Displaying 25 - 48 of 6083 results.

The Government will provide $237,500 towards further soil testing in the Thames suburb of Moanataiari, Environment Minister Nick Smith announced today.

Moanataiari is built on land reclaimed from the Firth of Thames. The area was filled with mine tailings, mine waste, and clean fill subdivided in the 1960s and houses built in the 1970s. Last week Moanataiari residents were advised that soil testing of roadside verges had identified elevated levels of arsenic. There are 212 houses, a school and a childcare facility in the suburb.

  • Nick Smith
  • Environment

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has expressed serious concern over the storming of the two British Embassy compounds in Tehran yesterday.

“The storming of the British Embassy in Iran was totally unacceptable” Mr McCully said.

“We join other Governments and the United Nations Security Council in condemning the attacks and calling on the Iranian Government to take action against those responsible.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

Over $4.5 million of funding has been provided to 121 community organisations in the eighth round of the Community Response Fund.

“This funding recognises the important role local social services play in the health and well being of their communities,” says Ms Bennett.

The Community Response Fund was established in 2009 and extended until mid-2012 to help community groups struggling with extra demand as a result of the recession.

The Fund has now provided $66.8 million to 1434 organisations.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development and Employment
  • Youth Affairs

The latest quarterly results for the six National Health Targets have been published.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says there is good improvement in the preventive health targets for quarter one 2011/12 – particularly with better help for smokers to quit.

"In this three month period, around 30,230 hospital patients who smoke received brief help and advice to quit – an internationally recognised health prevention measure. That's a national average increase of nearly four per cent (up from 85 per cent last quarter).

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health

The Government is working with councils and industry to maximise the recycling of the estimated 4.5 million tonnes of demolition and liquefaction waste from the Canterbury earthquakes, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Environment Minister Nick Smith announced today.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Nick Smith
  • Environment
  • Earthquake Recovery

The Government has used the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act to approve changes to the Waimakariri District Plan, freeing up 550 sections at the Silverstream Estates development in west Kaiapoi.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the plan change lifts the conditional approval status placed on the land by Waimakariri District Council commissioners in September, which required adjacent land to be developed before Silverstream could proceed.

The change enables sections to go on sale almost immediately.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Earthquake Recovery

An extra 140 undergraduate students will be funded to do research and development projects for New Zealand businesses this summer, Science and Innovation Minister Wayne Mapp announced today.

"We have huge demand from businesses so this year we have decided to award 341 internships instead of the 200 we initially intended,” said Dr Mapp.

  • Wayne Mapp
  • Science and Innovation

The Government has a contestable fund that the Waikato Regional Council and Thames-Coromandel District Council can apply to for further testing of contaminants at the Moanataiari subdivision in Thames, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.

"The Government shares the concerns of residents and the local Thames community at the levels of arsenic recorded in soil samples at Moanataiari," said Dr Smith.

  • Nick Smith
  • Environment

Minister for Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce, is pleased to confirm the merger of the Whitireia Community Polytechnic (Whitireia) and Wellington Institute of Technology (Weltec) councils.

Mr Joyce’s approval of the merger is the first since new legislation for ITP governance was passed in 2009.

“It is an exciting development that will provide opportunities for the institutions to work more closely together for the benefit of students right across the Wellington region,” says Mr Joyce.

  • Steven Joyce
  • Tertiary Education

The release of 60 penguins at Mt Maunganui beach today is a significant milestone in the Bay of Plenty's recovery from the Rena oil spill and environmental disaster, Environment Minister Nick Smith said today.

"It is a heart-warming experience after the devastating scene of oiled and dead birds to see these healthy penguins returning to their natural habitat," Dr Smith said.

  • Nick Smith
  • Environment

Associate Health Minister, Tariana Turia, commends the brave initiative of the Australian Federal Government who have passed plain packaging laws for cigarettes through both houses of Parliament.

The legislation has got through all stages, now meaning Australia is the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging of tobacco.

  • Tariana Turia
  • Health

Rotorua is to get a new Police Station that will enable local Police to serve the community better, Police Minister Judith Collins announced today.

Demolition of the existing station, which is more than 40 years old, is scheduled to take place in May 2012 and construction will begin soon after. The new station is expected to be operational by October 2013.

The overall project cost, which will be subject to a competitive tender, is expected to be $18.5 million.

  • Judith Collins
  • Police

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has welcomed the latest National Bank Regional Trends data showing Canterbury’s economy grew 1.8 per cent in the September quarter, following 2.6 per cent growth in the June quarter.

“Growth statistics for Canterbury in the last two quarters is clear evidence of recovery activity and is a testament to the resilience and commitment of Cantabrians,” Mr Brownlee said.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Earthquake Recovery

A new shared facility between Police and Child, Youth and Family in Whakatane will ensure that child victims in the area receive the best care and protection, Police Minister Judith Collins said.

The new facility, which opened today, is the latest shared agency centre dedicated to reducing child abuse, bringing perpetrators to justice and keeping victims safe.

Over the past decade multi-agency centres or co-locations have opened in Auckland, Counties-Manukau, Hamilton, Tauranga, Whanganui and Petone.

  • Judith Collins
  • Police

Australia’s Trade Minister, Craig Emerson, and New Zealand’s Minister of Trade, Tim Groser, today welcomed Indonesia’s announcement that it had completed domestic procedures to enable the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) to enter into force for Indonesia. AANZFTA is already in force for Australia, New Zealand and the other nine ASEAN member countries.

  • Tim Groser
  • Trade

Foreign Minister Murray McCully is representing New Zealand at the 6th East Asia Summit (EAS), being held in Bali, Indonesia, on November 18th-19th.

“The East Asia Summit is significantly expanding with both the United States and Russia attending the summit for the first time,” said Mr McCully.

“An important issue being discussed is economic integration within East Asia. ASEAN members are interested in consolidating bilateral FTAs with existing partners, including New Zealand and Australia, into a wider agreement,” said Mr McCully.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that Hastings is to benefit from an ECE funding boost to help increase participation in early childhood education.

$91.8 million is being invested in target areas across the country, to make 3500 more ECE places available, particularly for Maori and Pasifika children, and children from low socio-economic communities.

“Far too many children are currently missing out on early childhood education, and we are focused on giving them the best possible start to their education before they start primary school,” says Mrs Tolley.

  • Anne Tolley
  • Education

Police Minister Judith Collins today opened the new Manurewa Police Station, and paid tribute to the work of local Police in reducing crime.

The station, which cost around $6 million, will be the base for 173 Police staff. The building replaces the old station which was too small for the growing number of Police in Manurewa.

Around 50 of the 300 new frontline officers deployed by the Government in Counties-Manukau are based at Manurewa.

“With all those extra officers, the Manurewa Police team outgrew the old station,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Police

Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced the members of the Health Promotion Agency Establishment Board.

Dr Lee Mathias has been appointed chair. She is deputy chair of the Auckland District Health Board.

The other members are:
• Mr Hayden Wano, chair of Health Sponsorship Council
• Mr Rea Wikaira, chair of ALAC
• Professor Grant Schofield, public health expert in nutrition and physical activity
• Ms Katherine Rich, CEO Food and Grocery Council

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the rezoning of a further 758 orange zoned properties in greater Christchurch, which means over 90 per cent of the residential orange zone has been rezoned since June.

"While some people have waited a long time, and a few are still waiting, this is progress," Mr Brownlee said.

Of the 758 residential properties, 341 properties have been zoned green, and 417 properties have been zoned red.

Land on the 341 properties zoned green can be repaired individually. 

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Earthquake Recovery

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the green zoning of 8300 non-residential properties across greater Christchurch which were previously in the un-mapped white zone.

The 8300 properties are a mixture of commercial and industrial properties, Ministry of Education and District Health Board land, parks and reserves, other community facilities such as halls, churches and child care facilities, and undeveloped private land.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Earthquake Recovery

Forensic mental health services are being boosted by $33 million to improve early intervention and treatment services for youth offenders, Associate Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman announced today.

The funding, spread over four years, will provide mental health, alcohol and drug assessment services for the 4200 young offenders who appear in youth courts each year. This will allow referral to relevant health services as appropriate.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Health

Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced that the National government has approved a major redevelopment worth more than $3 million for Te Awhina, the Whanganui District Health Board's acute inpatient mental health unit.

Mr Ryall announced the approval during a visit to the DHB with local MP Chester Borrows today.

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health