles and other infrastructure and create a more efficient consenting environment', Mr Bishop says. 'Cabinet has also agreed to progress new national direction for Natural Hazards. The aim for the new National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards is to make straightforward changes that will have an immediate effect on consenting as well as align with the new resource management system.' 'We want councils to make better choices about where and how people can build so that new development is more resilient to severe weather events. Further direction to councils around how to identify, assess and respond to risks from natural hazards can be provided as part of the next stage of resource management reform'. Consultation on these proposals will remain open until 27 July 2025. The Government intends to have 16 new or updated national direction instruments in place by the end of this year. Fact sheet attached here. Infrastructure and development is one of three national direction packages released today as part of the Government's wider reform of the resource management system. The other two packages cover changes for the primary sector and freshwater management.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Electrifying Growth: Infrastructure And Energy RMA National Direction Open For Consultation
Press Release – New Zealand Government The RMA is a direct contributor to New Zealands infrastructure deficit. It drives up costs, slows projects down, and has become a complicated nightmare for councils and applicants alike, says Mr Bishop. Minister for RMA Reform Hon Simon Watts Minister for Energy The Government is taking action to address the country's infrastructure deficit and energy shortage through a series of important changes to national direction under the RMA, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Energy Minister Simon Watts. National direction refers to rules and policies sitting under the Resource Management Act (RMA) that inform how councils develop and implement local plans and rules. The Government is today releasing three discussion documents proposing amendments to twelve different instruments and the introduction of four new instruments, centred on three packages: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. 'The RMA is a direct contributor to New Zealand's infrastructure deficit. It drives up costs, slows projects down, and has become a complicated nightmare for councils and applicants alike', says Mr Bishop. 'Sorting out our planning rules is critical to boosting economic growth and improving living standards. 'In our first year in office, we repealed Labour's botched RMA reforms and made a series of quick and targeted amendments to remove unnecessary regulations for primary industries as well as barriers to investment in development and infrastructure. 'We also passed the Fast-track Approvals Act to make it much easier to deliver infrastructure and other development projects with significant regional or national benefits. The first projects are already going through the fast-track process. 'Next year we'll replace the RMA with new legislation premised on property rights. Our new system will provide a framework that makes it easier to plan and deliver infrastructure and energy projects, as well as protecting the environment. 'In the meantime, we're making targeted, quick changes through our second RMA Amendment Bill which is expected back from the Environment Committee next month, and these changes to national direction. 'We're proposing a new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure to send a clear message that infrastructure is critical to our prosperity, and to prioritise existing and new infrastructure in resource consent processes. 'We're also proposing a strengthened National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation. The current NPS was drafted in 2011 and is far too vague and woolly. Decision-makers need clear guidance that renewable energy is vital to our prosperity. We need billions of dollars of investment in the coming years in renewable energy supply but it's too hard to consent renewable energy projects'. 'This Government is committed to unleashing transmission and distribution infrastructure on our mission to electrify the New Zealand economy,' Mr Watts says. 'We know the energy system is facing complex challenges right now. The security and reliability of our electricity supply depend on bringing new generation online and strengthening our network infrastructure. 'Right now, New Zealand's energy infrastructure is vulnerable to severe weather events and seasonal shortages. By changing the electricity generation and transmission national direction, we can improve both energy security and affordability, while helping us achieve our goal of doubling renewable energy by 2050. The changes will also support the country's existing renewable energy assets, including lines networks.' 'The current environmental standards around telecommunication facilities were drafted in 2016 and are now very out of date. Changes to the standards will update rules around poles and other infrastructure and create a more efficient consenting environment', Mr Bishop says. 'Cabinet has also agreed to progress new national direction for Natural Hazards. The aim for the new National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards is to make straightforward changes that will have an immediate effect on consenting as well as align with the new resource management system.' 'We want councils to make better choices about where and how people can build so that new development is more resilient to severe weather events. Further direction to councils around how to identify, assess and respond to risks from natural hazards can be provided as part of the next stage of resource management reform'. Consultation on these proposals will remain open until 27 July 2025. The Government intends to have 16 new or updated national direction instruments in place by the end of this year. Fact sheet attached here. Infrastructure and development is one of three national direction packages released today as part of the Government's wider reform of the resource management system. The other two packages cover changes for the primary sector and freshwater management.
