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New Zealanders and affected sectors will have their chance to have input into a new draft law to combat the $1.3 billion laundered each year by criminals, Justice Minister Amy Adams has announced.

The Government announced in June that it would fast-track the second phase of its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) reforms to cover lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and other high-value dealers.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams says the $300 million Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct build is well advanced and on track to be fully operational in mid-2017.

The anchor project brings together all justice and emergency services in one purpose-built precinct in central Christchurch.

“The new Precinct is designed to provide Cantabrians and those who work in our courts with modern and effective justice and emergency services,” says Ms Adams.

The Ultra-Fast Broadband build on Auckland’s Waiheke Island is now complete, meaning more than 5600 local homes and businesses can now connect to faster and more reliable internet, says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

On hand at Waiheke Island today, Ms Adams said total private and public investment in the build totalled nearly $9.6 million, and took less than 18 months to complete after the rollout began in June 2015.

The youth justice system will be extended to include lower risk 17 year-olds, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley have announced today.

The changes, which will take place by 2019, will ensure that all 17 year-old offenders are dealt with according to which jurisdiction is best suited to the particular case.

The vast majority of 17 year-old offenders are lower risk. They will be dealt with in the Youth Court where the interventions are more targeted and lead to better results.

Supermarkets will be able to sell low and non-alcohol beer alongside regular beer under changes passed by Parliament.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Display of Low-alcohol Beverages and Other Remedial Matters) Amendment Bill makes three minor technical changes to alcohol legislation.

The Bill permits supermarkets and grocery stores to display low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer and wine in the same area of the store as regular alcohol. It also clarifies that a company can hold an alcohol licence.

Good afternoon and thank you for the invitation to speak at the Government Economics Network today.

For as long as can be remembered, Governments have used data to inform economic policy.

Forecasts and robust modelling sit comfortably alongside fiscal policy. Detailed economic data stretching back into the nineteenth century has helped inform future economic policy and its impacts.

Communications Minister Amy Adams is seeking applications from dispute resolution providers to help speed up agreements between property owners with joint access to install and maintain next generation telecommunications networks.

A dispute resolution scheme is part of the Government’s Land Access reform package which will help speed up delays in situations where the consent of multiple parties is required for access to shared property, enabling a smoother installation process for all involved.

Justice Minister Amy Adams has today encouraged all New Zealanders to stand up, speak out and act to prevent violence against women this White Ribbon Day.

“Family violence and sexual violence is far too common in New Zealand. It’s a challenge that this Government is confronting, but we all have a role to play in tackling it,” says Ms Adams.

“As a nation, we need to stop family violence in all its forms.”

Changes to the National Environmental Standard (NES) for Telecommunications Facilities will make it quicker and easier for New Zealanders to get connected to new and better communications technologies.

Communications Minister Amy Adams and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced the new NES for Telecommunications Facilities, under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the completion of New Plymouth Courthouse’s $3.9 million upgrade.

“The renovations are the largest upgrade to New Plymouth’s 50-year old court,” says Ms Adams.

“The upgraded courthouse includes a refreshed registry space bringing all court registry staff into the one building, and creating one contact point for court customers.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the start of the Hawaiki cable’s build at Mangawhai Heads today.

The 14,000km cable will link Mangawhai, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia to mainland USA, and become Australasia’s fastest international cable. The Government entered into a $65 million anchor tenancy contract through REANNZ to the project.

“New Zealand’s demand for data is ever-increasing, and international connectivity is critical for our economy – particularly due to our geographical isolation,” says Ms Adams.

Communications Minister Amy Adams says the number of premises connected to Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) has now surpassed 300,000 New Zealanders.

Ms Adams has today released the quarterly broadband update to September 2016, which highlights that nearly 50,000 connections were made last quarter.

At the end of September, 288,700 premises were connected out of a possible one million, and this increased to 300,000 by mid-October.

“Uptake nationwide has increased to 28.3 per cent,” says Ms Adams.

Justice Minister Amy Adams has wished Netsafe well as it begins its role as the Approved Agency under the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

“From today, Netsafe has responsibility for receiving, assessing and investigating complaints about harm caused to individuals by digital communications,” says Ms Adams.

“This is a free, seven-day-a-week service which is available to all people in New Zealand who experience online harassment or cyber-bullying.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has today thanked telecommunications companies and their field force partners for their collaborative efforts in restoring physical infrastructure to areas badly affected by last week’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and returning service close to pre-quake levels.

“New Zealanders will appreciate how important communications are at a time like this as we need to know who to get to, what they need, and how to best prioritise emergency team responses,” says Ms Adams.

Justice Minister Amy Adams has congratulated Dr Kim McGregor on her first year as the inaugural Chief Victims Advisor to Government.

“Dr McGregor has quickly become a valuable and trusted source of independent advice to me as Justice Minister, and to senior officials across the justice sector,” says Ms Adams.

“Dr McGregor has contributed to a number of cross-agency initiatives, and is a visible presence across sector work as a member of senior government and governance boards working to improve outcomes for victims.

A new technical advisory group is being created to advise the Ministry of Primary Industries on how to accelerate the use of smart agriculture technology, Ministers Amy Adams and Nathan Guy have announced today.

“Technology has major potential to support higher productivity and more sustainable use of natural resources in farming,” says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

Justice Minister Amy Adams today released draft legislation that will update our trust law and aid in their administration.

“Trusts play an important role in New Zealand. Between 300,000 and 500,000 trusts are operating today. Every day, ordinary New Zealanders use them to manage their finances, with an estimated 15 per cent of private houses held in a trust. They also form part of the economic backbone of the commercial and social sectors,” says Ms Adams.

Justice Minister Amy Adams today announced the garden at the Auckland High Court would be developed as a memorial garden in memory of former High Court Judge, Sir Robert Chambers.

“This is a fitting tribute to someone who served the law with distinction and was highly regarded among New Zealand’s legal fraternity,” says Ms Adams.

Good morning.

Can I start by acknowledging Martin Cocker, chief executive of NetSafe.

I would like to welcome you all to New Zealand’s first conference focused on harmful digital communications.

It’s an important topic and one that matters now more than ever before. Bullying is not a new problem but its reach and its impact have increased considerably in the digital age. I’m sure many of us either have, or know of someone who has, been a victim of online bullying.

Strength in New Zealand’s music industry has been welcomed by Broadcasting Minister Amy Adams and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’ New Zealand Music Industry Economic Report 2015 report found that the direct contribution to the economy was $245 million, up from $213 million in 2014.

“It’s incredibly encouraging to see such a positive year for the New Zealand music industry, with four out of five market segments recording increased growth rates,” says Ms Adams.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has today announced the establishment of a Cyber Security Skills Taskforce to address the shortage of cyber professionals in New Zealand.

The Taskforce will focus on practical actions to increase the number of cyber professionals the industry needs to help defend against cyber-attacks, which cost the New Zealand economy $257 million last year.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has today welcomed the Commerce Select Committee’s decision to seek public submissions on the benefits of rolling out fibre on rural electricity infrastructure, albeit on a shortened timeframe.

The Broadcasting (Election Programmes and Election Advertising) Amendment Bill, recently introduced to the House by Justice and Broadcasting Minister Amy Adams, has today received its first reading.

The Bill will remove the requirement for opening and closing addresses to be broadcast at election time and instead allow parties to advertise more flexibly and effectively, using their funding allocations under the Broadcasting Act.

Under the bill, parties will also be able to use this funding to advertise online, rather than only on television and radio.

Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley say that a comprehensive information sharing framework is to be created to keep vulnerable children and young people safe from harm, as part of the radical overhaul of care and protection.