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Police Minister Anne Tolley and Labour Minister Simon Bridges today announced the approval of the Underground Mines Emergency Protocol, developed in response to a recommendation by the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy. 

The protocol provides high level guidance on managing a major underground mine or tunnel emergency.  It sets out the persons and agencies responsible for responding, their key functions, duties, and roles, and the lines of authority for decision making and communication.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley and Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the new audio visual link (AVL) connection linking New Plymouth Court with Whanganui Prison.

The new link is the first in a $27.8 million upgrade programme, which is expanding AVL links from the current four courts and four prisons to a total of 18 courts and 13 prisons by 2015.

Mrs Tolley says around 40,000 remand court appearances are made each year nationwide, and AVL will be used for more and more of those appearances as the rollout continues.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that offenders have clocked up over a million hours in unpaid community work so far in the fiscal year, to pay something back for the crimes they have committed.

Every week offenders across New Zealand are engaged in activities ranging from cleaning up graffiti, to gardening, painting and clearing rubbish.

Police Minister Anne Tolley and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson have praised their agencies following the largest ever ContacNT precursor drugs bust in New Zealand, in which over 330 kg of the Class B drug has been seized.

Police estimate it would have been used to produce up to 100 kg of methamphetamine, with a street value of $100 million.

$20 million of assets in property, cars and cash were also seized, and 24 arrests made, as 250 Police, OFCANZ and Customs officers today executed 40 search warrants in Auckland and Waikato.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that building work is on schedule for the 29 buildings on the site of the new prison at Wiri in South Auckland.

Work is due to be completed on the new cell blocks, training, education and health buildings by early 2015, for the new 960-bed men’s prison.

Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee and Police Minister Anne Tolley have launched this summer’s road safety campaign, which will focus on preventing deaths and injuries by reducing speed, alongside greater visibility of Police.

For the first time, the reduced speed tolerance is being extended beyond an official holiday period.

A 4km/h speed threshold will be enforced by Police throughout the whole of December and January.

“We want New Zealanders to enjoy their holidays, and to be around to celebrate many more in the years ahead,” Mrs Tolley says.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that communities are safer, and high-risk offenders are being held to account, following the introduction of 24-hour GPS monitoring.

Ankle bracelets are used to track the real-time movements of offenders, which send an alert if the criminal strays into an area which they have been excluded from, such as parks and schools, or from locations near victims.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that officers in two prisons are to wear on-body cameras, in a six-month pilot programme aimed at further increasing staff safety.

Auckland and Rimutaka prison staff working in maximum and high security areas, and prison drug dog handlers, will wear the cameras to de-escalate incidents, deter assaults on staff and to gather evidence for use in court and complaints processes.

Footage will also be used to improve staff training and for debriefs following any incidents.

Police Minister Anne Tolley says proposed changes to taxation allowances will mean that Police officers will not be unfairly penalised.

Around 2,100 Police staff would have been liable for additional tax on their plain clothes allowance.

However, the Minister of Revenue has announced there will be changes to the Income Tax Act which will ensure that these officers don’t have to pay any extra for work-related clothing.

“I welcome the decision to change the Act,” says Mrs Tolley.

Police Minister Anne Tolley says she has written to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, asking it to investigate the “Roast Busters” case in Auckland, particularly the questioning of a thirteen year-old girl in 2011.

“Parents of young girls need to have confidence that complaints to Police about sexual assault are investigated thoroughly and appropriately,” says Mrs Tolley.

“As Minister, I can’t delve into the details of a Police investigation - politicians cannot interfere in Police inquiries.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says $81.3 million is being invested in upgrading five prisons to improve security and safety, and to provide better facilities for prisoner rehabilitation and training.

Major infrastructure work will begin soon at Invercargill, Whanganui and Tongariro Prisons, while development is already underway at Waikeria and Rolleston Prisons.

Police Minister Anne Tolley is to travel to Brisbane and Melbourne from 28 - 31 October for meetings with Australian Police.

The Minister will visit the Queensland and Victoria Police training academies, and meet with State Police Ministers.

“I’ll have discussions on child protection and tackling gangs,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The main reason for the trip is to look at their different training methods for new Police recruits.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that Auckland Prison’s maximum security wing is to be completely rebuilt to provide a secure, safe and modern facility which will deliver improved mental health services.

The rebuilt wing will also improve conditions for staff to work with prisoners to lower their security classification, so they can be transferred to a facility with greater rehabilitation opportunities.

Police Minister Anne Tolley says that an amendment to the Policing Act 2008 has been introduced into Parliament under urgency.

The Policing (Constable’s Oaths Validation) Amendment Bill makes a technical change to the Act, which removes any doubt over the validity of the actions of a small number of former constables who have rejoined the Police.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e whā. 

Ka nui te hari ahau kua tae mai nei, I waenganui a koutou me tēnei hui. No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Good morning everyone and thank you for the invitation to open your annual conference, my second as Minister of Police.

The next few days will no doubt provoke discussion and comment – and that’s very healthy.

Can I first acknowledge your President Greg O’Connor, your Executive and all the delegates here this morning.

The Minister responsible for the Serious Fraud Office, Anne Tolley, says victims of financial crime will be better supported, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the SFO and Victim Support.

The MoU will see the two agencies working together to promote and deliver victim support services, and to keep victims informed about their cases.

SFO and Victim Support will also hold joint training sessions to help share information and best practice.

Police Minister Anne Tolley and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today congratulated the Police and Customs for a $2 million drug bust.

Just over two kilograms of methamphetamine, $20,000 and vehicles were seized and five people arrested in the Wellington region yesterday after a joint operation between Police and Customs.

The methamphetamine, which has a street value of $2 million, came from Hong Kong concealed in LED lighting panels.

“There is no place for these despicable drugs in our communities,” says Mrs Tolley.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and Police Minister Anne Tolley welcome the introduction of new meritorious service medals to recognise outstanding service by personnel in the NZ Defence Force and NZ Police.

“We have some great people in the Defence Force, and it is important to recognise and reward outstanding service,” says Dr Coleman.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says an expert advisory group has been appointed to support a new education strategy for prisoners, as the Government continues its focus on reducing reoffending through rehabilitation.

The group will provide advice on the implementation of the strategy under which, for the first time, every offender will have an education assessment when they enter prison. This will then be used to develop an individual learning and training plan for each offender.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says a Bill which improves the effectiveness of community sentences and orders has passed its third reading in Parliament.

The Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill amends the Bail Act 2000, Parole Act 2002 and Sentencing Act 2002, and clarifies aspects of home detention, community-based sentences and electronic monitoring.

“We are tightening legislation and closing some existing loopholes to improve public safety,” says Mrs Tolley.

Police Minister Anne Tolley is travelling to New York from 8 -14 October to represent the Government at a two-day meeting focusing on the lessons learned from the UN Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT) transition process.

The meeting will be co-hosted by New Zealand and Timor Leste, and will involve a range of UN member states.

New Zealand has provided $89 million in development assistance to Timor Leste since 1999, including support with policing, justice, education and customs.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that the safety of prison staff is being enhanced, following recommendations from an expert advisory panel.

The panel, chaired by former Police Commissioner Howard Broad, was set up at the end of last year to review and support the implementation of the Department’s Staff Safety Action Plan. It consulted extensively with staff, unions, stakeholders and other Government agencies.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says a new reintegration service to help steer just-released prisoners away from a return to crime will begin this month.

Five providers have been selected to operate the $10 million “Out of Gate” service, funded over two years by the Justice Sector Fund in Budget 2013.

The post-release service will support prisoners before, and immediately after they leave prison, when they are trying to readjust to life on the outside and are most at risk of reoffending.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley has officially opened a new mountain bike track in Taupo, which was built with the help of offenders serving community sentences.

Over the past three years, 150 offenders have contributed 1,120 working hours to complete the new 2.5 kilometre Beagle Boys Mountain Bike Track.