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The Government is establishing a company to act as a bridging investor for regional water infrastructure development, Primary Industries Minister David Carter announced today.

In 2011 the Government signalled plans to invest up to $400 million in regional-scale schemes to encourage third-party capital investment.  Cabinet has now directed that $80 million for the initial stages of the company’s operation be set aside in Budget 2013.

The Government is establishing a company to act as a bridging investor for regional water infrastructure development, Primary Industries Minister David Carter announced today.

In 2011 the Government signalled plans to invest up to $400 million in regional-scale schemes to encourage third-party capital investment. Cabinet has now directed that $80 million for the initial stages of the company’s operation be set aside in Budget 2013.

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS OTAGO has successfully completed its first patrol of the season in the Southern Ocean - one of the world’s most challenging environments.

“It is important to New Zealand and the world that we protect the fragile marine environment of the Southern Ocean by helping to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing,” Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.

The report of the Local Government Efficiency Taskforce released today is an essential building block of the Government’s reform programme, says Local Government Minister David Carter.

The independent Taskforce was established earlier this year to look at improvements to local government consultation, planning and financial reporting practices.

Mr Carter says the Taskforce’s report will feed into the Better Local Government reform programme which aims to bring clarity to the role of councils, stronger governance and improved efficiency.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the go-ahead for the Wairarapa Water Use Project has the potential to irrigate an additional 30,000 to 50,000 hectares of land and boost the area’s GDP by $400 million.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter is welcoming a boost to New Zealand’s biosecurity frontline with the graduation today of 46 new recruits.

With training completed of the largest intake of border staff in over a decade, the Ministry for Primary Industries is issuing warrants to 43 new quarantine inspectors and three new detector dog handlers at a ceremony in Auckland.

Battery cages for layer hens are to be phased out under a new Code of Welfare released today by Primary Industries Minister David Carter.

From tomorrow (7 December), no new battery cages can be installed by egg producers and a staged phase-out of existing cages will begin.  By 2022, all battery cages will be prohibited.

“Scientific evidence and strong public opinion have made it clear that change is necessary.  We need alternatives to battery cages,” says Mr Carter.

A package of support measures is to be made available to North Island kiwifruit growers affected by the Psa-V vine disease, Primary Industries Minister David Carter announced today.

Mr Carter has declared Psa a medium-scale biosecurity event under the Government’s Primary Sector Recovery Policy, triggering further assistance for growers dealing with the impacts of the disease. 

Primary Industries Minister David Carter has welcomed the announcement of another successful Primary Growth Partnership bid which lifts the total invested to more than $650 million.

The Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) is to fund half of an $87 million innovation programme proposed by leading meat exporter ANZCO.

A bill implementing a programme to lift the performance and efficiency of local government has passed its third and final reading in Parliament.

Local Government Minister David Carter says the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill is an important milestone in progressing major reform of New Zealand’s local government sector.

New Zealand’s 78 local authorities make up 4% of GDP, spend $7.8 billion per year of public money and manage $120 billion worth of assets.

Further strengthening a primary industries relationship and boosting trade is the focus of a visit to India by Primary Industries Minister David Carter.

“India is a rapidly rising player in the Asia-Pacific region and New Zealand is keen to develop stronger economic and agricultural ties,” Mr Carter says.

The Minister will also travel to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter and Environment Minister Amy Adams welcomed the release today of the third and final report of the Land and Water Forum (LAWF).

“This report presented to the Government marks the culmination of three years’ hard work by LAWF and we thank the members for tackling the tough issues of New Zealand’s fresh water management,” say Mr Carter and Ms Adams.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter today announced amendments to the Raw Milk Regulations, the rules by which independent milk processors can access raw milk from Fonterra.

“The Regulations ensure dairy processors can access raw milk when they are starting up and aim to support competition in domestic dairy products,” Mr Carter says.

“The changes follow an extensive consultation and review process on how best to achieve a fair and efficient dairy market in New Zealand.”

The key amendments are:

A bill that will strengthen the Local Electoral Act, including the rules around donations, has passed its first reading in Parliament.

Local Government Minister David Carter says the Local Electoral Amendment Bill No 2 will provide greater efficiency and transparency around the conduct of local elections.

“The Bill will bring the Local Electoral Act closer into line with the Electoral Act which governs parliamentary elections and, in doing so help build trust in the local electoral system.”

Australian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Hon Joe Ludwig will visit New Zealand for bilateral and primary industries meetings over the next two days.

Hon Ludwig, who will be joined by Primary Industries Ministers from NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory, will meet with Minister Carter this afternoon.

"This visit is a valuable opportunity to discuss two-way trade and issues in the primary sector that affect both Australia and New Zealand," says Mr Carter.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter has welcomed today's announcement of another successful Primary Growth Partnership bid which lifts the total allocated to around $600 million.

PGP is to fund nearly half of a $14.6 million programme led by PGG Wrightson Seeds to develop new pasture and forage crop technologies.

"In just three years, the PGP programme has worked with industry to develop some of the most exciting primary sector research and innovation proposals New Zealand has ever seen," says Mr Carter.

Local Government Minister David Carter has today announced an independent expert advisory group to help local government provide more cost effective infrastructure.

The eight-member group is one of the initiatives outlined in the Better Local Government reform programme announced earlier this year.

Mr Carter says the Local Government Infrastructure Efficiency Expert Advisory Group will focus on reducing the cost of quality local government infrastructure.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter has welcomed a move by New Zealand fish quota owners to forego fishing an increased orange roughy stock in the interest of long-term sustainability.

A bill extending commissioner governance of Environment Canterbury beyond the 2013 local government elections has passed its first reading in Parliament.

Local Government Minister David Carter says the current Commissioners have made significant progress in resolving systemic issues within Environment Canterbury and addressing urgent issues with water management in the region.

However, speaking to the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill, Mr Carter said the job is not yet complete.

A bill that makes the most significant changes to the Biosecurity Act in 15 years has passed into law.

The Biosecurity Law Reform Bill makes a wide range of amendments to the Act, along with related amendments to four other Acts.

“New Zealand has a highly effective biosecurity system which is recognised as world-leading, but the legislation has not kept pace with the way the system has had to evolve to meet ever-growing challenges,” says Primary Industries Minister David Carter.

Local Government Minister David Carter has announced proposed changes to the donation provisions of the Local Electoral Act.

Mr Carter says the proposed amendments reflect growing public concern about transparency and accountability in relation to candidate donations, and in particular anonymous donations.

“The amendments will limit the size of anonymous donations a candidate can keep to $1500, revise the definition of “anonymous”, increase disclosure, reporting and recording obligations and introduce penalties for non-compliance.

Commissioners will continue to govern Environment Canterbury after the 2013 local authority elections, Local Government Minister David Carter and Environment Minister Amy Adams announced today.

Commissioners were appointed in 2010 following a critical external review of Environment Canterbury’s performance. Legislation empowering the governance arrangements states that their term was to end at the local government elections in 2013.

Local Government Minister David Carter today released a report into the Kaipara District Council and announced the appointment of four commissioners to replace the elected councillors.

The review of Kaipara Council’s performance by the government-appointed Kaipara Review Team led to the Council requesting commissioners take over governance of the district. Appointing commissioners under the Local Government Act was also the review team’s central recommendation.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Primary Industries Minister David Carter today announced a new convention to manage fisheries across the South Pacific.

The convention establishes the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), which will manage waters from Western Australia to South America, including the Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean.

“This is the culmination of six years of work by the New Zealand Government,” Mr McCully says. New Zealand co-sponsored the negotiations, alongside Chile and Australia.