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State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman says a new Government Chief Talent Officer will be appointed to drive a new public service talent and leadership programme.

“Developing our future public service leaders is crucial to maintaining an effective public service that is focused on delivering better public services for New Zealanders,” says Dr Coleman.

“It is important the public service offers an attractive career for young New Zealanders, and they get the career development and progression that makes the best use of their skills.

The Government has received the Constitutional Advisory Panel’s final report which recommends that the conversation about New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements should continue, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples say.

The 12-member independent panel spent more than six months having a conversation with New Zealanders about  our constitutional arrangements. These included the role of the Treaty of Waitangi, Maori representation in Parliament and local government, the Bill of Rights Act and other matters.

The Government has provided an additional $31 million of capital to the Hobsonville Land Company, a subsidiary of Housing New Zealand, to enable faster progress on a 3000 house development at Hobsonville Point in Auckland.

“Hobsonville Point is proving to be a very successful and popular housing development. This Government capital is to enable the company to purchase the remaining 16.5 hectares of land two years ahead of schedule and bring 500 houses to the market earlier,” Dr Smith says.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that offenders have clocked up over a million hours in unpaid community work so far in the fiscal year, to pay something back for the crimes they have committed.

Every week offenders across New Zealand are engaged in activities ranging from cleaning up graffiti, to gardening, painting and clearing rubbish.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today launched a new Social Sector Trial action plan in Porirua focused on reducing avoidable hospital and emergency department admissions.

“There are now 16 Social Sector Trials throughout the country. The majority of these are focused on improving things such as truancy rates and youth crime. The Porirua Trial is applying this successful model towards achieving better health outcomes for the local community,” says Mr Ryall.

Results of the Port Hills Zoning Review announced today will give property owners certainty and provide options for people to move on from areas posing a serious risk to life, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

The outcome of the review of all zoned properties in the Port Hills means a change of zoning for 270 properties – with 237 going from green zone to red zone, and 33 going from red to green.

A world-leading project to transform Christchurch into a smart city of the future and create opportunities for New Zealand’s tech sector is to receive support from Callaghan Innovation, the Government’s new High Tech HQ for business.

Associate Social Development Minister Chester Borrows is urging students to apply for their 2014 Student Loan and Allowance by Monday 16 December.

“This year StudyLink has been very clear that the best way for students to make sure their financial support is sorted when they start studying is by applying by December 16,” says Mr Borrows.

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges today announced the award of ten new oil and gas exploration permits as a result of Block Offer 2013.

The permits include five onshore permits across Taranaki and the East Coast and five offshore permits across the Reinga-Northland, Taranaki, and Great South-Canterbury Basins.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams says the Government has today received a verbal briefing from Ernst & Young Australia on its high level findings on whether Chorus can deliver on its broadband contracts.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew has today, on International Day of the Volunteer, praised the unpaid workforce who keep our nation going.

“This group freely donate their time and energy to keep our communities running. They are the backbone of our sports and social groups, search and rescue organisations, and the arts and cultural sector,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is welcoming the approval of New Zealand meat exports to enter Peru.

The managed wind-down of Learning Media has been completed, Finance Minister Bill English and Education Minister Hekia Parata say.

“The Learning Media board has managed the wind down in a way that provided certainty of provision for publications such as the School Journal, as well as ensuring staff were treated fairly,” Mr English says.

Police Minister Anne Tolley and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson have praised their agencies following the largest ever ContacNT precursor drugs bust in New Zealand, in which over 330 kg of the Class B drug has been seized.

Police estimate it would have been used to produce up to 100 kg of methamphetamine, with a street value of $100 million.

$20 million of assets in property, cars and cash were also seized, and 24 arrests made, as 250 Police, OFCANZ and Customs officers today executed 40 search warrants in Auckland and Waikato.

Environment Minister Amy Adams has today released a report into a review of the Christchurch City Council’s resource management functions.

Ms Adams asked the Ministry for the Environment to carry out the assessment following International Accreditation New Zealand’s decision to revoke the council’s certification to issue building consents.

The review has found there are a number of minor issues with the council’s consenting function, but these are within the council’s capacity to resolve.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye have received the first of two reports from the Government’s inquiry into the whey protein concentrate contamination incident. The report is on Parts B and C of the inquiry.

Ministers will now consider the report on Parts B and C and its recommendations. The report will be released along with the Government’s response within the next two weeks.

An embarrassing middle-aged Dad trying to impress his teenager’s friends by supplying them alcohol features in a new publicity campaign to remind people of new laws about supplying alcohol to under-18 year olds.

Justice Minister Judith Collins says the campaign, developed by the Health Promotion Agency (HPA), relates to law changes this month around social supply of alcohol to under-18s.

The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update this month will revise the estimated range of proceeds from the Government’s share offer programme to $4.6 billion - $5 billion, Finance Minister Bill English says.

“The revised assumption of share sale proceeds is based on Solid Energy clearly being in no position to be sold anytime soon, and it takes account of other developments and the results of share offers to date,” he told Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee today.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has welcomed the first reading of world-leading legislation to stop cyber bullies in their tracks.

The Harmful Digital Communications Bill introduces a range of measures to address damaging online communications and ensure perpetrators are held to account for their actions.

“Countries around the world are grappling with the challenges presented by increased communications within the cyber-sphere,” Ms Collins says.

Trade Minister Tim Groser has led a call at the WTO’s 9th Ministerial Conference in Bali for urgent action to protect global fish stocks. New Zealand has been coordinating a group of countries that includes Argentina, Australia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, Pakistan, Peru and the United States.

Results of an international study show New Zealand is continuing to perform above the OECD average in reading, maths and science but has slipped against some countries, Education Minister Hekia Parata says.

The 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, which is carried out every three years, compares the performance of just over half a million 15-year-olds from 65 countries or economies across reading literacy, maths and science.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed Parliament’s first reading of a bill which narrows the range of infrastructure costs councils can charge housing developers and introduces an independent appeals process.

Local councils will be encouraged and assisted to work more efficiently under new legislation that passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Local Government Minister Chris Tremain.

A key part of the new legislation addresses one of the contributing factors to housing affordability.

New Zealand had been ranked the least corrupt country in the world for the eighth year running, Justice Minister Judith Collins says.

Transparency International’s Corruption Perception index released today ranked New Zealand first, equal with Denmark, out of 176 countries for having the lowest perception of corruption in the public sector.

“One of New Zealand’s biggest assets internationally is its reputation for being corruption free,” Ms Collins says.