Displaying 1 - 24 of 275 results.

The completed $3 million upgrade of Tasman Valley Road at Aoraki/Mount Cook was officially opened today by Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith.

“The major upgrade of the Tasman Valley Road is about improving the safety and accessibility to New Zealand’s most spectacular alpine environment. This new road will enable over 100,000 visitors annually to enjoy the magnificent mountain, lake and glacial views of the Tasman Valley, and the unique flora and fauna including mountain lilies and daisies, and our unique mountain parrot, the kea,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

The Government is providing $90,000 from the Community Conservation Partnership Fund to support the Kea Conservation Trust, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

A fourth tranche of 17 Special Housing Areas (SHAs) that would yield more than 8000 additional new homes across Auckland was today announced by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed Christchurch City Council’s ratification of the Christchurch Housing Accord which will enable further housing initiatives to assist the city’s recovery.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

Subcontractors owed money are to get better protection for payment for work done in changes to the Construction Contracts Act approved by Government, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Building and Construction

Five new marine reserves were officially opened today by Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith on the West Coast of the South Island to protect a range of marine ecosystems for conservation, science and recreation.

“These five new marine reserves on the West Coast effective from today are part of the Government’s plan to improve New Zealand’s marine conservation. We are a nation with some of the most spectacular and unique coastlines in the world and we need to recognise the importance and value of these marine habitats,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

The Government is providing $60,000 from the Community Conservation Partnership Fund to the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust to support its work in removing wilding conifer in the Abel Tasman Park and translocating the saddleback (tieke) to the Park's Adele Island, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“Abel Tasman is a globally recognised National Park and the enhancement enabled by these grants will make it an even better place for visitors to enjoy some of the best our great outdoors has to offer,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

My thanks to BECA and IPENZ for the organising of this event, and the opportunity as Minister for Building and Construction to update progress on the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, and to announce significant proposed changes to the regulation of professional engineering in New Zealand.

The timing is appropriate as it is the fourth anniversary today of the first of the series of earthquakes to hit this city.

  • Nick Smith
  • Building and Construction

The regulation of engineers is to be strengthened to ensure they have the right knowledge, skills and competence to design safe buildings and to hold them more accountable for substandard work, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“We need to improve the occupational regulation of engineers involved in the design and construction of buildings and to increase the consequences for those found to be incompetent,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Building and Construction

The Government has announced a new initiative to develop better housing and urban environments as part of its programme of National Science Challenges.

Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities – Ko ngā wā kāinga hei whakamāhorahora was one of the areas identified by the National Science Challenges Panel in 2013 where science has the potential to significantly benefit New Zealand. This is the eleventh National Science Challenge to be announced by the Government.

The Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities Challenge will deliver:

  • Nick Smith
  • Steven Joyce
  • Science and Innovation
  • Housing
  • Building and Construction

Results of aerial and ground surveillance of the Coromandel Peninsula show that the presence of Phytophythora taxon Agathis (PTA), or kauri dieback disease is not widespread in the area, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced today.

  • Nathan Guy
  • Nick Smith
  • Primary Industries
  • Conservation

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the July building consent figures from Statistics New Zealand that show the number of new dwelling consents is growing at record rates.

“These building consent figures show the Housing Accord in Auckland is delivering record residential building growth and that the Christchurch residential rebuild is progressing at pace,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Housing Minister Paula Bennett today released the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s estimates of the number of first home buyers in Canterbury who are to benefit from the Government’s new KiwiSaver HomeStart package.

  • Nick Smith
  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced Wildbase Recovery Community Trust is to receive a $90,000 grant from the Department of Conservation to put towards a new state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility for birds and wildlife.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today released the Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment’s estimates of the number of first home buyers in provincial New Zealand who are to benefit from the Government’s new KiwiSaver HomeStart package in Palmerston North with local mayor Jono Naylor.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

The Government is to provide a $208,000 Community Conservation Partnership Fund grant over three years to Project Tongariro to advance the restoration and preservation of the largest wetland in the Taupō basin, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today at a community event in Turangi.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

The Waimahia Inlet housing development at Weymouth consisting of 282 homes at the Government's first Special Housing Area is a flagship of the Government's new housing policies, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

A visit to Hobsonville Point was made today by Prime Minister John Key and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith to highlight the opportunities for the Government's new KiwiSaver HomeStart package to improve home ownership for Aucklanders.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

The Government is doubling support for first home buyers to help tens of thousands more young New Zealanders into home ownership and encourage the building of more affordable new homes, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This new package will help about 90,000 lower and middle income first home buyers over the next five years. It will ensure more New Zealanders are able to attain the dream of owning their own home, giving families greater security and building stronger communities,” Dr Smith says.

The package comprises three changes:

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

A ban on the finning of all shark species within New Zealand waters will take effect from 1 October this year, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced today.

“Implementing this ban has happened much faster than originally proposed. It reinforces New Zealand’s strong international reputation for sustainability and protecting our natural environment,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nathan Guy
  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation
  • Primary Industries

Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced two new appointments and five reappointments to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.

“The Board has an important role in protecting the health and safety of New Zealanders by ensuring that plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers are competent and properly licensed,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Building and Construction

Calls by Forest & Bird for the Department of Conservation to stop Bathurst Resources' preparatory mining work on the Denniston Plateau because of smoke coming from an old mine shaft are ill-informed, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Plan changes to enable three new salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds were signed off today by Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith at a function at the Marlborough District Council with Mayor Alistair Sowman and representatives from NZ King Salmon.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Housing Accords in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty have been agreed by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and local mayors Ross Patterson and Stuart Crosby today that will provide an additional 1175 new homes and sections over the next two years.

“They key to improving housing affordability in the Bay of Plenty is land supply. These new Accords will enable an additional 1000 homes and sections in Tauranga and 175 homes in the Western Bay of Plenty to be built over the next two years by freeing up the supply of land,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing