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A special tribunal has been appointed to consider an application for a Water Conservation Order on Hawke’s Bay’s Ngaruroro and Clive rivers, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“The tribunal will consider an application by the New Zealand Fish and Game Council, Hawke’s Bay Fish and Game Council, Ngāti Hori ki Kohupatiki, Whitewater New Zealand, Jet Boating New Zealand, and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand to protect the outstanding values of the Ngaruroro and Clive rivers,” Dr Smith says.

Businesses in the upper South Island and Greater Wellington areas hit by last year’s earthquake and aftershocks will be able to replace assets lost in the earthquake without immediately incurring a tax bill, Revenue Minister Judith Collins said today.

A Supplementary Order Paper to the Taxation (Annual rates for 2016-17, Closely Held Companies, and Remedial Matters) Bill released today by Ms Collins provides roll-over relief for depreciation recovery.

Pacific Peoples Minister Alfred Ngaro has expressed his condolences to the Tongan Royal Family today following the passing of Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata’aho.

“Oku mau fie kaungā mamahi moe Fale ‘o Tupou mo Ha’a Moheofo pehe ki he hou’eiki mo e kainga Tonga kotoa pe, ‘i he po’uli kuo tō ‘i Tonga kotoa ‘a e hala ‘a e Ta’ahine Kuini Fehuhu, Kuini Halaevalu Mata’aho, ko e fehuhu ‘ofeina ‘o Tonga. Tauange ke ne toka ‘i he nonga mo e fiemalie ‘a e ‘Otua,” says Mr Ngaro.

A review of New Zealand’s energy policies by the International Energy Agency (IEA) generally praises our approach while pointing out further opportunities, Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins says.

IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol today released Energy Policies of IEA Countries: New Zealand 2016 Review. The IEA, an autonomous body within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), reviews the energy policies of member countries about every five years.

Opening

It’s great to be here with you all today. I’m pleased to see a diverse group of leaders from across the sector, as well as the social sector.

We have DHB Chairs, board members, CEs, clinicians and management. I also want to acknowledge our non-DHB Crown Entity leaders. Our NGO and PHO sector are also well represented.

It’s great to see other government agencies have taken this opportunity to participate in this Symposium. Improving the health and well-being of New Zealanders requires a combined effort.

Māori Development and Associate Economic Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell welcomes a new social media campaign aimed at inspiring Māori youth to think about their aspirations and their future.

The DreamBig Māori campaign is fronted by influential Māori figures – Tammy Davis, Dr Lance O’Sullivan, Stacey Morrison, James McOnie, Robett Hollis and Lisa Carrington.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the latest health target results show DHBs have made good progress on the new raising healthy kids target, up 23 per cent on the previous quarter.

“The six national health targets help to improve performance across the health system, ensuring that Kiwis get better access to health services,” says Dr Coleman.

“The latest health target results for October to December 2016 show DHBs continue to perform well, but there’s always more to do.

New Zealand’s first social bond will help around 1,700 people with mental illness into work, Finance Minister Steven Joyce and Social Investment Minister Amy Adams say.

“The social bond approved by Cabinet in December 2016 has successfully raised the required finance so is now operational as New Zealand’s first social bond,” Mr Joyce says.

A new report launched tonight confirms the dairy industry makes a major contribution to New Zealand’s economy, says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

“According to the report dairy contributes $7.8 billion to New Zealand’s GDP, and is our largest good exporter. This is a timely reminder of just how important the dairy industry is,” says Mr Guy.

The report ‘Dairy trade’s economic contribution to New Zealand’ was commissioned from NZIER by the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) and released today.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has announced a renewal of the emergency closure prohibiting the take of shellfish and seaweed (excluding scampi and rock lobster) along the earthquake-affected area of the east coast of the South Island for a further nine months.

“This decision follows advice received from the Ministry for Primary Industries based on the latest scientific assessments of the area, and consultation with the public, local iwi and the paua industry,” says Mr Guy.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to the Cook Islands this week to undertake a range of meetings, including with Prime Minister Henry Puna and his Cabinet.

“My discussions with Prime Minister Puna and his Cabinet will cover a range of matters including New Zealand’s support to the Cook Island’s tourism sector, which accounts for over 60% of national GDP,” Mr McCully says.  

A government-funded trial of an Air Desk that will centralise the handling of the country’s emergency air ambulance callouts is to commence today.

ACC Minister, Hon Michael Woodhouse and Associate Minister of Health, Hon Peter Dunne announced today that the Ministry of Health and ACC are each providing half of the $591,000 per annum funding for the two-year pilot. The trial funds an air desk with 15 hours a day, 7 days a week coverage to prove that the concept will meet its objectives.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says Canterbury clinicians have achieved one million electronic referrals – ensuring patients receive more timely care.

The South Island’s Electronic Request Management System enables general practice teams to submit requests for specialist advice direct to a secure database of over 700 specialists.

“It’s a great achievement that Canterbury clinicians have reached the one million mark for eReferrals.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry is leading a delegation to the subantarctic islands today to experience and observe first-hand the vital conservation and research work being carried out there.

“The Auckland Islands are the largest of our subantarctic islands. They have unique and valuable ecosystems which support a range of species found nowhere else in the world,” Ms Barry says.

Associate Tourism Minister Nicky Wagner announced applications will open tomorrow for further funding to maintain and enhance Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

This is the sixth round of funding through the Maintaining the Quality of Great Rides Fund, part of the Government’s $8 million investment over four years.

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith has welcomed the signing of a ground breaking bilateral international science agreement between New Zealand and Australia at the Leaders’ meetings in Queenstown today.

The Australia – New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement is a commitment to valuable collaboration across the innovation and science systems, and between researchers and innovative companies, on both sides of the Tasman.

The annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ talks have taken the cooperation between our two countries forward in a number of areas, Prime Minister Bill English says.

Mr English met with Prime Minister Turnbull in Queenstown today to discuss common approaches to bilateral and international issues, including trade and science and innovation.

Mr English also thanked Mr Turnbull for Australia’s offer of support for those fighting the fires on the Port Hills in Christchurch.

“Australia is our closest friend and ally.

New Zealand will join Australia in a world-leading satellite technology test-bed, Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced in Queenstown today.

The New Zealand and Australian Governments will be partners in a two-year trial of Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS), and an associated programme of trials.

SBAS is expected to improve air navigation, smartphone-based services, asset management and precision agriculture, and is expected to be needed for the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles.

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Jacqui Dean has released an exposure draft of the Bill that will amend the regulation of financial advice in New Zealand.

“The current regulation of financial advice is seen to be overly complex and has imposed regulatory barriers that are preventing people from receiving the advice they need,’ Ms Dean says.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says China and New Zealand have experience and expertise to share about responding to climate change.

Mrs Bennett today met with China’s top official for climate change, Mr Zhang Yong, Vice Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, at Premier House in Wellington.

Mrs Bennett and Mr Zhang held the first Ministerial dialogue under the New Zealand-China Climate Change Cooperation Arrangement Memorandum signed by the two countries’ leaders in 2014.

Communities around New Zealand are continuing to benefit from steady growth in international visitor spending, which reached $10.1 billion in the year to December, Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

The latest International Visitor Survey results from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) released today shows that visitor spending is up 4 per cent over the same period in 2015.

Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the fires in Christchurch City and the Selwyn District have highlighted the need to streamline New Zealand’s Civil Defence legislation.

On Thursday, Mr Brownlee was scheduled to meet with representatives from all political parties to discuss the Civil Defence response to the Kaikōura earthquake.

He instead travelled to Canterbury to receive updates from the local and regional response teams and survey the blaze from the air.

Legislation to modernise and bring together important law underpinning contracts and commercial transactions passed its third reading in Parliament today, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson said.

“This has been a major statute revision exercise,” Mr Finlayson said. “The substantive law has not changed but the rules contained in 11 contract and commercial Acts, some dating back to 1908, have been revised and consolidated into a single piece of legislation.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands next week for meetings with their political leaders about partnerships, economic development and maintaining political stability.

“Papua New Guinea is the largest Pacific Islands country, a leader in the region, and an important partner for New Zealand,” Mr McCully says.