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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.

The Government will carefully consider the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s full report and its recommendations, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson say.

The third and final part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report (Volumes 5-7) into the causes of building failures during the earthquake was publicly released by the Government today.

Prime Minister John Key has welcomed the public release today of the third and final part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report into the causes of building failures during the earthquake.

“There were 185 people who lost their lives in the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011. Of those, 175 deaths were due to failures of buildings or parts of buildings,” Mr Key says.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced the launch of a new contestable fund to improve youth mental health information for parents, families and friends.

“We need better information for those closest to young people, who’re often the first to notice signs of mental health problems but don’t always know when to be concerned and what to do,” says Mrs Bennett.

Minister for Climate Change Issues Tim Groser and Associate Minister Simon Bridges have been leading the New Zealand delegation at the annual Climate Change Ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar.

“This Conference has been challenging and went a day over time, but we are now well placed to confront the real issue: the negotiation of a long-term comprehensive Climate Change Agreement,” says Mr Groser in Qatar.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has thanked all the school communities in greater Christchurch who have provided submissions on the Government’s Education Renewal Plans.

The Ministry of Education has received submissions from all 31 schools proposed for merger and closure, plus two from Aranui cluster schools, who had been given until 7 March to return their submissions

“I would like to thank all the school communities for participating in the consultation process over the last two and a half months and preparing their submissions.

“It’s unacceptable to see that despite the work and investment being undertaken in health to reduce disparities between Maori and non-Maori, our Maori tamariki are still dying and suffering from diseases at a higher rate than others in this country.”

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia commented today on the release of the second of three reports in the Ministry of Health’s Te Ohonga Ake series on Maori child health. This second report focuses on the health status of Maori children and young people. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will tomorrow travel to the Pacific for meetings in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu.

"The Marshall Islands will host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2013 and we are keen to support them given our recent experience hosting and chairing the Forum,” Mr McCully says.

Minister for Social Development Paula Bennett today met with Auckland Sexual Abuse Helpline (ASAH) and agreed to an interim funding arrangement with contributions from Health, Social Development and Police.

“I met with ASAH today, I’ve heard their concerns and the Government is prepared to step in to keep the service running without interruption,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

They have also committed to a sustainable three year contract with negotiations to be finalised in April 2013.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced New Zealand will provide $500,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross Appeal to help those most in need following Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines.

"More than 400 lives have been confirmed lost during this disaster and a further 383 are missing.  Around 230,000 people are thought to have been affected, with homes, roads, bridges, power and communications infrastructure either damaged or destroyed," Mr McCully says.

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.

Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson has welcomed new trans-Tasman rules for health and nutrition claims on food labels.

At a meeting in Brisbane today, Ministers from Australia and New Zealand agreed to the new rules which permit a range of claims that link properties of foods to health effects. Only claims that are backed up by evidence, whether self-substantiated or pre-approved, will be permitted.

The Crown signed a deed of settlement for all outstanding historical Treaty claims with Ngati Toa Rangatira at Parliament Buildings in Wellington today, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced.

There’s been a big increase in the number of children under six getting free doctors’ visits – the numbers are up 25 per cent on four years ago.

Health Minister Tony Ryall visited the Hillcrest Medical Centre in Hamilton today – one of the 965 general practices in the country providing free doctors’ visits to children under six during the daytime.

“We are committed to ensuring more young children get to see the doctor when they need to, and removing cost as a reason not to,” says Mr Ryall.

State Councillor Liu Yandong will visit New Zealand next week as a guest of the New Zealand Government – the first visit by a senior Communist Party figure since China’s November leadership transition.

State Councillor Liu is a senior leader in China’s 2012-2017 hierarchy. Her portfolios include education, science, screen and television, and culture.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says he will sign a joint declaration with State Councillor Liu on science and technology in Wellington on 10 December.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today released the second part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report (Volume 4), which covers a range of practice and policy issues relating to earthquake-prone buildings, particularly how these buildings are identified and managed.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on proposals to improve the earthquake-prone buildings policy system, released in a consultation document today.

“The destructive earthquakes in Canterbury have highlighted the need to review and improve our system for dealing with earthquake-prone buildings in New Zealand,” Mr Williamson says.

State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall today announced two new director appointments to Airways Corporation and three to Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd. As part of the same appointment process, one director was reappointed to the board of Mighty River Power.

Two new directors will join the Board of Airways from 1 January 2013; Dr Chris Moxon is an experienced executive in the information technology industry and Robin Gunston is an engineer.

A Government-accredited product stewardship scheme has diverted more than 230,000 litres of paint and 90,000kg of steel buckets from landfill in the last year, Environment Minister Amy Adams says.

Resene’s PaintWise recycling and education programme finds beneficial uses for waste products, including donating unused paint to community groups and recycling the steel paint buckets returned as part of the scheme.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced Dr Jan White has been appointed as a member of the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC) board.

“Dr White is a highly skilled director with wide-ranging health sector management experience,” said Mr Ryall.

“A medical doctor by training, Dr White has held a number of key health sector posts including six years as Chief Executive of the Waikato District Health Board and seven years as Chief Executive of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).”

Tenders are about to be sought for a new military pilot training capability says Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman.

“The requirement for a modernised pilot training system with suitable aircraft is clear and Cabinet has agreed to the next step in the process with the Ministry of Defence to issue a Request for Tender.

Pilot training is currently conducted using the single engine CT-4E Airtrainers for the primary stage and the twin engine turbo-prop King Air B200s for the advanced stage of the “Wings Course”.

Housing New Zealand has suspended 75 former tenants from applying for a state house since the introduction of its suspensions policy a year ago, Housing Minister Phil Heatley said today.

The policy, introduced on 30 November 2011, allows Housing New Zealand to suspend former tenants from applying for a state house for one year after their tenancy ends, as a result of serious breaches of their tenancy agreement.

The House today passed a bill to modernise and improve the law regarding publication of legislation, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced.

The Legislation Bill is intended to modernise and improve the law regarding the publication, availability, reprinting, revision, and official versions of legislation, and bring it together into one piece of legislation.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has highlighted 20 key projects in the Economic Recovery Programme for Greater Christchurch, which was launched today.

Developed by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) and Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the programme lays out a roadmap for economic recovery in the region.

“This has been a thoroughly collaborative process between CERA and MBIE in partnership with local government and the business sector,” Mr Brownlee says.