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The Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill, which extends commissioner governance of Environment Canterbury until the 2016 local government elections, has passed its second reading in Parliament.

Local Government Minister Chris Tremain says the Commissioners’ impressive record to date includes:

The Government is looking at changes to the way Councils charge for new sections and other developments by today releasing a discussion paper as part of its work on housing affordability and local government reform.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain has released the report of an independent review into Fire Service Functions and Funding.

The independent Panel led by Hon Paul Swain was set up to review the current provision of fire services, including:

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain announced today that Wellington company, SilverStripe, has secured the contract for a single web platform for government agencies.

“A web platform is the underlying system which allows an agency to create and deliver high quality websites for New Zealanders. Creating a single web platform is part of the Government's better public services initiative and will bring savings to taxpayers,” says Mr Tremain.

More New Zealanders are choosing to interact with government agencies online says Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain.

Figures released today show 32.4 per cent of New Zealanders used secure online government services during the July to September quarter, up from 29.9 per cent when measurements started in June.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain says from today New Zealanders who need officially-verified documents for use in most countries can get them issued electronically.

Associate Tourism Minister Chris Tremain today launched a new data collection that provides a never-before-seen insight into New Zealand’s tourism industry.

The Regional Tourism Indicators, produced by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, is based on anonymous electronic card transactions made since 2008. International data is collected from electronic transactions at over 30,000 retailers across the country.  Domestic data is captured from transactions made using BNZ bank cards.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain says identity legislation which passed its final reading today will enable New Zealanders to prove their identity quickly and securely when dealing with government agencies and businesses.

“The Electronic Identity Verification Bill passed its third reading tonight. This will enable more widespread use of the igovt service, which enables people to log into numerous websites using a single password, and prove their identity via a website rather than using paper documents.

Civil Defence Minister Chris Tremain says an interagency Corrective Action Plan released today will improve the strength of Civil Defence in New Zealand.

“An independent review of the response to the Christchurch earthquake on February 22 found overall that emergency services worked well. However a number of recommendations were made on how the process could be improved,” says Mr Tremain.

The Minister of Civil Defence, Chris Tremain, has tonight presented the inaugural Ministerial Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Gold and Silver Awards.

“New Zealand is recognised internationally as having one of the best emergency management systems in the world.  We are often the benchmark for other nations.  As a result of this it is important that we recognise individuals and organisations who achieve this on a daily basis,” says Mr Tremain.

Associate Tourism Minister Chris Tremain has welcomed the arrival of Waka Tapu to Rapanui/Easter Island.

Two waka hourua (double–hulled sailing canoes) carrying 12 crew departed Auckland in August on a 10,000 nautical mile voyage to Rapanui and back.

“Today the waka reached Rapanui safely – using only the stars, moon, sun, ocean currents, birds and marine life to guide their way across 5,000 nautical miles of the Pacific Ocean,” says Mr Tremain.

The reopening of the National Library heralds a new era in connecting New Zealanders with the documentary heritage of their country, says Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain.

The National Library building on Molesworth Street was officially reopened by Prime Minister John Key early this morning.

“The National Library has undergone an amazing transformation. It’s a state of the art space which embraces technology – it’s an exciting and vibrant place to spend time in,” says Mr Tremain.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain today announced the establishment of a new government IT panel to purchase Microsoft products.

“A Syndicated Services Panel has been set up to order and administer Microsoft licences. This will reduce the cost of purchasing licences, remove duplication and streamline the procurement process,” says Mr Tremain.

“Currently, agencies needing to purchase Microsoft services deal directly with a range of Large Account Resellers (LARs). This creates inconsistencies in service levels and the fees charged by various LARs.

More than 1000 New Zealanders have opted to renew their passports on line since the Department of Internal Affairs launched the service a week ago, and Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain says this is a fantastic response.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain today announced 39 appointments across 15 Lottery distribution committees. 

Most of the appointments start in February next year, when current terms expire.  Three new members fill vacancies and start in November this year.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain has announced that from Friday 2 November New Zealanders will pay less for their adult passport and be able to renew their passports online.

“All adult passport applicants whose application is processed in New Zealand will pay less. Prices for adult passports will drop by as much as $28 for renewals using the new online service,” says Mr Tremain.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain says today’s announcement of grants by the Canterbury Fund will make a positive difference to Christchurch communities.

A joint partnership between the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust and Vodafone New Zealand Foundation today announced grants totalling $1.15 million to 66 community organisations in Christchurch.

Civil Defence Minister Chris Tremain says New Zealand's response to disaster management is setting a benchmark for countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Mr Tremain has just attended the Fifth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Indonesia.  The conference was hosted by the Government of Indonesia and the United Nations.

"We shared the lessons learnt from the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011, and explained the structure we use for disaster risk management," says Mr Tremain.

Civil Defence Minister Chris Tremain will travel to Indonesia next week to attend the Fifth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The conference is being hosted by the National Agency for Disaster
Management of Indonesia and supported by the United National International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. 

“Nothing tested New Zealand’s disaster management framework like the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011,” says Mr Tremain. 

Civil Defence Minister Chris Tremain says the independent review of the response to the 22 February Christchurch earthquake confirms the strength of our civil defence systems.

"The report concludes that, overall, the emergency response worked well.  The earthquake was an unprecedented challenge and emergency services have been commended for their impressive overall response and courageous efforts," Mr Tremain says.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain today announced eight appointments to the Film and Video Labelling Body.

“I am pleased to announce that Denise Ewe, Veer Khar, Pefi Kingi, Joseph Liava’a, David Lui, Shana Malio, George Ngatai and Parmjeet Parmar will join the current Community Representatives to help ensure that the interests of the general public are taken into account in the labelling of films,” says Mr Tremain.

Minister of Civil Defence Chris Tremain has praised the efforts of the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management for its successful first ever nationwide ShakeOut earthquake drill.

“This morning at 9.26am over 1.3 million New Zealanders practised the drill – Drop, Cover and Hold.  That is an outstanding effort and I’d like to thank the citizens, schools, government organisations and businesses throughout the country who took the opportunity to get on board,” says Mr Tremain.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain says that a new procurement arrangement for web services will streamline tender processes for government agencies.

“The new Common Web Services initiative, led by the Department of Internal Affairs, will allow government agencies to easily engage online expertise from an approved list of 42 providers. Agencies requiring web related resources can now select from this panel of providers, complete minimal paperwork, and get on with the job of providing government information and services online.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain will attend the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee in London on behalf of the Minister of Sport and Recreation next week.

New Zealand currently represents Oceania on the WADA Executive Committee. The current membership also includes Sport Ministers from South Africa, Canada, Japan, the European Union, and International Olympic Committee representatives from Egypt, Switzerland, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Italy.