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The next round of applications for the Racing Safety Development Fund opens today, Minister for Racing Nathan Guy has announced.

“The fund supports important projects around the country that improve racecourse health and safety standards,” Mr Guy says.

“This has included improvements for safety running rails, irrigation and drainage, horse containment fences, and grandstand repairs.”

A total of $1 million is available from the fund in the 2014/2015 financial year, and all racing clubs and racing code bodies can apply.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today updated Pacific leaders and post Forum dialogue partners on the progress being made to implement renewable energy projects agreed to at the 2013 Pacific Energy Summit.

“On average 80 per cent of the Pacific’s electricity generation comes from imported diesel and 10 per cent of the Pacific’s GDP goes towards importing fossil fuels,” Mr McCully says. 

Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner today unveiled a new public sculpture in central Christchurch symbolic of nature and renewal.

Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss has welcomed the transfer of TVNZ’s archives to Crown guardianship today.

The archives, which include over 500,000 hours of original New Zealand television, will be managed on a day-to-day basis by Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision – the rebranded New Zealand Film Archives.

An event celebrating the transfer and rebranding was held in Wellington yesterday. 

The Crown has signed a deed of settlement with Ngaruahine settling the iwi’s historical Treaty claims, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The signing ceremony took place at Te Ngutu o Te Manu in Taranaki. The Crown was represented by Mr Finlayson, Minister for Whanau Ora and Member of Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru Tariana Turia, and Minister for Courts and Member of Parliament for Whanganui Chester Borrows. The signing was witnessed by Member of Parliament for New Plymouth Jonathan Young, and Claudette Hauiti MP.

Health Minister Tony Ryall officially opened the $7 million Nikau House development at Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital in Epsom, Auckland today.

“This new development will add 60 new bedrooms to the 140 residents already here at Knox Home,” says Mr Ryall.

“There are a number of new developments that were included after discussions with residents such as the two new wheelchair accessible kitchens and better access to the courtyard so residents can enjoy their independence.

It is a pleasure for me to be here to speak at the opening of Nikau House. This is an exciting time for you all, a new beginning and I’m glad to be able to share this with you.

I commend the management of Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital for the decision to invest in the future of your facility, thereby future-proofing the care that your residents will receive.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has welcomed the Joint Statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United States Secretary of State John Kerry that there will be a 72 hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

“New Zealanders are rightly shocked at the events unfolding in Gaza and we call on both sides to implement an immediate ceasefire.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says a P3K-2 Orion has today left New Zealand to support international anti-piracy operations.

A Navy command team will also deploy next week, taking the NZDF’s contribution to 68 personnel.

“New Zealand is committed to playing our part in international efforts to tackle piracy,” says Dr Coleman.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the Government is encouraged by the approach being taken by Christchurch City Council in addressing financial pressures delivered by its required response to the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

“Christchurch City has a projected fiscal bottleneck around the end of this decade, where it’s up for some major costs related to the earthquakes, and we know councillors are fully aware of the need to address the issue through reducing operational expenditure, reducing debt, and raising revenue.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has welcomed the news that over 1.2 million doses of flu vaccines have now been distributed to New Zealanders.

“Immunisation is the best protection we have against influenza. Maintaining a high vaccination rate is an important way we can protect ourselves and our families from this common, but serious winter illness,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“When we protect ourselves, we also protect the people around us who may be too young or too unwell to be immunised themselves.”

Revenue Minister Todd McClay has said that the IR4U Save Time Campaign recently run in the Hawke’s Bay has been a success and that similar ‘listening’ campaigns will be rolled out to other parts of the country as IRD focuses on simplifying the tax system.

The IR4U pilot, targeted small business owners and asked customers what Inland Revenue could do to save them time,” Mr McClay says.

Between 8 May and 19 June nearly 1400 people contributed to the campaign.

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today announced the appointment of Mr Uluomato’otua Aiono as a member of the Pacific Business Trust Board.

The Pacific Business Trust is a charitable trust, established in 1985 and incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. It works to develop a strong economic base for Pacific peoples in New Zealand by providing opportunities through business ownership and participation.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has today welcomed the introduction of the Health (Protection) Amendment Bill to Parliament, which will amend the Health Act to make sunbeds R18 and improve the management of serious infectious diseases.

“This Amendment Bill brings together two separate, but equally important, sets of changes which will protect the health and safety of New Zealanders,” says Mrs Goodhew.

If passed, the Bill will stop the harm caused to people under 18 years of age by artificial (UV) tanning machines.

Health Minister Tony Ryall is encouraging health professionals to take part in the annual Clinicians’ Challenge by submitting their IT solutions to improve health services.

“The Clinicians’ Challenge is a chance for health professionals to suggest innovative ways to use information systems,” says Mr Ryall.

“Clinicians might suggest an idea to improve the way they work, make a system more efficient, or encourage collaboration between health professionals.

ACC Minister Judith Collins today announced an addition to the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill that would extend ACC sensitive claims cover to children or young people who are victims of sexual grooming or indecent communications.

“There is a gap in the current ACC law that needs addressing to establish cover for victims of these types of child sexual exploitation,” Ms Collins says.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows today introduced a Coroners Amendment Bill to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the coronial system. 

“Coroners have an important and difficult job to do, and I am pleased to introduce legislation that better supports their role”, says Mr Borrows.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith has welcomed Parliament’s passage of the Kaikōura (Te Tai o Marokura) Marine Management Bill today.

“Kaikōura is internationally recognised as a biodiversity hotspot and for its successful marine tourism and abundant fishing. This Bill creates the largest and deepest marine reserve adjacent to the North and South Islands, New Zealand’s first whale sanctuary and first seal sanctuary. It also establishes five new customary fishing areas and more sustainable recreational fishing regulations,” Dr Smith says.

A report looking at how improved legislation and regulation could free-up schools to focus more on raising student achievement has been welcomed by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The Taskforce on Regulations Affecting School Performance, which was established late last year, considered the current regulatory system schools operate under to see if the Government can ease their operating environment and provide more fit for purpose regulation for 21^st century requirements.

A bill to strengthen the regulation of foreign-owned commercial fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters has passed its third and final reading in Parliament today.

The Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Bill will require all foreign charter vessels to carry the New Zealand flag from 1 May 2016, and operate under full New Zealand legal jurisdiction.

The Interim Labelling Guide for Manuka Honey released today by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is a positive step for the New Zealand industry, Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“The Guide provides clarification on what constitutes manuka-type honey, and aims to ensure that New Zealand is producing quality manuka honey that is labelled correctly and meets the expectations of overseas regulators, along with consumers here and overseas,” Ms Kaye says.

Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully today welcomed the first reading of the Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill.

The Bill is designed to protect the integrity of New Zealand Sport by making match-fixing a form of deception under section 240 of the Crimes Act – the offence of obtaining a benefit or causing a loss by deception.

“Match-fixing is a growing problem internationally and has been described as the number one threat to the integrity, value and growth of sport,” Mr McCully says.

A report recommending ways to encourage more parents to get involved in their children’s education has been welcomed by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The report of the Inquiry into Engaging Parents in the Education of their Children puts forward a range of recommendations that could help boost student achievement through better engagement with parents, families, whānau and communities. 

Ms Parata says the report from Parliament’s Education and Science Select Committee underlines the importance of parental involvement in student success.

Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew has announced changes to the funding programme supporting East Coast landowners with erosion issues.

“The Gisborne region has a severe erosion problem. A quarter of the land is susceptible to severe erosion, compared with only eight per cent of all land in New Zealand,” says Mrs Goodhew.