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New Zealand’s commitment to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) in South Korea will be extended for a further two years to 31 August 2019, Defence Minister Mark Mitchell announced today.

The New Zealand Defence Force currently has five officers deployed to UNCMAC.

“New Zealand has deployed military personnel to UNCMAC since 1998. The renewal of this commitment reinforces the importance we place on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Mr Mitchell says.

Women’s Minister Paula Bennett and Defence Minister Mark Mitchell are congratulating the Royal New Zealand Air Force for an initiative aimed at attracting more young women into the Air Force.

The School to Skies programme highlights the range of technical and aviation careers available in the Air Force to years 12 and 13 girls with an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths.

For the first time, authorities fighting the spread of wilding conifers will have a complete picture of infestations throughout the country, says Minister for Land Information Mark Mitchell.

“Land Information New Zealand has developed the Wilding Conifer Information System, a web-based mapping and monitoring tool, to ensure control of this invasive species is carried out in the most efficient way possible,” Mr Mitchell says.

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for coming to the launch of the Wilding Conifer Information System.

I’d like to acknowledge my colleague, the Minister of Conservation, Maggie Barry, who is here today and will be speaking shortly.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for inviting me here today.

New Zealand has congratulated the Iraqi government on the successful liberation of Mosul from ISIS after a long and hard-fought campaign.

Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee and Defence Minister Mark Mitchell say the liberation of Mosul is an important milestone in Iraq’s battle against ISIS.

“Losing the symbolic heartland of its so-called Caliphate in Iraq will serve as a severe blow to ISIS fighters and its supporters around the globe,” Mr Brownlee says.

New legislation just passed in Parliament ensures New Zealand’s land transfer system will continue to be modern and world-leading, says Land Information Minister Mark Mitchell.

“The Land Transfer Bill reflects the fact that the majority of property transactions are now done online,” says Mr Mitchell.

“The land transfer system secures people’s ownership of land and provides certainty and fairness.

New Zealanders are being invited to submit a badge design for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s newest and largest-ever ship, HMNZS Aotearoa.

“This is a unique opportunity for all New Zealanders to play a part in how their ship will be presented to the world, ” Minister of Defence Mark Mitchell says.

“It’s a chance for Kiwis to create an enduring piece of Navy history.”

The competition to design a badge for HMNZS Aotearoa, which is scheduled to be added to the RNZN fleet in January 2020, begins today.

The Government is taking steps to ensure that small grocery businesses can continue to hold liquor licences, Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell announced today.

The moves are designed to ensure the continued responsible sale and supply of alcohol. Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, grocery stores can hold an off-licence if the store’s principal business is the sale of food products, which is based on sales revenue.

Earthquake damage will not be reflected in any changes to the rating valuations of Kaikoura properties this year, says Land Information Minister Mark Mitchell.

“The Government has given approval for the Kaikoura District Council to exclude the impact of earthquake damage on the values of affected properties while the extent of the damage is still being assessed,” says Mr Mitchell.  

“It’s important to wait until this work is completed so that any updating is done accurately and consistently.”

The Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha is to extend its current deployment in Asian waters to support the United States Seventh Fleet.

This is in response to the recent collision between a Philippines’ container ship and the destroyer USS Fitzgerald, Defence Minister Mark Mitchell says. Seven US sailors were killed and the Fitzgerald sustained significant damage in the 17 June collision.

Announcing the deployment, Mr Mitchell extended the Government’s condolences on the tragedy.

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell has visited New Zealand Defence Force personnel training the Iraqi Security Forces at Camp Taji near Baghdad.

Mr Mitchell, on his first visit to Taji as Minister, was accompanied by fellow MPs Todd Muller and Labour List MP David Parker.

“I am incredibly proud of the work our servicemen and women are doing, and the contribution they are making towards the defeat of ISIS," Mr Mitchell says. 

The Government will shortly introduce legislation aimed at putting the Public Trust on an equal footing with private sector institutions.

The new legislation will remove the Crown guarantee of the Public Trust, in line with government policy for several decades that Crown-owned commercial businesses should not have a competitive advantage through being Crown-owned, Finance Minister Steven Joyce says.

Disability advocate and former paralympian Paula Tesoriero has been appointed as the Human Rights Commission’s next Disability Rights Commissioner, Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell announced today.

The position of Disabilities Rights Commissioner was created by an amendment to the Human Rights Act 1993 passed last year. Ms Tesoriero replaces Paul Gibson, who was the first Human Rights Commissioner with a formal responsibility for disability issues.

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell has congratulated New Zealand Defence Force engineers who arrived home from the Sinai today on “a job well done”.

The detachment carried out key infrastructure projects for the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping contingent in the Sinai.

“This team has done a great job in challenging conditions to complete these two vital projects for the MFO,” Mr Mitchell says.

The engineers built a new entry control point and helped construct a 3.3-kilometer perimeter fence for the MFO’s South Camp.

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell has held discussions today with General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, who is currently visiting New Zealand.

General Pavel is NATO’s senior military officer and the principal military advisor to NATO’s Secretary-General.

“New Zealand is one of NATO’s strategic partners and General Pavel’s visit reflects the importance of this partnership,” says Mr Mitchell.

A new building to house the Aviation Medicine Unit at RNZAF Base Auckland was opened by Defence Minister Mark Mitchell this afternoon.

The $6.5 million building is the first of a large number of capital projects to be delivered under the Defence Estate Regeneration Plan, the biggest ever capital investment in the regeneration of Defence Force camps and bases.

It will house all the facilities required to provide a modern, safe and efficient aviation medicine service for the Air Force.

My thanks to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Dr John Chipman, and the Singapore Ministry of Defence for what has been a very rewarding event.

This forum is one of the world's pre-eminent institutions for defence diplomacy. 

It provides a chance for friends and neighbours from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond to talk openly about the challenges and opportunities we face in our region. 

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell and his Indonesian counterpart, Ryamizard Ryacudu have signed a Joint Statement on Defence Relations today, signalling stronger defence ties between the two countries.

Meeting in Jakarta today, the Ministers confirmed the value the two countries place on the bilateral defence relationship, and identified a range of areas of cooperation to further strengthen it.

Mr Mitchell says that Indonesia plays a fundamental role in supporting security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Indonesian Minister of Defense, Ryamizard Ryacudu, and New Zealand Minister of Defence, Mark Mitchell, met for the first time today, on 31^st of May 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell will travel to Indonesia and Singapore this week to attend a range of meetings on defence and security matters.

Mr Mitchell will visit Indonesia from 30-31 May. While there he will meet his Defence counterpart General (Rtd) Ryamizard Ryacudu.

The two Ministers will sign a joint statement confirming the value both countries place on the bilateral defence relationship. As well as cooperating bilaterally, New Zealand and Indonesia work closely together in regional security groupings.

New Zealand’s Defence Force will receive a $406 million boost in operating funding over four years and $576 million in capital as part of Budget 2017, says Defence Minister Mark Mitchell.

“It is vital that the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has what it needs to meet the country’s security and defence interests. This major increase in funding for the armed services will support a range of NZDF capabilities as identified through the Defence White Paper of 2016,” Mr Mitchell says.

Budget 2017 will provide an extra $46.9 million of operating funding over the next four years for new services to reduce burglary and youth offending, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell say.

The funding is part of the Government’s Social Investment Package of $321 million over four years in Budget 2017.

“A new initiative to boost our Government’s efforts to prevent and reduce the number of burglaries will receive $32.9 million,” Ms Adams says.

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell says New Zealanders can be proud of the achievements of the Defence Force in the fight against Isis.

The fifth rotation of Task Group Taji, the combined New Zealand-Australia training force based in Iraq’s Camp Taji, is on the way to Iraq, and Mr Mitchell says the record shows that New Zealanders can have confidence in the professionalism of Kiwi soldiers and the work they do abroad.

Since their training mission began in May 2015, the task group has trained more than 22,000 Iraqi personnel.